Racing Hearts
AU. When Sarah's father returns to her life years later claiming he wants to make amends she struggles a bit with the decision of letting the man who once betrayed her into her heart again? Will her family make her see there's forgiveness after all?
I own nothing.
"Welcome back Dr. Reese." Doris called her way as she headed to the lounge.
"Sarah?" Natalie smiled as she came in. Connor had already gone on ahead to prep for surgery with Bekker so she'd taken the boys to daycare. "Hey, how is it being back?"
"Weird." She said. "I miss the noise, not hospital noise but my kids's, does that make sense?"
"Of course, you wish you could be with them all day..."
"I actually thought about it...quitting but then I figured we've all worked hard to be here, Connor and Dr. Charles too, I couldn't possibly want to set that example for my boys, you know?"
Natalie nodded. "It's okay to want to take a break Sarah, no one would blame you."
Sarah knew everyone had found out about Robert by now, gossip at Med spread like wild fire but she was determined to keep her head high and get back to work.
Connor headed down the ED for a consult with Dr. Charles, he found it odd, really as it was less and less that he was called down by Daniel himself.
"Dr. Charles?" He peaked his head over the admit desk to see as the man clicked on the computer. "You paged?"
"Ah yes." He smiled softly. "Would you come with me for a moment Connor?" Rhodes nodded, a little amused by all the secrecy, if he was about to ask about Sarah he should ask her himself, he didn't like people prying more than they should.
"How's Sarah doing? I'm hoping being around family was good for her." Daniel said as they walked.
"Yeah." Connor said. "Listen Dr. Charles I know how much you care about Sarah..."
"I do, a great deal." He smiled. "Dr. Rhodes, I'm not trying to over step, I come to you because it's you that can get trough Sarah better than anyone."
Connor frowned. "I'm not following."
"You will..." Daniel said. "This way..." Connor sighed as he headed down to an exam room. He came face to face with Sarah's dad.
"Dr. Haywood, you remember Dr. Rhodes..." Daniel said, the other man looked up from his phone to lock eyes with Connor.
"Ah yes, of course, how could I forget." Haywood smiled at him. "Hello Dr. Rhodes."
"Dr. Haywood asked for a cardiac consult," Daniel explained.
"I've found now that I know I'm dying, the prospect of fighting against it seems appealing." Robert said calmly, Connor heard it and his mind clicked. "I just didn't think I had the courage to do it alone."
"The very human thing to do." Daniel agreed. "Don't you think Dr. Rhodes?"
"Of course," Connor smiled. "so you'd like to explore surgery?"
"Yes." Haywood nodded calmly. "You see, I don't have a lot of family... you did know that Dr. Reese is my daughter? You probably didn't make the connection because she uses her mother's name."
Dr. Charles glanced over at Connor. "Anyway, Sarah is the only person I would consider my next of keen."
"And have you discussed this with Dr. Reese?" Connor asked. Of course he hadn't.
"No, not really, she hasn't given the opportunity to talk to her." Robert said, a glint of discomfort in his voice. "I tried but she hasn't been very open to."
"Still, we'd like for you to explain to Dr. Haywood the nature of surgery and the grilling procedure it might entail." Dr. Charles said. "And he should consider this before making a decision."
"A transplant really is the most aggressive choice," Connor said. "And Dr. Charles is right, it is a procedure that must not be faced alone." Connor cursed under his breath as the man remained quiet. There was something clearly disturbing about Robert Haywood.
"I understand, but if I am given the chance, shouldn't I try?" Robert put in.
"We would have to submit you, there's a whole process to take of before we can make that an option." Dr. Charles said. "I just wanted to consult with Dr. Rhodes so you knew what the options were."
"How long would I have without the transplant?" Robert asked.
"6 months, maybe more." Connor said. "I'm sorry Dr. Haywood but when you first came and we talked you said you didn't need to speak of a transplant..."
"No, I didn't think it would be worth it to have one, but I've been talking to Dr. Charles and if there's a chance I can make most of my life, maybe have a relationship with my daughter..." Connor shot Daniel a look. "Her mother and I didn't end up in the best of ways and the truth is, even if I am not a transplant candidate, no one wants to die alone."
"I'm sorry I called you on your first day back Sarah, but Ollie's been cranky all day and given his history..." Noreen told Sarah as soon as she came trough the door. Sarah looked at her little boy in the aid's arms, her usual calm baby was wailing his lungs out and he seemed to be struggling to breath.
"No, please don't apologize." Sarah smiled. "Come here baby." He was warm, very warm but he hadn't seemed this morning or perhaps she hadn't noticed because she'd been so worried about work, Reese thought of her steps this morning as she carried Ollie over to Med, his wheezing was getting worse.
