Mourning Has Broken 

Part One 

Rated G 
By Annie


Note: No reproduction, copying or editing of this manuscript is permitted without the prior consent of the Author. 

Disclaimers: Channel Seven claims to own and control these two medical personnel. They have been borrowed, and returned unharmed (but wiser after their adventure!) in the state in which they were borrowed. 



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Terri Sullivan sighed, twirling a lock of her hair between her fingers. 

It had been several months since her husband and work colleague, Dr Mitch Stevens, had died - his death had occurred only a week after their wedding. She had known, of course, of his condition, and the tumor had been progressing in his brain at such a pace that even though the operation had been a success in that Mitch had not died in theater, it was still too late. 

The Nursing Unit Manager, or NUM, as she was known, of Ward 17 at All Saints Hospital sighed again. Mitch and Terri had begun a relationship more than a decade ago, only to have it tossed aside, and they had not been romantically involved with each other again until recently. Sullivan had become a nun, and Stevens had become a surgeon. 

They had gone their separate ways romantically, even though they worked well together at All Saints. Mitch had figured that his feelings for Sister Sullivan couldn't, or wouldn't, be reciprocated, and he began to date a physiotherapist at the hospital named Rose. Rose and Mitch married, and they produced a daughter named Lucy. 

However, Rose learned that Dr Stevens and Sister Sullivan, who had left the nunhood to pursue her nursing career, still loved each other deeply, and a bitter divorce ensued, with Rose becoming mentally unstable as life for her did not span out the way she had intended it to be. 

Terri had been in relationships, of course - there were the ones that she did not participate in willingly - such as the one where a patient had become so obsessed with her that he would have raped her if she had not plunged a pair of scissors into his stomach in self defence. Self defence had almost cost her the job she'd been working at for so long. She'd ended up in court over it, and her colleagues had all testified regarding the incident - and somehow, Mitch Stevens had been asked while on the stand, whether he had loved Terri Sullivan, and when he answered in the affirmative, he was asked if he still loved her. Sullivan had heard the question, and the two people had shared a look as he answered "yes", blatantly honestly. The answer could have cost them both dearly, but thankfully, they both returned to duty unscathed. 

Other relationships had sparked for Terri - she had dabbled with Malcolm for a while - btu it didn't last. He had decided to work overseas, but she refused to go with him, so that was that. 

Mitch and Terri came full circle, and resumed their relationship that they had abandoned years ago. 

People in her life came and went: family, partners, the staff she worked with over the years at All Saints. It was a fact she had come to know and understand, something she had learned to deal with. 

Nothing had prepared her for the loss of Mitch Stevens. 



"Penny for your thoughts?" 

Startled, Nurse sullivan looked up, and found herself being gazed upon by the concerned blue eyes of Dr Charlotte Beaumont. 

d**n... how many people work here who have blue eyes? Me, Von, Mitch... even Bron had blue eyes. And now Dr Beaumont... 

"I'm sorry?" 

The blue eyed, blonde haired female doctor, who was one of the newer additions to the staff that helped make Ward 17 the place it was, smiled warmly, though her eyes crinkled with worry. She was wearing a white blouse and a dark blue business outfit to complement it - the uniforms that the nursing staff wore did not apply to her area of work within the hospital. A stethoscope seemed uniform enough for the people like this doctor. Her voice was gentle as she spoke, and it somehow seemed to calm the frayed nerves of the NUM of Ward 17. 

"I asked for a penny for your thoughts. Terri, you haven't been listening to me at all, have you?" 

Embarrassed at having been caught thinking about Mitch, the brunette shook her head, admitting to not having heard a word. 

"I'm sorry, you were saying...?" 

Dr Beaumont repeated her update on the patient in room four, who required a change of medication and more frequent observation checks to go with it. 

"Her medication from the US is almost gone, and I'd like her to have the equivalent here. Let's get her on Carbimazole. Ten milligrams should be OK. And I'd like an ultrasound done ASAP." 

"Right. I'll get Von to change the medication and Regina will order in the ultrasound for Grace's neck for you." 

The smile was a little forced, and Terri was still twisting her hair. Dr Beaumont frowned. 

"Are you all right?"