Hearts That Flatline

Part One

It had been a rather quiet day for Mattie at the Rosewood Hospital, surprisingly so that he was able to leave the Trauma Unit to his 2IC while he chose his time to be productive with other tasks awaiting for him. Paperwork, for example. Something he hated doing. When it was just his sister and him at their hospital in England, if you ever compared their separate offices, you'd immediately be able to spot the difference; Luna's was neat, files stacked neatly (or perhaps no files at all as she did her paperwork, unlike Mattie), and a little house-plant thriving by her window.

Mattie's, on the other hand, files were stacked unceremoniously over his desk, large black A4 journal that had loose pieces of notepad paper stick out from every direction, scribbled notes haphazardly stuck over his board... The only thing the two offices had in common was the same framed photo of the family together, a year before the two children lost their parents.

❝Dᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ Rᴏsᴇᴡᴏᴏᴅ, Cᴏᴅᴇ Bʟᴜᴇ, Tʀᴀᴜᴍᴀ Bᴀʏ Oɴᴇ.❞
❝Dᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ Rᴏsᴇᴡᴏᴏᴅ, Cᴏᴅᴇ Bʟᴜᴇ, Tʀᴀᴜᴍᴀ Bᴀʏ Oɴᴇ.❞

Hunched over his desk with pen gliding over the paperwork, it was immediately dropped the moment he heard his name being paged over the speakers. Standing up abruptly, causing his chair to fly back and swivel in its spot, Mattie flew out of his office and down the corridor. White medical coat flicking around his legs with each hurried step.

His usual cheerful face tightened with concern as he flew past his work colleagues that glanced over their shoulder at seeing his figure blur past them without even so much as a 'hello' in passing. Their own features fell to one of concern before they continued on with their own tasks. It wasn't like Mattie to be in such a serious state of flurry, then again, it wasn't like Mattie to be called over the PA for an emergency unless it couldn't be handled by those he left in charge.

Upon entering the Trauma Unit and making his way to the designated bay, brown eyes locked on a little Asian girl, she had to have been no older than eight years old. "Where's Paeds?" he asked as he reached the gurney that she had been wheeled in on. "They're stuck in surgery."

Damn. Mattie hated operating on children. He was great with children, they adored him when he spent time with them – he literally turned into a bigger child himself... but losing one... It was something he couldn't handle. It was part reason why he refused to work in Paediatrics. His sister tends to take over on the surgeries of children when they came through the Trauma Unit. This time, however, his sister wasn't here and the case fell to his hands.

While Mattie was given the rundown of what happened to her and her possible onslaught of symptoms (from what they could tell without further scans), gentle brown eyes settled down upon the girl who glanced up at him with frightened eyes.

"You're going to be okay." He told her as took the oxygen mask from the nurse and carefully placed it over her head. To his surprise, the little girl managed a small nod like she understood what he was saying. Perhaps she spoke English?

Her eyes remain fixated on Mattie's face as he stared down at her with a soft smile to match the gentle twinkle of his eyes. From what he had gathered, she had been in a car accident with her mother. The mother died on impact. Had she not been restrained by the extra padded protection of a child seat, she likely would have died as well.

"My name's Mattie. What's your name?"
"Mi..zu..ki.." she said slowly in between small bouts of pain as she took in each deep breath. Internal bleeding. Collapsed lung. God knows what else he'll find when he opens her up. They had to get her to the OR now!
"Mizuki." He repeated, hoping he had pronounced it correctly, but he saw the mask lift slightly as she smiled underneath it, giving him the confirmation that he had, indeed, pronounced it correctly.
"It means beautiful moon." She told him before a squealed whimper ripped from her lips and tears began to fall from the corner of her eyes.