Long Way Back
By: Lori (SixteenOzs)

DISCLAIMER: "ER" and 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 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, and (constructive) criticisms to SixteenOzs02@yahoo.com

Chicago, IL
Sunday, May 18, 1997
1:30 P.M.

"This all seems so familiar. It's almost as if I never left," Susan thought as she walked up to the emergency room at County General Hospital. As she walked down the hall, she saw Mark reviewing charts at the admitting desk. She ducked behind a wall so that she could watch him for a moment. As she focused on his face, her breath caught in her throat. Doug and Carol told her that Mark had been badly beaten, but she had not been prepared for what she saw. She could feel the tears forming in her eyes as she saw the bruises on his face and the cast on his hand. Susan silently cursed herself for not being there for him when it happened. "You claim to be his best friend, but you were hundreds of miles away when he needed you." She leaned against the wall and took several deep breaths. "Come on, Susan. It's now or never," she told herself.

With one more deep breath, she pushed herself off the wall and headed towards the desk. "Hi, Mark! Remember me?" she said tentatively.

As he looked up, the surprise was evident on his face. "S-S-Susan?" he said as the chart he was holding slipped out of his hand.

As they both bent to down to pick it up, Susan replied, "Yeah, it's me. How are you doing?"

"I-I've been better," Mark said with a weary smile as he stood up. "How about you?"

"I'm okay."

His mind seemed to be working in slow motion. Forming a coherent thought, much less speaking it, seemed next to impossible. "What are you doing here?" he finally asked.

"Well, I heard you were in the market for a new attending, so I thought I'd volunteer, that is if you'll still have me."

"You mean you're back here, for good?" Mark asked, not sure he believed what was happening.

"Yes," she said simply. "Phoenix wasn't all that I had hoped it would be."

After a few difficult moments, Mark finally said, "So, you're coming back to the ER?"

"Yeah, Morgenstern told me that he's leaving and Kerry's taking his job, so I'm going to be the new attending down here. I'm meeting with him a little later to work out the details."

"So, when do you start?"

"Tomorrow."

"So soon? No one told me anything about it."

"Well, that's actually my fault. I wanted to be the one to let you know I was coming back. I wanted to tell you before now, but I didn't know what would be the best way. I hope it's not a problem," she said, sounding more than a little embarrassed.

"No, you know how we're always short handed around here," he said forcing a smile.

"Look, I've got to meet Morgenstern right now, but I was wondering if we could get together later, for drinks or something?"

"I'm not sure. I'm pretty tired and I was planning to head home after my shift and fall into bed," Mark said, praying that she wouldn't see through his lie.

"Oh," Susan said, hoping her disappointment didn't show. "I'm staying with Carol. Give me a call if you change your mind."

"Sure," Mark said as he looked away from her and studied the chart on the desk.

"Bye, Mark."

"Bye."

Susan turned and headed towards the elevators, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"Dr. Greene, there's a LOL in Exam 3 complaining of chest pains," Jerry Markovic, the Emergency Services Coordinator, said. "Dr. Greene?"

"Yeah, Jerry. See if Doyle or Carter can take care of it. I'll be in the lounge," Mark said absently.

"Okay, Dr. Greene."

After Mark entered the lounge, he headed over to the sofa, sat down, and propped his feet up on the table. As he leaned his head back against the sofa cushions, he asked himself, "What the hell just happened here?"

It was the day that had filled his thoughts for much of the last six months. Susan was back. But now what? He hated to admit it, but he still cared for her and he couldn't ignore the way he felt when he was around her. He also couldn't ignore the fact that she turned his life upside down when she left, and he wasn't sure he could handle it if she decided to leave again.

"Hey there, Dr. Greene," John Carter said as he entered the lounge. "Guess who I just saw? Dr. Lewis. She told me that she's moving back to Chicago and is going to be the new attending here. Isn't that great?"

Carter waited for a response, but Mark continued to stare at the ceiling. "Dr. Greene, are you okay?"

