AN: I don't own ER but wish I did :) So, my lovelies, this is another CORDANO fanfic because they are my OTP :) Anyways, this should make sense. Reviews always welcome and appreciated :)
Robert Romano walked into the ER, hand in hand with Elizabeth Corday. Robert walked with a bounce in his step, tipping his chin in the air as if he were the King Of County General. Elizabeth laughed loudly, smiling at his childish ways.
It was a busy day at County General. Chairs was littered with waiting patients. The Admit Desk was full of idle people, mostly staff talking about all sorts of things. Carter and Lucy were in the middle of a heated argument. The Blonde student shoved the chart in Carter's face, and Robert tried to hide his pride at her moment of defiance.
"Paul Sobriki." she said with authority in her voice, looking around the crowded hospital.
"What about him?" Carter hadn't looked up from the stack of charts he was working on.
"He fits all the criteria for paranoid schizophrenia."
Dr. Susan Lewis walked by, noticing the argument. She listened while she crossed a name off the Board—as an Attending she was in Charge of Residents and Students, but she knew that problems had to try to be solved between the pair first before she got involved.
Lucy looked around for an ally.
"Dr. Lewis? I have a question about a patient."
"Ask Professor Carter first." she laughed, and sipped her coffee.
"Dr. Carter? What should i do about Paul?"
"Ask someone else who cares." Carter snarked at her, lost in his own misery. His eyes were tired, and he was annoyed with her incessant questions. "You're a fourth year, if you can't dipso a patient by now, then maybe you shouldn't practice medicine."
"Now, Now, Dr. Carter, we want our student's to come back the next day, not kill their residents in their sleep." Robert retorted as he and Lizzie reached the desk.
Carter glared at him, and Lucy laughed, her eyes bright. She looked at the happy couple, and for a moment, her chest burned. She wanted what they had, but she knew that she could never tell him—John Carter could never find out that she was madly in love with him.
"Lizzie, was I ever that bad of a teacher?" he laughed, wrapping an arm around her when she moved closer to him.
"On the contrary. You were very through, almost annoyingly so." she replied cheekily, reaching over him to the stack of charts, and reviewing them.
"Oh, you are so going to get it later." He replied, laughing as he took the chart from Lucy.
"I'm shaking in my boots, Robert." Elizabeth's pager went off, and she looked at it, a frown coating her lips. She nuzzled herself closer to Robert for a few more seconds, before pulling away.
"I have to save Edson from an Ischemic Bowel." she sighed, suddenly feeling faint and queasy. Probably just breakfast.
"Don't leave me in this cesspool, Lizzie," he begged playfully, pouting slightly at her new assignment.
"You're a big boy. You'll survive without me for a few hours." Elizabeth kissed his nose, and he hugged her tightly before letting her escape.
Elizabeth shoved her hands in her pockets, and turned towards the elevator. She took a few steps, when Robert's voice stopped her.
"I love you, Elizabeth." He smiled and looked at her face, her blue eyes shining brightly. His brown eyes were bright, and he didn't give a damn about the people watching them. Let them.
The curly-haired surgeon beamed, completely in love with her life and with the man staring back at her. "I love you too, Robert."
The noise from the crowd had died, but neither of them had noticed. Their friends stood in shock, at the admission—especially from the Chief of Staff, but Lucy was happy for them. She had become friends with the pair when she was doing her Surgical rotation. Lucy knew the truth, but kept it a secret from the rest of the gossip at County. She'd promised them she would after accidentally finding them kissing in Robert's office many moons ago.
"Will you make your famous Lasagna for dinner?" Lizzie asked him as she took one more step towards the elevator.
He thought about it for a few seconds, rubbing his chin as his eyebrows went up. "Hmmmm, I think I can for a certain curly-haired surgeon. Would you happen to know any?"
She waved off his joke, snorting as she walked away.
Admit was noisy again when Robert turned back around. Everyone pretended to be working or busy when they were in fact listening to the latest romance at County General. Robert knew but didn't let on.
"So, Miss Knight, where is this Mr. Sobriki?"
Lucy looked at him incredulously. "Dr. Romano, you don't have to take it. I'll figure it out."
"Nonsense. This a teaching Hospital, and while you're here, you'll learn something, even if I have to do it myself." He shot Carter an evil look. Carter threw down his charts, and walked into the Lounge. Robert watched the young doctor go, and he puffed out his chest in triumph.
Lucy bit her lip—to keep from laughing and following Carter into the Lounge and making out with him. She zoned out into her daydreams until she noticed Robert's hand waving in front of her face repeatedly.
