"How's he holding up?"

"I wouldn't know."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean I haven't checked on him since the night started drinking nonstop."

Cristina and Meredith chase behind me as I file away a few post-op patient files. Callie and Mark greet me from across the desk.

"Hi, Leven." Callie waves before walking off with her next patient's binder.

"Rising Phoenix, how's our boy doing?" Mark clasps his hands together in a hopeful manner.

I clip back a few fallen hair pieces. "Call and ask him yourself, McSteamy. You have a cellphone, don't you?"

"Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"

"Try not sleeping at all."

Cristina taps my shoulder rather irritably, causing me to snap around and raise my brows.

"What has gotten into you, Leven?" She questions rather forcibly. "You're usually a bubbly, cheerful little munchkin straight out of Wizard of Oz."

"Reality hit me like a shit ton of bricks, so. . ." I force a file into her hands. "That's what's gotten into me."

And I leave them standing around the nurses' station with my outburst hanging over their heads.

"Leven, I was wondering how Dr. Shepherd was —"

"Zip it, intern."

"Wh-What?"

"I said zip —"

Bang!

"Leven!"

----------

Beep. Beep. Beep.

As annoying as the rhythmic beeping of a monitor is, nothing is more irritating than having to listen to your own breath.

"Electrolyte levels are low, specifically sodium and bicarbonate."

"Acidosis and hyponatremia. Damn it, Leven. Why are you doing this to yourself?"

The moment a finger forces my eyelids to open, I attempt to smack the hand away. And it would've worked had it not been for the multiple needles sticking out of my arm.

"Rise and shine, Phoenix." Mark says in a husky tone.

My eyes blink repeatedly, adjusting to the overhead fluorescent lights. "What the hell, Sloan?"

"Since when did you stop drinking water?" He questions, sarcasm laced between his words. "I'm no expert — although my M.D. says otherwise — but I think water is pretty important for the body."

Lexie runs in with slips of papers in her hand. "Severe dehydration. That's what she has."

"No water, huh? Someone's been a very bad girl." He tuts disapprovingly.

"Save it, Sloan. You don't give a fuc —"

"If I didn't give one, I wouldn't be running every test imaginable to figure out what caused you to faint in the middle of this hospital."

"I've got a job to do. . ." The words leave my dry mouth.

"No one's stopping you, Lev." He merely shrugs his shoulders. "If you want to go back to work, get up from the bed."

Bracing myself against the rails of the bed, I push myself into a sitting position. Lexie opens her mouth to say something, but Mark lifts a finger, instead choosing to watch the scene unfold.

"For the love of God, could you help me?"

"Hmm. . .no."

And so I attempt to push myself out of bed for a second time. Chills shiver my body the moment my sock-clad feet touch the tiled floor.

"Alexandra Caroline Grey, I can make you my dad's intern with a snap of the fingers. It's heaven. . .if heaven was filled with tumors."

"How do you know my —"

"Just help me."

"I'm so sorry, Leven. But I can't do that."

Without the help of either doctor, I grip the I.V. pole with one hand and push myself to a standing position with the other.

But one step forward, and I'm back to falling.

"I got you." His arms encase my waist within the span of a second. "Now, would you get back into bed before I sedate you?"

"Oh, come on. I was so close." I groan in frustration.

He helps me back into bed. "Damn it, Leven. You've already got two terminal illnesses under your skin, you want to add death to the list?"

"Three for three, huh?" I laugh from my own joke, though it soon turns to a cough.

"With the way you're acting, you'd think. . ."

"You'd think what, Mark?"

"Lexie, check her blood alcohol." He glances back at her.

"But she doesn't drink. She barely has coffee in the mornings." Lexie argues with a shake of the head. "Why would you think she's had —"

"I didn't ask for justification, I asked for results." He cuts her off in a stern voice.

"I can tell you now, I'm sober."

"And I'm supposed to believe you?"

Pushing myself into a sitting position proves to be more difficult after pulling my I'm fine stunt minutes ago.

I slump against the mound of pillows behind me. "You think I'd touch that crap after seeing what it does to Derek?"

"Leven —"

"He doesn't show up to work, he reeks on the couch. . .I've been staying in a hotel for the last three nights because he won't give me the time of day."

"You don't think he'd be here in the matter of a second if I told him you were in a hospital bed?" Mark challenges.

"Try it." I accept with a malevolent smirk. "I dare you."

Lexie sits at my bedside, feeding me scoops of Jell-O and pouring more water into the cup, and Mark paces outside the door.

At the slightest chance that Derek could come bursting down the hall.

"God, you're like the parents I wish I had growing up."

"Where the hell is he?"

"It's around three in the afternoon, so I'm assuming he's off buying more alcohol. Depression lasts, tequila doesn't."

I fiddle with the tubes delivering fluids into my deprived body, anxiety brewing deep in my chest at the thought of what Derek could be doing.

"Get some shut-eye, Phoenix."

"I'm not —"

"That wasn't up for debate."

----------

"Leven, sweetheart. . ."

Hope-filled eyes look to the door, praying he's the one standing there. But wouldn't you know, it's the second most important man in my life.

"Hi, Dad."

Hesitantly, the elder man enters the room before inviting himself to sit next to me on my bed.

"I'm surprised Derek isn't glued to your side."

"He's been. . .dealing with some stress the last few days. He'd be here if he could."

Or if he wanted to.

"Well? Let's see the ring, hon."

". . .what ring are you talking about, Dad?"

Sounding a click of the tongue, Mark appears at the door.

"You had one job, Lennox. Well, two." He lifts two fingers. "Give him the blessing. . .and don't say a word to her."

"He wants to propose?" My brows furrow slightly.

Mark stands on my other side, thumb pressing on his bottom lip "Didn't even need to buy a ring, seeing as his mom gave him one. His dad wanted him to have it."

"If he wanted to propose, he would've done so already."

"You know how men are. Second-guessing everything life gives them."

"The way you're scared of coming forward about your relationship with one Lexie Grey?"

"Who told you?"

"I'm not blind, Sloan."

----------

"Thank you for discharging me, you overprotective freak."

Mark and Lexie, hand in hand, walk me out of the hospital doors themselves — only so I don't run back in and search for a surgery.

"Leven?" Lexie calls out to me as I stop in front of the car.

"Yeah?" I turn towards them.

"Stay by his side. A man like that. . .he doesn't like to be alone."