Asystole ✷ Mark Sloan

𝟬𝟰𝟭 three-step program

𝙓𝙇𝙄.
THREE-STEP PROGRAM

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THIRTY MINUTES AFTER therapy ended, Charlie sent me a text message: 

Andrew needs me to stay longer in Boston, might need to extend the trip a couple of more days.

***

NEW YORK

How to break 'bad news' to Addison Montgomery-Shepherd: a comprehensive guide.

Step One: Preface your news with a week of doing exactly what she wants you to do. 

Go to Sunday brunch and hide your hangover behind a perky smile, make light and friendly conversation all while swallowing back the vomit that threatens to make an appearance. Don't roll your eyes when Margot compliments Addison and bombards her with admiration.

 Compliment Addison too (don't lay it on too thick though, she can smell a backhanded jab from a mile away). Pretend to not want to die when the women ask about your relationship status. Offer, perhaps, to cover Addison's drink bill. 

After brunch, send her a message: I'm so glad I went today, it's nice to have a nice girl chat. How nice. Spend the week being nice.

Step Two: Book a second table on the following Saturday. 

Balthazar's at eleven am. Invite Addison. Tell her that you want time for sisterly bonding and that you are craving a Bloody Mary. Wait for her to respond and inevitably accept. Look perfectly together at said brunch, no denim but consider investing in heels. 

Order her cocktail ahead and then wait— there, across the table with Addison in a warm little bubble of booze at Balthazar's, break the news.

Addison had hesitated on accepting my brunch invitation. I could tell because she'd taken a day and a half to reply when usually she was pretty immediate with texting.

I'd kept glancing over at the phone as Mark sat beside me. We'd been sat on the couch in my apartment, my cell phone on the coffee table in front of us. Mark was dozing lightly, having just come back from a long shift, a film playing muted in the background. My eyes had flickered between the subtitles of The Talented Mr Ripley and the blank, unresponsive screen that awaited Addison's reply. 

Finally, when the phone buzzed, I'd lunged forwards, startling Mark in the process. My boyfriend had opened his eyes and stared at me, watching as I read Addison's acceptation of my invite, a nervous smile unfurling on my face. 

He'd cocked an eyebrow and bit back a yawn, stretching his arms around the back of the couch.

"I'm sure it's going to go fine..."

Mark had been very optimistic about his own conversation with Derek. He was going to be matter-of-fact and casual about it: Oh yeah, you know your wife's sister? We're dating now... But how about that blastoma today? Insane right? 

At first, I'd told him that Derek didn't really need to be informed, but then I'd thought about it and realised that maybe Derek would be a tiny bit pissed off he found out through my sister.

"What's the worst that's going to happen?"

I didn't really want to think about the worst-case scenario.