flatline [m.s]

cvix.

"what?" mark furrows his brow from behind her.

"grab me. and physically drag me away from this baby," she clarifies and mark and jackson both chuckle.

mark gently takes lia's hand and spins her round to face him. he then takes her other hand and pulls her away from jackson and the baby. once they are on the other side of the e.r, he places his hand on the small of her back, and uses it to guide her out.

■ ■ ■

"morning!" lia smiles, entering nicole's office, that she appears to have moved into.

"webber, are you ever not chirpy?" nicole asks, taking a sip of her coffee as she stares at the flash cards on the board. "does that ever happen?"

"are you ever not snarky?" lia teases. "also, we have seven surgeries today. the first one is in two hours. also, it's friday, so that's m.r.i day. you know the drill."

"forty seven minutes of my very limited life-span wasted," nicole rolls her eyes.

"mm, come on, come on," lia attempts to encourage her, slowly backing away towards the door.

"god, i'm coming!" nicole groans, grabbing her lab coat. "stop chirping."

"stop snarking," lia chuckles.

■ ■ ■

amelia and nicole are walking through the hospital, with lia walking just behind them, following the c.t scan amelia just conducted on nicole.

"the tumour seems stable," amelia explains. "i was worried about the inferimedial margin, but the good news is, there's no sign of growth. it hasn't invaded the optic nerve yet."

"well, how long 'til it does?" nicole pushes. "i need a number, shepherd. i have things to plan."

"about six weeks- maybe eight," amelia reveals. "if you go in for the localised radiation treatments i've prescribed for you. i'd like for those to start today."

"no, no, no, no," nicole dismisses, and lia's eyes go wide. "i tried that. hated it."

"doctor's orders," amelia insists. "it is our best chance to shrink the part of the tumour on your optic chiasm."

"oh, crap," nicole's eyes go wide when bailey turns the corner so the she is walking towards them. nicole turns down a side corridor in an attempt to hide, but bailey has already seen her. lia begins to follow her, but amelia remains where she is.

"glenda castillo!" bailey calls, rushing after nicole.

"we're headed to surgery, dr. bailey," nicole tells her, continuing to walk away, waving her hand in dismissal as lia frowns. "no time to talk."

"but you haven't given me an answer," bailey pushes, continuing to follow the two doctors.

"actually, i have," nicole corrects her. "it was no."

"but you haven't given me the right answer," bailey protests, as nicole stops walking, turning around to face bailey as lia stands slightly behind her. "you could at least meet with her."