flatline [m.s]

clii.

- - -
as anyone who's ever had their tonsils out can tell you, surgery isn't cheap.
- - -

"are we ready to go?" lia asks mark as she walks into the living room, wearing a long, black, lacy dress, to find him wearing a suit and holding lily.

"uh, almost. someone doesn't want to put her shoes on," mark nods his head towards darci who is sat with her shoes on her hands.

- - -
it takes a lot of money to keep a hospital's doors open, and when the funds run out, it's on us to get out there and raise some more, which means it's time to put on make-up.
- - -

"he's falling apart," bailey tells lia as she gestures to richard through the window in his patient room. lia is still in her dress, and bailey is in her scrubs. "he's refused to use incentive spirometry. look, and his right lung is just about ready to collapse."

"if he wants to suffer, then maybe we let him," lia shrugs with her arms folded across her chest.

"oh, so you're gonna let him die because he hurt your feelings?" bailey raises a brow.

"we can force all the treatment in him we want. it won't make a difference if he decides he does not want to fight for himself," lia argues, and bailey sighs. "maybe he just needs to see what it feels like to hit bottom. i have to get to this fundraiser."

lia then walks away, leaving bailey stood looking at richard, alone.

"dr. bailey?" a nurse approaches her, but she doesn't take her eyes off richard. "radiology wants to see you regarding gene steers' p.e.t scan results."

"um, call respiratory, and get dr. webber started on c.p.a.p," bailey orders the nurse.

"oh, he is not going to like that," the nurse shakes her head.

"he doesn't have to like it. he just has to do it."

■ ■ ■

when lia arrives at the fundraising gala, she looks around with her brow furrowed as she notices it is filled with circus performers, and is nothing at all like what she had envisioned.

"oh!" maggie waves her over when she spots her amongst the crowd. "alivia webber, as i live and breathe. i haven't seen you in ages. how's uh... mark liking maternity leave?"

"we have a deal. i don't work. neither does he," lia explains. "it's working out well."

"i come over most days to take darci to day care. you are bored out of your minds," callie reveals before turning to maggie. "yeah, they've got all this pent-up surgical energy and now everything's a competition."

"it is not," lia protests.

"and he's winning," callie adds.

"oh," maggie gasps.

"he is not winning. he couldn't even get darci to put her shoes on tonight. i did that. i got her to put her shoes on. so i'm winning," lia grows defensive, and maggie raises her brow. "i need to come back to work."

"drink?" one of the waiters dressed as a clown offers lia as he walks past and lia jumps back slightly with wide eyes.

"ooh," callie and maggie both burst into laughter.