I'm an ex-Royal Navy gal and have No medical training other than emergency aid and I am not going to pretend otherwise – so please don't expect me to write it! If you've just joined us we started a few weeks after season 6 'All in the family' and veered off into my little world. Thanks to Saved by grace for advice on Mark's character. I do not own E.R or anyone from it, blah, blah!
LEAN ON ME
Chapter XI
He had been on fire today. Not only had he not lost anyone, he had in fact saved people who had no business still breathing. God, he felt fantastic, so alive. He loved being a surgeon, felt so pumped right now. He was back on track and he owed it all to one person.
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Elizabeth was knackered and fading fast. It had been a terribly long day, a hard one with back-to-back procedures, courtesy of the E.R. She ripped off her gown and gloves throwing them into the waste container. On autopilot she spoke to the relatives of her last procedure and headed for the lounge. 'Coffee must have coffee,' she thought.
She headed down the hall and spotted Mark waiting for her.
No, I do not need this right now.
"Elizabeth." He greeted gruffly, "I think we need to talk."
"Mark." She said, but did not stop walking. As expected he followed her into the lounge.
Elizabeth set about getting herself a coffee and then sunk into an armchair. Mark watched her then sat down in the chair opposite her.
He watched her for a while, before speaking. "So are you going to tell me the truth about last night?"
She eyed him with barley-concealed condescension. "Mark it has been an incredibly long day and I do not want to do this right now." Her head still pounded; she just wanted to go to bed.
"Elizabeth who were you with?" he persisted.
"A friend." She sighed.
"So you said, I want to know who he is."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because you should have been with me and you wont tell me who he is. I know everybody you know. So?"
"You don't trust me do you?" Elizabeth asked him outright.
"Look - When Jen cheated on me it really hurt. I can't let someone do that to me again and I refuse to be in a relationship where I am lied to." Mark said matter-of-factly.
"Mark it's complicated, I cant' tell you who he is, I made a promise, but I promise you THERE IS NOTHING GOING ON!"
"Is it someone at the hospital?" he persisted.
Elizabeth looked at him disbelievingly. "You're not listening to me Mark, I am not discussing the matter with you. You have to trust me!"
Mark eyed her back fleetingly before averting his gaze to the floor. "Not sure I can Elizabeth." He said quietly, unable to look her in the eye anymore.
Did he just say that? By God I think he did!
"Fine Mark. You can go now."
"Fine." He said and got up and left.
Wanker
Elizabeth closed her eyes.
"Well I guess that's the end of that then!" she muttered to herself quietly, as the door closed literally on yet another failed relationship.
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"Lizzie, there you are!" Robert yelled gleefully barging into the lounge in typical Romano fashion.
She jumped and opened her eyes suddenly.
I must have fallen asleep, God I'm so tired.
Robert waltzed over to the coffee machine, and proceeded to pour himself a cup.
"You want one?" he asked brightly.
Elizabeth shook her head slightly.
"I've had a really successful day Lizzie, I almost feel omnipotent!"
"How wonderful for you!" she snapped back at him. "Your flying high and my life sucks!"
Robert stopped in his tracks and watched her for a moment before sitting down opposite her, wearing a concerned expression.
"Hard day?" he asked.
Elizabeth looked up at him. "Leave me alone Robert, I'm knackered and in a bad mood."
"Is that all?" He quipped.
When he got no answer he looked at her again. "Lizzie?"
Nothing.
He kicked his leg out, his foot connecting with her shin.
"Hey!" she shouted.
"Just checking you're still with me." Romano joked.
Elizabeth shot him a stern glance and he pulled a pouty face at her.
"What's wrong, are you pissed at me?" Robert asked.
"YES," she yelled, then "No."
"Okay so which is it?" He retorted a little exasperated.
"No" a pause followed by "I think Mark and I just broke up."
"Oh, right. When you say 'think' does that mean...."
"It means we just broke up!"
"And this is all because you were with me and you cant tell him that? I'm sorry Elizabeth."
Elizabeth looked at the floor as Robert stared intensely at her. The last thing he wanted was to make Elizabeth's life complicated for her. How to make it better though? He'd walked in here on cloud nine and now felt utterly deflated.
They sat there in silence for a few minutes, neither sure of what to say until Robert suddenly piped up, "Hey you want to go and get shitfaced?"
At that Elizabeth laughed hard as memories of last nights shenanigans flooded her head. She looked up at him with a warm smile.
"I think the hair of the dog is the last thing I need." She chortled.
"So what do you need?" He asked gently.
She considered his words. "A bath, a meal and sleep."
"In that order?" Robert asked.
Elizabeth nodded her head.
"Can you do that with your mother at home?" He ventured.
"Probably not." She conceded.
"Can you do that at my place?" Robert dared his heart pounding against his chest. She looked at him weighing his words in her head. She felt pretty vulnerable right now; it would probably not be a good idea.
"I have no clean clothes." She answered.
"I'm sober now - I can drive you to yours, you could pick up what you need. If your mother plays nice you stay, if she doesn't you can leave."
It sounded simple.
"C'mon you scratched my back last night –let me scratch yours?" Robert asked his tone lewd, but his eyes giving away his concern. He stood up and held out his hand.
She took it.TBC
Hey is anybody actually still reading this? (R&R please)