What Will It Take?
By: Lori (SixteenOzs)

DISCLAIMER: "ER," the characters and situations depicted within are the property of Warner Bros. 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 making no 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: Dean Rollins returns to carry out his threat to Elizabeth.

RATING: PG-15. Referenced violence and explicit language.

BACKGROUND: This story begins after the sixth season episode "The Domino Heart," and may include spoilers for all episodes up to that point. One exception, David Greene is still living in San Diego, and did not move to Chicago with Mark.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I would like to take this opportunity to thank Trigg for letting me bounce ideas, and for looking over samples almost daily. Also, thanks for helping me come up with a title I like. Thank you so much!

PART I

"Carter, thank you so much for giving me a ride to my mother's," Carol said as they stepped off of the elevator and walked through the parking garage. "I hope it's not too much of an inconvenience."

"No, it's not a problem," Carter assured her.

"It's just so much easier if I don't have to pick up the twins, then fight with their carriers on the El to get home," Carol explained.

"I can imagine," he nodded.

As they were walking, Carol stopped suddenly. "That's Elizabeth's car."

"I thought she left over an hour ago," Carter remarked.

"She did," Carol nodded absently. "I was there when she said goodbye to Mark. She said she was going to go home and find something to fix for dinner. He told her he'd see her in about two hours when he got off."

Carol walked closer to the car, and felt her apprehension grow as she saw Elizabeth's bag and coat on the ground, next to the driver's door. She gasped as she reached the front of the car and found Elizabeth curled up in a ball, crying softly, her clothes ripped. Kneeling next to her, Carol softly said, "Elizabeth? What happened? Are you okay?"

It took a few moments for Carol's voice to register. Finally looking up, Elizabeth managed to choke out, "He, he was here. He raped me."

"Who?" Carol asked in confusion.

"Rollins," she said, her breath coming in short gasps.

Carol stood up slightly and looked around. "Is he still here?" she asked, her voice slightly panicked.

"No," Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't know how long, but he's gone."

"Okay, we're going to take care of you," Carol said as she gently stroked Elizabeth's hair back. "You just need to take a few slow, deep breaths to calm down."

Elizabeth did as Carol suggested, then said, "Please, don't tell Mark."

Carol drew in a deep breath, then tried to reason. "Elizabeth, he's going to find out."

"I know," Elizabeth nodded, "I just don't want him to see me like this."

"Okay," Carol replied. Turning to Carter, she said, "Go down to the ER, get Weaver and bring a gurney back with you. And make sure Mark doesn't know why."

"That's not going to be easy," Carter said with a sigh.

"I know," Carol nodded. "But, please."

"Okay," he said before he turned and headed back towards the elevator.

"How are you doing?" Carol asked.

Elizabeth moved to sit up, but Carol gently placed her hands on her shoulder. "You shouldn't be moving until we make sure there are no spinal injuries."

"Nothing's broken," Elizabeth assured her.

"Well, we'll just be safe, rather than sorry," Carol countered. "How are you doing?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and fought back tears. "I don't know," she whispered. "I, I thought he was going to kill me."

"But he didn't," Carol reminded her, "and we're going to take care of you now."

"I was so scared," Elizabeth said as she choked back a sob.

"I know," Carol said in a soothing tone.

Ten minutes later, Carol, Kerry and Carter were pushing the gurney off the elevator and into the ER, with Elizabeth in a back board and cervical collar.

"Let's go to Exam One," Kerry said.

Mark approached them as they were moving down the hall. "What's going on?" he wondered. Looking down at the gurney, he was shocked at what he saw. "Elizabeth? What's going on?"

Kerry looked to Carol, and Carol replied with a quick nod.

Carol stepped back from the gurney and grabbed Mark by the arm. He tried to pull away and continue with the Elizabeth, but Carol's grasp was stronger. Turning to face her, he demanded, "Would someone tell me what the hell is going on here?"

"Mark, come on. Let's go in here," Carol said as she pulled him towards the lounge.

