"Momma!" Ella cried as soon as she saw Elizabeth at the airport.
"Hello baby." Elizabeth greeted her with a large smile, taking her daughter from her husband before pressing her lips firmly against his. "How are you?" She asked him intently.
"I'm fine." He assured her gently. "How was your trip?"
Elizabeth shrugged. "It was okay."
"You seem shaken up." Mark said, leaning down to pick up her suitcase.
"Mark…" Elizabeth shook her head. "Let's talk about it later."
"Alright." Mark conceded. "Ella wants to go back to the Science Center today, do you want to come?"
"Sure." Elizabeth said, gently hugging her daughter. "Did you have a good time with Daddy?" She asked her with interest. When she didn't respond she looked to Mark, clearly concerned. "What..?"
Mark sighed. "I…She's fine Elizabeth… I promise she's fine."
"Mark." Elizabeth said sternly, demanding an answer.
"Ella stopped talking when you left." Mark finally admitted.
Elizabeth's eyebrow rose in skepticism. "She just said Mumma."
"That's the first thing she's verbally said in the last two days." Mark replied with a sympathetic smile. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. I think she was just worried that when you left we didn't go see you. When I left she was used to seeing me every day even though I wasn't with her all the time."
Elizabeth sighed, holding her daughter slightly tighter. "I'm sorry Ella." She said gently, pressing her lips against her forehead. "I love you." She whispered which caused Ella to throw her arms around Elizabeth's neck. "That's my girl." She praised her softly. "Are you going to tell me if you had a good time with Daddy now?"
Ella looked at her suspiciously for several moments before finally speaking. "Yes." She said with a smile.
"Yes you had a good time or yes you'll tell me?" Elizabeth asked with a smirk which caused her daughter to give her a confused look.
Mark laughed before taking Elizabeth's free hand. "Let's go." He said gently before leading her to the car.
"Hey!" Carol greeted them as they came into the house. "How was the donor marathon?" Carol asked Elizabeth with a smile.
"Good." Elizabeth said as she set Ella down on the ground. "Not sure I would do it again."
Carol laughed as Ella toddled off to find Tess and Kate. "I'm sure you would." She said, zipping several Ziploc bags closed. "We're planning on going to the Science Center this afternoon with the kids. Do you want to come?"
Elizabeth furrowed her eyebrow before glancing to Mark. "Would you mind taking Ella?" She asked tiredly. "I wouldn't mind going but…"
Carol shook her head to stop her. "We'd love to." She affirmed. "Doug and I can manage her no problem."
Elizabeth nodded with a smile. "Thank you."
"You alright?" Carol asked curiously.
"I'm fine." She assured her. "Honestly. I'm just tired."
It was then that Kate and Tess came running into the room. "Mommy when are we going!?" Kate asked excitedly.
"Is Elizabeth coming?" Tess asked with just as much enthusiasm.
Elizabeth smiled at the girl. "I'm going to stay home and rest."
"But I want you to come." Tess pouted.
Elizabeth smirked. "I'm sorry. I really need a nap. If you want you could stay here and take a nap with me." She teased.
Tess's eyes widened. "No thank you." She said politely before joining her sister in pestering her mother.
Mark laughed before wrapping his arms around Elizabeth. "Are you sure you don't want to go?" He asked her quietly.
Elizabeth nodded. "I need to just… I need to stop thinking… I need to..."
Mark kissed her forehead gently. "Okay. Then we stop." He assured her quietly before making eye contact with Carol. "We're going upstairs." He mouthed to her, waiting until he received a nod of understanding before gently leading Elizabeth to the guest room. As soon as the door closed behind them he looked at her, concern in his eyes. "What happened?"
Elizabeth closed her eyes. "That press junket." She said quietly. "I stood up in front of hundreds of people and talked about cancer like it means nothing to me. I just felt like I was lying about you, and knowing you were here dealing with this…"
Mark gently kissed her. "I was fine." He assured her. "I am fine."
Elizabeth shook her head. "You have a brain tumor. That doesn't constitute fine."
"Look at me Elizabeth." Mark said gently, waiting for her eyes to meet his own. "The Amunyx looks like it's going to work. I know we can't know anything for sure but I feel good about this."
Elizabeth nodded, leaning into him. "I'm sorry."
Mark kissed her forehead. "Did anything else happen?"
Elizabeth sighed. "Robert was an ass." She admitted. "That was to be expected though."
"What did he do?" Mark asked with a laugh as they lay down.
"He was just… I mean I guess he apologized." Elizabeth admitted quietly.
"He apologized?" Mark asked incredulously. "What did he..?"
