Chapter 10: 1 month 1 day and 4 hours
That was the time Mark and Susan had officially been together, the time since their first kiss.
As the sun rose on their last day in the Bahamas, Mark lay awake looking at Susan as the sun streamed in through the window and danced on her face and hair. She was like a sleeping angel. His angel. She had become a lot happier during their vacation. She even admitted to Mark that she felt peaceful about her father's death. That it was always going to be hard, but that she had finally come to terms with the fact he's not around anymore.
A beam of sunlight reflected right onto Susan's eye and caused her to wake. Mark leant over and kissed her. It had been the most intimate two weeks of their lives. Even on the rare occasion that they didn't make love they stayed up for hours, just talking.
"This was it." Mark thought. "Me and Susan together forever." "I can't believe this is our last day. We go back to work tomorrow." Susan said with a disgruntled tone.
"Shhhhh. We don't need to talk about that. But we had better get up. It's 9 o'clock. We'll miss breakfast and our flight is at three." Mark replied
"Can we have breakfast sent up? Seeing as it's our lat day. I want to make the most of this huge bed. I don't think we've explored it properly yet" Susan answered with a cheeky grin on her face.
"Oh I don't know. According to my memory I had you hanging off the edge of it last night." Mark said
"Ooh yeah, and I recall me enjoying that one hell of a lot." Susan giggled.
"Well if you're good, we might get round to doing that again." Mark answered
"And if I'm bad?" Susan asked
"Then I'll just have to do this!" Mark laughed as he began to tickle Susan.
A couple of hours and a breakfast of fruit later Mark and Susan decided to get up.
"I guess I'd better go and jump in the shower, I need to get all this strawberry and melon juice off me, it's all sticky." Mark said as he looked at Susan
"Ok. And Mark.. That was the best breakfast I've had in ages." Susan replied with a mischievous look in her eye.
"Want to join me? It's always nice to have a shower with the person you love first thing in the morning." Mark stated
"Ooh ok, you've persuaded me" Susan answered as she stepped out of her robe and into the shower.
After having their shower Mark and Susan secured their luggage and made their way downstairs. It was 11.45am and they had to be at the airport at 1pm. The taxi was booked for midday.
Mark went to the reception desk and settled the bill for the mini-bar and service charges for the breakfast they had brought up to the room that morning.
As they sat on a couch in the reception area, they exchanged knowing glances and Mark gave Susan a little kiss.
"Guess we have to start apartment hunting when we get back?" Susan asked
"Yeah. I want a place that's ours, not one of us moving in with the other. I want it to be special" Mark said
"Once again you knew exactly what I was thinking. Ah, taxi's here. Oh well guess we have to leave sometime." Susan said sadly
They had a different taxi driver this time. He wasn't as friendly as Johnnie, the guy they had two weeks ago. This guy drove much faster, almost dangerously. It only took 25 minutes to get to the airport this time.
Susan stepped out of the taxi feeling a little sick. Mark had noticed she was looking a bit green and laughed.
"I thought you'd be ok with his driving, y'know what with the way you drive and all." Mark laughed
"Hey that's not fair. I drive to my cars capability." Susan replied
"Um, ok, but I remember you driving crazily when you had that old blue VW beetle. That's poor car must have been screaming at you to slow down." Mark was almost in hysterics
In response to this Susan punched him in the arm. When she saw the look on Marks face it was her turn to laugh.
"I was always good at giving people dead arms." Susan said triumphantly
They made their way to the check in desk, only this time they were seated nearer to the front of the plane.
"I kinda preferred being near the back" Mark said
"Why's that?" Susan asked
"Well you never hear of a plane reversing into a mountain do you?" Mark joked
"Mark that's not funny" Susan said as her face filled with worry.
"Oops sorry." Mark replied
They decided to make their way to a bar for lunch, although the food here wasn't a patch on what they had eaten at the hotel. The food there was exquisite. They had, had lobster one night, and a gorgeous chicken dish the next.
