The following morning, Carol woke to the sounds of light footsteps in the kitchen. It took a second to realise why this made dread fill every particle of her heart. Then she remembered the argument with John the night before and sighed heavily. He was sure to be in an awful mood with her now and the last thing she wanted was to argue with him in front of Zach. So, with her heavy heart, Carol pushed back the covers, donned her fluffy dressing gown and made her way into the kitchen, bracing herself for cold, side long glances and minimum conversation.
'Morning, mommy!' Zach called, seeing his mom stumble into the kitchen.
Carol looked around the kitchen and the sitting room but didn't see John anywhere.
'Morning, baby. What are you doing awake so early?' she asked the toddler, spotting on the cooker clock that it was only just after five.
'Someone slammed the front door and woke me up. Was Grandma Helen over again?' Zach asked, cocking his head to one side.
'I sure hope not' Carol said, forcing herself to smile and joke with her son, 'Because we all know what Grandma Helen can be like in the morning, don't we?'.
Zach giggled and nodded. 'She makes me wear icky clothes that she bought me' he said, wrinkling up his nose.
Carol smiled and ruffled his brown curls before heading upstairs.
'Where are you going, mommy?' Zach inquired, padding along behind her in his slipper clad feet.
'I'm going to get you some icky clothes to wear' Carol replied in a low, put on spooky voice, causing the child before her to break into giggles and run away, waving his hands above his head. Carol smiled at his innocence and then carried on up the stairs.
But when she pushed open the door of the guest room, she found it empty, bed made, curtains back and an old shirt of John's over the end of the bed. Tears sprung to her eyes as she realised that John had left without even seeing her or Zach and she sank onto the bed feeling only total despair.
'Mommy! Can I wear my spiderman tee-shirt, pretty please?' Zach voice called up the stairs. Carol brushed away her tears hastily and stood up.
'Sure you can, baby' she called back, making her way towards the door. Only then did she spot the post-it, stuck to the doorframe. She reached out and pulled it off the wood and immediately recognised John's untidy scrawl.
I took the car today. You can take the El in the cold this time.
Anger flared up inside Carol and her fist closed over the note and she felt the paper scrunch under her fingers. No, she was not angry that he had taken the car. Not angry that she would have to take the El. She was angry that John had left Zach with no other option but to freeze on the train while it rattled its way across town to the hospital and the toddler's day care. How could he do that to a child, no matter how mad he was with her?
'Haleh, could you take Zach up to day care please? There's something I need to do before my shift starts' Carol asked the resident nurse, while dragging her snow covered feet across the mat just inside the main door of the ER.
Haleh smiled that wonderful, friendly smile of hers and scooped Zach up into her arms. 'How about we go play in the snow first, I'm on my break' Haleh suggested to Zach and his brown eyes lit up.
'I'd rather you didn't, Haleh. We've been stuck on the El for the last half hour and he's already freezing' Carol said, while shaking her hair out from under her hat.
'Why didn't you drive?' Haleh asked, taking one of Zach's hands and holding it to her face, then looking shocked when it was so cold.
'Long story. Could you just take him to day care?' Carol asked, again.
'Sure, honey. You go ahead. I'll get this little guy sorted' the shorter woman replied and bustled off with Zach in her arms.
Carol, still too angry to wait for the elevators, turned towards the stairs and took them two at a time.
'How dare you!' Carol shouted, storming into John's office.
John was standing behind his desk, reading a wall calendar when she burst in and turned quickly to look at his wife.
'How dare I what?' he asked, nonchalantly.
'Take the car. Zachary was freezing this morning on that stupid train! I know you're mad at me, John, but you didn't have to take it out on him. You could have taken him with you this morning! No need to punish him too' Carol shouted.
John's jaw hardened. 'I wasn't punishing anybody, Carol. Don't overreact' he said, in such an offhandish way that Carol had a fleeting urge to slap him across the face. But, determined to hold back her anger, she just folded her arms and waited for him to speak again.
'I have a patient on the way, if you don't mind' he said, gesturing towards the door, then taking a seat behind his desk. Carol gritted her teeth and turned for the door but when she caught John's slight smirk, instead of leaving the office, she slammed the door shut and turned back to him.
'I've had enough of this! You treat me like some doormat. I'm your wife, John! Not your maid. If you really think it's okay for you to stay out 'til all hours and barely even set eyes on your wife and son then maybe you shouldn't be married! I work just as hard as you do, heck I work harder, that ER is a mad place! But I don't come home and barely speak to my husband, ignore my son and then sleep in the spare room when things don't go my way! This ends here. You either decide that you actually want to be in this marriage and be a father to Zach or you get out!' Carol shouted, then without even giving her husband a chance to speak, she ripped open the door and stormed out.
