Carol is pacing around her bedroom. She has just came out of the bathroom after taking a pregnancy test. She was waiting for the timer to go off. She hoped she wasn't pregnant, she didn't want to be a single mom. She couldn't believe Doug had left her two weeks ago, after everything they had gone through...again. She hoped she was pregnant at the same time though. She had wanted a baby, Doug's baby, so badly and even if he was gone she still wanted this. She heard the timer go off. She looked at the bathroom door and took a deep breath. She pushed through the door and picked up the stick. 'Okay,' she thought. 'Here goes nothing.' She turned the stick over and saw the pink line. Her eyes quickly filled up with tears and she rushed back to her bed. She fell onto it and buried her head into Doug's pillow, hoping for some comfort. There was none. At first she cried tears of anguish. She was angry at Doug for leaving her, angry at God for giving her the baby she had prayed for, and upset with herself. Then she cried tears of joy. She was happy that Doug had given her the one thing she wanted and she was happy with God for giving her this wonderful gift.
It was 5:30 a.m. and Carol had to be at work at 7. She decided since she had morning sickness and that she was so upset over this she would call Mark and tell him she wasn't coming to work today. She needed to think about this. So she picked up the phone and dialed County General.
"County General." Randi said into the phone.
"Hey Randi. This is Carol. May I speak to Mark?" Carol asked.
"Sure Carol, hold on a sec." Randi said, then looked around. She immediately spotted Mark.
"Hey Mark, Carol's on the phone." Randi said. Mark looked up, then walked towards the phone. He picked it up.
"Carol? Is everything okay?" Mark asked, concerned.
"Yes...well no actually. I'm not feeling too well. I was wondering, if you could find someone to cover for me." Carol said.
"Sure, Carol. Is there anything wrong?" Mark asked.
"No, I just have an upset stomach and I puked this morning." Carol replied.
"Okay. Well would you want me to stop by later and see how your feeling?" Mark asked.
"Actually, I was hoping you and Elizabeth would come over after work. I really need to talk to you guys about something." Carol said.
"Okay, we both get off at 6. I'll see if Elizabeth can make it, but I'm sure she will be able to. We'll be there around 6:30 if that's okay with you?" Mark said.
"Yes. That's fine. Thank you so much Mark." Carol said.
"You're welcome. I'll call you if we can't make it." Mark said.
"Okay. Thanks. Bye Mark."
"Bye." Mark hung up the phone and wandered off to find Elizabeth.
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Carol looks at the clock. 6:28. Mark and Elizabeth should be here any minute. Just then, she heard a knock on the door. She got up and answered it.
"Hey Mark. Hey Elizabeth." Carol said.
"Hi Carol." They say.
"Come on in." Carol said, stepping aside to let them in.
"So how are you feeling?" Mark asked, concerned.
"I'm fine now. Thanks. Would you two like some coffee?"
"Sure that would be wonderful." Elizabeth said.
"Yes. Thanks." Mark said.
"Just go ahead and have a seat on the couch. I'll be right back." Carol said walking off to the kitchen. Mark and Elizabeth walked into the living room and had a seat. A minute or so later Carol walked back in with two mugs of coffee. She handed it to her two friends.
"Aren't you going to have some coffee?" Elizabeth asked.
"Uh..no. I..I'm not sure if my stomach can take it." Carol said, lying through her teeth.
"Oh...right." Elizabeth said.
"So...are you sure you're feeling okay?" Mark asked.
"Yes. Don't worry. I just needed to talk to you two about something." Carol said.
"Go on."
"Well, you two are my two closest friends right now." Carol smiled, "and I need to tell you something as long as you promise not to tell anyone, just yet." Carol said.
"I promise." Mark said.
"Me too."
"Okay, thank you. Well, I haven't been feeling well lately, and at first I thought it was stress. I realized the other day that I haven't had my period this month and so I took a pregnancy test this morning," Carol paused as she looked at their stunned faces, "it was positive." Carol said, then smiled.
"Oh Carol." Elizabeth said.
"I just..need some support and I knew I could count on you. I also need to tell Kerry, so she makes sure I stay away from x-rays and all that. But I don't want to tell everyone else, just yet." Carol said.
"Okay. I understand that. I'm here for you. So have you told Doug yet?" Mark asked.
"Well....no. But I am planning on it. So please Mark, don't call him and tell him. I'm going to be doing it soon, I just need to get this all straight in my head first and figure out how to tell him. But I promise I will." Carol said.
"I won't call him. As long as you tell him." Mark said.
"I will." Carol said.
