Disclaimer: I don't-oh I can't bothered.

A/N: Apologies for the delay. I was dealing with some severe writer's block. Then I sat down and started typing and ended up with this giant chapter. Funny that. I split it up again, just for ease of reading.

I'm still sort of unsure as to where this will go or rather how I will arrive at my final chapter. Its a slow burner I know, but you've all been ever so patient so far so I'm hoping you'll stick with it.

This begins after the last chapter, then jumps ahead a bit. I'm trying to bring Robert's arm in a bit too because its still there and it's still not working and I can't ignore it anymore!

I join the ranks of those who don't know medicine and therefore suck at writing traumas, but I wanted Robert to, you know, do medicine and that.

Also-don't know police stuff, this is all just picked up from watching too much TV.

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Robert trailed slowly up the steps to his front door. He needed to sleep for an incredibly long time. Last night he'd only managed to get a few hours in, preferring to keep awake and keep an eye on Ella.

Thoughts, good, bad, indifferent and just plain weird tossed around his sleep deprived brain. He knew his resolution to get over Elizabeth was doomed and decided to abandon himself to his fate. Perhaps, in time, it would fade or maybe he'd meet someone else, someone who made him feels alive like she did. But for now, he would remain the poster child for unrequited, ill-fated love.

He fumbled at the lock with his key and fell inside yawning. He stared at the stairs, wished he had a stair lift and stumbled into the living room. It was still a mess from Ella's antics. The thought of her made him smile as he crashed onto the sofa. Something prodded him. He reached behind him and pulled out a plastic square-one of Ella's toys.

Me with a kid, he thought, my mother would be so proud. But last nights events had convinced him of one thing. That he could still do something. It had been hard, and he wasn't what you'd call a natural but spending time with Ella, someone who needed him, made him feel gosh darn it, pretty good.

He closed his eyes. And Elizabeth was okay. That was the best thing in the world. She was changed somewhat, but no one could go through something that traumatic and remain the same.

Except you, he thought. Go away, I'm having a moment here he argued back.

She'd cried, that was true but he'd been there for her. She'd felt so warm and soft and real.

But soon she'll have other people to do that, said his mind traitorously, her parents and friends. And don't forget she was high as a kite when you saw her. He placed the niggling thoughts at the back of his mind and concentrated on the happy ones.

With Ella's toy still curled in his hand, he fell asleep.

*

Elizabeth's parents arrived the next day. Her mother took up residence in the house and her father in a hotel a safe distance from the house. They put there bickering to one side for a while to comfort their daughter and Elizabeth was grateful for them. It also meant someone was there to take care of Ella.

Cards and flowers arrived in the first week and a stream of visitors the week after. People from all over the hospital popped in to say hello. Elizabeth wasn't sure if they were coming out of some sense of duty or actual concern but she was touched nonetheless.

Susan visited whenever she got the chance and Elizabeth was grateful for the doctor's dry wit and practical outlook. They even discussed Ella, and Susan mentioned her brief fling with single motherhood, making Elizabeth warm to her even more.

But surprisingly, one person kept a distance. Robert visited once after that first time and had to rush off quickly. Despite what had passed between them he still seemed uncomfortable. Elizabeth wasn't sure if it was the fact his little flirtation with police work was now common knowledge or the honest words they had exchanged or the fact her parents were now on the scene. Whatever it was, she found herself wishing that he would come back again so they could talk.

It was a strange feeling and she couldn't explain it.

*

Robert walked out into the ER and headed for trauma 2. He had returned to work pretty quickly, ignoring Donald's protests that he should take some time out.

He was meeting Donald tomorrow to have a proper, serious meeting and he thought he knew why. Donald wanted to talk to him about his work as Chief of Surgery. Can't have a CoS who doesn't actually perform surgery now can we? He absently drew a fingernail across his slinged arm. Nothing. No movement, no feeling, nothing.

He slammed into trauma 2, grateful for the noise and chaos to take his mind off things.

A man lay on the gurney, screaming bloody murder, with a nice peppering of gunshot wounds

'Isn't this pretty,' said Robert, pulling on a gown and glove with a nurse's help.

Carter who was trying to hold the man down and listen to his lungs at the same time, gave him the details.

'Multiple GSW's. Three in the chest, one in the leg and one in the arm. This lung sounds like its been pierced.

'Oh lovely,' said Robert, checking the wounds, 'I take it he wasn't merely taking a stroll in the wrong part of town?'

'They were on my patch!' gasped the man, 'I got a good patch! God, what're you doing to me!?'

Chen peeled back the dressing on the leg wound and a spurt of blood leapt onto the wall.

'Hey watch it, we just had this place redecorated!' snarked Robert.

'This ones hit an artery-clamp!' said Chen, ignoring him.

'BP's dropping,' said Abby, handing her the instrument.

'Two more units!' shouted Carter.

'Well I think this may seem rather obsolete but, as I am getting paid for this, I think he's definitely going to need surgery,' said Robert.

'We need to stabilise him first,' Carter shouted, 'Chen how're you doing?'

'I've got this one, but it's the ones in the chest we need to worry about.'

