Disclaimer: Dave, come back! I need you! Okay, I don't own Erik Palladino
or his character, Dave Malucci.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Kerry! How very nice to see you. What brings you to my office?" Robert Romano greeted Dr. Weaver.
"Robert, you called me up here yourself," Kerry replied, rolling her eyes.
"I know that. Can't you take a greeting?"
Kerry raised an eyebrow. Robert cleared his throat.
"Right then, the reason you're here. We have a meeting with a certain someone today."
"Really, now? Why wasn't I informed about this before?"
"That's not important, Kerry."
Kerry shook her head. "Fine, you don't have to tell me. Whom is this meeting with?"
"He should be here in a few…" Robert started. Before he could finish his sentence, however, there was a knock on the door.
"Enter!" Robert called.
The knocker turned the knob, opened the door, and stuck his head into the room.
"Ah, Dr. Malucci! Come in, come in," Robert told him, smiling.
Dave's name caught the attention of Kerry and she looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, there was Dave. He came in, closing the door behind him, and sat down.
"Dave? What are you doing here?"
"Good afternoon, Chief," Dave replied, not answering her question.
"Dr. Malucci would like to be reinstated," Robert explained.
Kerry smirked. "I'm afraid that's impossible."
Dave looked at the floor.
"Oh, come now, Kerry, surely his approach is better than Dr. Chen's?" Robert persisted.
"Robert, have you forgotten that Dr. Malucci is partly responsible for a man's death?"
"As are you and Dr. Chen," Robert countered.
"There have been multiple complaints about his inability to be professional…"
"Kerry, your personal assessment of Dr. Malucci…"
"He doesn't have any respect for his colleagues what-so-ever…"
"Has nothing do with whether or not he's capable of his job…"
"I caught him having sex with a paramedic in an ambulance…"
"And he should have another chance…"
"Why are you being so compassionate about this, Robert? What's in it for you?"
"Kerry, it's just the fact that Malucci here has approached me in a civilized manner. He didn't bring any lawyers threatening to shut Cook County down if we don't give him his job back."
Kerry sat in silence for a moment. She looked at Dave, who didn't say anything.
"Why do you want your job back, Malucci?" she asked.
Dave looked at her. "I've worked here for almost three years, Dr. Weaver. This place has been my home more so than anywhere else. I know you don't like me, but please…I really do have a child to support. And I'll change, I swear…"
Kerry held a hand up. "I get the point."
Dave's face fell slightly and he averted his eyes away from her again.
"I'll think about it," Kerry said.
Dave looked up at her with a gleam of hope in his eyes.
"Thank you, Dr. Weaver," he said, almost beaming.
"I can't promise anything, now," she warned.
Dave nodded in understanding.
"Alright then, sorry to interrupt this Kodak moment, but I think this meeting is over," Robert said suddenly. "Dr. Malucci, I'll make sure we get in touch with you. You have a nice day now."
"Uh…"
"That's your cue to leave, David," Robert ordered.
Dave raised his eyebrows. "It's just Dave. And thank you, Dr. Romano, Dr. Weaver. I hope you hear from you soon."
"Have a nice day," Kerry told him.
He smiled at the doctors, stood up, and walked out the door.
"Well, Kerry, I think it's about time we both get back to work."
"Sure thing, Robert," Kerry replied. She stood up and made her way out the door.
"Kerry," Robert called to her.
She turned. "Yes?"
"You did a very good job at handling this thing," he complimented.
Kerry felt a warm smile creep across her face. "Thank you, Robert."
He nodded. "Get back to work."
Kerry stifled a laugh and nodded. She walked out and closed the door behind her.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Kerry! How very nice to see you. What brings you to my office?" Robert Romano greeted Dr. Weaver.
"Robert, you called me up here yourself," Kerry replied, rolling her eyes.
"I know that. Can't you take a greeting?"
Kerry raised an eyebrow. Robert cleared his throat.
"Right then, the reason you're here. We have a meeting with a certain someone today."
"Really, now? Why wasn't I informed about this before?"
"That's not important, Kerry."
Kerry shook her head. "Fine, you don't have to tell me. Whom is this meeting with?"
"He should be here in a few…" Robert started. Before he could finish his sentence, however, there was a knock on the door.
"Enter!" Robert called.
The knocker turned the knob, opened the door, and stuck his head into the room.
"Ah, Dr. Malucci! Come in, come in," Robert told him, smiling.
Dave's name caught the attention of Kerry and she looked over her shoulder. Sure enough, there was Dave. He came in, closing the door behind him, and sat down.
"Dave? What are you doing here?"
"Good afternoon, Chief," Dave replied, not answering her question.
"Dr. Malucci would like to be reinstated," Robert explained.
Kerry smirked. "I'm afraid that's impossible."
Dave looked at the floor.
"Oh, come now, Kerry, surely his approach is better than Dr. Chen's?" Robert persisted.
"Robert, have you forgotten that Dr. Malucci is partly responsible for a man's death?"
"As are you and Dr. Chen," Robert countered.
"There have been multiple complaints about his inability to be professional…"
"Kerry, your personal assessment of Dr. Malucci…"
"He doesn't have any respect for his colleagues what-so-ever…"
"Has nothing do with whether or not he's capable of his job…"
"I caught him having sex with a paramedic in an ambulance…"
"And he should have another chance…"
"Why are you being so compassionate about this, Robert? What's in it for you?"
"Kerry, it's just the fact that Malucci here has approached me in a civilized manner. He didn't bring any lawyers threatening to shut Cook County down if we don't give him his job back."
Kerry sat in silence for a moment. She looked at Dave, who didn't say anything.
"Why do you want your job back, Malucci?" she asked.
Dave looked at her. "I've worked here for almost three years, Dr. Weaver. This place has been my home more so than anywhere else. I know you don't like me, but please…I really do have a child to support. And I'll change, I swear…"
Kerry held a hand up. "I get the point."
Dave's face fell slightly and he averted his eyes away from her again.
"I'll think about it," Kerry said.
Dave looked up at her with a gleam of hope in his eyes.
"Thank you, Dr. Weaver," he said, almost beaming.
"I can't promise anything, now," she warned.
Dave nodded in understanding.
"Alright then, sorry to interrupt this Kodak moment, but I think this meeting is over," Robert said suddenly. "Dr. Malucci, I'll make sure we get in touch with you. You have a nice day now."
"Uh…"
"That's your cue to leave, David," Robert ordered.
Dave raised his eyebrows. "It's just Dave. And thank you, Dr. Romano, Dr. Weaver. I hope you hear from you soon."
"Have a nice day," Kerry told him.
He smiled at the doctors, stood up, and walked out the door.
"Well, Kerry, I think it's about time we both get back to work."
"Sure thing, Robert," Kerry replied. She stood up and made her way out the door.
"Kerry," Robert called to her.
She turned. "Yes?"
"You did a very good job at handling this thing," he complimented.
Kerry felt a warm smile creep across her face. "Thank you, Robert."
He nodded. "Get back to work."
Kerry stifled a laugh and nodded. She walked out and closed the door behind her.