You're all going to hate me… mwa ha ha [evil laugh].
Robert heard Elizabeth's car pull up his drive and ran down his stairs, opening the front door in a sweep. Elizabeth stepped out of the car,
"Hey you." She said and yawned. Robert had made his way down his front steps to her.
"Take the day off." He opened the passenger door and lifted Ella from her seat.
"I wouldn't be so tired if you didn't insist on talking until ungodly hours at night. Some of us have places to be before midday." She yawned again. "Anyway, if you were chief of staff you wouldn't let me just take the day off. It wasn't that long ago, I remember."
"How long till you forget?" he asked, kissing her cheekily.
"I'm trying." She ducked back into the car. "I'd better go."
"Okay, but one won't do." He leaned in through the open window to kiss her again. She kissed him back with a fervour that would always surprise him.
"Don't drop my daughter." She teased pulling away. "I should be finished by 3. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Chris is back - I hope this is okay, I told her to pick Ella up from here at 2 so we can…"
"I'll pick you up at three." He grinned.
"Okay. See you then." She smiled at him and drove away.
"Can you clean up?" Elizabeth asked one of the nurses as she backed through the double doors to scrub out. Dorsett followed her. I don't want to talk to him, she thought, in fact I need to go or Robert will be waiting and knowing his luck he'll bump into Kerry or Anspaugh or… she tried to think of someone worse.
"So, Lizzie, how you been?" Dorsett asked, using the name she could only take from Robert. It was an unspoken rule but she almost spoke it then. She had no patience for this man.
"Fine thanks. Yourself?" she kept her eyes on her hands, scrubbing hurriedly.
"Not so bad. So, I was wondering when you'd change your mind and let me take you out."
"Slow learner huh?"
"No, I like a challenge."
"Oh," she turned to him undaunted by his arrogance, hell, after Robert… she could handle it.
"Are the rumours true?" he asked when he realised he wasn't getting very far.
"Well, as rumours go, I'd say probably not, let me guess - the wedding is next Saturday."
"Slow down Liz - one thing at a time, I'll bed you then I'll wed you." He kissed her and waited a moment for her to respond. When she tried to pull away he just forced the kiss. The more she struggled the more he pushed himself against her.
Robert changed his wrinkled shirt for a clean one, leaving it open at the collar. After the fiasco trying to do the buttons he no longer bothered with a tie. Ella had gone, leaving his house too quiet. He needed them there. Was it too soon to ask? Of course it was, you haven't even slept together yet, she's hardly going to want to move in. He looked in the mirror and picked up his wallet and keys on his way out. Contentedly he strolled down to the el station. The train wasn't far away but his anticipation to see her, to be alone with her, made any wait an awful trial on his patience. Nonetheless, before long he stepped into the hospital, and avoiding staff, made his way to surgery.
"Where's Corday?" he asked a nurse.
"Just scrubbing out of 4 I think." She replied. He kept walking - 4 was at the end of the corridor on the right. He turned the corner and immediately a couple that had been kissing, amongst other things and unfortunately had found the door instead of a wall to lean against and… Lizzie? What? She saw him as she struggled to stand. He turned and fled, letting the Elevator doors close as she yelled his name.
"Oh, so the rumours are true." Dorset said, putting his hands on her shoulders, "what a shame, you could do so much better."
That was it; she slapped him. "Go to hell Eddie." She pushed through to the fire exit and ran down the stairs, desperately trying to reach the ground floor before Robert did. But, Murphy's Law, she tripped, knocking her head ungraciously on the concrete wall. The world spun as she tried to get up and keep running but she knew it would only get worse and she'd never catch him now. These lifts were made for emergencies. She went through the next doors and pressed the lift button. Her head was protesting an emergency. A nurse scrambled to her and made her lie down, fussing ridiculously.
"I just want to go home." She protested weakly obeying.
Robert opened his front door and slammed is shut after him. He couldn't believe it. What the hell had he been thinking? He hadn't been thinking - that was it. Dorsett had two arms and hair, amongst other things. He had nothing to offer her - well, except himself and obviously that wasn't enough because he had offered her everything. Was she really in so desperate need of a babysitter? No, he knew that wasn't all he was. But what the hell was he if she could…? Maybe she just didn't know what she wanted, maybe it was a heat of the moment thing - but she hadn't even had a 'heat of the moment' thing with him… these thoughts aren't helping anything. He headed to the kitchen and poured himself a drink. It stung the back of his throat but he ignored it and poured another one.