'Why can't I breath?' struggled the man, 'my chest feels tight!'

'Sir, one of the bullets has punctured you're lung, but don't worry, we're going to sort it out. Dr Romano could you check the other two wounds?'

'What do you think I'm doing Dr Carter, the polka?'

But the patient was of most importance to both doctors and they temporarily put aside their differences in order to stabilise the man. After working hard for fifteen minutes, he was finally stable enough to go upstairs.

'Are you going to be doing it?' the man demanded, as Robert slammed the rails into position, 'coz I don't want you, I want a doc with two arms!'

'Well, we don't provide those for drug dealers,' said Robert, grimly, 'you only get half a doctor.'

'Don't worry,' called Carter, as the man was wheeled out, 'you got Dr Romano, otherwise known as Superdoc.'

Robert ignored the stifled giggles from the trauma team and punched the lift button, irritably. He had been getting them for a while, now that people knew his 'heroics' upstairs were true and not just rumour.

And it wasn't just stifled laughing. There were meaningful looks exchanged when people thought he wouldn't notice, subtle yet pointed comments and some bright spark had even drawn a cartoon in the men's toilets. School-kid pranks, he thought, I suppose I should wack someone with a toy truck to get them off my case.

The fact that he hadn't said or done anything to indicate any pleasure with his new status just made him more appealing as a target.

The lift doors opened.

'Dr Romano?'

Shirley leaned over the nurse's station and waved a phone at him.

'Call for you, line two. It's Yvonne Brown.'

Robert handed the man over to the team to get him ready and took the phone off Shirley.

'Miss Brown, what a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you? Armed robber you want out of a bank or maybe some guy's threatening to blow himself up on the El?'

Yvonne chuckled.

'Well you've lost none of your charm,' she answered.

'What can I say, its a flaw. As fun as this is, I have a patient doing a fair impression of a golf course to deal with so...'

'Okay, lets ditch the small talk then. We're dealing with your performance at the moment anyway, so I don't really have time. Forms to fill in, questions to answer...but I'm ringing to tell you this personally rather than through some letter. Boss called me in this morning. Turns out that you're quite the publicity card. You're being given a special honour, an Award for Bravery, that the CPD usually only award to cops.'

'I'm honoured,' said Robert, stonily.

'Easy on the enthusiasm their mister,' said Yvonne, 'they want to do a presentation, photographs-the whole shebang-'

'Woah, you can hold it there. There is no power on Earth that could get me to go to anything like that.'

'Odd, I figured you'd be all for the ego-boosting.'

Robert let that one go. Most people thought it was weird he wasn't revealing more in the praise, but he just felt awkward about the whole thing. There was nothing to celebrate.

'Yeah, well,' he said, quickly, 'maybe if it had involved, I don't know, medicine on any level I would be all for it. However, the whole hero deal doesn't sit well with my personality.'

'Well, all right. I'll tell the boss, but don't expect this to just go away. He's very into publicity. Oh, how's Dr Corday? I've been checking up on the victims but hospital information is so impersonal-just health stuff-and I want something more-'

'-personal.'

'Yep.'

'She's as well as can be expected. What with the recovery and dealing with her daughter and her parents and you guys sniffing around like she's so much fresh meat.'

'Just doing our job. We have to build a case.'

'A case? A dead guy and five witnesses aren't a case?'

'That's the point. Martin is going to be up for trial very soon. The sharks are going to shout 'temporary insanity' and we need to prove he was compus mentus. I don't want him walking free.'

Me, neither, thought Robert. Then something terrible struck him.

'Will she have to testify?' he asked, sharply, 'Dr Corday, I mean.'

'Ah, I've all ready let out too much, but...probably. I'm guessing we'll all have to, including you.'

Robert sighed heavily. More stress. And she'd have to repeat what had happened. She did not need this. He suddenly had to talk to Elizabeth. He'd been avoiding her; unwilling to bump into her parents and unsure as to whether she would want to see him again.

He said a quick goodbye to Yvonne and stood for a moment lost in thought. Shirley waved a hand at him.

'Dr Romano?'

He looked up.

'Your patient?'

'Oh yeah.'

He wandered into the scrub room and began to prepare. The surgery had all ready begun and as usual he'd be standing on the sidelines, but for once he wasn't too bothered. It would give him a chance to think about what he was going to do. After this, he was going straight to Elizabeth.

*

Some kind of complicated shenanigans involving her father and the hospital had provided Elizabeth with a private room. She had protested she didn't need it, but was beginning to see how much patients were ignored, whilst people waffled on about what was best for them.

Still it had an okay view. She looked out of her own window, over the weirdly attractive cityscape and leaned back in her chair. It was so quiet. Her father was bringing Ella in later, it being his day to take care of his 'cherub' as he called her. Chris was grateful for the time off, though she did say she would help out at any time.

It was just a case of waiting. Visits were more sporadic now. I'm less of a novelty, she thought. TV was dull and reading was losing its interest.

There was a knock at the door. Susan coming round for another gossip, she wondered.

'Come in,' she said, turning.