flatline [m.s]

viii.

- - -
every little kid knows the words to the song. The foot bones connected to the leg bone. The leg bones connected to the knee bone. in med school, you learn it's a little more complicated than that. the songs not wrong.
- - -

"what would you say if i told you that you're my favourite sister?" derek grins, approaching the brunette surgeon who's walking the corridors of the hospital with meredith.

"i would say; don't let amy, nancy, kathleen or lizzie hear you say that," she giggles, as meredith stands awkwardly beside her, looking at the ground. "and then i'd say; what do you want shepherd?"

"nothing," he suspiciously chuckles. "i just want you to come over tonight. i need to talk to you."

"sure," lia says, hiding the panic she's currently feeling, suspicious derek may have found out about her and mark. "what about?"

derek looks away from lia to briefly look at meredith, with an unfriendly expression, then turning back to face his best friend.

"just come to my trailer at eight," he instructs, before turning on his heel and walking away.

"sister?" meredith asks her attending for the day once derek is out of earshot, and they begin walking to their patient again.

"not actual sister," lia laughs. "he's just always there for me like a big brother, and he protects me like you would a little sister. i'm an only child, so it's nice to have someone to look out for me. he's also an amazing friend."

"oh.." is all meredith can seem to fathom.

"look, meredith," lia says, stopping again, and turning to face the resident. "i know you don't like him right now. but he's a good guy, meredith. a really good guy. in fact, he's probably the best guy i know. and he's gonna choose you."

"he's with rose. i ended it. we're over. there is no choice," meredith shakes her head, referring to the nurse derek has recently started dating.

"he doesn't feel the same way about rose as he does about you," lia admits. "i know derek better than he knows himself. it won't last."

■ ■ ■

"on call room?" lia says, biting her bottom lip as she leans on the desk where mark is sat at the computer.

"good morning," mark smirks, turning to look at her instead of the computer screen.

"look," lia says, gently smacking her hand on the desk. "i don't have long until my next surgery, so i am asking you; do you want to go to an on call room? yes or no?"

"i suppose i can find time in my busy, busy schedule," mark smirks, standing up from the desk. "which on call room do you fancy today?"

"mark," lia says as they begin walking through the hospital corridors. "let me make this clear; i really don't care. i just want sex."

"as you wish," mark chuckles, knowing that his teasing worked. "so, what are you doing tonight?"

"oh, derek's invited me to his trailer. he wants to talk," lia explains.

"ahh, so it's derek stealing my girlfriend away from me tonight?" mark smirks at her. "last night, your dad... night before that, torres... night before that, yang..."

"girlfriend?" lia raises a brow as she stops outside the on call room.

"girlfriend," mark confirms, his smirk turning to a smile as he sees lia's cheeks flush as a smile takes over her own face. "now, get in the on call room so i can screw you."

■ ■ ■

"alivia!" derek beams, as he opens the trailer door to let her in.

"lia," she corrects with a frown, earning a chuckle off derek. he knows how much she hates when anyone that's not her parents call her alivia. even him.

"come in," derek says, stepping aside and closing the door behind her. "i've ordered pizza, i've got beers."

"what is going on, derek?" lia asks, completely confused.

"who said there's anything going on?" he shrugs, grabbing two beers out of the fridge. "i just want to spend time with my sister."

"you don't spend time with any of your real sisters," lia points out, still skeptical.

"i don't like my real sisters as much as i like you," he teases.

"derek, what is going on? seriously," lia laughs slightly.

"okay," derek sighs. "it's richard."

- - -
everything is connected. the human body is made up of systems that keep it alive. the one that keeps you breathing, the one that keeps you standing, the one that makes you hungry, and the one that makes you happy. they're all connected, take a piece out and everything else falls apart.
- - -

"my dad? what about him?" lia asks, with a puzzled expression. "is he okay?"

"he's got a tumour."

- - -
and it's only when our support systems look like they might fail us that you realize how much we depended on them all along.
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