i bet you think about me...mark sloan

prologue

MAIA LEE HELD A POSITIVE PREGNANCY TEST IN HER HANDS DURING EARLY MARCH OF THE YEAR 2006, tears streaming down her face as she dug her elbows into the bathroom sink top, wondering what in the hell she was going to do. She was fresh out of her residency, ready to start her fellowship. This was supposed to be her research year, the year of Maia.

Things didn't always come out how you wanted them to, and she was learning that the hard way. This positive pregnancy test was just the beginning.

Her fellowship was in a worn-down clinic in Malawi, Africa. She won a grant to go there all expenses paid, fix the place up and keep it running until the year was up. She knew that would be a challenge with child, but she was hoping she could do it anyway; she was told that she couldn't conceive when she was twenty-five, so you'd think she'd be over the moon, but it just wasn't the right time in her opinion— her career was taking off.

"Babe, are you okay in there?" Her boyfriend Mark Sloan called from outside the bathroom door. "Dinner's ready for you. You know, I even seasoned the steak how you like. It was actually pretty easy..."

Maia wasn't listening for a second. Instead of Mark's voice, all she could hear was a screaming baby in her future, waking and keeping her up at night. She had to ponder whether she was emotionally ready for that responsibility to nurture and take care of a child. School lunches, carpool, late nights.

Was Maia ready to not only be responsible for herself, but another human being, too?

"Baby? Maia?"

She wiped her tears as quick as ever, shoving the pregnancy test in the front pocket of her jeans. "Keep it together, Mai," she whispered to herself, looking at her red-ish eyes and nose in the mirror. Maia turned around with a poker face, beginning to unlock and open the bathroom door. She plastered on a weak smile, "Hey, babe. Ooh, steak. Sounds yummy!"

Mark's eyebrows furrowed, seeing her fake smile. "Are you feeling okay? You look like you were crying. Mai, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she enunciated, quite quickly. "Um...got my period. Those hormones are out of whack, and this plane ride in a few days has me stressed out, you know? I just—I just felt like crying, okay?" She shoved past him, ready to eat her dinner before she had to go work her last night shift at the hospital.

"Okay..." Mark mumbled, shrugging his shoulders. His phone buzzed, causing him to pull it out of his pocket.

ADDISON SHEPHERD
Maia won't be home tonight, right? Can I come over?

"Mark?"

"Coming!" He raised his voice, being pulled out of his trance before sliding his phone back in his pocket.

***

"Hey, baby, I forgot my—" Addison and Mark were in the throes, all in Mark and Maia's new silk sheets. Maia herself had just circled back around from halfway to the hospital, realizing she forgot her big binder with her research. Mark immediately threw Addison off him, them both speechless. Addison tried to speak, but only stammers escaped her lips as she anxiously covered herself with the sheets. Mark quickly stepped into his boxers, getting out of the bed. Maia started laughing dryly, "Oh, I knew I was gonna get bit in the ass later. I knew I should've listened to Derek. He said not to date you, or get even minorly involved with you."

"Mai—"

"No, Mark!"

"Mai—"

"No, Addison!" Maia shouted, grabbing her and shoving her towards the door, giving her her clothes and shoes. "Get the hell out of my apartment." She then looked at her boyfriend, "And as for you, Mark, you can find somewhere else to sleep tonight, and not with her. I'll be sure to shoot Derek a text and tell him all about your little rendezvous. And, also, Mark..." She stepped closer to him, taking the pregnancy test out of her sock drawer. She shoved it into his chest, scoffing. "Congratulations, you're a fucking dad."

And with that, the entire room went silent.

Maia couldn't wait to get on that plane and never come back from Africa.

"What did you just say?"

a/n: hello! i just thought of this idea and had to get it out in the open! how are you guys? how did you like this short prologue?