chapter thirty one

great expectations.season three, episode thirteen.

Not together, of course. George was sleeping with Callie, and Cassie was sleeping with Mark. With the death of George's dad and Cassie's suspension, they both needed a distraction.

"This can't happen again," Cassie panted, slightly out of breath. "It's not a good idea."

Mark rolled on his side, looking down at her naked body in confusion. "Really? Because I think it's a great idea."

She shook her head. "I go back to work today, and every attending is going to be watching me like a hawk to make sure I don't go all MMA fighter on them. I really can't afford to be distracted."

"You seemed to have a different attitude last night," he smirked. "I recall you saying something along the lines of "

"Shut up!" Cassie smacked him in the arm, embarrassed. "I'm serious."

Mark laughed. "So am I."

"You're awful."

"That's not what it sounded like last night."

Cassie playfully glared at him, huffing and turning on her side to face the other away.

Smirking to himself, Mark suddenly grabbed her waist and flipped them over so she was on top of him, causing her to let out a surprised squeal.

Despite herself, Cassie grinned at him, leaning down so she could whisper into his ear. "Well I guess more distraction wouldn't hurt. But no more after today, deal?"

He smiled victoriously. "Deal."

☆

"Where have you been?" Cristina asked as Cassie rushed into the locker room. Her hair was clearly unbrushed, her makeup smudged, and she was wearing one of Mark's old button ups after she lost her shirt the night before.

To sum it up, she looked like a mess.

Meredith smirked, looking her up and down. "Either she got ran over by a truck in the parking lot, or she's been having sex with McSteamy."

"You're doing Sloan?" Cristina raised a brow. "Nice.

Cassie stuttered over her words, taking off her outside clothes to put on her scrubs. "I— I'm not doing Mark," she lied.

"You're wearing a matching set," Cristina observed, pointing obviously to her lace bra and underwear as she turned to Meredith. "She's totally doing Sloan."

"Oh, totally."

Cassie narrowed her eyes at them, tightening the waistband of her scrubs as she walked out the door. "I hate you both."

"We know," they said in unison, smiling cheekily as she left the room.

☆

Cassie, Alex, and Meredith followed Mark into a patient room. He specifically requested the former to be on his service, which made Meredith wiggle her brows in suggestion. Cassie just elbowed her in the ribs.

"Jim, annoying interns and Cassie. Annoying interns and Cassie, Jim," Mark bluntly introduced them to the unconscious patient. "Jim is semi-comatose, and has stage three decubitus ulcers."

"Bedsores?" Alex groaned.

"Right," Mark nodded. "So, he's going to need to be debrieded, have his dressings changed, and have his position changed every two hours."

"Every two hours? By the time we finish, we'll just have to start again," Meredith complained.

"I'm crying on the inside," he deadpanned. "Cass, you're on my pre-ops, and then you can scrub in on my corrective rhinoplasty this afternoon."

Cassie grinned. "Sweet."

Alex sighed in annoyance. "Can't the nurses help at least?"

"They could, but I like nurses. They're helpful and smart and already good at their jobs. So, as a going away gift to them, I'm going to let you hang with Jim, while I do one last rhinoplasty at Seattle Grace. I like to leave a city a little prettier than when I came," Mark said, before he turned on his heel and left the room.

Cassie stared at the door, replaying what he just said over and over again in her head.

"Did he just say he was leaving?" Alex raised a brow. "As in, quitting?"

"Cass," Meredith frowned, "did you know?"

Cassie blinked at the door. "I had no idea."

☆

"You're quitting?" Cassie questioned as she came up to Mark a few hours later at the nurses station. "Since when?"

"Since today," he replied nonchalantly. "As soon as I find the Chief and hand him my letter of resignation."

Casske ignored the stinging in the back of her eyes. "But why?"

Mark sighed. "I hate it here. I hate the town. I hate the weather. I hate the people. They're mean. They're unforgiving."

"The people of Seattle are unforgiving, or Derek and Addison are unforgiving?"

"What's your point?"

is what she wanted to ask. Instead, she said, "Well, I mean, you can't just back out of your contract."