Fanfiction
Part One
By Vicki
blue_butterfly77@hotmail.com

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I dont own any of theses wonderful characters, NBC does. Im not trying to steal them away, Im just having fun! Feedback is ALWAYS welcome



Elizabeth Corday sat at her desk, bored out of her mind. It was a clear, Chicago summer day, and here she was doing scut work and paperwork for Robert. Post-Op, Pre-Op and signing off charts, how fun. She paused briefly to survey the mess that was her desk. One item leapt out into her line of vision. It was a picture of Mark at last years staff christmas party. Smiling Elizabeth remembered how much fun it had been. Eating, dancing, it was a fantasy world. She remembered wearing that pale blue dress Mark seemed to like so much. And how adorable he looked in a tux, with his tie all done nice. Just thinking about him made her stomach do a flip, and a warm tingly feeling slowly crept up her body. Man, did she ever miss him. These last few weeks had been so hectic. Between Jen calling every other day for them to watch Rachel, Kerry calling Mark to work over time or Robert being obsessed with her doing paperwork, there hadn't been much time to see each other. That bothered her a lot. Mark meant so much to her, but it was hard to put it into words to tell him.

Elizabeth turned back to her paper work, heaving a depressed sigh, wondering what Mark was up to down in the er.............

MEANWHILE, DOWNSTAIRS.........

Mark glanced at the wall clock, then to his own wrist watch, sighing in annoyance. He wished Elizabeth wasn't stuck upstairs doing all that paperwork. When she was working downstairs, things always seemed more fun, and it hadn't felt like that in a long time.

"Why so glum chum?" Asked Carol, giving him a teasing smile as she walked up towards him.

Mark's head shot up. "Huh? I'm not glum, I'm just, just.."

"Missing a certain British surgeon, who at this very moment is buried upstairs in paperwork?" she asked, grinning.

"Is it that obvious?" Mark replied, sheepishly.

"Naw." she replied. "Only to those of us who know you well enough. And what your like with her versus when your apart."

"You know." Mark began. "You and Doug were like this too, you know. It's not just me and Elizabeth. I wonder what she's doing right now." He pondered outloud.

"Why don't you call her and find out?" Carol suggested. "No one has radioed in a trauma in over one hour, so I think your clear for a 10 minute phone call. Go ahead, brighten her day up. I'm sure she could use it, after four straight hours of paperwork."

"I'm not sure. What if someone hears us?" Mark worried.

"Use the phone in the storage area. I'll chase off anyone who tries to get in. Deal?" Carol looked at him expectantly.

He sighed. "Oh all right. But only one one condition."

"What?" Carol asked.

"No, and I mean absolutely no repeating what is said over that phone. Knowing us, it'll get pretty personal after we say hello!"

"It's a promise!" Carol declared. "Now lets go do some phoning."

"Sounds good to me!" Mark gave a boyish grin.

He then took off down the long corridor towards the storage area, eager to speak with Elizabeth. It had been too long since he has last heard her voice. Making a mental note to ask her out for a romantic dinner later that week, Mark half-closed his eyes, almost smelling her perfume beside him. Upon reaching the phone, he quickly dialed the familiar extension.

"Dr. Corday." A crisp British voice answered.

"Aloha. Do you know who I am?" Mark asked playfully.

"Hmmm," Elizabeth thought. "Can't be Roberts, because he's at a conference, and he never answers the phone by saying Aloha. Peter has the day off and is somewhere with Reese. Anspaugh is off, somewhere. Carter never calls, and neither do Luka or Melluchi. And if Dr.Melluchi ever did call me, I'd probably hang up.. So this must be, um Mark?" Elizabeth guessed.

"Got it in one, baby," he replied smoothly. "I'm lonely and I want to see you. When do you think you'll be done?"

Elizabeth paused. "I actually don't know. At the rate I'm going, that will be never! My mind keeps wandering."

"I miss you." Mark pouted.

"Awww. Poor baby. I miss you too. It gets so lonely up here without you. " Elizabeth replied, with emotion filled words.

"How 'bout dinner, lets say Thursday? Just you, me, soft romantic music, champagne and candles. La Via Garre is suppose to be wonderful. It's a French restaurant, with excellent reviews. So, what do you say?" Mark asked, waiting for what he wanted to hear.

Elizabeth smiled cattily. "I would love it. Dinner would be a great way to unwind, and for us to spend some down-time with each other. It's been pretty crazy lately."

"Ya, I know what you mean." Mark felt a pang in his heart, wishing that it wasn't the truth. Work just took up too much time. Time he would have rather spent with Elizabeth, or Rachel.

At that moment, a tall dark figure weeded his way through the crowded er to the administration desk. Pausing only to reach into his long leather jacket, his hand revealed a small revolver, loaded and ready to fire.

"Everyone freeze!" the man yelled. "Or I'll shoot! So just shut up, do what I say and we'll all be just a-ok."

"Hey Lizabeth, could'ja hold on a sec? Something's going on over in the er, so I better go check it out. Be right back, ok?" Mark made a worried frown. He hoped whatever was going on up front wasn't too serious. He wanted to get back to talking with Elizabeth, as soon as he could.

"No problem," was the reply. "I'll just wait here, on the line. Love you Mark, and hurry back!"

Mark left the phone to hang, as he went to investigate what was going on up at administration.

"What's going on up here?" He asked, Carol close behind him. Just as the words left his mouth, the man drew fire. The fraction of a second before he shot, Mark spotted the lone gunman. With one, swift motion, he drew the gun and fired. The first shot was a warning shot to the ceiling. The second was aimed at an elderly man, standing about five feet from the desk. He was dead before he even hit the ground. Blood spattered from his chest, and landed on a young woman standing near by. With a piercing scream, the woman tried to run, but the gunman got to her first. BOOM! Straight into her brain.

Falling dramatically, a pool of blood formed under her dead carcass.

"Anyone else want to mess with me?" the man challenged. Silence. No one dared to move, or even breath. A soft sob escaped from a 7 year old boy, standing with his mother in chairs. One quick shot, and he too, lied motionless, and dead on the tiles.

"Mark?" Elizabeth cried urgently. "What was that noise? Was that gun? Are you ok? Dammit Mark! For the love of God answer me!"

Fear sank down into the bottom of her stomach like an anvil falling into a bag............