Elizabeth climbed into bed and held a lukewarm icepack to her forehead.
"Oh shit." She said aloud, surprising herself with the sound of her voice in the silent house. She threw the icepack onto the floor and pulled the covers over her trying to disappear from worry into sleep.
Chris picked Ella up at noon the next day so Elizabeth fussed around the house, tidying and doing small tasks that never seemed to get done until she had to leave for work at 2. Safe in her office she mulled over an ever-increasing pile of paperwork. She couldn't stop thinking that she should call Robert. But she didn't want to explain over the phone - she had a feeling he wouldn't let her. She wanted to see him. She actually missed him. She rubbed her head and stretched her neck and signed the bottom of a form. Someone knocked at the door.
"Come in," she said automatically.
"Elizabeth, did Robert tell you that I needed to see you yesterday?" Kerry asked, letting herself in.
"No, he didn't. What can I do for you?"
"Well, I was thinking Robert might be away for a while and, well I know the ER better than anyone, but I have enough on my hands, so would you consider taking chief of surgery - just temporarily, until Roberts back, and then we'll see what happens after that." She said all to quickly.
"Um, I'll have to think about it. And I doubt Robert will be able to stay away much longer - he's addicted to this place."
"Yeah, I noticed he'd been in here a lot recently." Kerry suggested, obviously begging for gossip
"Uhuh." Elizabeth nodded, looking back to her desk, with no idea what she was looking at but hoping Kerry would take the hint and leave.
"Well, I hope you two are very happy." She said in that annoyingly charitable voice that's begging to be thanked.
"Is there anything else?" Elizabeth looked up at her.
"No, but I need to know if you'll take surgery soon."
"Sure." Elizabeth looked back down at her work waiting for Kerry to leave. She took the hint and walked out. Once the door was closed Elizabeth looked up and leaned back on her chair, blinking back the tears. She rubbed her head again and found her eyes constantly drifting to the phone. Just call him. Just check he's okay. See if he's home. Take the day sick - you shouldn't be here anyway, minor concussion and all. You need to talk to him.
"I'll just finish my paperwork and then I'll call him. If he's home then I'll go see him." - but if you stay here and you get paged I'll be late tonight before you can see him, and everything is worse at night. And it's not as if you can really concentrate on any of this anyway.
"Okay." She picked up the phone and dialled wondering if the pain in her head was really from the concussion or just from her panicky mental arguments.
"Yeah?" Robert answered the phone.
"Hi." She said, unsure what else to say. "Um, are you okay?"
"Yup," he said, it sounded like he was going to say something else but he didn't.
"Okay. Can I see you?"
"Probably not the best idea Elizabeth." He said coldly.
"Oh. Will you just listen to me then?"
She could hear him breath in and out. He didn't say anything.
"Please." She said, her voice almost breaking.
"Okay." He said softly. She hardly heard him.
"I was trying to push him away, I swear it."
He hung up. He couldn't take it. He wanted to believe her. But he was scared that if he did and she was lying then - he didn't even want to think about it. He rested his head on the cool leather armrest of his sofa. He wanted to sleep - to escape awful reality.
Elizabeth slammed the phone down and picking her bag up left her office.
"I need to go home." She told the receptionist, who assumed she still wasn't well,
"Okay, see you tomorrow Corday."
Elizabeth escaped the hospital and caught a cab to Robert's. Her head was thumping as hard and fast as her heart when she stood outside his door. She hadn't knocked. Her whole body felt to heavy to move.
Robert had heard the taxi come and go. He knew she was there. Somehow he just knew. He was waiting for the knock at the door but it didn't come. Curious he went and opened it. Elizabeth looked surprised when she looked at him, then let her eyes drop to the doorstep. She rubbed her head, obviously in pain. She's not the only one, he thought.
"Come in." he said coldly and stepped backward. She stepped inside wanting him to take her in his arms and understand everything. She didn't want to have to explain. She really didn't have the energy and her head was throbbing so loud that it invaded all her senses.
"Look, Elizabeth, lets get this over with. Thanks for all your help these past couple of weeks. I'm sorry I assumed… yeah. You don't need to explain anything to me."