"He tried to get me to talk about you during that press junket." Elizabeth finally said. "He wanted me to say something about my personal connection with cancer." She rolled her eyes. "I feel so irrational. I'm upset I didn't talk about you, but I'm also upset Robert tried to get me to." They sat quietly for several moments before she spoke again. "I just don't know how to handle any of this. I thought I did…"
"It's okay." Mark stopped her. "You have handled everything better than I ever expected."
Elizabeth shook her head. "Mark…"
"Wait a minute." Mark replied, obviously confused. "You said he apologized?"
Elizabeth pinched her nose in frustration. "I guess Northwestern called about your trial transfer…"
"…And since Romano's Chief of Staff he had to approve it." Mark finished for her. "It's probably all around County by now."
Elizabeth shook her head. "Robert won't tell anyone who doesn't need to know."
Mark raised an eyebrow but didn't contest. He held her close against his torso, smiling as his hands rested on her extended abdomen. "How's my baby?" He asked her softly.
Elizabeth looked at him with a smirk. "Your baby?"
Mark laughed. "Fine… how's our baby?"
Elizabeth shrugged. "I think they're alright." She said with a smile. "I can't wait for them to start moving."
Mark smiled. "Me either."
"You know… I think I know what the baby wants." Elizabeth said after a moment, her face sporting a wicked grin.
Mark smirked. "Oh? What would that be?"
"Ice cream."
"Cherry Garcia?"
"Obviously."
Mark laughed. "Alright. I'm on it." He said, getting up from the bed. "You stay here and rest."
Elizabeth sat up. "Are you sure you should be going out?"
"I'm fine." Mark replied immediately. "I'll take a taxi and be back in half an hour."
"This is wonderful." Elizabeth moaned as she took another bite of the ice cream. "Are you sure you don't want any?"
Mark nodded. "I can't really keep anything down today."
"Amunyx?" Elizabeth asked.
Mark shrugged. "It could be long-term chemo stuff."
"I'm sorry." Elizabeth replied quietly. "You didn't have to go get this."
Mark laughed. "If I didn't I wouldn't have heard the end of it. Besides, it was my pleasure." He amended quickly before leaning down to kiss her.
"Well only if you wanted to." She teased before continuing to eat from the carton.
An hour later Mark and Elizabeth were curled up on the couch watching television. "Honestly Mark this is barbaric."
"Survivor is not barbaric." Mark protested. "It's all staged."
"Why do they all look like they're about to come into the ER with heat exhaustion if it's staged?" Elizabeth asked tiredly.
"Well maybe it's not staged. I don't know." Mark shrugged. "But as an individual who doesn't know any of them or have to treat any of them I am pleased to enjoy their suffering."
Elizabeth shook her head. "What are you talking about?"
"It's a known fact that nonrealistic suffering of others is entertaining." Mark replied.
"That's not a fact." Elizabeth retorted.
Mark was about to respond when the door to the garage opened and the sounds of children running through the kitchen filled their ears.
"Turn it off." She said with a smirk. "I'll watch it with you, but our daughter isn't going to."
Mark quickly turned off the television as Tess and Kate ran into the living room. "Hi!" Tess said excitedly as she jumped up and down in front of them.
"We saw dinosaurs." Kate said with just as much enthusiasm. "And butterflies."
"Wow." Elizabeth replied as she sat up slightly, still leaning on Mark's chest. "I take it you all had a good time?" She asked as Carol came in holding Ella.
Carol nodded. "The kids enjoyed themselves." She affirmed. "Ella talked about you the whole time though."
Elizabeth laughed. "Oh sweetie." She gently comforted her daughter as she settled in her lap. "I'm sorry you missed me." She said, planting a kiss on her forehead.
"No leave." Ella said quietly, burying her face into her mother's shoulder.
"I won't sweetheart." Elizabeth comforted her. "Thanks for taking her Carol."
"It was fun." Carol assured them, taking a seat on the large chair across the room. "Tess and Kate are going to miss you guys."
"Oh but you wouldn't possibly be so emotional." Mark teased.
"Never." Carol replied with a smile.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "You two are honestly the most ridiculous."
"Excuse me." Doug interjected as he entered the room. "I am offended to not be included in that count."
Carol laughed. "It's okay I'll always insult you." She assured him, kissing his cheek when he sat down on the arm of the chair she sat in.
"Thank you, that means the world to me." Doug replied with a laugh when Kate gave him a weird look.
"Daddy you're silly." Kate informed him importantly before running out of the room, Tess on her tail.
"I still can't believe how big they are." Mark said with a smirk.
Carol laughed. "So much has happened since they were born." She admitted quietly.
