flatline [m.s]

clxxiii.

- - -
the human body is a terrible liar. whatever secrets it's hiding, it will tell them all eventually. leprosy, chicken pox, tuberculosis, hiv, we can carry these for years with no physical symptoms.
- - -

"i spent the day with maggie," lia tells mark as she stands in front of the mirror, making a coffee, in the doctor's lounge, and he stands behind her. "i needed a day, mark, so i took it."

"that's fine. i just need to know why," mark insists.

"no, you don't," lia shakes her head. "you want to hear that i cured cancer or that i found a vaccine for als before breakfast."

"that'd be great," mark mumbles. "anything would be great."

"there it is again," lia groans.

"what?" mark furrows his brow.

"you're waiting for me to pay up for this grand sacrifice that you made for our family," lia elaborates. "how am i supposed to do anything with you pressuring me and hovering over me for a decision that you made? and you're waiting for me to fail."

"i'm waiting for you to shine," mark argues.

"and i told you, you should go to la and shine there," lia turns around to face him. "it was you who decided to stay here and martyr yourself and now make me feel guilty because of a decision you made. well, i am done. i'm done feeling guilty. i won't do it anymore. just stay out of my way."

"wow," mark folds his arms across his chest. "you may not have been raised by ellis, but you definitely have her dna."

- - -
but given enough time, the signs will always show up. the real question is, what are your body's secrets? and are you ready to know?
- - -

"hi, elliot," maggie greets her patient, before turning to his wife, finley, who's sat beside him, also wearing a hospital gown. "finley, wheelchair? what happened?"

"jasper happened," finley and elliot announce in unison.

"four pound fourteen ounces," finley rubs her stomach.

"oh, you had the baby," maggie nods. "i thought he wasn't due for another month."

"he wasn't," elliot confirms.

"no, but he's fine," finley assures. "he's in the nicu."

"check out this little alien," elliot turns his phone around to show maggie, and the interns behind her, a picture of their baby.

"aww," maggie coos.

"isn't he cute? we're calling him e.t for short," finley chuckles.

"yeah, i was in the middle of my usual pre-surgery fast when her water broke," elliot tells them.

"he wanted to postpone, but i said no," finley turns to her husband. "you don't postpone heart surgery."

"yeah, jasper's immune system is still a little wonky," elliot adds. "i'm not allowed to hold him until i get discharged."

"well, cross, present please," maggie turns to the intern on her left.

"elliot calhoon, thirty nine, here for a fourth aortic valve replacement due to congenital aortic stenosis," cross presents, and maggie nods with shaky breaths.