flatline [m.s]

cliii.

- - -
here's what i learned the first day at medical school: think long and hard before choosing to become a surgeon. it takes one hundred percent commitment.
- - -

"okay, so daddy is gonna drop you off at day care, and i am going to pick you up, okay?" lia tells darci as she places a bowl of cereal in front of her. "then we'll have a princess tea party at the end of the day."

"okay, ladies, let's go," mark kisses lia before she pulls away and heads out to work.

- - -
you have to be on your a game every time you walk into that o.r. when patients are lying on your table, completely at your mercy, they need to know that when you make that first cut, you know what you're doing.
- - -

"hey!" lia greets as she catches up to meredith as she's walking down the hall. "you're doing a heart/liver on samantha calder?"

"yep," meredith nods.

"i saw her before i went on leave. i'm the one who diagnosed the familial hypercholesterolemia," lia tells her.

"oh, well you were right," meredith informs.

"so let me take the heart," lia suggests.

"really?" meredith raises her brow.

"yeah, really," lia chuckles. "why didn't you think of me in the first place?"

"i guess i thought you were easing back in? and you mainly focus on your other specialties now," meredith admits.

"i don't ease back in. i jump in the deep end. i swim," lia enthuses.

"alright," meredith agrees. "uh, well have you read the cleveland article on simultaneous heart/liver transplants under c.p.b?"

"i have not. is it different from a regular heart/liver?" lia asks, and meredith nods as though it's an obvious answer. "i will read it. photographic memory."

"hey, you're doing a heart/liver?" maggie approaches her sisters.

"yeah. uh, but i don't need you," meredith tells her.

"you paged me," maggie furrows her brow, and meredith gestures to lia before walking away. "you stole my heart?"

"uh... come on. i deserve this," lia attempts to reason with her. "i've been on the bench for months."

"you deserve nothing," maggie frowns.

"i named my daughter after you," lia reminds her before speaking in a sing-songy voice. "you can't be mad at me."

"your daughter is the devil's spawn. she drinks the milk of a heart thief!" maggie calls after her as she begins to walk away.

■ ■ ■

"okay, now show catherine your party trick, sir," bailey encourages richard who grunts as he slowly lifts himself to stand from his bed. "oh! oh, he's acting all too cool for school right now. but yesterday, when he made it to the chair, he was smiling from ear to ear."

"okay. okay," catherine nods as she and bailey help richard into the chair.

"you are doing so well!" bailey praises.