"You still with me?"
"Yes. Sorry." She shook off her dreams, and went back into Doctor mode.
"Wanted to make sure you didn't stroke out on me. How I'd ever justify that to the Committee and Lizzie I'll never know. I mean, I know most women swoon in my presence but try harder, Miss Knight, to hide it." Rocket smiled as he joked with her, happy to consider a friend and soon a colleague.
Lucy rolled her eyes, punching him on the arm. "Yeah, you totally have that effect on people." She chuckled as she walked off down the hall towards Curtain Area 3 where Paul waited. Robert followed her, briefly glancing at the man's chart, proud of the Blonde's refusal to put up with anybody's crap, especially his, and he knew she'd be a hell of a doctor in a few months.
—
"So, Mr. Sobriki? What seems to be the problem?" Robert took off his stethoscope, standing on one side of the bed as Lucy stood on the other listening to Paul's chest.
"I have a splitting headache," he groaned as he squeezed at the pain in his head. Robert looked on to make sure she was alright. Lucy finished her work up, and stood up.
"Uh huh. Miss Knight, how do you think we should treat?"
"Let's do a spinal tap to rule out Meningitis, give him some aspirin for the headache, and get a Psych consult." Robert nodded in agreement with her. That was short and sweet. To the point. Why Carter hadn't wanted to take this case, he'd never know.
"I'm not crazy!" Paul shouted, growing agitated.
"We know, Paul. It's routine for everyone who comes in. Now, can you hold still so i can do the spinal tap?"
He nodded. Lucy scooted the stool closer, and Robert gathered the supplies for her, and moved in to watch her.
Paul flailed on the bed when she stuck the needle in his back, and Lucy flinched back a few feet. Robert held him down, focusing on Lucy.
"Make sure it's a good stick. You don't want blood."
"Paul it's okay. Just relax. I'm almost done." She advanced the needle, collecting the fluid in the container with some difficulty, and a bit of it dribbled onto the floor. She twisted her face in concentration.
"No. Don't stick me. Stop sticking me." He pleaded, scrunching his face up in agony. His flailing got worse, and Lucy struggled to collect the remaining fluid in the container because he was moving so hard. Robert did his best to keep him still.
"All done. We'll be back later. Try to sleep, okay?" Lucy said in a caring voice as she stood up, and took off her gloves.
Robert held the door open for her, and they exited the room. The walked in silence until they got back to the desk.
"Be sure to call Psych." he reminded her.
"I will." she nodded.
"Hey, you hungry? Thirsty? Want a coke or something?"
"Sure. Coke will be fine, thanks. "
Robert nodded, and turned towards the hall. He started to walk to the cafeteria, when he stopped, and said over his shoulder, "Miss Knight. When you call make sure you ask for a sitter, also don't go in there until they come down, and keep paging them until they do." His voice was suddenly serious and Lucy knew that he was the more experienced doctor, and that she should trust his judgement. She trusted his clinical experience and his judgement—he'd been one of the only ones, apart from Elizabeth, to actually tell her the truth since she got here, and she respected and cared for them both very much.
He returned a few minutes later, his arms full of coke and two crullers. They chatted for a bit before she called Psych, and he said his farewells.
"I'll be back in a few hours. Don't kill anybody while I'm gone."
"I'll try." she told him as he walked away.
Lucy headed into the Lounge, and threw the chart in Carter's lap. He was fast asleep on the couch, and she felt a little guilty for being rude to him earlier. He did look terrible, she had to admit, and she thought about the time she'd fallen asleep in her during her shift and he'd covered her with a blanket. She retrieved one from a locker and placed it over him, placing a kiss on her hand and them bringing her hand to his head.
Carter smiled at her touch, and she let her hand linger for a while before, standing up, and walking out of the Lounge to check on her other patients.
—
Robert looked at the full board, his hands on his hips. He wore his blue Surgical gown, and he grimaced at the thought of having to do a consult. Susan Lewis seemed to be the only one who actually worked in the damned department while everyone was setting up for the party tonight. Luka talked to Amira about the cake they were going to have, and he laughed at the blue icing.
"Has Psych been down to see Sobriki?" he asked Lewis as he sipped his second Coke.
Lewis scurried for the chart, and nodded, handing it to him. She smiled at him, and Robert didn't feel like screaming at her. She seemed like a decent worker, anyways. They had one thing in common—they both hated Kerry Weaver with a passion, and believed that Susan should really be the Chief of Emergency Medicine. Hell, even Mark Greene would be better than Kerry.
