Thanks again to all who have reviewed. This is a long one (For me anyway). I was up into the wee hours tapping away on my trusty laptop – my husband thinks I've gone mad!! – So I hope you like it!
LEAN ON ME
Chapter V
The cab pulled up in front of a very grand and imposing house. Elizabeth was impressed despite herself. She remembered Lucy's excited description of the house, but they do not do it justice. Lucy. Funny, how things kept coming back to her. A catalyst to the Rocket, she mused.
Robert paid the driver and climbed out of the cab holding out a hand to help Elizabeth. They stood together both inhaling the night air and swaying drunkenly together.
"Come on." He said.
Robert started forward rooting in his pocket for his keys. Elizabeth made to follow. 'In for a penny in for a pound' she mused to herself 'Here goes, best foot forward as mother would say.'
Only, Elizabeth's 'best foot' tripped on the step and propelled her into Robert who then fell smack into the door. They both collapsed on the floor looking at each other before bursting into loud hysterical laughter.
After a while, the laughing slowed to giggles and Robert looked straight at Elizabeth and smiled a genuine, rare and warm smile she would never have thought him capable of. She grinned back goofily.
"I think at this stage coffee would be a good idea. Care to join me?" he asked getting to his feet and taking her hand to help her up.
"Thought you'd never ask."
He looked at their clasped hands and spoke so softly she had to strain to hear.
"Thank you for tonight Elizabeth."
Then he dropped her hand and turned his attentions back to the door. She started to brush herself off. When she'd finished Robert had the front door open and was pacifying an over excited Gretel.
"She's looking better than the last time I saw her."
"Yes you are, aren't you girl, yes you are." he said in a silly voice as Gretel slobbered over him.
"Eww, that's disgusting," Elizabeth pulled a face.
"Take no notice girl she's just jealous." Robert smooched.
Gretel suitably loved up went back to her basket and to the business of sleeping.
"So coffee triple strength coming up then." Robert trudged off to the kitchen and Elizabeth looked around before wandering off after him. The house was just as impressive in as it was on the outside.
"You have a beautiful home Robert."
"Thanks."
"How long have you lived here?"
"About ten years." The coffee machine started to spit and a nice aroma hit the air.
"Soo, have you always lived here alone?" Elizabeth asked.
"Wow Lizzie that was subtle!" he chuckled.
"So?" she persisted.
Robert took a deep breath and placed his hands flat down on the counter. He felt his body tense up.
Elizabeth snook up behind him and placed a hand tentatively on his shoulder.
"Robert?"
"We bought it together, we fixed it up together." He muttered.
"We... is Laura?" she asked tentatively.
Robert turned around and studied Elizabeth's face for a while. Just how much should he tell, where would he start? Tonight had been a big help already, he knew that much. He felt better than he had in weeks. Lucy's death had brought back a lot of memories and emotions he thought he had put to bed. Maybe talking about it with Elizabeth would finally give him 'closure.'
Elizabeth stood there waiting patiently for him to say something. She'd pushed him enough tonight; it was up to him now.
He grabbed two cups and poured out the coffee. "You want milk?"
"Yes please." She replied.
She watched him wander over to the fridge to get milk and finish making the coffee.
Picking up the cups he carried them past her and headed off. She turned and followed him into a large airy lounge, illuminated by a single table lamp that cast shadows eerily around.
He put the cups down on the coffee table and sat down on the large couch. Elizabeth pondered where to sit – armchair or the couch?
Robert kicked off his shoes and sprawled out, brought his hands to his head and rubbed his temple.
'Solves that problem' she thought and sat in the chair opposite him.
He remained still for a moment then reached over to sip some coffee.
"Coffee alright Lizzie?"
She reached for her own cup, took a sip and nodded.
"I met Laura in medical school." He started after a brief silence.
Elizabeth sat back into the deep chair.
"It was the real deal you know – love at first sight with all the associated squishy trappings."
He led back down and smiled ruefully at the ceiling. "We just hit it off from day one. Had our moments like most couples do but we were certain of each other throughout. We managed to wangle our residencies in the same hospital, how cheesy is that?" he chuckled.
