Long Time Running - By Hannah Foster Page 0,14

calculated departure apparently had.

Nathalie winced and rubbed the furrow over her brow. Eric pushed back the rush of emotions and memories to focus on her present condition.

"Given the placement and size of your tumor, you have been in serious pain for quite some time - a few years I would guess - I don't understand why you didn't seek treatment before now."

She shrugged. "I just....I thought they were just headaches."

He shook his head ruefully. "You were at the top of your class Nathalie, you had to have known they weren't just headaches. I never knew you to lie to yourself but then again, I guess I never knew you at all." He headed for the door again.

"Stay," she called urgently. "We can....we can talk."

An incredulous look crossed his face as he snorted derisively. "We can? Maybe I can just write my feelings for you in a three line note and leave it on the nightstand. It seemed to work well for you." Turning on his heel, he stalked out of the room.

Nathalie flopped back against the pillows and pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. He was so angry with her and rightfully so. How had a decision that had started out with his best interests in mind turned out so horribly wrong? She had hurt him enough to last a lifetime and any thoughts she had of telling him about Jack were pushed from her mind. She could not - she would not - hurt him any further.

Chapter 5

Eric stared blankly at the chart in front of him. He had read her chart so many times he could practically recite it by heart but none of it brought him any closer to understanding why the love of his life had taken off without telling him she was pregnant nor did it help him understand why she had given the child up four months later. It was clear from the information that she had suffered some serious injuries; as he examined her films the depth of pain she must have suffered was obvious. While a part of him wanted, needed, to understand what had occurred after she left him, the doctor in him recognized that none of her injuries had been debilitating. As he tried to imagine what had happened to her, how she could have willingly desired to give up their child, a seven year old conversation replayed in his mind.

"What do you mean this is my s-son?" he stammered.

The child in her arms let out a sweet sigh, oblivious to the drama currently surrounding him.

"Just what I said the last four times Eric. Nathalie was pregnant when she left you. She gave birth to Jack four months ago and called me last week asking me to place him for adoption. I know - I know she's going to change her mind and when she does she will be devastated at her choice. I'm holding on to him so at least when she comes to her senses she can reconnect with him. I'm telling you about him because I think that at least one of his parents needs to be involved in his life."

Unable to help himself, the tall doctor reached out and stroked Jack's tiny hand, delighting in its softness. "I can't believe....she never said a word. I don't understand why she would lie to me." His normally steely blue eyes betrayed the conflicting emotions of betrayal swirling in his brain.

"You were pretty clear about never wanting children," Sarah pointed out.

Tiredly he rubbed his hand over his face. "Yes I was but I wasn't....she never gave me..." He exhaled. "I would have liked the chance to at least know about my child."

"Fair enough," she said coolly, "but there's nothing I can do about that. What I want to know is will you help me with him?"

He shook his head. "Why won't you tell me what happened to her? What caused her to want to give him up? For God's sake Sarah, you won't even tell me where she is!"

"I can't" she replied simply, bringing Jack to her shoulder and rubbing his tiny back.

Stymied by stonewalling, he brought his hand down on the table, startling both of them and eliciting a small squawk of protest from Jack. "Dammit Sarah! I'm still in love with her - you have to tell me what happened."

"No deal" She meet his angry gaze with her own. "I am already risking my relationship with my sister by doing this but I really