"Carol. I want an answer," Mark commanded.

"She was raped," Carol said quietly as she let go of his arm.

"WHAT?" he asked, practically shouting. "Who?"

"Rollins," she said.

"Dean Rollins?" he questioned, the rage in his eyes unmistakable. "I'm going to kill him."

"Damn it, Mark!" Carol yelled. "Stop and think for a minute! What do you think Elizabeth needs right now? I can guarantee she doesn't need you going off, half-cocked, after Rollins. Let the police take care of him. She's going to need you to be there for her. YOU are going to have to be the rational one! And right now, you're not doing a very good job," she said bluntly.

He stopped at the force of her words. He knew she was right. He drew in a slow deep breath as he tried to calm down. "I want to be with her. I want to see her."

She intercepted him before he made it to the door. "She doesn't want you to see her like this. Besides, considering the nature of your relationship with Elizabeth, we both know that you shouldn't be anywhere near that rape kit if he's going to be convicted for this."

He sighed heavily. "So I've got to wait?"

"Afraid so," she said sympathetically. "I'm going to check on her, probably help Kerry with the rape kit. Will you be okay?"

He walked over to the sofa and sat down, then buried his face in his hands. After a moment, he looked up and said, "Will you just let her know that I'm worried about her?"

"Of course," she nodded with a weak smile. "I'll keep you posted."

"Thanks," he said quietly as he watched her leave.

Carol stopped at the admit desk to call her mother and let her know that it would be a while before she would be able to pick up Kate and Tess. She then met Kerry coming out of Exam One.

"I was just coming to look for you," Kerry said. "Would you mind helping with the rape kit?"

"No, I wouldn't mind," Carol replied. "Actually, I was coming to volunteer. How's she doing?"

Kerry sighed. "She's got a mild concussion, probably from hitting her head on the car or the concrete. I don't think the rest has really sit in yet."

"It probably will later tonight," Carol commented quietly.

"Yeah," Kerry agreed. "How's Mark?"

"Ready to kill Rollins," she explained, "but I think I made it clear that he needs to calm down so he can help her."

Kerry nodded. "He's in the lounge, right? I'm going to tell him to take the rest of his shift off. He shouldn't be seeing patients right now. I'll also let Luka know that he needs to be running the board. Why don't you go in and stay with her?"

"Sure," Carol said as she walked into the exam room.

Elizabeth was wearing a hospital gown and lying on her side, clutching the sheet around her shoulders. Sitting down next to her, Carol gently asked, "How are you doing?"

"I just want this to be over," she sighed. After hesitating a moment, she asked, "Did you tell Mark?"

"Yeah," Carol nodded. "He's worried about you."

Elizabeth smiled weakly. "I'm actually a little surprised he's not trying to bust down the door to get in here right now."

"If it were up to him, I think he would be," Carol said with a smile. Quietly, she explained, "But I told him you didn't want him to see you like this, and he shouldn't be in here while we were doing the rape kit."

"Rape kit," she repeated in a whispered. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Is there anything I can do?" Carol wondered.

"No," Elizabeth said, shaking her head, "but thanks."

"Are you cold?" Carol asked. "I could get you an extra blanket."

"Yeah," Elizabeth nodded after a moment, "I'd really appreciate that."

"No problem," Carol smiled as she stood up and walked over to the closet and took out another blanket before spreading it over Elizabeth.

Kerry returned a few moments later with another woman. Gently, she asked Elizabeth, "This is Detective Kimberly Waterford from the Chicago PD. Are you ready to do the exam?"

Elizabeth nodded tightly as she picked a spot on the ceiling and locked her gaze on it. As Kerry gathered the samples for the forensic rape kit, Carol recorded Elizabeth's account of the attack and the detective supervised the collection of evidence.

As they were almost done, Carol carefully said, "Just a few more questions. About your recent sexual history."

"Okay," Elizabeth nodded.

"Have you had consensual sexual intercourse in the past seventy-two hours?" Carol asked.

