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.

Thanks to Eilis for helping me out with grammar :)

Sarah sighed as she went to check on her father, against Connor's advice, of course, she found Ava running tests on him. "Good morning Sarah." He said softly.

"Morning." Ava smiled. "His vitals are better but we must have him walking constantly, I'll ask a nurse to arrange it."

"Thank you," Sarah told Ava. "When will he be able to be taken into the rehab facility?"

"As soon as he starts eating solids." Bekker smiled. "Have you made a decision about where you'd like to go Dr. Haywood?"

"No, they all seem the same to me, perhaps Sarah can help me," Robert said softly...

"I won't be living there, you will." She told him. "I'll ask Connor, he has made recommendations on a few of his patients."

Robert rolled his eyes slightly. "Alright, let me know so we can make the arrangements," Ava said dashing outside the room.

Sarah was left alone with her father. She had been reluctant to have any contact with him because she felt conflicted over, the whole personality disorder aspect of it. She'd read family members were the most gullible and vulnerable for their manipulative skills.

"Sarah..." Her father's voice pulled her back to earth. "I can't thank you enough for being here, I don't deserve it..."

Sarah didn't move. "I'm sorry to be asking this but...I'm sure my bills are piling up and I still don't know when I'll be coming home."

"Do you want me to go to your apartment?" She asked.

"Sadly, I have no one else to ask." He told her softly.

A million thoughts ran through her mind, starting with how the idea of going alone. "It's okay if you can't do it, I understand how busy you are with work and your children-"

She felt a chill run through her as he mentioned her children. "I'll come back later."

"So, he wants you to run errands for him?" Natalie asked Sarah. She had taken a breather and sat to have lunch. She hadn't even seen Connor all day as he had multiple surgeries.

"Yes, and Connor is so not going to be okay with this." She said. "He already disapproves of me having any contact with the man."

"Sarah, I love Connor, but he can't dictate how you feel or act about your own father," Nat said.

"That's the thing, even I don't know how to feel about him." She told her. "And Connor's just trying to protect me, I get it."

"Maybe too much." Dr. Manning pointed out. "Are you going?"

Sarah shrugged. "I'm not sure, maybe I'll ask someone..."

"Someone?"

"Yeah, Connor's always on my case about hiring people to help us around so I might just take his word on it," Sarah said.

"Oh, so you're using the Rhodes way?"

Sarah rolled her eyes at her. "I'm avoiding."

"Yep."

Sarah looked over at her half-eaten sandwich. "Then I guess I'm avoiding."


"Ethan?" April smiled softly. "Any news on the Collins family?"

"Yeah, mom and dad are seeing their kids today." He told her. April sighed. "I asked Ms. Goodwin to be with us when he asks about the little boy's organ donation status, we won't have a lot of time to do go through with it if they agree...

"Have you talked to Connor or Sarah?"

Ethan sighed. "I don't want to get their hopes up or have them be involved too much, they've both been dealing with a lot."

April rolled her eyes at him. "Ethan, they are already involved and if we want this to work we have to tell them so we can do all the paperwork…"

Ethan took a minute to respond. "It won't be easy for any one of them."

"I know, but we owe it to Sarah and Connor to give it a shot if it weren't for them..."

They'd been running late for Emily's gig at Molly's. She and Ethan had decided to make it their mission to support his sister from the moment she'd come to their door, even though both of them had had their run-ins with Emily, she seemed to finally have turned her life around.

She now had a boyfriend, a nice boy named Kevin who genuinely seemed to care for her and managed to hire her in the firm he worked for.

He was also in the band that would be playing that night. Alongside with Sarah and Connor who had come out tonight as their weekly date night from their almost 2 year old triplets.

April honestly didn't know how they managed, with very little help, to still come home at night and find time to spend it with their boys.

"They all look so much like Connor, it's scary." April smiled as Sarah bragged about her kids, it would soon be time for her to brag about her own little girl. "Except Ollie, he's all you Sarah."

"Thank-goodness. if they hadn't come out of me I'd be worried." Sarah eyed Connor who rolled his eyes at her.

"Nervous?" Connor turned to Ethan.

"A little, I mean I'm good with kids but when it comes to your own, I don't know man." Ethan took a sip of his beer.

"It's fine. The first month or so it's crazy, even as a doctor you wonder if you'd ever be able to handle it, then you get it. The first time they look straight at you or smile, they have you for life. "

"I still don't know how you do it, three man?"

Connor smiled. I'm good with chaos."

"I'm sure," Ethan responded with a sigh. "I was trained for it, but a baby? There's something totally new."

"Excuse us boys, we'll be right back," April said as she and Sarah headed to the bathroom. "Please knock some sense into him, this baby is still a month away and he keeps postponing painting the nursery."