She watched him talk. When he spoke of Laura his voice turned so gentle she had to hide a surprised smile behind her cup. She liked this Robert.
"Then we got married. I kid you not Lizzie I was the happiest man alive the day she vowed to love me forever....." He trailed off, went quiet.
"She was pregnant?" Elizabeth asked referring to the picture from his wallet.
Robert's smile faded slightly and his voice took on an edge.
"Five months when it was taken. A girl. Never got to meet her."
Suddenly he sat up and drained his coffee cup. When he looked up at Elizabeth his eyes were moist, and she could see the incredible struggle going on within him as he fought to keep himself under control. His jaw set tight, he focused his breathing in and out, in and out.
Elizabeth set her cup down on the table before walking over to him and sitting beside him on the couch.
"You okay Robert?" she asked softly.
"No."
He stared ahead refusing to meet her eyes. He did not want to fall apart (again), and felt sure that's what would happen if he carried on.
Elizabeth was unsure how to proceed. Robert was obviously fighting a battle with his emotions and loosing. He was not a man to reveal weakness voluntarily; if she hadn't walked in on him earlier in his office that evening, there was no way she would be any wiser about this complex man.
"Listen, Robert I'm not going to pry, but I would really like to help. How about we just sit here, huh? I'm great company and you'll love it cause I promise not to talk." She smirked.
He still faced forward but she saw his shoulders relax slightly.
"Can I have that in writing Lizzie to use against you at a later date?"
"Typical, I'm trying to be nice and you're plotting against me!" she snipped playfully.
"It's pretty late Elizabeth, won't Green have the search parties out looking for you by now?"
"He's my boyfriend Robert, it's not like we're joined at the hip. And you forget I have my mother staying with me – would you want to go home knowing Issabelle Corday was waiting for you."
Robert shuddered his shoulders over dramatically. "So basically I'm doing you a huge favour tonight is that it?" he snickered.
"Well, yeah."
He turned to look at her with intense eyes. She felt herself blush, as he seemed to look right inside her, see her very soul.
"You're a very wonderful person Elizabeth Corday." Then he leant back into the couch.
She beamed genuinely at him.
"Thank you." She said.
"No - thank you." A pause. "Erm, remember earlier tonight I said I was no good at touchy, feely crap?" he started.
Elizabeth nodded.
"Well... errmm, I....." he mumbled.
She looked at him bemused.
"God you men are useless. Come here," she interrupted as she leant back into the couch and pulled his head to her shoulder and wrapped an arm around him. "Too tough to ask for a hug, but you can stand head to head with a charging buffalo or worse still argue the toss of a coin with Kerry the banshee Weaver!"
"Lizzie."
"What?"
"You promised not to talk" he smirked.
"Smart arse!" she muttered.
They stayed like that holding each other for quite some time. Elizabeth offering support by simply being there, Robert drawing strength from her warm embrace.
'Well this evening just gets stranger' she chuckled to herself. 'If you'd have told me yesterday that tonight I would spend an enjoyable evening with Robert Romano, have him open up to me as much as he could manage and end up hugging him whilst he slept his troubles away – and here's the really startling fact – be strangely comfortable with this, here, holding him. Well I'd have laughed in your face.'
After a time Elizabeth felt herself beginning to drift off to sleep. Some time after, she didn't know how long, she felt Robert shifting about.
"You awake?" she yawned.
Nothing. She settled back down and closed her eyes. Then his quiet voice cut through the silence.
"She was on her way to pick me up after my shift," he started, "Going through an intersection, some drunk bastard ran a light and hit her straight on."
Elizabeth squeezed him a bit tighter.
"I was in the ambulance bay waiting for her none the wiser when they wheeled her out of the ambulance."
"Oh my God Robert."
"Yeah." He agreed.
"I knew when I saw her she was hurt too badly, but you know you cling on to every last ray of hope. First they called the baby, and then............they tied everything you know.............but it was useless –she - they were gone."
