flatline [m.s]

cxcvii.

- - -
before surgery, we ask patients a series of questions. do you have a job to return to? do you have a support system at home? we're screening for mental illness. anxiety, depression, delusions.
- - -

lia is walking around her living room, gathering together her notes and research she had left laying around, whilst mark sits on a stool at the kitchen counter, facing her.

"i left my phone in the lab. by the time i figured out i left it, i was already at the airport coming to you," mark explains.

"and she picked up your phone why?" lia shakes her head.

"i don't know," mark shrugs. "she probably thought it was me. i called her from the airport. then she told me she spoke to you."

"is that it? is that everything you have to say?" lia asks after eyeing him in silence for several moments.

"that's all there is to say," mark assures. "i've told you the whole story- all of it. but if you want, i'll go through it all again."

"and she's your research fellow," lia says.

"yes," mark confirms.

"just your research fellow," lia raises her brow.

"lia," mark exhales deeply.

"i wish i could believe you," lia tells him.

"you can. i'm here," mark points out.

"i know how this works," lia sighs. "it seems like you came home because you thought you were in trouble."

"i came home because we're in trouble," mark emphasises. "i came home to work on this, on us, because it seems like whatever we try, this doesn't work. you didn't come to la. again. i came home."

"i have to get to the hospital," lia picks up her keys.

"can't you get someone to cover?" mark furrows his brow.

"you should spend the day with the kids. they'd love it. they really miss you," lia picks up her coat and slips it on before leaving.

- - -
we need to make sure you're of sound mind. we need to make sure you know what to expect. but if we check patients for mental illness, why not surgeons? someone should really get on that.
- - -

"what's her problem?" deluca asks as he and maggie approach lia as she's stood outside of her patient's room, watching her through the window.

"tomophobia," maggie reveals. "fear of medical procedures. she equates surgery with death. i've heard of patients who have died because they refuse treatment."

"well, it's because of her dad. he had an appendectomy. and they told him it was nothing, and then there were complications. he went in for surgery, and then she... never saw him again. she was five," lia explains before turning to look at maggie. "what's deluca doing here?"

"oh, i brought him to cheer him up," maggie says.

"and so far, it's depressing me more," deluca forces a smile.

"well, the exciting part is the surgery, not the patient. you got a golden ticket," maggie tells him. "this is the spina bifida surgery on an exteriorised uterus. besides the texas children's fetal centre, we are one of the only places to do this."