"Sarah?" Natalie came to her aid as soon as she saw the bundle in her arms. "What's wrong?"
Reese knew just how much this could be worse than a cold, especially to Ollie who had to have a shunt placed weeks after being born. "I don't like that wheezing, April page Cardio."
Connor made it back in record time after he'd been running upstairs to check on his post op patients. "What've we got Maggie?"
"Dr. Rhodes..." Maggie froze. "Ah, I thought Dr. Bekker..."
"She's in surgery..." Connor frowned. It was then when Connor spotted Natalie and then Sarah and the small body on the gurney.
"Connor..." Sarah didn't blink but he'd spot Ollie's curls anywhere.
Their little boy hadn't had it easy, he had been last to be born so his odds of a normal birth as a triplet were slim, yet he'd defied odds from the womb and for one Connor and Sarah could take a breather, that was until he'd been born, deprived of oxygen and very low on weight, Dr. Shepard, their OB had detected Ollie to have a weak heart.
Connor thought the universe could be wickedly ironic. "Out of my way!" Connor almost shoved Noah who had taken over and was assisting Nat. Sarah shot her friend a glance and Natalie watched as Connor examined the baby, Sarah remembered then that time when Russell, his childhood friend had been rushed into the hospital and he'd managed to keep a cold head trough the whole thing, now she wasn't so sure.
"Connor..." Ava's voice made them all turn around. "Step away Dr. Rhodes..."
Sarah looked from him to Bekker and back again. "Connor..." She pleaded. She saw as Ollie opened his eyes, Natalie had tubed him so he couldn't call for them but she knew he could see they were there. "You could get fired." Ava told him. "Give me stats."
"2 year old, history of heart failure, high fever and wheezing." Noah said. Connor moved away to allow Bekker to examine Oliver much to his dismay. Sarah remained next to him as he held her.
"Is he still on the list?" Ava asked. Sarah nodded. "Alright, I need room people." Connor didn't move. "Parents who are doctors are the worst." Ava nicked at him. "I need you to step away so I can examine my patient."
Connor glared at her.
"Come on guys, let's go." April said softly. Sarah moved but Connor stayed put."Connor, you are a parent right now..."
"Babe, stay with me…" Connor's voice seemed like a distant call as Sarah began to feel more and more out of herself, from what she could gather, and must have been bleeding from somewhere. "Sarah…"
"We have to get this baby out Connor, there's risk of loosing them both." Eileen told Connor. "You are the father so you get to make the call."
Sarah came into her senses for a moment to look at Rhodes. He'd aways been so sure of himself, made her believe she could conquer all by his encouragement alone.
"Connor…"
"Do whatever you have to get them both through this." She heard him say. "Please."
"Of course." She assured him. Sarah felt herself being pushed away and the hand Connor had been holding felt empty. "I have to go prep now."
Sarah wanted to scream. She wanted to beg Connor to force them to save their baby, in that moment she didn't care about herself. She felt Connor's lips on her forehead, his lips which were one of her most favorite thing about him.
Her mind drifted back to their first kiss, it wasn't something she'd been expecting after they'd disagreed on a course of treatment.
She was still a Med student and he was a fellow.
She was Sarah Reese and he was Connor Rhodes, the oddest match at Med.
She remembered those lips so well and how when he'd wanted to pull back she hadn't left him.
She took control and he seemed to like it but now this was something that was out of his control specially because he couldn't be in the OR with her as more than a partner.
"Now Connor, I'm breaking the rules by letting you stay here but let me make something clear you are here for Sarah and your son. You are not a doctor in this room, I am. Understood?"
Connor saw Natalie from the corner of his eyes at the other side of the glass. What was she doing there? Who was with his boys?
"Understood Dr. Rhodes?"
"Yes." He sighed.
He'd been in numerous surgeries, in Guadalajara and rural Mexico as well as war stricken country but never in his life had he been scared as much as he was in that moment, holding Sarah's hand and holding on to hope.
Granted, he'd never been much of a believer, specially after the death of his mother but in that moment all he had left to do was pray.
He remembered his friend Marco whom he had stayed at UAG with had been a religious guy, his grandma was as stereotypical as they could get but she did teach him an important thing.
She taught him to believe in something greater than himself, it didn't matter how he called, it didn't matter if he could see it or not but if he could feel it in his heart that it real. He turned to see the monitor, the baby seemed in distress but Sarah seemed to be estable.
And so he prayed, quietly and mostly to himself but he prayed for a miracle and he prayed for his family, his two healthily little boys and his future wife and the one baby who hadn't been so lucky but who was still there, clinging to life.
"How's Ollie doing?" Ethan asked April as they both headed down the exit.
"Better, he was just short of breath so Natalie admitted him for the night." She explained. Ethan sighed.