"Course the drunk walked away with a few scratches, cause that's what happens isn't it? People kill people everyday and just walk away. Good people who don't deserve to die, like Laura, like Lucy they don't stand a chance." Robert's voice rose angrily.
"God I'm so sorry Robert." The words sounded hollow even to Elizabeth's ears. What the hell could she say to that little lot of information?
Another lengthy silence followed, the only sounds in the room those of the two occupants breathing.
Robert wiped stray tears from his eyes. 'Wow that was actually easier than I thought.'
He sat up suddenly and looked over at Elizabeth. She was looking at him with tired eyes and a worried expression.
"You want more coffee Lizzie?"
"No, no Robert I'm fine – so erm what did you do after?" she asked.
"What I do today. Threw myself into work. It hurt to spend time here so I spent the next few years working mainly in Europe as you know."
"How come you stopped continent jumping?" she asked.
'Cause I met you and you agreed to come to America with me.' He thought to himself.
"Not sure," he lied. Then, "I got Gretel and with her came responsibilities," he said lightly.
"Why are so hard on yourself?" she asked.
"I'm not hard on myself Elizabeth, I love what I do, and you of all people should understand that part of me. Look loosing Laura and the baby left a huge void in my life yes, but, I've always been driven Lizzie. I focus on my work 'cause that's all I have left, but I'd like to think I'd be in the same place career wise even if the accident hadn't happened."
"Okay so why are you so hard on other people then?" she dared.
He didn't answer but looked at her face questioningly.
Elizabeth returned the stare with determination – she so wanted to understand this complicated man. Robert continued to look directly at her concentrating on her eyes, occasionally to her mouth. Elizabeth noticed and felt a slight flush fill her cheeks. She held her nerve though and did not look away as she would normally. Dutch courage would do that for you every time.
"Do you think I'm hard on you?" Robert asked her softly.
"Yes, no, oh I don't know – but you can't deny you're a pain in the ass where the rest of the hospital is concerned." She blurted out.
He shrugged.
"It's more efficient that way. If you're soft people take advantage. Now, when I say jump, they ask high and they do it – and they do it well quite a lot of the time. They feel good about themselves for achieving what they thought they couldn't do in the first place and they get to blame me for making them do it! It's the time honoured symbiotic relationship of worker/manager Lizzie – There is no great mystery here."
Elizabeth considered his words for a while, and then a slight smile twisted her lips.
"Bollocks!" she said matter of factly.
"God you're eloquent when you're drunk Lizzie " Robert chuckled.
"Robert you enjoy torturing people, you thrive on it! Make a point of it! Want to know what I think?"
He continued to look at her with a bemused expression and shook his head from side to side.
"Tough," she said, "I think you keep people at a distance so that you wont like them and you wont get hurt again!"
Robert laughed at her. She just continued to watch him.
"Bollocks Elizabeth – I like who I am, and yes I enjoy pushing peoples buttons, I never once said I was a nice guy now did I? Yes I've been hurt, but so have most people. I have no designs on myself, I'm NOT traumatised so please spare me the visit to your psyche class from medical school days long gone!" he said voice rising slightly.
They eyed each other warily, neither one willing to back down. He sighed and ran a hand over his face then looked at his watch.
"What time are you on today?" he asked.
"Today? Is it tomorrow already," she said grabbing his hand and looking at the watch.
"Robert it's 3 am!"
"My point exactly Elizabeth, what time are you on?"
"Eight o'clock – yourself?"
"Same." He replied.
"We should get some sleep if we don't want to kill anyone tomorrow, oh wait, I'll probably do that anyhow with my current run." He sank back down in the couch and closed his eyes.
"Guest bedroom second room on the right at the top of the stairs." He said quietly.
"You're worried about it aren't you?" She asked.
"About what?" he opened his eyes.
"This bad run of yours."
"Bloody hell Lizzie, aren't you tired already!"
She peered down at him and smiled. "I have been known on occasion to go ALL night!" she teased.
"Please don't make jokes like that at this late hour Elizabeth."
"So?"
"How does Green put up with you?"
