I do not own E.R or any characters from it.

This story begins the night of 'A hopeless Wound' after Romano has returned Elizabeth's ring to her, and as usual goes into my Rocket AU.

TURNING THE TABLES

Chapter One - Truth and consequences

Inside the head of one Robert Romano:

What a day! Had to standby uselessly and watch some poor kid loose his leg, all 'cause he got bit by some stupid bug! His loss, his hurt, all so fresh in my own mind....

My pain.

I lost it, started wallowing, feeling sorry, pitying myself. Then she came. She was kind and I got sucked in like I always do. I'm so weak around her, I fuckin hate myself for it. She was kind so what did I do? I was stupid.

I reached out to her, both figuratively and physically. I told her off my fears, my doubts, and let her see me vulnerable; I pleaded with her to throw me a lifeline and what did she do?

She ran.

She ran as fast as she could away from me. "A momentary weakness" I called it and that is precisely what it was. It will never happen again.

I'm falling deeper everyday now. Falling into this black abyss, where everything around spirals away from me, out of my control. There is no bottom and the light at the top grows fainter every day. But she had appeared at the top there, dimly on the horizon. So I reached my hand to her, touched her face, wanted her to look at me, to see the pain in my eyes; I needed her to catch me. It was a simple gesture, that's all, nothing ulterior or sinister intended. I reached out to her, willed her to catch me, to stop my fall into this abyss, into this personal hell that is now my life.

She knew I was falling, and regardless she left. She views me as a predator, a one-dimensional creature only capable of self-gratification. I've seen her show more kindness to patients she could care less about so what does that say?

Still I tried again one final time, an olive branch, a peace offering in the form of her lost wedding ring.

"A momentary weakness...it won't happen again." I said.

I had to let her know I craved her friendship above all else.... but then she told me.

"You'll work through this Robert."

Yeah, cause I'm doing a really good job holding it together Lizzie!

My mind had screamed 'No, I wont, I cant do it alone, help me please!' But she was closed, wouldn't even look me in the eye.

"You'll work through this Robert", "Course I will." I lied.

She didn't care, might just as well as said, "Fuck off Robert and leave me alone!"

No it's time to let go. This pain, this one-way street, I am going to have to walk alone. I'm nothing to her; I realise that now.

It's time to let go of the fantasy, of this ridiculous hope; she doesn't want me, she never has and she never will. I need all my energy now to concentrate on getting this stupid arm better.

I'm Rocket Romano; I will not be defeated by this...I will grow stronger through this pain.

Goodbye Elizabeth....

I don't want to hate you...but that's all you've left me with.

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A/N – (We now jump ahead a couple of months)

Inside the head of one Elizabeth Corday:

She missed the 'special treatment'. It had appealed to her vanity to know that she had him at her beck and call. It had always been that way, all she would have to do was to click her fingers and he would come, do whatever she asked

Not now.

He had changed towards her. He was cold and cruel, seemed to go out of his way to be so. He treated her just like everybody else now. He was so angry and she couldn't blame him; she knew when he'd changed towards her. It had been that night in the lounge when he had touched her face and she had panicked. He was upset, he had tried to tell her of his fears and had reached out to her and she had run.

Still he had tried one last time. He'd gone to great lengths to retrieve her ring for her; a peace offering, another plea? She had taken it and dismissed him. She remembered the words as clear as if it were yesterday. She had looked directly at him.

"You'll work through this Robert." She had emphasised the 'you'll'.

He'd understood. She had dismissed him like he was nothing.

She hadn't stuck around to see if she could help, to hear him out, to let him vent, to be his friend. He'd sat in that chair; how ironic the situation had been. Once she had sat in that very same chair upset, crying and confused. And what had he done? He had listened; he had comforted her and guided her to a safe harbour. He had eased the confusion and made her realise her path. He had caught her as she fell. And when the time came for him to fall she had stood by and watched.

And he had fallen hard.

She'd failed him, and now he was beyond battered and bruised - he was broken.

TBC

R&R