It was a good week – well, so far. And considering Susan was still in Arizona. Monday morning he talked to her. Tuesday he had a fantastic day at work. The amount of pleasure it gave him to get a leg over Kerry was ridiculous, but he didn't care. He'd been taking prospective med students around – to show them the ropes, get them interested. All his students had signed up. None of Kerry's. And when he got home Susan's letter was in his box.
He had an idea. It was a bit rash, but that was part of its appeal. He was in Anspaugh's good graces so now was better than ever.
Thursday. It was beginning to be Susan's favourite day of the week. She was working until ten, again. But with something to go home to it was a piece of cake.
She ended up leaving ten minutes early. Chloe was home and asleep. Suzie was asleep and quiet. Things couldn't be more perfect. She got ready for bed and lay in bed talking to him until she could hardly keep her eyes open. Then he sung her to sleep but out of concern for her phone bill he hung up before he fell asleep.
Susan pulled the curtain shut so her patient could change into the hospital gown and went to get a nurse. She was clearing the board fairly easily. She even had time to get all the details on the charts as she did them rather than racking her brains afterward. Next, severe cramps. 'Easy', she thought taking the chart and walking out to chairs to locate the patient. She looked down to find the name and when she looked up again a figure walking in the sliding doors caught her attention.
It couldn't be.
He looked around like he was lost, or looking for something. Then he saw her. And only when that smile lit up his face did she really believe it was Mark. She put the chart on the counter behind her. Someone tried to tell her it wasn't finished but she didn't hear them. She walked around the chairs to be enveloped in a long-awaited embrace. He gathered her to him like no one else was in the room. She was just as unaware of her surroundings. She held him as tight as she could.
They let go just long enough to check their eyes weren't deceiving them. Both grinned like complete idiots. Staff and patients alike were watching. A few patients giggled. A few of the staff asked each other if they knew who he was.
The couple became a little more aware of their audience.
"Do you have a break soon?"
Susan checked her watch. "Half an hour."
"Okay." He apparently planned to wait in chairs.
"No, come through to the lounge. Have some bad coffee and steal someone else's food from the fridge." She took his hand and led him through to the lounge. As soon as the door shut behind them Susan turned to him.
"You're here?"
"I couldn't stay away." He offered hopelessly.
She pulled him close again. She couldn't believe he was really there. Or how much he was affecting her. 'Pull yourself together.' She told herself hopelessly. She looked up at him. Their eyes locked. Grins had faded to amazement. He had been a little better prepared for this – he knew he was coming. But he wasn't prepared for this. He lifted his hand to touch her face. She closed her eyes.
"I can't." she pulled away. "Not now."
"Sorry." He stepped back and nervously rubbed his neck. "You're right. Go back to work. I'll wait here."
"Okay." She grabbed his hand and gave it a quick kiss. "Thank you." She smiled at him and walked back into the lion's den.
"So… Who was that?" the admin clerk raised her eyebrows
"A friend – um, from Chicago." Susan grabbed a chart and escaped to find her next patient.
When she was finished she tried to get onto the next with as little contact with other staff as possible. She wasn't ready to answer questions about Mark. Who was he? Her best friend? Easy. Her boyfriend? Ugh – sounded so high school. Go with best friend. But even with an answer prepared she didn't want to be answering questions ABOUT Mark. She wanted to be with him. Twenty minutes till a break, and then two hours till her shift was over. Surely she could get out of it.
When she returned to admin the clerk asked, "You off on your break now?"
"Um, yeah. Don't suppose I could leave early if I skipped it?"
"You'll have to talk to Miller." The woman nodded at curtain two.
Susan ducked her head in to curtain two. "Hey, any chance I can take off early today?"
"Well…" Miller snipped the end of the suture on the patients forehead and turned to Susan, "I might be able to cover for you. Depends, what's this for?"
"Um, my best friend has just turned up out of the blue from Chicago and I kinda…"
"Your friend? I don't think I can cover your shift so you can hang with JUST an old friend. Old lover on the other hand?"
"Mark isn't…"
"Shame."
"Okay, okay. He's not JUST an old friend. He's not and old lover. He's… it's hard to explain."
"Well when you figure out the definition I'm first to know, so get out of here." Miller waved her away.
"Thanks." Susan half-squealed and forced herself to walk at a normal pace to the lounge. The pushed the door open, stepped inside and leaned back on the door. "All done."
Mark looked up from the magazine he was reading.
"Really?" he grinned.
"Yeah, well. Bribery and Corruption. Anyway, I'll just get changed and then we can go." She opened her locker, took her bag out. Mark stood up.
"You really bribed someone didn't you?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" she laughed "Be right back." She dipped into the ladies room to change.
When she came out his first words were, " You know I wouldn't be interested in this bribe if you didn't refuse to tell me?"
