Mark usually called her as soon as he got home. But he wouldn't be home until after midnight and she needed as few nightly interruptions as possible. He'd got her letter that morning. And now he had a ten-minute break. Escaping to the lounge he dialled her number.
"Come on Susan, be home." He whispered to the dead line.
No one picked up. He hung up and dialled for the operator. After giving the details of the hospital she worked at he waited for the answer again.
Reception picked up.
"Hey, can I speak to Susan Lewis in the ER?"
"I'm sorry she's unavailable." She emotionless receptionist replied.
"No, I mean, I know – she's working right?"
"Yes."
"I'm a friend of hers – from Chicago. Can I call back, or…"
"I'll have her call you on her break."
"Oh, okay…" deflated. No one likes waiting for a call but he was getting good at it.
"Oh wait," the receptionist said quickly, "Susan. Call for you."
"Yeah." Susan sighed on the other end of the phone.
"Hey." Mark smiled, relieved he'd got hold of her.
"Mark. Hi." She couldn't have this conversation now – not at work.
"Are you alright?"
"Um, yeah." She lied, and she knew he knew it. "I can't talk now." She said coldly.
"Okay." This was worse than not talking to her at all.
"Bye." She hung up the phone. As far as bad days go, this was getting worse. Or maybe the multiple traumas that flooded in as soon as she hung up the phone were a blessing in disguise – took her mind of Chloe and Suzie and mostly Mark. Suzie was safe in day care. Chloe was high, but home. Mark could be anywhere. And she didn't mean that geographically. She hadn't talked to him in days. She didn't have the strength to do it. Everything was gracefully falling down around her knees. And there was nothing she could do to stop it.
"Come on Susan, be home." He whispered to the dead line.
No one picked up. He hung up and dialled for the operator. After giving the details of the hospital she worked at he waited for the answer again.
Reception picked up.
"Hey, can I speak to Susan Lewis in the ER?"
"I'm sorry she's unavailable." She emotionless receptionist replied.
"No, I mean, I know – she's working right?"
"Yes."
"I'm a friend of hers – from Chicago. Can I call back, or…"
"I'll have her call you on her break."
"Oh, okay…" deflated. No one likes waiting for a call but he was getting good at it.
"Oh wait," the receptionist said quickly, "Susan. Call for you."
"Yeah." Susan sighed on the other end of the phone.
"Hey." Mark smiled, relieved he'd got hold of her.
"Mark. Hi." She couldn't have this conversation now – not at work.
"Are you alright?"
"Um, yeah." She lied, and she knew he knew it. "I can't talk now." She said coldly.
"Okay." This was worse than not talking to her at all.
"Bye." She hung up the phone. As far as bad days go, this was getting worse. Or maybe the multiple traumas that flooded in as soon as she hung up the phone were a blessing in disguise – took her mind of Chloe and Suzie and mostly Mark. Suzie was safe in day care. Chloe was high, but home. Mark could be anywhere. And she didn't mean that geographically. She hadn't talked to him in days. She didn't have the strength to do it. Everything was gracefully falling down around her knees. And there was nothing she could do to stop it.