But instead of returning to the ER, she headed straight for day care. She needed Zach. She needed to cuddle him and know, at least, there would always be him and he would always have his mommy.
D&C
As the weak sun finally rose over the horizon, Doug stepped from his car and headed towards the door of the Children's National Medical Centre. Today was a good day. He had woke up smiling and had, so far, no depressing thoughts about his past, only happy memories of a certain room, lit only by candle light and a certain woman in his arms. As the doors of the medical centre pulled back, Doug's knees buckled as three small children hurdled themselves at the paediatrician.
'Good morning!' he smiled down at the kids.
'Morning Dr Ross' the children chanted. He scooped the youngest in the group, a little brown haired girl called Eden, into his arms and she grinned at being the one he had chosen.
'Dr Ross, my mommy says that you have really soft hands. How does she know that?' Eden inquired. Doug pressed his lips together to stop himself laughing at Eden's question but then forced the smile back onto his face when her mother, Alicia James, arrived before him. '
Good morning' Alicia said, smiling in that flirtatious way of hers.
'Morning' Doug replied, letting Eden down out of his arms. She pouted and he laughed.
'How about we check you over and then have Megan bring you some ice cream' Doug suggested to the five year old. Eden's eyes lit up and she happily skipped away to the nearest exam room.
'You didn't call' Alicia said, pouting too, her resemblance to her daughter was striking.
'Well, I knew I'd see you today' Doug replied, smiling at the tall brunette. Alicia cocked an eyebrow, disbelievingly, but then just shook her head and gestured towards the door which Eden had disappeared through.
'Shall we?' she said. Doug nodded but looked over his should first. He spotted one of the younger nurses and called her name.
'Megan!', when the nurse looked around, Doug flashed a smiled and she blushed. 'Could we get the usual for Miss Eden James when you're ready?' he asked. Megan bobbed her head, smiling shyly at the doctor and then hurried off to the cafeteria.
'Doug, just the man I wanted to see'.
Doug jumped and turned around and when he saw the Chief of Staff approaching, he quickly snapped the door closed, shutting Alicia in the empty exam room.
'Something I can do for you, Will?' Doug said while glancing down to check all this clothes were arranged correctly on his body.
'Yes, there's a children's medical conference in Phoenix in a few days and I'd like it if you could go to represent the hospital' Dr William Mason said to his employee. His tone, however, let Doug know that this wasn't a request, it was an order.
'Well, I was kind of hoping I could get a few days off next week, like I'd planned' Doug hedged. Vanessa was flying to New York for a court case and he was hoping to accompany her.
'You can have an extra few days while you're there, but I really need you to go, Doug' Will replied, and Doug heard the "And that's final" note in his voice and decided not to argue more. He wouldn't be able to go to New York with Vanessa, but on the bright side, he hadn't ever been to Phoenix and maybe he'd have time to catch a Suns game.
'Okay, Will, but just so long as I can have a few days off to stay there since I'm missing my trip to New York' Doug conditioned.
Will nodded. 'Fair enough. I'll send word that you'll be there, and thanks' the Chief said as he turned on his heel and headed back up the corridor. The door behind Doug creaked open.
'You were going to New York?' Alicia asked, pouting again that she wouldn't have the doctor all to herself.
'Just a bit of vacation time left over. But guess I'm going to Phoenix now' Doug replied and when he saw Alicia's pout coming on he added, 'It's for work and it will be boring without you'.
At this Alicia smiled and they both headed back to Eden's room.
D&C
At the exact same time, Carol wrapped her arms around her son's skinny frame, soaking up the comfort the child's embrace offered, tears stinging at her eyes but her anger still flared inside. And as she sat with her son, someone's face floated to the fore of her memory and without realising she smiled, wondering what had happened to him in the four years since she had broken his heart.
AN: Sorry this took so long. Trust me, it felt so weird not posting, reviewing, reading etc. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter :)
The hospital Doug works in, The Children's National Medical Centre, is a real hospital in DC (To the knowledge of google anyway, ha). Phoenix Heart Hospital, which is the hospital Doug will be visiting in Phoenix is also real (again, google, so if I'm wrong you know who to blame (*cough* Google *cough*) lol).
Review :D It makes me smile!
Katelyn x
RIP to the best Grandad I ever knew. I miss you everyday. You always encouraged me to do things that I thought I could never do, which is why I'm able to keep writing now. September 4, 2010, we will never forget xxx Love Katelyn, Noah-J and Rory