flatline [m.s]

xxi.

- - -
nobody's memory is perfect or complete. we jumble things up. we lose track of time. we are in one place... then another and it all feels like one long, inescapable moment.
- - -

"fancy meeting me in the on call room?" mark smirks at lia who's wiping one of her surgeries off of the o.r board.

"no," she coldly responds.

"if time's an issue, i can be quick," mark attempts to persuade her. "i can be as quick as you need me to be."

"i've got plenty of time," she tells him. "i'm just not using it to sleep with you. i'm not sleeping with you anymore. i know i've said it before, but i mean it. i'm not even going to think about you anymore."

before mark gets a chance to answer, lia walks away from the o.r board, and out of sight.

■ ■ ■

"good morning," mark smirks, walking up to the nurses station.

"don't do that," nurse olivia scowls at him. "don't smile at me."

"don't smile at her," nurse jolene says walking over. "don't smile at me either."

"we're onto you," olivia informs him.

"we've compared notes."

"compared notes? really?" mark raises his brow, and jolene nods and hums in response.

"compared notes, compared pickup lines, compared techniques," olivia lists.

"techniques?" mark smirks.

"identical," the two nurses answer in unison, glaring at the surgeon.

"identical?" mark raises his brow.

"we've formed a club," olivia reveals. "nurses united against mark sloan."

mark pauses to think for a moment before smirking at the two nurses. "are there any, uh, club activities?"

the nurses shake their heads at him and he turns away to see derek approaching him with a little boy.

"oh, man," mark sighs. "you would not believe what just happened to me."

"there's a, uh, kid looking for you," derek informs him, nodding his head towards ryan.

"daddy?" ryan looks up at mark hopefully.

"what?" mark asks, staring at the little boy in shock for a few moments.

"nicely done," derek chuckles, handing ryan some money.

"thank you," ryan takes the money.

"i'll be getting you back for that," mark warns him.

"looking forward to it," he says, walking away.

"you're not my father," ryan assures mark. "but i am hoping you'll build me some ears."

■ ■ ■

"you found him," lia smiles at ryan as she walks into the conference room where he is sat with mark.