flatline [m.s]

lxix.

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you work, you study, you prepare. months and years leading to one day, the day when you step up.
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"look, i was promised an elegant dinner. i rearranged my whole schedule. i've got high heels in the back of my car. i'm gonna spend all day thinking about 'em," arizona complains to lia as they're heading through the hospital. "is it camping? i mean, does she think i'm going camping on valentine's day?"

"i don't know," lia shrugs, not exactly enthusiastic due to her lack of valentine's day plans.

"well, she's trying to surprise me. i'm telling you, the surprise is gonna be, i'm gonna leave her on the side of a mountain," arizona jokingly threatens. "i mean, do you think camping is sexy?"

"i like camping," lia shrugs. "jackson and i went camping."

"it's not sexy," arizona shakes her head.

"what's not sexy?" mark asks, approaching them from behind as he pushes his way in, in order to walk between them, as lia's breathe hitches.

"camping," arizona informs him. "apparently i need to have sex with my girlfriend in the woods, on cold, hard ground."

"i got a table at campo's," mark says. "there's a lot of pressure. this thing with julia is young and fragile."

"well, apparently camping is the hot new thing," arizona rolls her eyes, before walking away in the direction on the peds ward.

"i have plans," lia announces, after a pause of silence, and mark turns to her with a quizzical expression. "yep. i got a hot date. our- our thing is... is young and fragile, too."

■ ■ ■

"everyone's a cynic these days... talking about not believing in valentine's day," richard shakes his head as he and lia are stood in yellow trauma gowns in the ambulance bay. "i mean, what's wrong with a day devoted to the person you love? i take this day very seriously."

"i know you do. happy anniversary, dad," lia smiles.

"thank you, alivia. i'm heading home early, try and spend most of the day with your mother," richard reveals his plans. "w- what about you? you hitting the town?"

"i'm not hitting much of anything these days," lia scoffs before remembering who she's talking to, as a frown sets on richard's face. "oh, god. i'm sorry. i should not have said that to you... dad. that was crass. i'm h- uh- uh, have no valentine's plans."

■ ■ ■

"he's hypothermic," richard says about the patient he and lia are currently operating on.

"yeah," she agrees. "there's too much bleeding. he's not gonna make it if we keep going."

"let's pack him and get him up to i.c.u to stabilize him," richard instructs.

"i need to check for a septal hematoma. i'll be quick. i got a date tonight," mark announces, entering the o.r with jackson and examining the patient. "septum looks fine."

"okay, uh, let's prep him for i.c.u and i'll- i'll stay and monitor him," richard orders as mark steps away from the patient.

"no, it's your anniversary, dad," lia reminds him. "i'll stay."

"i thought you had a hot date," mark raises his brow.

"really? with who?" jackson challenges with amusement laced in his voice.

"uh... uh," lia stammers, unsure of how to respond.

"dr. sloan, i mean, if you're finished here, we'd like to..." richard hints, and mark nods before leaving the o.r along with jackson.

"thank you," lia sighs with relief.

■ ■ ■

"chocolate?" mark offers lia, holding up the box from where he is sat in the i.c.u hallway. she takes a couple as she takes a seat beside him. "the nougats are gone. sorry."

"oh. did you get these from a patient?" lia asks.

"no," he shakes his head. "i bought these for julia, but... she's standing me up for an emergency ocular transplant surgery, so... mm. i'm gorging myself on valentine's chocolate."

"mm. i'd mock you right now if my mouth wasn't so full," she chuckles slightly, gesturing to her mouth.

"try the square ones," mark offers, holding the box up to her again. "they're caramel with sea salt."

"mmm," she's hums as she takes one. 

"i didn't want to disappoint her. you know, i bought candy and flowers. i got rose petals, lia," he reveals. "bags of 'em. i was looking forward to sharing it. but now i'm alone on valentine's day... eating chocolate."

"mm. i can do you one better. my hot date tonight? marc gladman. i am preparing for a new fellowship," lia admits, and mark chuckles.

"he's coding!" they hear a nurse shout from their patient's room behind them, causing them to jump up in order to assist. "let's move!"

■ ■ ■

"okay. i'm just gonna go. i'm gonna go and i'm gonna tell him, and if there is a, uh, ch- no, i'm not gonna tell him. no, i'm gonna... of course- ugh!" lia groans, debating what to do as she paces up and down the hallway. "okay, of course. no, i'm gonna tell him because if you don't say anything, then you- you bleed out and die and then read about it in a plastic locket... what should i do?"

- - -
on that day you have to be ready for everything, but there's one thing you can never quite prepare for. a day when you step down. sometimes it happens in an instance.
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lia is stood nervously outside mark's apartment as she waits for him to open the door with anticipation. when he does open the door, he is quite taken back as he wasn't expecting to see her there.

"hey. i thought maybe, um, we could, uh- uh, talk, you know, about stuff, 'cause there's some stuff that i've been wanting to say," she nervously greets, but stops when she hears a clatter come from inside. "oh. is that julia? i'll- i'll go."

"avery's cooking me dinner," mark explains.

"is that julia? 'cause i can go," jackson calls from the kitchen.

"oh. that's..." lia stammers. 

"but he can go... if you want to talk," mark offers. "should he go?"

"hey," jackson awkwardly greets as he stands behind mark and sees lia stood in the doorway. 

"nope. it's nothing. i- you- i'm ju- i'm gonna- it's- you know what? you two have a very pleasant evening," lia shakes her head.

"don't be stupid. you love steak," mark insists, ushering her inside where she screws her eyes shut in an attempt to mentally prepare herself.

- - -
we step up, we see a path forward. we see a path and we take it. even when we have no idea where we're going.
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