Elizabeth sighed. "More than I'd like to have experienced." She replied, looking down at her daughter who was snoring quietly.
Mark gently rubbed her arm. "We're going to be fine." He assured her gently.
Doug and Carol exchanged glances. They both were incredibly concerned about their friends, with everything that had happened recently they weren't surprised that they were both on edge.
"Are you guys sure you're ready to go back?" Doug finally asked the two of them.
Mark shrugged. "I don't know." He admitted honestly. "I just know we can't avoid going back forever."
"I mean we wouldn't mind…" Doug replied with a smirk.
"Elizabeth?" Mark asked, a grin spread across his face.
She elbowed him immediately. "We're going home." She replied sternly.
"I know." He conceded. "I know."
Elizabeth's eyebrow creased in concern. "Do you want to stay?" She asked him quietly.
"No… not really. I guess I don't want to face the hospital." He admitted. "I can't avoid it, I have to go for treatment."
"Who there knows?" Carol asked curiously.
"Kerry, Susan, and Romano." Mark replied.
"Susan's back?" Doug asked, obviously surprised.
Mark nodded. "Yeah, she's a resident now."
"Mark you have good news to tell them." Elizabeth finally pointed out. "This trial means you don't have to tell them…"
"I don't have to tell them anything." Mark finally replied. "This is going to be need to know."
"Mark…" Elizabeth tried to stop him.
Mark shook his head. "I have two more rounds of chemo scheduled. I can get Kerry to schedule me around them. I don't need everyone to know about this."
"Mark." Doug stopped him this time. "You can't treat patients."
Mark gave him an angry look. "I've done it before…"
"Not on Amunyx." Doug replied. "You haven't been on it long enough to know you aren't going to have a seizure."
Mark abruptly stood up. "What so I can't work?"
"You… probably shouldn't." Doug admitted.
"Well that's just fantastic isn't it?" Mark asked angrily. "We're going to save the dying doctor so he can be the patient forever."
"You'll be able to work again…" Doug tried to calm him down.
"You know what? I don't really care!" Mark began to scream back. "The point of this is to save my life and if I can't be a doctor what does my life become?!"
Ella abruptly woke and looked at her father in terror before bursting into tears.
"Mark." Elizabeth stopped him sternly.
He looked over at his wife and daughter and sighed. "I'm sorry." He whispered, taking Ella from Elizabeth's arms. "I'm sorry Elle." He gently comforted his daughter. "I'm so sorry."
Elizabeth shook her head before getting up. "I'm going to bed." She said softly.
"I'm so sorry Elizabeth." Mark tried to call after her. "Dammit." He swore quietly when she didn't turn around. "Can you?" He asked Carol quickly, waiting for a nod before handing Ella to her. "Thank you." He said before running up the stairs.
"Elizabeth?" He asked as he knocked on the door.
"Go away Mark." Elizabeth's voice sounded back.
"Please. Just… Let me talk to you." He tried desperately. Suddenly the door in front of him, Elizabeth pushed past him. "Where are you going?" He asked as he followed her to the bathroom.
"I'm going to the bathroom Mark, surely you haven't forgotten that's necessary?" She replied impatiently, waiting for Mark to move out of the doorframe.
"We have to talk… I didn't mean to imply that…" Mark began before Elizabeth interrupted him.
"Mark your child is on my bladder and if you don't move right now…"
"Sorry." Mark said quickly backing up before the door shut in front of him. He sighed before walking back down the hallway to wait in the guest room. Several minutes later Elizabeth came into the room. "Elizabeth I…"
"I know." Elizabeth said quietly. "I have been avoiding this moment for the last three weeks. I just couldn't believe you hadn't figured it out yourself. I just assumed you weren't bringing it up because of how much this means to you."
"What?" Mark finally managed to ask.
"Being a doctor means the world to you." Elizabeth replied. "When you agreed to the trial you were giving that up, at least for a while. I assumed you realized that… and now that I know you didn't… I feel so guilty."
Mark shook his head before firmly kissing her. "You have nothing to feel guilty about." Elizabeth buried her face into his shoulder so he wouldn't look at the tears now freely flowing down her cheeks. "I'll be fine. I'm not happy about this but it's not the end. I can stay home and take care of Ella and get the house ready for this baby."
She sighed, pulling away from Mark. "Okay." She affirmed as he wiped the tears from her eyes. "As long as you're okay…"
"I'm fine." Mark assured her. "I'll miss the hospital, but I would miss you more." He said before kissing her firmly.
"Thank you." Elizabeth whispered before finally allowing herself to relax into his arms.
Mark shook his head. "It's my pleasure."