"Huh? Carter, I'm sorry. What did you say?" Mark finally responded.

"I was just wondering how you're doing. You don't look so great."

"Thanks, Carter," Mark said sarcastically. "No, really, I'm fine."

"I just saw Dr. Lewis. Isn't it great that she's coming back to County?"

"Yeah," Mark said. "I think," he added quietly, more to himself than to Carter. "By the way, aren't you supposed to be looking after the woman with chest pains in Exam 3?"

"No, Maggie got that one."

"Dr. Greene, there's an incoming MVA. A mini van had a flat tire then spun out of control. Two victims are headed here. We've also got a guy who jumped in front of the El," Jerry said, sticking his head in the door of the lounge.

"What's the ETA?" Mark asked.

"About five minutes for the mini van, and ten minutes for the guy with the El."

"It doesn't just rain. It pours," Mark muttered to himself. "Carter, grab Maggie and help with victims from the MVA. Jerry, see if Peter can help out with that one, too." I'll take the jumper. Is anyone else available?" he asked.

"I could page Dr. Morgenstern and Dr. Lewis," Jerry suggested.

"Yeah," Mark replied hesitantly as they left the lounge.

A few minutes later, Susan came downstairs and went to the desk to see why she had been paged. "Hey, Jerry! What's going on?"

"We've got an incoming MVA and a guy that was hit by the El. Dr. Greene wanted to know if you could help out."

"Well, I'm not supposed to start until tomorrow, but I guess I could lend a hand," Susan said with a smile.

"Thanks, Dr. Lewis. It's great to have you back."

"It's great to be back, Jerry."

After Susan picked up a yellow smock, a stethoscope, and a pair of latex gloves, she headed towards the doors of the ER to meet Mark. "So, what have you got?"

Mark turned quickly to face her. He was still trying to get used to hearing her voice again. "A guy jumped in front of the El, they should be here any minute."

"He jumped in front of the El? How does it sound?"

"Pretty bad," he said grimly.

"Dr. Morgenstern had to take care of a few things upstairs, but he said he'd be down as soon as he could," Susan said.

"Think we can handle it until then?" he asked with a bit of a smile.

"I think so," she returned his smile, as the ambulance pulled up.

Opening the doors of the ambulance, Mark and Susan helped the paramedics get the patient out. "What have you got?" Mark asked.

"Guy's girlfriend broke up with him, he threw himself in front of the train, trying to stop her," the paramedic replied.

Almost reflexively, Mark and Susan looked at each other. As their eyes met, it was clear that they were both thinking about the last time they'd seen each other. "Well," Mark commented quietly, "that's one way to handle it."

Remembering why they were there, he turned back to the paramedic, "What's the bullet?"

"Well, not much that isn't mangled or broken. Head trauma, multiple extremity fractures, near amputation of the right forearm, left femur fracture, pulse is weak, and BP's 60 over 40."

As they pushed through the doors of the trauma room, Mark said, "Okay, on my count. One, two, three."

Chicago, IL
Sunday, May 18, 1997
3:30 P.M.

After running a few errands, Doug decided to stop by the hospital to see Carol. As he entered the ER, he quickly surveyed the scene before him and recognized the aftermath of a trauma. "I wonder what happened here?" he asked himself.

Meanwhile, Mark and Susan finished their work in Trauma Two and easily removed their smocks and gloves before disposing of them in the nearby biohazard containers.

"Good job in there, Susan," Mark said.

"Thanks. You did pretty well yourself."

"You sound surprised," he commented.

"Well, I guess I am. I didn't think you could do that well with you hand in a cast," she said somewhat cautiously. It was the first comment she'd made about his injuries from the attack.

"I've had a couple of weeks to get used to it, but I'll still be glad to get it off," he tried to sound as if it were no big deal.

"Any idea when that will be?"

"Probably another three or four weeks."

