-Chapter Three- Calling nurse Corday
I walks into the small room adjacent the OR, finding Robert 'Rocket' Romano already there, scrubbing energetically by a sink.

"Good morning, Lizzie!" he chirps cheerfully.

"Good morning to you, Robert" I say, opening a scrub soap and imitating him, rolling my sleeves up to my elbows, before actually starting to scrub.

"You look a bit tired, Lizzie dear, that or you applied badly your make up today, because you have bags under your eyes. You up all night dancing the horizontal hokey-pokey, huh?"

"I wish I did that, Robert. Ella's teething and she kept me up until five in the morning." I sighs "By the way, you look a bit pale, yourself, everything all right, Robert? I saw you cancelled that exploratory laparatomy, the TIPS we didn't do yesterday-"

"Because you didn't show up!"

"-and all the elective surgeries from your schedule for today. Why?"

"I'm feeling a bit down in the dumps, Lizzie, physically not spiritually I mean, because seeing you always succeeds in lifting my spirits up. I don't feel well, maybe I'm coming down with something so I thought I'd better stick to minor surgeries for the day. What else better than a good ol' appendicectomy to start well the day, Lizzie, huh?"

"Rocket Romano that refuses the glories and challenges of complicated surgical procedures! You're sure you're all right, Robert?"

"Lizzie, Lizzie," he says in a disapprovingly tone as he put more soap on his hands "You got to know how appreciate the small pleasure of life, as well, if you wanna live a good life, my dear. There's some poetry about that, too, although I can't remember the words nor the-"

Romano suddenly drops the soap. "Ouch!"

"What's wrong, Robert?"

"Nothing, just a twitch in my arm, Lizzie, not to worry." He minimizes. "Would you mind opening a new soap for me, Lizzie? Thank you very much."

I can't help noticing his hand is trembling evidently. It's his bad arm, the one he injured in the accident with the chopper. I frown in worry. "Are you really fine, Robert? You really don't look like it!"

"I told you already, I might be coming with the flue, but I'm ok, really, Lizzie, stop fussing, I'm not your baby!" as he speaks he grimaces in pain.

"You do act like a child, though!" I state firmly "Come here," I say as I grab his good arm, pulling him closer.

"Elizabeth you are -were- sterile!"

"I'll scrub again!"

Then I gently put a hand on his forehead "My God! Robert you're burning! Your temp must be thirty-nine degrees at least!"

"Ok, I do not feel well, Lizzie, but I'm not dead and cold as ice yet!"

"I was thinking Celsius degrees! Robert, you have a fever, you can't operate like this, come with me!" I actually have to drag him out of the room.

"I don't understand why you British have to do things the opposite way the rest of the world does! Why using Celsius scale and not Fahrenheit?"

"Actually you American are the original ones when it comes to temperatures!" I say as we reach the nurses' station of the surgical floor "Shirley, could you please page Edson and some other resident to cover for me and Dr. Romano for that appendicectomy?"

"Lizzie, it's not really the case, I-"

"Ah, I almost forgot, cancel Dr. Romano's schedule for today and tomorrow. He'll take a couple of days off, he's sick."

"Sure, Dr. Corday. Take care of you, Dr. Romano."

"Shirley don't dare do what she's telling you I-"

"You," I cut him off in a way that I hope is authoritative and doesn't allow any reply "You are going down to the ER to get yourself checked out."

"Oh, please, Lizzie!" he pleads as I drag him in the lift "Going in that mental asylum won't help me at all! And I don't need a pill pusher poking at me! "

"Stop it Robert!"

When the doors of the lift open Susan Lewis is there and looks at us with an eyebrow arched in a well-trained quizzical way. "Is everything alright Elizabeth?"

"Actually no, Susan. Robert has a fever I think."

"Curtain Three is open. I'll get a thermometer and I'll be back with a chart."

"There's no need to start a chart, Lizzie."

"Here," I intimate giving him a gown "Put this on, Robert."

He takes it and grins "A bit of privacy, Lizzie dear?"

"Sure." I blush and I turn to the wall, hoping that Robert hasn't seen me. I turn again only when Robert clears his throat quite loudly.

Susan comes back and stick a thermometer in Robert's ear. "104 °. Pretty high. Any other symptoms, Robert?"

"Dizziness and I'm terribly thirsty. And oppression, if that counts as a symptom too. But that's Lizzie's fault."

"His arm is bothering him too." I offer, ignoring him.

"Ok, it doesn't look serious. Maybe just a twenty-four hours bug, there's a lot around. You look a bit dehydrated so I'll keep you on a saline IV. I'll call your physical therapist for you arm. What's the name?"

"Gunn, Tyler Gunn." Robert answers through gritted teeth. I see he's not comfortable letting people know his arm isn't doing so well as he wants everyone to believe.

"Ok. I'll be back in a while." Susan disappear behind the drawn curtain.

"Are you hungry, Robert? When was last time you ate something?"

"Yesterday at lunch. When I got home I was so tired I went straight to bed , without having dinner. And this morning I definitely didn't feel like eating."

