"Long Lost, Chapter 4"
Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own ER. Perhaps someday I will...then Susan and Chuck will have all the screen time! :)
Susan was resting on the bed with Regan lying next to her. Susan was directing her daughter's hand over her stomach.
"Okay, right there. Do you feel that?" Regan looked up at Susan and then smiled.
"I felt it! Is that really the heartbeat?!" Susan grinned.
"It sure is," she said, rubbing her very pregnant belly. "That's your baby sister's heart beating."
"It's amazing," Regan said, astonished. "The whole process is just so fascinating. You have a life growing inside of you!"
"It's a miracle," Susan replied, her tone gentle. "I remember when I was pregnant with you. It sometimes seems like just yesterday." Regan leaned back against a pillow. Susan stared out across the room. "I was scared, but excited at the same time. There were so many emotions." She turned and looked at her daughter. "Do you want to hear about this?" Regan nodded silently, and Susan continued. "I wanted to keep you. I really, truly did. But...my parents thought it was best to find you a better home. I was frightened, I was only seventeen, and I didn't think I could give you the type of home that you needed. You needed a better mother than I could be." Regan reached out and took Susan's hand.
"I think you would've been a great mom," she said quietly. Susan leaned over and kissed Regan's head.
"Thank you," she began. "I needed to hear that." Regan pushed her hair back from her face, a habit that Susan noticed her daughter did when she was nervous. "What is it, sweetie?"
"I was just um...wondering about...you know, my um...my father," she stammered. Regan looked directly at Susan. "Was he involved in your life during the pregnancy? Did he want you to even have me?"
"You never really asked about your dad," Susan replied. "I was kind of expecting some questions." Susan leaned back against the pillow next to Regan. "His name is James O'Meara. He was my high school sweetheart. We dated from the summer before our junior year until graduation. And he was involved with the pregnancy. James took me to the doctor, and made sure I ate well and rested." Regan smiled.
"So he cared about both of us?" she asked.
"Yes, he did," Susan answered. "But we both decided that two seventeen-year-old kids weren't the right people to raise a baby. We went to the adoption agency and the people there were so nice to us. I knew they'd find a good home for you."
"They did," Regan said. "My parents are the most wonderful people I know. It's just hard to believe I grew up a half an hour away, and we never met before."
"It was a closed adoption," Susan said. "I felt it was best that way. Otherwise I'd have been tempted to take you back myself." She smiled at her daughter. "And trust me, I would have." Regan grinned at her birth mother and rested her head on Susan's shoulder.
"When was the last time you spoke to James?" Regan inquired. Susan stroked Regan's hair.
"Two years ago," she said. "We ran into each other by the El station. He lives outside of Chicago." She looked at Regan. "Honey, if you want to find him, I'll help you."
"I'm not sure. Maybe. I don't know," Regan sighed. "I mean, maybe it's not the right time. You're due to have the baby in a couple of months. I don't want to put any strain on your pregnancy."
"It's sweet that you're thinking of me, honey, but don't let that stop you," Susan advised. "When I saw James at the El, he asked if I'd ever heard from you. He seemed disappointed when I said I hadn't."
"So he might want me to find him?" Regan asked, her tone one of surprise. Susan nodded.
"I don't think he'd be too disappointed in meeting you," she said. "I certainly wasn't."
Regan turned to Susan and smiled. "I love you," she said softly. Susan embraced her eldest daughter.
"I love you," she said, and kissed Regan's head again. "Ooh, she's kicking!" Susan placed Regan's hand on her stomach again. "Did you feel that?"
"Yeah! Wow...it's a miracle," she whispered. Susan looked at Regan.
"So are you," she replied.
The next chapter: Regan meets some of the County ER staff.
Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own ER. Perhaps someday I will...then Susan and Chuck will have all the screen time! :)
Susan was resting on the bed with Regan lying next to her. Susan was directing her daughter's hand over her stomach.
"Okay, right there. Do you feel that?" Regan looked up at Susan and then smiled.
"I felt it! Is that really the heartbeat?!" Susan grinned.
"It sure is," she said, rubbing her very pregnant belly. "That's your baby sister's heart beating."
"It's amazing," Regan said, astonished. "The whole process is just so fascinating. You have a life growing inside of you!"
"It's a miracle," Susan replied, her tone gentle. "I remember when I was pregnant with you. It sometimes seems like just yesterday." Regan leaned back against a pillow. Susan stared out across the room. "I was scared, but excited at the same time. There were so many emotions." She turned and looked at her daughter. "Do you want to hear about this?" Regan nodded silently, and Susan continued. "I wanted to keep you. I really, truly did. But...my parents thought it was best to find you a better home. I was frightened, I was only seventeen, and I didn't think I could give you the type of home that you needed. You needed a better mother than I could be." Regan reached out and took Susan's hand.
"I think you would've been a great mom," she said quietly. Susan leaned over and kissed Regan's head.
"Thank you," she began. "I needed to hear that." Regan pushed her hair back from her face, a habit that Susan noticed her daughter did when she was nervous. "What is it, sweetie?"
"I was just um...wondering about...you know, my um...my father," she stammered. Regan looked directly at Susan. "Was he involved in your life during the pregnancy? Did he want you to even have me?"
"You never really asked about your dad," Susan replied. "I was kind of expecting some questions." Susan leaned back against the pillow next to Regan. "His name is James O'Meara. He was my high school sweetheart. We dated from the summer before our junior year until graduation. And he was involved with the pregnancy. James took me to the doctor, and made sure I ate well and rested." Regan smiled.
"So he cared about both of us?" she asked.
"Yes, he did," Susan answered. "But we both decided that two seventeen-year-old kids weren't the right people to raise a baby. We went to the adoption agency and the people there were so nice to us. I knew they'd find a good home for you."
"They did," Regan said. "My parents are the most wonderful people I know. It's just hard to believe I grew up a half an hour away, and we never met before."
"It was a closed adoption," Susan said. "I felt it was best that way. Otherwise I'd have been tempted to take you back myself." She smiled at her daughter. "And trust me, I would have." Regan grinned at her birth mother and rested her head on Susan's shoulder.
"When was the last time you spoke to James?" Regan inquired. Susan stroked Regan's hair.
"Two years ago," she said. "We ran into each other by the El station. He lives outside of Chicago." She looked at Regan. "Honey, if you want to find him, I'll help you."
"I'm not sure. Maybe. I don't know," Regan sighed. "I mean, maybe it's not the right time. You're due to have the baby in a couple of months. I don't want to put any strain on your pregnancy."
"It's sweet that you're thinking of me, honey, but don't let that stop you," Susan advised. "When I saw James at the El, he asked if I'd ever heard from you. He seemed disappointed when I said I hadn't."
"So he might want me to find him?" Regan asked, her tone one of surprise. Susan nodded.
"I don't think he'd be too disappointed in meeting you," she said. "I certainly wasn't."
Regan turned to Susan and smiled. "I love you," she said softly. Susan embraced her eldest daughter.
"I love you," she said, and kissed Regan's head again. "Ooh, she's kicking!" Susan placed Regan's hand on her stomach again. "Did you feel that?"
"Yeah! Wow...it's a miracle," she whispered. Susan looked at Regan.
"So are you," she replied.
The next chapter: Regan meets some of the County ER staff.
