Chapter Two: No-one must know
Mark meandered into the ER praying no-one knew what today was. Normally he wouldn't mind people remembering his birthday, but today he just didn't feel like it. It had been slow in the ER, but today it seemed rather busy.
Perfect, everyone will be so busy with patients they'll certainly forget what today is. Mark though quietly to himself.
However, one person hadn't forgotten. Susan came bounding up to Mark with a huge grin on her face.
"Hey Mark. Enjoying the day?" Susan enquired
"No. No-one must know it's my birthday. I just can't face all the happy birthday crap. The bald jokes and the 'oh you're getting old now Mark' jibes."
"Oh." Susan hid the gift she had bought him behind her back. Maybe she would approach him later.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to take it out on you. It's just Jen phoned me and was so indignant and rude. But I'm not going to bother you with my troubles" Mark sighed
"Hey, fancy a drink tonight? What time are you off? You can celebrate your birthday the way you want too. Whether it to be getting blind drunk with your best friend or just pouring your heart out to her, while she listens with quiet contemplation" Susan wanted Mark to know she was there for him.
"How about a bit of both. I'll get drunk while I pour my heart out to you and whinge a bit?" Mark began to smile.
"Ok. Sounds like a plan. I finish at 9. That gives us a few hours. I'm not on til 12 the next day." Susan said
"Me too. Same shift rotation I guess. Thanks Susan. So we'll leave here and go bar crawling?" said Mark
"Yup. Anyway, things to do patients to see." Susan went and grabbed another chart.
"Oh and Susan, no-one must know, ok?" Mark whispered.
"Sure no problem" She smiled as she headed to exam 1.
How does she do that? She can cheer me up when no-one else can. Hmmmm. Wish she hadn't hidden that gift though. I must have made her feel really bad. Wonder what it was. Hope I find out later.
"MARK!" Kerry screeched. "Less day dreaming more patient seeing!"
"Sorry Kerry. I'm on it" Mark shouted across the ER.
The first chart Mark picked up was such a dull case. Might give him a bit of pleasure though. He always thought it was quite funny when big tough guys came in crying like small children.
His patient was a Hells Angel travelling through with the rest of his motorbike clan. He'd come off his bike rolling up to a bar and dislocated his shoulder.
"Malik, come give me a hand." Mark commanded
"Sure Dr Greene, what we got?" Malik asked
"Dislocated shoulder of a Hells Angel." Mark answered.
"Ooh fun!" was the answer Malik came back with.
"Hello, Mr?" said Mark
"Its Charlie. Big Charlie." replied the big fat guy sat on the bed.
"Ok Charlie. You have a dislocated shoulder. We're going to pull on your arm in order to put it back in." Mark was slightly smug, as he said it.
Tears came to the eyes of Charlie. Marks theory was right. Even the toughest of guys could be reduced to quivering wrecks given a bit of pain.
Mark and Malik began to put the shoulder back into place, when the Hells Angel passed out.
"Hmmm this'll make it easier. We'll just do it while he passed out." Mark said
"Ok. Doctors decision." Malik grinned
"One two three... and there we go" Mark was pleased that was done with. "Get him to come round and then give him some pain relief. Any problems give me a shout"
"Ok Dr Greene" Malik answered back.
Mark looked at his watch, it was 6pm just three more hours here and he'd be out having fun with his best friend. He really appreciated Susan wanting to spend time with him, even though his mood resembled that of someone with a bug up their ass.
His bug was Jen. He'd hoped for an amicable divorce, but it obviously wasn't to be. Mark thought about Rachel, how she'd probably be passed from nanny to nanny whilst Jen was on her career adventure. He'd have her whenever he could and make the journey when Kerry allowed him time off. Chance'll be a fine thing Mark thought.
Just as he was turning his thoughts back to patients, a gurney came crashing into the ER with the voice of Malik yelling
"Doctor Greene GSW to the chest and lower abdomen. Pulse 68, BP 100 over 60."
"Trauma 1" Mark called back. Finally something that might make the time go a little quicker.
"1,2,3 lift" A small packet falls on the floor.
"Someone pick that up and give it to the cops. Tell security to be extra cautious, someone may be looking for that" Mark commanded.
