This story takes place a year in the future. It contains moments from all 8 seasons of ER.
Disclaimer: All ER Characters belong to Warner Bros., Michael Critchon, and NBC
Members of the ER staff remember a lost friend 1 year later.
Chapter 5:Carol
Carol Hathaway-Ross yawned as she entered her house after a long shift. She made her way upstairs to her bedroom. Doug was already in bed sleeping. She quietly slipped into her pajamas. She crossed the room and sat down on the window seat. She glanced up at the stars. It had been one year ago today that Mark passed away. She remembered the call she received from Elizabeth telling her of Mark's condition. Her and Doug had packed up the girls and caught the first plane to Chicago.
She sighed. She wouldn't even be alive today if it wasn't for Mark. 9 years ago she attempted to take her own life but because Mark refused to give on her she survived. The day she returned to work was pretty hard for her but she remembered something Mark had told her that had helped her "You may have your doubts about being back, but none of us do" At the end of the day they had a welcome back party for her. She was glad she had been unsuccessful at taking her own life.
Carol thought about the time all her nurses staged a sick out and she was left doing a bunch of things at once. She was treating a homeless man along with Kerry, Mark and Carter. When her and Kerry began to clean up after the trauma she discovered she had given the patient the wrong blood killing him. Mark had supported her telling her if she felt there was no reason to file an incident report he'd back her up. "Yeah but I'd still have to look at myself in the mirror everyday" she said as she left the trauma room. She had been suspended but she returned to work some time later.
She looked over at Doug sleeping peacefully. She hadn't thought of Ricky Abbott in years but she thought of him tonight. He was Doug's patient and his father had accused him of killing Ricky. Doug left County General and her that night. Mark became her biggest support after Doug left. Just weeks after he left she found out she was pregnant. She had been in a trauma with Mark and Peter. She had hurt herself while bringing the tray of instruments over to them. She bolted from the room. Several minutes later she came back. "Mark I need your help" he followed her out to the hall. "you okay" he asked her. She looked at him. "I was cramping and now I'm spotting" "Is it time for your period" he asked her. "No Mark I'm pregnant" she told him. He did an ultrasound but was unable to find a heartbeat. He got her an appointment for a vaginal ultrasound and to her relief the baby was fine.
Carol's eyes began to fill with tears. She remembered a few months later when she was suppose to have an ultrasound but Dr. McLucus had canceled. She had been trying to give herself an ultrasound when Mark and Elizabeth walked in. Elizabeth began to assist her. "Do you think its too soon to tell if its a girl or boy" she asked Mark. Mark smiled "Its never too soon to be inaccurate" "There's the heartbeat" Elizabeth announced. "Any turtle sack" she asked. "I'm looking" Elizabeth replied. Her eyes grew wide as she whispered "Mark" "Uh huh" he said. Carol began to worry. "What, Mark what" she asked "Heartbeat" he told her. "Yes Mark, Elizabeth already said that" she said. Elizabeth looked at her "What he means is there's another heartbeat" "Twins!" Carol said in shock.
A few tears rolled down Carol's cheeks. She thought about the day her girls were born. Mark missed Tess's birth. Kerry delivered her in the ER. He arrived shortly after that. She was getting an epidural. Mark was holding her. In the middle of it she had a contraction. She remembered the pain. She leaned heavily on Mark. "It hurts " she told him. "I know" he whispered. "No Mark I mean it really hurts" she cried. The epidural worked well "I think I'm in love with the epidural man" was what she said. Her pain was gone and things were going great until the baby's heart beat went dangerously low. Abby examined her discovering she had a prolapsed cord. Carol became worried "Oh Mark don't let this happen" she said her eyes filling with tears. They wheeled her into the OR where Dr. Colburn delivered the baby by c section. Carol looked up at Mark. "Mark you gotta save the baby" she cried. "We will" he whispered "No promise me" she said. "I promise Mark replied.
