Now or Never ➼ Mark Sloan

𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗶𝗺 (𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴)

"Absolutely."

****

Mark found Bella and smiled. "Hey. You okay?" He asked.

Bella nodded and sighed. "I'm good. Don't worry. Hey. Can I come over tonight? There's something I need to tell you," she told him.

"Doll you can always come over. Is everything okay? I haven't slept with any nurses," Mark said.

Bella laughed. "I know you haven't. I just need to talk to you," she said as she kissed his lips. "Tonight."

"Okay."

****

Bella walked into a patients room with Mark, Grace. Connie , the patient smiled. "Oh, Joanne, this is why you and I need to get sick, these doctors."

The friend smiled. "One's more handsome than the next," she said looking between Bella and Grace.

"Oh, and here comes the handsomest one of them all. Hi, Dr. Webber," Connie said as chief Webber walked in.

"Connie."

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

"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?" Richard asked.

Connie smiled. She looked to her old friend. "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," she said with a look to Mark.

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

Richard turned to look at Mark "Uh, how is she, Dr. Sloan?" He walked.

Mark nodded and spoke. "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," he told her.

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

"I think the, uh, best bet is a micro-vascular free flap. Dr. Shepherd?" Mark said as he looked to his girlfriend.

Bella thought for a moment and spoke. "Uh, he'll remove the cancerous part of the tongue, and then reconstruct it with a strip of flesh from your legs. Grace?"

George took over and smiled. "The extra flesh will provide the bulk your tongue needs to breathe properly, chew, swallow."

"And talk? Dr. Sloan...I'll be able to talk, won't I?" Connie asked, looking at Mark.

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

"You'll be okay."

****

Grace walked over to Bella. She smiled. "Hey. Really old guy woke up. Izzie is making a big deal out of it," she said.