The Weak Link
Part Six
By Alyssa Santos
yellowbrick_1@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. This is my first Fan
Fiction and I have little to no medical knowledge so give me a break. You
can E-mail me at  yellowbrick_1@hotmail.com



Dave woke with a start. He had had another nightmare. ‘My memory must be coming back.’ he thought. He was relieved, because when he remembered his attacker Elizabeth would make sure he was arrested, but he didn’t think he wanted to remember what had happened. He tossed off what little blanket was still on him and painfully stood up. It wasn’t so much that his legs were injured, they weren’t, he was just fatigued; and every time he moved his muscles groaned in protest. Elizabeth had brought him a wheelchair the day before, in case he wanted to go somewhere, but he couldn’t bring himself to use it. He had to be strong, he was always the strong one.

The clock on the small table read 9:10 a.m. ‘I should be working.’ he thought. He made the slow and horrendous journey to the small bathroom he had grown accustomed to. When he finally got there he just stared at himself in the mirror. He didn’t have to go to the bathroom or anything else, he had just made the journey for the sake of making the journey. He continued to look at himself for several minutes. He analyzed everything he could see, his face and upper chest. The bruises were receding but still hideous, his face seemed hollow and tired. He hated that face; it looked weak. He decided then that he would get out of his room and show everyone he wasn’t weak, without his wheelchair.

Elizabeth headed down the hall to Dave’s room. She entered the room and found it dark and empty. The wheelchair was still where she had left it. “Malucci are you in the bathroom?” She called. When there was no answer she walked forward to find  the door to the bathroom open. Cursing softly she walked to the nurses station. “Where’s Dr. Malucci? He’s not in his room.” She said demandingly.

“I know, he just left. I think he went to the ER. He wanted to visit some of the doctors.” She didn’t look up at Elizabeth but continued filling out a form.

“Without his wheelchair? The stupid bastard.” She turned quickly and headed for the elevator.

Dave limped off the elevator slowly.  He stood a moment, relieved that everything was just as he remembered it. It seemed pretty busy. So many people were buzzing around no one noticed him. He peeked into a couple of rooms, but didn’t really see anyone he wanted to talk to. He made his way towards the lounge, stopping constantly to relieve the throbbing pain and catch his breath. When he finally got there he looked in only to see Kerry. He really didn’t want to talk to festus. He decided he would just go to admitting and chat with Randi or whoever until someone came by.

He was almost there when he suddenly buckled against the wall, he couldn’t go any farther. He closed his eyes and silently tried to will the pain away. “Malucci!” a faint voice cried. A second later someone was shaking him. He was tired and he wanted to sleep. He tried to bat the hand away, but could barely push on it at all. “Get me a gurney!” The voice was called.

Then he felt hands all over him. He didn’t like it. He tried to push and kick them away, but they easily overwhelmed him.

“Dave you’ve got to relax!” another voice was telling him. Dave wasn’t in control, they were; and he didn’t like it.

When he finally opened his eyes he found himself staring at the ceiling. He tried to sit up, but some soft restraints were holding him down. He groaned and tried to figure out what had happened. All he could remember was the bad dream of being overwhelmed. Then he remembered trying to find someone to talk to. He smiled and said comically, “Hello? Anybody out there?” He was severely shocked when he actually got an answer.

“Dave? You’re awake?” He heard Mark ask. Dave flinched slightly when Mark’s face came into view as he leaned over him.
“Where’s Dr. Corday?” He asked, this leaning over him stuff wasn’t making him any happier.

“She had to go to surgery. You made her a little late as it was.” He said in a scolding school teacher tone.

“Well geez, I didn’t mean to.” he said sarcastically.

“Dave, if you wanted to come down and visit us you should have come in your wheelchair.”

“I don’t need a wheelchair.” Dave insisted.

“It probably would have helped you today.”

Dave resigned, he still wasn’t really clear on what happened but he thought he understood.

As if Mark had read his thoughts he explained what had happened, “You collapsed. When Elizabeth found you, you were near unconscious and disoriented. You kept muttering about control and trying to fight us when he tried to get you on the gurney. You really endangered yourself with that stunt. Elizabeth told me to warn you that she will lock you in your room if you don’t use your wheel chair from now on.”

Dave knew he had no choice, he hated not being able to make his on decision.

“Yeah, OK.” He finally agreed.

“Good.” Mark said.  “I assume if I remove your restraints you attack me.” he said jeeringly as he unbuckled the restrains. Dave immediately struggled into a sitting position.

He could see now that he was still in the ER; Exam two by the looks of it. Mark stepped back so he was no longer in his face.