Later that day when she woke up in her room she saw Mark holding one of the girls. "What's her name, Tess needs to know what her little sister's name is" He asked. Carol didn't say anything. "So what's her name he asked. "You wanna name her" she asked. Mark was surprised. "Me" Carol nodded. "What was your mom's name." "Ruth" he told her but he didn't think she liked it too much. "Middle name Katherine" he suggested. She smiled "Kate! I like that!" Mark was called down to the ER to tend to his father. "Mark, thank you" she said as he was leaving. He turned and smiled "You did good mom"
Carol was crying now she thought about the last time she saw Mark before finding out he was sick. It was her last day at County. She had treated a patient Sheila O'Brien. She had end stage cancer. She passed away and afterwards her husband thanked Carol for helping his wife telling her she was his soulmate. It was then that she realized that Doug was her soulmate and she still loved him. She had to find out if he still loved her. "Mark tell Kerry I won't be in tomorrow" "I'll call you from the plane. She flew to Seattle and her and Doug got married soon after that.
She reached for a tissue. Her and Doug never made it to Mark and Elizabeth's wedding. Their flight was canceled due to a rain storm. She called them apologizing a thousand times but Mark and Elizabeth told her not to worry. She and Doug hadn't seen Mark or Elizabeth since Carol's sudden move to Seattle. When they flew to Chicago after learning of his illness it had been a bitter sweet reunion. Mark hadn't looked as bright and alive he had the last time they saw each other but he was still the same fun, loving , caring man he had always been. Carol hugged him letting her tears spill thanking him for everything he had done over the years for her and Doug. A few days later he was gone.
The soft cries of a baby snapped Carol from her thoughts. She crossed the hall to the nursery. She looked down in the crib. A tiny baby laid there crying softly. She picked up the baby and gently rocked him. "Shh its okay Mark mommy's here sweeite" she whispered. She kissed the top of his head. Something Abby said stuck in her mind. "I wouldn't repeat this outside this room but, you owe your friend here for your future children" Carol sat down in the rocking chair next to the crib. She looked at the arrangement of photos sitting on the small dresser. She reached over and grabbed one. She looked at it. Mark and Elizabeth smiled up at her. Tears filled her eyes again as she glided her finger over Mark's smiling face. "Thank you Mark" she whispered as she gazed down at her son laying peacefully in her arms.
Chapter 6:Doug......Coming Soon!!!!!
Disclaimer: All ER Characters belong to Warner Bros., Michael Critchon, and NBC
Members of the ER staff remember a lost friend 1 year later.
Chapter 5:Carol
Carol Hathaway-Ross yawned as she entered her house after a long shift. She made her way upstairs to her bedroom. Doug was already in bed sleeping. She quietly slipped into her pajamas. She crossed the room and sat down on the window seat. She glanced up at the stars. It had been one year ago today that Mark passed away. She remembered the call she received from Elizabeth telling her of Mark's condition. Her and Doug had packed up the girls and caught the first plane to Chicago.
She sighed. She wouldn't even be alive today if it wasn't for Mark. 9 years ago she attempted to take her own life but because Mark refused to give on her she survived. The day she returned to work was pretty hard for her but she remembered something Mark had told her that had helped her "You may have your doubts about being back, but none of us do" At the end of the day they had a welcome back party for her. She was glad she had been unsuccessful at taking her own life.
Carol thought about the time all her nurses staged a sick out and she was left doing a bunch of things at once. She was treating a homeless man along with Kerry, Mark and Carter. When her and Kerry began to clean up after the trauma she discovered she had given the patient the wrong blood killing him. Mark had supported her telling her if she felt there was no reason to file an incident report he'd back her up. "Yeah but I'd still have to look at myself in the mirror everyday" she said as she left the trauma room. She had been suspended but she returned to work some time later.
She looked over at Doug sleeping peacefully. She hadn't thought of Ricky Abbott in years but she thought of him tonight. He was Doug's patient and his father had accused him of killing Ricky. Doug left County General and her that night. Mark became her biggest support after Doug left. Just weeks after he left she found out she was pregnant. She had been in a trauma with Mark and Peter. She had hurt herself while bringing the tray of instruments over to them. She bolted from the room. Several minutes later she came back. "Mark I need your help" he followed her out to the hall. "you okay" he asked her. She looked at him. "I was cramping and now I'm spotting" "Is it time for your period" he asked her. "No Mark I'm pregnant" she told him. He did an ultrasound but was unable to find a heartbeat. He got her an appointment for a vaginal ultrasound and to her relief the baby was fine.