"Yes."

"Was a condom used?"

"No."

"Any type of contraceptive device?"

Elizabeth bit her lip before replying. "Yes, I'm on the pill."

"Carol," Kerry interrupted, "you need to ask EVERY of the question."

Carol sighed. "Elizabeth, I'm sorry. I need the name of your partner, or partners."

Elizabeth closed her eyes for a moment and sighed ruefully. Opening her eyes, she firmly held Carol's gaze as she replied, "Mark Greene, G-R-E-E-N-E. That's the ONLY person, and it was consensual."

"How many times have you had consensual sexual intercourse in the past seventy-two hours?" Carol asked with an apologetic look.

"Three. Tuesday night at his apartment. Last night at my apartment. This morning in the shower at my apartment." Bitterly, she asked, "Do you want to know how many times I climaxed, too?"

Trying to lighten the mood, Carol grinned and said, "Well, if the stories Jen used to tell around the ER were true..."

Elizabeth laughed in spite of herself. "That's one area where I've never had a reason to complain." Her expression turned sorrowful as she said, "But now..., I'm not sure what's going to happen."

"You're going to get through this," Carol assured her. "And he's going to be right there for you. I've known Mark a long time. I know that."

"I hope you're right," Elizabeth said quietly. She wasn't sure she'd ever needed anyone as much as she needed him right now. And that terrified her.

Kerry stood up and removed her gloves. "I've collected all the samples. Now, we just need to take a few photographs of your injuries."

"Okay," Elizabeth nodded as a distant look seemed to fill her eyes.

After what seemed like an eternity, the rape kit was completed, the photographs taken, the questions answered. Elizabeth turned to Carol and asked, "Could you go upstairs, get me a set of scrubs and a few things out of my locker?"

"Sure," Carol nodded. "What do you need?"

"Um, there's a gym bag in the bottom of my locker. I've got a change of underwear and socks in there. My shoes are there, too. If you could just bring that. It's locker fourteen in the women's locker room. The combination is twenty-five, ten, fifteen."

"Okay, I'll go get it. Is there anything else you need?" Carol wondered.

Elizabeth didn't reply immediately. Finally, she hesitantly said, "Could you ask Mark to come in?"

"Of course," Carol nodded with a smile before she walked to the door.

Elizabeth was staring at the wall when Mark came in about five minutes later.

"Hey," he said softly as he walked closer to her.

"Hi," she said as she turned to face him.

"How are you doing?" he asked as he sat down on the edge of her gurney.

Sadly, she shook her head. "I don't know." Noticing the bandage just below the edge of the sleeve of his scrub top, she asked, "What happened to you?"

He glanced at his arm, then explained, "Kerry needed to get a blood sample from me."

She sighed heavily. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said as he reached out and gently caressed her cheek. "This isn't your fault."

She smiled weakly. "Kerry and Carol told me the same thing."

"They're right," he said simply.

She bit her lip to keep her jaw from trembling. "I've never been so scared in all my life. I thought he was going to kill me."

"But he didn't," he reminded her. "You survived, and I know it won't be easy, but you're going to get through this. And I will be right here for you. I promise you that."

"Thank you," she said softly. "All I could think about was how much I wanted to get away from him. How much I wanted you to wrap me in your arms and make me feel safe again."

"How about if I hold you now?" he suggested with a smile.

"I'd really like that," she nodded.

He turned around so that he could hold her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe this is happening. A few hours ago, I was planning on going home to fix a nice romantic dinner for the two of us. And now, I can't help thinking that nothing will ever be the same."

He sighed. He knew things would never be the same. But at that moment, all he could do is hope that they would be able to get through this. If they were really lucky, maybe, just maybe, this could bring them closer together.

Quietly, she said admitted, "I can't close my eyes. Every time I do, I see him."

"I'm right here, Elizabeth," he assured her. "He can't hurt you now."

"That's what I keep telling myself. I'm just not sure I believe it," she whispered.

