This is just a short fic to write down an idea I had while I was trying to
get over the writers block for my other fics. Hope you like it. I may
revisit and write more some time if you like it.
Fixed the weird stuff at the end of the last upload – I don't know where that came from. It's not in the word doco I uploaded.
It's set in season 10, pre Freefall. It takes place just after one of those scenes where Robert has hurled insults at everyone in the ER.
~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth watched Romano storm off and looked tentatively at the people around her.
Gallant was taking it in his stride, Susan Lewis just rolled her eyes and got back to work, Haleh was sending daggering looks towards the lounge where Robert had disappeared and Abby looked ready to kill him if he dared to come out of there again.
Elizabeth followed Robert in to the lounge, knowing they wouldn't be disturbed – no-one would want to be near Robert in this mood. No-one except her, that is.
He didn't look around when she entered, just stood at the coffee machine brooding.
She sighed. Things had been bad last year when he was first assigned down here, but since he had come back from medical leave, he had been unbearable. Elizabeth didn't know why she cared so much, but it was so hard for her to see her friend hurting like this, and taking it out on the people around him. She was surprised to find she thought of Robert as a friend after everything they'd been through.
The last year or so hadn't been easy for either of them. She had lost her husband; he had lost his arm and his career. While these two things were hardly comparable, she knew Robert didn't have anyone – his work as a surgeon had been his whole life, so the loss was as hard on him as hers had been on her.
Robert had turned to her for comfort last year and she hadn't been able to be there for him. It was too soon after Mark, and she had panicked that night when Robert had reached out to touch her. She had shown her concern the only way she could at the time – by being his doctor and looking after him when he was injured.
But now they seemed to have reached some sort of mutual understanding. They had been there for each other over the years, and had somehow become friends.
Robert, realising whoever had followed him in to the lounge wasn't going anywhere, turned around. Of course, he already knew it was Elizabeth. No- one down here would want to talk to him. She was staring at him, which unnerved him slightly. He tried to read her expression, but he didn't recognise the look in her eyes.
"Robert" she said softly. "Why are you doing this? You're only making yourself and others around you miserable."
She waited for him to speak, but when he didn't, she continued. "Why don't you start looking at other options? You're not happy here in the ER."
"What do you suggest I do, Lizzie? Start a campaign on the dangers of making tea when you have no feeling in one of your arms?" he spat sarcastically.
"You could teach. You're an amazing teacher, Robert. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for you."
"You mean you wouldn't be Chief of Surgery if I hadn't vacated the job?"
"You know that's not what I meant". She said softly, dropping her eyes which immediately made him feel guilty. He didn't have a problem lashing out at everyone else because he knew that they all thought he deserved what had happened to him. But Lizzie was different. She had been supportive of him through all this, despite everything he had thrown at her over the years. She was there for him when he had needed someone – the only friend he had around here.
"How can I teach when I can't show how it's done?" he asked, softer this time.
"You can supervise or you can run research programs. There has to be something that would make you happier than this, Robert. You're an amazing doctor - you have so much knowledge and experience to impart. Why don't you stop putting all your energy in to lashing out at others and apply it to something you want to do? Think of something that would make you happy and do it." She was pleading with him now, searching out his eyes again, trying desperately to get through to him.
Robert considered her words. He threw the remains of his coffee in the sink, and without a word walked past Elizabeth towards the door. For a moment, she thought he was going to walk out without even acknowledging her.
Suddenly, he turned to face her, and before she knew what was happening, he reached up and kissed her on the lips. Hard. She barely had time to register the softness of his lips on hers, contrasting with the roughness of his beard against her face before he pulled away.
He looked in her eyes for a moment, trying to gauge her reaction. He recognised the look this time. It was the same way she'd looked at him after he had hugged her outside the lifts all those years ago before her M & M conference.
He stepped away, grinning at her – the first time she had seen that cocky look on his face in a long time. "You were right, Lizzie - I do feel better" he said, winking at her before breezing out of the room.
