Reaching for the Brass Ring
By Ginny (vkinneman@aol.com)
Sequel to Pilgrimage from Darkness
All the stories in this series can be found at www.gkinneman.com. Up until this story the series has stayed reasonably close to canon. With this story canon has been thrown completely out the window.
The story contains no spoilers for the new season.
***************************
Dawn broke with heat and humidity as it had for two straight weeks in Chicago. There was very little wind in the Windy City that morning noted Robert as he stepped out onto the deck with a bowl of cereal in his hand and the newspaper tucked under his arm. It was just after 6 on that Friday morning. He'd been back to work for almost two weeks and things were going fairly well. Sure he'd had his share of frustrations getting used to doing things one handed. But he was working through them. He found that splitting the day by seeing patients in the morning and doing the administrative part of his job after lunch worked best. Changing back and forth between the two facets of his job many times a day didn't work at all. The staff knew they were free to come to his office after lunch to complain, talk, or whatever, as long as the door was open. Not that many people actually stopped by. When the door was closed he was "unavailable". Usually that meant he was sitting with his feet up, CD player on, resting. He still hadn't regained the stamina to go 12 hour days without a break. That annoyed him to no end, while Elizabeth found it mildly amusing. She was the only one who was permitted to disturb what she called "nap-time" much to Robert's disgust.
The ER staff hadn't exactly welcomed him back with open arms. But that wasn't a surprise given his actions during the few weeks before his surgery. Some people still gave him a wide berth when they saw him coming but a few, like Abby, took the time to talk to him and ask how he was doing. He tried to stay out of major traumas; it was during them he felt the most helpless. The one exception he did make was for traumas involving children. He was always in the middle of them, usually sitting by the patient's head talking to them, reassuring them. It was a sight many people had a hard time getting used to seeing. The idea of Rocket Romano actually having a heart and caring about someone was foreign to a lot of people in the hospital. But Robert didn't care all that much about what other people thought of him, he'd made that clear on more than one occasion. He was doing what he felt comfortable doing.
After finishing the cereal and glancing at the headlines he called for Gretel and the pair headed back inside. An hour later, he was showered, shaved, dressed and ready to go. He still wore a shirt and tie to work but he was beginning to wonder why he bothered. Even though his ties hung in the closet loosely tied, like little nooses he often thought, it was still a pain to get them straight with only one hand. He knew it would be perfectly normal for him to wear scrubs but he just couldn't bring himself to put on the navy scrubs with Rocket Romano stitched above his heart. Somehow the nickname just didn't seem to fit him anymore. Looking back he couldn't even recall how he'd gotten it in the first place. Seemed like it was something he'd had all his life. In his eyes, a one-armed, has-been surgeon wasn't worthy of such a title. So his navy scrubs had been shoved in a plastic bag and relegated to the back of his closet.
He got Gretel a biscuit, left a note for Dorothy and went outside to wait for Elizabeth. On the days they both worked he caught a ride with her, when she didn't work Dorothy took him or on the rare occasion that neither one was available, he called a cab. Same thing happened at night on the way home. If Elizabeth was caught in surgery and he was finished he usually waited for her. Sometimes he rested in his office and sometimes he went up to the observation suite to watch. If it looked like she was going to be a long time he'd call Dorothy or a cab. On the days Ella was in the hospital daycare and Elizabeth was stuck in the OR he took the little girl home with him.
In general his life was going along pretty smoothly. He still went to Occupational Therapy twice a week and was making big strides. His decision to hold off on choosing a prosthetic device raised some eyebrows around the hospital. He knew people expected he would have the best and the most expensive model on the market. And when he first made the decision to go ahead with the amputation that was the direction he was leaning towards. But something happened those first few days in the hospital. It wasn't anything that he could put into words and nobody pushed him to do so. For the time being he was content to learn to live in the world as a one armed man.
The sound of Elizabeth pulling into the driveway brought Robert out of his daydreams and he headed down the walk towards the driveway. He opened the sliding door of the van to toss in his briefcase and kiss Ella. She giggled happily and patted the top of his head while Elizabeth glanced at them in the rearview mirror. Robert hit the button and the door closed. He climbed in the passenger's seat and leaned over to kiss Elizabeth. "Morning Robert," she said as he managed to buckle the seat belt with a minimal amount of struggling.