After over indulging for two weeks both Susan and Mark went for salads and diet Pepsi.
They spent a while looking round at all the shops waiting for their flight to be called. As they were doing so Susan spotted a gorgeous pair of shoes. She wasn't sure whether to buy them or not, but Mark insisted on getting them for her.
"Mark, really you don't have to do that" Susan protested
"But you really like them and I want to say thank-you" Mark replied
Susan stood their looking slightly puzzled
"Thank-you for what?" Susan asked
"For spending an amazing two weeks with me" Mark said
"Oh you are a lovely man, a little strange but lovely." Susan said with a smile.
Half and hour later their flight was called. They had dressed in preparation for the whether back in Chicago. They had checked out the weather reports and it was raining.
Susan boarded the plane proudly clutching Marks hand, oh and her shoes of course.
The flight went smoothly and they soon landed in Chicago.
"I think fear of flying has completely disappeared. And its all because of you Mark. I feel like I have my old self back. The person I wanted to be when we came back from the funeral. And you've helped me do that. I'm happy again. I'm ready to go back and visit my dad's grave. But I'd like you there. Maybe on our next day off?" Susan asked
"Sure. Whatever you want to do, I'll be there." Mark replied
Two and a half hours later, after waiting an hour for their luggage and 45 minutes for a taxi, they arrived at Marks apartment. It was 10 o'clock at night and they were both rather tired.
"Do you want me to take you home? Or do you want to stay here?" Mark asked Susan
"I'd like to stay here. I still have work stuff here so I don't need to go home for anything." Susan answered
"Oh god, we're on in 8 hours" Mark groaned
"Ugh. I'm hungry though. Pizza?" Susan asked
"Sure, I think I still have a few beers in the fridge" Mark said
Susan dialled for a pizza and Mark chucked his washing into the machine. It would be a while before he could wear his summer clothes again. It was so surprising how one place could be so warm and sunny and another could be so dull and grey.
"I've ordered the pizza, it'll be here in 20 minutes. I'm beat" Susan said as she flopped on the couch.
Mark sat on the couch next to her and switched on the TV. It was kind of nice to be home but he had really enjoyed their time together on holiday.
The pizza arrived late so Susan managed to bargain the price down, especially seeing as it was only warm not hot.
They ate the pizza at an incredible rate, they were both starving. They drank two beers each then crashed out on the couch.
They woke up at 5am groaning with tiredness.
Susan whinged "I REALLY don't want to go to work. I want to sleep"
"I know, but we have to go. I don't think Kerry would give us any more time off" Mark joked
"I guess. Bagsy the shower" Susan shouted as she ran towards the bathroom.
At 5.30am Mark and Susan took a refreshing, if not cold, walk to work. They picked up coffee and bagels before entering an extremely quiet ER. The board was completely empty.
"Think we can grab a bit more sleep?" Susan asked hopefully, as her and Mark entered the doctors' lounge.
"Nice to see you two back. Do you know the trouble I've had trying to juggle the schedule? " Kerry yelled
"Sorry Kerry, but I just couldn't face work. I didn't feel capable to deal with patients, and I didn't want to be alone. Anyway, I feel much better now" Susan replied
"Well its good to hear. As you can see its quiet, but I'm sure there are some charts to do" Kerry answered.
"Ooh it feels so good to be back" Mark said they walked out of the lounge.
The ER was dead and when Carter rolled in at 9am, Mark and him sent Susan to have a sleep in the lounge. She was obviously still tired from all the travelling.
"So you guys had a good time huh?" Carter asked
"Yeah, it was so nice just to have some time to ourselves. Susan really relaxed and she's feeling much better. She's smiling again and I'm so happy. The old Susan is starting to come back through. We talked for hours into the night and decided some things about our future." Mark said
"What things?" Carter enquired
"We're looking for an apartment. We're going to move in together. We both want this to last a long time. She makes me feel so great. She's so beautiful. I lie awake just watching her sleep. She's so wonderful. I love her so much." Mark grinned as the words came out of his mouth.
