lxxxi. way back then
6.17

When Atlas was younger, he may or may not have been considered a wild child. He didn't always make the best choices, and people knew that. He snuck out, smoked some weed, drank some alcohol, hanged out with some bad kids. He did a lot of things his father told him not too. 

It wasn't until he had taken his first biology class, when his teacher told him that he had great potential, did he start to straighten up. His love for helping grew, and instead of being a wild kid, he grew up and became someone who volunteered at old folks homes.

Atlas never really thought much about his past anymore. He decided to leave it in the past, but sometimes it's not always meant to be left there.

With one hand, Atlas dug around in a box his mother had found deep in her attic. Atlas assumed it was just full of clothes from high school, or maybe some of his and his siblings Halloween costumes that might fit Starlee.

Oh how he was wrong.

Inside the cardboard box, drawings on each side, was a bunch of journals from medical school to the end of his residency. "Woah." He muttered as he plopped down onto the couch, a journal in hand.

Lilla stepped into the living room, she was quick to notice her eldest son looking through the journal he had grabbed. "What's that one?"

"My first patient that I had signed as the second person for physician-assisted suicide. You know, I have a patient who's coming into the hospital in a few days, they want to discuss that."

╚═ ☆ ═╝

"They told me that I couldn't sleep with the nurses and drug reps! El! The nurses, they love me." Mark complained as he looked to Eliza Lee-Sunny, the resident having being paged to Marks side.

Eliza shrugged. "Then don't think about them."

Mark looked at Eliza. "What can I think about then?"

"Your patients?" Eliza suggested with the tilt of her head.

"No... how about we go back to the good times huh?" Mark questioned suggestively.

"Mark!"

"That wasn't a no. We could get dinner!"

╚═ ☆ ═╝

"Atlas Peter Lee-Sunny!" Miranda Bailey scolded as she stepped into room Atlas and Callie were in. "And Callie Torres!"

Both doctors looked up at the seemingly angry woman. "Yes?" Atlas asked sweetly, an innocent grin on his lips.

"You!" Bailey pointed towards Callie. "You sent me to some Ukrainian woman who asked me if I wanted the 44-cent of the 3!"

Atlas chuckled into the palm of his hand.

"You!" Bailey then turned towards Atlas, a glare prominent. "You also added condoms to the back of that paper! You have a great recommendation of brands! Seriously!"

"What?" Atlas laughed. "You gotta be safe."

Bailey looked like she was ready to jump at Atlas, "You know what. There's condoms in the clinic."

Atlas smirked slightly. "Are you gonna go get them yourself?"

Bailey glared at her person before she turned around and walked away.

╚═ ☆ ═╝

Eliza and Mark had gone out for dinner, both choosing to eat as a flimsy fast food restaurant.

Eliza was quick to stand from the booth they were sitting at. She left her leftover sandwich wrapped on the table. A smile was twisted on her lips as she extended her hand and waited for Mark to grab her hand and get out of his seat.

"Let's go Mark." Eliza spoke once more, her voice calm and clear, sweet like sugar. If Mark didn't grab ahold of her hand anytime soon, she was ready to drag him out by his ear if he didn't get up. "I will grab you by your ear." Eliza deadpanned and that was enough for Mark to jump from his seat and start to follow her towards the entrance doors.

Eliza opened the doors wide before she stepped out into the pouring rain. The drops of rain pitter-pattered all around her with small splashes at her feet. There was no change neither of them would get wet, neither had rain boots, and neither had umbrellas.

"You don't have an umbrella!" Mark shouted from underneath a small sheltered area by the doors, the area luckily keeping him dry.

"Dance in the rain!" Eliza shouted back as a reply. In this moment, neither of them had any care for anything else other than this moment. Every thought that had, ranging from Mark so kindling opening the door for her and paying for dinner, to Eliza actually agreeing to going out for dinner.

Mark thought about it. He's never actually danced in the rain. But in front of him was a pretty lady who he had just had dinner with. "El!" Mark took a chance and ran towards the woman running and jumping into puddles along with her.

"I said suckin' too hard on your lollipop. Or love's gonna get you down. I said sucking too hard on your lollipop. Or love's gonna get you down." Eliza started to sing. She
grabbed ahold of Marks hands as she jumped up and down. "Sucking too hard on your lollipop. Or love's gonna get you down. Sucking too hard on your lollipop. Or love's gonna get you down. Say love, say love!"

Mark reluctantly started to jump along with her. Then he started to sing along too, knowing the words well. "Or love's gonna get you down
Say love, say love. Or love's gonna get you down." Mark sung loudly without a care.

Eliza seemed to be excited, she was jumping with joy and she had even gotten Mark to dance in the rain with her. "I went walkin' with my mama one day. When she warned me what people say. Live your life until love is found 'cause love's gonna get you down. Take a look at the girl next door, she's a player and a down right bore. Jesus loves her, she wants more. Oh bad girls get you down." Eliza's words were loud but she didn't care, neither did Mark.

"Singing, sucking too hard on your lollipop." Mark sung along with the largest smile anyone could have. "
Or love's gonna get you down. Sucking too hard on your lollipop. Or love's gonna get you down. Say love, say love. Or love's gonna get you down. Say love, say love. Or love's gonna get you down."

Eliza shook her head widely, her shoulder length hair whipping back and forth. her smile grew just as large as peters. "Mama told me what I should know. Too much candy gonna rot your soul. If she loves you, let her go. Cause love only gets you down. Take a look at a boy like me. Never stood on my own two feet. Now I'm blue, as I can be. Oh love couldn't get me down."

Mark laughed loudly as the two stopped jumping but moved into a slow dance, the song still rolling off their tongues, his hands on her waist, and her hands around his neck.

"Singing, sucking too hard on your lollipop. Or love's gonna get you down. Sucking too hard on your lollipop. Or love's gonna get you down. Say love, say love. Or love's gonna get you down. Say love, say love. Or love's gonna get you down."

Mark leaned in first. His full intent was to kiss her, then the word consent rang in his head. I need to ask, what if she doesn't want that. But before he could really even pull away and ask ten question, Eliza had wiggled out of his grasp and ran towards another puddle.

"Or love's gonna get you down!"