The Starting Line (Reupload)

16

Eleanora shushes Luca, rocking back and forth in the bedroom as her son screams. He was tired, but he refused to fall asleep.

"It's okay, love. Mommy will be home soon, okay? You just have to sleep, Luca"

The boy seemed to shut up a little at the sound of his mother's words, his tear-filled eyes looking up at her. Eleanora smiles at him, her voice a little softer.

"Ti piace when la mamma speaks Italian? Un giorno lo parlerai anche tu, anche se tuo padre non lo capisce." (Do you like it when mom speaks Italian? You will speak it too one day, even if your dad doesn't understand it)

"Are you badmouthing me to our son?" Mark spoke and walked into the bedroom, still in his pajamas.

"Maybe," Eleanora told him, Luca hiccupped. Mark took him from his wife's arms and kissed him on the head.

"You should go if you want to get to the hospital on time."

"I know," Eleanora began, leaning toward Mark as she rubbed her finger up and down Luca's cheek, "but I'm going to miss you."

"Well, the good news is that they will be in the daycare a few floors down," Mark assured her. Eleanora looked at him, Mark leaned down to press a kiss to her lips. "You don't have to come back so soon. So, if you've changed your mind-"

"No, no. I want to go back." She smiled and nodded. "I miss it, plus the Chief Resident will be elected in a month and I have to get back into the competition."

Eleanora turned and grabbed her bag from the bed. She nodded, took a deep breath, and pulled her hair up. Mark looked at her, rocking Luca back and forth.

Eleanora walks over to Elijah's crib, leans over the edge, and kisses him on the head. She then returns to Mark and Luca, kissing her son like she did with his brother and then pressing one more kiss to Mark's lips.

"Okay, okay. I'm leaving, I'm okay. Let me know when you arrive and drop them off at daycare."

"Yes ma'am."

Eleanora took a few steps towards the door before turning around and running towards Elijah, kissing him again. She does the same with Luca, her eyes watering a little.

"They're going to miss me, and-"

"-and I'll be here to make sure they're not alone, and so will the daycare," Mark assured her, his voice soothing. "I'll also be here to let them know that their mom is an amazing surgeon."

Eleanora nodded, taking another nervous breath before heading towards the door. She knew that if she looked back, she would just run back and never leave.

____

Eleanora stood next to Jackson, watching Alex's presentation on the Africa Program. Eleanora fiddled with her ring, her eyebrows furrowing a little as Alex continued.

"This is Zola. She is 6 months old, born with spina bifida..."

"Adorable African children, a shameless ego stroke—Karev is a genius." Cristina murmurs to the small group, Jackson leans towards her a little.

"Yes, he's just stealing our Chief Resident position from us, and we're helping him do it."

"Excuse me," Eleanora murmured, without looking away from the presentation, "I like to believe that we are also gaining respect by participating in this program."

"We can't exactly refuse to treat sick little children without making ourselves look bad, Eleanora," Jackson responded in a whisper, Eleanora rolling her eyes before playfully punching her friend.