"So is that why you didn't get any coffee?" Elizabeth asked grinning.
"Umm hmm." Carol nodded and they laughed.
"Well congratulations Carol." Elizabeth said.
"Yeah, good luck." Mark said.
"Thank you guys. This means a lot to me." Carol said.
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It's two days later. Doug walks into the ER doors of Cook County. He spots Mark at the desk, but doesn't see Carol. 'Good, I didn't want to see her just yet.' Doug thought.
"Hey Mark." Doug said. Stunned Mark turned around at the sound of Doug's voice. When he saw Doug, his jaw dropped.
"You might want to pick that up off the floor," Doug said, walking towards his friend.
"I..uh..Hi Doug." Mark said.
"Hey Buddy." Doug replied grinning.
"What are you doing here?" Mark asked.
"I missed you." Doug said teasing. Mark chuckled.
"Yeah yeah. So..really why are you here? Did Carol call you?" Mark asked. Doug looked at him slightly confused.
"No Carol hasn't called. I..Mark, I can't stay away from her. She's the love of my life and I really need to tell her that. Do you know where I can find her?" Doug asked, suddenly serious. Mark realized that Doug didn't know about Carol's pregnancy.
"Yeah, she's in the lounge." Mark said.
"Thanks pal." Doug said and took off towards the lounge.
"Good luck." Mark said, then ran off to find Elizabeth.
Doug walked into the lounge and spotted Carol. He noticed she was on the phone and had her back to him, so he didn't say anything. He knew he should probably give her some privacy, but he couldn't stop staring at her.
"Doug? This is Carol. I really need to talk to you, it's important, so if you could, uh call me back as soon as you get this either at work or after 6:00 p.m. Chicago time, you can call me at home," Carol said and Doug realized she was talking to his voicemail, "well, uh bye." Carol said and hung up.
"Dammit." She whispered softly. 'I'll never be able to tell him now when he calls back, I won't have the courage. But I'll have too.'
"What do you have to tell me?" Doug said quietly. Carol spun around and her heart skipped a few beats when she saw him.
"Doug." Carol said.
"Carol." Doug smiled and saw she was almost ready to cry.
"What...why are you here? Did Mark call you?" Carol asked. Doug walked towards her hesitantly.
"No, he asked me if you called me. I uh..I had to come back and tell you something." Doug said.
"And what was that?" Carol said angrily.
"Hey, hey. Just let me talk first. Wait and get mad at me when I'm done." Doug said and Carol's heart fell to her feet thinking he was going to tell her something horrible.
"Fine." Carol whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat and blinking back tears. Doug took her arms into his hands and she tried to pull away but he held firm.
"Carol. I...I couldn't stay away from you. You're...you're the love of my life. I cannot live without you. I realized that in Seattle. I hated my job, AND I had no one to go home to. Here, I may not have a job, but I have you to come home too. I love you Carol. I don't expect you to take me back into your life, or even to forgive me. I'm just hoping maybe someday you can get past it and take me back. But I don't expect it. I just have to have you in my life, or I'm nothing. Carol, I'm nothing without you. I love you Carol. I really do and I am sorry for leaving you. I will never ever do it again. It was the stupidest thing I have ever done. I never expected you to not come with me. I thought that because of me, you would just pick up and leave your life behind. I know now, that I was stupid to think that. I was just so hurt thinking you didn't love me enough to come with me so I just left. I didn't even consider your feelings and for that I will be eternally hateful of myself. But I cannot live without you. So I quit and I am here to stay. Even if you don't want me to. I need you so much and I just wish it wouldn't have took me leaving to realize it. I love you more than you'll ever know." Doug said with tears in his eyes. He didn't care how emotional he got he couldn't stand to be away from this woman. He was desperate. He saw that tears were running down her face. She pulled him to her and buried her face into his neck and sobbed. Choking, she tried to talk.
"Doug..I love you too. Please...don't leave me again. I can't stand it. Please.." Carol sobbed into his neck holding on tightly. He was shocked that she had taken him back, especially this soon.
"God Carol, I promise. I swear to you." He said putting his hand in her hair as a tear slid down his cheek. Carol looked up and smiled at him, he returned the smile. She leaned in and they shared their most desperate, passionate kiss. When they finally parted Doug had his hands on the side of her face, he leaned his forehead against hers and rubbed his nose against hers, knowing how she liked it. She smiled.
"I'm glad you're back." Carol said.
"Me too. So what was that something important you had to tell me?" Doug asked. Carol froze and he noticed the change in her body. This is when Mark and Elizabeth decided to enter. When they saw Carol in Doug's arms they smiled. Carol smiled at them, glad to be saved from this situation.
