Romano don't know what to do.

He could just stay home with the flu.

He loves his dear Lizzie.

She makes him quite dizzie.

But I sure don't own them, do you?

G - This has quite a bit of good Cordano, I think. I think you'll like it.

Chapter 7 - Zombies

Romano staggered into work around 9:15 am. He was late and felt like a walking zombie. Who cares? He had only one thing on his mind. He was too tired to have more than that anyway. When he came in, Frank stared at him for a while, or rather stared at the area where his arm used to be. He had not seen Romano since the operation. He then tried to get Romano's attention to ask him something, but Romano didn't even look at him and headed straight for the lounge.

"Yeah, nice talkin' to ya," responded Frank sarcastically.

Once Romano got into the lounge, he headed straight for the coffee. Thankfully there was some made this time. It was luke warm and tasted like crap, but it would do the trick. He sat down at a table. He planned on staying there as long as he could. He didn't want to deal with anyone or anything right now. He never really did, but especially not today. The only reason he came in today at all was because he wanted to see Elizabeth.

He gulped down the rest of the coffee, grimaced and stood up. He sighed and then opened the door to leave. He hadn't even completely stepped out when:

"Oh, Dr. Romano, good." Frank started. Romano walked behind the desk and went straight to the computer just to check his email. He wanted to go as long as possible without having to talk to people. Frank continued, "You had three messages this morning; all from some girl. She didn't leave her name; just a number."

Frank held out a piece of paper for Romano to take, but he didn't take his eyes off the computer or answer Frank. Frank just looked at him.

"Hello?" snarked Frank.

Romano still didn't look his way and kept his eyes transfixed on the computer screen. However, he did snatch the paper from Frank's hand.

"Thanks, I'll get right on it." snarked Romano right back. At that Frank turned away and Robert crumpled up the paper and threw it behind his shoulder without ever even glancing at it.

Just then he heard her. She had just come out of Exam Room Four.

"He'll need an appendectomy this afternoon. We'll need to book an OR," she stated quite plainly to Lydia. Lydia scrawled something on the chart and walked one way while Elizabeth walked the other. She was walking in his direction. He quickly set his eyes back on the computer screen pretending not to notice her.

She stood next to him, but didn't acknowledge him. She was just writing something down on the papers in front of her. She glanced in his direction, but didn't say anything then continued to write while he continued to type: hunt and peck of course. It seemed to be like this for almost a whole minute.

He finally looked her way and then did a phony double-take as if he had just seen her.

"Lizzie? I didn't know you were there. Didn't realize you'd taken to being shy."

She glared.

"Oh, that reminds me," he continued, "Could I have a word with you?" he asked in his usual professional 'I'm the big man in charge' tone.

"Oh, so you are talking to me?" she spoke in her usual snobby way when she was upset.

"What?" He stopped typing. He really didn't know what she was talking about. Then he remembered she was still referring to yesterday which meant nothing to him. Each day was a new day with Elizabeth in his mind. "Oh, yeah...uh...just a word." He still spoke professionally.

"I really can't right now, Robert, I have a femoral bypass at 10." She was getting back at him.

"Just take a minute." He was still talking professionally. She turned to look at him and saw he had his arm outstretched toward the lounge and had stepped aside slightly to let her go first past him. He wasn't looking at her, though. He was looking at the floor.

She gave in with a small, defeated sigh and they headed toward the lounge. No one was in there thankfully. When they got in, she kept walking all the way to the back of the room. She didn't realize Romano had stopped not far from the door once he got in, because she was talking while she was walking.

"I wasn't joking, Robert. I really do have a bypass at 10, so what is it?" Her voice sounded professional and stressed. She figured he just wanted to tell her about some new system he was going to implement in the ER or something. More work for her to have to do, she was sure. She turned around, but scrunched her forehead once she did. Robert was just standing there looking at the floor. The professional appearance had left. They were standing about 10 feet or so away from each other.

"Robert?" Her voice was slightly lighter.

He still spoke professionally, but it was not as strong. "I...uh...wanted to make you aware that...I have been offered a Chief of Staff position at a hospital in New York."

The crinkle in her forehead faded and her jaw dropped slightly as she stared at him blankly for a moment before replying. "Oh. Well, when did this happen?"

"I had sent in a few resumes a while back after being sent to this little cesspool of hell."