Robert heard Elizabeth's car pull up his drive and ran down his stairs, opening the front door in a sweep. Elizabeth stepped out of the car,
"Hey you." She said and yawned. Robert had made his way down his front steps to her.
"Take the day off." He opened the passenger door and lifted Ella from her seat.
"I wouldn't be so tired if you didn't insist on talking until ungodly hours at night. Some of us have places to be before midday." She yawned again. "Anyway, if you were chief of staff you wouldn't let me just take the day off. It wasn't that long ago, I remember."
"How long till you forget?" he asked, kissing her cheekily.
"I'm trying." She ducked back into the car. "I'd better go."
"Okay, but one won't do." He leaned in through the open window to kiss her again. She kissed him back with a fervour that would always surprise him.
"Don't drop my daughter." She teased pulling away. "I should be finished by 3. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Chris is back - I hope this is okay, I told her to pick Ella up from here at 2 so we can…"
"I'll pick you up at three." He grinned.
"Okay. See you then." She smiled at him and drove away.
"Can you clean up?" Elizabeth asked one of the nurses as she backed through the double doors to scrub out. Dorsett followed her. I don't want to talk to him, she thought, in fact I need to go or Robert will be waiting and knowing his luck he'll bump into Kerry or Anspaugh or… she tried to think of someone worse.
"So, Lizzie, how you been?" Dorsett asked, using the name she could only take from Robert. It was an unspoken rule but she almost spoke it then. She had no patience for this man.
"Fine thanks. Yourself?" she kept her eyes on her hands, scrubbing hurriedly.
"Not so bad. So, I was wondering when you'd change your mind and let me take you out."
"Slow learner huh?"
"No, I like a challenge."
"Oh," she turned to him undaunted by his arrogance, hell, after Robert… she could handle it.
"Are the rumours true?" he asked when he realised he wasn't getting very far.
"Well, as rumours go, I'd say probably not, let me guess - the wedding is next Saturday."
"Slow down Liz - one thing at a time, I'll bed you then I'll wed you." He kissed her and waited a moment for her to respond. When she tried to pull away he just forced the kiss. The more she struggled the more he pushed himself against her.
Robert changed his wrinkled shirt for a clean one, leaving it open at the collar. After the fiasco trying to do the buttons he no longer bothered with a tie. Ella had gone, leaving his house too quiet. He needed them there. Was it too soon to ask? Of course it was, you haven't even slept together yet, she's hardly going to want to move in. He looked in the mirror and picked up his wallet and keys on his way out. Contentedly he strolled down to the el station. The train wasn't far away but his anticipation to see her, to be alone with her, made any wait an awful trial on his patience. Nonetheless, before long he stepped into the hospital, and avoiding staff, made his way to surgery.
"Where's Corday?" he asked a nurse.
"Just scrubbing out of 4 I think." She replied. He kept walking - 4 was at the end of the corridor on the right. He turned the corner and immediately a couple that had been kissing, amongst other things and unfortunately had found the door instead of a wall to lean against and… Lizzie? What? She saw him as she struggled to stand. He turned and fled, letting the Elevator doors close as she yelled his name.
"Oh, so the rumours are true." Dorset said, putting his hands on her shoulders, "what a shame, you could do so much better."
That was it; she slapped him. "Go to hell Eddie." She pushed through to the fire exit and ran down the stairs, desperately trying to reach the ground floor before Robert did. But, Murphy's Law, she tripped, knocking her head ungraciously on the concrete wall. The world spun as she tried to get up and keep running but she knew it would only get worse and she'd never catch him now. These lifts were made for emergencies. She went through the next doors and pressed the lift button. Her head was protesting an emergency. A nurse scrambled to her and made her lie down, fussing ridiculously.
"I just want to go home." She protested weakly obeying.
Robert opened his front door and slammed is shut after him. He couldn't believe it. What the hell had he been thinking? He hadn't been thinking - that was it. Dorsett had two arms and hair, amongst other things. He had nothing to offer her - well, except himself and obviously that wasn't enough because he had offered her everything. Was she really in so desperate need of a babysitter? No, he knew that wasn't all he was. But what the hell was he if she could…? Maybe she just didn't know what she wanted, maybe it was a heat of the moment thing - but she hadn't even had a 'heat of the moment' thing with him… these thoughts aren't helping anything. He headed to the kitchen and poured himself a drink. It stung the back of his throat but he ignored it and poured another one.