"Hey guys." Carol said and Doug looked over at them.
"Hey Elizabeth." Doug said.
"Hi." Elizabeth replied.
"So, I take it this went well?" Mark asked. Carol held Doug's hand as she faced her two friends.
"Yes, very well." Carol said.
"I..uh..Mark can I talk to you real fast, alone?" Doug said, realizing he needed to ask Mark something.
"Yeah sure." Mark said. Elizabeth and Carol nodded and headed outside.
"Wait right outside, this won't take long." Doug said and they walked out.
---
"Mark. I want to ask Carol if I can move back in, but just in case she's not ready, can I stay at your place for awhile, until I find my own place or she lets me come back?" Doug asked.
"Of course. But I bet she'll let you stay." Mark reassured him.
"I hope. Anyways, Carol asked me if you called me and you asked me if she called me, so is there something I should know?" Doug asked.
"Well....you should talk to her about that." Mark said.
"Okay. Yeah. I think I will. Thanks buddy." Doug said.
---
"Have you told him yet?" Elizabeth asked outside.
"Not yet. I just hope Mark doesn't." Carol said.
"I'm sure he wouldn't say anything unless he was absolutely sure that you had told him." Elizabeth said.
"Thanks for being here for me." Carol said, smiling. Elizabeth smiled back.
"You're welcome." Elizabeth said. Mark peeked his head out the door.
"You can come back in now."
"Did you tell him?" Carol whispered, Mark shook his head. Carol smiled and they walked back in. Doug was sitting in a chair by the table. Carol walked over and sat on his lap and he smiled, wrapping his arms around her, folding his hands together on her stomach. Mark, Elizabeth and Carol all smile at this and Doug sensing he missed something looked confused but didn't say anything about it.
"Carol, I gotta ask you something." Doug said.
"Hmm?" She said turning towards him.
"Would it be....okay...if I uh...moved back into your house? If not it's okay. Mark already said I could stay there and I would wait 'til you were ready and everything." Doug said slowly at first then finished rather quickly. Mark chuckled and Elizabeth smiled knowingly. Carol lovingly placed her hands on the side of his face.
"Our house Doug. And you don't even have to ask." Carol said. Doug broke out into a huge smile.
"I told you so." Mark whispered, but neither of them heard him. Carol leaned over and kissed him. She was no longer worried about telling him about the baby. When she pulled away she spoke.
"Doug. There's someone you should meet." Carol said. Mark and Elizabeth smiled and Doug looked at the three of them, puzzled.
"Who? I was only gone three weeks," Doug asked. Carol took Doug's hand and placed it on her tummy with her hands over top of his. She waited a second as it began to piece together for him.
"Our baby." Carol said smiling. Doug was quiet for a second before his face broke out into a wild grin and he whooped out loud. He pulled Carol into a hug.
"I love you Carol. And I love you too baby." Doug said placing a hand on her stomach. Elizabeth and Mark chuckled. Just then, Kerry walked in, as the others turned to look at her, she looked shocked at first to see Doug but since Carol had told her about being pregnant, she smiled, understanding the situation.
"Kerry, are we needed?" Mark asked.
"Oh no. I was just coming to get some coffee." Kerry said. She smiled at Carol who smiled back at her.
"Hello Kerry." Doug said, politely.
"Hi Doug. How are you?" Kerry asked.
"Actually, I am the happiest man alive right now." Doug said and his face broke out into a huge grin. Kerry laughed.
"Well, that's good news. Listen, I just want to wish you two good luck with everything." Then she was gone.
"Wow." Mark said.
"Yeah. Wow." Doug replied.
"Hey, give her some credit. She does have a heart." Carol said.
"Sometimes I doubt it." Mark said. Elizabeth slapped him playfully.
"She's been wonderful since I told her." Carol said.
"Oh, yeah. How far along..are you?" Doug asked quietly.
"4 weeks." Carol said.
"Carol..I'm so sorry about leaving." Doug said. Mark and Elizabeth slowly slipped out the door.
"Doug. Don't. You didn't know. I know you wouldn't have left if you had known. I am just so glad you came now, before you knew. Because if you would have come later, I would have thought you came back for the baby, not me. I was going to ask you not to come." Carol said looking down at her hands. He lifted her chin up.
"Carol. It's okay. I understand. But if you did have to tell me when I was still there, I wouldn't have just been coming back for the baby. And I think you really know that." Doug said. Carol wrapped her arms around his neck.
"I love you." She whispered.
"I know. I love you too." Doug said as she sat in his arms.
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