"Oh."

He just stared at her intently. She then continued slowly, choosing her words carefully and trying to stay professional. She couldn't hide the little bit of shakiness in her voice, though.

"Well, that sounds like a wonderful opportunity for you, Robert." He just nodded in reply and then kept staring at her. His intensity was making her nervous, but she continued. "I wish you the best of luck."

There was an awkward pause...well, awkward for her anyway, because Romano never let down his gaze upon her for a second. She just walked towards him to the door to leave. Once she was standing right next to him, he finally spoke.

"Yeah, I haven't taken it, yet."

She looked up at him curiously, "Oh, you haven't?" She made her voice sound surprised, but she really wasn't all that surprised.

He finally looked down. "No, I wanted to...um..." his eyes shot back up again, looking fixedly into hers. This look made her nervous, but she wasn't about to drop her gaze on him, because then he would know he was making her nervous.

Their faces were mere inches from each other. He finally abandoned the professional tone and whispered to her softly. "What do you think I should do?"

She then looked away to form her answer carefully, "Well, uhh...I think...you should do...what you feel is...best for you."

He smiled back at her weakly and just nodded his head. "Yeah, I uh...figured that's what you'd say."

She dropped her shoulders and sighed, "Look, Robert, I don't know what to say." He just nodded again. "I have to get back to work." She finished.

"Yeah, yeah." He wasn't looking at her.

She was just about to open the door when he spoke again. She was getting really anxious and wanted to get out of there as quickly as she could.

"Umm...I haven't told anyone about this and I would appreciate it if it stayed that way," he requested.

"Yes, of course."

Then she left.

He just stood there a while, dejected. He thought about how he wanted her to tell him not to go, which she didn't do. He had told himself if she didn't tell him to stay, he would leave. He realized that he had already known what she was going to say. He loved her so much, though. That was that, then. He knew what he had to do. He'd finalize it this morning.

---------------

Elizabeth left the lounge and somehow got from there to the elevator. She somehow was able to push the elevator button up to the OR. She was even able to get through her femoral bypass, but she was a zombie the whole time. She couldn't help but wonder if she had said the right thing. She didn't know why this was bothering her so much. It just was. She should be thrilled he's finally getting out of her hair. She hated Robert. Oh, she didn't hate Robert. She used to hate Robert...didn't she?

She was covering the ER so she went back down and just sort of stood there up against a wall. If she saw Robert, she'd dash away.

"Oh, Elizabeth, good," declared Susan.

Elizabeth jumped at Susan's voice. "Yes?"

"I have a rule out MI in 2 I need you look at." Susan gave her the chart and they began to walk to Exam Room 2. "He's complaining of some abdominal pain as well as chest pain with a slight murmur."

"Alright."

Susan could tell Elizabeth wasn't really listening. "I also have a chimpanzee in 3 with a Subdural Hematoma."

"Fine."

"Elizabeth?"

"What?"

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, of course, I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Right." Susan drawled. Elizabeth could tell she didn't believe her. Elizabeth didn't respond. There was a long pause before Susan piped up. "You know, you should tell him."

"What are you talking about?"

"Elizabeth?" She was speaking to her like a child who knew better.

"Tell who what?"

Susan sighed deeply. "I know I'm going to kill myself for this in the morning. Tell him you don't want him to go."

Elizabeth and Susan stopped walking. "How did you know about that?"

"Nurses. Don't ask me how they know. It's one of the great mysteries of the world."

"Well, what makes you think I don't want him to go?" Elizabeth asked.

Susan just gave her a look telling her that that was a stupid question.

"Well that's preposterous. I don't care what he does."

"Right." Susan said unconvincingly.

"You're patronizing me."

"Look, Elizabeth, I don't wanna cause trouble. But, am I wrong?"

She couldn't answer and thought for a moment. But then she asked worriedly, "Is it that obvious?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Well, I'm sure he's already made up his mind by now. Anything I say won't make a difference in that thick skull."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that."

Susan then began to walk away and Elizabeth just eyed her suspiciously. "Susan?" Susan turned around. "How did you know I don't want him to go?"

"Easy. You're the only one not celebrating." Susan smiled at her and they both walked in their separate directions.

