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there are one hundred billion neurons in the human brain making and re-making connections. helping us with math.
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amelia is stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom of her patient room, using a hair clip to section her hair, whilst derek and lia stand, leaning against the doorframe behind her.
she breathes deeply, looking down on the counter in front of her before she picks up a razor and switches it one.
nervously, she brings it to her head, and lia and derek watch her brown curls fall into the sink below.
after only one chunk of hair has been shaved off, she switches the razor off, placing it back down on the counter.
"that's it?" lia raises her brow as amelia turns around to face them. "kinda makes you look fierce."
"are you sure you don't want me to call mom?" derek offers.
"no," amelia shakes her head. "she's didn't come for my wedding. she doesn't get to come for my tumour."
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remembering our keys, our dad's voice. working hard all the time. so when the brain is faulty, it's a big re-wiring job and there's no margin for error.
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"i'll go in through a subfrontal craniotomy, real clean, small incision in the dura, and then scoop the tumour out," tom koracick, the neurosurgeon amelia had brought in to work on her case, informs the doctors that are gathered at her bedside. "i don't like the edema around the tumour, but i got to dance with the girl who brought me, so... i imagine you have questions."
"yeah, uh, how many of these have you done?" derek challenges.
"so, so many," tom shrugs.
"and what's the recovery time?" richard meredith asks.
"i took a thirteen centimetre tumour out of a cop in roughly the same place," tom points to amelia's scans on the monitor beside him. "he was walking day one, talking day three, back at work end of the week, so..."
"thank you, tom," amelia nods.
"yeah. see you at the after party," tom says as he walks out and owen takes his place beside amelia.
"he seems arrogant enough," derek raises his brow.
"he's a showboat," amelia tells them. "and he works best under pressure, so, deluca, ask him questions during surgery, make him show off. and if i make it through-"
"when you make it through," owen interjects.
"early ambulation protocol," deluca assures.
"thank you," amelia nods. "okay. lia, if i die-"
"you are not going to die," lia argues.
"but if i do, you call my mom. i'm sorry, but she likes you. probably more than any of her own kids," she instructs and derek chuckles. "owen, if i'm gorked, do not overthink it, do not visit me. just park me somewhere and go on with your life."
"amelia, please cut it out," owen urges.
"and if i need unplugging, april has been named my power of attorney," amelia announces and they all turn to look at april with furrowed brows.
"w- was i supposed to say no?" april shrugs.
"she likes me. she will be there for you. but we're not so close that she'll let emotion dictate her decision," amelia explains, and april smiles. "i don't know what's me and what's tumour talking, but, um... in this moment, i love you people tremendously."
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"and she'll have fun, fun, fun 'til her daddy takes the t-bird away," tom sings along to the music as he is in the middle of performing amelia's surgery.
"any issues with edema?" deluca asks.
"well, the girls can't stand her 'cause she walks, talks, and drives like an ace now," tom continues to sing, without acknowledging deluca's quesion.
"also wondering if you're all the way around the dura," deluca says a little louder, but once again, tim just continues to sing.
"she makes the indy five hundred look like a roman chariot race, now," tom bops along to the beat.
"also, why did you choose this particular music?" deluca adds.
"deluca, sing along or shut up," tom warns before joining back in with the music. "goose chase now, you drive like an ace, and she'll have fun, fun, fun 'til her daddy takes the t-bird away."
lia, meredith, and derek all shake their heads in the gallery as deluca looks up, shrugging his shoulders, with his brow furrowed, as if to say, 'what is he doing?'
"the beach boys seems like an odd choice," meredith shakes her head. "like, inappropriate."
"well, you knew all along that your dad was gettin' wise to you now. and since he took your set of keys, you were thinking-" tom cuts his singing off.
"he's stopped singing," lia frowns.
"why did he stop singing?" meredith asks as her and lia lean forward in their seats.
"this is the crucial part," derek explains whilst watching the gallery monitor intently. "he has to cut the last vessel. and sometimes it's a feeder to the-"
"what was that?" lia gasps, her eyes also shooting to the monitor when she hears a snap.
"that was the vessel en passant," derek informs them. "it looked like it was going into the meningioma, but in fact it was going straight through to the brain. he didn't have a choice. it's okay."
"is it?" meredith raises her brow, the same time lia asks, "it is?"
"it's probably fine," derek assures. "it could be really bad. i'm sure it's fine."
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"i'm saying you clipped the vessel," derek argues with tom in amelia's room.
"the tissue went a little dusky," tom points out. "it doesn't mean that that-"
"she's eleven hours post-op," owen cuts him off.
"shouldn't she be awake by now?" lia adds.
