flatline [m.s]

cxciv.

- - -
in surgery, we work to make our sutures as precise as we can. we try to minimize scars and to return full function. we try not to leave any trace of the injury.
- - -

"hey! look. it's family day," lia smiles at meredith, who's walking towards the hospital with zola and bailey, whilst she and carina lean against the coffee cart.

"it's 'nanny and derek have the flu day and two kids is so many kids day'!" meredith fakes enthusiasm.

"you want my coffee?" carina holds her coffee out to meredith. "i have no kids, thank god."

"bless you!" meredith says in a sing-songy voice as she takes the coffee and proceeds towards the hospital.

"'thank god'?" lia turns to carina.

"it's hard to just up and move countries when you have bambinos, that's all," carina explains as she purchases another coffee.

- - -
in japan, when a piece of pottery breaks, some potters fill the cracks with gold. the potters, they see the repair as something beautiful.
- - -

"she's not taking any food?" lia asks dean as she examines ruby. "are you the only one doing the feedings?"

"my mom has her when i'm at work," dean's voice is solemn.

"oh, okay, good," lia smiles softly, turning to look at dean who is just staring aimlessly, with sadness clouding his eyes.

"hey, something is going on with you, little one. we're gonna figure out what it it, okay?" lia coos over ruby before turning back to dean. "obviously, i think that it might be her heart. um, she has a coarctation of the aorta, and i think that maybe we should start her on-"

"i'm sorry," deans cuts her off with a shakes voice. "i thought i could do this, but i can't. every time i look at you-"

"you'd like another doctor," lia nods.

"i- i know you were ruby's," dean gestures to his baby, continuing to avoid looking at lia.

"no, i was- i was her doctor in utero, and now that she's out, it's perfectly appropriate," lia assures. "i will have someone else come and see her. whatever you need, dean."

lia places her hand on his arm to comfort the grieving man in front of her. she then leaves him alone with ruby.

as she steps out of the examination room, she finds jo walking towards the door, followed by the interns, and lia stops them. 

"no, no, no, no. they do not go in there?" lia warns.

"are you serious?" jo raises her brow. "this is a teaching hospital."

"yeah. well, this is a teaching moment," lia folds her arms across her chest. "he is a father who lost the mother of his baby in childbirth. and now that baby has a failure to thrive, and he is breaking and he needs a minute!"

"go!" jo urges the interns and they begin to disperse.

■ ■ ■

"she's three months old, and she has a coarctation of the aorta. her complaints include occasional vomiting, difficulty feeding, failure to thrive, tachycardia, irritability," lia tells april as they stand in the e.r. "we were hoping we could hold off on cardiac repairs until she got older, but-"