"Yup." She grinned, laughter in her eyes. He just smiled at her – kind of coyly.
"What?" She questioned his stare.
"Nothing. Shall we?" he pulled open the door and followed her out of the ER.
He had an idea. It was a bit rash, but that was part of its appeal. He was in Anspaugh's good graces so now was better than ever.
Thursday. It was beginning to be Susan's favourite day of the week. She was working until ten, again. But with something to go home to it was a piece of cake.
She ended up leaving ten minutes early. Chloe was home and asleep. Suzie was asleep and quiet. Things couldn't be more perfect. She got ready for bed and lay in bed talking to him until she could hardly keep her eyes open. Then he sung her to sleep but out of concern for her phone bill he hung up before he fell asleep.
Susan pulled the curtain shut so her patient could change into the hospital gown and went to get a nurse. She was clearing the board fairly easily. She even had time to get all the details on the charts as she did them rather than racking her brains afterward. Next, severe cramps. 'Easy', she thought taking the chart and walking out to chairs to locate the patient. She looked down to find the name and when she looked up again a figure walking in the sliding doors caught her attention.
It couldn't be.
He looked around like he was lost, or looking for something. Then he saw her. And only when that smile lit up his face did she really believe it was Mark. She put the chart on the counter behind her. Someone tried to tell her it wasn't finished but she didn't hear them. She walked around the chairs to be enveloped in a long-awaited embrace. He gathered her to him like no one else was in the room. She was just as unaware of her surroundings. She held him as tight as she could.
They let go just long enough to check their eyes weren't deceiving them. Both grinned like complete idiots. Staff and patients alike were watching. A few patients giggled. A few of the staff asked each other if they knew who he was.
The couple became a little more aware of their audience.
"Do you have a break soon?"
Susan checked her watch. "Half an hour."
"Okay." He apparently planned to wait in chairs.
"No, come through to the lounge. Have some bad coffee and steal someone else's food from the fridge." She took his hand and led him through to the lounge. As soon as the door shut behind them Susan turned to him.
"You're here?"
"I couldn't stay away." He offered hopelessly.
She pulled him close again. She couldn't believe he was really there. Or how much he was affecting her. 'Pull yourself together.' She told herself hopelessly. She looked up at him. Their eyes locked. Grins had faded to amazement. He had been a little better prepared for this – he knew he was coming. But he wasn't prepared for this. He lifted his hand to touch her face. She closed her eyes.
"I can't." she pulled away. "Not now."
"Sorry." He stepped back and nervously rubbed his neck. "You're right. Go back to work. I'll wait here."
"Okay." She grabbed his hand and gave it a quick kiss. "Thank you." She smiled at him and walked back into the lion's den.
"So… Who was that?" the admin clerk raised her eyebrows
"A friend – um, from Chicago." Susan grabbed a chart and escaped to find her next patient.
When she was finished she tried to get onto the next with as little contact with other staff as possible. She wasn't ready to answer questions about Mark. Who was he? Her best friend? Easy. Her boyfriend? Ugh – sounded so high school. Go with best friend. But even with an answer prepared she didn't want to be answering questions ABOUT Mark. She wanted to be with him. Twenty minutes till a break, and then two hours till her shift was over. Surely she could get out of it.
When she returned to admin the clerk asked, "You off on your break now?"
"Um, yeah. Don't suppose I could leave early if I skipped it?"
"You'll have to talk to Miller." The woman nodded at curtain two.
Susan ducked her head in to curtain two. "Hey, any chance I can take off early today?"
"Well…" Miller snipped the end of the suture on the patients forehead and turned to Susan, "I might be able to cover for you. Depends, what's this for?"
"Um, my best friend has just turned up out of the blue from Chicago and I kinda…"
"Your friend? I don't think I can cover your shift so you can hang with JUST an old friend. Old lover on the other hand?"
"Mark isn't…"
"Shame."
"Okay, okay. He's not JUST an old friend. He's not and old lover. He's… it's hard to explain."
"Well when you figure out the definition I'm first to know, so get out of here." Miller waved her away.
"Thanks." Susan half-squealed and forced herself to walk at a normal pace to the lounge. The pushed the door open, stepped inside and leaned back on the door. "All done."
Mark looked up from the magazine he was reading.
"Really?" he grinned.
"Yeah, well. Bribery and Corruption. Anyway, I'll just get changed and then we can go." She opened her locker, took her bag out. Mark stood up.
"You really bribed someone didn't you?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" she laughed "Be right back." She dipped into the ladies room to change.
When she came out his first words were, " You know I wouldn't be interested in this bribe if you didn't refuse to tell me?"
"Yup." She grinned, laughter in her eyes. He just smiled at her – kind of coyly.
"What?" She questioned his stare.
"Nothing. Shall we?" he pulled open the door and followed her out of the ER.