yours [m.s]

iii.

- - -
surgeons usually fantasize about wild and improbable surgeries. someone collapses in a restaurant, we splice them open with a butter knife, replace a valve with a hollowed out stick of carrot.
- - -

sam is standing in front of a long mirror, attempting to tie a tie around his neck when addison peers her head through the open door. 

"morning, neighbour," addison greets, stepping fully into the beach house.

"hey," sam turns his head to see the redhead clutching two mugs of coffee.

"you look fancy," addison says, offering out one of the mugs, which he gladly takes.

"i have to be on live tv this morning," sam informs her, bringing the mug to his lips.

"oh," addison's smile fades. "i thought maybe you were dressed up for something later. a special event."

"i've never been on live tv before," sam turns back to the mirror and continues to fix his tie.

"it's more of a get together that an event. but..." addison wiggles her head from side to side.

"i had a dream. i was on camera and i was talking and all my teeth fell out," sam tells her, feeling inside his mouth for his teeth, completely ignoring what addison has said.

"okay, why has nobody, including you, responded to my invitation tonight?" addison frowns, slumping down into the chair beside her. "i've invited everyone from work to my home over a week ago. a week."

"addison, i live three feet away from your new home," sam reminds her. "if you have a party i'll be there even if i don't want to be."

"what a delightful acceptance," addison rolls her eyes.

"i have to be on live tv," sam shakes his head, sliding his jacket onto his arms.

"you want me to come with you? moral support?" addison offers, pushing herself back to her feet.

"yes. yes," sam nods, enthusiastically.

"well, all you have to do is invite me," addison shrugs with a fake grin.

"i would like you to come," sam tells her.

"and i rsvp yes. like any decent person would," she remarks, and sam lets out a sigh of relief, choosing to ignore her added comment.

- - -
but every now and then some other kind of fantasy slips in. most of our fantasies dissolve when we wake, banished to the back of our mind, but sometimes we're sure if we try hard enough, we can live the dream.
- - -

dell is in the conference room, setting it up for the morning meeting when sam walks in, followed close behind by addison.

"hey, how was the tv thing?" dell looks across the room to sam, who grumbles in response.

"he was very inspiring," addison answers the boy on her friend's behalf.

"i'm a fraud," sam mumbles.

"you were inspiring. listening to the patient, the mind/body connection... you inspired me, okay? yeah," addison attempts to cheer sam up as mallory enters the conference room, followed by violet and cooper and addison turns to her. "wasn't he inspiring on tv?"