End of the Rainbow
Aurora Chandler looked out the window of her apartment. The skies were empty and gray, as they had been all month. Of course, that was almost typical in Seattle, but it had seemed even gloomier since Robert had left.
Nothing had been making her happy anymore. Her life had become eat, sleep, and work. Eat, sleep, and work. Nothing more and nothing less for her. She knew, and easily admitted, she was depressed, but what was there to do? Carol once told her about that feeling. She said she had it right before she came to Seattle to be with Doug. She also said the feelings went away the minute she saw him.
Which meant she would have to go to Chicago. Chicago? It seemed so foreign, like a strange jungle or unknown country. Go to Chicago? Why?
And of course, she remembered why. Robert. She loved him and hopefully, he hadn't forgotten about her. He was, in her eyes, the love of her life. Jim never came close. And never would.
For weeks, he had been pressuring her. All Jim wanted was to get back with her, which wasn't what she wanted. He wanted a wedding, a life together, children, her. She wanted Robert.
It was time to do something.
"What do you think? I mean, he liked Seattle, didn't he?" Mark Greene said, walking around his house, holding his baby daughter in his arms, and cradling the phone with him shoulder.
"I think it's a great idea, but there's one problem," Doug Ross replied, "How do we get him here?"
"I don't know. I was hoping you would."
"Hey, I'll just arrange for him to work here. It's not my job to get him here."
"Fine. I'll see what I can do."
Elizabeth Corday sat in her office, reading the newspaper. Since Romano had actually started working, her work was dwindling. In fact, her only requirement was that she did surgery everyday. No paperwork at all.
She was grateful, but she missed the challenges of it all. In fact, she missed having to do Robert's dirty work. It made her feel powerful, although at times, like a slave. But, there was nothing to be done.
"Lizzie!" Robert chirped, waltzing into her office, holding a manila folder and a piece of mail, "Would you like to perform the endoscopic discectomy?"
"What time is it?"
"It starts as soon as one of us goes in there. You or me?"
"I'll go," she sighed.
At least he was being friendly. Although, it seems he was happiest whenever he had a letter from Aurora in his hand. Hopefully, Mark and Doug's plan would work.
"Did you ask him?"
"Doug, if he leaves, then most likely, Kerry Weaver would be Chief of Staff. Let's think of the welfare of the other doctors first."
"You didn't ask him?"
"Sorry."
"Mark!"
"I know, I know. I'll ask him tomorrow."
Robert Romano quickly tore open the envelope as soon as he got into his office. Every letter from Aurora was cherished, especially this one. In the last letter, she told him the next one would be special. Very special.
Before opening the pages, he laughed at himself. He was like a five year old boy, ripping the paper off of his Christmas presents. It had to have been a sight.
Carefully, he opened it, reading over every word. It started out slow, as it usually did, with her mentioning any unusual patient, or strange happening. Finally, he reached the end of the letter. Nothing important was said. No, I love you, no surprise, or anything. But then he noticed the p.s.
It said not to have anything to do on Wednesday. Wednesday? Why Wednesday? Would she be there? That's tomorrow, he thought, I have to be here tomorrow. The health board doing an inspection, I have to be here. But why Wednesday?
"Have you asked yet?"
"Sorry, Doug."
"You have to ask by tomorrow. Otherwise, he doesn't get a job."
"Okay, I'll ask. Hey, how's Aurora?"
"Don't know."
"What do you mean, you don't know? You two work together."
"I think she quit, Mark"
"Why?"
"I don't know."
Cook County General was a big hospital compared to what she was used to. The traffic around it was rough, and you could easily be run over in the ambulance bay. But, it was home to him, and she may as well get use to it, she thought.
She approached the admit desk to see two large men fighting, "Excuse me?"
They stopped and glared straight at her. "What?" they both barked.
"Could you tell me where I could find a Dr. Romano?"
"He's upstairs, lady," the shorter one growled, "Probably in surgery."
