flatline [m.s]

clxxxv.

- - -
there are one hundred billion neurons in the human brain making and re-making connections. helping us with math.
- - -

amelia is stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom of her patient room, using a hair clip to section her hair, whilst derek and lia stand, leaning against the doorframe behind her.

she breathes deeply, looking down on the counter in front of her before she picks up a razor and switches it one.

nervously, she brings it to her head, and lia and derek watch her brown curls fall into the sink below.

after only one chunk of hair has been shaved off, she switches the razor off, placing it back down on the counter.

"that's it?" lia raises her brow as amelia turns around to face them. "kinda makes you look fierce."

"are you sure you don't want me to call mom?" derek offers.

"no," amelia shakes her head. "she's didn't come for my wedding. she doesn't get to come for my tumour."

- - -
remembering our keys, our dad's voice. working hard all the time. so when the brain is faulty, it's a big re-wiring job and there's no margin for error.
- - -

"i'll go in through a subfrontal craniotomy, real clean, small incision in the dura, and then scoop the tumour out," tom koracick, the neurosurgeon amelia had brought in to work on her case, informs the doctors that are gathered at her bedside. "i don't like the edema around the tumour, but i got to dance with the girl who brought me, so... i imagine you have questions."

"yeah, uh, how many of these have you done?" derek challenges.

"so, so many," tom shrugs.

"and what's the recovery time?" richard meredith asks.

"i took a thirteen centimetre tumour out of a cop in roughly the same place," tom points to amelia's scans on the monitor beside him. "he was walking day one, talking day three, back at work end of the week, so..."

"thank you, tom," amelia nods.

"yeah. see you at the after party," tom says as he walks out and owen takes his place beside amelia.

"he seems arrogant enough," derek raises his brow.

"he's a showboat," amelia tells them. "and he works best under pressure, so, deluca, ask him questions during surgery, make him show off. and if i make it through-"

"when you make it through," owen interjects.

"early ambulation protocol," deluca assures.

"thank you," amelia nods. "okay. lia, if i die-"

"you are not going to die," lia argues.

"but if i do, you call my mom. i'm sorry, but she likes you. probably more than any of her own kids," she instructs and derek chuckles. "owen, if i'm gorked, do not overthink it, do not visit me. just park me somewhere and go on with your life."

"amelia, please cut it out," owen urges.

"and if i need unplugging, april has been named my power of attorney," amelia announces and they all turn to look at april with furrowed brows.