flatline [m.s]

lxxxi.

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we cover up injuries with tape and gauze to protect the injury, to prevent infection, to save the patient from further suffering.
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"it became clear to dr. yang that they were going to need to switch modalities," dr. mcqueen explains to the surgical staff during an m&m. "the patient was put on ecmo..."

"and why did dr. yang opt to use the intra-aortic balloon pump over an r-vad?" a doctor in the audience calls out, cutting him off.

"i, um... i can't answer for dr. yang," dr. mcqueen stammers.

"and why isn't she here?" the same doctor asks.

"she, um... she quit," dr. mcqueen announces, and the doctors begin murmuring. "she left the program."

"i'm sorry. what? she what?" mark raises his brow.

"dr. yang and i cleared the balloon pump," dr. mcqueen continues, ignoring mark. "i agreed that that this was the best-"

"go back. go back," mark cuts him off, standing up from his seat. "yang quit the program?"

"yeah, where have you been?" derek asks, turning around to look at mark.

"well, that's the first i've heard of it," mark shakes his head, looking to owen. "hunt, what the hell happened?"

"she told the chief she quit," owen tells him.

"richard-" mark then looks to the chief who has just answered his phone. he holds a finger up to mark, before leaving the lecture theatre to respond to his phone call, and mark sits back down.

"if we could just finish the presentation, then-" dr. mcqueen suggests.

"i have a question," derek interrupts. "can you tell us about your decision to put dr. yang in charge of this patient?"

"sorry?" dr. mcqueen furrows his brow.

"but she didn't 'quit' quit, right?" mark asks, standing back up from his seat. he then turns around to look at meredith who is sat several rows back, and all the other doctors do the same. "grey. you're joined at the hip. what'd she say?"

"uh, she hasn't spoken to me about it," meredith admits, but the doctors all continue to stare at her. "stop looking at me. look up there."

the doctors then all turn back to face dr. mcqueen at the front, except for mark who continues to face meredith.

"does webber know anything about this?" mark asks, but no one responds, so he pulls his phone out of his pocket and begins dialling. "i'm calling lia."

"can we please just-" dr. mcqueen pleads as mark walks out.

"look, i guess i'm asking you, why did you choose to put dr. yang under so much pressure that day?" derek cuts him off again. "when dr. webber left you in charge of her service, when she went on vacation, she asked you to keep a close eye on yang for her. you ensured her you would and that she would not be put under a lot of pressure."

"i didn't. i intended the opposite," dr. mcqueen protests. "i have her a simple pre-op checklist on a stable patient."

"stable patient?" derek raises his brow. "the patient almost died twice."