Susan flicked off her gloves and pulled off the blood-smattered smock with a frustrated sigh.
"You did really well in there Susan." Carter jogged to catch up with her as she pushed through the doors out into the hallway.
She didn't reply but she gave him a wry smile and shrug that meant 'well that's that then'.
"Look, do you want to grab a bite after work?"
She was trying to think of an excuse when she spotted Rachel behind him looking a little lost. "Sorry, not tonight." She threw her smock in a rubbish bin and walked around him. "Rachel, Hi."
"Oh, hi Susan. Is dad here?"
"Um, I think he just left." Susan looked at the clock then the board, searching for Mark's name.
"Oh. It's just that I was going to study with some friends and they live in the opposite direction and I just figured I could drop by and let him know."
"Why don't you call him?" Susan suggested.
"Oh, um… will he be home yet?"
"I don't know but you need to let him know where you are." Susan tried not to get involved but hated to think that Rachel would lie through her teeth and cause Mark even more pain.
"Yeah, Dad worries heaps eh?"
"Only because he loves you."
Rachel met her eyes not sure what to make of her. She pulled out her new cell phone and dialled home. "Oh, hi dad. Yeah, I stopped by at the hospital to let you know I'm studying at a friend's. Yeah, I'll be home by ten. Yeah I know. Okay. Bye." She put the tiny phone back in her bag, smiled at Susan, backed away and waved before disappearing into the throng of people bustling around the ER.
Susan doubted that she'd just witnessed a conversation Mark had any part in. She didn't want to interfere but Mark would be worried and probably hurt.
"Triple MVA, three children and four adults, ETA six minutes." Someone yelled from admin.
Susan resolved to call Mark on her next break and rushed to clear beds before the trauma arrived.
Mark was pacing a track into the floorboards, planning what he was going to say to Rachel when she walked in the doors, planning how calm he'd be. He'd be to-the-point and unwavering. He wouldn't be manipulated or lied to and he'd lay down the law, without getting angry or… oh, sod it. He was past angry. When the phone rang he almost yelled down the line, "where the hell are you?"
Instead he grabbed it, "Rachel?"
"Sorry, Susan here."
"Oh, hey. Sorry."
"She stoped by the hospital." Susan got his attention, "I thought – well she called you from her cell phone but I'm assuming she was pretending for my benefit."
"Where did she say she was going?"
"She said she was studying with friends."
"Where they with her?"
"No, she came in on her own. She said she'd be home by ten, but…"
"It's eleven."
"Really?" Susan was supposed to have left an hour ago.
"Yup." He sighed. "I better go. She might call."
"Yeah. Do you want some company?"
Mark didn't reply at first. He'd love the company. Susan somehow calmed him – that would be perfect. "Yeah." He admitted a little reluctant – she'd just finished a long shift, possibly a double.
"I'll be there soon."
"Okay. Thank you."
"Bye." Susan hung up the phone and took a deep breath. The lounge was dark and peaceful. She pushed out into the bright and busy ER, ignoring the bustle with unusual focus.
"We're four hours behind Susan. You can't go." Kerry yelled from admittance.
"Sorry Kerry, something came up." She didn't even turn around.
"Sorry it's not Rachel." Susan said, letting herself into Mark's apartment. He met her anxiously, his shoulders sagging when he heard her.
"What am I supposed to do?"
Susan didn't know what to say so she walked to him and hugged him. She just held him. That was what he needed so he just held her, closing his eyes, all too aware of his faltering emotions, the smell of her shampoo, the warmth of her hands on his back…
"Mark." She didn't move.
"Mm." He opened his eyes but still held her tight.
"Do you have any of her friend's phone numbers?"
He thought for a moment, "No," and pulled back. If they were going to find Rachel he needed some kind of clarity in his head and that wasn't about to happen with Susan that close.
"Well, would she have them in her room?" she let go reluctantly?"
He hesitated then took a deep breath and led the way to Rachel's room. He flicked on the light and ran his eyes over her dresser.
Nothing.
"Ugh, I hate invading her space like this but she could be anywhere." He threw up his hands frustrated.
"Right. We'll find her." Susan touched his arm lightly then set about searching the messy bed covers, a pile of stationary on the floor…
Mark grabbed a bag off the floor behind the door and felt inside each pocket. He pulled out a box of cigarettes. "Well, that's good to know." He threw them on the bed.
Susan turned to see what he'd found but kept looking.
Mark found a homework diary and flicked it open, dropping the bag on the floor. Ironic how it was called a 'homework diary' when it was full of notes and none of them had anything to do with homework. There were a few numbers and Mark called a couple of them, finding nothing other than some kind of teenage solidarity that wouldn't allow Rachel's friends to give him any clues.
Susan could see he was on the verge of panic and anger so she took the phone off him. He pointed to the next phone number gratefully and sat back, exhaling. She put a comforting hand on his knee, "Hi, is Andrew there? – Yeah, thanks." She waited, "Hi, I'm looking for Rachel Greene, do you – oh, she is? Yeah. Yep. Okay. Yeah, now. Okay. Thanks."
"Where is she?"
"He's bringing her home."
"What? I should have gone to get her."
"She'll be here in twenty minutes and she's fine."
Mark stood up angrily.
"Mark if you went to get her you'd be fuming when you got there. This way you get a chance to cool down."
She was right. Mark turned to face her and nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, I know. You're probably right, I just…" he couldn't finish the sentence.
"Don't bring up the cigarettes tonight." She took his hands and got a smile.
"Thank you." He looked at their hands then at her and swallowed.
She pulled away reluctantly. Now was not the time. She gave him a quick and friendly hug then headed for the door. "If you need to blow some steam you have my number." She called back and he listened for the door to shut before he returned to the kitchen for his vigil.