"Thank you," she sighed, and started walking around.
After a while, a tall, balding man came up to her, "Can I help you?"
"Yeah, um, what floor is Robert Romano's office on?"
"The third. Why?"
"I need to see him."
"Okay…Aurora."
His answer shocked her, "How do you know my name?"
"I'm friends with Doug Ross and Carol Hathaway. Hi, I'm Mark Greene."
"Hi, Mark. Well, thanks!"
"Welcome!"
She laughed as she made her way up the stairs. If Mark knew Doug and Carol, then most of the hospital had to, so they had to know who she was. But, soon she would know them.
When Aurora got to the OR, she saw Robert, along with two men and shorter woman with a cane, leaving what she figured to be his office. They shook hands, and the men left.
"Well, Kerry, I'd say that went well. Wouldn't you?"
"For once. Last year, we almost got closed down for the janitors strike."
"I know, but…."
"But what?"
Off by the stairs stood Aurora. So this is what she meant by not having anything to do. She came to visit. Leaving Kerry by his office, he ran over to her, pulling her into his embrace.
"What are you doing here?" he exclaimed.
"I couldn't be without you," she blushed.
They both smiled at each other before kissing. When they broke apart, he asked, "Are you visiting?"
"No. I was hoping to get a job here."
"Robert, are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?" Kerry questioned, hobbling over.
"Kerry, this is Aurora Chandler, an ER nurse from Seattle. Aurora, Kerry Weaver, chief of the ER. She'll be your boss."
"Nice to meet you," Aurora smiled, extending her hand.
"Nice to meet you, too. I'll be downstairs," she answered.
Not knowing what to do next, Robert pulled her closer and kissed her, right in front of the OR.
"So she lives in Chicago now?"
"Yeah. I guess we'll never get rid of Romano now."
"Look on the bright side, Mark, Kerry'll never be Chief of Staff."
"Thanks Doug, that's reassuring."
"Glad to help."
Aurora Chandler looked out the window of her apartment. The skies were empty and gray, as they had been all month. Of course, that was almost typical in Seattle, but it had seemed even gloomier since Robert had left.
Nothing had been making her happy anymore. Her life had become eat, sleep, and work. Eat, sleep, and work. Nothing more and nothing less for her. She knew, and easily admitted, she was depressed, but what was there to do? Carol once told her about that feeling. She said she had it right before she came to Seattle to be with Doug. She also said the feelings went away the minute she saw him.
Which meant she would have to go to Chicago. Chicago? It seemed so foreign, like a strange jungle or unknown country. Go to Chicago? Why?
And of course, she remembered why. Robert. She loved him and hopefully, he hadn't forgotten about her. He was, in her eyes, the love of her life. Jim never came close. And never would.
For weeks, he had been pressuring her. All Jim wanted was to get back with her, which wasn't what she wanted. He wanted a wedding, a life together, children, her. She wanted Robert.
It was time to do something.
"What do you think? I mean, he liked Seattle, didn't he?" Mark Greene said, walking around his house, holding his baby daughter in his arms, and cradling the phone with him shoulder.
"I think it's a great idea, but there's one problem," Doug Ross replied, "How do we get him here?"
"I don't know. I was hoping you would."
"Hey, I'll just arrange for him to work here. It's not my job to get him here."
"Fine. I'll see what I can do."
Elizabeth Corday sat in her office, reading the newspaper. Since Romano had actually started working, her work was dwindling. In fact, her only requirement was that she did surgery everyday. No paperwork at all.
She was grateful, but she missed the challenges of it all. In fact, she missed having to do Robert's dirty work. It made her feel powerful, although at times, like a slave. But, there was nothing to be done.
"Lizzie!" Robert chirped, waltzing into her office, holding a manila folder and a piece of mail, "Would you like to perform the endoscopic discectomy?"
"What time is it?"