As Mark and Susan walked out of the trauma room, they ran into Doug. "Ah, the Mutt and Jeff of emergency medicine, back together again," Doug said.

"Nice to see you, too," Susan said with a sarcastic smile as Mark rolled his eyes.

"Hey, welcome back! I didn't think you started until tomorrow," Carol said as she walked up to the group and hugged Susan.

"Technically I don't, but I was helping out a friend today," Susan said smiling at Mark.

Mark shifted uncomfortably before he asked, "Uh, Doug, can I talk to you in the lounge?"

"Sure. Carol, I'll be back in a few minutes, can you stick around?" Doug asked.

"Yeah, actually I'm getting ready to go on break, so just find me when you're done."

"Okay, I'll see you then," Doug said.

"Thanks again, Susan," Mark said before they walked off.

"Don't mention it," she replied with a smile.

"So?" Carol asked as soon as the two men were out of earshot.

"So, what?" Susan teased.

"So, how did it go with Mark?"

"I'm not sure," Susan said with a puzzled look. "The patient was a guy who jumped in front of the El after his girlfriend dumped him."

"Not exactly the perfect case for you two, huh?" Carol asked.

"Not really," Susan laughed. "But, once we got started, it was just like before. Our professional relationship is as great as ever, we were able to read each other perfectly in there," she said, gesturing towards the trauma room. "I really missed that in Phoenix."

"And what about your personal relationship?" Carol prodded.

"That's what I'm not so sure about. I asked Mark if he wanted to get together after work, but he said he was tired and wanted to go home and get some sleep."

"Well, that could be true. He's still recovering from the attack," Carol said optimistically.

"Maybe, but I can't shake the feeling that he was trying to avoid me," Susan said with a worried expression on her face.

"You two are meant for each other. It'll all work out."

"Thanks, Carol."

In the lounge, Mark and Doug were talking as they each got drinks from the refrigerator.

"So, how long have you kept this from me?" Mark asked with a trace of bitterness in his voice.

"What?" Doug asked.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. Susan."

"Oh, that."

"Yeah, THAT."

"Honestly, Mark, I just found out that she was moving back here Friday morning. She called and told Carol Thursday night. Carol made me promise not to say anything. Anyway, how did it go?"

"Oh, other than almost having a heart attack, I'm doing great," Mark said sarcastically.

"Come on, Mark. She's back. You should make the most of it."

"Doug, how do I know that she won't decide to leave again? I will NOT set myself up like that," Mark said firmly.

"So, let me get this straight," Doug said in disbelief. "You're willing to give up what is potentially the BEST relationship of your life, because you're afraid of what MIGHT happen?" Mark didn't respond, so Doug added, "If Carol and I had worried about that, we wouldn't be back together now."

"I'm happy for you Doug. I really am," Mark said sincerely, "but you and Carol also had a few YEARS to recover from your last relationship."

"Mark, she made a mistake and she's back to correct it. The least you can do is give her a chance."

"Maybe," Mark said unconvincingly.

Chicago, IL
Sunday, May 18, 1997
9:00 P.M.

As Mark stepped out of the shower and reached for his robe, he heard the knock on his door. "Who could that be?" he wondered as he tied the belt of his robe. After walking across the living room and looking through the door, he answered his own question, "Susan." He took a deep breath and tried to decide what to do next. His car was parked in front of the building and the lights in his apartment were on, so pretending not to be at home probably wouldn't work.

"Mark? Are you there? It's me, Susan," he heard her say from the other side of the door.

"Might as well get this over with," he thought to himself as he unlocked the door.

"Hi, Mark. I hope you don't mind my stopping by. I was out for a walk and ended up over here," she said with a nervous smile. "I thought it would be nice if we could talk."

"Come on in, Susan. I, uh, I just got out of the shower. Why don't you have a seat while I get dressed."

"If it's a bad time, I could come back later," Susan offered.

"No. I'll just be a minute." He didn't know if there would ever be a "good" time for this.

