flatline [m.s]

clxviii.

"we're gonna do a procedure called an exit surgery," lia explains. "basically, we do a c-section and only half deliver the baby."

"half deliver?" cheyenne's brow furrows slightly.

"that's right," lia confirms. "we pull the head and the arms out, but we don't cut the umbilical cord."

"why?" cheyenne seems concerned.

"the tumour won't let air get into the baby's lungs, so we need the umbilical cord to keep her alive during the operation," jo tells her. "it's kinda cool if you think about it. you'll be like your baby's life support machine."

"and then after the surgery, if all goes well, we cut the umbilical cord and you'll be the mother of a healthy baby girl," lia smiles. "how's that sound?"

"it sounds expensive," kateri raises her brow.

"well, your doctor at the clinic is a former teacher of mine, so... it's covered," lia assures.

■ ■ ■

"i just can't believe you're really moving," maggie shakes her head, as she, lia, derek, and meredith are sat in the cafeteria, having lunch. "it's gonna be so weird not having you here, in the hospital."

"it's gonna be weirder for me working in a completely new hospital that's full of strangers," lia points out.

"yeah, you're not gonna have any sisters there... that you know of yet," derek teases, and lia chuckles, but rolls her eyes. "have you spoke to any of the doctors down there, yet?"

"nope," lia shakes her head. "everything's gone through mark. he got me the job offer at el camino."

"oh, my god," meredith raps the table. "you're a trailing spouse."

"i'm a what?" lia furrows her brow.

"a trailing spouse," meredith repeats. "it's how my father got his first job here. they wanted my ellis so she called the university and pulled some strings to find something for thatcher to do."

"that's not what this is," lia scoffs, and meredith raises her brow. "is it? am i trailing spouse?"

"no," maggie attempts to reassure her. "you're a brilliant doctor. if you were a trailing spouse, they wouldn't offer you department head."

"you know, i would've put money on mark being the trailing spouse out of the two of you," derek tells her, and she frowns as her pager rings on the table, and she glances down to look at it."

"wilson's got my patients labs, so, now i need a neurosurgeon to consult on her fetal spinal tumour. you know anybody good?" lia turns to derek who chuckles. "yeah, you're right. i'll go and see if amy's free."

■ ■ ■

"cheyenne, the prognosis is very good," derek informs her as he, lia and jo stand around her bed. "so what we want to try and do is go in and get as much of the tumor out as possible during your surgery."

"so my baby will be fine?" cheyenne asks.

"yes," derek confirms.

"you may be able to take your baby home by the end of the week," lia adds.

"that soon?" cheyenne raises her brow.

"absolutely," lia smiles. "she'll be all yours."

"oh," cheyenne breathes. "okay."

"okay. now if you or your mother have any questions, dr. wilson will page me, alright?" derek tells her.

"see you later," lia smiles as she and derek turn and leave cheyenne with jo.

- - -
and suddenly, you realize it's a whole new world. how do you step back into the world?
- - -

lia is sat up in bed, the paperwork for the house in la is resting on her lap, and she persistently clicks the pen she's holding.

"she's asleep," mark sighs as he's walking into their bedroom. "did you get those signed?"

"i don't think i can sign this," lia shakes her head as she uses the pen to gesture to the papers on her lap.

"sorry, i know you're wiped, but i need to have those on the plane by seven," he informs her.

"no, i don't- i think i need to stay here."

- - -
it's scary. time stood still and now it's speeding by. you're looking for a lifeboat, something to give you hope.
- - -

"i took the job!" mark shouts after lia as he follows her from their bedroom and into their lounge. "it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"i don't want to be dragged away so that i can live in your shadow," lia stops and turns around to face him.

"'shadow'? you have a job," mark argues. "you're gonna be working at el camino too. or i'm sure addison would give you a job at the practice. you don't just have a job, lia. you have options."

"right, i spoke to mer today, and that's exactly how thatcher got his first job in seattle," lia tells him. "it's called a trailing spouse."

"this is not like that," mark shakes his head.

"this is exactly like that," lia reiterates. "and it's not what i signed up for."

"you know what?" mark raises his brow. "you're- you're being selfish."

"well, i have to be, mark, because you believe that your career is more important than mine," lia shrugs.

"at this moment in time, it is!" mark snaps. "just like yours was when you decided to take on two new specialties."

"do not try and throw that back in my face when our lives were very different then, and my fellowship had no impact on your life or career!" lia shouts. "we are moving darci away from her father-"

"avery said he's okay with it," mark cuts her off. "he said we can make it work."

"he shouldn't haven't be okay with it!" lia protests. "and i shouldn't have to be okay with sacrificing my career."

"la- you can do your surgeries, you can do research. there is nothing you can do here that you can't do there," mark highlights. "that's not sacrificing your career."

"but i don't want to!" lia snaps and mark sighs. "we're not just talking about my job, mark. we're talking about my life. i grew up here. i made my family here. my family is here. i live here. my life is here. i don't want to leave."

- - -
but are you really ready to leave your happy little bubble and step back out into the big, blinding, bloody, terrible world? are you ready to achieve the impossible?
- - -