You Promised | Mark Sloan ✓

78┃rise

S8 EP16

"OH, HEYA, TUCK," NORAH smiled at the five-year-old as Bailey dropped him off at the daycare. Tuck gave her a wave and a shy smile before hopping away to the box of blocks.

"You dropped Kai off?" Bailey asked the resident, who nodded in reply.

"Yeah, 'cause Mark won't be able to let him go because he's Mark," Norah chuckled. "Also, the ER's swamped with burn victims, so he was called in early."

The resident and attending walked out of the hospital's daycare together, not before running into Derek, who carried Zola on his hip. Norah did a double-take at the girl, trying to hide the disturbed look on her face.

"Oh, Dr Bailey, is the dumbbell tumor still on the books?" Derek asked.

"Yes, all good to..." Bailey trailed off; her eyes twitched when she saw Zola's hairstyle. "Is Meredith out sick today or...?"

"She came in early to study with Torres," Derek replied obliviously, bouncing his daughter in his arm, "Why?"

Norah was still looking rather petrified while Bailey blinked before turning her gaze back to the other attending. "Um, no, no reason," she claimed, "It's just that she usually... drops Zola off. So..."

"Hi, Zozo, I'll see you in a bit, hm?" Norah forced a smile at the attending and daughter pair before zooming out of the daycare. Once the doors closed behind her, she broke into cackles, unable to contain them any longer.

The doors got pushed open again, and Bailey stepped out. Her eyes widened as they stared back at the taller resident. "D-Did you see..."

"Poor Zozo."

"Oh my..."

"Poor, poor Zozo."

❦ ❦ ❦

TIMOTHY, MARK, AND Derek sat at the low round table in the daycare, each holding their child. The latter eyed the woman, who was glancing at him and Zola from outside, and his eyes narrowed. "Did you see that?"

"What?" Mark asked as he helped Kai to sit up on his leg.

"The way that woman looked at me and Zola," Derek pointed out, and Timothy raised a curious brow at him.

"Derek, we're hot doctors with babies. Women are gonna stare," Mark stated matter-of-factly before lowering his head to his son, "Isn't that right, little man? Hot daddy and hot baby."

Timothy snorted with a hint of amusement while Sofia lifted the ball toy and hit him on his jaw. "Ow-thanks, Sofia, but try not to hit your dad in the face next time."

"I think she's racist," Derek frowned with a tone of accusation.

Mark and Timothy quirked a brow at him; the former hung back a bit while the latter chuckled. "Uncle Derek is worried about bridging the cultural divide," Mark stated as he bounced Kai on his leg, "Well, lucky for him, your Uncle Timmy knows all about it."

The resident raised a brow at the father-and-son pair before shrugging in response. "I just took up extra language classes back in high school. Just glad that I'm fluent in Spanish," he mentioned before lowering his head back to his daughter, "¿No es cierto, Sofia?" (Isn't that right, Sofia?)

"You know she doesn't speak Spanish?" Derek deadpanned.

"Well, learning a second language boosts their problem-solving skills, critical-thinking skills, and listening skills, memory and concentration..." Timothy trailed off when he felt the two attendings furrowing their brows at him.