A few minutes later, Mark came out of the bedroom, having changed into sweatpants and a tee shirt. "So, can I get you anything to drink?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine. I really like what you've done with the apartment. It looks great."

"Thanks. You were right, this is a terrific place," Mark said as he remembered the last time they were together in this apartment. It was the night Susan told him she was transferring her residency to Phoenix. It was also the night when he'd walked out of there without saying a damn thing to let her know how he felt. He walked over to the window and they both noticed the tension that seemed to fill the room.

Susan finally broke the silence, "How are you doing?"

"Great, just great," Mark said sarcastically.

"Come on, Mark. How ARE you?"

"Do you know what I find interesting?" he asked rhetorically. "Ever since I was attacked, everyone asks me how I'm doing. The funny thing is that I know they really don't care. They just want to be polite and they hope I'll say 'Fine' so they can move on with their lives."

Susan got up from the sofa and walked over to him before she said, "I care."

He quickly turned to face her. "If you cared, why did you leave?" he asked bitterly, as all of the emotions he had been trying to hide for six months came to the surface.

For a moment, she couldn't speak. She was taken aback not only by the tone of his voice, but also by the mixture of anger and sadness that she saw in his eyes. "I-I don't know," was the only response she could muster.

"Yes you do. 'Our lives were moving in different directions.' Weren't they?"

While she stared at him, she could feel the tears gathering in her eyes. As he repeated her words, they cut through her like a knife. "I'm sorry, Mark. I never meant to hurt you."

"Sure," he huffed.

"I was almost on the train. What was I supposed to do?" she tried to reason.

"Stay," he said simply, much like he had done the day she left.

Susan took a deep breath before she responded. "Mark, when you didn't say anything before I left the hospital, I thought you didn't care. You were the one who kept telling me how great Phoenix would be."

Mark stood there, staring at her as he recalled all of the pain that he felt when she left. "Whatever happened to 'better late than never?'"

"When I left the hospital that day, I closed the chapter on my life in Chicago. I committed myself to a new life in Phoenix. When you finally did say something, I thought it was too late to turn back," Susan said, suddenly on the defense. They both could have done things differently last November, he had no right to blame her for everything.

"So, WHY are you back?" he asked in frustration.

"I thought I made a mistake in leaving, but now I'm starting to think that my only mistake was coming back," she said angrily.

"Then maybe you should leave," Mark said in an even voice.

"Then maybe I will," Susan said before she walked to the door and slammed it behind her.

"What the hell were you thinking, Greene?" Mark asked himself as soon as the door slammed.

For months, he had wanted Susan to come back into his life. Now, she was here, and he just kicked her out of his apartment. He loved her, he knew that, he had always known that. But as bad as it sounded, there was still something that made him want to see her hurt like he did when she left.

As he stood at the window, he saw her leave the building and walk down the street. His breath caught in his throat. Suddenly, he wasn't standing in his apartment watching her walk away. He was standing on a platform watching that train until it disappeared from sight. The same empty feeling was there inside his chest. The same sense that she was walking out of his life forever, and he only had himself to blame.

Yet at the same time, he wondered if it wasn't for the best. When it came to love, he always seemed to get hurt. He knew he couldn't handle that kind of pain again, especially not now.

"How did I manage to get myself into this one?" he muttered as he sat down in front of the window, realizing that another sleepless night lay ahead.

Chicago, IL
Sunday, May 18, 1997
11:00 P.M.

Doug and Carol were laughing and talking as they walked home from dinner and a movie. As they started up the walk to Carol's house, they noticed a figure sitting on the front porch. As they got closer, they realized that it was Susan, and that she had been crying.

As they walked up to her, Carol softly said, "Susan, what happened? Are you okay?"

"Mark kicked me out of his apartment." As she spoke, her voice was surprisingly monotone. Her swollen, tear-stained face was the only sign that something was wrong.

"What?" Doug and Carol asked in unison, as they quickly exchanged glances.