They entered into another staring competition eyeing each other like adversaries. Then....
"Course I'm bloody worried." He spat out suddenly. "I'm a doctor, a damn good one. My medical abilities are my one constant in this world, and here I am beginning to doubt myself. I wasn't allowed to assist with Laura for obvious reasons and despite everything we tried I couldn't save Lucy. It was like watching Laura die all over again only this time it was MY FAULT because I was the one who failed her. Do you know how freaked out I was when I first laid eyes on Lucy! I had such hopes for her. I mean she was nothing like Laura personality wise, but well you've seen her, you can see the physical resemblance. Lucy would have become the great doctor that Laura should have......" Robert trailed off.
Elizabeth looked at his face; he was in turmoil, fighting inner demons. Lucy's death had upset everyone who knew her, but for Robert it had also opened up a whole can of painful memories. To top it all he was beginning to doubt himself, doubt the very skills that defined him as a man, gave him his reason to function, to live. A lesser person would have cracked long ago. But not Robert; he was, she began to see stronger than she had ever realised. He was kind in his own way, funny and utterly decent. There was much she still did not know but right now watching him struggle with himself her heart went out to him at that point. She looked beyond the façade he presented and saw him, the man. She could never think of Robert as just a colleague ever again. Pain in the ass yes, but a friendly one – her friend. Tonight she would give her friend an out.
She leaned back into the couch next to him and snuggled her head onto his chest.
"Robert?"
"What?" he said quietly, slightly taken aback by her actions.
"You talk too much!"
He peered down at her surprise on his face. She'd closed her eyes and seemed to be nuzzling down to go to sleep. 'Cheeky cow' he thought, 'Nags me all night then basically tells me to shut up!' He smiled warmly at her then, he knew she had just let him of the hook. He could so love this woman if she would only let him. Damn Mark Green!
Smiling fondly down at her he suddenly felt brave and kissed the top of her head lightly.
"G'night Lizzie."
Elizabeth smiled, "Good night Robert."
TBC
What do you think? I've got one maybe two more chapters in mind, but I have an idea for a sequel as well. Please R&R for more!
LEAN ON ME
Chapter V
The cab pulled up in front of a very grand and imposing house. Elizabeth was impressed despite herself. She remembered Lucy's excited description of the house, but they do not do it justice. Lucy. Funny, how things kept coming back to her. A catalyst to the Rocket, she mused.
Robert paid the driver and climbed out of the cab holding out a hand to help Elizabeth. They stood together both inhaling the night air and swaying drunkenly together.
"Come on." He said.
Robert started forward rooting in his pocket for his keys. Elizabeth made to follow. 'In for a penny in for a pound' she mused to herself 'Here goes, best foot forward as mother would say.'
Only, Elizabeth's 'best foot' tripped on the step and propelled her into Robert who then fell smack into the door. They both collapsed on the floor looking at each other before bursting into loud hysterical laughter.
After a while, the laughing slowed to giggles and Robert looked straight at Elizabeth and smiled a genuine, rare and warm smile she would never have thought him capable of. She grinned back goofily.
"I think at this stage coffee would be a good idea. Care to join me?" he asked getting to his feet and taking her hand to help her up.
"Thought you'd never ask."
He looked at their clasped hands and spoke so softly she had to strain to hear.
"Thank you for tonight Elizabeth."
Then he dropped her hand and turned his attentions back to the door. She started to brush herself off. When she'd finished Robert had the front door open and was pacifying an over excited Gretel.
"She's looking better than the last time I saw her."
"Yes you are, aren't you girl, yes you are." he said in a silly voice as Gretel slobbered over him.
"Eww, that's disgusting," Elizabeth pulled a face.
"Take no notice girl she's just jealous." Robert smooched.
Gretel suitably loved up went back to her basket and to the business of sleeping.
"So coffee triple strength coming up then." Robert trudged off to the kitchen and Elizabeth looked around before wandering off after him. The house was just as impressive in as it was on the outside.
"You have a beautiful home Robert."
"Thanks."
