Asystole ✷ Mark Sloan

𝟬𝟰𝟳 the 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 fiancé

"How the hell did they do that anyway?" Faith's mutterings were quiet but I could still feel the heat behind it. "I can't even bring myself to have a shower after a shift— talk about start another one." She dropped her head in exhaustion and murmured something that sounded very suspiciously like: "I'd probably murder someone."

"Ambition," the man shrugged, "And when that runs out they get a little pick-me-up."

Pick-me-up. We all knew what that implied. My eyes dropped to my mug of coffee and I wondered whether I'd be able to keep up. Would it completely wipe me out? I couldn't imagine having to depend on anything to keep me going. 

But that's what half of the doctors in this city did. Hospitals for past ten years had been highly competitive and hard to keep up with. People had just been looking for alternatives to sleep, making sure that they could get ahead and not get swept under. That's how Amelia's using had gotten really bad: a couple of popped pills and then opioids to combat it when it got too much.

Faith scoffed. "Sounds like a shit-show... consider me out."

Liam looked at me, completely disregarding Isaac who seemed to be in mid-nap. I just smirked and looked back towards the firework display; I'd already applied to every single vacancies I could find. I had a job interview for Manhattan General Hospital next week and a missed call from Cabrini. 

If this was a sprint, I was leaving Liam in the dust. 

Staring out towards where I knew Addison was having her big New Years Eve party, I couldn't help but smile: I was finally in a career that I enjoyed and it was turning out okay. I also, controversially, didn't have any regrets about not going to the party. It was nice to have distance from everyone, even Mark.

Mark. My phone buzzed by my foot and I saw that it was an incoming phone call from him— I let it go to voicemail. It wasn't right now, not when we were all sat in silence just watching the Manhattan sky. As the fireworks started dying down, Faith started murmuring about her case through a mouthful of veggie pizza. 

Liam chipped in about his and I very softly mused about the surgery I'd spent the last four hours in. All the while, Isaac snoozed with his head resting against the wall behind him.

"...I'm going to be the best damn cardiothorastic surgeon on the East Coast." 

I tuned in to Liam confidently bobbing his head up and down, passion in his eyes. I watched him, my eyelids no longer feeling heavy. If there was anyone who could stay afloat off of ambition, it was definitely Liam Carmichael. 

"Watch this space... you two—"

"And I'm going to be a kickass paediatric surgeon." Faith added, her back straightening as she tossed her pizza crust onto the box. I smiled, my eyes seeking out the stars in the sky. When I looked back down, they were both staring at me expectantly. "Beth?"

My smile widened. "I'm going to have my own hospital."

Liam let out a low whistle.

"That's a tall order."

I just shrugged.

"It's going to be a public hospital and it's going to be the greatest hospital in the country." I looked back out over the city. "I'm going to be Chief of Surgery and then I'm going to be the best Medical Director of a hospital that you've ever seen."

For a split second I could envision it: this was my hospital and this was my view from my flashy office. I liked ManWest a lot, but I could like it a lot more if I was the one who was running the place. A dreamy look took over my face. I was looking at everything with rose coloured glasses.