flatline [m.s]

clxxi.

- - -
on an operating table, a person is at his most vulnerable. naked. exposed. skin is not a very tough armor. it's soft, easily broken.
- - -

richard and chris are both sat in the family waiting area, neither of them speaking, so an awkward silence fills the air, and richard constantly looks to his watch.

"i'm sorry i raised my voice earlier," richard exhales deeply. "maggie is really is your best option, other than alivia. but even if she were here, i don't think she'd feel comfortable operating on her favourite cousin. sabie couldn't be in better hands with maggie."

"last time you tried to calm my nerves in a waiting room, mom died," chris reminds him.

"i was ten years old, chris," richard highlights.

"it's no good just sitting here. i'm gonna go call the family," chris announces after a few moments as he stands and walks out.

- - -
surgeons are bred to be invulnerable. it's very hard to lay ourselves bare, because we know exactly how deep some injuries can go.
- - -

"dad, what's going on?" lia furrows her brow as she finds him in the waiting area, and takes a seat beside him.

"sabie's gone into surgery," richard informs her. "she was in respiratory distress."

"oh, my god," lia's eyes widen. "w- why didn't you page me?"

"you were busy with patients, i didn't want to worry you," richard explains.

"you should've paged, i would've asked karev to cover me," lia shakes her head. "where's uncle chris? and maggie?"

"chris is phoning the family. and maggie is the one doing the surgery," richard reveals and lia's brows knit together ever so slightly, but she doesn't get the chance to voice her feelings before catherine approaches them.

"richard. alivia," catherine greets each of them, in turn.

"catherine," richard returns the greeting. "i didn't know if you'd come."

"of course, i'd come. it's family," catherine assures as chris walks back over.

"vanessa's making calls," chris announces. "she's making a prayer chain."

"uh, catherine, you remember chris," richard gestures between the two of them.

"of course," catherine smiles, placing a comforting hand on chris' arm. "chris, you must be worried sick."

■ ■ ■

"once we go on bypass, i'll make my incision into the right atrium," maggie announces to her o.r team. "what's her activated clotting time?"

"a.c.t shows three hundred seconds and rising," one of the assists, clark, informs her.

"that's good. that's enough to start. let's go on pump," maggie instructs. "pack cells. clamp."

■ ■ ■

"and so, how is vanessa? is she still in that house?" catherine asks chris.