This chapter takes place a few weeks after the last one.
Disclaimer: All ER Characters belong to Warner Bros., Michael Criticion, and NBC. Although I wish I owned Carter!!
Elizabeth finds out that Mark has left her one last gift.
Chapter 3: Mark's Gift
Elizabeth padded around her big empty, lonely house. She had loved the house when Mark was there to share it with her. She went up to her bedroom to find something to wear. She hadn't been back to work since Mark's funeral. She opened the closet. Tears sprang to her eyes when she saw Mark's robe hanging on the back of the door. Elizabeth pulled the robe off its hook and held it to her face. She could smell Mark's after shave on it. Still clutching the robe she reached into the closest and pulled out a skirt and blouse to wear. She walked over and set the robe on the bed as she dressed.
Elizabeth walked to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She knew she looked awful she hadn't slept or ate much in the last two weeks. She washed her face and brushed her hair. When she set her hairbrush down on the sink she noticed Mark's razor sitting there. She ran her finger over it. Everywhere she turned there was a reminder of Mark. She sighed sadly as she headed to the nursery to get Ella.
Elizabeth peeked into the nursery and saw Ella bouncing in her crib. She smiled when she saw her mommy. Elizabeth picked up the baby and cuddled her in her arms. "You have your daddy's smile" she whispered as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She bundled Ella up locked the door and headed for her car.
Elizabeth parked outside County General. She sat there for a minute before gathering Ella and heading inside. Once inside she was greeted by Carter. "Hey Elizabeth how are you feeling, are you on today" Elizabeth looked at him sadly. "Not to good Carter, I came to clean out Mark's locker" She looked down at her feet as she began to cry. He pulled her into a hug. "I know you miss him , we all do just remember you're not alone we're all her for you" Elizabeth pulled away and looked at him. "Thank you Carter" He nodded. He reached for Ella "Here why don't you let me take her for awhile" She looked at him "Are you sure" He nodded "Sure we'll have fun" He tickled the baby. "Right Ella" Elizabeth sighed "Okay" She kissed Ella's cheek and headed to the lounge.
Elizabeth stood in front of Mark's locker. She ran her hand over his nameplate. She slowly opened the locker. She grabbed the box she had set on the table. She looked at the pictures taped to the inside of the locker. She started crying as she removed the pictures. Their wedding picture, pictures of her and Ella, pictures of Ella, pictures of Rachel, and pictures of his friends. She set them in the box. She saw his stethoscope sitting on the little shelf inside the locker. She held it in her hands a few minutes before setting it in the box. She pulled out his lab coat. His id was still clipped to its collar. She touched it lightly. She glided her fingers over the M. Greene M.D stitched in to it. As she held the lab coat tightly in her hands she slid to the floor in sobs.
Peter and Kerry walked into the lounge discussing Peter's possibly returning to work at County when they saw Elizabeth sitting on the floor by Mark's open locker with his lab coat in her hands. They walked over and knelt down beside her. Kerry lightly touched her shoulder. "Elizabeth are you alright" she whispered. Elizabeth looked at her "Do I look alright!? My husband is dead I'll never be alright again." Peter sighed he hated seeing her like this. He put his arm around her. "Elizabeth you look tired when's the last time you got some sleep?" She shrugged her shoulders. Truth was she hadn't slept much since she lost Mark. He looked at her "You haven't eaten much either have you?" he asked. She whispers "No" Kerry put her hand on Elizabeth's "Honey you need to eat something and you need some rest" Elizabeth's lip quivered and a few tears ran down her cheeks. "I, I.. can't Mark's stuff ,I have to put his stuff away" Kerry looked up at Mark's locker. She sighed sadly "I know but you can do that later, Come on Peter and I will take you over to Doc Magoo's"
Elizabeth sighed and whispered "Okay" She gently placed Mark's lab coat in the box and rose to her feet, as she did she got dizzy and had to grab the locker to avoid falling. Peter raced to her side. "Are you okay" She nodded "Yeah its just the stress of the last 2 weeks combined with not eating or sleeping" Once the dizziness passed Elizabeth let go of the locker and she along with Kerry and Peter headed to Doc Magoo's
A little later they sat in a booth at Doc Magoo's. Peter was enjoying his garden salad and Kerry happily ate her burger and fries. Elizabeth had a burger and fries too but she wasn't eating. She poked at her fries. Kerry noticed she wasn't eating. "Elizabeth what's wrong don't you like your burger." She sighed "I'm just not hungry" Just the sight of the burger was making her nauseous. She was going to be sick. She nudged Peter. "I,..I think I'm going to be sick" Peter moved and let her out of the booth. He watcher her race toward the ladies room.
