CHAPTER 17
Robert sighed to himself as he snuck another glance at the clock. Five o'clock. Was this shift ever going to end? Just another hour and he'd be out of here. For good.
"Robert!" He heard a voice call, and looked round to see Elizabeth, coming towards him.
"Hey, Lizzie!" Robert said, cheerfully. "How are you? What are you doing down here, in the ER?"
"I'm here for a consult," Elizabeth explained. Drawing Robert aside, she lowered her voice, conspiratorially.
"So - your last shift. How do you feel?"
Robert shrugged.
"Tired mostly. This is my 24th hour and I'm looking forward to going home. Did you have a nice Christmas?"
"It was lovely, thank you Robert." Elizabeth answered. "Ella had lots of presents, and I spent the day with my feet up watching TV. It was bliss." She paused. "Listen, Robert. I've been meaning to ask you something. You and Jessie Rhodes. Are you, you know, together?"
Robert's face lit up in a massive grin.
"Yeah, I guess we are. I finally plucked up the courage to ask her out the other day, you know, when we were at Watson's. I'm off to see her when I finish here."
"Is it serious?" Elizabeth asked.
"I hope so," Robert replied, honestly. "she makes me feel…well…whole again, actually. Like she's the part of me that I'm missing."
"I'm really happy for you, Robert." Elizabeth smiled at her friend. It was great to see him so cheerful.
"Well, thanks, Lizzie. I'd suggest a double date, but I'm not so sure I could spend any length of time with Dr Dorsett." Robert quipped.
Elizabeth blushed, and looked away.
"Actually, I found out that Dorsett is married. I'm not seeing him any more."
Robert tried unsuccessfully to hide a smirk.
"Don't look at me like that!" Elizabeth punched Robert's arm, playfully. "Okay, so you were right about him!" She sighed and met Robert's gaze. "You know, sometimes, I just wish Mark hadn't left me. I want what we had together. I just miss him so much." She blinked back tears and shook her head. "I wish he was still here."
Robert patted Elizabeth's arm, gently.
"You'll get through this, Lizzie," he said, softly.
Elizabeth nodded and hugged Robert tightly.
"Take care of yourself, Robert," She said. "You keep in touch, now won't you? And you tell Jessie that she'd better look after you, or she'll have me to answer to!"
Robert smiled.
"I reckon she'll do just fine."
vvvvvv
With just five minutes to go, Robert decided to get changed. He stood at his locker, loading up his rucksack. I can't believe it's all about to end, he thought. I saw myself here for another twenty years. He snorted to himself. Of course, I never saw myself with only one arm, but hey, who knew?
As he was packing, he heard the door open, and turned to see Kerry, leaning against her crutch, looking at him.
Robert turned his back to her, and concentrated on his locker.
"Hello Kerry!" He said, cheerfully. "Have you come to escort me off the premises?"
"I just came to wish you luck with the future. Have you any idea what you're going to do?" Kerry asked, curiously.
"Well, I thought I'd devote my time to finding a new way to make your life a misery," Robert answered. He slammed his locker door and slipped his coat on. "I thought perhaps I could become a senator and oppose gay marriage or something!"
Kerry ignored the sarcasm.
"Seriously, Robert. Have you made any plans?" She persisted.
"Seriously, Kerry," Robert mimicked. "Well, firstly, I'm going home to take my beautiful girlfriend to bed. Want to come and watch?" He asked, nastily.
Kerry tried again.
"Look Robert, it was unfortunate how things turned out…"
Robert pushed open the door, and left the lounge. Kerry followed on his heels.
"…I'm sure if circumstances had been different…" she was saying.
Robert stopped so suddenly, Kerry almost ran into him. He spun on his heel, and stuck out his hand. Kerry shook it; a reflex action.
"Thank you, Doctor Weaver, for doing your utmost to make my life hell. Thank you for the years of constant backbiting and deceit. Thank you for engineering the vote that got me kicked out of this goddamn place. Thank you for introducing me to Jessie Rhodes." Robert paused. "Now that one, I actually mean."
Turning away from Kerry, he walked towards the exit.
"Goodbye, Kerry." He called, over his shoulder. "You are the one thing I will not miss about this damn place." Without looking round, he raised his prosthetic, middle finger standing to attention, and walked out.
At the desk, Jerry laughed. He hadn't a clue what was going on, but he was enjoying the scene anyway.
