December 31st, 2000

Exhausted, Carol shoved the front door closed with her hip and carried on into the kitchen to relieve herself of the shopping bags she carried. She was glad it was New Years and she had been given three whole days off to spend with Doug and the girls.

'Mommy!' came a little cry and something attacked Carol's knees. She glanced down to see a head of brown curls and though delighted to be welcomed home in such a fashion by her daughter, she was still struggling to recognise which daughter it was. Further confusion was spared when the baby at her knees turned her head to grin up at her mother, showing two tiny white teeth protruding from her bottom gum.

'Hi Kate, mommy missed you and Tess lots,' Carol said as she picked her daughter up and cuddled her tight. Kate gurgled into her neck and Carol smiled fondly.

'And Tess and Kate missed mommy,' came a reply from behind her and Carol turned to find Doug, with a peacefully sleeping Tess on his shoulder, entering the kitchen.

'Bedtime, squirt!' Doug said to the baby in Carol's arms and, as tired as she was, Carol handed over her daughter without hesitation.

'I'll be back,' Doug promised. Quickly, Carol leaned in a kissed a sleeping Tess's cheek and then, juggling both babies, Doug made his way out of the kitchen and up to the girls' nursery.

Carol unpacked the shopping as she waited and when she was finished that and Doug still wasn't back, she switched on the kettle and made herself some tea. Though she preferred coffee, she didn't want to be kept awake all night, especially when it was her turn to get up when one of the twins cried.

Doug came back downstairs to find Carol curled up on the couch in the living room, with a mug in hand and her eyelids drooping. 'Shouldn't we have some wine, celebrate the New Year?' he asked.

Carol just had to look at him for Doug to realise that was a bad idea in her sleepy state.

'So, how did it go?' he asked, going to sit beside her. Carol leaned over and curled into Doug's shoulder and smiled to herself. Though she was tired, her joy of Chloe's successful surgery still burned within her.

'Great, both Chloe and Melissa were awake in recovery by the time I left, both doing extremely well,' Carol informed Doug.

He smiled. 'I'm glad.'

Both lapsed into silence and Carol was content to leave it that way, just enjoying Doug's company.

It was this night that Carol's happiness would vanish, that her world would be turned upside down. Later on she wondered whether her encounter with Chloe and her subsequent involvement with her case was God's way of preparing her for what was to come. And if that's what it was, it didn't work out too well at all.

The phone rang as the couple cuddled on the sofa and Doug reached out to pick it up instantly. Carol, almost asleep on Doug shoulder, didn't hear any of the conversation until Doug poked her and said, 'It's Mark.'

Instantly, Carol was wide awake. She sat up and smiled, for she hadn't spoken to Mark or Elizabeth in a while. Doug put the phone on speaker so Carol could hear too.

'So what makes you call so late? It must be just past midnight in Chicago,' Doug asked, checking his watch to see it was just past ten there.

'Just past one actually,' was Mark's reply. His voice sounded tired, weary, like he hadn't slept in days. He was silent then, as if thinking about something else and Doug and Carol glanced at each other, knowing their friend well enough to be a bit worried by his tone.

'I'm in New York, not Chicago,' Mark then added and paused again, but this time only to allow the inevitable question to be asked.

'Why are you in New York?' Doug and Carol asked at the same time.

Mark let out a heavy sigh. 'I'm sorry I never got to tell you before this. I wanted to but with Elizabeth and the baby, I just couldn't bring myself to ruin it...' he trailed off. Carol leaned closer to the phone, knowing now that something was terribly wrong and all she wanted to do was be there with her friend, be there for him, like he had been for her.

'Mark, what is it?' Carol asked, hesitantly.

With a deep breath, Mark told them, 'I'm in New York for surgery...I have a brain tumour.'

......

Carol sat on the couch where Doug had left her. Her hands still over her open mouth, her eyes still wide with shock, fear, pain. How could this be happening? She was in too much shock to realise she wasn't even crying...maybe she was in too much shock to cry.

Doug was in the kitchen, phone still to his ear as he spoke with Elizabeth. She had explained that he got the diagnosis the same day she found out she was pregnant and hadn't even told her for fear of spoiling the occasion. She told him how every surgeon in Chicago had claimed in was inoperable and that's why they were in New York. They had found a surgeon how was willing and optimistic enough to perform the surgery. He was due at the hospital in the morning.

'We had just got back to our hotel room for the night when he realised he hadn't told you and Carol or Susan. I think he wanted to call Susan first but couldn't do it. And I think he dialled your number a million times before he actually pressed "Call". He's not feeling very optimistic, he's worried that the surgery won't be successful. I guess that's why he decided to phone tonight. He thinks it his last chance.'

Doug listened to Elizabeth in a dazed state. Mark...his oldest colleague...his buddy...his brother. This couldn't be happening to him. What had he done to deserve it? After everything he had gone through with Jen and not being able to see Rachel, and his heartbreak over Susan...he deserved to be happy. And on the same day that something amazing had happened for him and for Elizabeth, this had come along and spoiled it. Mark was one of the most amazing people Doug had ever met. No...he didn't deserve this. Yet, it was happening, to him, to Elizabeth and Rachel, to their unborn child, and now to Doug and Carol.

Would they all lose someone they loved dearly? Doug tried to believe that Mark would be okay but deep down he knew it was impossible to ignore the risks involved.

After speaking to Elizabeth for another few minutes, Doug promised to call in a few days and hung up. He went back into the living room to find Carol exactly how he had left her.

'You okay?' he asked, sitting down beside her and laying a gently hand on her shoulder.

Carol lowered her hands into her lap and swallowed hard. 'I don't know.'

Exhaling, Doug nodded and squeezed her shoulder, knowing exactly how she was feeling.

How could this be happening to Mark?

AN: Well I promised this would be up before Saturday so I'm super glad I didn't have to break that promise. It's just after midnight here which means it's officially Saturday, so...

This chapter is dedicated to my wonderful, amazing, beautiful son Rory who is officially THREE YEARS OLD today! April 23, 2008, one of the two most amazing days of my life! Happy Birthday baby, Love from Mommy, Daddy and Noah-J xxx

Reviews for this chapter will counts as Birthday presents for my baby! So what are you waiting for? :P