Elizabeth ran in to the ladies room and into a stall. She got sick to her stomach. She slid down to the floor and got sick a few more times. She started crying. She was falling apart with out Mark. She heard someone come into the ladies room. She looked up and saw Kerry standing there. She turned away and continued to cry. Kerry knelt down by her and rubbed her back a little. "Are you okay" she whispers. Elizabeth nodded. "Yeah it's probably just the flu" She started to tremble. "I'm a mess Kerry I can't sleep, I can't eat and now I have the flu my life its falling apart with out him" Kerry sighed. "I know it feels that way now but you have to give yourself some time" Kerry handed her some tissue. "Lets head back to County we'll check you over and then you can try and get some rest" Elizabeth nodded. She stood up and helped Kerry up. They left the ladies room found Peter and headed back to County.
Elizabeth sat on the gurney staring out into space as Kerry gave her the look over. She looked at Elizabeth. "Everything looks okay Elizabeth but I want to run a few tests to be sure I'll be back in a little bit Peter is going to stay with you" "Lay back and try to get some rest okay" Elizabeth nodded and laid back. She couldn't rest she just stared up at the ceiling.
Kerry had gotten caught up on an in coming trauma and once the patient was stabilized and sent up to the OR she stripped off her gown and gloves and went to get Elizabeth's test results. She looked at the results and everything was normal except for one thing. She had to look twice to make sure she was seeing it right. "Oh my gosh" She whispered She headed toward Elizabeth's room.
Elizabeth sat up when she heard the door open. She saw Kerry walk in. "So its the flu right" Kerry shook her head. "Umm no its not the flu" She walked up to Elizabeth. Elizabeth sighed "So then what is it am I dying too" Kerry shook her head again. "No of course not" She looked at her "So then what is it Kerry"
Kerry took a deep breath "Well umm its a...its a baby" Elizabeth looked at her "What!?!" Kerry looked at her. "Elizabeth you're pregnant" Peter looked on in shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing and neither could Elizabeth she fell back on the gurney in tears.
A million thoughts ran through Elizabeth's head as she lay there crying. She set her hand on her stomach. "Mark had given her one last gift before he left her and a part of her was happy that she would have a piece of him growing within her for the next several months but she was also scared to death. She didn't know how she was going to get through this alone. She already had Ella and soon she'd have a second child to take care of. She turned away from her friends as her tears turned to sobs.
How will Elizabeth deal with the news she's just received and how will Kerry and Peter help her
Find out in.....Chapter 4: Choices
Disclaimer: All ER Characters belong to Warner Bros., Michael Criticion, and NBC. Although I wish I owned Carter!!
Elizabeth finds out that Mark has left her one last gift.
Chapter 3: Mark's Gift
Elizabeth padded around her big empty, lonely house. She had loved the house when Mark was there to share it with her. She went up to her bedroom to find something to wear. She hadn't been back to work since Mark's funeral. She opened the closet. Tears sprang to her eyes when she saw Mark's robe hanging on the back of the door. Elizabeth pulled the robe off its hook and held it to her face. She could smell Mark's after shave on it. Still clutching the robe she reached into the closest and pulled out a skirt and blouse to wear. She walked over and set the robe on the bed as she dressed.
Elizabeth walked to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She knew she looked awful she hadn't slept or ate much in the last two weeks. She washed her face and brushed her hair. When she set her hairbrush down on the sink she noticed Mark's razor sitting there. She ran her finger over it. Everywhere she turned there was a reminder of Mark. She sighed sadly as she headed to the nursery to get Ella.
Elizabeth peeked into the nursery and saw Ella bouncing in her crib. She smiled when she saw her mommy. Elizabeth picked up the baby and cuddled her in her arms. "You have your daddy's smile" she whispered as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She bundled Ella up locked the door and headed for her car.
Elizabeth parked outside County General. She sat there for a minute before gathering Ella and heading inside. Once inside she was greeted by Carter. "Hey Elizabeth how are you feeling, are you on today" Elizabeth looked at him sadly. "Not to good Carter, I came to clean out Mark's locker" She looked down at her feet as she began to cry. He pulled her into a hug. "I know you miss him , we all do just remember you're not alone we're all her for you" Elizabeth pulled away and looked at him. "Thank you Carter" He nodded. He reached for Ella "Here why don't you let me take her for awhile" She looked at him "Are you sure" He nodded "Sure we'll have fun" He tickled the baby. "Right Ella" Elizabeth sighed "Okay" She kissed Ella's cheek and headed to the lounge.
