Luck of the Irish

By Li

Disclaimer ~ I do not own ER, any characters in ER, or NBC.  I’m not making any money off this or anything this is just me, writing a story.

            St. Patrick’s day, and what a day it was.  Dave had seen quite a few different cases.  You had the usual kids that started coming in with red eyes and stuffy noses as spring came around the corner, along with pollen and other allergies.    The 50 year old men who sat around the house and did nothing all day besides eating, coming in with chest pains and thoughts of heart attacks.  Nothing new, but they did have that weird guy come in claming he was Lucky from Lucky Charms and kept insisting them all that kids were after “me Lucky Charms!”.  That brought a few laughs to the group.  But it was just a normal day in the ER Dave thought, but how soon that would change.

 “Hey Dave, did they finally get a psych consult on the guy in exam 4?” Mark said referring to the Lucky Charms man,  while flipping through a chart.

 “Yeah, but not before asking him if there really is gold at the end of a rainbow.” Malucci said smiling. 

 “You shouldn’t make fun of him you know,” Lucy started as she came up to the desk, “you don’t know what drove him to this point.  He could have family problems or work problems or....”

 “He could just have a really bad obsession with a kiddie cereal!” Malik exclaimed walking up to them.  “I’m off now so I’ll see you guys later.  Maybe tomorrow we’ll get a visit from the Trix Bunny.  What do you think?” 

 “I think you guys are really mean and need lay off the poor guy!” Lucy stated to Malik’s retreating figure.  Sighing, she got a chart and went of to see a girl in exam room 2.

 “So are we having a party today boss?  You know with the occasion and all.” Dave said to Mark.

 “No Dr. Dave, we are not having a party, because Kerry doesn’t approve of parties in the ER, and it is not a national or big holiday.”

 “It is if you are Irish!”

 “But we aren’t Irish now, are we Malucci?”

 “I think my great grandmother might be!”

 “Don’t push it Dave!” Greene said as we walked away from the desk.

 “Everyone around here are party poopers!” Dave started

 “Ah, come on Malucci!  You’re grandmother’s not Irish!  You’re Italian!” Randi said rolling her eyes.  Not that she would mind a party; she just wanted to prove him wrong.

 “Oh, and I guess you are?” he said pointedly

 “As a matter of fact I am, my mother is half Irish!”

 “Sure, whatever!” he said, then he heard Kerry start calling his name.  “Malucci, I need you over here now, we have a GSW and I need an extra pair of hands!”  “Right there chief!  Well, I got to go Irish girl!” he said running toward trauma room one.

 Randi just shook her head, rolled her eyes, and went back to reading her magazine and chewing her gum.

“Happy Holy Patrick’s Day Everyone!” Luka said when he entered the ER. 

“No, no, Luka, its St. Patrick’s Day.” Carol corrected him.

“Oh, Sorry, Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!  Might I ask why Americans celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?”

“Well Luka, I’m not sure....” Carol started.

“It’s an Irish holiday honoring St. Patrick the missionary who converted the Irish to Christianity.” Dave started as he walked in.  Everyone stopped what they are doing and started at Malucci, most in shock.  “What?” he asked, “I have my moments!”

“And why if you guys are Americans do you celebrate an Irish holiday?” Luka questioned

“Well, actually....” Malucci started but couldn’t finish because Randi interrupted him saying, “Don’t get him started on whether or not we are Irish.”

“Why?”

“It’s a long story,” Dave said.

“And a story we don’t have time to tell!” Kerry stated walking in.  “Luka, I’m glad you’re here, Lucy needs help in six.  Carol, Carter needs a nurse to go get a UA, Chem 7, and tox screen, I’m sure you could do that.  And Malucci there are patients in chairs that need to be seen.”

Everyone went in opposite directions quite quickly as if someone was holding a whip behind them ready to strike if they did not do what they were told to do.  Then a call came in on the dispatch.

“County this is seven with infant, not breathing, out”

“What’s your ETA, seven?” Kerry called back.

“We’re our of Rock Ridge Apartments, so about 5, out”

“All right, Malucci you can help me, we’ll work out of trauma two, go and prep it and, Malucci, do you hear me!” Kerry shouted at him.

Dave couldn’t hear her though, because he suddenly felt very weak.  “Rock Ridge Apartments, that can’t be right, it must have been some other apartment buildings they said.  Because there aren’t any infants as far as I know in my building, well, the Brooks’ kid, but it can’t be them!”   

“Malucci,” Kerry pressed, this time with worry in her voice, “are you ok, we got a trauma coming in and I need you to help me.”

“Rock Ridge Apartments, that’s where I live, but there can’t be anything wrong with anyone that I know, right?” he said his voice trailing off as he looked up at Kerry with hope and worry in his eyes.

“Right, Dave, but if there is, we will do all we can.  How about you sit down there and I’ll go get Mark to help me out, ok?  You just stay right there and don’t worry.” Kerry said leaving.

“Can’t be them” Dave reassured himself.  “At least Kerry was nice, that was a first, and probably a last” he thought with a little chuckle, trying to just keep his mind of the incoming trauma. 

“Give me the bullet!” Kerry told the paramedic as she ran along side the gurney.

 “Infant, found laying on her stomach and not breathing.  BP is 90 over 60, pulse is 70, GCS is 7.  We had to give CPR twice on the way over here.  Her lungs are full of fluid and blood tinged froth found around the mouth.”

They entered the trauma room and the paramedics moved the infant carefully onto the table that was waiting for her.

 Kerry started shouting to everyone.  “Fluid in both sides of the lungs with diminished breath sounds.  I’ll need a CBC, tox screen, chest x-ray and a chem 7.  We’ll also need to intubate, someone get Cleo in here!”

 “I’m right here!” Cleo said running in, “What have we got?”

