Hi everyone. Sorry I haven't updated for a long time but I have been dealing with some very bad personal issues from the begining of this year, which have only just been resolved. Anyway hope you continue to enjoy the story and I will update more often from now on.

Thanks for the feedback.

Love Alison. xx

Someone to confide in

Mark slowly reached over and grasped the phone.

"Hello."

"Can I speak to Doctor Mark Sloan please?" Asked the woman at the other end of the phone.

"Speaking."

"Good morning, I calling about your son, we spoke previously a couple of days ago."

"Oh yes I remember. Hows Steve doing?" Mark asked quickly. At the sound of Steve's name both Kathryn and Carol looked around towards the phone.

"He's doing fine. I have good news and bad news for you." The woman at the other spoke and Mark could sense the smile in her voice as she spoke. "His temperature is down to about 99.5 oC which isn't great but it's manageable. The hallucations and fitting has stopped, but as you know we do not have the facillities to remove the bullet. Thats the bad news. The good news is that we will continue to monitor his condition though out the day and if the doctor is satisfied with his progress, we will be able to airlift him to Community General at around 7:30pm EST."

Mark felt tears fill his eyes as he sagged against the unit. Kathryn ran over to him.

"Mark is Steve Ok? Nothings happened has it? Mark please tell me!" Kathryn pleaded as she stared intently at Mark.

Mark spoke to the woman on the phone.

"Can you please hold on a moment."

"Sure, take all the time you need to talk to your wife. She must be very concerned about her son."

"Thank you." He said and held his right hand over the mouthpiece.

"Nothings happened, Steve's improving very well. They will continue to monitor his progress over the next few hours and if his conditon continues to improve they will be airlifting him to community general at about 7:30pm EST." Mark smiled as he saw his wife's face light up.

"You mean he's really coming home?" Kathryn asked quietly, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Yes he's really coming home!"Mark felt like the smile on his face would spilt him in two. He kissed his wife lightly on the lips. "He's really coming hom now honey."

As Mark carried on talking to the woman on the phone, Kathryn took a seat beside him. Neither of them notice carol slipping outside to the balcony and stood there staring out to sea. She knew that she should be happy about Steve coming home, but there was something inside of her that was eating away at her. She could feel the anger rising again. What would happen when Steve got home, would he be invalided out of the service or would he get better and put there family through hell once again. Carol was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed Tom come up beside her.

"Any news on Steve?" Tom asked tentively and was shocked when Carol seemed to jump a mile.

"Hey easy. I didn't mean to scare you. Has anything happened?"

"Ummm yes ..............no.............he." Carol stuttered trying hard to regain some composure. She took some deep breaths. But before she could speak any further Kathryn came out of the door.

"Thats where you got to. We were worried about you. Oh hello Tom, did Carol tell you about Steve?"

"No mom, I was just about to."Carol replied.

"What about Steve? Has something happened?" Tom rapidly fired questions at Kathryn.

"Calm down honey." She rested her hands on Tom's shoulders while he took a couple of deep breaths. When she judged he was calm she spoke to him.

"We recieved a phone call a couple of minutes ago saying that they had stablized him and they are now preparing him for the flight home."

"Really? When?" Tom was litterally bouncing around on the deck of the beach house. Carol burst out laughing at the spectical.

"They are bringing him in by helicopter which will land at Community general at half past seven tonight." Kathryn said laughing along with Carol.

"Oh thank god." Tom sighed thankfully. "Do you think that Steve will go back into the army when he's better?"

Carol's heart dropped as a look of dread flickered across her mothers face.

"I don't know honey. We'll just and wait and see what Steve decides, once he's better. Anyway who wants breakfast? Tom will you be staying?"

"Yes, if it's not to much trouble Mrs Sloan?" Tom replied flashing what he hoped was his best smile.

"No, no trouble at all. I'll call you both when its ready." Kathryn replied walking to the beach house, once he was inside Tom looked at Carol.

"Ok, what gives?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Carol looked at Tom and then out into the ocean. She could feel tears of anger well up in her eyes. Her feelings were all over the place. She was angry at Steve for causing thier family such pain. She knew it was for the good of the country and it would benifit them all in the end, all though at the moment she couldn't see how. Surely she didn't hate Steve for what he had done, did she.

"Carol you've been acting strange since I got here and I saw the look on your face when I asked if Steve was going back into the army. Whats wrong? Weve known each other for years now surely you can tell me." Tom said moving next to her to lean on the rail.

Ok its now or never Carol thought. She looked at Tom and decided that she could trust him. She really did need to confide in someone.

"Ok. I think..............." Carol took a deep breath. "I Think ................. I think I hate steve."

TBC