Just asked Mark finished speaking the phone rang.
*Phone call*
"Mark Greene, ER"
"Oh, hi Mark. It's Susan mother. Is she around?" She asked desperately
"Um yeah sure, I'll just go get her." Mark said
*Doctors lounge*
"Susan your mother is on the phone. Sounds kind of upset" Mark said
"Ok, be right there" Susan replied
*Susan picks up the receiver*
"Susan I have some bad news. Chloe died yesterday. I couldn't reach you. Work said you were on holiday. She contracted gastroenteritis, she was so ill. She just couldn't fight it anymore. The AIDS won and now she's dead. Susie is still with Joe, so don't worry about her."
The words ripped through Susan like a thousand arrows. She dropped the receiver and it crashed to the ground. The tears began to flow and Susan slumped to the floor behind the Admin desk. All the staff couldn't believe what was happening.
Susan began to scream as the burning hot tears fell down her face.
"I can't do this again. I was doing so well. I was almost over it, I was me again, I was happy. Now she's dead. My family is dying all around me and there is nothing I can do! Why are you doing this to me you sick bastard? You like playing with me, huh? Think this is some kind of sick joke. Go on then laugh 'cause it's so damned hilarious!"
Mark ran over to her and wrapped himself around a shaking Susan. She was yelling hysterically.
"She's dead Mark. All those years of taking drugs, it's killed her. She's dead, Chloe's dead. Dead, dead, dead!" Susan just kept repeating the words
"Shhhhhhh, come on, shhhhh I'm taking you home" Mark comforted Susan
Just as Mark finished speaking Kerry came round to see what all the fuss was about. Carter explained the situation. Kerry gestured for Mark to get Susan out of there. She didn't need the hassle of a hysterical member of staff as well as patients.
That was the time Mark and Susan had officially been together, the time since their first kiss.
As the sun rose on their last day in the Bahamas, Mark lay awake looking at Susan as the sun streamed in through the window and danced on her face and hair. She was like a sleeping angel. His angel. She had become a lot happier during their vacation. She even admitted to Mark that she felt peaceful about her father's death. That it was always going to be hard, but that she had finally come to terms with the fact he's not around anymore.
A beam of sunlight reflected right onto Susan's eye and caused her to wake. Mark leant over and kissed her. It had been the most intimate two weeks of their lives. Even on the rare occasion that they didn't make love they stayed up for hours, just talking.
"This was it." Mark thought. "Me and Susan together forever." "I can't believe this is our last day. We go back to work tomorrow." Susan said with a disgruntled tone.
"Shhhhh. We don't need to talk about that. But we had better get up. It's 9 o'clock. We'll miss breakfast and our flight is at three." Mark replied
"Can we have breakfast sent up? Seeing as it's our lat day. I want to make the most of this huge bed. I don't think we've explored it properly yet" Susan answered with a cheeky grin on her face.
"Oh I don't know. According to my memory I had you hanging off the edge of it last night." Mark said
"Ooh yeah, and I recall me enjoying that one hell of a lot." Susan giggled.
"Well if you're good, we might get round to doing that again." Mark answered
"And if I'm bad?" Susan asked
"Then I'll just have to do this!" Mark laughed as he began to tickle Susan.
A couple of hours and a breakfast of fruit later Mark and Susan decided to get up.
"I guess I'd better go and jump in the shower, I need to get all this strawberry and melon juice off me, it's all sticky." Mark said as he looked at Susan
"Ok. And Mark.. That was the best breakfast I've had in ages." Susan replied with a mischievous look in her eye.
"Want to join me? It's always nice to have a shower with the person you love first thing in the morning." Mark stated
"Ooh ok, you've persuaded me" Susan answered as she stepped out of her robe and into the shower.