"I'll see what I can turn up."

I manage to find an orange juice and some Jell-O. When Roberts sees them grimace in disgust.

"Come on, don't fuss! Open your mouth!" I say as I lift the spoon, ready to feed him.

"Lizzie, I'm not your baby! I can eat on my own!" he snaps, snatching the spoon and reluctantly eating its contents.

"Sorry. Force of habit I guess."

I watch him eat the whole Jell-O. I can tell he was hungry.

"Lizzie, don't you have another place to be? An OR maybe? There's no need for you to be mothering me."

"I told Shirley to get Edson to cover for me. Thought you could use some company, that's all."

"Company is fine, constant pestering no."

"I'll behave, promise." I put my left hand on my chest and raise the right in a solemn gesture. "Girl scout's honor."

We chat a little until Robert finally dozes off. He can be quite an lovely person, funny to be with, if he only wants to. I'm afraid that doesn't happen often. I don't know why he prefers people to see only his bossy, annoying and snarky side. I know there's a sweet and caring Robert under the surgical cap, though.

I grab a chair and prepare to spend the night by his side. I feel bad at leaving him here alone. I take out my mobile phone and dial my home number. Cheryl, the nanny, answers.

"Hi, Cheryl, it's me. Look, would you mind spending the night with Ella? A friend of mine is sick and I'd like to spend the night with him. You'd do me a big favor and I know you could use the extra money. Perfect. I'll see you in the morning."

A stout man open the curtain. "Hi, I'm Tyler Gunn, Dr. Romano's physical therapist. I see he's asleep but I was told his arm is bothering him again."

"Yup, it twang earlier this morning. He acted like it was no big deal but I saw his arm was shaking visibly."

"No wonder. Needless to say Dr. Romano is pigheaded. I have been telling him for moths that he shouldn't strain himself so much. It's a miracle he recovered this quick already but he's been pushing his luck. I don't think he'll ever recover full mobility of the arm and he's endangering his chances even more."

I am flabbergasted. Robert never mentioned that horrible possibility. "I'll try and get him to rest more."

"Hope you'll have a better luck." He walks away.

I finally fall asleep too. But sleeping on a chair isn't exactly comfortable and my head keeps hanging down, causing my necks to spasm painfully. One of this spasms wakes me up and I open my eyes to see Robert staring intensely at me.

"You don't look like you're sleeping well, Lizzie. Why don't you lay next to me? I don't bite, I promise."

"Thanks" I say, taking up his offer.

I am laying against Robert's chest and when he speaks his voice echoes into my own chest and it feels so funny.

"By the way, what are you still doing here, Lizzie? You should be home to Ella by now."

"I didn't feel good leaving you here so I stayed. The nanny's spending the night with Ella."

"You shouldn't have Lizzie." He scolds me affectionately "There was no need to. I am a tough old bastard, I can take care of myself, you know." Robert runs his fingers through my hair, toying with it.

"You're right about the bastard part, I'm not so sure about the rest, Robert. Gunn dropped by and said you're pushing yourself too much. You're undermining your chances of a full recovery, Robert."

"As if there are any, Lizzie. He made it clear enough I'll never recuperate complete mobility. I might not be able to practice surgery anymore."

He looks away abruptly but I think I saw a tear rolling down his cheek. No wonder. I mean, he might be losing all he has and I'm stunned his taking it so well.

"Wanna talk about it, Robert?"

He still doesn't look at me. "If I do I-I'll fall apart, Lizzie."

I squeeze his hand. "It's ok."

"I feel like. I feel like I'm losing everything. Let's face it, I'm not a nice guy and people usually can't stand me but I don't care. I am good at what I do, though, and that's enough for me. As long as I have Gretel, a scalpel and a few good friends"

He pauses and looks directly in my eyes "I am happy. I don't need anything else in the world. Surgery was my whole life until I was stupid enough to stand to close to a helicopter."

"You're a wonderful surgeon and teacher, you have plenty of other options, Robert. You could be a teacher of once. You'd be a damn good one."

"Me? With my wonderful people skills?" he laughs bitterly.

"Come on, you're funny for once. And look at Carter, he's a damn fine doctor and Benton isn't exactly the most forthcoming teacher. He's a great surgeon and that's enough."

"It's not enough, Lizzie."
"I can't live like that." He quietly starts crying.

I feel awkward because I'm not used to grown men crying, British men are to taught to never show their emotions. And that's true for women at some point, but they're more easily forgiven. The sight of Robert Romano crying like a baby is unusual and devastating.

I hug him and he squeezes me back, burying his face in my hair. Then he stops and sniffs. "That was so melodramatic, Lizzie. Don't even think of telling people."

I smile. "Don't worry, it will be our little secret, Robert."

"I still feel ashamed. Couldn't I just yell or something? Did I really have to cry like a girl?"

"It's ok to let it all out. You needed it."

"I'll go back to sleep before I make a fool of myself again." He says and rolls over.

I listens to his steady breathing and I make a silent promise to be there for him.