Asystole ✷ Mark Sloan

𝟬𝟰𝟰 the dominic effect

"Yeah... It's just-" I could imagine Charlie shaking his head, letting out a little breath and shrugging his shoulders. "It's nothing, it's just usually the person who has this job works in the office and has daily meetings with my brother. Taking on this position was a lot harder than I thought it was and living on the other side of the country is just..."

I could hear it in his voice, the same question that Eli had asked. The hesitation of why Charlie was in Seattle when he could be with his family and at his workplace in Boston.

I pressed my lips together and swallowed, hard. My eyes rose to stare up at the city sky. It was cloudy tonight and hazy as if the city had decided to have an air of mystery to itself. My chest felt very tight.

"I'm worried about you," I voiced the concerns that I had when he'd first taken on this position. "He's working you half to death, babe."

"I'll be fine," He sounded breathless and insistent. "It's a lot right now but when I'm back with you, it's all going to work out... okay?"

I very hesitantly nodded but then I remembered that he couldn't see me. I couldn't find it within myself to give a verbal agreement. Instead, I bit down on my bottom lip and sighed.

"I miss you."

I could hear the smile in his voice. "I miss you too. I'll be back before you know it."

"Cooking for myself is shit."

It was almost a whine. It was as if I'd forgotten that a few months ago I had been alone in my apartment (admittedly just surviving off of leftover takeout and black coffee). I felt like a teen that had been abandoned at home while their parents went globetrotting.

"I'm stood outside waiting for takeout because I forgot to buy groceries like a computing adult."

"Oh?" He sounded offended. A breathy laugh escaped my lips. "Is that all you want me for?"

I rolled my eyes. "Nah, you're pretty nice to look at too."

"Wow," Charlie chuckled. "And they say chivalry is dead."

"What?" I asked, my eyebrows flying up my head. "What else am I supposed to say? That I care about what happens to you more than I care about what happens to myself? Because I have a whole list."

He paused. "I'm very interested in that list."

"Then please don't die on me while you're out there," My tone was light but my words had weight.

It was a silent plea: please come back ASAP because I'm having a very slow mental breakdown and I need a crutch even though my New Years Resolution is to stop relying on men.

"You promised me France, remember? I'm not going to miss that."

I smiled at the thought. Warm, Mediterranean weather was such a nicer feeling than this cold street. I had goosebumps all down my arms. My dumb ass had run downstairs in one of Charlie's shirts, sweatpants and my running trainers.

"I'm looking forwards to it. It's all I can think about right now," Charlie said, "It's literally keeping me sane, B. We should book it when I get back- think about it... sand, sea and me getting sunburnt every five seconds. I was thinking about July?"

"We'll have to raid CVS for all of the sunblock they have," I teased.

"Still won't work," He said, his voice strained as if he could already feel the pain of it.

I chuckled. "And I thought I was pale..."

"Oh you are," He was smiling again. "I'm just a ghost."

"A very alive ghost who is going to come back here and give me a hug because I'm lonely." I couldn't pinpoint the moment I got needy but I was sure that it was the moment that I outwardly made a decision not to be. Fuck, when did I become needy? Charlie made me needy and I didn't like it. "God, I think I just cringed at myself."