Author: Catgurl83
Title: Burning Memories
Disclaimer: Not mine. Trust me, I'm not worth suing.
Feedback: Helps me think. My e-mail address is catgurl83@yahoo.com
Rating: PG. 13
Author's note: Thanks to Alex for beta reading this story for me!
**********
The next morning
**********
Robert opened his eyes and peered at the clock on the bedside table. It was 6:30. He hadn't really gotten that much sleep the night before. The guilt and memories had swirled through his mind all night. He could get no peace from them.
Knowing that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again, he climbed out of bed and headed into the bathroom. As he shaved, he remembered Nattie teasing him about growing a beard.
The bittersweet memories assaulted him wherever he went and whatever he did. There was no way to assuage them.
He had thought that by moving to Illinois he had finally banished them. They hadn't taken over his mind for years now. But now they were back. Worse then they were at any other time except for the first few days after the funeral.
Would he ever completely escape them? Escape the searing pain that they always caused him?
He finished in the bathroom and headed into the kitchen to have a bowl of cereal for breakfast. He poured milk and a liberal amount of sugar on his Corn Flakes.
He took a bite and imagined Nattie's expression if she could see him. She would probably cringe in disgust and remind him that the sugar would rot his teeth. Then she'd tell him about the conditions that the cows whose milk he was drinking lived in.
Robert couldn't help but smile at the fleeting memory.
Who would have thought that he would have married a health nut, who was dedicated to animals' rights? Well, actually the health part maybe, since he was a doctor. But he didn't particularly care about animals' rights. He hadn't even thought much about the issue until Natalie.
He finished his cereal and rinsed the bowl out before putting it in the dishwasher.
The telephone started to ring and he walked toward it grumbling the entire way. "What?" he snapped irritably.
"Dr. Romano?"
"Who is this and what do you want?" he demanded of the unfamiliar voice.
"I'm Lucy Garret with the LA Times."
Robert slammed the phone down before she could continue. "It has started," he murmured as he gathered his things.
**********
"Dr. Romano," Leah looked up when her employer stepped into the outer office where she sat at her desk.
"What is it?" he asked impatiently.
"You have several phone messages," she handed him a thick stack of index cards. "The ones on top are from hospital staff, the others are from members of the news media." She watched his face carefully and was disappointed by the lack of facial expression that he exhibited.
Robert dropped the messages back onto her desk and silently walked past her. He stepped into his office and firmly shut the door.
He sank down into his chair as a memory overcame him.
*************
Flashback
*************
It was late Sunday evening and Robert had just finished his shift at the hospital. He unlocked his front door and stepped into the house. Several aromas filled his nostrils.
He followed his nose to the kitchen.
Natalie looked up at her husband as he entered the room. She gave him a brilliant smile and stepped away from the bubbling substance on the stove long enough to give him a quick kiss.
Robert smiled at his wife. "What is this?" he asked curiously.
"Dinner."
Robert nodded, that he knew. "Why?"
Natalie shrugged. "I wanted to." She usually made something quick and easy, not a lavish meal.
Robert studied her. He could tell that there was more to it. Natalie's eyes were shining with happiness and mirth.
A few minutes later Robert followed his wife into the dining room. He looked at the table. Nattie had set it with her great grandmother's china and crystal. The room was lit with candles.
He looked at the lushes meal in front of him. He turned to look at Natalie. Something was definitely going on.
Natalie waited a few minutes while they enjoyed her meal but could wait no longer.
Robert watched his wife's face light up; the glow in her eyes could light a whole room. He smiled in amusement. The secret that had been bubbling just below the surface was about to come bursting through. She could not contain her excitement any longer.
Natalie met Robert's eyes with hers. "We are going to have a baby."
Robert stared at her for a few minutes. A baby. He stood up as elation coursed through him. He pulled Natalie into his arms for a long kiss, showing his excitement.
**********
Robert started when his door opened. He swiveled to see who had intruded into his quiet solitude.
"Robert?" Elisabeth said softly as she looked into his anguish filled eyes. She shut the door softly and sat down across from him. "What is it?"
Robert quickly opened a file and cleared his face of all expression. "Nothing."
Elisabeth eyed him skeptically. He wasn't telling her the truth. She thought of how he had helped her when Mark got sick again and knew that she had to push him. She had to return the help if she could. "Kerrie said that the hospital has been receiving calls for you all morning."
Robert looked up. A look of annoyance crossed his face briefly. "They've been calling the ER?"
Elisabeth nodded quietly. "Why are reporters trying to reach you?" she asked after a few moments.
Robert was surprised that he didn't have a cutting retort. He sighed. "I really don't want to talk about this Lizzy."
Elizabeth silently debated leaving it be. "Tough," she answered. "You have to talk to someone."
Robert looked into the eyes that reminded him so much of Natalie's. "It is personal."
Elizabeth softened her expression and her voice. "Robert you helped me when Mark got sick and when he." she broke off. "Let me help you," she finished very quietly.
Robert wanted to tell her to get out, to mind her own business. But he couldn't. He stood up. "Let's go."
Elizabeth stood up. "Where?" she asked as she followed him out of his office.
"I don't know," Robert answered as they stepped into the elevator. "But I can't do this here."
***********
A \ N: Please, please, please review! I need to know what you think. Let me know where you think I'm going with this.
