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"No Mark," said Elizabeth firmly.
"Please," begged Mark, "Think of how much money we'd save."
"I don't care...under no circumstances are you giving me a C-section...I don't care how much practice you've had at them."
Haleh frowned as she saw Carter and Luka sitting in the lounge looking very gloomy.
"What's up with those two?" she asked Malik. "I mean, I know they're hardly ever 'bundles of joy' but this is bad...even for them."
"They decided to find out once and for all, just which of them had the bigger...um, you know..." Malik dropped his voice to a whisper before saying, "Penis."
Haleh rolled her eyes. "Typical male behavior," she replied. "But why are they both so gloomy?"
Malik grinned, "Cause a few of us decided to join in and neither of them won."
Haleh frowned. "So who did win it then?"
Malik indicated the corner of the lounge where Abby, Chuny and Rena were paying an unseen figure a lot of attention. "Who's the man?" he called out. "You the man Yosh."
"Wow," said Mark, "You're sweating a lot more than Carol was when she was in labor. I told you that you should have taken more exercise..."
Elizabeth groaned her way through another contraction and then turned to her OB nurse, "Do you think it would be justifiable homicide if I killed him now?"
"You want me to get you a scalpel?"
"Carter," said Jing-Mei. "You've gone through college, med-school, surgery and now an ER rotation."
"Uh-uh," grunted Carter.
"You're obviously of above average intelligence..."
"Uh-uh."
"So why the hell can't you remember to call me 'Jing-Mei' instead of Deb?"
"You know, you'd probably get a better answer out of him if you untied him from the gurney and took that gag out of his mouth," commented Dave.
"Hey, was I talking to you?"
"Um Elizabeth," said Elizabeth's OB nurse. "When Mark said to squeeze him when the contractions got too painful, I don't think that was where he meant."
"Oh yeah?" said Elizabeth. "Personally I think that's the most appropriate part of his anatomy to use."
All Mark could do was yelp in agreement.
Abby knocked on the hotel room, "Maggie? We've come to take you back to Chicago. Will you open the door?"
Maggie puts the finishing touches to her lipstick. "Did you bring that nice Euro doctor with you?"
Abby frowns, "No...he...he couldn't make it."
"Shit," cursed Maggie.
Elizabeth was on the phone to her mother, "Yes, a daughter, 7lbs, no problems...and she's the image of Mark."
"Oh dear," said Isabelle, "I am so sorry...but don't worry, I'm sure your father knows of a good plastic surgeon."
"Mother," wailed Elizabeth indignantly.
Abby pushed Carter towards the door of Maggie's hotel room. "You try and talk to her," she sighed.
"Um, Mrs. Wyscynski?" said Carter uncertainly. "I'm Dr. Carter from County General...and a friend of Abby's. Do you remember me?"
"Your voice sounds familiar...move a little closer...let me hear you again."
Carter moved closer to the door. "This okay?" he asked.
The door was suddenly flung open and Abby caught a quick glimpse of her mother before she reached out and dragged Carter into the room, slamming the door behind them.
"Mother," yelled Abby indignantly.
Mark carefully held the baby up so Haleh could see her.
"Oh, she's such a sweetie," said Haleh. "You and Dr. Corday must be so happy."
"We are," replied Mark, beaming widely. "And the best bit is...in another 5 years, she'll be able to explain to us how to work the VCR."
Abby thumped the door furiously. "Dammit Maggie, let me in..."
The door opened quickly and a rather disheveled Carter was shoved out.
Abby's jaw dropped as she saw the lipstick smears on his face. "It's okay," he said, "I managed to persuade her to come back to Chicago...but for some reason she insists that I sit in the back seat with her...can't imagine why..."
"Oh Mark, she's beautiful," said Cleo, "May I hold her?"
"Sure," said Mark, grinning. "Here...be careful to support her head..."
Cleo raised an eyebrow at him. "I do know how to hold a baby...I *am* a Pediatrician you know," she said.
"Could have fooled me," muttered Dave.
Elizabeth sat on the bed holding Ella. Mark was sitting beside her with his arms around both of them.
"She's so beautiful," whispered Elizabeth.
"Almost as beautiful as you," whispered Mark.
Ella stared up at her parents and wondered how soon she could divorce them.
The End.....for now <g>