"You did really well in there Susan." Carter jogged to catch up with her as she pushed through the doors out into the hallway.
She didn't reply but she gave him a wry smile and shrug that meant 'well that's that then'.
"Look, do you want to grab a bite after work?"
She was trying to think of an excuse when she spotted Rachel behind him looking a little lost. "Sorry, not tonight." She threw her smock in a rubbish bin and walked around him. "Rachel, Hi."
"Oh, hi Susan. Is dad here?"
"Um, I think he just left." Susan looked at the clock then the board, searching for Mark's name.
"Oh. It's just that I was going to study with some friends and they live in the opposite direction and I just figured I could drop by and let him know."
"Why don't you call him?" Susan suggested.
"Oh, um… will he be home yet?"
"I don't know but you need to let him know where you are." Susan tried not to get involved but hated to think that Rachel would lie through her teeth and cause Mark even more pain.
"Yeah, Dad worries heaps eh?"
"Only because he loves you."
Rachel met her eyes not sure what to make of her. She pulled out her new cell phone and dialled home. "Oh, hi dad. Yeah, I stopped by at the hospital to let you know I'm studying at a friend's. Yeah, I'll be home by ten. Yeah I know. Okay. Bye." She put the tiny phone back in her bag, smiled at Susan, backed away and waved before disappearing into the throng of people bustling around the ER.
Susan doubted that she'd just witnessed a conversation Mark had any part in. She didn't want to interfere but Mark would be worried and probably hurt.
"Triple MVA, three children and four adults, ETA six minutes." Someone yelled from admin.
Susan resolved to call Mark on her next break and rushed to clear beds before the trauma arrived.
Mark was pacing a track into the floorboards, planning what he was going to say to Rachel when she walked in the doors, planning how calm he'd be. He'd be to-the-point and unwavering. He wouldn't be manipulated or lied to and he'd lay down the law, without getting angry or… oh, sod it. He was past angry. When the phone rang he almost yelled down the line, "where the hell are you?"
Instead he grabbed it, "Rachel?"
"Sorry, Susan here."
"Oh, hey. Sorry."
"She stoped by the hospital." Susan got his attention, "I thought – well she called you from her cell phone but I'm assuming she was pretending for my benefit."
"Where did she say she was going?"
"She said she was studying with friends."
"Where they with her?"
"No, she came in on her own. She said she'd be home by ten, but…"
"It's eleven."
"Really?" Susan was supposed to have left an hour ago.
"Yup." He sighed. "I better go. She might call."
"Yeah. Do you want some company?"
Mark didn't reply at first. He'd love the company. Susan somehow calmed him – that would be perfect. "Yeah." He admitted a little reluctant – she'd just finished a long shift, possibly a double.
"I'll be there soon."
"Okay. Thank you."
"Bye." Susan hung up the phone and took a deep breath. The lounge was dark and peaceful. She pushed out into the bright and busy ER, ignoring the bustle with unusual focus.
"We're four hours behind Susan. You can't go." Kerry yelled from admittance.
"Sorry Kerry, something came up." She didn't even turn around.
"Sorry it's not Rachel." Susan said, letting herself into Mark's apartment. He met her anxiously, his shoulders sagging when he heard her.
"What am I supposed to do?"
Susan didn't know what to say so she walked to him and hugged him. She just held him. That was what he needed so he just held her, closing his eyes, all too aware of his faltering emotions, the smell of her shampoo, the warmth of her hands on his back…
"Mark." She didn't move.
"Mm." He opened his eyes but still held her tight.
"Do you have any of her friend's phone numbers?"
He thought for a moment, "No," and pulled back. If they were going to find Rachel he needed some kind of clarity in his head and that wasn't about to happen with Susan that close.
"Well, would she have them in her room?" she let go reluctantly?"
He hesitated then took a deep breath and led the way to Rachel's room. He flicked on the light and ran his eyes over her dresser.
Nothing.
"Ugh, I hate invading her space like this but she could be anywhere." He threw up his hands frustrated.
"Right. We'll find her." Susan touched his arm lightly then set about searching the messy bed covers, a pile of stationary on the floor…
Mark grabbed a bag off the floor behind the door and felt inside each pocket. He pulled out a box of cigarettes. "Well, that's good to know." He threw them on the bed.
Susan turned to see what he'd found but kept looking.
Mark found a homework diary and flicked it open, dropping the bag on the floor. Ironic how it was called a 'homework diary' when it was full of notes and none of them had anything to do with homework. There were a few numbers and Mark called a couple of them, finding nothing other than some kind of teenage solidarity that wouldn't allow Rachel's friends to give him any clues.
Susan could see he was on the verge of panic and anger so she took the phone off him. He pointed to the next phone number gratefully and sat back, exhaling. She put a comforting hand on his knee, "Hi, is Andrew there? – Yeah, thanks." She waited, "Hi, I'm looking for Rachel Greene, do you – oh, she is? Yeah. Yep. Okay. Yeah, now. Okay. Thanks."
"Where is she?"
"He's bringing her home."
"What? I should have gone to get her."
"She'll be here in twenty minutes and she's fine."
Mark stood up angrily.
"Mark if you went to get her you'd be fuming when you got there. This way you get a chance to cool down."
She was right. Mark turned to face her and nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, I know. You're probably right, I just…" he couldn't finish the sentence.
"Don't bring up the cigarettes tonight." She took his hands and got a smile.
"Thank you." He looked at their hands then at her and swallowed.
She pulled away reluctantly. Now was not the time. She gave him a quick and friendly hug then headed for the door. "If you need to blow some steam you have my number." She called back and he listened for the door to shut before he returned to the kitchen for his vigil.