"How long have you lived here?"
"About ten years." The coffee machine started to spit and a nice aroma hit the air.
"Soo, have you always lived here alone?" Elizabeth asked.
"Wow Lizzie that was subtle!" he chuckled.
"So?" she persisted.
Robert took a deep breath and placed his hands flat down on the counter. He felt his body tense up.
Elizabeth snook up behind him and placed a hand tentatively on his shoulder.
"Robert?"
"We bought it together, we fixed it up together." He muttered.
"We... is Laura?" she asked tentatively.
Robert turned around and studied Elizabeth's face for a while. Just how much should he tell, where would he start? Tonight had been a big help already, he knew that much. He felt better than he had in weeks. Lucy's death had brought back a lot of memories and emotions he thought he had put to bed. Maybe talking about it with Elizabeth would finally give him 'closure.'
Elizabeth stood there waiting patiently for him to say something. She'd pushed him enough tonight; it was up to him now.
He grabbed two cups and poured out the coffee. "You want milk?"
"Yes please." She replied.
She watched him wander over to the fridge to get milk and finish making the coffee.
Picking up the cups he carried them past her and headed off. She turned and followed him into a large airy lounge, illuminated by a single table lamp that cast shadows eerily around.
He put the cups down on the coffee table and sat down on the large couch. Elizabeth pondered where to sit – armchair or the couch?
Robert kicked off his shoes and sprawled out, brought his hands to his head and rubbed his temple.
'Solves that problem' she thought and sat in the chair opposite him.
He remained still for a moment then reached over to sip some coffee.
"Coffee alright Lizzie?"
She reached for her own cup, took a sip and nodded.
"I met Laura in medical school." He started after a brief silence.
Elizabeth sat back into the deep chair.
"It was the real deal you know – love at first sight with all the associated squishy trappings."
He led back down and smiled ruefully at the ceiling. "We just hit it off from day one. Had our moments like most couples do but we were certain of each other throughout. We managed to wangle our residencies in the same hospital, how cheesy is that?" he chuckled.
She watched him talk. When he spoke of Laura his voice turned so gentle she had to hide a surprised smile behind her cup. She liked this Robert.
"Then we got married. I kid you not Lizzie I was the happiest man alive the day she vowed to love me forever....." He trailed off, went quiet.
"She was pregnant?" Elizabeth asked referring to the picture from his wallet.
Robert's smile faded slightly and his voice took on an edge.
"Five months when it was taken. A girl. Never got to meet her."
Suddenly he sat up and drained his coffee cup. When he looked up at Elizabeth his eyes were moist, and she could see the incredible struggle going on within him as he fought to keep himself under control. His jaw set tight, he focused his breathing in and out, in and out.
Elizabeth set her cup down on the table before walking over to him and sitting beside him on the couch.
"You okay Robert?" she asked softly.
"No."
He stared ahead refusing to meet her eyes. He did not want to fall apart (again), and felt sure that's what would happen if he carried on.
Elizabeth was unsure how to proceed. Robert was obviously fighting a battle with his emotions and loosing. He was not a man to reveal weakness voluntarily; if she hadn't walked in on him earlier in his office that evening, there was no way she would be any wiser about this complex man.
"Listen, Robert I'm not going to pry, but I would really like to help. How about we just sit here, huh? I'm great company and you'll love it cause I promise not to talk." She smirked.
He still faced forward but she saw his shoulders relax slightly.
"Can I have that in writing Lizzie to use against you at a later date?"
"Typical, I'm trying to be nice and you're plotting against me!" she snipped playfully.
"It's pretty late Elizabeth, won't Green have the search parties out looking for you by now?"
"He's my boyfriend Robert, it's not like we're joined at the hip. And you forget I have my mother staying with me – would you want to go home knowing Issabelle Corday was waiting for you."
Robert shuddered his shoulders over dramatically. "So basically I'm doing you a huge favour tonight is that it?" he snickered.
"Well, yeah."
He turned to look at her with intense eyes. She felt herself blush, as he seemed to look right inside her, see her very soul.