Outside, Robert took a deep breath. Finally free, he thought. As he took a last look at County, a building which had been his home, and his prison, for so long, he caught a glimpse of a white coat, in the gap between two of the buildings. He approached quietly, sniffing the air. Hmm, he thought. I recognize that smell.
He reached out, lightning quick, and grabbed the white coat, dragging its occupant into the open.
"Morris! What a surprise to find you here when there's work to be done! You really are the most incompetent doctor I have ever had the misfortune to meet." He shook Morris roughly.
"Hey, Doctor Romano," Morris coughed. "I was just, um, I mean, I was…"
"I can see damn well what you're doing." Robert jeered. "Now hand it over."
Morris frowned in confusion.
"I don't know what you mean, Doctor Romano," he began.
"Don't play the innocent with me," Robert snarled. "Give it here before I smack you over the head with this." He waved his prosthetic under Morris's nose. "Now!"
Morris sniffed disconsolately, and handed the bag of marijuana to Robert.
"Now go and report to Kerry Weaver. Tell her I sent you." Robert said, dismissively. Watching Morris walk off, he shook his head, despairingly. Was this what the ER was coming to? That idiot doctor would probably make Chief Resident one day and he couldn't even think and chew gum at the same time. God only knows how he made it through medical school.
Tucking the drugs into his trouser pocket, Robert shrugged. Oh well, he thought. Not my problem any more. He turned and walked out without a backwards glance. Home, he thought. Home to Jessie, and to whatever the future holds.
vvvvvv
Jessie greeted him with a kiss, and a glass of wine. This is the life, he thought. They made small talk for a while, but he quickly noticed that she seemed distracted.
"Jessie, is something wrong?" He enquired, concerned.
Jessie sighed, and sank down on the sofa.
"Well, not as such. But I need to talk to you."
Robert's stomach turned over. So now we're going to talk about it, he thought. He sat down beside her.
"Is this where you tell me that you're moving to Boston?" He asked, quietly.
Jessie met his gaze and looked away.
"I wondered if you knew…" she began, "I've been wanting to tell you for weeks."
"So you're really leaving?" Robert held his breath; he didn't really want her to answer.
"It's a great opportunity," Jessie admitted. She looked back at Robert. His expression gave nothing away.
"So are you going?" Robert persisted.
Jessie shrugged.
"Maybe, yes."
Robert's heart lurched.
"Just like that?" He snapped. "So, what about this? Is it just a bit of fun to you?"
Jessie shook her head.
"No. Robert, you know that's not true. But I wanted to talk about you. What are you going to do now you've left County?"
Robert snorted, derisively.
"Say goodbye to you, apparently."
Jessie held up a hand.
"Robert, listen to me. I've been offered the chance to help to create a team of professionals. People who know about amputation, people who can do what I do. The hospital have asked me to assemble a team. It'll be the first of its kind in the country. Pioneering. A chance to make a difference for amputees everywhere. I just wondered if you fancied it."
"Fancied what?" Robert asked, confused.
"Doing what I do." Jessie replied. "Counselling. Helping amputees. Trying to make people see that life doesn't have to end when you lose a limb. Think about how you can help people. Like Emily; look how much you helped her."
"I'm not sure I understand you," Robert said, honestly. "What is it you're offering?"
Jessie looked at him.
"Look, Robert, as of now, you're unemployed." She leaned forward and took his hand. Robert let her, his fingers caressing hers, gently. "I know you've got lots of money, and probably don't have to work again for a while, but I'm asking you if you're interested in a job."
"In Boston?"
"Yes, in Boston." Jessie said, patiently. Why couldn't he see that this was a great opportunity?
Robert withdrew his hand and stood up.
"Why are you doing this?" He asked, looking down at Jessie.
Jessie sighed.
"Actually, it's not me. The hospital requested that I offer you an interview. Your reputation as a surgeon has preceded you. They'd heard about your accident, and when I told them I was doing a report on you, they asked how you were doing. I told them what I thought; that I could see you doing this job, that you might have potential. They asked me to consider you for a position here – I think their actual words were 'What a coup it would be to employ Rocket Romano', and I said I would raise it with you when I next saw you. I didn't tell them your last words to me were 'Fuck you and your report'."
Robert had the grace to look embarrassed.
"But I don't know anything about counselling." Robert pointed out. He sat down next to Jessie, and reached for her hand.
Jessie shook her head.
