burn. mark sloan

43

4.05
haunt you every day

Its Halloween. Halloween is about pretending. I pretend I'm fearless when in reality I'm scared of a lot of things. The number one thing on my list is cancer more specifically brain cancer.

My dad had this really rare genetic cancer causing tumor called an astrocytoma. Astrocytoma is a growth of cells that starts in the brain or spinal cord, in his case it was the brain. The cancer caused mood swings, he was always mad. He claims he couldn't think for himself. If not caught in time or treated in time an astrocytoma can turn into a glioblastoma. All glioblastoma are stage four, it's the most aggressive brain cancer. 5% of glioblastoma patients survive more than five years. My dad's tumor was caught in time it didn't progress into a glioblastoma but even with just a astrocytoma you have a 25 % chance of survival.

He beat the odds but who's to say i will if I get it? That's why I have to get checked for brain cancer every six months. Lucas Moore had us swear to never tell anyone about his cancer. He was a neurosurgeon with brain cancer, ironic right?

This morning after I told my interns to just go to the pit a young boy with no ears told me he was looking for Mark Sloan. I saw that same boy with Mark in the board room later so I walked up to them.

"You found him." I smiled brightly at the young brunette boy as I shut the door behind me.

"You two know each other? You know his parents?" Mark asked turning to face me returning my smile that wasn't meant for him in the first place.

"His mom works in the cafeteria. What's all this?" I questioned looking at the table stacked with messy letters written in crayon.

"It's letters from the kids in my class." Ryan explained as I sat down in the chair next to Mark.

"Letters to me. He has the internal structure to hear, he just doesn't have a canal or external structure." Sloan told me as he held up Ryan's ear ct scan.

"So I thought if I came in with my letters, Dr. Sloan might feel sorry for me and do the surgery for free." Ryan informed me. Decent idea, I feel sorry for him already.

"Uh, look, I'd like to help, I would if I could, but pro bono surgery." Mark trailed off looking at me for help but I was team Ryan.

"You should probably know that on my way here this morning, three different people thought I was in a costume. My head looks like a permanent Halloween costume. Just thought you should know that." Ryan shocked me with his incredibly good guilt tripping.

"You're good." I complimented Ryan and his skills.

"Pro bono surgery is not just about me giving you my time. A surgery like this requires OR time, an anesthesiologist, a general surgeon to remove the cartilage from your ribs, at least two surgical nurses." Mark told him.

"Couldn't you ask them for help?" I asked still smiling at Ryan. I'm in a good mood when I'm not being bothered by interns 1,2,3, and 4.

"I could, but I don't have any social capital. The nurses hate me. They've formed a club that's all about hating me. And the other doctors don't owe me any favors 'cause I've never done any for them. I'm sorry. I wish I could help. I would if I could." Dr. Sloan sighed making me sigh softly.

"I have social capital. Or I don't. Nobody knows me, but they know my sister, and my dad. So maybe I can make this happen." I butted in making Ryan look hopeful and Mark turn to look at me as he was about to leave. If that doesn't work I'll just pay them all off, either way this is happening. This little boy is getting ears.

"Fine, make it happen. You manage that, I'm all yours." Mark nodded at Ryan and even slightly smiled at me.

"Let's do this Ryan." I exclaimed as we made a secret handshake on the spot right then and there. I'd tell you what we did but then it wouldn't be secret.

We walked over to the chiefs office first. Ryan told his plan and I just went along with it.

"I have an earless boy." I let out with my signature
grin on my face. It's that intern-free glow.

"I'm sorry?"

"Sloan has agreed to build him ears pro bono if you will donate the OR and all the equipment." I told him but he cut me off just as I was finishing my sentence.

"I'm sorry, Moore. My pro bono slate is full. There are protocols to be followed, all sorts of red tape." Webber said no so I signal for Ryan to come in. This was all apart of this smart young man's plan.

"Trick or treat." Ryan interrupted Webber holding a pillow case. I love working with kids.

"Get it? He's trick-or-treating for ears." I informed him in a fake sad voice to guilt trip Richard like we did Sloan.

"Moore...OR 2 is free at 6:00 P.M." Dr. Webber caved in so Ryan turned to me so we could do our handshake. Richard just watched us very confused.

After we finished our handshake I turned to the chief. "Thank you." I said then walked away with Ryan the both of us were beaming.

Our next victim is only the best general surgeon resident in this hospital...Dr. Miranda Bailey!

"Dr. Bailey, we're gonna help, uh, rebuild a little boy's ears today, pro bono. And I thought maybe you could donate some time please." I suggested trying to use my kind charming personality to persuade her. I think I need to take some lessons from Ryan at guilt tripping.

"Uh, thanks to the fine, upstanding citizen who cut off his foot on my watch, I've got a mountain of paperwork. On top of that, I promised to try and get out here in time to see my son in his Halloween costume." Bailey replied.

"Is Tuck even old enough to know what Halloween is?" I questioned.

"He's not, but his father is, and that's who I promised." Miranda denied us just like Mark and Richard did at first but then Ryan swoops in and gets them to cave in.

"Trick or treat." Ryan held out the same pillow case and used his puppy dog eyes.

"For ears? He's trick-or-treating for ears?"

"Sadly. Could you also persuade some of the surgical nurses to help out? They seem to really like you." I asked in a soft voice sounding like Ryan was on his death bed.

"Trick or treat." Ryan repeated.

"Uh, stop that. All right, I'm in." Bailey caved in so Ryan and I did our handshake and went on our way.

I had a little break from guilt tripping doctors to eat lunch, but I thought it was just gonna come back up when I heard that Iz and George are actually together.

To end the day I got to scrub in on Ryan's successful pro bono.

1208 words
"Oh girl I wanna know are you ready to cry?"