Part 16.
***********
"Courage, my word, it didn't come, it doesn't matter. Courage, it
couldn't come at a worse time" -Courage. THE TRAGICALLY HIP.
**********
"I.. I can't do this.. I.. I think I'll go.." Dave winced as he grabbed onto the handholds of his wheelchair and attempted to wheel away.
"Malucci... You should stay. Ms.Knight would want you to stay.. She would want you to be here.." Kerry murmured, catching onto one of the handles and holding the chair still.
"I.. I can't Chief.. I can't do this.. I can't sit here and have everyone staring.. Staring at me.. Feeling sorry for me. Feeling mad at me for living while Lucy died.. I can't do this right now. I can't handle this!" Dave trembled and dropped his head into his hands.
"You can and you will Malucci.. Stay. I will sit with you." She sighed, awkwardly wheeling the chair to the front of the pews and sitting beside him. "We'll both get through this Malucci.."
"I want to go back to the hospital.. Please, Chief.." Dave looked away from Kerry, from the casket and burst into tears.
"Ohhhh.. Oh Dave.. Oh.. Okay Dave.. Okay.. We'll go.. I'll take you back.. It's going to be okay, Malucci.. It's going to be okay.." Kerry whispered hoarsely, her hand moving protectively to his back and rubbing it comfortingly. "It's going to be okay.." She looked over at Deb and nodded.
"Time to go back, Dave?" Chen said concerned.
Dave nodded mutely and hung his head, as she stood and pushed the chair down the aisle and past Barbara. She grasped his hand, stopping the chair.
"T-thank you for coming, Dave.. I really app..." She sniffled and blew her nose. "I appreciated that you came.. I'll never forget this.." Barbara looked up at Kerry and Chen. "Can I speak to him alone for a moment?"
Dave nodded to his friends, his eyes glassy and red with tears. "It's okay guys.."
"You sure Dave? I thought you wanted-" Chen replied softly, but Dave's hoarse whisper cut her off.
"It's okay.. Just a second.. I'll meet you back at the car." He waved them off as Barbara pushed the chair into the kitchenette and closed the door.
"What's u-" The chair tilted backwards with the sudden forceful jolt of Barbara leaping on Dave, her hands closing and tightening around his neck and throttling him.
"N-no.. p-ple-" He gasped as the chair flipped, landing the two on the ground and rolling on the cold tile flooring. The lack of oxygen hazed his senses as the crazed mother beat his head repeatedly against the ground.
"You killed her! You bastard! You killed my baby! You left her with a maniac! You killed my little girl!" Barbara screamed at him, her voice cracking as her hot tears hit him in the face, blinding him. "You k-"
*****
Dave startled himself awake with a guttural anguished scream.
He sat forward, his head in his hands as he started to weep and gasp for breath. Everything ached. Everything hurt. Everything hurt sooo much...
"Dave are you okay?" Ginny appeared at his bedside.
He shook his head. "I.. I killed her.." Dave sniffled tearfully.� "H-her.. Her mom hates me..."
"Dave.. Honey... You had a nightmare. Everything is okay.. You want me to go get Cindy or your aunt?" Ginny looked outside at the worried faces of his family.
"S-send in Cindy in." Dave murmured, laying back on the pillows and his breathing slightly winded.
"Dave... Honey? Are you okay?" She walked into the room and melted with concern. "Awww.. Sweetie.."
He closed his eyes as Cindy bent over the gurney and kissed him on the lips. "I wish I could get in there with you and make you feel better, Davey.."
"I don't think there's any harm in laying beside me if you're careful." He smiled, gritting his teeth with the pain and patting a spot beside him on the blanket.
Cindy laughed sadly and nodded, pulling down the rail and climbing in beside Dave. "I.. I'm really sorry I left that nasty message on your answering machine about Valentine's Day.. I.. If I'd known.. I never would have wished you dead.." She sniffled, wiping her eyes.
Dave laughed nervously. "Ahh.. The message.. Yeah.. That was the most interesting out of all the 'get well soon's and 'oh my god!'s I had on my machine.. Certainly a keeper.."
Cindy shook her head softly, her blonde hair shifting on the pillow and tickling his cheek. "No.. You're a keeper.. I missed you Dave.. I nearly killed that weird little bald guy.. He was making nasty remarks.. I almost punched him in the nose.."
Dave smirked. "Almost right? I hope just almost... Cuz.. The guy's sort
of Chief of Staff... Don't worry though.. Just about everyone wants to
punch the guy in the nose.."
�
"Good.. So it's not just me.." She laughed, nuzzling into his neck.
"Nope.. Not just you.. Just about all of County wants his head on a stick.." He sighed, laying back in the pillows as she lazily tickled his forearm with her fingers.
***
"Mark... Mark we have to talk.." Elizabeth sat in the booth across from her fiancee and sighed. "Mark.. Please..."
He looked up from his coffee and shook his head. "She's dead.. What is there to talk about?"
"Could you be sued.. Could she sue us? I mean.. It was negligence on our part.. Not closely supervising Malucci and Knight.. If we hadn't skipped out early to go to dinner.. Mark.. If we had stayed our full shift.. Malucci would be okay.." Elizabeth burst into tears.
"Elizabeth... Listen to me.. Yes.. I kept Malucci on.. We were busy.. I had reason to. As for Lucy.. It's nobody's fault.." He pulled off his glasses, grasping an arm and chewing absently on the end. His hand went to temple as he winced.
"But.. If we were so busy.. We shouldn't have left.. Mark... We killed her.."
"Shhh! Elizabeth.. Don't... Don't put this on us. We didn't do anything
wrong."
�
