Title – Cold Outside
Rating – PG
Spoliers - Some for 'Freefall' but only slight ones in future chapters for UK viewers.
Summary - My version of 'Freefall', Cordano stylee! Elizabeth is asleep in the Surgical Lounge when the Chopper comes down. Can she come to terms with her own experience while trying to save the life of a loved one?
Authors Note - After watching 'Freefall' again last night I was struck by an idea for Elizabeth's last goodbye to Romano and started writing it. Halfway through however, I changed my mind and began writing something slightly different. It's the same concept, I just added this chapter at the beginning of the story! Enjoy!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Outside of the quite shelter of the private room Elizabeth found herself facing a nightmare situation. All around her people were running and shouting, searching desperately for people who weren't there. The expression on the face of every person she knew was one of shock, disbelief and anger. No one seemed quite sure what was going on, no one seemed to want to know. They all continued to move, the Staff almost robotically, occasionally breaking to yell more instructions to others. Remembering why she was there Elizabeth made her way over to the desk wanting more than anything to hear Frank's own sarcastic brand of humour. It wasn't there. Elizabeth stood silently waiting for the crash of the doors, signalling that she was needed. That people still needed any help she could give them. When it came she was not expecting it.
"Male. Late 30's, early 40's. Outside when the Chopper came down. Minor burns but some blood loss from an open wound on his stomach" She heard a paramedic yell as they crashes chaotically into the silence. Almost without thinking Elizabeth rushed towards him, reeling off the words she knew all to well.
"What are his vitals? How much blood has he lost?" Elizabeth continued like that. Saying the words but never really listening to the answers. She was too preoccupied with keeping the image of Dorsett's burnt face from her mind. She still didn't know where he was, or how he was. Or even if he was anymore. Deep down she knew it was unlikely that he'd survived but she clung to the hope that she's saved him. That she'd gotten to him on time. Running with the assorted paramedics, doctors and nurses into Trauma 1 Elizabeth finally looked down at the patient and before she knew what was happening her legs simply stopped functioning and she began to fall to the floor, the tears suppressed from earlier now a constant source. As she felt Abby's arms around her shoulders she gasped,
"It's Robert. It's Robert" before her tears came again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Dr Corday I don't think it's a good idea"
"I'm sorry Kerry but you don't have any choice" Noticing the questioning look on the doctors face Elizabeth continued, "I'm the only surgeon within reach right now. Dr Dorsett is ..." she felt her breath catch in her throat, she couldn't bring herself to say it, not yet, "... indisposed. Most of the other surgeons are either being treated themselves or working on another patient somewhere. If you want him to live then you're stuck with me" Elizabeth felt Dr Weaver step aside and she took that as her cue to move forwards. Trying desperately to pretend that this was any other patient she barked her orders out, "OK Robert, I know you probably hate this but you're just going to have to accept that you need out help OK?" Elizabeth didn't even know why she was talking to him, he was unconscious, couldn't even hear her. But she knew somewhere that she needed to. For herself more than anyone else
"Elizabeth?" she heard someone mutter.
"It's alright Robert. I'm going to get you through this OK?" Taking a deep breath she moved her focus away from his face and continued, "I need an amp of epi and 2 litres O-neg, there's no time for type specific. And I need a room cleared for surgery, he's going to need it"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sitting by his bed in the dark Elizabeth felt herself draw towards him. His eyes were still clamped shut, the sedation wouldn't wear off for another hour but Elizabeth felt sure he was dreaming, hopefully about something nice, something as far away from reality as he could possibly get. Elizabeth wasn't sure how much of the accident he remembered, whether it was all blank, or whether he could still feel the fear grip his heart as he saw what was happening ... she didn't want to think about it. But she knew when he woke up he would ask questions, Robert always asked questions. But she wasn't sure if she wanted to be the one to give the answers.
Unsure of how to behave in the private room, one usually reserved for relatives, Elizabeth shifted her weight in the hard plastic chair and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the crisp white sheets. Just as she felt her eyelids begin to drop she hard the door slowly creak open,
"Dr Corday? Sorry to disturb you but your nanny just called"
Elizabeth almost leapt out of her seat. Ella. She'd completely forgotten Ella. Standing and turning sharply towards the nurse she opened her mouth to speak but was silenced before she had the chance,
"It's OK. I explained everything to her. She says she'll keep an eye on Ella tonight and bring her in to you tomorrow. You've got the day off"
Elizabeth didn't have the energy to protest, or even to ask who was covering her shift for the next day. She simply sank back into her chair and without realising took his hand in her own, gently stroking it as she laid her head down by his side. Finally resting.
