Summary: Tragedy brings twelve-year-old Rachel back home to her father, and Mark hopes that things will go back to the way they were in the old days. But it’s not as easy as it seems.

Author’s Notes: Spoilers from Piece of Mind onward.

Disclaimer: The characters you’ve seen before are not mine. The end.

Feedback: I’m not a doctor, I’m not a lawyer, and I don’t have the time to pretend to be. I’m just a lowly high school student with very little free time on her hands. But if you have comments unrelated to those two areas, please tell me. I’m new at this, so I’d really love to hear what you think. Please, pretty please, with a cherry on top?! This is me down on my knees begging!! Just send all comments and criticism to greeneblob707@yahoo.com with the title of the fanfic as the subject. I can take it, I really can!

Mark and Elizabeth reached the surgical waiting room to find Craig and Amanda side by side. They both had stitches on their faces and looked exhausted. Recognizing Mark, Craig stood up to greet him.

“Mark. Hi. We thought you’d be coming soon,” said Craig, welcoming him with a handshake.

Mark offered his hand in return, trying to smile at Craig despite his slight dislike of the man. It wasn’t that Craig was a bad guy. Perhaps it was the most obvious fact that he’d had an affair with his wife while they were still married. Whatever it was, something about him irked Mark, and he couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

Politely, Mark introduced him to Elizabeth and Ryan and quickly inquired about Jennifer’s conditions. Unfortunately, Craig was far from a doctor and knew the bare minimum. His information wasn’t much more helpful than what Mark had been told in the E.R. “Some bleeding internally, maybe the lungs, heart? No, I think it was the lungs. They just said internal bleeding and a collapsed lung. Her heart stopped twice. That doesn’t sound too good, does it?”

Mark shook his head. “I’ve seen a lot worse, but…” he trailed off, realizing he was talking to a civilian and not a doctor and trying to make the words more sensitive than they would be if he was talking to Elizabeth, Carter, Kerry, or any of his colleagues. “I don’t know the exact extent of her injuries, so I can’t really make an accurate guess as to how she’ll come out of it,” he said. He amazed himself with how quickly he was able to switch right into doctor mode, even when talking about his ex-wife. It was as if telling his own patient’s family the condition of the victim. Despite his lack of information of the case, Mark knew it would be a tough and potentially long surgery if she were to make it. He hoped he wouldn’t be talking to Jen’s surgeons for a long time.

“But she will come out of it, right?” Craig asked.

Not expecting that question for some reason, Mark thought about how to respond. Speaking slowly and cautiously and taking care to phrase everything just right, he cleared his throat and replied, “Well, like I said, there’s no way for us to know right now. Her injuries sound pretty serious, so, I would say that there is a possibility that she won’t make it through the surgery.”

Seeing the difficulty with which Craig took the news, Mark added, “I think it’s better not to assume anything until we find out more.” Craig nodded but was obviously still overwhelmed. Mark glanced at Elizabeth, hoping she would say something so that he wouldn’t have to answer any more hard questions.

Elizabeth took the cue and asked, “How’s Rachel? Is she out of surgery?” She shifted Ryan’s weight to her other side. He was getting tired and it was becoming more challenging for her to continue holding him up.

“They said it wouldn’t take too long. It’s been at least an hour since she went in. Do you think everything’s alright?” Craig responded quickly.

“Some procedures take longer than others. She should be done soon,” Elizabeth answered reassuringly, speaking, like Mark, as if Craig was her own patient’s family member.

An awkward silence followed until Craig invited them to take a seat, reminding them, “Who knows how long we’ll be here.” Craig gestured to the chairs beside him, where Amanda was now sleeping uncomfortably.

“She’s gotten big, hasn’t she?” asked Mark after taking his seat. He was trying to make conversation, but he also did not want to be left with silence and thoughts to contemplate.

“Yeah, almost a teenager,” he shook his head ruefully. “They get so big so fast, don’t they? Rachel too. She’s definitely not a little girl anymore, is she?”

Mark shook his head and humored him, but he secretly stole a glance at Elizabeth, who stifled a smile, knowing that Mark wasn’t too happy about that comment, for more reason than one. In his head, Mark became defensive. How could he talk about his little girl that way? Then he realized the amount of time Craig spent with Rachel in comparison with the time he himself spent with her and became more jealous than defensive. Remembering his plan to fix that over the holiday vacation, he sat back in his seat, giving in to his own thoughts.