"We got into a fight over why I left, why I was back, and why he didn't say anything before I was getting on the train. I told him that I thought I made a mistake when I left, but now I was starting to realize that my only mistake was coming back. Then, he told me to leave," Susan said without a trace of emotion.

Doug and Carol stared at each other, as if to ask, "What was Mark thinking?"

Carol finally said, "Come on, Susan. Why don't you go upstairs, take a nice hot bath, and get a good night's sleep? You'll feel better in the morning." Susan didn't protest as Carol reached for her arm and lead her into the house.

Doug went into the living room and waited for Carol. "How's she doing?" he asked as she came down the stairs a while later.

"Not so good, I just put her in bed, but after I closed the door, I listened for a minute and heard her crying into her pillow." Carol paused before she said, "What do you think Mark was trying to prove?"

"I don't know. He's been through a lot the past few months. The only reasonable explanation I can come up with is that he is trying to protect himself by not letting her get to close."

"Any ideas as to what we can do?" she asked.

"I think I'll go over to Mark's apartment in a little while. Maybe I can talk some sense into him. Otherwise, we'll just have to hope that things go better at work tomorrow."

"I hope Susan will be up for it."

"Me, too."

"You know, this really isn't fair," Carol thought aloud. "The last few years have been really rough for both of them. They deserve to be happy."

"I know what you mean," he agreed. "I really think they could make a go of it together."

"I guess it's up to us to make sure their pride doesn't get in the way, huh?" Carol said.

"Yeah," Doug said with a smile, "Mark's always been there for me. This is the least I can do for him."

Carol couldn't help but smile as she watched Doug. He had definitely changed over the last few months. Gone was the self-centered womanizer that he once was. In its place, there was a kind, caring man that anyone would be lucky to have as a friend.

Noticing her smile, he asked, "What?"

"I was just thinking about how much you've changed," she said quietly.

He returned her smile, "I finally realized what's really important in life."

"What's that?" she asked.

"Your friends, the people you care about, and being there when they need you," he said.

"I'd have to agree with you there," Carol smiled.

Doug leaned over and kissed her slowly. After they broke apart, he said, "Well, I should probably head over to Mark's place."

"Good luck," Carol said as she walked him to the door.

Chicago, IL
Monday, May 19, 1997
12:15 A.M.

"What now?" Mark thought as he got up to answer the door.

"Mark, it's Doug. I know you're in there. Open the door."

"This night just keeps getting better and better," Mark mumbled as he unlocked the door. "Hey, Doug."

"I hope you're happy, Mark," Doug said as he entered the apartment.

"What are you talking about?" Mark asked.

"If you were trying to make her feel as bad as you did when she left, you succeeded," Doug said as he stared at his friend.

"Oh, Susan," Mark said, shifting his eyes downward.

"Yeah, Susan. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I don't know. I guess it just hit me wrong when she said that she cared about me. If she cared, why did she leave?" Mark asked with a trace of the same bitterness that he had expressed earlier.

"Does it really matter now? She's back, Mark. She came back because of YOU. Isn't that the important thing?"

"Doug, I don't know what's important anymore." He stopped before he said, "Do you know how many nights I've sat in this room and thought about everything we did together? How many times I've asked myself how all of those things could have meant so much to me, and so little to her? The nights we spent here talking over pizzas or margaritas, the time we ditched our blind dates at the amusement park, Halloween at the Jazz Note, the kiss she gave me before she went up in the helicopter alone, Lydia and Al's wedding. Somehow, I misread ALL of that." He stared out the window for a minute before he continued, "The only thing I do know is that I'm sick and tired of getting hurt. Why should I keep playing a game that I know I can't win?" he said cynically.

"Mark, I can't promise you that you won't get hurt. No one can make those kinds of promises. But, I can tell you one thing. There is something very special between you and Susan. Anyone who's ever been around you two can see that. She was your best friend. At the very least, shouldn't you try to save that?"