"No, you see – you don't have to be able to do it now. You can learn. It will take a couple of years to get the qualifications. And although the hospital would pay for the course, you wouldn't be earning anything. You'd do work experience. But you said yourself that you don't need to work for a while, so it wouldn't be a hardship."
"And I'd be working for you?" Robert asked, his fingers entwining with Jessie's.
Jessie smirked.
"Is that a problem? Honestly, Robert, I don't know. Two years is a long time. I might not be your boss by then."
Robert frowned, thinking to himself.
"It's such a complete life change," he muttered.
Moving towards him, Jessie took him in her arms.
"And what was your accident? If that wasn't a chance to start again, I don't know what is. Look, Robert, it's up to you. No-one's saying you have to take the job, just go and have an interview. See what you think." She kissed him gently. "This could be the next chapter in your story."
Robert pulled away from Jessie and regarded her calmly.
"So what about you, Jessie? Are you going to Boston?"
Jessie sighed, and looked thoughtful.
"I'd like to," she began. "It's such a great opportunity; really good money, interesting, challenging. It could be a life-changing career move." She paused and met Robert's gaze. "But I also like it here, in your arms," she continued, honestly. "And if you ask me not to go, then I'll have to think about not taking the job, and staying here."
Robert smiled at her frankness.
"Can I think about it?" he asked.
"Of course you can!" Jessie answered. "Now, why don't you tell me why, exactly, you reek of marijuana!"
vvvvvv
They'd changed the subject and talked about other things. Robert told Jessie about what he'd said to Kerry, and finding Morris outside. Then they fixed dinner and watched a bit of TV. After dinner, Robert proceeded to lose three games of chess in quick succession, and Jessie slyly admitted that perhaps she was slightly better at chess than she'd first let on.
As the evening wore on, Robert realized that he'd not showered since the start of his last shift. Surreptitiously, he sniffed at himself. Hmm, not good, he thought.
"Hey, Jessie," he began, casually, " mind if I take a shower? Twenty-four hours straight can leave a guy a bit worse for wear, you know?"
Jessie grinned.
"Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but now you mention it…" She ducked as Robert threw a cushion at her. "I'm kidding. Of course you can. Why don't you use the one in there?" She said, pointed towards her bedroom. "The shower in the bathroom is little more than a trickle. I need to call someone out in the New Year. There are towels in the chest at the end of the bed."
Robert murmured his thanks and sauntered into the bedroom. After a few minutes, Jessie heard the shower start. She thought about the evening ahead, and wondered if the butterflies in her stomach were nerves or excitement.
The shower stopped, and Jessie waited for patiently for Robert to emerge, all clean and fluffy. After about fifteen minutes, she wondered if she should check on him. Perhaps getting dry and dressed was still a struggle, she mused. She remembered how long it had taken her to manage to do her jeans up, after her accident. Having one arm wasn't easy at the best of times.
"Hey, Romano, are you all right in there?" She stood up and moved slowly towards the bedroom. "Do you need a hand!"
Gently pushing open the bedroom door, she could see Robert, lying fast asleep on her bed, his modesty protected by just a towel.
"Hmm…" Jessie muttered to herself, "looks like that's all I'm gonna get this evening."
She went over to the bed and looked down at Robert. Despite the absence of his arm, he looked to be in good shape. His right arm was curled across his body, and the outline of an impressive bicep was clearly visible. Amazing what a doctor's coat can disguise, she thought, idly. Jessie realized that regardless of his height, Robert was probably pretty strong.
A soft line of sandy (well, okay, Jessie admitted; it was ginger) hair ran down his stomach, disappearing beneath the towel. Groaning softly to herself, Jessie took a deep breath, and summoned every ounce of self control she possessed to resist the urge to lift up the towel. Instead, she moved the covers so that he would be warm, and turned off the bedside lamp.
Gently tracing his brow with her fingertips, she thought about the change in the man since they'd first met more than seven months previously. The old Romano was surly, obnoxious, snarky, bitter, resentful…the list was endless. This Romano was, admittedly, still a bit of a jerk; some of his hang-ups lingered, but he was so much more relaxed and mellow; more at peace with himself. He'd almost come to terms with everything that had happened to him. Jessie considered briefly that maybe she had had something to do with this transformation.