When Mark had given up full custody of Rachel, he thought he had been doing what was best for her. It had been a difficult decision, but he truly believed that she needed stability in her life that he couldn’t provide for her. Now that his life and his emotions were more settled, he couldn’t help but wish that she could be a larger part of it. Summer and Christmas vacations were not enough for him anymore. He often thought about all the important events he had already missed in her life, and he wondered how many more he would have to miss before it finally got through to him.

Elizabeth quickly noticed Mark’s pensive gaze. “Mark?”

“Hmm?”

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Just thinking.”

“Want to talk about it?” she offered. “We could grab some coffee. These chairs aren’t all that comfortable anyway.”

“No, I’m fine. Really. I want to make sure I’m here when Rachel’s done.”

Elizabeth nodded, partially convinced. “Okay. But the option’s always open.”

“Thanks,” he answered gratefully.

The four of them sat for a while in companionable silence. Amanda continued to sleep, using the arm of the chair as her pillow. Craig sat hunched over, head in hands, eyes half open, wondering what to be thinking and doing at the moment. Leaning back, Mark stretched his legs out, rested his head on the back of his chair, and twiddled his thumbs anxiously awaiting information. Elizabeth rubbed Ryan on the back, waiting for him to finally fall asleep.

Eventually, a young woman in scrubs called for Craig Simon. Craig jumped slightly and immediately approached her. Elizabeth watched as the doctor smiled and nodded at Craig. They shook hands and Craig returned to his seat. He grabbed his coat and announced, “Rachel’s in recovery. We can go see her now. They said she’d probably be sleeping, but she’s allowed visitors.” Mark and Elizabeth stood up and reluctantly waited for Craig, who had the unpleasant task of waking Amanda. When he had finally coaxed her out of her deep sleep, they all approached the doctor anxiously.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Frawley,” the young chirpy doctor said for Mark and Elizabeth’s benefit. “I was one of the residents who operated on Rachel. She’s doing well now, but we only allow parents or legal guardians visit her. I’m afraid she won’t be ready for the excitement of five visitors at once. So I’ll need to know your names and relationship to Rachel?”

She looked at Craig, who responded, “Craig Simon, I’m her stepfather. I’m one of her legal guardians.”

“Dr. Mark Greene. I’m Rachel’s father,” he said emphatically.

“Dr. Elizabeth Corday-Greene, Rachel’s stepmother,” she said.

“I don’t mean to pry, but we need this information for visiting rights directly after surgery. It’s hospital policy. For now, Dr. Greene and Mr. Simon are the only ones permitted to visit her. However, I’m sure I can push a few buttons to get you a little bit of time,” she explained, smiling at Elizabeth.

“Oh, don’t go to any trouble,” Elizabeth said.

“It’s no trouble at all,” reassured Dr. Frawley.

The five of them began to follow Dr. Frawley to recovery. Through the window, they could see numerous pale patients hooked up to IV’s, pulse ox’s, and various wires and respirators depending on the severity of their conditions.

Dr. Frawley stopped outside the door. “We’d ask that there be only one visitor at a time so soon after surgery. You can decide amongst yourselves, as long as you don’t break any rules.” I’ll be right back. I have to go speak with Dr. Cramson, the attending, about getting you a visit. And I’ll be back to check on Rachel in a while. You might as well make yourselves comfortable.” She smiled and quickly hurried off to finish her business.

Another awkward silence followed her departure. Mark and Craig looked at each other, unsure of what to say. They began to speak at the same time.

“Do you-“

“You should-“

They both stopped and smiled slightly. “You should go. She might feel better seeing you,” Craig said. Mark was glad that he had suggested it. He was anxious to see Rachel, to gauge how she was doing both physically and mentally.

Craig and Elizabeth took their seats on a bench outside the recovery rooms. Ryan had fallen asleep by now, and he stirred slightly as Elizabeth adjusted him to a more comfortable position. Craig looked around uncomfortably, and Amanda took her seat next to him, still obviously tired. “Isn’t she a little young to be a doctor?” Craig asked, concerned.

Elizabeth chuckled to herself at the all too common question. Then she smiled at Craig. “She’s a resident, which means she’s still learning and gaining experience. There are attendings supervising the residents during all procedures, so there’s really no danger in it,” she assured him, still in her professional tone.

When Craig still didn’t seem convinced, she added, “It’s worked this way forever. It’s really the safest way in the long run.”