Rating – PG
Spoliers - Some for 'Freefall' but only slight ones in future chapters for UK viewers.
Summary - My version of 'Freefall', Cordano stylee! Elizabeth is asleep in the Surgical Lounge when the Chopper comes down. Can she come to terms with her own experience while trying to save the life of a loved one?
Authors Note - After watching 'Freefall' again last night I was struck by an idea for Elizabeth's last goodbye to Romano and started writing it. Halfway through however, I changed my mind and began writing something slightly different. It's the same concept, I just added this chapter at the beginning of the story! Enjoy!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Outside of the quite shelter of the private room Elizabeth found herself facing a nightmare situation. All around her people were running and shouting, searching desperately for people who weren't there. The expression on the face of every person she knew was one of shock, disbelief and anger. No one seemed quite sure what was going on, no one seemed to want to know. They all continued to move, the Staff almost robotically, occasionally breaking to yell more instructions to others. Remembering why she was there Elizabeth made her way over to the desk wanting more than anything to hear Frank's own sarcastic brand of humour. It wasn't there. Elizabeth stood silently waiting for the crash of the doors, signalling that she was needed. That people still needed any help she could give them. When it came she was not expecting it.
"Male. Late 30's, early 40's. Outside when the Chopper came down. Minor burns but some blood loss from an open wound on his stomach" She heard a paramedic yell as they crashes chaotically into the silence. Almost without thinking Elizabeth rushed towards him, reeling off the words she knew all to well.
"What are his vitals? How much blood has he lost?" Elizabeth continued like that. Saying the words but never really listening to the answers. She was too preoccupied with keeping the image of Dorsett's burnt face from her mind. She still didn't know where he was, or how he was. Or even if he was anymore. Deep down she knew it was unlikely that he'd survived but she clung to the hope that she's saved him. That she'd gotten to him on time. Running with the assorted paramedics, doctors and nurses into Trauma 1 Elizabeth finally looked down at the patient and before she knew what was happening her legs simply stopped functioning and she began to fall to the floor, the tears suppressed from earlier now a constant source. As she felt Abby's arms around her shoulders she gasped,
"It's Robert. It's Robert" before her tears came again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Dr Corday I don't think it's a good idea"
"I'm sorry Kerry but you don't have any choice" Noticing the questioning look on the doctors face Elizabeth continued, "I'm the only surgeon within reach right now. Dr Dorsett is ..." she felt her breath catch in her throat, she couldn't bring herself to say it, not yet, "... indisposed. Most of the other surgeons are either being treated themselves or working on another patient somewhere. If you want him to live then you're stuck with me" Elizabeth felt Dr Weaver step aside and she took that as her cue to move forwards. Trying desperately to pretend that this was any other patient she barked her orders out, "OK Robert, I know you probably hate this but you're just going to have to accept that you need out help OK?" Elizabeth didn't even know why she was talking to him, he was unconscious, couldn't even hear her. But she knew somewhere that she needed to. For herself more than anyone else
"Elizabeth?" she heard someone mutter.
"It's alright Robert. I'm going to get you through this OK?" Taking a deep breath she moved her focus away from his face and continued, "I need an amp of epi and 2 litres O-neg, there's no time for type specific. And I need a room cleared for surgery, he's going to need it"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sitting by his bed in the dark Elizabeth felt herself draw towards him. His eyes were still clamped shut, the sedation wouldn't wear off for another hour but Elizabeth felt sure he was dreaming, hopefully about something nice, something as far away from reality as he could possibly get. Elizabeth wasn't sure how much of the accident he remembered, whether it was all blank, or whether he could still feel the fear grip his heart as he saw what was happening ... she didn't want to think about it. But she knew when he woke up he would ask questions, Robert always asked questions. But she wasn't sure if she wanted to be the one to give the answers.
Unsure of how to behave in the private room, one usually reserved for relatives, Elizabeth shifted her weight in the hard plastic chair and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the crisp white sheets. Just as she felt her eyelids begin to drop she hard the door slowly creak open,
"Dr Corday? Sorry to disturb you but your nanny just called"
Elizabeth almost leapt out of her seat. Ella. She'd completely forgotten Ella. Standing and turning sharply towards the nurse she opened her mouth to speak but was silenced before she had the chance,
"It's OK. I explained everything to her. She says she'll keep an eye on Ella tonight and bring her in to you tomorrow. You've got the day off"
Elizabeth didn't have the energy to protest, or even to ask who was covering her shift for the next day. She simply sank back into her chair and without realising took his hand in her own, gently stroking it as she laid her head down by his side. Finally resting.