Asystole ✷ Mark Sloan

𝟬𝟯𝟰 addison and beth

𝙓𝙓𝙓𝙄𝙑.
ADDISON AND BETH

──────

ADDISON WAS STANDING on my doorstep.

I froze in the centre of my apartment, toothbrush hanging out of my mouth as I stared towards the door Charlie currently held open. 

I nearly choked on a mouthful of foam, eyes nearly bulging out of my head. My skin went slick with sweat and Charlie's head turned to look back at me, a look of bewilderment mixed with alarm, blooming across his face.

That look said: 'You didn't tell me your sister was in town.'

"Addison," My tone said, 'I didn't know my sister was in town' and I hoped Charlie picked up on it.

He looked as though he was about to go into cardiac arrest, his head spinning with everything I've ever told him about this illusive woman.

I knew Charlie well enough to know that he took things like this seriously. He'd cooked Derek a meal. He'd thrown around concepts for a bonding trip with Archer. He'd tirelessly droned on and on about

I'd missed one of Addisons phone calls. 

I'd missed a single phone call because I'd been in a therapy session and miscalculated the time differences. Three days ago, Addison had been in New York for a neonatal convention. Now, she was stood on my doorstep, looking at Charlie with a smile that said: 'so you're the guy who keeps proposing to my little sister.'

"You must be Charlie." 

She ignored me completely and continued to fix her eyes on him, eye contact heavy and unmoving. I hung my head, practically throwing my toothbrush into the kitchen sink— within a few moments, I was stood directly behind the two of them, palm pressed onto Charlie's shoulder.

He was mortified. He was shirtless and mortified.

We'd ordered food on delivery, a breakfast from a deli around the corner and he'd opened the door with a fifty dollar bill ready in his fingers, fully anticipating to exchange it over for some good quality breakfast subs. 

But instead, the fifty still flapped solemnly against the air, limp and sad. Addison took a few steps inside, inviting herself over the threshold and placed her hands pointedly on her hips, looking around. My boyfriend blanched as he closed the door and quickly excused himself, running off into the bedroom to get dressed.

As Addison's face twisted slightly, I felt my heart stutter with fear- my eyes widened. "Is it Archer? Is he ok––"

"Archer's fine." Addison interrupted before I could have any more of a downward spiral. Her lips curled upwards in a brief smile, something that was fleeting. "He's doing better than fine actually... he's walking now. He's doing really well."

"That's good."

It was almost an automated response. 

As happy as I was hearing about how Archer was doing, I already knew. Addison wasn't the only sibling who liked to have now regular check-ins. He'd taken to texting me little paragraphs, I preferred it to calls. 

He was happily getting better, balancing his recovery with meeting milestones with his girlfriend and dipping his toes back into work. Archer was great but something told me that Addison wasn't.

There was a sadness in her.

"Good." I repeated, still tense and suspicious. "That's really- really great- Coffee?" I was mumbling, dazed and set ablaze by her sudden appearance.