Connor laughed. "It will be okay Ethan, you'll be a great dad, take it from someone who never thought he'd be one."

"One thing I do know, April will be amazing."

"Sarah is a rockstar managing the three boys." Connor beamed with pride. "We get the easy part."

Connor's phone buzzed in his pocket. "Sarah?"

April had been rushed to the hospital after an assisted delivery by Sarah in the club's bathroom.

Kayley Sarah Choi had been born a month early but seemed perfectly fine. The next morning, Ethan had enlisted Connor and Will's help, along with Noah to finish the baby's room.


"Mr and Mrs. Collins? I'm Dr. Choi." Ethan stepped into the private room of Jennifer and Mark Collins, the young couple had been through so much in the past few days.

"How are our kids? Why won't they let us see them?" Jennifer asked. She was still recovering from a spline repair, while Sam had performed a reconstruction on James's spine, they were still waiting to see if the man would ever walk again.

"Both your girls are in our pediatric wing upstairs," April said softly.

"And Shane?" James asked. April turned to Ethan. "He's a little guy, is he okay?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Collins, there's something we need to discuss with you."

Natalie had come in to show support for the parents as she'd treated both little girls. "Dr. Manning." Jennifer smiled.

"How are we feeling?" She asked softy.

"Better once we know how our babies are doing," James said. "Dr. Choi was about to tell us something about Shane."

Natalie gave Ethan a small nod, reassuringly. "All of you were treated immediately as you came in… but the injuries to Shane's nervous system were too severe."

"We had our neurologist run some tests…" Natalie added.

"Sadly, despite our best efforts…" Ethan was watching the two people in front of him crumble. "We weren't able to help Shane further."

"No…" Jennifer mumbled. "My… my baby is gone?"

"Right now, he's been kept on life support," Natalie said.

April took a deep breath as she, Ethan and Natalie stepped outside the room. "She's pregnant, right?"

"Yeah, baby seems okay," Natalie told her. "But we'll keep an eye on her, she's 27 weeks and this kind of trauma…"

"Do you think they'll consent?" Ethan asked.

Natalie looked back at the grieving parents. "Honestly? I don't know, but we should tell Sarah and Connor so they can be ready in case..."

"We still have Ollie's labs from the last time he was admitted."

"Run the tests and call Ms. Goodwin," Natalie told Ethan.


"He wants you to do what?" Connor stared at Sarah. "Sarah, I know he's your father but…"

"I knew you'd be mad but the man just had surgery, Connor... "

Connor huffed. "I'll go."

"No, you don't have to do that…"

"Of course, I do." He told her. "You are not going into his apartment alone Sarah…"

"He's in a hospital bed Connor, he won't be going anywhere."

Connor sighed. "Babe, listen I don't...I just don't trust him, alright? Especially around you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She shot at him. "You were the one who saved him Connor and whether he's a psychopath or not. He's still my father who doesn't have anyone else."

"Fine, you are right…" He told her. "Let's go tonight, please just promise me you won't go alone."

Sarah had been called into Ms. Goodwin's office later that day.

"Dr. Reese, come in." The older woman said softly. Sarah glanced around the room, April, Ethan and Natalie were all there, along with Dr. Charles and Dr. Firsh

"What's going on?" Sarah asked.

Natalie gave her a kind smile. "We're just waiting for Connor to come out of surgery sweetie."

"Why?" Dr. Reese asked again. On cue the door opened to reveal Connor who looked as confused as Sarah did.

"Now that we are all here, Dr. Reese, Dr. Rhodes, there's something you should know." Ms. Goodwin said calmly.

"A few days ago, a major casualty came in as I think we all remember, a family as involved in the accident along with others…" Ethan began.

"The Collins family have given consent for their 3 year old son's organs to be donated."

Sarah looked at Connor. "And Oliver seems to be a perfect match for the heart," Maia added.

Sarah came out of the room in tears, with Natalie hugging her. "They are getting ready to say goodbye and they'll let us go ahead with surgery" her friend said with a sad smile. "We didn't want to tell you unless we were 100% sure it was going to happen."

Sarah couldn't speak. "If you can bring Ollie tonight we can go into the details with Dr. Frisch"

"Natalie, I don't…I don't even know what to say."

"You don't have to thank me, it was all April and Ethan."

Sarah glanced over at her friends. "There's one more thing, the parents of the little boy, they'd like to meet you and Connor if that's okay." Sarah froze. "I know it's a lot to be happening right now but..."

"It's fine…" Sarah said softly."I just can't imagine what they are going through."

"I'll give you a minute." Natalie smiled as she watched Connor making his way over to them. "Congratulations." She hugged her friend.

Sarah just collapsed in Connor's arms. At least one part of the nightmare was over.


What did you guys think? Next we'll see more Rhodes family fluff as they prep Ollie for surgery.