Carol's eyes began to fill with tears. She remembered a few months later when she was suppose to have an ultrasound but Dr. McLucus had canceled. She had been trying to give herself an ultrasound when Mark and Elizabeth walked in. Elizabeth began to assist her. "Do you think its too soon to tell if its a girl or boy" she asked Mark. Mark smiled "Its never too soon to be inaccurate" "There's the heartbeat" Elizabeth announced. "Any turtle sack" she asked. "I'm looking" Elizabeth replied. Her eyes grew wide as she whispered "Mark" "Uh huh" he said. Carol began to worry. "What, Mark what" she asked "Heartbeat" he told her. "Yes Mark, Elizabeth already said that" she said. Elizabeth looked at her "What he means is there's another heartbeat" "Twins!" Carol said in shock.
A few tears rolled down Carol's cheeks. She thought about the day her girls were born. Mark missed Tess's birth. Kerry delivered her in the ER. He arrived shortly after that. She was getting an epidural. Mark was holding her. In the middle of it she had a contraction. She remembered the pain. She leaned heavily on Mark. "It hurts " she told him. "I know" he whispered. "No Mark I mean it really hurts" she cried. The epidural worked well "I think I'm in love with the epidural man" was what she said. Her pain was gone and things were going great until the baby's heart beat went dangerously low. Abby examined her discovering she had a prolapsed cord. Carol became worried "Oh Mark don't let this happen" she said her eyes filling with tears. They wheeled her into the OR where Dr. Colburn delivered the baby by c section. Carol looked up at Mark. "Mark you gotta save the baby" she cried. "We will" he whispered "No promise me" she said. "I promise Mark replied.
Later that day when she woke up in her room she saw Mark holding one of the girls. "What's her name, Tess needs to know what her little sister's name is" He asked. Carol didn't say anything. "So what's her name he asked. "You wanna name her" she asked. Mark was surprised. "Me" Carol nodded. "What was your mom's name." "Ruth" he told her but he didn't think she liked it too much. "Middle name Katherine" he suggested. She smiled "Kate! I like that!" Mark was called down to the ER to tend to his father. "Mark, thank you" she said as he was leaving. He turned and smiled "You did good mom"
Carol was crying now she thought about the last time she saw Mark before finding out he was sick. It was her last day at County. She had treated a patient Sheila O'Brien. She had end stage cancer. She passed away and afterwards her husband thanked Carol for helping his wife telling her she was his soulmate. It was then that she realized that Doug was her soulmate and she still loved him. She had to find out if he still loved her. "Mark tell Kerry I won't be in tomorrow" "I'll call you from the plane. She flew to Seattle and her and Doug got married soon after that.
She reached for a tissue. Her and Doug never made it to Mark and Elizabeth's wedding. Their flight was canceled due to a rain storm. She called them apologizing a thousand times but Mark and Elizabeth told her not to worry. She and Doug hadn't seen Mark or Elizabeth since Carol's sudden move to Seattle. When they flew to Chicago after learning of his illness it had been a bitter sweet reunion. Mark hadn't looked as bright and alive he had the last time they saw each other but he was still the same fun, loving , caring man he had always been. Carol hugged him letting her tears spill thanking him for everything he had done over the years for her and Doug. A few days later he was gone.
The soft cries of a baby snapped Carol from her thoughts. She crossed the hall to the nursery. She looked down in the crib. A tiny baby laid there crying softly. She picked up the baby and gently rocked him. "Shh its okay Mark mommy's here sweeite" she whispered. She kissed the top of his head. Something Abby said stuck in her mind. "I wouldn't repeat this outside this room but, you owe your friend here for your future children" Carol sat down in the rocking chair next to the crib. She looked at the arrangement of photos sitting on the small dresser. She reached over and grabbed one. She looked at it. Mark and Elizabeth smiled up at her. Tears filled her eyes again as she glided her finger over Mark's smiling face. "Thank you Mark" she whispered as she gazed down at her son laying peacefully in her arms.
Chapter 6:Doug......Coming Soon!!!!!