Wandering back into the living room, Jessie sat down and began flicking through the TV channels. So many stations, so little on, she thought. Rochester leaped up on to the sofa, and she stroked him gently. She cast her mind back to earlier in the evening and their conversation about Boston. She wondered if Robert would agree to come. She hoped that he would realize that he didn't need to stay in Chicago. That he would grasp the chance to start again and rebuild his life. After all, not many people who'd suffered as he had were offered such a great job opportunity. Jessie hoped fervently that Robert would realize that life doesn't have to end when you lose a limb. In fact, it might just turn out to be a new beginning…
vvvvvv
Robert woke suddenly, and sat up in the dark. Where am I? He thought. As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, he remembered what had happened; he'd taken a shower, and had fallen asleep on Jessie's bed. Looking round, he could just make out the sleeping form lying next to him. Jessie's arm was flung back over her head and her hair was fanned out over the pillow. She had a serene smile, and Robert was struck by how cute she looked. Then she snored gently.
Robert chuckled softly. It made a nice change to have a woman in his bed; or, more accurately, be in a woman's bed. He nudged Jessie gently, and she obediently turned onto her side, so that she was facing him. Robert went to lie down, and as he did so, his towel slipped and he realized that he was naked. Sliding quietly out of bed, he found his bag, and a clean pair of jockey shorts. He struggled into them, and decided to brush his teeth, while he was out of bed.
Lying back down beside Jessie, Robert watched her quietly. He thought about what they had talked about earlier. He'd finally plucked up the courage to ask about Boston. Her answer hadn't been one he was expecting. A job offer; a chance to start afresh. Rolling over on to his back, Robert stared into the darkness. Should I go? He thought. Is it the right move? He cast his mind back to little Emily; so broken and scared, until he'd helped her. Okay, so he hadn't been able to perform the surgery to amputate (or save) her arm, and he hadn't built the prosthetic limb she was now wearing, but in his own way, he'd helped her come to terms with what had happened. In a way, Emily had adjusted quicker than he had.
Robert lay, thinking about the future. Beside him, Jessie murmured in her sleep. She turned over so her back was to him. Turning so he was facing her, Robert thought about how great the past few weeks had been. He knew that it would be wrong for him to tell Jessie not to go. And, he realized, he would be a fool to let her leave without him. She had rescued him from himself. He couldn't be without her.
Eventually, his eyes began to close, and he moved closer to Jessie so he could wrap his right arm around her. She sighed, contentedly, and leaned back into his chest.
Just before sleep overtook him, Robert's confusion cleared. He knew what he was going to do.
vvvvvv
Jessie woke first, and was surprised to find herself pinned by Robert's arm. She snuggled into him, and pulled his arm tighter around her. Robert mumbled and stirred. He pulled her closer and kissed her, gently.
"Morning, my love," he whispered. "Thanks for looking after me last night. I'm sorry I fell asleep. I know last night was supposed to be…you know. Can I make you some tea to apologize?"
Jessie looked over her shoulder at him and grinned.
"That would be magic!" She sighed.
Robert leapt out of bed, and disappeared to make some tea. Jessie marvelled at his thoughtfulness. She plumped up the pillows. Rochester sauntered into the bedroom. He jumped up onto the bed, and sat on Jessie's ankles, purring contentedly.
After a few minutes, Robert returned, carrying two mugs in his right hand. Jessie took them from him, and he slid back into bed. He took back his cup, and sipped it cautiously before placing it on the bedside table. Jessie placed her own cup down, and lay back against the pillows.
Turning to face Jessie, Robert lay back down, and reached for her hand.
"Listen, Jessie; about what we were talking about last night." He paused. "I've made a decision. I'll come to Boston, but on one condition."
Jessie smirked.
"Look, Robert; the cat is coming too. That's non-negotiable, I'm afraid!"
Robert grinned but said nothing. He drew Jessie closer to him.
"Okay, Romano," Jessie said. "What's the condition?"
Robert looked down at the woman he loved. His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
"Marry me?" He asked, simply.
vvvvvvvv
To all of you who made it this far... thank you so much for reading my Fan Fiction. It feels so good to finally share the story that I've been wanting to tell, ever since 'Freefall' and that damn helicopter!
If you've enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it, please review and let me know. And tell your friends! (And if you thought it was rubbish, please let me know too!)
Special thanks to Vanessah, my very first reviewer, and also to Rocketlover for all her praise and encouragement. A special mention must go to BubbaChunkWillis, for his guidance and direction.
This Fan Fiction is for Abi, who always believed I could do it.
For Paul McCrane, who deserved so much more than he was given.
And for Clive.
RJ Valentine, 2006.