He continued to hold her until Carol reentered the room about fifteen minutes later. "Hi," she said with a smile. "How's the patient doing?"

Elizabeth smiled weakly. "I'm hanging in."

"I've got your things and a set of scrubs," Carol said as she sat the items on the foot of the gurney.

"Thank you," Elizabeth replied.

"I ran into Kerry on my way back. She got the lab to put a rush on your blood work. She should be in with the results in a few minutes," Carol added.

"Okay," Elizabeth nodded.

Mark hesitated for a moment, then said, "If you'll be okay, there are a couple of things I need to take care of. If you just want to find me when you're done, I'll give you a ride home."

"Okay," she smiled as she watched him leave, "thanks."

Carol grinned. "Letting you know that he's here for you, but trying not to push," she commented.

"Pretty obvious, isn't he?" Elizabeth grinned back.

"Yeah," Carol laughed. Then, seriously, she asked, "How are you doing?"

Elizabeth sighed. "It feels like it's taking everything I have to hold it together right now."

"You do know that no one would blame you if you couldn't, don't you?" Carol questioned.

"I know," she nodded. "It's just that I'm going to have to come back to the hospital and work. I can't lose it here. I'm thinking that's what tonight, at home, with Mark is for."

"Makes sense," Carol nodded.

Kerry came back in, carrying Elizabeth's chart. "Ready to get out of here?"

"Yes," Elizabeth said with a sigh.

"Right now, all of your blood work looks normal," Kerry replied. "It's really too early for anything definite on the STDs. For most, you can get tested again in a week or two. You won't have anything conclusive on the HIV test for six months, unless you can get a blood sample from Rollins. So, usual rules apply, avoid unprotected sex. Universal precautions should be fine here at the hospital, but it's really up to you whether you want to continue seeing patients. I'll have Carol get you started on AZT, and a few other drugs, just to be on the safe side. You're on the pill, right?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth nodded.

"If you haven't skipped any doses, you shouldn't have to worry about pregnancy, but I'd still recommend emergency contraceptives to be on the safe side," Kerry explained.

"Okay."

"With that concussion, I'd normally want to keep you here overnight, but if you're not staying alone..." Kerry trailed off.

Elizabeth smiled weakly. "I haven't talked to Mark yet, but somehow, I'm guessing me staying alone tonight isn't really an option."

"Probably for the best," Kerry smiled. "Do you have any questions?"

"No, I think that pretty much covers it for now," Elizabeth said quietly.

"Okay," Kerry nodded. "You can get dressed, Carol will get you the meds, then you're free to go."

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

"Let me know if there's anything I can do," Kerry said sincerely.

"I will," Elizabeth nodded. "Thanks."

Elizabeth sighed as Carol and Kerry left, then slowly moved off the gurney and began to get dressed. She was tying her tennis shoes when Carol returned a few moments later, carrying a tray with three paper cups.

Handing Elizabeth the first cup, along with the cup of water, Carol said, "Here's the AZT."

"Thanks," Elizabeth said before taking the pills and swallowing them with some water.

"And here's the emergency contraceptive. Two pills now, and two in twelve hours."

Elizabeth took the cup, but stared at the pills for a few moments. Almost as if she was thinking aloud, she said, "Chances are, I'm not pregnant, but nothing's one-hundred percent, right? If I am, it could be Mark's."

"It could be," Carol agreed quietly. When Elizabeth didn't say anything, she asked, "But with everything else you're going to be going through, do you want to take that chance?"

Elizabeth looked up at Carol. After a few moments, she said, "I guess not." Quickly, as if to do it before she had a chance to change her mind, she swallowed the pills.

Elizabeth was quiet as they rode the elevator to her apartment. Mark wasn't sure if she'd said a dozen words since they left the hospital, not that he'd really expected more. As they entered the apartment, she took off his coat and hung it next to the door. Hers had been taken as evidence, along with everything else she'd been wearing. "Thanks for letting me borrow your coat," she said softly.

"You're welcome," he smiled back. "How are you doing?"

