flatline [m.s]

cxlii.

- - -
almost half of this country doesn't go to the doctor when they should. many don't have access but a lot of others, they just don't want to because they don't believe anything is actually wrong.
- - -

"hey," meredith runs into her kitchen, where derek is sat reading a magazine.

"you know, one of the joys of cohabitation is having breakfast together," derek tells her as she takes a piece of toast from his plate before rushing to the fridge to grab her lunch.

"well, i can't today because bailey paged me in early," meredith explains.

"well, i guess you don't have time to look at our work in a major medical journal," derek smugly holds up the magazine he's reading, to reveal an image of his face on the cover.

"they finally published our clinical trial?" meredith gasps, grabbing the magazine from him. "it's on the cover. 'a new method in treating inoperable malignant gliomas- the shepherd method'."

"what do you think?" derek asks her.

"it's a picture, a big picture of you."

"you're making a face," derek points out meredith's current facial expression.

"i'm not making a face," meredith protests. "i love that picture. i have to go."

■ ■ ■

"'the shepherd method'. it's about time this hospital got some publicity," richard looks at the magazine with pride, showing it to bailey. "oh, i heard you found a donor."

"yes, sir," bailey confirms. "the last piece of the puzzle finally fell into place."

"this is the day, dr. bailey," richard tells her with confidence. "shepherd on the front page of a national journal, bragging rights to a flashy surgery- i don't see seattle pres taking on a project of this magnitude, do you?"

"i'd rather wait to celebrate 'til we this thing off," bailey turns to him.

"yeah, that's a good call. we don't want to jinx it," he nods before walking away.

"eat that, seattle pres," bailey grins once richard is out of sight.

■ ■ ■

"god, i've been looking everywhere for you," lia sighs when she opens the door to an on call room to find mark sat up on one of the beds, reading a magazine.

she closes the door behind her before walking over to him and taking a seat across from him on the end of the bed.

"well, i had an early morning palatoplasty," mark informs her, not taking his eyes off the magazine in front of him. "you see this? 'the shepherd method'?"

"yeah, yeah, very impressive," lia dismisses. "listen-"

"you think they airbrushed his picture?" mark cuts her off. "i mean, the man does not have one damn pore."

"could you focus?" lia snatches the magazine from his hands. "i need you right now."

"alright, well, i'm a little exhausted, but if you want to hop on and do all the work..." mark lifts the blanket that's covering him.