 So Kerry told Cleo about the infant and all the vital stats she needed.  While she did that Mark was busy trying to intubate the girl, and nurses were running around putting in IV’s and rattling off problems.

 “Pulse OX is down to 90!” Chuni warned everyone.

 “I’m in, bag her!” Mark yelled.

 “We still have to deal with the fluid in the lungs, we’ll have to drain it out,” Cleo said while gathering instruments off the tray next to her.

 Meanwhile, Malucci had gotten out of where he was sitting to go and see if he really did know the victims, and when he got there his worst fears were met.  Mr. and Mrs. Brooks were standing in front of the trauma room doors watching a group of doctors work on their 10 month old daughter.

 “Mr. and Mrs. Brooks?” Dave asked them.

 “Oh David!” Mrs. Brooks said getting teary eyed.  “We didn’t know what to do, she wasn’t breathing, and I called 911, and oh!” she started to cry.  Mr. Brooks just stood transfixed looking in at the circus going around his daughter.  So Dave went over and gave Mrs. Brooks a reassuring hug, and didn’t even worry about correcting her calling him David, because he hated that name. 

 “Is she going to be alright, is she going to make it?” Mr. Brooks said suddenly.

 “I don’t know, it depends on a lot of things, how long she was without oxygen, did we get to her in time, it all just depends.”  Dave wished he had a better answer for them, but he really didn’t know himself.  He still didn’t even know what was totally wrong with their daughter, besides she was found not breathing. 

 Then the doors to the trauma room bust open and a group of nurses were pushing the gurney toward the elevator with Cleo bagging the infant so she could breath. 

 “Is she ok?  Can we she her?” the Brooks asked.

 “We got her breathing again, but it is still to early to tell.  They are taking her up to PICU if you would like to go and follow them, you could see her.” Mark told them taking off his yellow trauma gown.

 “Thank-you doctor!” they said and followed their daughter up the elevator.

 “What was wrong with her, why wasn’t she breathing?” Malucci asked as soon as the parents where out of ear shot.

 “We don’t know for sure.” Mark said quietly.

 “What?!?!?!  How can you not know what was wrong with her?”

 “It could have been SIDS, Dave.”

 “SIDS?  But how, I mean....”

 “SIDS can happen to any baby, healthy, the not healthy, the rich, the poor.  It just happens and we have no explanation for it.  They just stop breathing.  Some think it might have something to do with laying a baby face down in the crib, and most babies that die from it normally have some cold or flu the week before.  That is probably what was wrong with her.” Mark said feeling sorry to have to dump this all on Dave.

 “I always have heard about SIDS, I mean I’m only a doctor!  But I never knew that it could happen to someone I know....  Is she going to be ok?  Will she live?” Dave looked up at Mark.

 “We aren’t sure, we got her breathing again, but with the prolonged oxygen deprivation, the next 24 hours will be crucial.  We think she has a 50/50 chance of survival.”

 Dave let that all set in while Mark and Kerry looked at him, feeling very sorry for him.  It’s hard to hear that an infant might not live, especially because they have lived such a sort life as it is.  Dave finally looked up and with a mumbled “thank-you” turned around and walked away.

“Dave?” Carter said while tightening his jacket around himself.  It was quite windy up here on the roof.

 “Yeah?”

 Carter turned to his left and saw a figure sitting there looking out over the city.  Carter figured Malucci would come up here, as most doctors do.  It’s a good place to get away and think.  But most of the time someone finds you here.  You are normally never alone.

 “You alright?” Carter asked walking up to him.  He could tell Dave had been crying a little, which kind of suprised him since down in the ER Malucci always pulled his tough guy routine with everybody.  Very rarely had he ever shown a lot of emotion. 

 “Yeah, I guess I will be.  Any word on her?”

 “Just the same I think, which at least means she is stable.”

 “That’s good I guess”

 “Dave, there is nothing that any of us could have done.  SIDS comes without warning and we did all we could.”

 “Yeah, I know.  Its just hard!  I’m mean, I have been in their apartment, you know?  And I saw her crib and all.  She had a stuffed bear in there.  If I had maybe told them that shouldn’t be in there....”

 “Dave” Carter said sighing, “You don’t know that that bear made her stop breathing, none of us know what made her stop breathing.  This is not your fault at all, or the parent’s fault, or anyone’s fault for that matter!  All we can do is pray about it.”

 “I already did that”

 “That’s good then, you have done all you can,” Carter said patting him on the shoulder. 

 They sat there in silence for a few more minutes, just looking out at the Chicago skyline.  Eventually though Carter got cold and told Malucci it was probably best if they go inside and get warmed up. 

 “So do you think I could still talk Kerry into having that party?  Because you know, we have real Irish people here now.  Mrs. Brooks’ parents actually came to America from Ireland.  They are the real thing!  Just to bad they had to have this happen on one of their country’s holidays.  I think they need a little luck today.  Maybe they can find the gold at the end of the rainbow,” Dave said thoughtfully.

 Carter smiled and shook his head; at least Malucci seemed to be getting better.  “I don’t know about that party, but I think they could get a little luck today, with the luck of the Irish and all.”

 “A wee bit o’ luck is all you need!” Dave said in a really high voice.

 Carter and Malucci were laughing their way back into the hospital, as they went back on to work, saving people’s lives!

The End!  =0)

Alrighty, that was my first ER fanfiction, I have written fanfiction for other TV shows though. First, I know it is after Valentine’s Day, and Lucy is miraculously up and walking around.  That is because I loved the character of Lucy, and I hated to see her go, so I kept her alive.  It’s my story, right?  Anyway, I would love some feedback of what you think, so you could e-mail me at NCDolphinChick@aol.com if you want to.  It would be greatly appreciated!  Thanx!