She caught his eye through the glass and his breath caught in his throat. In a moment the ER disappeared, the last five years with it, it was only them, it was a dream, but everything came back, her scent, the warm touch, that familiar embrace and not so familiar kiss.

"The pericardium is terse with blood." Elizabeth pulled him out of his bliss.

He nodded to Susan who was pointing toward admittance, and tried desperately to focus on the mess at his fingertips.

When she returned he'd given up on the patient but Elizabeth demanded they keep going, and once again, he gave in. he said he'd be back in a moment and stepped outside to apologise to Susan for the hold up.

She smiled and told him he looked great and that she'd catch up later – after an interview at northwestern. She was clearly happy to see him but she walked away and waved, taking that breathtaking smile with her and he was reminded again that he never wanted her to walk away again.

"Forget it." Elizabeth brushed past him.

Mark exhaled, watching his wife walk away for a moment before his eyes found Susan's retreating figure again. He wasn't sure why he still thought of Elizabeth as his wife – technically she was, but she certainly wasn't his, and for the first time in a long time his heart was grateful for the fact. His head knew they were a disaster waiting to happen but his lonely heart couldn't be convinced. His lonely heart had just left with that stunning smile, and a promise that she'd have it back for him in only a few short hours. He couldn't remember how he'd survived five years without her. If he could help it he wouldn't do so again.

Susan sat down with her coffee and sandwich, sharing her appalling interview with Mark and watching him laugh with delight.

"Give up the search and come back here. We're always short."

"Oh, now that's appealing."

"I thought distance made the heart grow fonder."

"Then I haven't been away long enough."

"No, you've definitely been away too long."

She had to smile at that. "So, what have I missed?"

"Oh, you know, med students, poverty, bounce backs, and that's just the staff."

She laughed.

He was hypnotized. She was stunning. At first it was her smile. But it all flooded back too quickly. She'd knocked him off his feet. Again.

"What else – what about you? Girlfriends, more kids, where's Rachel now?"

He grinned, "Rachel's with Jenn. Most of the time. And I am… separated."

"You got married again?" she stopped grinning, sat forward in her seat, her concern clear in her expression.

Mark nodded, "Yeah, and my daughter Ella is near on a year old."

Susan's eyes were wide. "What happened?" she didn't really think before she asked.

Mark shrugged, "Oh, you know…"

She shook her head. "We just, well it's a terrible cliché but we fell out of love I guess."

"Honeymoon period?"

Mark nodded, "Yeah, I guess. Elizabeth, well of course it wasn't just her fault, but I wanted to keep working at it." he toyed with his empty orange juice glass, "Maybe she was right after all."

"About what?"

"Oh, just that you shouldn't settle for something mediocre but strive for the extraordinary."

Susan nodded, "I'd agree with that."

"Yeah, I dunno." He shrugged, "Something extraordinary can't be extraordinary all the time. You have to struggle through the mediocre to find something truly extraordinary. Falling in love isn't that rare – it's the staying in love through thick and thin that's truly extraordinary."

Susan nodded, a little surprised. "What have you been reading?"

Mark laughed, "Kerry's book list on management and the ER."

"Well that explains it then." Susan grinned. "No wonder you've had so much time to think."

Mark shook his head, forcing himself to stop laughing so hard in public. "So how about you? Boyfriends? Charming but illegitimate children?"

Susan laughed and shook her head, "No, I've been too busy."

"I thought you were going to a private hospital."

"Yeah, I did. And then they suggested a transfer to an inner city trauma centre."

"You missed this?"

"Believe it or not. So I was there for a couple of years and then I got offered ER chief and did that for six months or so before…" she remembered the one key thing she hadn't told him. She'd rehearsed a few possible ways to drop a brain tumor into casual conversation and this had not been one of them but come to think of it none of them were anything fantastic.

"Before?" he tried to catch her eyes, which had dropped to her hands as she hesitated.

She took a deep breath and looked up. "Um… I got sick, I had to take some time off."

Mark immediately looked concerned, "Oh. Was it anything serious?"

"Well, I'm in remission now so I'm okay, but…"

"Cancer?" he couldn't hide the shock in his voice.

"Um," she pushed her hair behind her ear, "Well,"

"Mark we need you." Chuny stuck her head in the cafeteria door with a smile toward Susan.

"Yeah, I'll be right there." he nodded and Chuny and stood up. "Later?"

Susan stood up beside him and nodded, "and don't worry about me k? I'm fine now. Really."

Mark nodded and pulled her into a quick embrace. "I finish at seven." He backed away toward the doorway Chuny had just vacated.

"I'll be here." Susan nodded and watched him go then sat back down.