Don’t own them. Don’t claim to. It’s just for fun.
By stephanine meyer
Cynthia looked up to see a woman with long brown hair standing in front of her. The woman’s tanned skin contrasted the blonde highlights in her hair.
“Excuse me, I’m looking for Dr. Green.”
“He’s busy right now, but if you take a seat in chairs, I’ll get a doctor to you as soon as possible.”
“I don’t need to see a doctor. I need to speak to Mark Greene.”
“Ma’am…”
“Right this way,” Carol interrupted. She came around the desk and took the other woman by the arm.
“What took you so long?”
The two women walked down the hall.
“There was a storm over St. Louis. We circled for twenty minutes.”
“You ok?”
“I’ve been better. How’s mark?”
“He’s been better.”
“Who was that at the desk?”
“That was Cynthia.”
The other woman twisted around. “That?”
“Yep.”
They entered the lounge. Mark looked up. “Susan?”
“Mark.”
“I have patients.” Carol slipped out of the lounge.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you.”
Mark snorted. “Well, I’m fine. You can leave now.”
“Mark…”
“Where was all this concern a few months ago?”
“I didn’t know!”
“Well you should have!”
“It’s not all my fault, Mark! You do own a telephone!”
“I’m not the one who left.”
With that Mark barreled out of the lounge, almost slamming into carol. “Don’t you have patients to see?”
Carol stood next to the door of the doctor’s lounge, her ear pressed against it. “Uhho,” she muttered. “This is not going well.”
Then the door flew open and a very hassled mark Green pushed out. “Don’t you have patients to see?”
“Well…”
Susan flew out after him. “Mark that was uncalled for.”
“I don’t think so.” He moved deeper into the er, Susan following him.
“You know my leaving wasn’t about us.”
“No it was about you’re inability to let go of a part of your life that had passed and the inability to accept that your sister may be as competent or more so than you are.”
Susan looked at him, tears brimming in her eyes. “That was a low blow.”
“Well, you probably deserved it.”
He left her in the middle of the hallway, near tears and speechless.
Carter was standing at the desk with Doug Ross.
“Is that Dr. Lewis?”
Doug looked up. “Yes it is.” He went back to the chart he was reading.
“What’s she doing here?”
Doug looked up. “It looks like she and Mark are having a very heated argument.”
Carter eyed Ross. “You’re not surprised she’s here.”
“Who do you think convinced her to fly up?”
“You are a sneaky man.”
“How could you?”
Both men looked to the source of the voice. Cynthia stood glaring at them. “How could you do something that was going to upset him so much? I thought you were his friend.”
“I am. That’s why I called Susan. She and mark are close. He needed someone to talk to.”
“He has me.”
“That’s why I called her.”
Carol found Susan later in the storage closet. She was crying. Carol sat down next to her friend and put her arms around her.
“What’s wrong?”
“He’s right, you know.”
“Who?”
“Mark. He’s right about why I left. She doesn’t need me. All my life she’s needed me to bail her out. To take care of her. Now she doesn’t need me anymore and I don’t know what to do. I can’t handle it.”
“Sure you can. Mark needs you now. “
“He hates me.”
“No he doesn’t. He’s just angry. I don’t think he wanted you to know. It makes it less real.”
“No it doesn’t.”
Mark looked up as Carol slammed a chart down in front of him. “Mrs. O’Riely is gone.”
“Ok.”
“Unbelievable.”
“What? She had heartburn.”
“No, you. You’re acting like nothing happened.”
“I’m not the one who called her.”
“But you’re the one who made her cry.”
“Excuse me?”
“I found her in the storage closet, bawling here eyes out. Thanks to you.”
“It’s not my fault.”
“Yes it is mark. She flew, FLEW, here to see you and you yell at her for caring and throw one of the most traumatic events in her life in her face. She came here to help you. She’s you’re friend Mark. Be grateful. You don’t have many left.” With that Carol left.
Mark sighed. He walked over to the storage closet and knocked on the door. “Susan?”
“HUMMmmmhhm.”
“What?” He opened the door.
“I said go away.”
“Can we talk?”
“Sure.” She wouldn’t meet his eyes.
Mark stepped into the closet and shut the door behind him.
Doug waylaid Connie. “Make sure no one goes into the storage closet for the next two hours.”
“Why?”
“Just do it, ok?”
“Fine.”
“I’m sorry.” Mark squatted down next to her. “I shouldn’t have said those things.”
She looked up at him. Her face was streaked with tears and her eyes and nose were red. “They were true,” she sniffed.
“I still shouldn’t have said them.”
“Fair enough. Mark,” she reached up and grabbed his arms, “do you know how worried I was when Doug called me? How scared I was for you?”
He squatted down in front of her. “You don’t have to be. I’m fine.”
She took his face in her hands. “No you’re not. You’re still hurting Mark. You’re scared and angry. Just like you were when Jen left. I can see it.”
“I’m talking about it.”
“With Cynthia.”
“Now, don’t start you don’t even know her.”
“But Doug does and he doesn’t trust her. Mark, we all care about you. We’re worried.”
He reached out and hugged her. His voice was thick. “I’m
fine Susan…”
”You’re not. Mark you’re not,” her
voice was buried in his chest. “You’re
not.” She looked up. “You’re not.”
They were inches apart. She gently kissed his lips. “You’re not.”
They held each other.
Mark checked his watch.
“I have to get back. I want you to go get some rest ok? You don’t look so good.”
“Post flying stress.”
He rubbed her back. “You going to be ok?”
“I’ll handle it.”
He handed her a key. “I’ll be home at six. Go. Sleep. We can talk when I get home.”
“I was going to stay with Carol and Doug.”
“I’m sure they won’t mind.”
“What about Cynthia?”
“Let me worry about that, ok?”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“So, should I come over tonight?” Cynthia asked as the shift drew to a close.
“Not tonight.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve got an old friend visiting.”
“Oh.”
“It’s not like that.”
“I saw her. I think I have a reason to worry.”
“No, you don’t.”
After he walked out, Cynthia noticed that he wouldn’t meet his eyes.
Mark and Susan lay in his bed. Their talk had turned into something more. Mark felt guilty but not as though he had made a mistake.
Susan sighed.
“What?”
”It figures. The only time when we ever
‘connect’ is when you’re involved with someone else.”
Mark chuckled. “Forbidden fruit.”
“Or just bad timing.”
Doug was insufferable. “So…”
“So what.”
“She spent the night with you Mark.”
“So.”
“What happened?”
“None of your business. But Doug, thank you.”
Doug grinned. “You’re welcome buddy. It’s about time.”
Susan was leaning against the reception desk, carrying on a conversation with Carol. Jerry looked on in amusement. He leaned over Truny and whispered. “Oh, yeah. They did it.”
“Susan and Carol?”
”NO. Eww. Dr. Lewis and Dr. Greene.”
“I could have told you that.”
Massive multiple car pile up and the er was understaffed. Mark looked around. Susan was at the admit desk with Carol.
“Susan!”
She looked up. “Feel like getting you’re feet wet?”
She shot him a puzzled look but caught the gown he threw at her.
“Multiple MVAs coming in. You up to it?”
“Lead the way to the broken and bleeding.”
“Step on up.”