"It starts as soon as one of us goes in there. You or me?"
"I'll go," she sighed.
At least he was being friendly. Although, it seems he was happiest whenever he had a letter from Aurora in his hand. Hopefully, Mark and Doug's plan would work.
"Did you ask him?"
"Doug, if he leaves, then most likely, Kerry Weaver would be Chief of Staff. Let's think of the welfare of the other doctors first."
"You didn't ask him?"
"Sorry."
"Mark!"
"I know, I know. I'll ask him tomorrow."
Robert Romano quickly tore open the envelope as soon as he got into his office. Every letter from Aurora was cherished, especially this one. In the last letter, she told him the next one would be special. Very special.
Before opening the pages, he laughed at himself. He was like a five year old boy, ripping the paper off of his Christmas presents. It had to have been a sight.
Carefully, he opened it, reading over every word. It started out slow, as it usually did, with her mentioning any unusual patient, or strange happening. Finally, he reached the end of the letter. Nothing important was said. No, I love you, no surprise, or anything. But then he noticed the p.s.
It said not to have anything to do on Wednesday. Wednesday? Why Wednesday? Would she be there? That's tomorrow, he thought, I have to be here tomorrow. The health board doing an inspection, I have to be here. But why Wednesday?
"Have you asked yet?"
"Sorry, Doug."
"You have to ask by tomorrow. Otherwise, he doesn't get a job."
"Okay, I'll ask. Hey, how's Aurora?"
"Don't know."
"What do you mean, you don't know? You two work together."
"I think she quit, Mark"
"Why?"
"I don't know."
Cook County General was a big hospital compared to what she was used to. The traffic around it was rough, and you could easily be run over in the ambulance bay. But, it was home to him, and she may as well get use to it, she thought.
She approached the admit desk to see two large men fighting, "Excuse me?"
They stopped and glared straight at her. "What?" they both barked.
"Could you tell me where I could find a Dr. Romano?"
"He's upstairs, lady," the shorter one growled, "Probably in surgery."
"Thank you," she sighed, and started walking around.
After a while, a tall, balding man came up to her, "Can I help you?"
"Yeah, um, what floor is Robert Romano's office on?"
"The third. Why?"
"I need to see him."
"Okay…Aurora."
His answer shocked her, "How do you know my name?"
"I'm friends with Doug Ross and Carol Hathaway. Hi, I'm Mark Greene."
"Hi, Mark. Well, thanks!"
"Welcome!"
She laughed as she made her way up the stairs. If Mark knew Doug and Carol, then most of the hospital had to, so they had to know who she was. But, soon she would know them.
When Aurora got to the OR, she saw Robert, along with two men and shorter woman with a cane, leaving what she figured to be his office. They shook hands, and the men left.
"Well, Kerry, I'd say that went well. Wouldn't you?"
"For once. Last year, we almost got closed down for the janitors strike."
"I know, but…."
"But what?"
Off by the stairs stood Aurora. So this is what she meant by not having anything to do. She came to visit. Leaving Kerry by his office, he ran over to her, pulling her into his embrace.
"What are you doing here?" he exclaimed.
"I couldn't be without you," she blushed.
They both smiled at each other before kissing. When they broke apart, he asked, "Are you visiting?"
"No. I was hoping to get a job here."
"Robert, are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?" Kerry questioned, hobbling over.
"Kerry, this is Aurora Chandler, an ER nurse from Seattle. Aurora, Kerry Weaver, chief of the ER. She'll be your boss."
"Nice to meet you," Aurora smiled, extending her hand.
"Nice to meet you, too. I'll be downstairs," she answered.
Not knowing what to do next, Robert pulled her closer and kissed her, right in front of the OR.
"So she lives in Chicago now?"
"Yeah. I guess we'll never get rid of Romano now."
"Look on the bright side, Mark, Kerry'll never be Chief of Staff."
"Thanks Doug, that's reassuring."
"Glad to help."