“OK here comes a big decision. Do you want to stay here in bed for a while. Take a wheelchair back up to your room, or get in the wheelchair and I’ll wheel you around a bit.” Mark said. Dave noticed a wheelchair next to his bed.

“I’ll stay here for a bit.”

After Mark left Dave waited ten minutes before painfully sliding himself into the wheelchair. He grimaced slightly until he found himself a remotely comfortable position. He slowly wheeled himself towards the door. The pain this released on his arms was immense but he handled it. He struggled a while to get the door open, the whole time another patient in the room had his eyes on him, probably seeing the scrubs he was wearing. Dave had insisted on the scrubs; Elizabeth hadn’t even tried to argue.

He finally got out to find that the ER had slowed tremendously since he had seen it last. He wondered how long he had been out but quickly pushed it out of his mind. He decided that there was probably someone in the lounge so he headed over. From his wheelchair he couldn’t peek through to the lounge but decided to go in anyway. He opened this door a little faster and was able to quickly get his wheelchair in before it slammed in his face.

Carter was at the counter getting some coffee but his head was already turned towards Dave. “Dave!” He said a little astonished.

“Yesterday, today and forever.” Dave said wearily, why was Carte always so surprised to see him.

“I heard about what happened earlier, you should have used your wheelchair.” Carter had a smile on his face, a welcome contradiction to Mark’s scolding.

“Yeah, I know.” Dave said, not wanting to argue.

Carter gave a little snicker, “You remind me of me.” he said. Carter absentmindedly set his coffee down and turned his full attention to Dave.

“When I was recovering from my uh..... accident, I was always pushing myself; trying to make it to my room, trying to do everything myself. You, of course, did it at a much grander scale.” suddenly Carter’s face turned serious, and he went over and sat on the couch. Dave wheeled so that he was next to him.

“Are you still seeing your psychologist, Dave?”

“No. Stopped when I came back to work.”

“Maybe you should take it up again.” Carter said solemnly.

“Why?” Dave asked, he didn’t like where this was going.

“You could probably use some help.”

“I don’t need help. I’ve never had any help but I’ve always come out on top. I never need help.” Dave said stubbornly through clenched teeth.

“How can you be so headstrong?” Carter mused. “Can’t you admit that even you need help sometimes?”

“Carter, you may have been raised with on a silver spoon, but that doesn’t mean everyone is. You have no idea how I was raised. You have no idea what I have been through. Compared to that this is nothing. And I’m talking physically and mentally.” He stared sternly at the bewildered Carter for a full minute, then Dave wheeled himself out of the lounge, to the elevator, and up to his room.

“Is Dr. Malucci back in his room?” Elizabeth asked the lady at the nurses station before making her trip to his room.

“Yeah but you can’t go in.” she answered evenly.

“Why the hell not?” Elizabeth demanded.

“He doesn’t want to see anybody.”

“Well I’m his doctor!” Elizabeth exclaimed. The woman sighed and looked up at her.

“I know.” She said softly, “But I think it would be best if you didn’t go in.”

Elizabeth turned and walked defiantly towards Dave’s room. She knocked lightly then pressed her face up against the door. “Dave, may I come in?” she said.

“Go away!” An irritable voice answered. Elizabeth decided not to press the issue, but to go down and question Mark instead.

“Mark, do you know why Dave suddenly refuses to see me?” She asked Mark as soon as she found him at the admit desk looking over a chart.

“He won’t see you?” Mark asked, astonished.

“No he won’t.”

“I don’t understand, he asked for you when he first woke up. Later I went to check on him but he was gone. Since his wheelchair was gone too I figured he had just gone up.” Mark asked, turning once again to his chart. Carter had over heard the conversation as he walked towards the desk and decided to jump in.

“Dave came into the lounge an hour ago.” Carter started, waiting until he got Elizabeth’s attention and she turned towards him.

“We started talking and I suggested that he go by to his psychologist. He got really mad and started rambling about how he didn’t need help, and that he had gotten through worse before.” As Carter finished, he was afraid that Elizabeth would yell out him, but she merely sighed.

“What are we going to do with him?” she asked wearily

....Dave was at the beach, a very crowded beach. He was sitting soaking up the rays when he something caught his eye. When he focused in on it he saw a little girl. He watched her for a second then realized she was drowning. “That little girl is drowning!” He cried, jumping up and pointing his finger. Nobody noticed. He stood there for a second then ran right for the ocean. He swam as hard as he could. He could hear the girl screaming; slowly getting closer. He brought his head up to see he was almost there.

