An entire month had passed. When Robert looked back, he couldn't imagine not having Anne around. They were good for each other. Anne learned all she could from him. Robert was slowly learning patience in teaching her. Robert was all together pleasant to be around when they were alone. He was, however, just the same as he ever was when she wasn't around.
One morning Anne was walking down the hall when she heard Robert's voice, yelling at somebody. She couldn't make out the words. Stopping where she was and ducking behind a cabinet, Anne poked her head out just enough to watch him. Some poor nurse had made a mistake and he was making sure she knew about it. Finally, he stopped yelling, threw a chart at her feet and stomped off in the opposite direction from where Anne was hiding. Anne was shocked; she'd never seen him like this before. All of a sudden, thoughts of her first day and all the people who'd felt sorry for her came flooding back. Maybe that was why. Maybe he was like that to everybody. "No wonder they all hate him," Anne thought to herself.
As Robert stormed down the hall, Dr. Corday stepped out of the elevator, having been paged for a surgical consult. He nodded to her as they passed each other. "Lizzie," He greeted her. He continued to walk, slowing a little, collecting his thoughts. Suddenly he stopped, turned around and watched Dr. Corday walk into an exam room.
Robert wasn't sure anymore how he felt about Elizabeth. He thought he'd been in love with her since the day he'd met her, but it had faded a little over the years that it went unreciprocated. He remembered her wedding day. Mark Greene had been late for his own wedding and Robert had stopped in to see her and let her know that the guests were getting antsy. He'd told her she was beautiful and that Mark was lucky to be marrying her. In that moment, he had given her away, to the man she really loved. He felt it might as well have been he who'd walked her down the aisle.
He remembered when she'd been pregnant with Ella, so determined to continue surgery. She'd risen to the challenge he'd given her and he had bought her pizza and ice cream, something she'd been craving during the entire surgery.
He remembered only a month ago, on Halloween, opening up to her about his fears of not performing surgery again. So starved for affection was he that he'd caressed her cheek, which had made her uncomfortable.
A small part of him still loved her, and always would. But now he'd come to see her as a friend, a friend he'd definitely have to get to know better. His only friend.
Anne walked up to him and peered into his face. "Hello, where are you?" She asked as she waved her hand in front of his face. Startled out of his thoughts, Robert sighed and smiled a haunted smile at Anne.
"You said we could keep practicing sutures, right?" Asked Anne.
"Right, let's go."
*****
Robert spent hours drilling his techniques into her. When she made a mistake, they did it over and over again, until she got it right. He wanted her to be perfect. During this time, he would also quiz her on things for her classes, helping her with her studies. He lived and breathed for Anne and he didn't even realize it.
*****
One afternoon, during a lunch break, while Robert was away, Anne took out her battered copy of "Jane Eyre". She loved that book, along with many other books. She hardly ever had time for pleasure reading anymore and she took every chance she could get when the opportunity presented itself.
"May I sit here?" A voice asked Anne. Putting her book down and looking up, she saw Dr. Kovac standing by a chair in front of her. The lunchroom was crowded and that was one of the only free seats left.
"Sure," she replied, as he took the seat. Anne took a bite of her sandwich and looked at Luka. She'd heard stories about this man, about his sad past in Croatia, and his more recent amorous adventures. He looked at her and smiled. He was very handsome, but he made her feel uncomfortable.
"I see you with Dr. Romano all the time. You must be sick of him by now," Luka said, grinning.
"Actually, I really like being with him. I'm not sick of him at all," Anne replied coolly.
"Well, if you ever need a break, I can help you study. Anytime, I don't mind," Luka smiled at her again and winked.
"Well, thank you for the invitation, I'll be sure to keep it in mind," said Anne, as politely as possible. She began gathering up her things. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to practicing my sutures. See ya!" Anne called over her shoulder as she walked away.
Anne spent the rest of the day practicing in the Suture Room, alone.
One morning Anne was walking down the hall when she heard Robert's voice, yelling at somebody. She couldn't make out the words. Stopping where she was and ducking behind a cabinet, Anne poked her head out just enough to watch him. Some poor nurse had made a mistake and he was making sure she knew about it. Finally, he stopped yelling, threw a chart at her feet and stomped off in the opposite direction from where Anne was hiding. Anne was shocked; she'd never seen him like this before. All of a sudden, thoughts of her first day and all the people who'd felt sorry for her came flooding back. Maybe that was why. Maybe he was like that to everybody. "No wonder they all hate him," Anne thought to herself.
As Robert stormed down the hall, Dr. Corday stepped out of the elevator, having been paged for a surgical consult. He nodded to her as they passed each other. "Lizzie," He greeted her. He continued to walk, slowing a little, collecting his thoughts. Suddenly he stopped, turned around and watched Dr. Corday walk into an exam room.
Robert wasn't sure anymore how he felt about Elizabeth. He thought he'd been in love with her since the day he'd met her, but it had faded a little over the years that it went unreciprocated. He remembered her wedding day. Mark Greene had been late for his own wedding and Robert had stopped in to see her and let her know that the guests were getting antsy. He'd told her she was beautiful and that Mark was lucky to be marrying her. In that moment, he had given her away, to the man she really loved. He felt it might as well have been he who'd walked her down the aisle.
He remembered when she'd been pregnant with Ella, so determined to continue surgery. She'd risen to the challenge he'd given her and he had bought her pizza and ice cream, something she'd been craving during the entire surgery.
He remembered only a month ago, on Halloween, opening up to her about his fears of not performing surgery again. So starved for affection was he that he'd caressed her cheek, which had made her uncomfortable.
A small part of him still loved her, and always would. But now he'd come to see her as a friend, a friend he'd definitely have to get to know better. His only friend.
Anne walked up to him and peered into his face. "Hello, where are you?" She asked as she waved her hand in front of his face. Startled out of his thoughts, Robert sighed and smiled a haunted smile at Anne.
"You said we could keep practicing sutures, right?" Asked Anne.
"Right, let's go."
*****
Robert spent hours drilling his techniques into her. When she made a mistake, they did it over and over again, until she got it right. He wanted her to be perfect. During this time, he would also quiz her on things for her classes, helping her with her studies. He lived and breathed for Anne and he didn't even realize it.
*****
One afternoon, during a lunch break, while Robert was away, Anne took out her battered copy of "Jane Eyre". She loved that book, along with many other books. She hardly ever had time for pleasure reading anymore and she took every chance she could get when the opportunity presented itself.
"May I sit here?" A voice asked Anne. Putting her book down and looking up, she saw Dr. Kovac standing by a chair in front of her. The lunchroom was crowded and that was one of the only free seats left.
"Sure," she replied, as he took the seat. Anne took a bite of her sandwich and looked at Luka. She'd heard stories about this man, about his sad past in Croatia, and his more recent amorous adventures. He looked at her and smiled. He was very handsome, but he made her feel uncomfortable.
"I see you with Dr. Romano all the time. You must be sick of him by now," Luka said, grinning.
"Actually, I really like being with him. I'm not sick of him at all," Anne replied coolly.
"Well, if you ever need a break, I can help you study. Anytime, I don't mind," Luka smiled at her again and winked.
"Well, thank you for the invitation, I'll be sure to keep it in mind," said Anne, as politely as possible. She began gathering up her things. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to practicing my sutures. See ya!" Anne called over her shoulder as she walked away.
Anne spent the rest of the day practicing in the Suture Room, alone.