Chapter 1: Preparation
I don't own All Saints, Channel 7 does. This is my version of Mitch's brain tumour, because I believe in happy endings. Rose won't die, either, although she will have a major change in attitude, due to better monitored medication, counseling and family support, and the occasional dose of much-needed discipline.
And yes, this is massively AU. Sue me. Actually, don't. That was sarcastic.
Also know that this fic is going to take many twists and turns, I do not know what will happen from one chapter to the next, and this fic is highly likely to include corporal punishment of children, teens and adults, in later chapters. Spanking in other words. If you don't like that prospect, then don't read it.
One more thing: Apart from the first scenes, this first chapter is full of a jumbled version of the history of All Saints, up until Mitch's operation. No doubt many of the events are not exactly as they were during the series, but that is because this is being written from memory, not with an available copy of the series, and because a lot of it is being filtered through the eyes of the author. Chapter two will start the original material.
End Author notes.
Preparation
"It's a bad idea. You know that. The tumor's in a really bad position, the survival rate if you go ahead with the operation is almost nil…." He allowed the voice of surgeon Luke Forlano to drone on. Mitchell Stevens already knew everything he was being told, but the operation was his only chance at living beyond the end of this year, and he fully intended to take it. He was recently married to a woman he adored, and he had the most beautiful three year old daughter to take care of. He had everything to live for. A chance, however slim, had come along, and by God ('Sorry, Terri.' He muttered mentally) he was going to bloody well take it.
"I know, Scalpel Man. But it's my only hope, you know that too. I'm not dying right now, not when I've got everything to live for. I intend to stick around for Lucy and Terri, and you'd bloody well better help me!" Luke just smiled, wryly. "Of course I'll help you, you insufferable physician." He retorted. "But you have to be informed of all the possible things that might happen, before you can give informed consent. You know that too, Stevens." Mitch frowned. "You'd better add a Doctor to that, Scalpel Man. Terri's the only one who gets to call me Stevens, and that's because she's the boss!" Luke smirked. No matter what his Scottish colleague said, it was obvious who wore the pants in THAT relationship. Then again, as Ward 17's Nursing Unit Manager, Mitch's wife, Therese 'Terri' Sullivan, was in charge of the ward, and was almost technically their boss when they were on her ward.
Luke laughed. "Alright, Doctor Stevens, even though you've been removed from the rosters because of this stupid tumour. I can't wait until you get your job back, you're being a bloody pain right now, and even Terri's noticed." Mitch grimaced. "Too right, she's noticed. I'm a little concerned about that. If I hear one more threat about 'beating it out of me' I think I'll go bananas. I wish she'd just hurry up and follow through on it already." Mitch looked up, uneasy, as Luke drew in a sharp breath. "And she's standing right behind me, isn't she?" He trailed off. Luke nodded, grimacing. "Hi, Sullivan," Mitch added, sheepishly. Luke's uneasy "Hi, Terri" echoed him. "Hi, yourself, Stevens, relax, Luke" Terri replied, rolling her eyes at the second doctor. Luke just rolled his eyes right back at her, before standing up again.
"I'll see you two later. Go easy on him, Terri; this whole situation is driving him batty. And that's without counting the 'Rose' issue." "Don't I know it?" Terri replied, with a strangled laugh. "Victoria's trying to be a buffer between me and Rose, but it's not really working. I'll explain later, since Mitch here doesn't need the stress." Mitch looked slightly disgruntled. "I'm not a bloody invalid, Sullivan! My brain's not about to explode!" "Could've fooled me," his wife of two weeks replied, winking at Luke. She knew it wasn't really fair, but stirring up Mitch was so much fun. And it was a little bit of harmless payback for the months of stirring he had done before she left the Order.
Mitch laughed. The pair had always gotten on well, despite one little 'bobble' in their relationship. (Okay, so overreacting to a phobia of violent or aggressive drunks isn't exactly a 'little bobble' and nor is the ten year separation which followed the phobia kicking in, but that was how Mitch preferred to think about it, especially as they had agreed that it was all in the past now, after what Von had accurately referred as the 'cold war'.) Still, he didn't mind getting stirred a bit. He'd certainly done his fair share of stirring, and plus, he probably deserved it. Someone needed to puncture his ego sometimes, and at least his wife was more tactful about it that Von normally was. Von would just speak her mind; Terri would at least try to make it sound less offensive. Not that he was really complaining. Mitch truly liked Von's acidic humour, as long as it wasn't being aimed at him.
"And any more trouble out of you, Mister, and I won't even bother with threats," Terri had informed him, before smirking at the half scared, half speculative look on his face. "I wouldn't look so pleased if I were you. It would be painfully easy to wipe that smirk off your face, if it sticks around for too long." Terri warned, before relenting. "I know. It's really not fair of me to issue so many threats and never follow through on them. I had originally intended to cut you a little more slack than normal because of the multiple stresses we were dealing with, but I'm beginning to recognize that I may have made a major error of judgement. I don't like empty threats either."
Mitch smiled. "I'm sorry, Sullivan. I know I'm being a pain. I'm just really sick of this stupid tumour screwing with my brain and my behaviour, and Rose isn't making anyone's life easy." He hesitated, before deciding to plough ahead anyway, "and as much as I appreciate it, I'm not exactly enamoured of your well-intentioned over-protectiveness, either, my dear. I could just as easily turn any of those threats back on you, if I thought it was necessary."
