flatline [m.s]

xciii.

- - -
surgery is a solo act. we step up to the table with a scalpel in our hand and we go it alone. the isolation can start to define you, because even though you're surrounded by a team, what it really comes down to is your training.
- - -

"i do not need another sister coming out of my father's affair," lia shakes her head, pacing back and forth in the bathroom whilst mark is in the shower.

"get in or get out," mark groans, ignoring what she's saying, but lia does the exact same when he speaks.

"i mean, she's a lying liar," lia continues. "my father would have known. he would've told me when he told me about ellis being my mother."

"get in or get out," mark repeats.

"she's, like, psycho, like a stalker. she took my job. in her interview, she told me she'd read all about me. i'm being stalked," lia stops pacing to open the shower door. "mark, this is criminal. i mean, you- what's your problem?"

"get in or get out!" mark says louder than before in order for her to actually hear. "either get in for some morning shower sex, or get out. i'm naked here."

"okay, so what? i've seen it before! no big deal! i'm in crisis!" lia shrugs, but mark raises his brow at her. "okay, fine. it's- your junk is spectacular. i am a very lucky girl. can we get back to me now? why are you making that face?"

"lia, i have been catching up on what i've missed on my service, whilst i was recovering, all night with avery. i am sleep deprived. i need to shower- alone- and focus!" mark reminds her, shutting the shower door.

"you didn't even hear what i said!" lia frowns, re-opening the shower door.

"no," mark confirms, shutting the door again.

"my new cardio chief replacement thinks she's mine and meredith's biological sister," lia summarises whilst opening the shower door.

"she what? wait," mark stops what he's doing in the shower to look at her after finally listening. "what?! that's insane."

"thank you," lia gestures by throwing her hands up in the air, as her phone goes off in her pocket. she then slides it out to read her text. "crap. mer is freaking out too; she wants me to come over. if anyone asks i'm sick... herman's gonna kill me."

■ ■ ■

"if my mother was pregnant i would have known. my mother may have had one secret love child, but she didn't have two," meredith shakes her head.

"adoption agency made a mistake?" lia suggests, as she's pouring herself and meredith a glass of tequila in meredith's kitchen.

"and randomly put the name ellis grey on a birth certificate?" meredith takes one of the glasses off lia. "i don't think so. pierce has got to want something."

"maybe she thinks there's money to inherit," lia raises her brow.

"the only thing you inherit in our family is alzheimer's," meredith scoffs.

"whoa. dark," lia chuckles as the two sisters clink their glasses of tequila.

"good one, though, huh? yeah," meredith laughs before turning her expression serious. "she's not our sister."