"I don't know," she shrugged noncommittally. "I think I'm just going to take a shower."

"Sure," he nodded. "Want me to fix something to eat?"

"Only if you want something," she replied. The mere thought of food made her want to throw-up. "I'm not really hungry."

"Okay. Just let me know if you need anything," he reminded her gently.

"I will," she said as her eyes briefly met his.

Before he could look close enough to read what she was thinking, she shifted her gaze away.

She walked back to her bedroom and looked through the drawers of her bureau until she found her thickest sweatpants and sweatshirt. Tossing them on the bed, she continued looking until she found a tee shirt, a pair of thick cotton socks and clean underwear.

Picking up all of the items, she walked into the bathroom and placed them on the vanity. She walked over to the shower and opened the hot water tap. As she waited for the water to heat up, she brushed her teeth, then slowly began to remove the scrubs she'd worn home from the hospital. After hesitating for a second, she let them fall to the floor, deciding not to put them in the hamper.

She gasped as she caught her reflection in the bathroom mirror. There were dark, bluish-purple splotches scattered across her chest, abdomen and thighs; not to mention the bruise that was forming on the right side of her face. She swallowed hard to push back a sob as she turned away from the mirror.

She stepped into the shower, not even flinching as the scorching needles hit her skin. Wrapping her arms across her chest, she rested her forehead against the tiles and finally gave in, letting the sound of the falling water muffle her sobs.

Mark glanced at his watch, then looked towards the bathroom door. The shower had been running for the past fifty minutes, and he had to admit that he was starting to get worried. He reached for the remote and turned the television on, trying to pass the time. As he was flipping through the channels, he stopped suddenly as he saw the ambulance bay outside the ER.

"We have a confirmed report that a female physician here at County General was raped in
the hospital's parking garage and treated in the emergency department," the reporter was saying. "The police are not releasing the victim's name, nor are they releasing any information about potential suspects. We have been told that the hospital will release a formal statement tomorrow morning. Back to you, Brent and Alicia."

Hearing the water stop in the bathroom, Mark quickly turned off the television. Reaching for the phone, he dialed the number for the ER. "Jerry, hey. It's Mark. I've already told Kerry I won't be in tomorrow. I'm staying with Elizabeth, and I don't want the reporters hassling her, so I'm turning the phone off. I'd appreciate it if you could tell everyone just to page us if they need us. ... Thanks."

Hanging up the phone, he turned off the ringer and turned down the volume on the answering machine before going into the kitchen.

As Elizabeth turned the water off in the shower, she reached for a towel and wrapped it tightly around her. Picking up another towel, she put her hair up, turban-style. Stepping out of the shower, she was relieved to see that the bathroom mirror was covered with steam, blocking her reflection.

After toweling off, she quickly got dressed and opted to pin her hair up, instead of fussing with drying it. Before she left the bathroom, she picked up the scrubs and other articles that she'd worn home from the hospital. Walking into the kitchen, she threw everything into the trashcan next to the sink.

"You okay?" Mark asked in a concerned tone as he watched her.

"It's just that I could wash that a thousand times, and I still don't think I'd be able to wear it again," she admitted quietly.

"I understand," he assured her. Taking a step closer, he picked up her hands and held them in his, noticing that they were bright red and almost blistered. "Did you even use any cold water?" he wondered.

"I just can't get warm," she said with a guilty smile.

"Come here," he said as he gently guided her to the island, where he'd set the place-mats, soup bowls, spoons and a candle.

She wasn't really hungry, but she knew it would be easier just to humor him. Sitting down on one of the bar stools, she propped her elbows on the counter and watched him move around her kitchen.

He ladled soup into each of their bowls, then picked up the kettle from the stove and poured the boiling water over the tea bags in their cups. "Would you like something else? Maybe a salad, or a sandwich?"

"No, I'm fine," she said with a smile.

