flatline [m.s]

xi.

- - -
people have scars. in all sorts of unexpected places. like secret roadmaps of their personal histories. diagrams of all their old wounds. most of our wounds heal, leaving nothing behind but a scar.
- - -

lia was fast asleep in the visitor's chair next to her father's bed where she had been for the past couple of days, when she is woken up by the sound of richard coughing and choking.

"he's breathing over the intubation tube!" lia exclaims, now fully awake, and beginning to remove the tube herself. "page shepherd!"

- - -
but some of them don't. some wounds we carry with us everywhere and though the cut's long gone, the pain still lingers.
- - -

"everything looks good here," derek announces as he finishes examining a now conscious richard. "by the looks of things; you're going to make a full recovery. in time."

"in time?" richard cocks his eyebrow.

"you've had brain surgery, richard," derek points out, and richard rolls his eyes. "the recovery time is long, and it will be even longer before you're cleared for surgery."

"dad, you're tumour free!" lia exclaims. "can we please just be happy about that?"

"fine!" richard throws his hands up in the air. "but you need to go home and get a shower first."

"fine!" lia mocks richard's response, mirroring him throwing his hands in the air, earning a chuckle from both derek and her father.

- - -
what's worse, new wounds which are so horribly painful or old wounds that should've healed years ago and never did?
- - -

"i take it richard's awake," mark says from behind lia, as she is waiting for an elevator. she turns to face him, but just gives him a puzzled look, rather than answering. "you haven't left that room since he came out of surgery. so i'm assuming he's awake."

"he's awake. derek has predicted an all clear in time," she smiles.

"that's great news, babe," mark grins, squeezing lia's arm gently.

"i'm sorry we haven't seen a lot of each other lately," lia sighs. "my mom hasn't been able to get a flight home yet, and i didn't want to leave him on his own. i've missed you so much though."

"you don't have to apologise," mark shakes his head. "he's you're dad, i wouldn't expect you to be anywhere else. but, i've missed you too."

"i'm just going home to get a shower, but then i'll be back," she explains to mark. "i'm going to go home to get a proper nights sleep, later, if you want to join me?"

"i'd love to join you," mark smiles, with a hint of his signature smirk.

■ ■ ■

"hey!" callie beams as she steps off the elevator to find lia entering the hospital in a fresh set of clothes. "i hear your dad's awake. i've not had the chance to go up and see him since i heard. i've been in surgery all morning."

"he's awake," lia confirms with a smile. "which means i was finally able to go home and shower, and that i can sleep in my own bed tonight."

"so, you're no longer hospital bound, and richard webber is going to be okay- yay!" callie states, causing lia to laugh in response. "does that mean you're free to go to joe's tonight?"

"i've invited mcsteamy over tonight, sorry," lia frowns. "i can cancel if you want me to come to joe's?"

"no, don't be stupid!" callie shakes her head. "go and have sex with mcsteamy. we can go to joe's together some other time."

"thanks," lia chuckles as the elevator dings open again. "anyway, are you coming up to see dad?"

"lead the way," callie smiles, using an 'after you' gesture to allow lia to step into the elevator first.

■ ■ ■

lia is at home, lying on her bed wearing a red silk short set, when she hears the doorbell ring from downstairs. she rolls off the bed and skips downstairs to open to door where she finds mark looking at the ground.

"well, hello," mark smirks, when he looks up and notices her attire, before stepping inside so that lia can close the door.

"they're just my pyjamas," lia rolls her eyes, leading him into the kitchen.

"your place is fancy," mark announces, looking around the webber's kitchen.

"what?" lia laughs. "you've been here before."

"yeah, once," he reminds his girlfriend. "and i spent my time solely in your bedroom, before running to the front door."

"you're an idiot," she laughs, leaning in to kiss him.

"we should come here more," mark suggests. "there's a lot more room than my hotel room."

"we don't need room, we just need a bed," lia teases, grabbing two bottles of water from the fridge. "and need i remind you that when my dad isn't having brain surgery; he is here, along with my mother. you tell my dad you're screwing me, and we can come here more."

he pauses for a moment, weighing up the pros and cons of telling the chief about their secret relationship before responding.

"yeah," he shrugs. "we don't need all this space."

"c'mon," she giggles, handing him one of the bottles of water, and leading him out of the kitchen and towards her bedroom.

"you know i can see your ass in those shorts right now," he tells her as they're walking up the stairs, and she can sense the smirk in his voice.

she initially ignores him, until they reach her bedroom where she spins around to face him, so that his back is pressed up against the door.

- - -
maybe our old wounds teach us something. they remind us where we've been and what we've overcome. they teach us lessons about what to avoid in the future. that's what we like to think.
- - -

"you really don't know when to stop talking, do you?" she giggles, leaning in to kiss him.

"no," he hums, in between kisses. "but you love it."

"i do," she responds, knowing in that moment that wasn't all she loved. she loved him too.

- - -
but that's not the way it is, is it? some things we just have to learn over and over and over again.
- - -