"Now there's the man I know and adore," Terri laughed, mussing his hair. "Welcome back, we've missed you. Now all we need to do is get you through this operation, and we can get back to living our lives. And maybe Rose'll come around, time will tell. At least Victoria's on our side again, now." Mitch nodded, grimacing. He remembered only too well the brief few horrible months when his mother-in-law had sided with his ex-wife. That had been after the Ebola scare, and probably wouldn't have happened if Lucy's toy rabbit, Thumper, hadn't been on the same bedside table as Terri's name badge. When Mitch pulled the rabbit into a bag of toys, it dragged the badge with it. Victoria might not have found it if she hadn't tripped down the steps. So Victoria had been mad at him and by extension at Terri, for a short time. (Well, if it hadn't been for the Ebola scare, Terri's name badge wouldn't have been there. The scare was what had forced them both to admit that they might not always be there for each other, and that the time they had was precious. Since Mitch and Rose had already broken up, they had felt it was OK for them to start their relationship again, and they had slept together for the first time in ten years. Unfortunately, Victoria had massively overreacted to the find, and had gone back to siding with Rose, for a short time. Thank God (Sorry again, Sullivan) that was over.)
Oh, the silly goose had given Terri a hard time earlier in the year, about how she could have had her pick of the doctors, so why pick a married one? Terri had handled that incredibly well, To Mitch's mind. She had patiently explained to Victoria that she hadn't picked Mitch, but when Rose started behaving weirdly, and Mitch was scared, she was the one he had turned to for help. As an old friend, Terri was prepared to do a lot to help him, as far as emotional support went. But she was also trying to convince him, at that point in time, that he could rebuild his relationship with Rose, and that they were simply going through a rough patch, as all relationships do. Victoria had acknowledged that Terri had a point, and had actually opened up about Rose's strange behaviour, which had culminated in Rose disappearing with Lucy. This had terrified both Victoria and Mitch, and had been the beginning of the end for Mitch and Rose's marriage.
With Rose and Lucy missing, Mitch had really turned to Terri for comfort and support. It was at this point in time that Victoria had also transferred her support from her daughter to her son-in-law. As she put it, a lot of the things Rose had been telling them had been conflicting with each other, or didn't make sense. Victoria now knew that Rose had been lying to them. Mitch suggested that this might be due to paranoia, or to Rose's bipolar disorder.
Only weeks after Rose returned to Mitch, and Mitch was thinking that everything was going smoothly; Mitch left the hospital for home, only to be caught up in a traffic accident, and forced t return to the hospital with patients. Rose was becoming impatient for her husband, and had telephoned the hospital several times; finally becoming a cross between abusive and slightly hysterical towards Terri, due to the assumption that Mitch was at the hospital because he was with Terri.
It was when in response to Terri asking if Rose had taken something that Rose replied "maybe I have. I bet you hope it works." that Terri knew something was seriously wrong. She immediately went around to the house Mitch and Rose shared, which had originally been Mitch's home, to make sure Rose was alright. By the time Terri got there, Rose was near death, having taken a massive overdose of sleeping tablets. Terri barely managed to save Rose's life, but Rose wasn't terribly appreciative, no matter what she said. The way she treated her then husband, for Mitch wouldn't divorce her for a few months yet, was indicative of that. She had become possessive and paranoid all over again, and was certain that during the time she had spent in a psychiatric facility, Mitch and Terri had started an affair. This was perhaps partly true, although it had started as Terri supporting Mitch through a bad time.
When the soul mates had started tentatively dating again, Mitch was prepared to tell Rose. However Rose seemed so optimistic the day he intended to tell her that he allowed himself to put it off, until the next time they spoke, at which point Rose was preparing to leave the psychiatric facility. Oddly enough, it was Rose who stated that she felt their marriage had no future, and Mitch only needed to agree. Perhaps this is why Victoria accused him of lying to her and Rose, although he never actually lied. He just failed to tell them something.
Of course, Rose's increasingly erratic behaviour, even after the couple had divorced, had brought Victoria back to Mitch's side, especially when Rose claimed that Lucy wasn't Mitch's daughter. At the time, Terri and Mitch were having a time apart from each other, to try and smooth the divorce process, but when Rose claimed that Lucy wasn't Mitch's daughter, that inevitably drove the soul mates back together. Again this was all due to Victoria's unfortunate find. Rose attempted to gain full custody of Lucy, using Mitch and Terri's supposed living arrangements as cause. Mitch instinctively countered, going for full custody himself. Rose assumed this was due to her bipolar disorder, and that he was using it against her. So, the vindictive little cow decided to try and prove that Lucy wasn't Mitch's child.
Mitch had insisted on a paternity test, but had backed out at the last second, after seeing Lucy playing n the waiting room. According to him, blood type didn't count. He was the one who had fed Lucy, bathed her and so on. Everyone agreed that was all that mattered. Mitch and Rose shared custody of Lucy, with the three year old spending two weekends each month with her father. Mitch's attempt to gain sole custody was in response to Rose's refusing him access to the child. When they had discussed it, Terri had said that Rose had only missed two visits. Mitch had replied that two weekends per month just wasn't enough time for him to spend with his little princess, not when he couldn't trust Rose to show up. Terri had agreed, but had said that as long as she was in the picture, Rose would make difficulties. The pair had agreed to a short-term separation, but after Rose's paternity claims, a few days later, the separation ended, as Mitch and Terri couldn't cope without each other.
So that was about it. That was everything important, up until this point. Now it was a waiting game. Waiting while tests were run. Waiting while preparations were made. Waiting for the operation to take place. During the operation, waiting for news. Waiting for Mitch to come out of the anaesthetic. Waiting while Mitch went through the long process of recovery. Waiting to get their lives back in order. Waiting, waiting waiting. At that point in time, to Mitch and Terri Stevens, the waiting seemed endless.
AN: Just so's you know, the next chapter says pretty much the same thing, but in a lot more detail, and covering a lot more episodes of the original Canon All Saints season 5 and start of season 6, from Terri's viewpoint. After that, we get into the actual operation.