Elizabeth climbed into bed and held a lukewarm icepack to her forehead.
"Oh shit." She said aloud, surprising herself with the sound of her voice in the silent house. She threw the icepack onto the floor and pulled the covers over her trying to disappear from worry into sleep.
Chris picked Ella up at noon the next day so Elizabeth fussed around the house, tidying and doing small tasks that never seemed to get done until she had to leave for work at 2. Safe in her office she mulled over an ever-increasing pile of paperwork. She couldn't stop thinking that she should call Robert. But she didn't want to explain over the phone - she had a feeling he wouldn't let her. She wanted to see him. She actually missed him. She rubbed her head and stretched her neck and signed the bottom of a form. Someone knocked at the door.
"Come in," she said automatically.
"Elizabeth, did Robert tell you that I needed to see you yesterday?" Kerry asked, letting herself in.
"No, he didn't. What can I do for you?"
"Well, I was thinking Robert might be away for a while and, well I know the ER better than anyone, but I have enough on my hands, so would you consider taking chief of surgery - just temporarily, until Roberts back, and then we'll see what happens after that." She said all to quickly.
"Um, I'll have to think about it. And I doubt Robert will be able to stay away much longer - he's addicted to this place."
"Yeah, I noticed he'd been in here a lot recently." Kerry suggested, obviously begging for gossip
"Uhuh." Elizabeth nodded, looking back to her desk, with no idea what she was looking at but hoping Kerry would take the hint and leave.
"Well, I hope you two are very happy." She said in that annoyingly charitable voice that's begging to be thanked.
"Is there anything else?" Elizabeth looked up at her.
"No, but I need to know if you'll take surgery soon."
"Sure." Elizabeth looked back down at her work waiting for Kerry to leave. She took the hint and walked out. Once the door was closed Elizabeth looked up and leaned back on her chair, blinking back the tears. She rubbed her head again and found her eyes constantly drifting to the phone. Just call him. Just check he's okay. See if he's home. Take the day sick - you shouldn't be here anyway, minor concussion and all. You need to talk to him.
"I'll just finish my paperwork and then I'll call him. If he's home then I'll go see him." - but if you stay here and you get paged I'll be late tonight before you can see him, and everything is worse at night. And it's not as if you can really concentrate on any of this anyway.
"Okay." She picked up the phone and dialled wondering if the pain in her head was really from the concussion or just from her panicky mental arguments.
"Yeah?" Robert answered the phone.
"Hi." She said, unsure what else to say. "Um, are you okay?"
"Yup," he said, it sounded like he was going to say something else but he didn't.
"Okay. Can I see you?"
"Probably not the best idea Elizabeth." He said coldly.
"Oh. Will you just listen to me then?"
She could hear him breath in and out. He didn't say anything.
"Please." She said, her voice almost breaking.
"Okay." He said softly. She hardly heard him.
"I was trying to push him away, I swear it."
He hung up. He couldn't take it. He wanted to believe her. But he was scared that if he did and she was lying then - he didn't even want to think about it. He rested his head on the cool leather armrest of his sofa. He wanted to sleep - to escape awful reality.
Elizabeth slammed the phone down and picking her bag up left her office.
"I need to go home." She told the receptionist, who assumed she still wasn't well,
"Okay, see you tomorrow Corday."
Elizabeth escaped the hospital and caught a cab to Robert's. Her head was thumping as hard and fast as her heart when she stood outside his door. She hadn't knocked. Her whole body felt to heavy to move.
Robert had heard the taxi come and go. He knew she was there. Somehow he just knew. He was waiting for the knock at the door but it didn't come. Curious he went and opened it. Elizabeth looked surprised when she looked at him, then let her eyes drop to the doorstep. She rubbed her head, obviously in pain. She's not the only one, he thought.
"Come in." he said coldly and stepped backward. She stepped inside wanting him to take her in his arms and understand everything. She didn't want to have to explain. She really didn't have the energy and her head was throbbing so loud that it invaded all her senses.
"Look, Elizabeth, lets get this over with. Thanks for all your help these past couple of weeks. I'm sorry I assumed… yeah. You don't need to explain anything to me."