Disclaimer: I do not own these characters





Chapter Fourteen: A Son's Support





Marc slowly opened his eyes and glanced at the clock on the night stand beside the bed. 3:30 am. From underneath his bedroom door, he saw a light on in the living room. Concerned, he got up and went into the living room. He found his mother sitting on the couch wrapped in a blanket.

"Mom? What are you doing out here? It's 3:30 in the morning."

"I couldn't sleep." Lu answered without looking up. "What are you doing up?"

"I saw the light on. Are you okay?" Marc replied.

"I'm fine." Lu answered. "You should go back to bed."

"Mom, can we talk for a minute?"

"Can't it wait til tomorrow?" Lu questioned.

"It could, but I'd like to talk about it now. Please?"

"Okay. What's on your mind?" Marc hesitated, trying to find the right words to begin the conversation. Lu sighed.

"What's so important that we have to talk about it in the middle of the night?" She asked her son.

"I heard Dr. Jackson talking to you today when you were taking care of that sick baby. Is that guy really going to sue you for malpractice?"

"You heard? What were you doing up there?" Lu asked.

"I wanted to surprise you. While I was waiting for you, I heard Dr. Jackson and that guy talking. I hid so they wouldn't see me. That's when I heard the guy saying that he was going to sue you. How could Dr. Jackson let him do it, Mom?" Lu was silent for a moment as she thought about how she could answer her son's question when she herself wasn't sure of the answer.

"I don't know if Dr. Jackson can do anything, Marc." Lu finally answered. "Or at least he says he can't."

"I know." Marc said. "I talked to him."

"You did?" Marc nodded.

"Yeah. I sort of barged into his office."

"I'm sure he loved that." Marc smiled.

"Yeah. He said that I am definitely your son."

"I'm not so sure you should have done that, Marc. No matter what, he is still my boss."

"I know, Mom, but I can't just stand by and watch him do nothing. How can he let that man sue you?"

"Marc, I know you are concerned, and I appreciate it. But this is something I need to take care of myself."

"What's gonna happen if he does sue you?" Marc asked.

"If he wins the case, I could be suspended or even terminated."

"They could fire you?" Lu nodded.

"Yeah. If he can prove that what I did was wrong. I'll have to go before the hospital board. Maybe even court."

"Are you going to get a lawyer?" Lu slowly shook her head.

"I can't afford one. You know that."

"What about the baby's mother? Have you talked to her?" Marc asked, trying his best to help his mother find a solution to this situation.

"Yeah, I talked to her." Lu answered.

"And?"

"She admits that I did what I had to do."

"That's great, Mom. She can tell Dr. Jackson what happened." Marc said with a touch of excitement in his voice.

"Don't get too excited." Lu told her son. "She won't go against her husband."

"Even if she knows he is wrong?" Lu shook her head, but remained silent.

"So she's gonna lie?" Marc asked. Lu nodded.

"I guess so. She'd rather lie than go against her husband. I guess I can understand why she would support her husband." Marc shook his head.

"But not if it means lying and hurting someone else. Mom, if he wins and you get fired, then what? You've worked hard to keep the free clinic going. You've worked hard and fought to get where you are. You can't lose all of that. I won't let it happen."

"Marc, I appreciate your support. But I'm afraid there's not much either of us can do here. Especially if Dr. Jackson decides that Bryan is right."

"All Jackson cares about is what it will look like on the hospital records. He's afraid that it will just make the hospital, and him, look bad. Why doesn't he care about what will happen to you? He never takes your side on an issue. I don't get it." Lu sighed, suddenly feeling exasperated by the situation.

"I don't either, Marc."

"Mom?"

"Yeah?" Lu leaned her head back against the couch and closed her eyes, suddenly feeling very tired.

"When you left that baby today you were crying. Was it because of what Dr. Jackson said?"

"Yeah. The baby's father doesn't want me to be her doctor any more. I'm not allowed near her."

"But that's not fair. You delivered her. You've been taking care of her. You care about her. Can't he see that? Another doctor just won't care for her like you do."

"Dr. Jackson assigned Dr. Harrison to her case. He's a good doctor. He'll take care of her. By the way, how did you know I was crying?" Lu asked.

"I was standing around the corner. I didn't want Dr. Jackson and that other guy to know I was there. Then after I heard what Dr. Jackson said to you, I didn't want you to know I was there either. I knew you wouldn't want me to see you cry. After that, I went to talk to Dr. Jackson."

"I think Dana was wrong in this case." Lu said softly.

"You've talked to her?" Lu nodded.

"Yeah. Last night. She said when the chips are down, Dr. Jackson supports his staff. I think I'm on my own with this one, Marc. He seems to feel that I may have made a hasty decision with the delivery because I've been under much stress since Dana left."

"But you wouldn't do that, Mom. Doesn't he know that?" Lu shrugged.

"I thought he did. But I guess maybe he doesn't."

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Without a lawyer..." Marc paused.

"I know. Without a lawyer, I won't have much of a chance. And even if Dr. Jackson was on my side, that's no guarantee that I would win the case. I would have to prove that what I did was justified, just like Bryan would have to prove that what I did was unjustified. And right now, it is my word against his. My only hope is the baby's mother. And right now, that doesn't look promising. I might as well start clearing out my office."

"Mom, don't say that. That would mean that you are giving up. And giving up isn't your style. You're a fighter." Marc said, trying to encourage her. Lu knew her son was right, but at that moment she felt very discouraged, like noone except her own son believed her.

"It's almost 4:00. I think we'd both better try to get some sleep." Lu stood up, the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders. Marc got up and turned out the light.

"Yeah, I guess." Lu put her arm around her son as they headed towards the bedrooms.

"Don't worry, Marc. I'll be okay." Lu assured him as they reached his room. "Get some sleep." Lu walked across the hall to her own room.

"Mom?" Lu sighed, then turned to face her son.

"Yeah, Marc?"

"I love you." Lu smiled.

"I love you too, Marc. Good night."

"Night, Mom." Lu closed her bedroom door and slipped into bed, hoping to at least sleep for a few hours before her alarm would go off. She felt totally drained, and was not looking forward to another long day at the clinic. As she drifted off into a restless sleep, she wondered what would be in store for her when she arrived at the clinic in only a few short hours.