"Too much has happened, Doug. Too much has changed."

"It's never too late." Doug thought for a moment before he quietly added, "I did more to hurt Carol that I'll probably ever know; but somewhere, somehow, she found it in her heart to forgive me and give me another chance. I will always be grateful for that, and I intend to spend the rest of my life letting her know it. I'm going to do my best to make sure that there isn't a single reason for her to regret giving me this chance. That's all I'm saying, Mark. Just give her a chance. You two don't have to go out and get married tomorrow, just take some time to see what's there." Doug looked at his friend. He knew Mark usually wasn't very receptive to unsolicited advice, but he also knew that it was about time someone said something. "Mark, you've got to stop living in the past. What happened at that train station six months ago isn't important. What is important is how you both feel now. Stop asking yourself why she left, and start asking whether or not you still care about her."

Mark continued to look out the window as he thought about everything Doug had just said. "I love her," he said, finally admitting it to someone other than himself. "I never stopped. But, I'm sorry, Doug, I just don't think I can take the chance of getting hurt again, not now."

Doug knew Mark had been through a lot, and on some level he really couldn't argue with his logic. He only hoped Mark would realize what he was giving up. "Just think about what I said, okay?"

"Sure," Mark said quietly.

"I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Bye, Doug."

Chicago, IL
Monday, May 19, 1997
7:45 A.M.

"Good morning, Carol," Doug said cheerfully as he approached the admitting desk.

"Morning, Doug," Carol said, looking up from the computer on which she was working.

"Where is everyone?" Doug asked, looking around. "This place is dead."

"Yeah, it's been a pretty slow morning. Maggie and Carter were on all night so I think they're trying to get some sleep. Anna's with a patient, Weaver is upstairs meeting with Morgenstern, Mark is in the lounge getting ready for the staff meeting, and Susan isn't on until eight. Does that cover everyone?"

"I think so," Doug said with a laugh. "What is this about a staff meeting? Another one of Kerry's brilliant ideas?"

"Afraid not. Mark called this one for eight-thirty," Carol said.

"Mark Greene?"

"Do you know another one?" she laughed.

"He has got to find a new way to deal with Susan," Doug said with a sigh.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you remember the last staff meeting he called, complete with color chart?"

"How could I forget, Mr. Blue?"

Doug gave her a sarcastic smile before he said, "But seriously, how's he doing this morning?"

"I'm not really sure. I got here at five-forty-five and he was already here. His shift didn't start until seven," Carol replied.

"Wow," Doug said, "it was close to one before I left his place last night."

"How'd that go?" Carol asked.

"I don't know," Doug said honestly. "He's afraid of getting hurt again, and I can't really say that I blame him. How's Susan?"

"She's still upset and I don't think she's really looking forward to today. Any ideas as to what we can do to help?"

"Actually, I do have an idea, but we may need a little help."

"What kind of help?"

"Good morning, everyone," Susan said as she joined Doug and Carol at the desk.

"I'll tell you later," Doug whispered to Carol. "Morning, Susan."

"How are you doing?" Carol asked.

"I hate to admit it, but I'm actually a little nervous. Isn't that crazy?"

"Not really," Carol said. "After all, you are starting a new job. That's enough to make anyone nervous."

"Maybe you're right," Susan said with a smile. "I'll just be glad when everything gets back to normal."

"Don't count on that happening anytime soon," Doug said. "Mark called a staff meeting for this morning."

"Oh, boy. This should be fun," Susan sighed.

A few minutes before eight-thirty, everyone gathered in the lounge for the meeting.

