flatline [m.s]

xciv.

"because it means we're moving to malawi," callie explains. "...both of us."

"oh..." lia's smile falls slightly. "oh, that's great. i mean, it's not great, i'm gonna miss you both like crazy. but you're really going to make a huge difference out there."

■ ■ ■

"dad, we need to talk about maggie," lia announces, approaching her father in the corridor.

"she's leaving, alivia," richard shrugs.

"because of us... because of you," lia reminds him. "you- we have to talk to her."

"we can't hold her against her will," richard argues.

"i'm not saying that," lia shakes her head."i'm saying, we change her will. i want to get to know my sister who hates me because she thinks you chose me, and abandoned her. you need to talk to her. talk to her like you'd talk to me, she is you daughter-"

"damn it, alivia, she's leaving!" richard bellows, cutting her off. "i can't do anything about it. just let it go."

- - -
it spreads by touching doors, desks, elevator buttons, pens, sharing cups, even money. all we can do is try our best to prevent it from spreading, because once it's out there, the infection usually wins.
- - -

"my life sucks," lia groans collapsing on the on call room bed next to mark.

"what's wrong?" he raises his brow.

"my best friends are leaving me to move to africa, and pierce is resigning because of me and my dad," lia sighs.

"torres is going to africa?" mark asks, and lia nods to confirm.

"robbins got the carter maddison grant," she explains. "i'm happy for them. really, i am. but callie's my best friend, and i could really use my best friend right now."

"would a quickie make you feel better?" mark smirks, rolling over so he's hovering above her, and she rolls her eyes. he then leans down to begin kissing her softly before pulling away again. "well..?"

"i guess," lia giggles as mark leans back down to reconnect them with another kiss. he then rolls them over so that she is on top of him.

- - -
it's a known fact that doctors make the worst patients. we ignore our symptoms until we're face down on the ground. we like to think we're different species from our patients, but none of us are invincible.
- - -

lia knocks on the open door of the attending lounge where maggie is packing stuff into her bag, her back to the door.

"yep?" maggie responds without looking at who's there.

"so, uh, you're leaving," lia states, taking a few steps into the attending lounge. maggie briefly turns to look at her and sighs. "for sure?"

"we're twins," maggie breathes, standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder as she turns to face lia. "yet you weren't put up for adoption. dr. webber kept you, and loved you. and you and meredith are like this little team of sisters that i don't fit in because for some reason, your father only wanted you... and didn't want me."

"meredith and i only found out we were sisters earlier this year," lia informs her, and maggie scoffs as if she's lying. "my dad lied to me too. he and ellis had an affair, and i grew up my whole life not knowing, and believing that my mother was his wife. but my mom got alzheimer's, and well... it all came out."

"so, you didn't know ellis grey was your mother either?" maggie raises her brow.

"no," lia shakes her head. "i grew up as an only child. the only siblings i had were the shepherds, but i was only ever close to derek and amy, and we're not actually related."

"but he still kept you," maggie reminds her.

"my father, as it turns out, has lied to me a lot throughout my life," lia admits. "but he's a good man, and a good father. and when he says he didn't know that ellis had another baby; i believe him. if he'd have known about you, he would never have given you up."

"what about meredith?" maggie asks after a pause. "she still doesn't really like me. was she like this with you when she first found out?"

"no..." lia truthfully admits, and maggie rolls her eyes and scoffs in response. "but we were already close friends, and because of her relationship with derek, we were already like sisters. but we don't know you at all."

"right," maggie rolls her eyes again.

"but that doesn't mean we don't want to," lia smiles. "uh, meredith is terrible with sisters, just so you know, and, uh, i- i'm not. and derek's not. i love sisters, and i wish i'd known you both growing up. so please don't leave. stay. and be our sister."

- - -
eventually, we have to face the fact that we're human and that sometimes, even the mightiest of us need help.
- - -