"She's asleep." Mark told Elizabeth, entering their kitchen, feeling as though he were intruding into HER kitchen.
"Good." Elizabeth nodded and handed him a mug of tea. Their hostility was gone but it left a cavity that quickly filled with something worse – apathy.
Mark sat at the table and focused all his attention, at least visibly, on his tea. He knew it was coming but the waiting for it didn't deplete his surprise.
"We need to talk." Elizabeth sat opposite him. "Look, the thing is…" she was stalling.
Mark wasn't used to seeing her stuck for words, unless in the presence of Romano. "It's okay. I know." He helped her out, "this isn't working is it?"
She looked at him for a moment before she replied, "No." she shooke her ehad. "But the thing is, I still love you and I don't want to… oh, I don't know."
"I love you too, but not like I should." Mark was surprised by his own clarity. "We made it work because I was sick. Then Ella. But we shouldn't…"
"No. We shouldn't. But what about Ella?"
"We'll work it out – you know I'd love to take her, if you want me to…"
"We don't need to arrange that now." Elizabeth hushed him. He nodded in silent agreement.
You know the story (though my timeline might be slightly off, but you can handle it). If you don't, watch ER. If you can't, read the episode guide at alt.tv.er – my favourite but there are others if you prefer. Oh, and while you're at it you might want to read up on what happened in the episode Union Station in series 3 – this will make more sense if you do.
Mark was surprised at the lack of rumours. He hadn't figured out how to tell anyone and apparently neither had Elizabeth. However, they hadn't worked together since that night and no one had seen them together to notice the difference. Plus, only Susan would have picked up the subtleties and she'd been away, saving her sister and niece. Again.
Mark escaped to the lounge on his break – not for coffee but for silence. He sunk into the almost-comfortable chair, letting his body relax and his eyes fall shut. Then the door opened. He ignored it until he heard her voice…
"Hey." Susan said shyly, not wanting to disturb him.
"Hi." He smiled at his old friend. He missed that friendship. It hadn't recovered from years apart and he knew it would never be the same but his missed it regardless.
Susan was just starting her shift – she rifled though her locker then sat beside him, knowing she was supposed to start in just a few minutes. "Are you finished for the day?"
"No. I was just escaping." He smiled.
"Okay. I'll leave you to it." She stood but turned back before she left, "hey, how's Ella?"
"She's good. Back to normal apparently."
"Miracles happen."
"Yeah." He agreed, kind of liking the idea.
"Well, I'll see you out there." Susan left.
"Good." Elizabeth nodded and handed him a mug of tea. Their hostility was gone but it left a cavity that quickly filled with something worse – apathy.
Mark sat at the table and focused all his attention, at least visibly, on his tea. He knew it was coming but the waiting for it didn't deplete his surprise.
"We need to talk." Elizabeth sat opposite him. "Look, the thing is…" she was stalling.
Mark wasn't used to seeing her stuck for words, unless in the presence of Romano. "It's okay. I know." He helped her out, "this isn't working is it?"
She looked at him for a moment before she replied, "No." she shooke her ehad. "But the thing is, I still love you and I don't want to… oh, I don't know."
"I love you too, but not like I should." Mark was surprised by his own clarity. "We made it work because I was sick. Then Ella. But we shouldn't…"
"No. We shouldn't. But what about Ella?"
"We'll work it out – you know I'd love to take her, if you want me to…"
"We don't need to arrange that now." Elizabeth hushed him. He nodded in silent agreement.
You know the story (though my timeline might be slightly off, but you can handle it). If you don't, watch ER. If you can't, read the episode guide at alt.tv.er – my favourite but there are others if you prefer. Oh, and while you're at it you might want to read up on what happened in the episode Union Station in series 3 – this will make more sense if you do.
Mark was surprised at the lack of rumours. He hadn't figured out how to tell anyone and apparently neither had Elizabeth. However, they hadn't worked together since that night and no one had seen them together to notice the difference. Plus, only Susan would have picked up the subtleties and she'd been away, saving her sister and niece. Again.
Mark escaped to the lounge on his break – not for coffee but for silence. He sunk into the almost-comfortable chair, letting his body relax and his eyes fall shut. Then the door opened. He ignored it until he heard her voice…
"Hey." Susan said shyly, not wanting to disturb him.
"Hi." He smiled at his old friend. He missed that friendship. It hadn't recovered from years apart and he knew it would never be the same but his missed it regardless.
Susan was just starting her shift – she rifled though her locker then sat beside him, knowing she was supposed to start in just a few minutes. "Are you finished for the day?"
"No. I was just escaping." He smiled.
"Okay. I'll leave you to it." She stood but turned back before she left, "hey, how's Ella?"
"She's good. Back to normal apparently."
"Miracles happen."
"Yeah." He agreed, kind of liking the idea.
"Well, I'll see you out there." Susan left.