He sat down next to her and began to eat his soup, as she aimlessly swirled her spoon through hers. After a few moments, he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"I never thought it would happen to me," she said quietly as she stared at her bowl. "I've seen rape victims, during my emergency and gynecology rotations. I've heard the statistics, but I never thought it would happen to me."

"There was no reason for you to think that it would happen to you," he pointed out.

"The day he was discharged, as the police were taking him away, he said he wasn't through with me, he'd be back. I didn't believe him. I thought he'd be in prison," she said sadly. "I NEVER imagined this."

"I am so sorry, Elizabeth," he said sincerely. "I would give anything if I could make this easier for you."

"You're here," she replied, trying to force a smile. She was silent for several minutes. Her jaw trembled as she said, "I didn't even scream. I didn't do anything to stop him. I should have fought harder."

He reached out and gently turned her face so that she was looking at her. Seriously, he said, "Elizabeth, this is NOT your fault. More than likely, it all happened so fast that you didn't even have time to scream." Caressing her cheek, he added, "From the looks of it, I'd say you put up one hell of a fight. There was nothing else you could have done."

"The rational part of me knows that," she admitted.

"And the other part?" he wondered.

Her eyes brimming with tears, she said, "The other part can't stop thinking about how much this hurts."

He stood up and gently pulled her into his embrace. She buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around him. She clutched him tightly, afraid of what might happen if she let go.

"You're going to get through this. I promise," he whispered into her hair.

He held her for a long time. Finally, he pulled back slightly, and asked, "Do you think you could eat a little more?"

"I'll try," she nodded with a weak smile.

After they finished dinner, and he cleaned the kitchen, he commented, "You look tired."

"Yeah," she conceded, "but I'm not sure I could get to sleep."

Taking a prescription bottle out of his pocket, he said, "I asked Kerry to prescribe something that would help you sleep, if you want."

She considered this for a moment, then said, "I don't think so. They've just always made me sort of nervous."

Sitting the bottle on the counter, he smiled and assured her, "That's fine."

"Thanks anyway, though," she replied. Sighing softly, she said, "I guess I'll try to get to sleep on my own."

"Okay, I'll just be waking you up every couple of hours to check on the concussion," he said with a smile. He hesitated a moment, not wanting to push, but finally said, "I'll be on the sofa if you need me."

"Thank you," she said quietly, with a relieved smile.

"I'm here if you need anything," he reminded her.

"I know," she nodded. "'Night, Mark."

"Goodnight," he whispered as he watched her walk towards her bedroom.

Entering the bedroom, she went to the closet and got an extra quilt from the top shelf, then spread it over the bed. Turning back the sheets, she sighed heavily as she climbed under the covers. Hugging an extra pillow to her chest, she bit her lip and stared at the wall as a few tears silently fell down her face.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed like that, an hour, maybe an hour and a half. She was completely exhausted, but sleep just wouldn't come. Finally, she got out of bed, picked up the quilt and walked over to the window seat that overlooked the lake. As she sat down, she wrapped the quilt tightly around her and pulled her knees to her chest.

It was raining. She watched as the droplets gathered on the glass and slowly traced their paths downward. She wondered when the rain began. She honestly couldn't remember if it was raining when Mark brought her home or not.

That was just sort of a blur, like part of a bad dream that she couldn't quite remember. Unfortunately, there were other parts of the evening that were all too vivid in her memory. Those were the parts that she prayed she would forget, that they would leave her long enough to let the fatigue take over and allow her to get some sleep.

Looking out the window, at the shimmering lights in the distance, she couldn't help but shudder as she realized Rollins was still out there somewhere. As long as he was out there, she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to close her eyes.

She jumped slightly at the gentle knock on the door some time later. Realizing that it was only Mark, she drew in a deep breath as she tried to slow her pounding heart. After a moment, she said, "Yeah?"

He pushed open the door that was already slightly ajar. "I was just coming to wake you up, to check on your concussion."

"It's fine," she assured him with a weak smile.

"Have you been to sleep?" he wondered as he walked into the room and sat in the chair next to the window.