After having their shower Mark and Susan secured their luggage and made their way downstairs. It was 11.45am and they had to be at the airport at 1pm. The taxi was booked for midday.
Mark went to the reception desk and settled the bill for the mini-bar and service charges for the breakfast they had brought up to the room that morning.
As they sat on a couch in the reception area, they exchanged knowing glances and Mark gave Susan a little kiss.
"Guess we have to start apartment hunting when we get back?" Susan asked
"Yeah. I want a place that's ours, not one of us moving in with the other. I want it to be special" Mark said
"Once again you knew exactly what I was thinking. Ah, taxi's here. Oh well guess we have to leave sometime." Susan said sadly
They had a different taxi driver this time. He wasn't as friendly as Johnnie, the guy they had two weeks ago. This guy drove much faster, almost dangerously. It only took 25 minutes to get to the airport this time.
Susan stepped out of the taxi feeling a little sick. Mark had noticed she was looking a bit green and laughed.
"I thought you'd be ok with his driving, y'know what with the way you drive and all." Mark laughed
"Hey that's not fair. I drive to my cars capability." Susan replied
"Um, ok, but I remember you driving crazily when you had that old blue VW beetle. That's poor car must have been screaming at you to slow down." Mark was almost in hysterics
In response to this Susan punched him in the arm. When she saw the look on Marks face it was her turn to laugh.
"I was always good at giving people dead arms." Susan said triumphantly
They made their way to the check in desk, only this time they were seated nearer to the front of the plane.
"I kinda preferred being near the back" Mark said
"Why's that?" Susan asked
"Well you never hear of a plane reversing into a mountain do you?" Mark joked
"Mark that's not funny" Susan said as her face filled with worry.
"Oops sorry." Mark replied
They decided to make their way to a bar for lunch, although the food here wasn't a patch on what they had eaten at the hotel. The food there was exquisite. They had, had lobster one night, and a gorgeous chicken dish the next.
After over indulging for two weeks both Susan and Mark went for salads and diet Pepsi.
They spent a while looking round at all the shops waiting for their flight to be called. As they were doing so Susan spotted a gorgeous pair of shoes. She wasn't sure whether to buy them or not, but Mark insisted on getting them for her.
"Mark, really you don't have to do that" Susan protested
"But you really like them and I want to say thank-you" Mark replied
Susan stood their looking slightly puzzled
"Thank-you for what?" Susan asked
"For spending an amazing two weeks with me" Mark said
"Oh you are a lovely man, a little strange but lovely." Susan said with a smile.
Half and hour later their flight was called. They had dressed in preparation for the whether back in Chicago. They had checked out the weather reports and it was raining.
Susan boarded the plane proudly clutching Marks hand, oh and her shoes of course.
The flight went smoothly and they soon landed in Chicago.
"I think fear of flying has completely disappeared. And its all because of you Mark. I feel like I have my old self back. The person I wanted to be when we came back from the funeral. And you've helped me do that. I'm happy again. I'm ready to go back and visit my dad's grave. But I'd like you there. Maybe on our next day off?" Susan asked
"Sure. Whatever you want to do, I'll be there." Mark replied
Two and a half hours later, after waiting an hour for their luggage and 45 minutes for a taxi, they arrived at Marks apartment. It was 10 o'clock at night and they were both rather tired.
"Do you want me to take you home? Or do you want to stay here?" Mark asked Susan
"I'd like to stay here. I still have work stuff here so I don't need to go home for anything." Susan answered
"Oh god, we're on in 8 hours" Mark groaned
"Ugh. I'm hungry though. Pizza?" Susan asked
"Sure, I think I still have a few beers in the fridge" Mark said
Susan dialled for a pizza and Mark chucked his washing into the machine. It would be a while before he could wear his summer clothes again. It was so surprising how one place could be so warm and sunny and another could be so dull and grey.