"Good morning Dr. Corday," he said with mock formality. "You're all dressed up today. Hot date?" he asked with a smirk.
"Hardly, a 9:00 meeting with Donald," she said cautiously.
"Donald hmm? It's about time I guess," muttered Robert as Elizabeth backed down the driveway. "So do you think he's going to make it official?"
"Probably," answered Elizabeth keeping her voice even.
"You've been doing the job of Chief of Surgery since I first went out on medical leave. It's about time he gave the job to you formally." Elizabeth said nothing but took the opportunity to glance at Robert at the next red light. He caught her eye and gave her a small smile. "It's ok. I'm glad it's going to be you."
"Thank you," replied Elizabeth as she reached out to pat his shoulder. Ten minutes later they pulled into the parking garage ready to start their day. They dropped Ella off at daycare, grabbed some coffee and headed for Robert's office for a few minutes. Elizabeth helped him into his lab coat and pinned the left sleeve to the inside of the pocket. She straightened his tie and kissed his cheek. It was their morning routine and although it was basically nothing special there was something intimate about it, something they both looked forward to each day. They were still more than friends and less than lovers. Although they hadn't yet discussed it with each other they were both beginning to think it was time to take a step forward.
"When is your first surgery?" Robert asked as he downed the rest of his coffee and grabbed a mint out of his desk drawer.
"Not until 11. I'll try to stop by after my meeting with Donald."
"I'll be around. Do you think you'll be free for lunch?" asked Robert as he wrapped his stethoscope around his neck and patted his pocket to search for a pen.
"Probably. It will be a late one though," answered Elizabeth as she opened the door for him. Robert had turned back to his desk and was reading something, clearly not quite ready to head out into the ER. Elizabeth heard the ambulance bay doors slide open. The sounds of a major trauma filled the air. "Robert." The firm sound of her voice as she simply said his name was enough to get him moving. She walked him as far as the ADMIT desk and gave his hand a discreet squeeze before heading for the elevator.
Two traumas and a few other patients later Robert was in the hallway getting a drink out of the fountain. He looked up to find Kerry making a beeline for him. She was too close so escaping her wasn't an option. "So Robert, I heard Elizabeth had a meeting with Donald this morning," started Kerry as she made it clear she was accompanying him wherever he was headed.
"Yes, she did. So I assume you were there with your ear pressed against the door," he sneered as he picked up speed and tried to lose her in the crowded hallway.
"He gave her the job," said Kerry, cutting right to the chase.
"It's no surprise Kerry. We knew he was going to do it," replied Robert trying his best to not let her get to him.
"And you're ok with this?" Robert shrugged his shoulders, not sure where Kerry was headed with the conversation. "Is Elizabeth ready for the job? Can she handle it?" And suddenly he knew where she was headed.
"Dr. Corday is ready for the job," Robert replied curtly, emphasizing Elizabeth's title.
"Now, it's DR. Corday," muttered Kerry, eyebrows raised, her smirk barely concealed.
"Kerry, grow up." Not in the mood to continue the conversation Robert did the only thing that pretty much guaranteed he wouldn't be followed, he ducked into the men's room, leaving Kerry standing in the hallway alone.
A little after 2:00 Robert was sitting with his feet up on his desk, Jimmy Buffet coming through his headphones and a stack of memos in his lap. He was supposed to actually be reading them but every time he tried his eyes started to flutter closed.
Elizabeth quietly opened the door a few minutes later, just as Robert had dozed off. She took the papers out of his hand and he startled awake. She reached to pull the headphones of his ears so she could talk to him. "Hi, sorry I'm late. Had trouble getting the bleeding under control. The meeting with Donald ran later than I thought so I couldn't stop by," explained Elizabeth as she took a seat on the desk next to Robert's legs.
"It's ok. Word has already gotten around. Kerry cornered me in the hallway. Had to duck into the men's room to get away from her," he said with a forced laugh.
"Sorry," said Elizabeth softly as she reached to pat his knee.
"It's not your fault." Elizabeth nodded slightly but she was having a hard time shaking the guilty feelings she had about the whole promotion.