Craig glanced at her and nodded, not seeming to care much about it anymore. Craig’s thoughts drifted to Jen and her surgery, and Elizabeth sighed, tired of the questionings, even though she would never admit it aloud. She watched Mark through the glass window and wondered how he was holding up. At the moment, what she really wanted was to talk with him and make sure he was okay. She leaned back against the bench and closed her eyes, anxious for the night to be over.

Mark entered Rachel’s recovery room and quietly took a seat beside her bed. He watched as her chest moved rhythmically up and down. He observed the peaceful expression on her face and couldn’t help but smile, remembering how he had watched her sleep as a little girl. He leaned over to kiss her on the forehead, awakening her in the process.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Rache. I didn’t mean to wake you,” Mark told his sleepy daughter.

“Dad? What are you doing here?” she asked, confused. An extra sense of relief washed over Mark. Although he had known she would be okay since he had walked in the hospital doors, hearing her talk to him made him feel much better.

“The hospital called me and told me what happened,” he replied.

“And you came?”

“Well I wasn’t going to just sit at home without knowing how you were doing,” he explained with a smile, happy to see her conscious and fairly healthy looking under the circumstances.

Rachel smiled. She hesitated before her next question. “It was pretty bad, wasn’t it?”

Mark turned serious again and nodded. “Yeah, from the looks of things down in the E.R., it was,” he answered. “How are you feeling?”

She shrugged. “Okay, I guess. My leg hurts a little. And my neck’s sore.”

Mark smiled sympathetically. “Yeah. That neck should wear off in a while. You might have to get used to that leg though.”

“How long is it going to hurt?”

“Well, right now they have you on pain medication, so you haven’t felt the worst of it yet. I’ll try and talk to your doctor and find out.”

“When can I play soccer again?”

“Sorry, kiddo. Not for a while,” he told her.

She groaned. “Our team was really good last season. And we were still getting better. I won’t be able to play by spring?”

“We’ll have to see about that. Don’t worry about it now. It’ll work out somehow.”

Rachel sighed and sunk far back into her pillow, assuming her sullen, ‘pity me’ look. Eventually, she looked around and wondered aloud, “Where is everybody?”

“Well,” Mark began, taking a deep breath. “They’re out there waiting for the doctors to let them in. They have this rule about visitors.”

“They won’t let Mom in?” she asked, disbelieving.

“Not exactly. Your mom-“ he hesitated for a few moments, “she had a lot of things go wrong in the E.R. so they had to take her up to surgery. And she’s not out yet,” he answered.

“Oh,” she nodded, looking away.

Mark wondered if he had said the right thing. He hadn’t lied, but he knew he needed to give Rachel the full picture. A twelve-year-old was more than capable of understanding things like this and smart enough to figure out if the pieces didn’t add up. Especially Rachel. If something went wrong in the O.R., protecting her now wouldn’t do any good. He couldn’t protect her forever.

“But she’s okay?” Rachel asked after a moment of thought. She looked back at Mark, who wore the expression of a deer caught in the headlights.

“Huh?” he asked.

“Mom. She’s okay, right?” she repeated, growing impatient.

“Well, they wouldn’t really tell us what was wrong,” he told her.

She looked on expectantly, not accepting that as a clear enough answer.

Mark sighed and continued. “She had a lot of injuries. She had some problems with her heart and her lungs and- the truth is, we really don’t know if she’s going to be okay.”

Rachel looked devastated. Mark couldn’t stand the look on her face and hurried on. “Rache, they’re doing everything they can, I promise you. They’re working really really hard. And I’m sure they’ll tell you the minute they know anything, okay?”

“But YOU won’t tell me,” she stated plainly.

“If I knew, I would, trust me,” he replied.

She turned away from him again, and Mark once again felt horrible. He looked at her face, annoyed and upset. Mark tousled her hair and gently ran his finger down her face comfortingly, like she was a baby.

“Believe me, I wish I knew something, Rachel.” When she didn’t respond, he sighed, trying to put himself in her shoes. Not knowing what else he could say to make her feel better, he gently turned her head back to be facing his again. Her stubborn expression hadn’t changed much, but in her eyes, he saw something he had never seen before. He saw fear, and it hurt him. Knowing there was nothing he could do to relieve her fear without completely lying, he leaned over and told her the only thing that made sense at the moment. “I love you,” he whispered.

What she said back astonished Mark and was enough to bring tears to his eyes. “I love you too,” she said. Just like the old days.

Part 1 Part 3