"Looks like coke" Haleh called.
"I don't care what is it just hand it to them" Mark yelled
"Pulse is dropping 56" Malik called
"Ok, administer atropine now. And call the OR think sounds like this guys has a bi-lateral hemothorax."
"Gallant! What's this caused by?" Mark asked
"Um, blood leaking from heart or rupture in inner membrane of lungs causing the outer layer or pleura to fill with blood" Gallant answered back
"Correct! Jesus this guy has more fluid than lake Michigan, gonna have to intubate him, breath sounds are not great"
"Pulse back to 68bpm stable for 1 minute" Malik told Dr Greene
"Ok load the drug box lets get this guy to the OR, Ol' Rocket can deal with him now"
"Lucky guy" Malik said
"Yeah not if he lives and the cops get hold of his. That much coke carries a hefty sentence" Mark said as his flipped off his gloves
"Ah" Mark thought. "Ten to nine, ten minutes left."
"Hey grab your stuff we're outta here!" Susan called from across the ER.
"Ah not so fast we have 10 minutes yet. Anything can happen in the next 10 minutes" Mark playfully mimicked Kerry's voice
"Nope, I asked the all powerful one if we could knock off now and she said, surprisingly, yes" Susan was grinning as she said it. "So come on, get your glad rags on, well just take your coat off and we'll get going for some serious drinking. Oh and I bought you this"
Mark slowly and cautiously unwrapped the package, not quite sure what he was going to find, after all he knew Susan's sense of humour.
"Hmmm coasters. Thanks Susan" Mark was a little taken a back
"No, look inside, I put them in a boring box to deceive you" Susan answered
Mark opened the box and inside was a set of coasters, not boring flowery ones, but with pictures of Mark on, detailing the change in his ER life. The last two were particularly special. One was of him and Susan laughing after they had put a cast on Carters leg. The other was of all the old team, the way it used to be; Doug, Carol, Carter, Susan, Mark, Peter Benton, all with big grins on their faces. Even Kerry and Romano were smiling. It was taken during the party they had to celebrate Carter finishing med school. They threw a theme party, it was a great night, and also happened to fall on Marks birthday. Kind of a double celebration.
A huge grin spread across Marks face. He really loved this present, it was so thoughtful, and something he could keep forever, it had really made his birthday.
"Thank-you so much Susan, they're fantastic" Mark said
"You sure, you don't think I'm some crazy coaster freak?" Susan laughed
"I mean it, thank-you. Now come on lets go get drunk" Mark grinned as he said it.
As they walked out of the ER, all the staff shouted "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!"
"You told them!" Mark playfully punched Susan
"Oh come on they all kinda knew anyway. Any way Carter told most of them" Susan tried to defend herself.
"Oh well, I won't be seeing them for 15 hours, I'll be fine" Mark said
Susan and Mark wandered into the bar, Susan strided up to the bar ordered a beer and a whisky chaser for Mark and a double vodka for herself.
"I thought I'd get you a long drink to sip on while you downed all these chasers!" Susan said
"Thanks a lot. I can see this night is going to be fun!" Mark smiled
"Oh yeah, a night to remember. Or not depending on how drunk we get" Susan commented.
At around 3.30am Susan and Mark stumbled out of a bar close to Susan's apartment. Susan was worse for wear but Mark was absolutely legless. Laughing and singing as Susan tried to help him up the stairs of her apartment block.
He was yelling rather than singing bizarre words from a song. Susan figured it was a 60's song, she'd heard it but Mark was not making much sense. It sounded like
Hello Susie Sue, goodbye heart, sweet Susie Sue I'm so in love with you. I knew Susie Sue, we'd never part, so hello Susie Sue goodbye heart.
Susan wouldn't allow herself to read anything in to what Mark was singing. After all he was blind drunk. Although they were very good friends, Susan never really knew how Mark felt. She felt as if their relationship could go further, but never liked to bring the subject up. She loved Mark as a friend and didn't want to ruin anything.
Mark was becoming even harder to handle, so she had to virtually throw him onto her couch. Herself stumbling around, almost falling over.
She grabbed Mark a blanket and covered him up. He was going to have such a bad head in the morning, and she wasn't going to mention the singing. He did look sweet asleep though.
