AN:hey, guess what, it is suzie, not susie....if you don't believe me watch "take these
broken wings" and look at the handprints...hehe, i should change the note on the last chap, but I
am quite lazy, so I'll just tell you now, in case you were wondering...
Mark finally found the doctor on call. It seemed he hadn't been answering the phone. He'd been hoping he wouldn't have to go to work. Mark made him come in, though, because Susan needed to go home. Thankfully, Mark's shift was over, so he went with her. Susan, Mark, and Suzie went back to Susan's apartment.
"OK Suzie, I think you need a nap...yes, that's my good girl." Suzie settled down in her crib. Within minutes, she was asleep.
"Susan, how are you doing?"
"Scared...Mark, what if she gets Suzie one day? What if I can't stop her?"
"Susan, that will never happen! You watch out for her constantly, and you take such good care of her..it just can't happen."
She turned to him, her eyes tearing. "She almost got her today."
"No! Susan, they...Annie and Stephanie, they wouldn't let her. You know that. Security was on the way....you know it's not true!"
"Mark, what would I DO without her?" She motioned to the sleeping infant who was clutching her treasured "Mr. B." "If Chloe ever took her...or if something happened to her... what would I do?"
Mark didn't have an answer for that. He just reached out and hugged her.
"Mark, I keep thinking...maybe Chloe could get sober, if she tried. And maybe she could eventually take care of Suzie. But I don't think I could ever give her back. Mark, I want to be Suzie's mommy. Chloe's right. I'm not having any kids, or meeting anyone anytime soon, with my crazy schedule...maybe Suzie's just my last chance."
"Susan, you just want the best for her. You love her. You look after her well, and she loves you too, Susan. A mother is the one that's there, and you've been a mom to Suzie for her entire life."
"I do love her..." Susan glanced absently at her watch. "Mark, it's almost three, you'd better go. Rachel's going to get home soon."
"Susan, do you want me to stay? I could call Jenn..."
"No, go home. You haven't seen her since yesterday afternoon. And..."
"Yeah, I know. After the divorce I won't be seeing her much. Jenn has her ways of keeping things the way she wants them."
"Mark, you'll see her enough. You have your ways too."
"Maybe. But I should go. See you tomorrow, OK?"
"Sure. Bye Mark!"
The door closed just a little too loudly, and Suzie woke up. She began to cry loudly. Susan walked over and picked her up, walking to the window. She looked out and saw Mark walking down the block to catch the El.
"Shhhhh, Suzie, it's OK. I know, you had a scary day. We all had a scary day. But it's OK now. I won't let Chloe hurt you ever...You were such a good girl today. Yes, it's ok, don't cry, sweetie. It's all ok." Susan rocked Suzie slowly and held her closer. Suzie's cries faded to happy cooing. "Yes, it's OK now sweetie. Mommy's here."
Mark finally found the doctor on call. It seemed he hadn't been answering the phone. He'd been hoping he wouldn't have to go to work. Mark made him come in, though, because Susan needed to go home. Thankfully, Mark's shift was over, so he went with her. Susan, Mark, and Suzie went back to Susan's apartment.
"OK Suzie, I think you need a nap...yes, that's my good girl." Suzie settled down in her crib. Within minutes, she was asleep.
"Susan, how are you doing?"
"Scared...Mark, what if she gets Suzie one day? What if I can't stop her?"
"Susan, that will never happen! You watch out for her constantly, and you take such good care of her..it just can't happen."
She turned to him, her eyes tearing. "She almost got her today."
"No! Susan, they...Annie and Stephanie, they wouldn't let her. You know that. Security was on the way....you know it's not true!"
"Mark, what would I DO without her?" She motioned to the sleeping infant who was clutching her treasured "Mr. B." "If Chloe ever took her...or if something happened to her... what would I do?"
Mark didn't have an answer for that. He just reached out and hugged her.
"Mark, I keep thinking...maybe Chloe could get sober, if she tried. And maybe she could eventually take care of Suzie. But I don't think I could ever give her back. Mark, I want to be Suzie's mommy. Chloe's right. I'm not having any kids, or meeting anyone anytime soon, with my crazy schedule...maybe Suzie's just my last chance."
"Susan, you just want the best for her. You love her. You look after her well, and she loves you too, Susan. A mother is the one that's there, and you've been a mom to Suzie for her entire life."
"I do love her..." Susan glanced absently at her watch. "Mark, it's almost three, you'd better go. Rachel's going to get home soon."
"Susan, do you want me to stay? I could call Jenn..."
"No, go home. You haven't seen her since yesterday afternoon. And..."
"Yeah, I know. After the divorce I won't be seeing her much. Jenn has her ways of keeping things the way she wants them."
"Mark, you'll see her enough. You have your ways too."
"Maybe. But I should go. See you tomorrow, OK?"
"Sure. Bye Mark!"
The door closed just a little too loudly, and Suzie woke up. She began to cry loudly. Susan walked over and picked her up, walking to the window. She looked out and saw Mark walking down the block to catch the El.
"Shhhhh, Suzie, it's OK. I know, you had a scary day. We all had a scary day. But it's OK now. I won't let Chloe hurt you ever...You were such a good girl today. Yes, it's ok, don't cry, sweetie. It's all ok." Susan rocked Suzie slowly and held her closer. Suzie's cries faded to happy cooing. "Yes, it's OK now sweetie. Mommy's here."