Truth
Sequel to Choices
Chapter One
Not Daddy Material
Fatherhood was a catagory not all men belonged in. There were some that were born with a daddy gene. They were destined to be great fathers. Then there were men like himself, men who had no desire to be in that catagory. Men who shouldn't be in that catagory. Fatherhood was not something Mark Sloan had wanted. It had been thrust upon him. One day he had been Mark Sloan, plastic surgeon playboy; the next day he had been Mark Sloan, father of one. As luck would have it, the kid was nine and sick. Go figure. Not only did not have nine months to get use to the idea, he had to deal with leukemia and bone marrow transplants.
Pushing the Italian leather chair away from the streamline black desk that dominated his office, Mark let out a ragged sigh. His body ached in places he didn't know could ache. The wonderful after effects of having his bones sucked of marrow. He had undergone the painful procedure for one reason, and one reason only. So Addison wouldn't have to face the loss of a child. Heartless as it sounded, he had no desire to play daddy. He didn't wish the kid any ill will, he just wasn't interested. Let Karev continue to be her daddy. Addison had about popped a gasket when he had suggested that. She had told him, in rather maternal tone, that Alex wasn't Kylie's father, he was. Right. Genetically, he was Kylie's father. The girl thought of Alex Karev as her daddy though. There was really no point in changing that now.
"Dr. Sloane?"
Mark looked up to find Izzie standing in the doorway of his office. Another person who had had their life screwed up by Addison and her kid. Izzie had actually borne Alex's child, then raised the girl on her own for nine years. Until Alex had moved back. In the begining, Alex had been interested in saving Kylie. True, Karev had been thrilled to learn he had procreated a child with a woman he actually loved, and not one he had simply screwed to scratch an itch. "Yes, Dr. Stevens?" It had best be important. He wasn't in the mood for trivial matters.
"I wanted to see how Kylie was. Is she getting better?" Izzie stares at him, questions in her large dark eyes. There had been a time when he had been interested. More than interested. Dr. Stevens was a beautiful woman. Long blond hair, large chocolate colored eyes, skin that seemed to glow, and legs that went on for miles. No suprize that she had once been an underwear model. The woman oozed sexiness. Looking at her, one would never know she had borne a child and was, if rumor was to believed, pregnant again. He had to hand it to Karev. The man worked fast.
"As far as I know," he answers. The ache was getting worse. Reaching for the bottle of tylenol that sat on the corner of his desk, he twisted the cap off, then shook a couple pills into his palm. Tossing them into his mouth, he swallowed. A trick he had learned as a kid. It use to annoy the crap out of his mother. Which just encouraged him to do it more.
"You haven't checked on her?" Izzie frowned, disapproval gleaming in her eyes. Of course she would disagree. If he was playing daddy to Addison's kid, Alex wouldn't have to. He couldn't blame Izzie there. Alex was biologically the father of her daughter. Naturally, she wanted him focusing on their child. Not Addison's.
"No. Look, Stevens, I didn't ask to be a father. I don't want to be a father. I did my job. I gave the kid what she needed to get better." Mark knew how callus he sounded. That couldn't be helped. There were just some men who were not meant to be father's and he was one of those men. "Besides, I'm not cut out to be a father. Kid's better off without me."
Izzie shakes her head. "How do you know you're not cut out to be a father? Have you ever tried?"
Had she not been listening? He didn't want to try. He was happy with the way his life was. Kid free. "No. And I don't intend to."
"You're an ass. You know that, right?" She gives him a disgusted look before turning to leave, not waiting for him to answer her question.
Yeah. He knew he was an ass. He had pretty much been one his whole life. Which was why he didn't belong in the Fatherhood catagory. No point in screwing a kid up with his indiffrence.