"Even though I know how much you all love these meetings, I'll try to keep this short," Mark opened. "As some of you may already know, David Morgenstern has accepted a position as Chief of Staff at Parkland Memorial in Dallas. Kerry Weaver will take over as Chief of Emergency Services here at County. Please stop by and congratulate both of them. Naturally, this creates an opening for an attending down here in the ER. The hospital decided to bring Susan Lewis back to fill this position. Dr. Lewis was a resident here at County until last November when she transferred to Phoenix Memorial, so many of you probably already know her. For those of you who have not met Dr. Lewis, I'm sure you'll be working together soon," Mark said with a forced smile. "Dr. Lewis and I will be meeting with Dr. Anspaugh this afternoon to divide attending duties. We'll get back with you after that meeting so you'll know what we're each handling. Does anyone have any questions?"

Surprisingly, no one said a word. Everyone present noticed the tension in the room, in fact, most people were surprised that Mark was acting as if he barely new Susan. When there were no questions, Mark asked, "Carol, is there anything that you would like to address?"

Carol walked to the front of the room and thought for a moment before she said, "I just need to remind Malik, Lydia, and Chuny that they need to see me in order to set up a time for their Paramedic Ride-Along Re-certification."

"Thank you, Carol," Mark said. "Just a few more things. Doug, I met with Dr. Anspaugh earlier, and he wants to talk to you about your suggestions for the Health Mobile. Dr. Anspaugh also reminded me that it's time for the doctors to take care of their annual flight rotations. Doctors Carter, Del Amico, Doyle, Lewis, Ross, and I need to set up times for this. Since there are six of us, it would probably be best if we pair off and take care of everything in three days. If you could see me after the meeting, we'll work out a schedule. Does anyone have any other questions, comments, or concerns?" When no one responded, Mark continued, "Good. I guess that's all for now."

After the meeting ended, Doug quickly met with Carter, Anna, and Maggie to make sure that the four of them would pair off for the flight rotations.

"Everyone ready to set up the flight schedule?" Mark asked as he and Susan walked up to the group.

"Sure, Anna and I can go together," Doug offered.

"And I'll go with Carter," Maggie added.

"Guess that leaves us," Susan said quietly.

"Guess so," Mark said glumly. "The chopper crew can take one group tomorrow and the other two next week. Any volunteers for tomorrow?"

"I'm off tomorrow," Maggie said.

"I'm on tonight, so I'll probably be dead in the morning," Anna said.

"Is tomorrow okay with you?" Mark asked Susan.

"Yeah, it's fine. Are you sure you're up for it, with you hand and all?" she asked with concern.

"I'll be fine," he replied curtly. "We'll go tomorrow, and I'll set the schedule up so you all can go next week."

"Sounds good," Carter said. "If you don't need me for anything else, I think I'll go finish my nap."

"Me, too," Maggie added with a yawn.

"That shouldn't be a problem, it's been pretty slow here," Mark said as his beeper went off and he left to answer it. Anna also left, leaving only Doug and Susan in the lounge.

"I've really messed things up, haven't I?" Susan asked, clearly upset.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Doug. You saw how he was acting. I've known Mark Greene for five years and he has NEVER called me 'Dr. Lewis' unless he was talking to a patient, or something like that."

"I wouldn't worry about it, he was probably just trying to show off for the staff," Doug suggested.

"Then why didn't he call you 'Dr. Ross?'" Susan retorted.

"I don't know," Doug admitted, "but I'm sure he had a good reason."

"Yeah, to let me know that our relationship is strictly professional," Susan said with a sigh of defeat as she left the room.

Doug was pouring a cup of coffee when Carol came back into the lounge a few minutes later. "I think we should just have them both killed," he said.

"Mark and Susan?" Carol asked with a laugh.

"Who else? It's like they are the only two people who do not realize how right they are for each other."

"No, they realize it, they both just petrified to make a move."

"What do you mean?" Doug asked.

"Mark's afraid to do anything because he doesn't want to get hurt again. Susan knows she hurt him and she doesn't want to make things worse," Carol explained.

"Then maybe we should make the first move," Doug said with a mischievous smile.

"What?" Carol asked suspiciously.

"Remember the plan I was telling you about earlier?"

"Yes," she answered slowly.

"Well, here's the idea..."

TO BE CONTINUED...

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