He could see the terrified look in the girl’s eyes, and her head was almost submerged. He swam a couple of strokes and reached out for her. He was so close. He stretched he arm as far as he could. Only a little further. Just when his finger was about to touch her she disappeared. Dave turned around, trying to find her, and then noticed the beach completely vacant.

Then he was sucked down, right into the water. He struggled with his arms and tried to kick his legs, but something was holding them.  His lungs begged for air, and his vision started to blur. His ears were starting to pop, and his head felt like it was going to explode. His shoulders were shaking now, the thing had gotten a hold on his shoulders. He couldn’t go on anymore. He had held his breath as long as he could....

“Malucci, wake up!” Elizabeth screamed. Dave was still fighting her; trying to hit her away. His eyes were closed tight and it seemed like he couldn’t breath. “Wake up! Wake up now!” Then, without warning his eyes darted open and he took a deep, ragged breath. His eyes darted around the room unfocused. Then they slowly relaxed and settled on Elizabeth. He was still breathing hard, and he seemed a little confused.

“Dave, are you all right? I think you were having a nightmare.” Elizabeth, her hands still firmly on his shoulders. Dave simply nodded. After staring at him a moment longer she let go and settled back in her chair. Dave’s breathing had slowed, but he still made no effort to talk. “Dave.” Elizabeth said sincerely, “I really think you should see your psychologist again. You might need help, and you might not; better to be safe than sorry.” She expected Dave to immediately , but surprisingly he just paused then nodded calmly. Elizabeth, unwittingly, let out a sigh of relief. She stood and said, “You probably need some more sleep.” Then she turned and left.

The room was bright because all the lights had been turned on. Dave squinted a little and looked around the room. It was completely empty. He knew that he couldn’t sleep anymore, he wouldn’t want to even if he could. He spotted his wheelchair next to him, and decided to go for a ride. He slid painfully off his bed, repositioned himself, then left the room.

He didn’t know where to go for a while, then it just came to him. The only place in the hospital he could think of that was happy all the time. He spent three hours just looking at the babies in the nursery, before he left again; off in search for a new place to park. He some how ended up in the Pysch ward. He remembered what John and Elizabeth had said, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to do it just now. He wasn’t ready just yet.

When Dave got back to his room Mark and Elizabeth were there, plus two police officers. The officers were interrogating Mark, “So you just found him there. You didn’t see anyone around who could have done it?”

“No, Dr Malucci was probably there for a while before we found him.”

The other cop, who was writing on a pad of paper, looked up and saw Dave.

“Is that Dr. Malucci?” He asked. Mark and Elizabeth both turned.

“Yes.” Mark said.

“Dr. Malucci, we just have a couple of questions for you.” The first one said. Dave nodded as he wheeled himself towards his bed. “Did you see who did this to you?”

“No,” Dave said, shaking his head. “I mean yes, I think I did. I just can’t remember who’s it was.” The other officer jumped in, wanting to do more than just write.

“Is there anyone who you could have upset, anyone with any motive.” Dave thought  back to  the day of the accident. He tried to remember what he had done, the patients he had seen. Then suddenly it hit him, hit him hard. Everyone else in the room could see it by the sudden flare of his eyes. The pieces all fit together. A sequence from his dreams played in his head, this time with the face in full view.

“Mr. Mason.” Dave said softly.

“Who?” Elizabeth asked, as eager as the cops.

“Mr. Mason,” Dave repeated louder. “I treated his wife. She said she was being abused so I turned him in. Then she denied it and they let him go.”

“Are you sure it was him?” The officer asked. Dave nodded fervently.

“OK. That’s all we need. When he arrest him we’ll bring him over for identification. Have a good day.” With that both the officers filed out.

Mark, Elizabeth and Dave just looked at each other for a moment, then Elizabeth broke the silence. “Well Dave, I bet it feels better knowing soon Mr. Mason will be behind bars.” Dave nodded, but he didn’t really agree. He could just imagine his dreams to come now that he had a face to fill them.

“And also pretty soon you should be able to go home.” Mark said, a smile on his face. “I bet you’ll enjoy not being cooped up in here much longer.”

“But you will need lots of rest.” Elizabeth butted in. Dave nodded as he pulled himself up onto his bed.

“Right, right.” he said, motioning for them to leave.

Dave sat on the most uncomfortable chair in the house, staring blankly at the TV in front of him. He had been released two days ago, and this was his second night at home. He was starting to drift off again, so he popped another caffeine pill. He knew that it only had a temporary effect, but he didn’t care; He didn’t care as long as he didn’t have to go to sleep and face his dreams.

End of part 6