"No," she said quietly as she shook her head.

"Anything you want to talk about?" he asked carefully.

"Not really," she replied, picking at a loose thread on the edge of the quilt. After a few moments, she admitted, "I can't close my eyes, because every time I do, I see him on top of me. I hear his voice, I feel his hands all over me." She stopped for a moment, then looked at him. "I want to make it stop, I want to make it go away, but I don't know how."

He sighed heavily. "Only time will allow you to do that," he said apologetically, knowing that wasn't the answer she wanted to hear.

"That's what I was afraid of," she said quietly. She watched him for a few moments. She tried to remember what it felt like to fall asleep in his arms the night before, to wake up there that morning. She wanted to hold on to that feeling, to remind herself of how wonderful that was. But the more she thought about it, the harder it was to remember.

She wanted to sleep, a few moments where she didn't have to relive the worst night of her life. Her pride made her want to get through this on her own, but the way she was currently feeling made her doubt if that would even be possible.

Hesitantly, she asked, "Could you hold me for a while? Maybe I can fall asleep."

"Of course," he nodded with a gentle smile.

She replaced the quilt on the bed and climbed back under the covers. As he laid down beside her and wrapped her in his arms, he asked, "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"Just don't leave me," she requested softly.

"I won't," he promised. Brushing her hair back from her forehead, he whispered, "I'm right here, Elizabeth."

He tried to make sense of it all. He'd never known anyone quiet like her, no one else had the same effect on him as she did. It tore him apart to see what this was doing to her. Silently, he wished there was something more he could to do help her.

He watched her until her even breaths made him fairly certain that she was finally asleep, then, he tried to get to sleep himself.

Elizabeth woke up with a start, her breathing labored. She looked around the room apprehensively, attempting to convince herself that Rollins wasn't there. As her gaze finally fell to Mark's sleeping form next to her, she was slowly able to slow her breathing and remind herself that it was only a dream, that it wasn't happening again.

She sighed heavily as she watched him sleeping. He'd thrown the quilt and the comforter back, so that he was only covered by the sheet and a light blanket. She was buried under all of those layers, yet she was still freezing.

With another sigh, she slipped out of bed quietly, not wanting to wake Mark. After getting a few things from the top drawer of her bureau, she walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She turned the water on in the tub and added a generous amount of bubble bath. As she waited for the tub to fill, she went to the vanity and brushed her teeth.

Finally turning off the tap, she quickly removed her clothes and sank into the bubbly water, which came up to her neck. Resting her head against the back of the tub, she closed her eyes. For a few moments, she was actually able to enjoy the warmth that surrounded her.

It was a little after four in the morning. It had been nine hours since her shift ended, since she'd walked to her car and her life was turned upside down. The minutes seemed like hours, where all she could do was replay what happened. She tried to think of anything else, but her attempts were all in vain. Sighing, she asked the empty room, "What will it take for me to get past this?"

She stayed in the tub for about an hour and a half, adding hot water every so often. Finally, she got out of the tub and got dressed. Walking into the kitchen, she started a pot of coffee. While she was waiting for the coffee to finish, she decided to go down to the lobby and pick up a copy of the newspaper. With her keys in one hand, she opened the door and looked up and down the hallway before walking to the elevator.

"'Morning, Dr. Corday," the doorman said as she walked through the lobby.

"Good morning, Sam," she replied with a smile.

"You're up awfully early this morning," he commented.

"Couldn't sleep," she replied. "Just decided to come down and get something to read."

"Lot of bad stuff going on out there," Sam noted. "You work at County General, right?"

"Yes," Elizabeth nodded as she picked up a copy of the morning's paper.

"The paper said someone was raped there last night. I hope she's doing okay," Sam said sympathetically.

Her jaw clenched as she looked down at the newspaper in her hands. Finally, she looked back to Sam and quietly said, "So do I."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Well, I'd love to know what you think. Please seen all questions, comments or critisims to SixteenOzs02@yahoo.com Thanks for reading!

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