You Promised | Mark Sloan ✓

52┃relief and regret

[CW: PTSD, mild panic attack]

MARK SLAMMED THE DOOR open and stalked into the room where Jeffrey was casually eating a jello cup while switching through channels on the TV.

"You said that it was a two-hour round-trip," he bellowed, seizing the remote control from the patient's hand.

"Mm-hmm, that's right."

"She should've been back two hours ago!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm aware. Simple math, isn't it?"

"Why're the fucking calls not going in?" Timothy demanded as he stormed into the room, grabbing the patient on his collar.

"Whoa, whoa-easy there, cowboy," Jeffrey mocked back with a laugh. "There's no service in the middle of nowhere," he reminded as a smirk formed on his face, "Besides, she has a choice to make."

"What do you-"

"There are no choices to make, Hanson."

The voice that appeared flushed a wave of relief throughout the surgeons.

Norah entered the room, her eyes fixed on the head perking up on the hospital bed. She hurled the briefcase towards him and he let out a sharp 'oof' when it hit him hard in the abdomen.

"My, my... I'm surprised, Honorah," he had an impressed look on his face, "But you gotta admit, it was tempting." She did not reply to him, but instead, glared back at the grin on his face. "Come on, you can't lie to me, doll," he chuckled, "You would've been here two hours ago if you weren't considering."

She turned on her heels and left the room, exhaling shakily when the man on the bed did not stop her. Mark hurried out after her and seized her arm; she let out a short wince at the bruise under his grip.

He did not know; she did not want him to know.

"Are you gonna talk to me yet?" he questioned, "Because from what I heard, there's a lot to talk about."

His eyes were pouring with concern and demanding an answer, but she still had the possibility of assault charges weighing on her shoulders.

She shook her head, "Not now..."

He shook his head as he let go of her arm, staring at her in disbelief. "Not now or not ever?" he scoffed, walking off in a different direction.

She let out a shaky breath as she dropped her head. It was a series of decisions, each one detouring closer to doom.

❦ ❦ ❦

JEFFREY WAS DISCHARGED the same night that Norah chose to stay in Seattle, instead of her old ways of fleeing to a different part of the country, or to a different country altogether.

It felt as though she had finally got to catch her breath after the tense atmosphere that was strangling her.

He was frightening to her, mentally. The last time they met... was just downhill, and she never wanted to experience that ever again.

But knowing that he was still alive and walking, that he knew where she worked and possibly where she lived, that she chose to not take up his offer-she knew he would return. And the knowledge was what made her restless and uneasy.

She went back to their apartment by herself that night-it was the first time since... she did not even know when, that Mark did not wait for her at the entrance of the hospital like he always would.

She tossed the keys into the bowl and he lifted his eyes to her from the kitchen island.

She knew by the look on his face that he had questions, many, that he wanted an answer or even an explanation to. But Jeffrey's presence was already tormenting enough for her, the last thing she wanted was to bring up those memories again.