flatline [m.s]

xxv.

- - -
we all get at least one good wish a year. over the candles on our birthday. some of us throw in more. on eyelashes, fountains, lucky stars, and every now and then, one of those wishes comes true.
- - -

"happy birthday, baby,"adele smiles, entering lia's bedroom holding a tray that has a stack of pancakes and orange juice on, with a balloon tied to it.

lia wakes up at the sound of her mother's entrance so she rolls over and sits up in bed, pushing her sleep mask off her face so it's holding back her hair, as she rubs her eyes. adele brings the tray over and places it on lia's lap, she then sits on the end of her daughter's bed.

"thanks, mom," she smiles, taking a bite of the pancakes. "where's dad?"

"he's, uh, he's gone to the hospital," she informs her daughter.

"already?" lia asks, surprised, and adele nods.

"you know how he is, alivia," adele shrugs. "he's got chiefly things to do."

"right," lia nods, slightly suspicious. "chiefly things to do."

■ ■ ■

"happy birthday," callie beams, squeezing lia's shoulders from behind as she catches up to her walking towards the hospital. "i've got you a present."

"callie, you didn't need to get me anything," lia insists as callie hands her a gift bag, which she stops to open.

inside she finds a photo album full of pictures of the two of them, starting with when they were first became friends in medical school, and ending with a picture of them that was taken just last week.

"do you like it?" callie asks with a nervous smile.

"are you kidding? i love it!" lia beams, wrapping callie in a hug before putting the gift back in the bag.

the two girls then grab a coffee from the coffee cart before proceeding into the hospital. when they enter, the lobby is littered with balloons and above the reception desk their is a big happy birthday banner.

"i hate my dad," lia laughs, shaking her head at the sight of the lobby. "chiefly things, my mom said. chiefly things. does this look like the product of chiefly things?"

"hey, i wish my dad would litter the hospital with balloons, but instead he's doing everything in his power to prevent me from being with woman," callie sighs.

"i'm sorry callie, i completely forget," lia frowns.

"don't worry, i'll be fine. i shouldn't have brought it up. today's your birthday; it's about you," callie smiles and the two girls make their way up to the attending lounge.

■ ■ ■

"woah, who's birthday is it?" mark asks derek as they walk into the hospital and notice the balloons that cover the ceiling.

"lia's," derek informs him.

"i completely forgot," mark frowns. "i've not got her anything, have you?"

"i have," derek reveals. "but i doubt she'll be expecting anything off you. it's not like you're close."

"yeah, i guess you're right," mark sighs to himself, remembering that they were no longer together or even really 'friends' for that matter.

mark and derek then spend the rest of their walk to the attending lounge in silence as mark cannot take his mind off lia.

"there's the birthday girl," derek grins as he and mark enter the attending lounge, and he wraps lia into a hug. "your dad wants you to go to the cardiac wing, as soon as your ready."

"i'll be there in a minute. i'll catch you guys later," she smiles, before turning to finish putting her stuff away in her locker, and all of her friends leave, apart from mark who lingers behind.

"i'm sorry," mark says, causing lia to jump as she thought everyone had left.

"for..?" she asks, turning to face him.

"forgetting your birthday," he admits.

"that's okay," she smiles. "i didn't expect you to remember. you're not my boyfriend anymore."

"i know," he frowns, stepping towards her. "it's... it's just..."

he moves so that they are so close, their bodies are practically touching, but her eyes remain transfixed on the floor.

"mark..." she breathes. "this isn't a good idea."

"please?" he softly says, bringing his hand to her chin so that he can bring her head up to look at him.

"i can't," she sighs, before walking around him to the door.

"do you still love me?" he asks, making her freeze on the spot, her hand still on the door handle. when he asks her that; she can't move. she can't breathe. she can't think. she just stands there frozen.

"no," she lies, before exiting the attending lounge.

- - -
so what then? is it is as good as we'd hoped? do we bask in the warm glow of our happiness? or, do we just notice we've got a long list of other wishes waiting to be wished?
- - -

"happy birthday, alivia," richard beams as his daughter enters the cardiac wing. "i've got you a present."

"is it the balloons?" lia raises her brow.

"no. i got you an ectopia cordis case," he grins, handing her some patient charts. "you're not going to be able to operate for a couple of months because you'll need to wait for the skin flap to grow, but i know you're perfect for the case."

- - -
we don't wish for the easy stuff. we wish for big things. things that are ambitious, out of reach. we wish because we need help and we're scared and we know we may be asking too much. we still wish, though, because sometimes they come true.
- - -