-----------------

Elizabeth was doing a solo appendectomy. She could have done it with her eyes closed. Her mind didn't need to focus on it, really. She thought about whether she should take Susan's advice or not and if so, what would she say?

"Dr. Corday?" said Shirley.

"Yes?"

"You've been awful quiet."

"Oh, I have a lot on my mind, I'm afraid."

"Right." Shirley nodded with a slight smirk that Elizabeth could hear in her voice. She gave Shirley a quick glare before removing the appendix.

Did everyone know? Elizabeth thought.

Elizabeth realized at that moment that ever since Robert spoke to her this morning, she had thought about nothing else. That was over five hours ago. She figured she should probably just talk to Robert, for her own sanity if nothing else. She closed up and scrubbed out.

--------------

She got into the elevator and pushed the button for the first floor. She started to get butterflies in her stomach. The closer she got down to the first floor, the bigger they got. She didn't even know what she was going to say.

She got off and looked around. He was nowhere to be found. That was ironic, she thought. All the times he was around and she just wanted him to disappear; and now the one time she wants to see him, he can't be found. She considered forgetting it when she spotted him a ways away turning a corner. She froze. She couldn't move all of a sudden. The butterflies were going crazy and the heart rate went up.

"Get control of yourself," she stated quietly to herself. "It's just Robert."

She hurried over to him and walked behind him. "Umm, Robert?"

"Lizzie? Well, what brings you to our little EH?" A nurse stopped Romano to give him a chart to sign. So, of course, Elizabeth stopped, too.

"EH?" asked Elizabeth.

"Emergency Hell."

She gave him the look. The nurse went away and they began to walk again. "Listen, Robert, do you have a minute?"

"Sure." But, he didn't stop walking or even turn around.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Talk."

"Privately."

That made him stop. He looked at her questioningly for a moment. "Okay." He was being pretty casual and not too serious, though. He had given up a long time ago getting his hopes up every time she just wanted to talk to him privately.

They went into the lounge for the second time today. This time, he sat down. But she remained standing. "Now what," she thought. She felt like she was visibly shaking. She hoped he couldn't see it. He didn't appear to.

"Uhh...I was just thinking about what we talked about...this morning. And..." She stopped and looked at her hands. He saw she was shaking. He looked up at her a little worried. "I just wanted to tell you that...I...don't think...you should go. Because-"

Just then the door to the lounge opened and Lydia came through and went directly to the coffee pot. Elizabeth and Robert just stared at her. Lydia picked up the coffee pot and was about to pour when she noticed they weren't talking and were just staring at her. She put the coffee pot back without getting any.

"Excuse me," she said awkwardly. And then she walked out and closed the door behind her.

Romano then turned his attention back to Elizabeth. It took her a while to gain her strength back to speak again. "Well...um...whether they know it or not, you are a very valuable asset to this...hospital. You do very good work and it would be very...bad...if we...er...they should...lose you." She stopped, breathed out loudly and looked up from her hands to the wall. She wanted to look anywhere, but at him. She had thought she would feel better after getting that out, but she didn't. The butterflies were stronger than ever.

He saw she was still shaking. He just stared at her with his mouth open trying to think of what to say. The silence was excruciating.

"Is that it?" he asked.

She looked at him for the first time, but then turned away again quickly, "Yes." Her voice cracked, so she cleared her throat. "Yes...that's...that's all."

He nodded then spoke to her very seriously. "Well, I hate to have made your statement null and void, but I'm afraid you're too late."

She looked at him now without turning away. "Oh."

He saw her disappointment and this made his heart race. "I had already called them this morning and explained to them I...wouldn't be able to accept their offer."

Her mouth dropped, but then she closed it and looked at him quizzically. "You did? Why?"

Now he looked down at the table. His heart was still racing. "Well, I told him that, as crazy as it may seem, there was just..." He chose his words carefully. "...one too many things here I would actually miss."

She gave him that look again that showed him he couldn't fool her and she smiled. "One too many?" She knew what he meant. He just nodded again.

Her butterflies had left, so she felt she could go, too. She turned and was about to open the door when:

"Elizabeth?"

She turned around. "Yes?"

"If I hadn't already made up my mind to stay...I would have now."

She smiled at him again. "I know." She walked out the door. Robert stared at her back as she left. He was in love with her more today than he had been yesterday...if that was even possible.