Mark felt bad for earwigging, but he would have felt worse interrupting this scene so he stood behind the lockers and waited for the two of them to leave.
"Look Elizabeth, I don't love you! We had something good but I can't do this with you. There's no room for you in my life right now and I'm sorry to end it this way but it was inevitable. We were never right for each other and I'm not good enough for you." Peter declared angrily and slammed his locker shut.
"You know what you're right, I'm done. I'm sick of trying to make this work with you and putting up with all your crap. You're a selfish wanker Peter and if you don't want this then neither do I!" Elizabeth retorted, her voice was weakening and she was close to tears and all Mark wanted to do was comfort his friend. Peter stormed out of the door and she sat down on the edge of the bench with her head in her hands, quietly beginning to sob.
Mark came out from behind the lockers and put a hand on her shoulder, she jumped at his touch before looking up to see him.
"I'm sorry, are you alright Elizabeth?" He questioned sympathetically before sitting down beside her.
"I'm fine really, I knew this was coming but it still sort of hurts - I wanted it to be friendly but it's ended up as quite the opposite. I'm sorry you even had to witness that Mark." She replied, wiping her eyes before making a move to get up. Mark tugged her shoulder back down and closer to him.
"Look, I know you're not fine. Come here." Mark said as Elizabeth hesitantly leant in to him, his arms enveloped her in a comforting hug and she began to weep in to his shoulder. They stayed like that until Elizabeth's pager went off and she rose to leave, smiling at him appreciatively.
"Thanks for that Mark, I really needed it. What time do you get off, we can go to Doc Magoos?" She suggested before gasping and lifting a hand to cover her mouth. "I'm really sorry, you're going to have to change your lab coat, it's drenched." Mark laughed at her light-heartedly before standing up.
"It's fine Elizabeth, knowing my luck I'll get thrown up on by my next patient anyway. I finish half an hour after you so I'll see you later, yeah?" She gave him a quick nod before rushing out of the door to her consult.
Elizabeth sat at the admin desk, waiting for Mark to finish with his patient. Finally he emerged from the suture room and handed the chart to Frank before picking up his coat and grabbing her hand before walking out the door.
"What happened to that patient? You were in there quite a while." She looked up at him with curious eyes.
"He died, half an hour ago but I didn't want to give up on him. He was only 15 years old, it's depressing to see life wasted that way." He solemnly replied.
"I'm sorry Mark, I know what it's like. Some patients just get to you more than others." She pulled him closer to her and rested her head on his shoulder sympathetically as they walked towards the diner.
"Never mind me - I'm supposed to be cheering you up Elizabeth, with a combination of friendly support and milkshake, okay?" She gave him a curt nod as they entered Doc Magoo's. "Good, now tell me what's going on with you and Peter because I'm a bit behind on the news in that department...as long as you feel comfortable talking about it." He continued hestitantly as he gave the waitress their orders.
"Sure, it's not like I want to pretend that what happened today didn't. Basically we got together a few weeks back - it was nothing serious really but I was starting to feel something for him. Then he blew me off like that and he didn't exactly do it kindly so it sort of makes it even worse in a way, I suppose it was just a shock to be honest." She explained briefly, not feeling the need to go in to detail considering how focused their relationship had been on physical attraction.
"It's always a shock, even if you've spent years preparing yourself for it because there's always a feeling in the back of your mind that maybe there might be a miracle and everything will turn out fine, even against all the odds." Mark told her, reaching to hold her hands across the table. "Somewhere out there in the world, is the right man for you - you just have to start looking, no-one's goes down the right trail first time."
"Why are you so bloody amazing at cheering me up when I'm feeling crap Mark? Why can't all guys be like you?" She questioned, looking down at their intertwined hands while he smirked at her. "I'll kill Cynthia then kidnap you and force you to marry me!"
"Woah Elizabeth, Cynthia?! That ended almost a month ago, and you don't need to kidnap me, just ask nicely." He finished with a cheeky wink, just then their food arrived and they both began eating over light conversation.
After they'd done eating, they headed out of the door and walked back towards Mark's car.
"Do you just want to stay at mine tonight? Neither of us are working 'til the afternoon and the spare bedroom is still made up - I don't really want to leave you on your own tonight." Elizabeth looked at him and gave him a gentle nod before sitting down in the passenger seat and turning on the radio, a Styx album started playing.
They travelled back to his flat in an amicable silence and when they arrived, Elizabeth pulled her keys out of her pocket and walked up to the door. Yes she has her own set of keys to his apartment, they were best friends.
"Tea?" She asked as she filled the kettle with water, he popped his head around the kitchen door and nodded before heading to his bedroom. As she waited for the water to boil, Elizabeth pondered on the idea of a life with a man like Mark - when they first met she'd 'liked' him but at the time he was otherwise involved and they had settled in to a comfortable friendship that she didn't want to endanger.
She brought the two cups of tea in to the bedroom and placed them down on the bedside cabinet before sitting down on the edge of the mattress. They were fine this way, that's just how close they were - the offer of the spare room was merely a formality in all honesty, they would most likely both end up falling asleep in the same bed and nothing would happen.
"Would you say yes? If I asked you?" Mark spoke spontaneously, looking up at her as he posed his question.
"If you asked me what Mark?" She didn't understand his meaning, so she took a sip of her tea while waiting for a response.
"Obviously not to marriage but if I asked you on a date, what would you say?" Elizabeth spluttered on her tea and almost choked, she stared at him wide-eyed.
"I don't know, it'd be odd to start dating you. I mean, we pretty much act like a couple already...without the sex obviously but we're so used to this, to each other that I wouldn't know what to do because dating is supposed to be getting to know each other, but we already know each other so well. I suppose I'd say yes though, why?" She replied in a timid, emotionless tone and she could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes because she knew exactly what her answer would be.
"How about it then? Dinner, us two, a proper restaraunt though not just Doc's - because I like you, have done for a while, and I never wanted to risk this friendship but I've seen your heart get broken a hundred and one times and I want to fix it for you." He spoke meaningfully, slowly enunciating each word with caution tainting each syllable. Now the tears were beginning to run down her face, and she could feel her heart swell inside her chest.