"i'm not concerned yet," tom assures. "with that amount of bleeding, recovery time can be-"
"she's awake," lia interjects when she notices amelia's eyes flutter open.
"thank, god," april inhales sharply. "thank you, god!"
"amy, how do you feel?" derek asks.
"amelia, can you hear me?" tom snaps his fingers in front of her when she doesn't respond.
"is she awake?" owen furrows his brow.
"or did she just open her eyes?" lia frowns. "amy? i don't think she's-"
"oh, my god!" april's eyes go wide.
"l- listen. everybody's recovery time is different," tom explains. "let's not... panic."
"it's okay," derek nods, but it sounds more as though he is trying to convince himself. "she's okay."
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deluca is examining amelia as lia sleeps in the visitor's chair beside her bed. once he has completed the exam, he moves around the bed to lia.
"hey," deluca shakes her, gently.
"hmm!" lia jumps awake. "hey."
"sorry," deluca apologises. "there's no change. but, uh, it's five thirty in case you want to get a shower or something."
"okay. thanks. ooh. okay," lia smiles, standing from the chair and taking amelia's hand in hers. "i'm gonna go take a shower, okay? i'll be back soon."
lia then turns to leave, but her eyes widen and she quickly spins back to amelia, before turning her head to look at deluca.
"what?" deluca furrows his brow.
"i think she just squeezed my hand. amy, did you just squeeze my hand?" lia leans closer to her, but receives no response. "maybe not."
"oh, my god. she's breathing over the tube," lia gasps when amelia begins to cough. "let's get her extubated."
"okay," deluca nods. "this is good!"
"this is good," lia smiles.
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"ahh. how was the flight?" richard asks when he finds jackson and catherine waking through the lobby, both wearing black, formal clothes.
"fine," catherine smiles.
"ah. and the service?" richard asks.
"it was tasteful," catherine nods.
"it was a bunch of kiss-asses sniffing around for money, telling stories about how harper avery was nice and decent and," jackson scoffs. "respected women."
"alright, so we'll have a family supper and do our own thing and talk about the real harper avery," catherine suggests. "right now i need to change. want to help me?"
richard nods, and the two link arms, turning to walk away but are stopped when they hear a voice behind them.
"catherine avery?" tom calls.
"thomas koracick?!" catherine laughs when she turns around, greeting him with an embrace and kiss on the cheek.
"ohh! how is it that i'm aging and you aren't?" tom shakes his head.
"oh, shut up," catherine hits his arm playfully, and richard clears his throat at the side of her. "uh, you've met my husband, richard webber."
"oh!" tom raises his brow.
"mad this is my son, jackson," catherine gestures to jackson.
"hey," jackson shakes tom's hand.
"oh! h- how old is he?" tom turns to catherine.
"why?" catherine furrows her brow.
"i want to make sure he's not mine," tom shrugs and jackson shakes his head and walks away.
"you are just awful," catherine chuckles.
"uh, how's, uh, shepherd?" richard interjects.
"she's, uh, responsive, not yet verbal. it's early," tom informs him, before looking back to catherine. "we should catch up."
catherine chuckles as tom pats her arm and walks away. her laughter fades though, when she turns and notices richard's unamused expression.
"anything you want to tell me?" richard folds his arms across his chest.
"i prefer to let you wonder, keep the mystery alive."
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"ooh! look at dr. fancypants!" maggie turns to jackson when she notices him walking towards her, alex, and lia. "trying to lure in that big facelift money?"
"i was at a funeral," he tells her, and her eyes widen.
"i am a terrible girlfriend. you look very somber," maggie nods before awkwardly walking away.
"how much money did he leave you?" alex asks.
"that's not an appropriate question," lia protests.
"well, i just want to know exactly," alex shrugs. "i mean, do they just back up a truckload of silver spoons?"
"it's a fleet of limos, not a truck," jackson chuckles, before turning to lia. "um, you, uh, paged me? what's up?"
"bad timing. never mind," lia sighs, walking away.
"what do you mean?" jackson follows and begins to walk alongside her. "bad timing for what? what?"
"i'm publishing megan hunt's surgery, and it might get consideration for another harper avery," lia explains.
"so you want to take my name off it," jackson presses his lips into a line. "no, i understand- you can't win a harper avery if the article says 'jackson avery'."
"i mean, i know the timing of the ask is unfortunate, but the deadline is in a few days," lia informs him. "and... i really am sorry for your loss, jackson."
"take my name off, then," he stops and turns to face her.
"yeah?" lia raises her brow hopefully.
"go for it," jackson nods. "yeah, just be grateful that your father didn't start up a foundation."
"yeah, his big affair really put a wrench in his charitable giving, but i owe you one. thanks," lia smiles.
