The Starting Line (Reupload)

11

"You promised."

"Doll, I-"

"No, Mark," Eleanora said, putting her hands on her hips. "You promised me you'd stop talking to her so much."

Mark sighed, looking at his wife with a slightly embarrassed face. "I couldn't help it, doll. We just started and it went on and on and now-"

"And now," Eleanora hissed. "My mom is on her way to Seattle from New York so she can help us move into the house completely and she can decorate the twins' nursery. It will drive me crazy, not to mention the number of conversations she's going to have with Max trying to convince him to convince Callie to marry him."

Eleanora raised her arms, snorting as she looked around their new living room. There were boxes scattered around, the only two pieces of furniture placed were the couch and the coffee table.

"She will go through all of our things and put them where she thinks is best because her house is spotless!"

"But you love your mother," Mark said softly, reaching out to place his hands on her hips. "With both of us working, maybe it would be good for her to help out a little."

"No," Eleanora stated firmly, but she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, calming down a bit. "She'll drive me crazy and she'll try to get me to take more time off work than is necessary. I'm only about four months along, there's no need for me to rest until they're actually born."

Mark kissed her on the head, hiding his smile. "I know, Nora. You tell me that every time I bring up the idea of ​​you taking some time off beforehand. Plus, maybe your mom is so caught up with the whole Max having a baby out of wedlock with his friend and her girlfriend thing that she won't even think about those things. She'll only be here for a few days."

"You know Heidi Amedeo, Mark." Eleanora snorted, looking at him. Mark's face fell a little as he thought about it and he just nodded curtly. Eleanora patted his chest and placed a kiss on his lips. "Since you love gossiping with my mother so much, you can pick her up at the airport later today and I can spend all day working on the Clinical Trial."

"Yes, baby." Mark agreed, nodding his head. A smile spread across his lips and she pressed another kiss to his lips. "I love you, Nora."

____

"Just when I thought I was done," Meredith announces, she and Eleanora enter the room of their current test patient, Allison.

Eleanora carried the lab supplies and put on gloves. "We need a little more of your blood. It shouldn't take long and then you can relax."

"Well, if there's anything left, it's all yours." Allison ORjoked, Eleanora, sending her a smile as she prepared her arm. Meredith laughed a little, pulling out the chart to note that she was doing more blood work.

"Well, Dr. Shepherd is coming to see you, and if these labs are clear, we'll take you to the OR floor."

Allison sent them a thumbs up, Eleanora looked at Allison's husband and son when they spoke. Eleanora noticed something on the boy's neck, frowning.

"Kyle, honey. What's that lump on your neck?" She asked politely, sending Meredith a glance. The taller resident turned to the young man, tilting her head slightly to look at him as he responded to the two women.

"Oh, it's just a ball I have. It doesn't hurt or anything, Dr. A. I swear."

"We were meaning to make an appointment, but...with everything that's been going on-"

"I'm a full-time job." Allison interrupted her husband, Eleanora, finishing the blood test. She continued sending worried glances at the bump on the boy's neck, labeling the lab work.