"You're a very wonderful person Elizabeth Corday." Then he leant back into the couch.
She beamed genuinely at him.
"Thank you." She said.
"No - thank you." A pause. "Erm, remember earlier tonight I said I was no good at touchy, feely crap?" he started.
Elizabeth nodded.
"Well... errmm, I....." he mumbled.
She looked at him bemused.
"God you men are useless. Come here," she interrupted as she leant back into the couch and pulled his head to her shoulder and wrapped an arm around him. "Too tough to ask for a hug, but you can stand head to head with a charging buffalo or worse still argue the toss of a coin with Kerry the banshee Weaver!"
"Lizzie."
"What?"
"You promised not to talk" he smirked.
"Smart arse!" she muttered.
They stayed like that holding each other for quite some time. Elizabeth offering support by simply being there, Robert drawing strength from her warm embrace.
'Well this evening just gets stranger' she chuckled to herself. 'If you'd have told me yesterday that tonight I would spend an enjoyable evening with Robert Romano, have him open up to me as much as he could manage and end up hugging him whilst he slept his troubles away – and here's the really startling fact – be strangely comfortable with this, here, holding him. Well I'd have laughed in your face.'
After a time Elizabeth felt herself beginning to drift off to sleep. Some time after, she didn't know how long, she felt Robert shifting about.
"You awake?" she yawned.
Nothing. She settled back down and closed her eyes. Then his quiet voice cut through the silence.
"She was on her way to pick me up after my shift," he started, "Going through an intersection, some drunk bastard ran a light and hit her straight on."
Elizabeth squeezed him a bit tighter.
"I was in the ambulance bay waiting for her none the wiser when they wheeled her out of the ambulance."
"Oh my God Robert."
"Yeah." He agreed.
"I knew when I saw her she was hurt too badly, but you know you cling on to every last ray of hope. First they called the baby, and then............they tied everything you know.............but it was useless –she - they were gone."
"Course the drunk walked away with a few scratches, cause that's what happens isn't it? People kill people everyday and just walk away. Good people who don't deserve to die, like Laura, like Lucy they don't stand a chance." Robert's voice rose angrily.
"God I'm so sorry Robert." The words sounded hollow even to Elizabeth's ears. What the hell could she say to that little lot of information?
Another lengthy silence followed, the only sounds in the room those of the two occupants breathing.
Robert wiped stray tears from his eyes. 'Wow that was actually easier than I thought.'
He sat up suddenly and looked over at Elizabeth. She was looking at him with tired eyes and a worried expression.
"You want more coffee Lizzie?"
"No, no Robert I'm fine – so erm what did you do after?" she asked.
"What I do today. Threw myself into work. It hurt to spend time here so I spent the next few years working mainly in Europe as you know."
"How come you stopped continent jumping?" she asked.
'Cause I met you and you agreed to come to America with me.' He thought to himself.
"Not sure," he lied. Then, "I got Gretel and with her came responsibilities," he said lightly.
"Why are so hard on yourself?" she asked.
"I'm not hard on myself Elizabeth, I love what I do, and you of all people should understand that part of me. Look loosing Laura and the baby left a huge void in my life yes, but, I've always been driven Lizzie. I focus on my work 'cause that's all I have left, but I'd like to think I'd be in the same place career wise even if the accident hadn't happened."
"Okay so why are you so hard on other people then?" she dared.
He didn't answer but looked at her face questioningly.
Elizabeth returned the stare with determination – she so wanted to understand this complicated man. Robert continued to look directly at her concentrating on her eyes, occasionally to her mouth. Elizabeth noticed and felt a slight flush fill her cheeks. She held her nerve though and did not look away as she would normally. Dutch courage would do that for you every time.
"Do you think I'm hard on you?" Robert asked her softly.
"Yes, no, oh I don't know – but you can't deny you're a pain in the ass where the rest of the hospital is concerned." She blurted out.
He shrugged.