"Thanks. Oh, and Lewis, I don't bite you know." Robert took the chart, finished his Coke, and walked off to find Lucy as he crushed the can and threw it away.
Lucy stood down the hall, organizing her charts when he caught up.
"Psych saw Mr. Sobriki. They said he was fine, so i guess we can discharge him." Something in Lucy's voice made Robert examine her face.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I guess i just thought he was sick, you know." She sighed, finishing up her charts, her blue eyes a bit tired but mostly worried.
He nodded in understanding. It sucked to make a diagnoses and be wrong, but Robert didn't have the heart to make fun of her for it like he normally did with anyone else.
"Shall we go discharge him together?" he asked, his voice light.
"Okay." She smiled for a brief second and they walked to Curtain Area Three.
—
"Mr. Sobri—" Lucy stopped mid-sentence as she noticed that the room was empty. "Where did he go?"
Robert's stomach was in knots as he stepped in the room first. "I'm not sure. Usually Psych tells us if they discharge someone."
Lucy stepped in the room once he'd cleared the door, and they looked around. Robert wracked his brain while Lucy went to the gurney, and squatted down. Her face fell and she picked up the bundle on the floor. Paul's street clothes were still here. "Maybe he's in the bathroom?"
"We should check the cafeteria, the roof. Did he say anything to you?" Robert wondered as he noticed Lucy holding the bundle of dirty clothes. He took a deep breath as fear consumed his frame, but he tried to be brave for the Med Student.
Lucy shook her head. The room went dark. The door swung closed. Lucy saw the silver glint, but her voice wouldn't escape from her lips. Backing up, she hit the wall as Paul moved closer holding the knife. Robert tried to compose himself—tried to stop the knocking of his knees. He remained frozen in place as he could barely see the two shadows across from him.
"I told you not to take my organs! Give them back!" Paul screamed in the darkness as he edged closer and closer to Lucy.
"Paul, we didn't take your organs. Just put the knife down." She pleaded and her voice quivered. Robert jumped out of his thoughts, and moved across the room, careful not to alert Sobriki.
"Sobriki, don't be stupid. Put the knife down. Miss Knight didn't take your organs." he tried to reason as Paul grew more and more enraged.
"You're lying! You took them, and i want them back! Now!" Paul's hand shook as he pointed the knife towards her. Robert closed the distance between the two duelers, and managed to shove Lucy towards the door, placing himself in between Paul and the knife.
"Mr. Sobriki. I can show you where you're organs are, okay? Just calm down and give me the knife." Robert took on a gentle tone as he stalled. His eyes met Lucy's and they ordered her to go, but she couldn't leave him in here with a madman.
Lucy watched from the side of the room where she stood as Paul lowered his hand to give Robert the knife, and Robert sighed. When he reached out his hand to take the knife, Paul lunged. "You took my organs, and now I'll take yours."
Lucy screamed. Paul smiled evilly as he turned to face the blonde, locking eyes with her as blood dripped from the knife.
"Miss Knight, run!" Robert wrestled Paul to the floor, and punched him. He gasped as he struggled with Sobriki, trying to protect himself from Paul's stabs. Paul returned a few blows, bringing the knife down a few more times, slicing at any part that Robert couldn't cover.
Lucy wanted to help him, but couldn't move.
"GO!" he spluttered, and Lucy saw him loosen his grasp on Sobriki, and stopped moving underneath Paul.
Lucy held her breath as Paul snaked past her, dropping the knife at her feet as he ran down the hall.
Lucy willed her feet to move, and she was by Robert's side in a flash. She gulped as she examined his injuries.
"Dr. Romano, stay with me!" she shook him a bit, and he barely groaned. Lucy knew he was in trouble. "I'll be right back."
"Lucy—" he choked out her name, as he moved a hand to his stomach, trying to asses his wounds. The sweet smell of his blood was making him sick. His head hurt as he fought to stay conscious.
"Don't do that." She cried, her voice thick with tears. He had never called her Lucy before. He couldn't die—God, don't let him die.
"You're going to be a good doctor." He whispered, touching her cheek before the blackness consumed him.
Lucy wasn't sure how she was able to stand, but she ran out the door to Admit.
—
"OH MY GOD, LUCY! what happened? Are you okay?" Susan Lewis saw her and immediately looked her over for any signs of distress.
"I'm—Fine—Dr. Romano—Hurt—Help—Him—" Lucy wheezed out as she pointed down the hall towards the room, crying and trying to get the words out.