By Ginny (vkinneman@aol.com)
Sequel to Pilgrimage from Darkness
All the stories in this series can be found at www.gkinneman.com. Up until this story the series has stayed reasonably close to canon. With this story canon has been thrown completely out the window.
The story contains no spoilers for the new season.
***************************
Dawn broke with heat and humidity as it had for two straight weeks in Chicago. There was very little wind in the Windy City that morning noted Robert as he stepped out onto the deck with a bowl of cereal in his hand and the newspaper tucked under his arm. It was just after 6 on that Friday morning. He'd been back to work for almost two weeks and things were going fairly well. Sure he'd had his share of frustrations getting used to doing things one handed. But he was working through them. He found that splitting the day by seeing patients in the morning and doing the administrative part of his job after lunch worked best. Changing back and forth between the two facets of his job many times a day didn't work at all. The staff knew they were free to come to his office after lunch to complain, talk, or whatever, as long as the door was open. Not that many people actually stopped by. When the door was closed he was "unavailable". Usually that meant he was sitting with his feet up, CD player on, resting. He still hadn't regained the stamina to go 12 hour days without a break. That annoyed him to no end, while Elizabeth found it mildly amusing. She was the only one who was permitted to disturb what she called "nap-time" much to Robert's disgust.
The ER staff hadn't exactly welcomed him back with open arms. But that wasn't a surprise given his actions during the few weeks before his surgery. Some people still gave him a wide berth when they saw him coming but a few, like Abby, took the time to talk to him and ask how he was doing. He tried to stay out of major traumas; it was during them he felt the most helpless. The one exception he did make was for traumas involving children. He was always in the middle of them, usually sitting by the patient's head talking to them, reassuring them. It was a sight many people had a hard time getting used to seeing. The idea of Rocket Romano actually having a heart and caring about someone was foreign to a lot of people in the hospital. But Robert didn't care all that much about what other people thought of him, he'd made that clear on more than one occasion. He was doing what he felt comfortable doing.
After finishing the cereal and glancing at the headlines he called for Gretel and the pair headed back inside. An hour later, he was showered, shaved, dressed and ready to go. He still wore a shirt and tie to work but he was beginning to wonder why he bothered. Even though his ties hung in the closet loosely tied, like little nooses he often thought, it was still a pain to get them straight with only one hand. He knew it would be perfectly normal for him to wear scrubs but he just couldn't bring himself to put on the navy scrubs with Rocket Romano stitched above his heart. Somehow the nickname just didn't seem to fit him anymore. Looking back he couldn't even recall how he'd gotten it in the first place. Seemed like it was something he'd had all his life. In his eyes, a one-armed, has-been surgeon wasn't worthy of such a title. So his navy scrubs had been shoved in a plastic bag and relegated to the back of his closet.
He got Gretel a biscuit, left a note for Dorothy and went outside to wait for Elizabeth. On the days they both worked he caught a ride with her, when she didn't work Dorothy took him or on the rare occasion that neither one was available, he called a cab. Same thing happened at night on the way home. If Elizabeth was caught in surgery and he was finished he usually waited for her. Sometimes he rested in his office and sometimes he went up to the observation suite to watch. If it looked like she was going to be a long time he'd call Dorothy or a cab. On the days Ella was in the hospital daycare and Elizabeth was stuck in the OR he took the little girl home with him.
In general his life was going along pretty smoothly. He still went to Occupational Therapy twice a week and was making big strides. His decision to hold off on choosing a prosthetic device raised some eyebrows around the hospital. He knew people expected he would have the best and the most expensive model on the market. And when he first made the decision to go ahead with the amputation that was the direction he was leaning towards. But something happened those first few days in the hospital. It wasn't anything that he could put into words and nobody pushed him to do so. For the time being he was content to learn to live in the world as a one armed man.
The sound of Elizabeth pulling into the driveway brought Robert out of his daydreams and he headed down the walk towards the driveway. He opened the sliding door of the van to toss in his briefcase and kiss Ella. She giggled happily and patted the top of his head while Elizabeth glanced at them in the rearview mirror. Robert hit the button and the door closed. He climbed in the passenger's seat and leaned over to kiss Elizabeth. "Morning Robert," she said as he managed to buckle the seat belt with a minimal amount of struggling.