"It's more efficient that way. If you're soft people take advantage. Now, when I say jump, they ask high and they do it – and they do it well quite a lot of the time. They feel good about themselves for achieving what they thought they couldn't do in the first place and they get to blame me for making them do it! It's the time honoured symbiotic relationship of worker/manager Lizzie – There is no great mystery here."
Elizabeth considered his words for a while, and then a slight smile twisted her lips.
"Bollocks!" she said matter of factly.
"God you're eloquent when you're drunk Lizzie " Robert chuckled.
"Robert you enjoy torturing people, you thrive on it! Make a point of it! Want to know what I think?"
He continued to look at her with a bemused expression and shook his head from side to side.
"Tough," she said, "I think you keep people at a distance so that you wont like them and you wont get hurt again!"
Robert laughed at her. She just continued to watch him.
"Bollocks Elizabeth – I like who I am, and yes I enjoy pushing peoples buttons, I never once said I was a nice guy now did I? Yes I've been hurt, but so have most people. I have no designs on myself, I'm NOT traumatised so please spare me the visit to your psyche class from medical school days long gone!" he said voice rising slightly.
They eyed each other warily, neither one willing to back down. He sighed and ran a hand over his face then looked at his watch.
"What time are you on today?" he asked.
"Today? Is it tomorrow already," she said grabbing his hand and looking at the watch.
"Robert it's 3 am!"
"My point exactly Elizabeth, what time are you on?"
"Eight o'clock – yourself?"
"Same." He replied.
"We should get some sleep if we don't want to kill anyone tomorrow, oh wait, I'll probably do that anyhow with my current run." He sank back down in the couch and closed his eyes.
"Guest bedroom second room on the right at the top of the stairs." He said quietly.
"You're worried about it aren't you?" She asked.
"About what?" he opened his eyes.
"This bad run of yours."
"Bloody hell Lizzie, aren't you tired already!"
She peered down at him and smiled. "I have been known on occasion to go ALL night!" she teased.
"Please don't make jokes like that at this late hour Elizabeth."
"So?"
"How does Green put up with you?"
They entered into another staring competition eyeing each other like adversaries. Then....
"Course I'm bloody worried." He spat out suddenly. "I'm a doctor, a damn good one. My medical abilities are my one constant in this world, and here I am beginning to doubt myself. I wasn't allowed to assist with Laura for obvious reasons and despite everything we tried I couldn't save Lucy. It was like watching Laura die all over again only this time it was MY FAULT because I was the one who failed her. Do you know how freaked out I was when I first laid eyes on Lucy! I had such hopes for her. I mean she was nothing like Laura personality wise, but well you've seen her, you can see the physical resemblance. Lucy would have become the great doctor that Laura should have......" Robert trailed off.
Elizabeth looked at his face; he was in turmoil, fighting inner demons. Lucy's death had upset everyone who knew her, but for Robert it had also opened up a whole can of painful memories. To top it all he was beginning to doubt himself, doubt the very skills that defined him as a man, gave him his reason to function, to live. A lesser person would have cracked long ago. But not Robert; he was, she began to see stronger than she had ever realised. He was kind in his own way, funny and utterly decent. There was much she still did not know but right now watching him struggle with himself her heart went out to him at that point. She looked beyond the façade he presented and saw him, the man. She could never think of Robert as just a colleague ever again. Pain in the ass yes, but a friendly one – her friend. Tonight she would give her friend an out.
She leaned back into the couch next to him and snuggled her head onto his chest.
"Robert?"
"What?" he said quietly, slightly taken aback by her actions.
"You talk too much!"
He peered down at her surprise on his face. She'd closed her eyes and seemed to be nuzzling down to go to sleep. 'Cheeky cow' he thought, 'Nags me all night then basically tells me to shut up!' He smiled warmly at her then, he knew she had just let him of the hook. He could so love this woman if she would only let him. Damn Mark Green!
Smiling fondly down at her he suddenly felt brave and kissed the top of her head lightly.
"G'night Lizzie."
Elizabeth smiled, "Good night Robert."
TBC
What do you think? I've got one maybe two more chapters in mind, but I have an idea for a sequel as well. Please R&R for more!