"Mark!" Susan yelled at the top of her lungs, and everyone looked at her. Mark, who stood across the room, looked at her, noticing a different tone in her voice than was usually there. Susan motioned to Lucy, and his face fell as he ran towards them, everyone else following, the other patients long forgotten.
The events of the last twenty minutes became too much, and Lucy slumped to the floor, greeting the darkness as it claimed her.
—
Lucy heard the voices around her. They were frantic, messy, and concerned. She heard the swinging sound of the doors to the Trauma room. It was loud, darkness still covered her eyes. Maybe they'd gotten to him in time. The Monitor blared from the the room next to hers, but it wwas consistently beepeing.
"Damn it! He's lost a whole liter!" Susan's said as she checked the Thorasel.
"Get Surgery down here now!" Mark told Lily, and she ran to the phone. "What the hell happened?"
"I don't know. Let's get more o- Neg."
Malik ran to get more blood while Kovac put in a chest tube.
"What the hell did he use? A butcher knife?" Kovac wondered as a large pool of blood poured at his feet.
The machine slowed.
"He's bradying down. Crash chart, push another amp of epi."
Flat line. The machine wailed in the constant tone that every doctor dreads. Lucy listened, clutching her stomach as she heard Susan screaming for the paddles.
"Charge to 300! Clear!"
Nothing. Lucy fluttered in and out of her dreams.
"Again. Clear!"
"Sinus."
"Okay, i got your page. What did—What happened?"
"Some lunatic tried to stab Lucy, but Romano protected her." Susan told Peter as she checked Robert's pressure, and praying that he wouldn't code again.
"He's coded three times." Mark told him as they prepared for transport.
"Hang five more of packed cells, and keep the blood coming. Somebody, page Anspaugh."
Darkness was a welcomed relief for the Blonde in Trauma Two. She was afraid to open her eyes—afraid that if she did, her nightmares would follow her to reality.
The gurney made a screeching sound as it hit the doors, and Lucy thought of Carter as she slipped further and further under.
—
Elizabeth Corday shook as she stood outside Pre-Op. "Let me in! I'm going in!"
"Elizabeth, they need you in the ER," Susan held her, trying to prevent her from escaping.
"Find someone else," the surgeon spat through her tears as she struggled to get free.
"Come on, they've got enough surgeons. You'd only be in the way."
"Damn it! That's my husband in there! I'm going in!" Elizabeth broke free from Susan's grasp. She grabbed the wall as the sobs consumed her, and she slid down to the floor.
Susan looked shocked at her friend, but wrapped her arms around her and soothed her. "It'll be okay. he'll be fine."
"What if he isn't?"
"He's a stubborn bastard. We'll have to live with him for a few more years" Susan laughed meekly as the surgeon gathered herself. They sat there together while Benton and Anspaugh operated in the room over.
"So, Romano huh?"
"Don't look so surprised."
"He adores you. I'm surprised that you finally realized it."
"Lucy made me." Elizabeth laughed and hiccuped. "How is she?"
"Not a mark on her. He protected her." Susan told her, realizing that Robert Romano was a better man than she'd ever given him credit for.
"Robert always looks out for all of us, whether we realize it or not." Elizabeth nodded as lots of memories flowed through her mind. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out their rings, and slipped hers on her finger. He was with her, he was near, and she needed him in this moment. "You know, we were going to tell everyone tonight at the party—" her voice broke again and she sobbed again.
"Elizabeth, he'll be fine. I promise. Look, they're almost done." Lewis pointed through the window. Benton shared a look with Elizabeth, and the two women stood. "Why don't you go wait in Post-Op?"
She nodded. "Susan, thanks."
"What are friends for?"
Elizabeth watched in silence as Susan walked down the hall back to the ER. She headed down the hall to wait for the man she loved more than anything in the universe.
—
"Robert, I love you so much. Please don't leave me." Elizabeth held his hand as she watched the ventilator breathe for him several hours later. She rubbed a hand over his cheek, his skin was cold, and she shivered. It was normally so warm with passion, with life, with love.
She slipped the ring on his finger, and she kissed his hand, talking about the life they'd planned to make. "Robert, you promised me we'd grow old together. I'm not ready to give you up, sweetheart. Take your time recovering because i'll be here the whole way. We both will." She smiled a bit through her tears as she placed his hand on her flat abdomen.
Elizabeth closed her eyes, and for a moment she could've sworn that she'd felt his hand move over the new life they'd just created. He would be fine—she just had to have hope. Hope was the thing that had brought them together after all, and it would be the very thing that would get them through.
"Hope" is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops at all.
—Emily Dickinson