Flatline (J.A.)

1.2"Show Off "

A few days later. At the hospital. In Connie's room.

Webber, Mark, Meredith and her 4 interns and i walked into Connie's room. Two of her friends were standing there. 

Elaine smirked when she saw Mark " Oh, Joanne, this is why you and I need to get sick, these doctors..."

Joanne" One's more handsome than the next. "

Mark just smirked. 

Connie " Oh, and here comes the handsomest one of them all. Hi, Dr. Webber. "

Richard " Connie."

 Connie " He took my appendix out three years ago. Barely left a scar. How's Adele?"

Richard "Um, oh, she's good, good. Uh, marriage is hard. Uh, but we're dating again. Uh, and she agreed to date me tonight...but, um...more...more importantly, how...how are you doing? "

Connie" Oh, I just had a little bump on my tongue removed is all. Couple of taste buds. Turns out it was a little touch of cancer. So I'm here to have the rest out. I mean, you know, the cancer, not the taste buds. I don't know exactly how bad it is because Dr. Sloan over there has been awfully quiet. "

Joanne" 'Cause you don't let him get a word in edgewise is why."

They started to giggle. 

Oh lord help me. 

 Richard" Uh, how is she, Dr. Sloan? "

Mark " Well, we just got back the pathology report. Connie, unfortunately, the cancer is a bit more widespread than we'd hoped. It's over 60% of your tongue. "

Joanne" Well, what... what does she do, chemo? "

Mark" I think the, uh, best bet is a micro-vascular free flap. Dr. Grey? "

Meredith" Uh, he'll remove the cancerous part of the tongue, and then reconstruct it with a strip of flesh from your legs. George? "

George" Uh, the extra flesh will provide the bulk your tongue needs to breathe properly, chew, swallow. "

Connie"And talk?"

George looked at Mark. Connie looked at Mark. Mark looked at me. I looked at Webber who looked back to Mark. 

Connie " Dr. Sloan...I'll be able to talk, won't I? "

Mark "You will be able to talk, Connie. I just don't know how well you'll be understood."

Connie looked at her friends, shocked. 

 Elaine" You'll be okay."

at a nurse station. 

I walked over to Mark and George.

Me " Functional muscle transfer. "

Mark looked at me confused " What? "

Me "For Connie Williams. I was reading up on glossectomies and saw the procedure. Could micro-surgically re-innervate her hypo-glossal nerve. "

Mark raised his eyebrows "A nerve graft? "

I nodded. 

He shook his head "It's too risky. A free flap's still your best bet."

Me "But she'll never speak the same. you've met her. That woman loves to talk more than anyone I know. "

George asked confused  "What's a functional muscle transfer?"

Me "You won't find it in the books, O'Malley. It's cutting-edge. You connect the nerves from the leg with the nerves from the tongue. Gives her a shot at really speaking. "