"I've ordered the pizza, it'll be here in 20 minutes. I'm beat" Susan said as she flopped on the couch.
Mark sat on the couch next to her and switched on the TV. It was kind of nice to be home but he had really enjoyed their time together on holiday.
The pizza arrived late so Susan managed to bargain the price down, especially seeing as it was only warm not hot.
They ate the pizza at an incredible rate, they were both starving. They drank two beers each then crashed out on the couch.
They woke up at 5am groaning with tiredness.
Susan whinged "I REALLY don't want to go to work. I want to sleep"
"I know, but we have to go. I don't think Kerry would give us any more time off" Mark joked
"I guess. Bagsy the shower" Susan shouted as she ran towards the bathroom.
At 5.30am Mark and Susan took a refreshing, if not cold, walk to work. They picked up coffee and bagels before entering an extremely quiet ER. The board was completely empty.
"Think we can grab a bit more sleep?" Susan asked hopefully, as her and Mark entered the doctors' lounge.
"Nice to see you two back. Do you know the trouble I've had trying to juggle the schedule? " Kerry yelled
"Sorry Kerry, but I just couldn't face work. I didn't feel capable to deal with patients, and I didn't want to be alone. Anyway, I feel much better now" Susan replied
"Well its good to hear. As you can see its quiet, but I'm sure there are some charts to do" Kerry answered.
"Ooh it feels so good to be back" Mark said they walked out of the lounge.
The ER was dead and when Carter rolled in at 9am, Mark and him sent Susan to have a sleep in the lounge. She was obviously still tired from all the travelling.
"So you guys had a good time huh?" Carter asked
"Yeah, it was so nice just to have some time to ourselves. Susan really relaxed and she's feeling much better. She's smiling again and I'm so happy. The old Susan is starting to come back through. We talked for hours into the night and decided some things about our future." Mark said
"What things?" Carter enquired
"We're looking for an apartment. We're going to move in together. We both want this to last a long time. She makes me feel so great. She's so beautiful. I lie awake just watching her sleep. She's so wonderful. I love her so much." Mark grinned as the words came out of his mouth.
Just asked Mark finished speaking the phone rang.
*Phone call*
"Mark Greene, ER"
"Oh, hi Mark. It's Susan mother. Is she around?" She asked desperately
"Um yeah sure, I'll just go get her." Mark said
*Doctors lounge*
"Susan your mother is on the phone. Sounds kind of upset" Mark said
"Ok, be right there" Susan replied
*Susan picks up the receiver*
"Susan I have some bad news. Chloe died yesterday. I couldn't reach you. Work said you were on holiday. She contracted gastroenteritis, she was so ill. She just couldn't fight it anymore. The AIDS won and now she's dead. Susie is still with Joe, so don't worry about her."
The words ripped through Susan like a thousand arrows. She dropped the receiver and it crashed to the ground. The tears began to flow and Susan slumped to the floor behind the Admin desk. All the staff couldn't believe what was happening.
Susan began to scream as the burning hot tears fell down her face.
"I can't do this again. I was doing so well. I was almost over it, I was me again, I was happy. Now she's dead. My family is dying all around me and there is nothing I can do! Why are you doing this to me you sick bastard? You like playing with me, huh? Think this is some kind of sick joke. Go on then laugh 'cause it's so damned hilarious!"
Mark ran over to her and wrapped himself around a shaking Susan. She was yelling hysterically.
"She's dead Mark. All those years of taking drugs, it's killed her. She's dead, Chloe's dead. Dead, dead, dead!" Susan just kept repeating the words
"Shhhhhhh, come on, shhhhh I'm taking you home" Mark comforted Susan
Just as Mark finished speaking Kerry came round to see what all the fuss was about. Carter explained the situation. Kerry gestured for Mark to get Susan out of there. She didn't need the hassle of a hysterical member of staff as well as patients.