Pleasant Surprises




"Elizabeth?"  The surprised voice of her mother, Isabelle Corday, jolted Elizabeth from her sleeping position on the couch.

"Mother," Elizabeth rose to her feet sleepily and hugged her.

"Darling, what are you doing here?"

Elizabeth sat on the couch, tilted her head back and closed her eyes.  "Mark died Thursday morning," she began.  "We were in Hawaii, with Ella and Rachel."

Isabelle sat down next to her daughter.  "Oh, Elizabeth.  I'm so sorry."

Elizabeth laid her head on her mother's shoulder, like she had when she was little.  "After the funeral, I just... I didn't know what to do.  So I came back here."

Glancing at the end table next to the couch, her mother reached over and picked up a tear-stained envelope.  "What's this?"

Elizabeth saw the envelope and immediately burst into tears.  "Read it.  I don't know how he knew to send it here, but he did."

"Oh dear," Isabelle said, as she read her daughter's letter.  "Elizabeth, Mark called about ten days ago and asked if he could send a letter for you here.  When I asked why, he said 'I know she'll be there soon.'  He must have known you'd come back here."

"Well, I guess that does make a little more sense.  But... how did he know?"

"Elizabeth, how many patients have you treated?"

The younger woman turned to face her mother.  "What?"

"How many patients have you treated?"

"Well, I don't see what that has to-"

"Just answer the question," her mother pressed.

"I... well, I... I don't know.  Hundreds, maybe thousands," Elizabeth said, trying to figure out where her mother was going with this.

"And how many have died or have come close to dying?"

"Mother, I-"

"Several, right?  Well, how many miracles have you seen, Elizabeth?  Times where the dying just knew what was going to happen or where someone was or what they were doing.  I think that's how this letter got here."

For the first time in what seemed like months, Elizabeth smiled.  "I guess you're right," she said, running her finger over the letter's creases. 

"And hopefully this won't be your only surprise from Mark.  I think it's wonderful how the two sides find a way of communicating," she said.  Wanting to change the subject, she asked, "Would you like something to eat?"

"Um..." Elizabeth's voice caught in her throat.  "Sure, Mum, that'd be great."  Elizabeth watched her mother walk into the kitchen.  "Thank you, Mark," was all she could say.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

COUNTY GENERAL HOSPITAL

"Doctor Romano, you have a phone call on line two," Shirley said.

"Whoever it is, they're gonna have to wait, because I have more important things to do than chit chat on the phone all day," he snapped.

"Doctor Romano," Shirley began, "I think you might want to take this one."

Dr. Romano was getting impatient.  "Give me one good reason why I should stop prepping for that poor soul's thyrodectomy to answer some damn phone call, Shirley!"

"It's Doctor Corday," Shirley said simply.

"I'll be right there," he answered.

Dr. Romano met Shirley at the desk.  "Thanks, Shirley," he said, taking the receiver.  "Elizabeth?"

"Hello, Robert," Elizabeth responded.  The fact that he called her 'Elizabeth' surprised her.

"Can I help you with something?", he asked, not wanting to be pushy with her, but he needed to get to his surgery.

"Uh... I.... I'm in England, Robert," she said.  "And I'm going to need to take a few more weeks off, I think."

Robert Romano nodded.  "Yes, of course.  Take all the time you need, Elizabeth."

"Thank you, Robert," she said.

"No problem.  Oh... Elizabeth?  How are you?"

He could hear her voice catch.  "I... I'm alright, I guess."

"Listen, I've got a thyrodectomy to perform.  I'll talk to you later.  You hang in there, you hear me, Elizabeth?"

There was the 'Elizabeth' thing again.  "I'll try Robert, thank you."  It was all she could do not to burst into tears.  "Goodbye."

"'Bye."

Dr. Romano made his way into the prep room and starting scrubbing again.  After his conversation with Elizabeth, the thyrodectomy he was about to perform wasn't the only thing on his mind.

LATER THAT DAY

LONDON

"Mother, I'm going to Harrods for a bit.  I... I need to get my mind off things," Elizabeth said, picking up her black leather purse and slinging it over her shoulder.

The older woman smiled.  "Yes.  Have a good time, darling."

Elizabeth hugged her mother and walked out the door.

MEANWHILE - CHICAGO

Robert Romano laid the post-op paperwork on the desk, stretched and rose from his chair.  Damn, it had been a long day, he thought.  Something was bothering him, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.  The operations he had performed that day went well, so it couldn't be that.  He was on good terms with all of his employees (to the best of his knowledge).  Then it hit him.  He knew what was bothering him and there was only one way to make it stop.

He pressed the black button on the intercom on his desk.  "Shirley?"

"Yes, Doctor Romano?"

"Reschedule all my appointments for the next week and get Anaspaugh and Edson to cover my shifts."

"Okay, Doctor Romano, but... can I ask why?"

Dr. Romano rubbed his hands together and brushed them across his face.  "Something has suddenly come up and I have to go out of town," he said.

Shirley was having a hard time believing that County's Chief of Staff was taking a week off of work on such short notice.  "Uh... where is it that you're going, exactly, Doctor Romano?"

He paused for a fraction of a second, contemplating whether or not he was making the right decision.  "London."



Part 3
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