"Are you ready to go home?" She asks. He smiles.
"Actually, I have to run an errand. Can you take the El?" He asks. She gives him a suspicious look.
"Where are you going?" She asks.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" He teases. She gives him a slightly annoyed look.
"Doug." She warns. He smiles.
"It's a surprise. I have to pick something up. For you." He emphasizes. She smiles.
"What is it?" She asks.
"It's a surprise. You'll find out when I get home." He says. She sighs.
"Alright, I suppose I can ride the El home." She says. He smiles.
"Good." He says. He kisses her quickly before waving to her as he walks out of the ER. She smiles and shakes her head.
"What was that about?" Mark asks.
"Don't have a clue!" Carol says. Mark smiles secretly. He knows where Doug is going. Carol sighs. "Well...I'm off to drive myself nuts, wondering where the hell he went." Carol says. Mark chuckles.
"Don't worry Carol. I'm sure that it's something good." He says. She rolls her eyes.
"Yeah, but you don't know Doug when it comes to his surprises." Carol says.
"Sure I do." He says. She laughs.
"Yeah...you probably do." She says. Mark smiles at her.
"Goodnight Carol." Mark says. She smiles as she walks into the lounge.
"Night Mark." She says.
Carol walks up to the door of her and Doug's apartment. There is a box, sitting in front of the door. She looks at it, puzzled, then picks it up, unlocking the door and going inside
with it. She sets it on the table, taking off her shoes and coat. She walks back to the box, pulling the string off the outside. She lifts the lid of the box and smiles at what she sees. There is a bouquet of red roses. She lifts them out, taking the plastic off of them. She
shakes her head with a smile on her face.
"Oh, Doug." She murmurs. She brings the flowers to her nose, breathing them in deeply. She sighs and puts them into a vase, after filling it with water. She picks up the
card that's inside the box, opening it.
Carol,
I know how much you love red roses. This is just part of my surprise.
I love you.
Carol smiles happily. She takes the note with her to the bedroom, putting it on her
nightstand on her side of the bed. She changes out of her scrubs and into a pair of pajama
pants and one of Doug's large t-shirts. She goes into the bathroom, brushing her hair. She
walks out of the bathroom and goes into the living room. She flops down onto the couch, curling up into a big ball. She flips on the TV, turning it to the news. She waits impatiently
for Doug, wondering where he went. She slowly falls asleep, thinking of him.
Doug walks into the apartment and sees the flowers he sent Carol, sitting on the
table. He smiles and closes the door behind him quietly. He hears the TV on and he walks
further into the apartment until he sees her laying on the couch, asleep. He smiles and
decides not to wake her yet. He takes of his coat and shoes and goes into the bedroom.
After changing he walks back out into the living room, sitting on floor. He kisses Carol
gently on the lips and she stirs slightly. He smiles against her lips as he continues kissing
her.
"Mmm..Hey Doug." She murmurs against his lips as she wakes up. He pulls away from
her.
"Hey baby." He says, bringing his hand up to her face and caressing her cheek gently.
She smiles.
"I got your flowers." She says. He smiles.
"I saw." He says.
"Thank you for them." She says, leaning forward and kissing him quickly. He smiles.
"Your welcome." He says.
"So..where's my 'surprise'?" Carol asks. He chuckles.
"Anxious?" He asks. She smiles.
"Maybe. I know you have something up your sleeve." She says. He chuckles.
"It's a possibility." He says. She sits up on the couch, stretching. He moves up to sit beside her. He takes her hands into his. "So....do you want your surprise now?" He asks. She smiles.
"I don't know, you tell me. Do I?" She asks. They smile.
"Carol, we've been dating for a little over a year now. You know that you mean a lot to me, right?" He asks. She nods.
"And you mean a lot to me too." She says. He nods, satisfied.
"I need you like I need air. You know that. I love you, more then I ever thought it was possible to love a woman." He says. She has tears in her eyes now, happy to be hearing this
from him. "I know we want to be together for the rest of our lives, so I thought I would
make it official." He says. Carol, realizing what he is doing, gasps slightly and raises her
hands to her mouth as the tears finally spill over. "Carol Marie Hathaway, will you do me the
honor of becoming my wife?" He asks. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ring. He looks at her, questioning her with his eyes.
"Oh, Doug." She says. She nods happily. "Yes. I will marry you." She says. He smiles,
taking her left hand into his and slipping the engagement ring onto her finger. She is crying
harder now. She looks at the ring, then up into his eyes. She smiles happily and he smiles back. She kisses him passionately, the electricity flowing through them.
"I love you Carol." He murmurs against her lips. She smiles.
"I love you too, Doug." She says and continues kissing him.
Doug and Carol are lying in bed, with the sheets wrapped around their naked bodies. Doug was holding Carol comfortably in his arms.
"Carol?" He asks.
"Hmm?" She replies, turning her head to look at him.
"There's something I wanted to ask you." Doug says.
"Yeah?" She asks, rolling over and watching his face intently. He smiles at her and reaches up, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face.
"Well..I was thinking and since we're going to be getting married now..I wanted to get us a house." He says. She opens her mouth but no words come out. He chuckles. "We don't have to do it right away...but I'd like to buy a house with you. A real house, not an apartment." Doug says. She thinks about that slowly before she speaks.
"I think that would be great." She says, smiling lightly.
"You do?" He asks. She nods.
"Yeah. I do." She replies. He smiles.
"Good." He says. She smiles brightly and leans down, kissing him.