"Poor Sarah, on her first day back." Dr. Choi had always been fond of the girl, even when he found out he was dating Connor he had his doubts on just how honorable he was but now after all this time he knew just how much they seemed to love each other.
"She'll get through it, none of us give her enough credit." April smiled. "You want to go check on them don't you?"
Ethan sighed. "am I that obvious?"
"If it was my baby there, I'd want my friends support even if I didn't ask for it." She told him.
"So, fever's down." Natalie smiled as the little boy. "I still want him to stay the night, because of his history."
"Whatever you think is best." Sarah said touching Ollie's tummy. He'd finally drifted back to sleep.
"Thank you Natalie." Sarah told her.
"Of course, this little guy has to be okay soon, he has a birthday coming up." Sarah sighed.
"We didn't have his first birthday assured or his second." Sarah said. "Now everytime we find ourselves here I wonder..."
"Sarah, don't do that."
"That's what Connor always says." She huffed. "He always has a way to make me think we'll beat this."
Natalie saw Sarah's eyes water. "And you will, Ollie's not one to give up and neither are you."
"Dr. Charles..." Connor caught Daniel going down the elevator. "Wait up!"
"Dr. Rhodes, I heard one of your boys was brought in, I hope it's nothing to worry about." The man smiled.
"He's' better thank you." Connor smiled.
"Children, they make us think of things greater than ourselves don't they?" Daniel put in. "My girls bless their hearts I don't know what can of man I'd be without them."
Connor sighed. It made him think of Robert Haywood and how he'd just abandoned Sarah as a child. "Dr. Charles, in all honesty, how good a candidate do you think Robert Haywood is?"
Daniel took a minute to respond. "He's a in the roster, but I still haven't made my mind about him. I can discuss him with you as a patient but if you ask me about it as if he's Sarah's father, that makes it different."
"I'm just not sure about him." Connor admitted. "And him wanting to get close to Sarah, it makes me feel even more..."
"Do you think he has ulterior motives for his coming to Chicago?" Daniel said.
"Well, he didn't really saw a heart transplant as an option when he first came in and all of the sudden he wants one? I That for one threw me off."
"Some people seem to accept their fate one way or another." Daniel put in. "And he seemed to be at peace with it at first, but perhaps he's found something worth living for."
"He doesn't seem like that to me, he has this... feeling to him I can't shake off."
"Is this the doctor or husband talking?" Dr. Charles inquired.
"Both." Connor told him. Daniel remained silent as they made their way out of the elevator. "I'm sorry Dr. Charles, I've got to..."
"Of course." Daniel smiled. "Have a good night Dr. Rhodes, I do hope your little boy gets better."
"Thank you." Connor nodded as he headed over to where Sarah and Natalie were. "How's he doing?"
"Finally asleep." Natalie smiled. "We're taking him upstairs in a little while."
"You should go home." Sarah told Connor. "I'll stay."
"Amy's spending the night..." He told her.
"She has a test tomorrow morning," Sarah told him. "She'll be tired."
So typical of Sarah to care for everyone but herself. "You sure you don't want me to stay?"
Sarah nodded. "I really don't want Finn and Luke to stay by themselves tonight."
"Alright..." Natalie smiled as Connor rolled her eyes at her. "What?"
"Nothing..." Natalie said. "Come on, I'll walk you out." Connor nodded saying his goodbyes to Ollie and Sarah before picking up his bag and swinging it over his shoulder. "Don't worry, Will is staying the night, he'll call if something happens."
"I know." Connor said. He made it outside into the end of winter air, Natalie was bundled up in her jacket. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure." Natalie smiled.
"Nah, forget it." Connor said.
"You sure?" Nat told him. "Is something wrong?"
"No, maybe it's all in my head." He smiled. "You should go back inside."
"Hey Nat? Keep an eye on Sarah for me?"
"Of course." She smiled. "Good night Connor."
"Good night." He walked over his car, he'd had a jeep in which he could put car seats in, far long from the luxury cars he'd longed to have before the kids. He got into the car and glanced back once more before heading home.
"Hey Sarah, sorry it's taking longer to take Ollie upstairs, do you need something? Have you eaten?" Natalie came back inside.
"I'm fine." Sarah smiled.
"You are not, sit." Natalie said. "Hang tight, I'll be back." Sarah sighed but was thankful to have such good friends, plus she was sure Connor had instructed Natalie to keep an eye on her.
"A patient?" A voice said behind her. She looked up to find her own father staring back at her. Robert took a closer look at Ollie. "No, he is your son isn't he? He looks just like you at that age."
I'll say it... Sarah's dad is quite shady and Connor's got him all figured out. What did you think? Please don't forget to review!
