Gap-Filler: "May Day"

By: Lori (SixteenOzs)

DISCLAIMER: "ER," the characters and situations depicted within are the property of Warner Brothers Television, Amblin Entertainment, Constant c Productions, NBC, etc. They are borrowed without permission, but without the intent of infringement. The story presented here is written solely for entertainment purposes, and the author is not making a profit.

Please do not post or redistribute without the disclaimer above, or without the consent of the author.

Feedback is welcome. Please send all questions, comments or criticisms to SixteenOzs02@yahoo.com

SUMMARY: Continuation of the episode "May Day"

RATING: PG

Elizabeth glanced at her watch as she unlocked the door to Mark's apartment. It was almost one in the morning. Groaning, dropped her bag and her coat on the sofa. Walking through the kitchen, she loosened the clip that held her hair back and shook her head slightly so that her red curls fell gently around her shoulders.

She had to smile as she entered the bedroom and found Mark sitting up in bed reading. "I guess I don't need to worry about waking you."

He looked up and laughed. "Guess not. How was the intussusception?"

She sighed as she walked over to the closet and began to peel off her clothing. Finally pulling on one of his shirts, she climbed into bed next to him and said, "An intern could have handled it."

"So, why did he want you?" Mark wondered.

"Two reasons probably," she replied as she adjusted the pillows and settled back against them. "First, I think he overheard me tell Shirley that I was going to be spending the night here. So, naturally, he had to seize the opportunity to thwart our plans. Second, he knew that something was up in the ER today. I think he was hoping to find out what."

"What did you tell him?"

"I finally just told him that it had been a really long day, and I thought it would be best if I focused on the task at hand," she replied with a weak smile. "That put an end to all of the small talk during the surgery."

"You look tired," he remarked. "What time do you have to be back?"

She stared at him curiously. "How did you know that I have to work tomorrow?"

"Peter called," he explained. "He wanted to let me know where I could find the van at O'Hare. He also said that he was going to stay in Atlanta for a couple days, until Carter gets settled. I figured you'd be covering for him."

She smiled guiltily. "Yeah. I hope you don't mind."

"It's okay," he assured her. "Actually, I was thinking about going in to cover Carter's shift anyway."

"If I can get out of there on time tomorrow, maybe we can stop by the airport and pick up your van then," she suggested.

"Sounds good," he nodded. "I told Peter to let us know and we'd pick him up from the airport when he comes back."

"Sure," she nodded absently.

He noticed something amiss. "Elizabeth? What's wrong?"

She hesitated a moment. "Does that bother you?"

"Does what bother me?" he asked in confusion.

"That Peter and I used to date, and now we work together everyday," she said quietly as she stared at the comforter.

"Should it bother me?" he wondered.

She looked up until her eyes met his. "No," she replied firmly. "I'm with you, and that's exactly where I want to be. The one thing I learned from my relationship with Peter is that we're better as friends."

"I trust you, Elizabeth. So, no, it doesn't bother me," he said, finally answering her question. "What brought this up?"

She sighed. "It was after we removed the bullet from that kid's heart today. I've been doing this for years, but even I have to admit that it was a pretty amazing save. When we came out of the OR, we were pretty excited, just sort of joking around about who would get to keep the bullet, congratulating each other on a job well done. That sort of thing. You know how it goes. Anyway, Cleo came in to tell us that the boy's father was waiting to speak with someone. I could just tell from the expression on her face, that she wasn't too happy."

"You and Peter work together. I understand that, and I accept it," he explained. "I also know how the job goes. There are so many times that we DON'T get the good outcome, that I don't see anything wrong with reveling a little when we do. If you can look me in the eye and tell me that you're just friends, then I'll believe you."

She smiled slightly as she looked into his eyes. "Peter and I are just friends."

"That's all I need to know," he said with a soft smile.

"Thank you," she whispered as she leaned in and kissed him gently.

As the kiss ended, he added, "Besides, the fact that you're worried about whether or not I'm worried makes me pretty sure that I don't need to be."

She laughed self-consciously. "It's, it's just that this, what we have, feels right. I don't want to lose it."

"Neither do I," he assured her as he gently caressed her cheek.

She studied him for a few moments. "So, now that we've discussed what's bothering me, are you going to tell me what's on your mind?"

"What makes you think anything's bothering me?" he asked with a shrug.

"I've been paying attention the last year," she reminded him. "You worked a very intense twelve hour shift today, yet it's after one in the morning and you're sitting up reading," she glanced over at the article in his lap, "about the bacteriologic analysis of infected dog and cat bites?"

"You'd be surprised how many we see in the ER," he argued, "especially now that it's getting warmer."

"Mark!" she said pointedly.

He laughed slightly. "Can I help it if I can't fall asleep alone anymore?"

"Okay," she relented, "you have a point there. I've had the same problem. But, as much as my ego might like to believe that's the only reason you can't sleep, I know better."

He didn't say anything.

Finally, she spoke. "Is it Carter?"

"Yeah," he nodded quietly. "I should have seen it."

"Mark, no one saw it," she reminded him.

"I should have known," he reiterated. "I should have known, because three years ago, it was me."

"The attack?" she questioned softly.

He nodded. "I did all of the same things. I told everyone I was fine, took on more than I could handle work, started smoking. I even tried to get Doug to prescribe more Percodan for me."

"Mark, you found out that your father had cancer, what, a week or two after Carter and Lucy were stabbed? You spent most of the next two months taking care of him, and near the end, you barely even had time to take care of yourself. You can't blame yourself for what happened to Carter," she tried to reason.

"Maybe you're right," he conceded with a sigh. "But that still doesn't stop me from wishing there was more I could do."

"You showed him that you were there for him, and you helped convince him to get help," she reminded him. "That means A LOT."

"I guess," he said with a weak smile.

"He's getting help. He's going to get better, and we're all going to be there for him." She smiled slightly. "It's because we're a family. This isn't just a job. And every truly great doctor I've ever met realizes that. There are lots of extremely talented doctors out there, but they'll never be great because they don't understand that."

He looked at her, a slightly surprised expression on his face. "You're one of the few people I've met who realizes that."

"We're a lot alike," she reminded him.

"So I'm starting to see," he replied with a smile.

She smiled, then wondered, "You ready to get some sleep?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "What time do you have to be back?"

She turned and started to set the alarm. "You'll be happier if I don't tell you."

He chuckled softly as he placed the journal on the table next to the bed, he took off his glasses, then turned off the light. "You're probably right."

"Probably?" she questioned as she slid down in bed next to him. "By now, I thought you would have figured out that I'm always right."

Pulling her closer, he grinned and said, "Whatever you say."

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