Title: Burning Memories
Disclaimer: Not mine. Trust me, I'm not worth suing.
Feedback: Helps me think. My e-mail address is catgurl83@yahoo.com
Rating: PG. 13
Author's note: Thanks to Alex for beta reading this story for me!
**********
The next morning
**********
Robert opened his eyes and peered at the clock on the bedside table. It was 6:30. He hadn't really gotten that much sleep the night before. The guilt and memories had swirled through his mind all night. He could get no peace from them.
Knowing that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again, he climbed out of bed and headed into the bathroom. As he shaved, he remembered Nattie teasing him about growing a beard.
The bittersweet memories assaulted him wherever he went and whatever he did. There was no way to assuage them.
He had thought that by moving to Illinois he had finally banished them. They hadn't taken over his mind for years now. But now they were back. Worse then they were at any other time except for the first few days after the funeral.
Would he ever completely escape them? Escape the searing pain that they always caused him?
He finished in the bathroom and headed into the kitchen to have a bowl of cereal for breakfast. He poured milk and a liberal amount of sugar on his Corn Flakes.
He took a bite and imagined Nattie's expression if she could see him. She would probably cringe in disgust and remind him that the sugar would rot his teeth. Then she'd tell him about the conditions that the cows whose milk he was drinking lived in.
Robert couldn't help but smile at the fleeting memory.
Who would have thought that he would have married a health nut, who was dedicated to animals' rights? Well, actually the health part maybe, since he was a doctor. But he didn't particularly care about animals' rights. He hadn't even thought much about the issue until Natalie.
He finished his cereal and rinsed the bowl out before putting it in the dishwasher.
The telephone started to ring and he walked toward it grumbling the entire way. "What?" he snapped irritably.
"Dr. Romano?"
"Who is this and what do you want?" he demanded of the unfamiliar voice.
"I'm Lucy Garret with the LA Times."
Robert slammed the phone down before she could continue. "It has started," he murmured as he gathered his things.
**********
"Dr. Romano," Leah looked up when her employer stepped into the outer office where she sat at her desk.
"What is it?" he asked impatiently.
"You have several phone messages," she handed him a thick stack of index cards. "The ones on top are from hospital staff, the others are from members of the news media." She watched his face carefully and was disappointed by the lack of facial expression that he exhibited.
Robert dropped the messages back onto her desk and silently walked past her. He stepped into his office and firmly shut the door.
He sank down into his chair as a memory overcame him.
*************
Flashback
*************
It was late Sunday evening and Robert had just finished his shift at the hospital. He unlocked his front door and stepped into the house. Several aromas filled his nostrils.
He followed his nose to the kitchen.
Natalie looked up at her husband as he entered the room. She gave him a brilliant smile and stepped away from the bubbling substance on the stove long enough to give him a quick kiss.
Robert smiled at his wife. "What is this?" he asked curiously.
"Dinner."
Robert nodded, that he knew. "Why?"
Natalie shrugged. "I wanted to." She usually made something quick and easy, not a lavish meal.
Robert studied her. He could tell that there was more to it. Natalie's eyes were shining with happiness and mirth.
A few minutes later Robert followed his wife into the dining room. He looked at the table. Nattie had set it with her great grandmother's china and crystal. The room was lit with candles.
He looked at the lushes meal in front of him. He turned to look at Natalie. Something was definitely going on.
Natalie waited a few minutes while they enjoyed her meal but could wait no longer.
Robert watched his wife's face light up; the glow in her eyes could light a whole room. He smiled in amusement. The secret that had been bubbling just below the surface was about to come bursting through. She could not contain her excitement any longer.
Natalie met Robert's eyes with hers. "We are going to have a baby."
Robert stared at her for a few minutes. A baby. He stood up as elation coursed through him. He pulled Natalie into his arms for a long kiss, showing his excitement.
**********
Robert started when his door opened. He swiveled to see who had intruded into his quiet solitude.
"Robert?" Elisabeth said softly as she looked into his anguish filled eyes. She shut the door softly and sat down across from him. "What is it?"
Robert quickly opened a file and cleared his face of all expression. "Nothing."
Elisabeth eyed him skeptically. He wasn't telling her the truth. She thought of how he had helped her when Mark got sick again and knew that she had to push him. She had to return the help if she could. "Kerrie said that the hospital has been receiving calls for you all morning."
Robert looked up. A look of annoyance crossed his face briefly. "They've been calling the ER?"
Elisabeth nodded quietly. "Why are reporters trying to reach you?" she asked after a few moments.
Robert was surprised that he didn't have a cutting retort. He sighed. "I really don't want to talk about this Lizzy."
Elizabeth silently debated leaving it be. "Tough," she answered. "You have to talk to someone."
Robert looked into the eyes that reminded him so much of Natalie's. "It is personal."
Elizabeth softened her expression and her voice. "Robert you helped me when Mark got sick and when he." she broke off. "Let me help you," she finished very quietly.
Robert wanted to tell her to get out, to mind her own business. But he couldn't. He stood up. "Let's go."
Elizabeth stood up. "Where?" she asked as she followed him out of his office.
"I don't know," Robert answered as they stepped into the elevator. "But I can't do this here."
***********
A \ N: Please, please, please review! I need to know what you think. Let me know where you think I'm going with this.