flatline [m.s]

cxliii.

- - -
'i needed more time'. can't tell you how often i've heard surgeons say this after losing a patient. we think in time. we talk in time. doses per day. life expectancy. take two and call me in the morning.
- - -

ben is performing an ultrasound on, courtney, his patient, and deluca is observing. her husband, doug, is looking on the monitor, but courtney is too busy focusing her attention on her laptop.

"are you almost done?" courtney briefly looks away from her work to look at ben. "i have three more returns to get through."

"don't bother her during tax season," doug offers a slight smile. "it's the first rule."

"should be done in just a second," ben assures. "um, okay, there's baby a."

"oh, there's baby b," doug adds as ben adjusts the wand. "yeah. she's gonna be a handful, right, hon? she's a kicker."

"and there's baby d. and..." ben's brow furrows as he focuses on the monitor. he turns his head to speak to deluca in a lowered voice. "go get webber, would you?"

"yeah," deluca nods, brushing past ben to exit the exam room.

"what? what?" courtney shuts her laptop. "is something wrong?"

"nothing. nothing," ben shakes his head. "it's, um... it's quadruplets, right?"

"yeah," doug confirms.

"why?" courtney's eyes widen.

"i'm just, um... i'm looking, and uh... it's probably just me, but-" ben stammers, chuckling nervously.

"what?" courtney's eyes widen as she cuts him off.

"i can only find three babies in here," ben admits.

■ ■ ■

"but that's not fair," lia shakes her head as she, callie, arizona, jackson, and maggie are all sat around a cafeteria table. "karaoke's my thing. now, you can't go without me."

"wait. this is a karaoke bar?" arizona's eyes widen as she turns to callie.

"it's a regular bar that happens to have karaoke," callie explains.

"how is that different?" maggie furrows her brow.

"it's totally different, and that's something i know because karaoke's kind of my thing," lia reiterates.

"if it makes you feel any better, i'm also gonna be missing out," jackson offers. "i'm on a thirty two hour run. all i really want is a hot bath and a soft pillow."

"you do know you have darci tonight right?" lia raises her brow. "mark and i are moving into the new house tonight."

"ooh, are you excited?" arizona uses her arm to nudge lia's.

"i'm missing out on karaoke," lia reminds her and she laughs. "but i am excited to move into a bigger place before this one arrives."

"hey, where is sloan?" callie's brows knit together as she looks around the cafeteria.

"no idea," lia shrugs. "he had already left when i woke up this morning. i-"