Mark meandered into the ER praying no-one knew what today was. Normally he wouldn't mind people remembering his birthday, but today he just didn't feel like it. It had been slow in the ER, but today it seemed rather busy.
Perfect, everyone will be so busy with patients they'll certainly forget what today is. Mark though quietly to himself.
However, one person hadn't forgotten. Susan came bounding up to Mark with a huge grin on her face.
"Hey Mark. Enjoying the day?" Susan enquired
"No. No-one must know it's my birthday. I just can't face all the happy birthday crap. The bald jokes and the 'oh you're getting old now Mark' jibes."
"Oh." Susan hid the gift she had bought him behind her back. Maybe she would approach him later.
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to take it out on you. It's just Jen phoned me and was so indignant and rude. But I'm not going to bother you with my troubles" Mark sighed
"Hey, fancy a drink tonight? What time are you off? You can celebrate your birthday the way you want too. Whether it to be getting blind drunk with your best friend or just pouring your heart out to her, while she listens with quiet contemplation" Susan wanted Mark to know she was there for him.
"How about a bit of both. I'll get drunk while I pour my heart out to you and whinge a bit?" Mark began to smile.
"Ok. Sounds like a plan. I finish at 9. That gives us a few hours. I'm not on til 12 the next day." Susan said
"Me too. Same shift rotation I guess. Thanks Susan. So we'll leave here and go bar crawling?" said Mark
"Yup. Anyway, things to do patients to see." Susan went and grabbed another chart.
"Oh and Susan, no-one must know, ok?" Mark whispered.
"Sure no problem" She smiled as she headed to exam 1.
How does she do that? She can cheer me up when no-one else can. Hmmmm. Wish she hadn't hidden that gift though. I must have made her feel really bad. Wonder what it was. Hope I find out later.
"MARK!" Kerry screeched. "Less day dreaming more patient seeing!"
"Sorry Kerry. I'm on it" Mark shouted across the ER.
The first chart Mark picked up was such a dull case. Might give him a bit of pleasure though. He always thought it was quite funny when big tough guys came in crying like small children.
His patient was a Hells Angel travelling through with the rest of his motorbike clan. He'd come off his bike rolling up to a bar and dislocated his shoulder.
"Malik, come give me a hand." Mark commanded
"Sure Dr Greene, what we got?" Malik asked
"Dislocated shoulder of a Hells Angel." Mark answered.
"Ooh fun!" was the answer Malik came back with.
"Hello, Mr?" said Mark
"Its Charlie. Big Charlie." replied the big fat guy sat on the bed.
"Ok Charlie. You have a dislocated shoulder. We're going to pull on your arm in order to put it back in." Mark was slightly smug, as he said it.
Tears came to the eyes of Charlie. Marks theory was right. Even the toughest of guys could be reduced to quivering wrecks given a bit of pain.
Mark and Malik began to put the shoulder back into place, when the Hells Angel passed out.
"Hmmm this'll make it easier. We'll just do it while he passed out." Mark said
"Ok. Doctors decision." Malik grinned
"One two three... and there we go" Mark was pleased that was done with. "Get him to come round and then give him some pain relief. Any problems give me a shout"
"Ok Dr Greene" Malik answered back.
Mark looked at his watch, it was 6pm just three more hours here and he'd be out having fun with his best friend. He really appreciated Susan wanting to spend time with him, even though his mood resembled that of someone with a bug up their ass.
His bug was Jen. He'd hoped for an amicable divorce, but it obviously wasn't to be. Mark thought about Rachel, how she'd probably be passed from nanny to nanny whilst Jen was on her career adventure. He'd have her whenever he could and make the journey when Kerry allowed him time off. Chance'll be a fine thing Mark thought.
Just as he was turning his thoughts back to patients, a gurney came crashing into the ER with the voice of Malik yelling
"Doctor Greene GSW to the chest and lower abdomen. Pulse 68, BP 100 over 60."
"Trauma 1" Mark called back. Finally something that might make the time go a little quicker.
"1,2,3 lift" A small packet falls on the floor.
"Someone pick that up and give it to the cops. Tell security to be extra cautious, someone may be looking for that" Mark commanded.
"Looks like coke" Haleh called.