Fixed the weird stuff at the end of the last upload – I don't know where that came from. It's not in the word doco I uploaded.
It's set in season 10, pre Freefall. It takes place just after one of those scenes where Robert has hurled insults at everyone in the ER.
~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth watched Romano storm off and looked tentatively at the people around her.
Gallant was taking it in his stride, Susan Lewis just rolled her eyes and got back to work, Haleh was sending daggering looks towards the lounge where Robert had disappeared and Abby looked ready to kill him if he dared to come out of there again.
Elizabeth followed Robert in to the lounge, knowing they wouldn't be disturbed – no-one would want to be near Robert in this mood. No-one except her, that is.
He didn't look around when she entered, just stood at the coffee machine brooding.
She sighed. Things had been bad last year when he was first assigned down here, but since he had come back from medical leave, he had been unbearable. Elizabeth didn't know why she cared so much, but it was so hard for her to see her friend hurting like this, and taking it out on the people around him. She was surprised to find she thought of Robert as a friend after everything they'd been through.
The last year or so hadn't been easy for either of them. She had lost her husband; he had lost his arm and his career. While these two things were hardly comparable, she knew Robert didn't have anyone – his work as a surgeon had been his whole life, so the loss was as hard on him as hers had been on her.
Robert had turned to her for comfort last year and she hadn't been able to be there for him. It was too soon after Mark, and she had panicked that night when Robert had reached out to touch her. She had shown her concern the only way she could at the time – by being his doctor and looking after him when he was injured.
But now they seemed to have reached some sort of mutual understanding. They had been there for each other over the years, and had somehow become friends.
Robert, realising whoever had followed him in to the lounge wasn't going anywhere, turned around. Of course, he already knew it was Elizabeth. No- one down here would want to talk to him. She was staring at him, which unnerved him slightly. He tried to read her expression, but he didn't recognise the look in her eyes.
"Robert" she said softly. "Why are you doing this? You're only making yourself and others around you miserable."
She waited for him to speak, but when he didn't, she continued. "Why don't you start looking at other options? You're not happy here in the ER."
"What do you suggest I do, Lizzie? Start a campaign on the dangers of making tea when you have no feeling in one of your arms?" he spat sarcastically.
"You could teach. You're an amazing teacher, Robert. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for you."
"You mean you wouldn't be Chief of Surgery if I hadn't vacated the job?"
"You know that's not what I meant". She said softly, dropping her eyes which immediately made him feel guilty. He didn't have a problem lashing out at everyone else because he knew that they all thought he deserved what had happened to him. But Lizzie was different. She had been supportive of him through all this, despite everything he had thrown at her over the years. She was there for him when he had needed someone – the only friend he had around here.
"How can I teach when I can't show how it's done?" he asked, softer this time.
"You can supervise or you can run research programs. There has to be something that would make you happier than this, Robert. You're an amazing doctor - you have so much knowledge and experience to impart. Why don't you stop putting all your energy in to lashing out at others and apply it to something you want to do? Think of something that would make you happy and do it." She was pleading with him now, searching out his eyes again, trying desperately to get through to him.
Robert considered her words. He threw the remains of his coffee in the sink, and without a word walked past Elizabeth towards the door. For a moment, she thought he was going to walk out without even acknowledging her.
Suddenly, he turned to face her, and before she knew what was happening, he reached up and kissed her on the lips. Hard. She barely had time to register the softness of his lips on hers, contrasting with the roughness of his beard against her face before he pulled away.
He looked in her eyes for a moment, trying to gauge her reaction. He recognised the look this time. It was the same way she'd looked at him after he had hugged her outside the lifts all those years ago before her M & M conference.
He stepped away, grinning at her – the first time she had seen that cocky look on his face in a long time. "You were right, Lizzie - I do feel better" he said, winking at her before breezing out of the room.