Elizabeth stood in front of Mark's locker. She ran her hand over his nameplate. She slowly opened the locker. She grabbed the box she had set on the table. She looked at the pictures taped to the inside of the locker. She started crying as she removed the pictures. Their wedding picture, pictures of her and Ella, pictures of Ella, pictures of Rachel, and pictures of his friends. She set them in the box. She saw his stethoscope sitting on the little shelf inside the locker. She held it in her hands a few minutes before setting it in the box. She pulled out his lab coat. His id was still clipped to its collar. She touched it lightly. She glided her fingers over the M. Greene M.D stitched in to it. As she held the lab coat tightly in her hands she slid to the floor in sobs.
Peter and Kerry walked into the lounge discussing Peter's possibly returning to work at County when they saw Elizabeth sitting on the floor by Mark's open locker with his lab coat in her hands. They walked over and knelt down beside her. Kerry lightly touched her shoulder. "Elizabeth are you alright" she whispered. Elizabeth looked at her "Do I look alright!? My husband is dead I'll never be alright again." Peter sighed he hated seeing her like this. He put his arm around her. "Elizabeth you look tired when's the last time you got some sleep?" She shrugged her shoulders. Truth was she hadn't slept much since she lost Mark. He looked at her "You haven't eaten much either have you?" he asked. She whispers "No" Kerry put her hand on Elizabeth's "Honey you need to eat something and you need some rest" Elizabeth's lip quivered and a few tears ran down her cheeks. "I, I.. can't Mark's stuff ,I have to put his stuff away" Kerry looked up at Mark's locker. She sighed sadly "I know but you can do that later, Come on Peter and I will take you over to Doc Magoo's"
Elizabeth sighed and whispered "Okay" She gently placed Mark's lab coat in the box and rose to her feet, as she did she got dizzy and had to grab the locker to avoid falling. Peter raced to her side. "Are you okay" She nodded "Yeah its just the stress of the last 2 weeks combined with not eating or sleeping" Once the dizziness passed Elizabeth let go of the locker and she along with Kerry and Peter headed to Doc Magoo's
A little later they sat in a booth at Doc Magoo's. Peter was enjoying his garden salad and Kerry happily ate her burger and fries. Elizabeth had a burger and fries too but she wasn't eating. She poked at her fries. Kerry noticed she wasn't eating. "Elizabeth what's wrong don't you like your burger." She sighed "I'm just not hungry" Just the sight of the burger was making her nauseous. She was going to be sick. She nudged Peter. "I,..I think I'm going to be sick" Peter moved and let her out of the booth. He watcher her race toward the ladies room.
Elizabeth ran in to the ladies room and into a stall. She got sick to her stomach. She slid down to the floor and got sick a few more times. She started crying. She was falling apart with out Mark. She heard someone come into the ladies room. She looked up and saw Kerry standing there. She turned away and continued to cry. Kerry knelt down by her and rubbed her back a little. "Are you okay" she whispers. Elizabeth nodded. "Yeah it's probably just the flu" She started to tremble. "I'm a mess Kerry I can't sleep, I can't eat and now I have the flu my life its falling apart with out him" Kerry sighed. "I know it feels that way now but you have to give yourself some time" Kerry handed her some tissue. "Lets head back to County we'll check you over and then you can try and get some rest" Elizabeth nodded. She stood up and helped Kerry up. They left the ladies room found Peter and headed back to County.
Elizabeth sat on the gurney staring out into space as Kerry gave her the look over. She looked at Elizabeth. "Everything looks okay Elizabeth but I want to run a few tests to be sure I'll be back in a little bit Peter is going to stay with you" "Lay back and try to get some rest okay" Elizabeth nodded and laid back. She couldn't rest she just stared up at the ceiling.
Kerry had gotten caught up on an in coming trauma and once the patient was stabilized and sent up to the OR she stripped off her gown and gloves and went to get Elizabeth's test results. She looked at the results and everything was normal except for one thing. She had to look twice to make sure she was seeing it right. "Oh my gosh" She whispered She headed toward Elizabeth's room.
Elizabeth sat up when she heard the door open. She saw Kerry walk in. "So its the flu right" Kerry shook her head. "Umm no its not the flu" She walked up to Elizabeth. Elizabeth sighed "So then what is it am I dying too" Kerry shook her head again. "No of course not" She looked at her "So then what is it Kerry"
Kerry took a deep breath "Well umm its a...its a baby" Elizabeth looked at her "What!?!" Kerry looked at her. "Elizabeth you're pregnant" Peter looked on in shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing and neither could Elizabeth she fell back on the gurney in tears.
A million thoughts ran through Elizabeth's head as she lay there crying. She set her hand on her stomach. "Mark had given her one last gift before he left her and a part of her was happy that she would have a piece of him growing within her for the next several months but she was also scared to death. She didn't know how she was going to get through this alone. She already had Ella and soon she'd have a second child to take care of. She turned away from her friends as her tears turned to sobs.
How will Elizabeth deal with the news she's just received and how will Kerry and Peter help her
Find out in.....Chapter 4: Choices