"It's really weird," Rachel said. She was sitting in the hospital cafeteria
with Susan Lewis, having a cup of coffee.
"What is?"
"Seeing Elizabeth all lovey-dovey with some guy that isn't my dad."
"Oh, sweetie," Susan said. "I'm sorry. I know that must be weird."
"Well, it's not your fault," Rachel said. "I mean, I'm glad that Elizabeth's happy and all, it's just weird to see her 'so' happy. I don't think she was ever this happy when she was with my dad."
"Oh, they must have had their happy times," Susan said. "I'm sure they did. I came back to Chicago near the end, you know, when your dad was getting pretty sick. But I'm sure they had some good times. Didn't they?"
"I guess," Rachel said. "It's hard to remember. I mean, yeah, they weren't so miserable most of the time, but Elizabeth just seems different now, I can't explain it. I'm not used to it."
Susan nodded sympathetically and sipped her coffee.
"And what about this guy, anyway?" Rachel said.
"Robert?" Susan said. "I mean, I don't really know him, not the way Elizabeth does. But he seems to have softened a lot, with her. With everybody else, he's still a pain," she laughed. "No, actually, he and I get along okay. But he can be a handful. He has a high position at the hospital and can be very difficult. And he's a surgeon, surgeons can be really arrogant," Susan said jokingly.
Rachel nodded.
"Rachel, don't worry about Elizabeth and Robert," Susan said. "Everything will be okay."
"Yeah, I guess."
After Rachel and Susan finished and Susan had to get back to her shift, Rachel prepared to go to meet Julie. She checked her watch, it was still a little early, and not enough time to go anywhere else before meeting Julie on Michigan Avenue. Not that I want to hang around here, Rachel thought. She had enough bad memories of being here with her father. She had always found the hospital infinitely boring. I'll stay for a few more minutes, and then that's it, she thought. She knew there were probably other doctors and nurses around who would remember her, but she didn't feel like looking for any of them. She spotted a water fountain and went over to it.
Suddenly she heard a familiar voice down the hall. "Are you kicking some ass, or getting yours kicked?" he said. Rachel ducked around a corner and watched. It was Robert talking to a woman with short red hair who Rachel remembered. Kerry Weaver. Mark had an uneasy relationship with her, from what Rachel remembered. Sometimes they got along really well and sometimes they didn't.
"Robert, I can't make him do something that he doesn't want-" Kerry started.
"Kerry, if I wanted to hear your excuses, I'd...well, I wouldn't want to hear them, so it's not worth discussing. Do the work. Get him to sign. Use your feminine wiles, if you still have any. Oh, sorry, was that too insulting?"
"Fine," Kerry said angrily. "I'll get it done." She sighed and walked off down a corridor, shaking her head.
Rachel continued to watch as someone else walked up to Robert. A very tall, handsome dark-haired man. Luka Kovac. Why couldn't Elizabeth be interested in him? Rachel wondered. She has no taste.
"Dr. Kovac!" Robert said. "Thanks for gracing us with your presence today."
Kerry knew I would be late," Luka said. "I had to take care of a matter concerning-"
"Oh, don't tell me, let me guess," Robert said. "Sending relief to war- torn countries? No, you haven't had time for that lately...let's see, were you signing up for one of those dating shows? I hear there's one where you go on a date with four different women and then you dismiss them one by one. Sounds about perfect for you." Luka sighed and folded his arms. "Anyway, Kovac, thanks for stopping by."
"But I wanted to-"
"If you have an issue, make an appointment with my secretary," Robert said, checking his watch. "I have a meeting to go to. See you later - if you can actually put a full day in here, that is." He walked off rapidly.
Luka just stood looking at him for a moment, then shook his head and sighed.
Rachel, still watching all this from around the corner, checked her watch. Now it really was time to go. "Can you believe this guy?" she muttered to herself out loud, rolling her eyes.
"What is?"
"Seeing Elizabeth all lovey-dovey with some guy that isn't my dad."
"Oh, sweetie," Susan said. "I'm sorry. I know that must be weird."
"Well, it's not your fault," Rachel said. "I mean, I'm glad that Elizabeth's happy and all, it's just weird to see her 'so' happy. I don't think she was ever this happy when she was with my dad."
"Oh, they must have had their happy times," Susan said. "I'm sure they did. I came back to Chicago near the end, you know, when your dad was getting pretty sick. But I'm sure they had some good times. Didn't they?"
"I guess," Rachel said. "It's hard to remember. I mean, yeah, they weren't so miserable most of the time, but Elizabeth just seems different now, I can't explain it. I'm not used to it."
Susan nodded sympathetically and sipped her coffee.
"And what about this guy, anyway?" Rachel said.
"Robert?" Susan said. "I mean, I don't really know him, not the way Elizabeth does. But he seems to have softened a lot, with her. With everybody else, he's still a pain," she laughed. "No, actually, he and I get along okay. But he can be a handful. He has a high position at the hospital and can be very difficult. And he's a surgeon, surgeons can be really arrogant," Susan said jokingly.
Rachel nodded.
"Rachel, don't worry about Elizabeth and Robert," Susan said. "Everything will be okay."
"Yeah, I guess."
After Rachel and Susan finished and Susan had to get back to her shift, Rachel prepared to go to meet Julie. She checked her watch, it was still a little early, and not enough time to go anywhere else before meeting Julie on Michigan Avenue. Not that I want to hang around here, Rachel thought. She had enough bad memories of being here with her father. She had always found the hospital infinitely boring. I'll stay for a few more minutes, and then that's it, she thought. She knew there were probably other doctors and nurses around who would remember her, but she didn't feel like looking for any of them. She spotted a water fountain and went over to it.
Suddenly she heard a familiar voice down the hall. "Are you kicking some ass, or getting yours kicked?" he said. Rachel ducked around a corner and watched. It was Robert talking to a woman with short red hair who Rachel remembered. Kerry Weaver. Mark had an uneasy relationship with her, from what Rachel remembered. Sometimes they got along really well and sometimes they didn't.
"Robert, I can't make him do something that he doesn't want-" Kerry started.
"Kerry, if I wanted to hear your excuses, I'd...well, I wouldn't want to hear them, so it's not worth discussing. Do the work. Get him to sign. Use your feminine wiles, if you still have any. Oh, sorry, was that too insulting?"
"Fine," Kerry said angrily. "I'll get it done." She sighed and walked off down a corridor, shaking her head.
Rachel continued to watch as someone else walked up to Robert. A very tall, handsome dark-haired man. Luka Kovac. Why couldn't Elizabeth be interested in him? Rachel wondered. She has no taste.
"Dr. Kovac!" Robert said. "Thanks for gracing us with your presence today."
Kerry knew I would be late," Luka said. "I had to take care of a matter concerning-"
"Oh, don't tell me, let me guess," Robert said. "Sending relief to war- torn countries? No, you haven't had time for that lately...let's see, were you signing up for one of those dating shows? I hear there's one where you go on a date with four different women and then you dismiss them one by one. Sounds about perfect for you." Luka sighed and folded his arms. "Anyway, Kovac, thanks for stopping by."
"But I wanted to-"
"If you have an issue, make an appointment with my secretary," Robert said, checking his watch. "I have a meeting to go to. See you later - if you can actually put a full day in here, that is." He walked off rapidly.
Luka just stood looking at him for a moment, then shook his head and sighed.
Rachel, still watching all this from around the corner, checked her watch. Now it really was time to go. "Can you believe this guy?" she muttered to herself out loud, rolling her eyes.