Mary: "What's happening?"
James: "You're having an operation. We have to take out your liver."
Mary: "But... I need it..."
James: "I know, but yours is making far too much bile. They say you'll choke."
Mary: "Is that so?"

James nodded solemnly as Mary examined her hand.

Mary: "I don't think that's where my liver is..."
James: "It's the miracle of modern science. They can tweeze it right out through this vein."
Mary: "Oh... are you going to do it?"
James: "Me? Heavens no. I'm just marking where you have to cut."
Mary: "Me? I have to do it? But I'm so tired... and I'm given to understand there's usually anesthesia for these sorts of things, I'll be too confused!"
James: "We're all tired and confused. That's why I'm marking the incision site very clearly. See?"

Mary turned her attention back to her finger. The marker line was glowing blue, and began travelling down her finger, up her arm, straight to her heart. She felt it pulsing inside of her, swelling rhythmically until it felt like an earthquake.

Mary: "It wasn't an earthquake..."
Emily: "Mary? Are you awake?"

Mary opened her eyes and tried to blink the sleep out of them as she realized the shaking she had felt was her own heartbeat. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and tried to smile, though the muscles in her face didn't want to cooperate so early in the morning and it came out looking more like a grimace.

Mary: "Yeah. Can I please go home now?"
Emily: "That's why we're here!"
Mary: "We?"

Emily nodded to the other side of the room. Mary turned her head in time to see Caroline and Joseph McMally whispering to a man in a white coat with a stethoscope hanging from his neck. She felt her heart freeze and was sure the monitors would start screeching until someone called out a code blue. They didn't. She coughed and felt her heart kick into overdrive the way it always did when she was confronted with her parents. Even in the most innocent of situations, her mother always managed to make her feel like she'd just crashed the car and run over the family dog in the process. While drinking. And smoking. After curfew.

Mary: "Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?"
Caroline: "Mary! You're awake. We were just chatting with Doctor Sutherland. He's still single, you know!"
Mary: "Mother!"

Dr. Sutherland chuckled. He was kind of cute in an English librarian sort of way. He walked to Mary's bedside, warmed his stethoscope and put it to Mary's back.

Dr. Sutherland: "Can you take a deep breath for me?"
Mary: "I'm sorry, but I've given up breathing. They don't tend to bury you under 6 feet of dirt if you're still breathing."

Dr. Sutherland smiled at her, and Mary obliged by breathing deeply, trying not to cough on the exhale.

Dr. Sutherland: "Again."

Mary continued breathing as the doctor repositioned the stethoscope several more times.

Dr. Sutherland: "Well, I think we can go ahead and release you. Your temperature is down, lung sounds are a little better and you're hydrated. I'm going to prescribe some antibiotics, plenty of fluids and even more rest. Sound good?"

Mary looked at her parents, who were smiling at her hopefully.

Mary: "As long as the fluids are 100 proof, it sounds great."

The doctor looked down at her disapprovingly. Mary rolled her eyes.

Mary: "Kidding!"

Dr. Sutherland: "Good. I'll have the nurse come in to take you off the IV. You can check out downstairs and then you'll be all set. Be sure to give us a call if your temperature goes back up or if any of your symptoms worsen."
Emily: "We'll keep our eyes on her, thanks Doctor!"