"I don't care what is it just hand it to them" Mark yelled
"Pulse is dropping 56" Malik called
"Ok, administer atropine now. And call the OR think sounds like this guys has a bi-lateral hemothorax."
"Gallant! What's this caused by?" Mark asked
"Um, blood leaking from heart or rupture in inner membrane of lungs causing the outer layer or pleura to fill with blood" Gallant answered back
"Correct! Jesus this guy has more fluid than lake Michigan, gonna have to intubate him, breath sounds are not great"
"Pulse back to 68bpm stable for 1 minute" Malik told Dr Greene
"Ok load the drug box lets get this guy to the OR, Ol' Rocket can deal with him now"
"Lucky guy" Malik said
"Yeah not if he lives and the cops get hold of his. That much coke carries a hefty sentence" Mark said as his flipped off his gloves
"Ah" Mark thought. "Ten to nine, ten minutes left."
"Hey grab your stuff we're outta here!" Susan called from across the ER.
"Ah not so fast we have 10 minutes yet. Anything can happen in the next 10 minutes" Mark playfully mimicked Kerry's voice
"Nope, I asked the all powerful one if we could knock off now and she said, surprisingly, yes" Susan was grinning as she said it. "So come on, get your glad rags on, well just take your coat off and we'll get going for some serious drinking. Oh and I bought you this"
Mark slowly and cautiously unwrapped the package, not quite sure what he was going to find, after all he knew Susan's sense of humour.
"Hmmm coasters. Thanks Susan" Mark was a little taken a back
"No, look inside, I put them in a boring box to deceive you" Susan answered
Mark opened the box and inside was a set of coasters, not boring flowery ones, but with pictures of Mark on, detailing the change in his ER life. The last two were particularly special. One was of him and Susan laughing after they had put a cast on Carters leg. The other was of all the old team, the way it used to be; Doug, Carol, Carter, Susan, Mark, Peter Benton, all with big grins on their faces. Even Kerry and Romano were smiling. It was taken during the party they had to celebrate Carter finishing med school. They threw a theme party, it was a great night, and also happened to fall on Marks birthday. Kind of a double celebration.
A huge grin spread across Marks face. He really loved this present, it was so thoughtful, and something he could keep forever, it had really made his birthday.
"Thank-you so much Susan, they're fantastic" Mark said
"You sure, you don't think I'm some crazy coaster freak?" Susan laughed
"I mean it, thank-you. Now come on lets go get drunk" Mark grinned as he said it.
As they walked out of the ER, all the staff shouted "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!"
"You told them!" Mark playfully punched Susan
"Oh come on they all kinda knew anyway. Any way Carter told most of them" Susan tried to defend herself.
"Oh well, I won't be seeing them for 15 hours, I'll be fine" Mark said
Susan and Mark wandered into the bar, Susan strided up to the bar ordered a beer and a whisky chaser for Mark and a double vodka for herself.
"I thought I'd get you a long drink to sip on while you downed all these chasers!" Susan said
"Thanks a lot. I can see this night is going to be fun!" Mark smiled
"Oh yeah, a night to remember. Or not depending on how drunk we get" Susan commented.
At around 3.30am Susan and Mark stumbled out of a bar close to Susan's apartment. Susan was worse for wear but Mark was absolutely legless. Laughing and singing as Susan tried to help him up the stairs of her apartment block.
He was yelling rather than singing bizarre words from a song. Susan figured it was a 60's song, she'd heard it but Mark was not making much sense. It sounded like
Hello Susie Sue, goodbye heart, sweet Susie Sue I'm so in love with you. I knew Susie Sue, we'd never part, so hello Susie Sue goodbye heart.
Susan wouldn't allow herself to read anything in to what Mark was singing. After all he was blind drunk. Although they were very good friends, Susan never really knew how Mark felt. She felt as if their relationship could go further, but never liked to bring the subject up. She loved Mark as a friend and didn't want to ruin anything.
Mark was becoming even harder to handle, so she had to virtually throw him onto her couch. Herself stumbling around, almost falling over.
She grabbed Mark a blanket and covered him up. He was going to have such a bad head in the morning, and she wasn't going to mention the singing. He did look sweet asleep though.