"yes, you do," jackson snatches the bag of chips she's carrying out of her hand. "which also means that you and the girls are coming with me to my mom's 'family supper' tonight."
"oh, i can't. you can take the girls, but amy-" lia begins to protest, but jackson raises his brow and she sighs. "fine. i'll be there."
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"hello, there! hi," catherine calls from the living room when she hears the front door open. after a few moments richard walks through, and catherine forces a smile when she notices maggie following him. "maggie? ohh! i wasn't expecting you."
"well, you know i saw her on the way out, and i- i thought we could set another place," richard explains.
"uh-huh," catherine nervously chuckles, placing a platter down on the coffee table as jackson and lia walk in from the kitchen.
lia is holding a bottle of wine, whilst jackson holds darci's hand, and when maggie notices lia is there she frowns ever so slightly.
"oh. hey," jackson furrows his brow.
"hey," lia smiles.
"hey," maggie returns the greeting with a lack of enthusiasm, she then turns back to catherine and the platter of food. "that looks amazing."
"yes. well, welcome. welcome," catherine claps her hands together. "richard, could you help me in the kitchen for a moment, please?"
"excuse me," richard turns to maggie before following his wife to the kitchen, leaving lia, maggie, and jackson stood awkwardly.
"do you want me to check on lily?" jackson offers.
"oh, no, she's fine," lia assures. "she's just gone down."
"best to check anyway. come on, darci," jackson takes darci's hand and uses it as an excuse to escape the situation.
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"i said family supper," catherine tugs the tie on her apron tighter.
"and maggie's not family?" richard challenges, whilst pulling his coat off. "alivia's here."
"oh, please. i didn't mean that. it's just-" catherine sighs. "well, you could've at least called."
"well, i like to keep a sense of mystery," richard imitates his wife's earlier words.
"oh, please," catherine scoffs. "are we talking about thomas koracick now?"
"oh, we don't have to talk about anything," richard shakes his head, and catherine slams a pot down on the kitchen counter.
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"beautiful house," maggie gazes around the living room.
"oh, you've never been?" lia raises her brow.
"i know," maggie nods. "sometimes i think he worries about pushing the dad angle."
"hmm," lia smiles.
"hey, did richard invite you tonight?" maggie turns to her sister.
"uh, no," lia shakes her head. "jackson practically forced me here. i'd normally tell him no, but he made me feel bad for taking his name off my megan hunt paper."
"oh," maggie frowns.
"is there a problem?" lia asks, completely unaware of what maggie's thinking.
"it's nothing," maggie sighs. "it's- it's just he didn't mention it to me. do you think that's weird? do you think he's mad i called him dr. fancypants?"
"no, i don't think he's mad that you called him dr. fancypants," lia chuckles. "okay... i think, that when richard invited you, he was thinking of you as his daughter, which would warrant an invite to a 'family supper'. and i think, when jackson didn't mention it, it's because to him, you're not richard's daughter, you are his girlfriend. there were family suppers like this, when my mom was still alive, that i didn't bring mark or any of my other exes to because that's not what they were for. but i'd still need someone to keep me sane because at this point, i was still an only child, so i'd bring derek. think of me of jackson's derek. i mean, it's a little different because we've slept together, but- sorry, i'm making this worse. but trust me, maggie you have nothing to worry about. i am not into jackson anymore. i haven't been into jackson for years."
"it's not you i'm worried about," maggie mutters under her breath.
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when you're going into surgery, you worry you won't wake up. but with brain surgery, you worry you will wake up but you won't be there when you do.
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"i've been on this planet for six decades," catherine tells richard. "there have been penises in my life that are not attached to you. so stop trying to change the subject."
"you haven't told me what the subject is," richard argues.
"i wanted to talk to jackson tonight alone, just us," catherine explains.
"then why's alivia here?" richard furrows his brow.
"because jackson invited her," catherine informs him. "and it concerns darci too, so it makes sense for her to join."
"well, what did you want to talk about?"
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the trouble with crossed wires is you don't know they happened until it's too late. so we have to be very careful with our connections. they take time, care, and attention.
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"oh. nope. they're still not back," jackson forces a smile as he arrives back in the living room.
"the boy's grandfather just passed!" they hear catherine yell from the kitchen.
"i understand that!" richard shouts back.
"it's complicated!" catherine argues. "i just- i need to talk to jackson about inheritance!"
"you know what? i'm just gonna- yeah," jackson nods his head towards the kitchen.
"how complicated is it?!" richard asks.
"a quarter of a billion dollars! that's how!" catherine shouts and lia, jackson, and maggie all freeze.
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they take vigilance and single-mindedness. we re-connect everything we can as carefully as we can. and then we just have to pray to god that we got it right.
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