"Good morning Dr. Corday," he said with mock formality. "You're all dressed up today. Hot date?" he asked with a smirk.
"Hardly, a 9:00 meeting with Donald," she said cautiously.
"Donald hmm? It's about time I guess," muttered Robert as Elizabeth backed down the driveway. "So do you think he's going to make it official?"
"Probably," answered Elizabeth keeping her voice even.
"You've been doing the job of Chief of Surgery since I first went out on medical leave. It's about time he gave the job to you formally." Elizabeth said nothing but took the opportunity to glance at Robert at the next red light. He caught her eye and gave her a small smile. "It's ok. I'm glad it's going to be you."
"Thank you," replied Elizabeth as she reached out to pat his shoulder. Ten minutes later they pulled into the parking garage ready to start their day. They dropped Ella off at daycare, grabbed some coffee and headed for Robert's office for a few minutes. Elizabeth helped him into his lab coat and pinned the left sleeve to the inside of the pocket. She straightened his tie and kissed his cheek. It was their morning routine and although it was basically nothing special there was something intimate about it, something they both looked forward to each day. They were still more than friends and less than lovers. Although they hadn't yet discussed it with each other they were both beginning to think it was time to take a step forward.
"When is your first surgery?" Robert asked as he downed the rest of his coffee and grabbed a mint out of his desk drawer.
"Not until 11. I'll try to stop by after my meeting with Donald."
"I'll be around. Do you think you'll be free for lunch?" asked Robert as he wrapped his stethoscope around his neck and patted his pocket to search for a pen.
"Probably. It will be a late one though," answered Elizabeth as she opened the door for him. Robert had turned back to his desk and was reading something, clearly not quite ready to head out into the ER. Elizabeth heard the ambulance bay doors slide open. The sounds of a major trauma filled the air. "Robert." The firm sound of her voice as she simply said his name was enough to get him moving. She walked him as far as the ADMIT desk and gave his hand a discreet squeeze before heading for the elevator.
Two traumas and a few other patients later Robert was in the hallway getting a drink out of the fountain. He looked up to find Kerry making a beeline for him. She was too close so escaping her wasn't an option. "So Robert, I heard Elizabeth had a meeting with Donald this morning," started Kerry as she made it clear she was accompanying him wherever he was headed.
"Yes, she did. So I assume you were there with your ear pressed against the door," he sneered as he picked up speed and tried to lose her in the crowded hallway.
"He gave her the job," said Kerry, cutting right to the chase.
"It's no surprise Kerry. We knew he was going to do it," replied Robert trying his best to not let her get to him.
"And you're ok with this?" Robert shrugged his shoulders, not sure where Kerry was headed with the conversation. "Is Elizabeth ready for the job? Can she handle it?" And suddenly he knew where she was headed.
"Dr. Corday is ready for the job," Robert replied curtly, emphasizing Elizabeth's title.
"Now, it's DR. Corday," muttered Kerry, eyebrows raised, her smirk barely concealed.
"Kerry, grow up." Not in the mood to continue the conversation Robert did the only thing that pretty much guaranteed he wouldn't be followed, he ducked into the men's room, leaving Kerry standing in the hallway alone.
A little after 2:00 Robert was sitting with his feet up on his desk, Jimmy Buffet coming through his headphones and a stack of memos in his lap. He was supposed to actually be reading them but every time he tried his eyes started to flutter closed.
Elizabeth quietly opened the door a few minutes later, just as Robert had dozed off. She took the papers out of his hand and he startled awake. She reached to pull the headphones of his ears so she could talk to him. "Hi, sorry I'm late. Had trouble getting the bleeding under control. The meeting with Donald ran later than I thought so I couldn't stop by," explained Elizabeth as she took a seat on the desk next to Robert's legs.
"It's ok. Word has already gotten around. Kerry cornered me in the hallway. Had to duck into the men's room to get away from her," he said with a forced laugh.
"Sorry," said Elizabeth softly as she reached to pat his knee.
"It's not your fault." Elizabeth nodded slightly but she was having a hard time shaking the guilty feelings she had about the whole promotion.
