Part 10a.
The two doctors watched, emotionally and physically drained as the doctor before them, pronounced time of death. They'd seen it so many times before. Only a year before on another colleague.. But this.. This was invincible Dr.Dave.
Elizabeth choked back a sob and the child in her arms started to wail. Confused and distraught, she stared at her son. "D.. Don't cry Andrew.. Please.. Dammit.. Stop crying.."
***
Elizabeth crept into Danny's room quietly, he had been extubated around the same time that a nurse down the hall had been performing a death kit on his brother. She sniffled a bit and slipped his hand in hers. Now he was asleep and resting comfortably unaware of the fact that his brother died only a few hours ago.
She stared off into space, tears in her eyes and a bittersweet smile on her face. Dave had been a pretty good kid. A real pain in the ass about ninety-five percent of the time. But a good kid.
Danny coughed, frightening Elizabeth out of her deep thoughts. "Oh.. Danny.. Hi..." Elizabeth said hoarsely, looking away and wiping her tear-stained face, red and swollen from crying.
"Do I know you?? You.. Look sorta familiar but.." Danny paused and then sighed heavily. "Everything's sorta muddled right now.. Cindy ran in here earlier crying her eyes out... My brother died.."
Elizabeth gasped, a sharp intake of breath and her bottom lip trembled. He knew already. I don't have to tell him that I killed his brother. Elizabeth thought to herself. She breathed out slowly and clenched her left hand into a fist, her nails drawing blood. "I'm sorry Danny.."
"You knew him?" Danny said softly, staring at the shaken woman. God. What WAS she wearing?? It looked like something Dave would have picked out.
"Yes.. He was a colleague of mine. I observed his operation. We did all we could but.. There was a blood clot.. It must have.." Elizabeth broke off unable to continue. This was her fault.
Finally it all fell into place. Dave at the apartment, her clothes.. "It's not your fault you know.. Dave would have done the same thing. " Danny sighed with a sad smirk. Dave.. Pregnant.. In THOSE clothes.. He sighed again.
"What?"
"I came in to see my brother that night. He was sleeping.. Or so they said.. So I decided to go visit the bitch who nearly killed my brother. She was asleep with the baby in her arms.. But it wasn't her.. It was him.. I'd know that look in his eyes anywhere. Dave finally spilled the beans. He promised me not to tell anyone else.. He said he was having fun. So I shut my mouth. When what I should have done was track you down and beat you senseless, in my brother's body or not." Danny growled tearfully.
"When I saw Dave stooping over me in his apartment... I knew it was you.. The way you moved.. You didn't move like Dave.. It was too fluid.. Feminine.. I guess I was the only one who noticed."
Elizabeth shook her head. "No.. You weren't the only one.. Dave noticed.. When he had finally come to on my basement floor.. He started complaining, take his hand off his hip. Not to stand like that.. I.. I guess he was right."
Danny looked up to see Mark with Andrew sleeping in his arms. "Hi Danny.." He said softly.
Danny nodded to him, gesturing for him to enter. "Nice to see you Dr.G.. What's the baby's name??"
"David Andrew Greene." Elizabeth smiled, cradling her son to her bosom, as Dave had done so many hours before, kissing the top of his downy head.
Danny nodded smiling. "Yeah.. He looks like a Dave.."
********the end*********