flatline [m.s]

lxvi.

- - -
there's a reason surgeons learn to wield scalpels. we like to pretend we're hard, cold scientists. we like to pretend we're fearless. but the truth is we become surgeons because somewhere deep down we think we can cut away that which haunts us.
- - -

lia is walking through the hospital lobby when she notices adele stood in the waiting area, being comforted by their neighbour, mrs. george.

"mom?" lia asks with concern, approaching them.

"where is my husband? do you know where he is?" adele yells slightly, clearly not remembering who lia is.

"i- i- i found her out on the street," mrs. george explains in a lowered voice. "she was trying to walk here."

"oh, god," lia sighs.

"where is he?" adele continues to shout. "i want you to go find him right now!"

"yeah, i- i will go find your husband. would you just stand here, just for one moment, please?" lia co-operates with her mother, who folds her arms in annoyance as lia pulls mrs. george to the side. "um, could you just stay with her until i can talk to my dad and figure out what to do?"

"i can try. she's pretty insistent, alivia," mrs. george tells her.

"okay, well, uh, i have an office on the third floor, if you could just..." lia begins, but is distracted by mrs. george looking over to where she left her mother, causing her to look for herself, to find that her mother has gone. "what? wait. m- wait. mom? mrs. webber? oh, no, no, no, no, no, no."

■ ■ ■

"oh, mom, there you are," lia sighs in relief when she finds her mother stood in the empty chief's office. "um, w-"

"i don't understand," adele cuts her off. "what's going on? where are richard's things?"

"yeah, i- i know this must be very confusing," lia attempts to calm her down. "this used to be richard's office, but now he's-"

"he- he's gone? he left me?" adele begins to sob.

"no, no, no, no," lia shakes her head, panicked. "he's just- he's in surgery right now."

"he's always wanted to leave me for her," adele continues to cry as lia becomes confused as to what her mother is talking about. "he finally did."

"no," lia attempts to comfort her mother, despite her confusion and the fact adele thinks she's a complete stranger.

"he never loved me. never!" adele says, as lia begins to panic about what to do. "it was always her. and now he's gone? and he just left? he didn't even tell me where. he's just gone."

"no, okay, mrs. webber, i ju- i need you to please try and-" lia says, trying to stop her own tears from falling.

"oh, richard," adele sobs. "i can't do it alone. i can't. i can't do it alone. please, richard, don't leave me. richard, i cant do it alone. i can't."

"it's alright," lia whispers, holding her mother whilst she cries.

■ ■ ■

"he left me. he left me," adele shakes her head as lia leads her into the gallery of her father's surgery. "i don't want to see him working. he's always working."