⇢ CHAPTER 85

mused, looking at the monitor demonstrating Callie's brain which determined whether her emotions at the given moment would be happy, highlighting a green color, or a negative feeling, a red color, depending on the questions.

"What do you do for a living?" Derek asked, momentarily glancing over the list of questions.

"" Callie smiled, making Derek and Holly shoot a look at each other as they saw the monitor glow a light red.

Holly leaned forward and spoke into the microphone, "Do you enjoy your work?"

Callie chuckled, ""

Again, the monitor lit red and Derek voiced, "Are you married?"

"." Callie answered— and yet, the monitor continued to redden.

"Mm..." Holly hummed, frowning her brows before looking down at the list, hopeful to turn the screen green, "Any kids?"

"" Callie nodded.

Derek exhaled, "Would you consider yourself a happy person?"

Callie nodded again, "."

Red again— Derek questioned, "And you want to participate in this project?"

Callie grinned, "."

Holly glanced at the monitor with a sigh as Derek shook his head at the orthopedic surgeon and remarked, "No."

Callie tilted her head, "' what?"

"Um," Holly exhaled, "judging by these results, we would say that you're, um..."

"Depressed." Derek finished, "And would turn you away from the study."

Callie laughed, ""

"It's no big deal." Derek shook his head with a smile, "We could get somebody else to give us a baseline—" He turned to Holly, "Holl, go."

Holly nodded, "Okay—"

"." Callie interrupted, stopping Holly in her steps, "" She gestured a hand towards the monitor on her side which produced feeling-evoking images towards the test subjects, "Show me the kitten."

Holly and Derek gave each other an unsure glance before Holly pressed a few keys on the keyboard and, instantly, Callie's attention went to the kitten with a chuckle.

"." She grinned, "" Holly and Derek stared at the red, ""

Holly shook her head as Derek responded, "Nope."

"Callie trailed off as Derek pressed the button to release Callie from the heavy equipment hovering over her head, "

"All right, Holly," Derek nodded his head, "Get in there."

✧

"So," Derek grinned, glancing at Holly, "excited for the wedding?"

"Yep." Holly smiled brightly, grabbing a container of fries to add to her tray as she looked at Derek, "Actually— I forgot to tell you..." Derek tilted his head as the two walked away, and Holly beamed, "Do you want to be my maid-of-honor?"

"Aww," Derek hummed with a chuckle, flattered, "I'd be an  to do so."

"Great!" Holly cheered with a grin, laughing lightly at the pun, "And—"

"All right." Callie nodded, stopping in front of the two with a determined look, "I figured it out— it was low blood sugar." She pointed at their trays as she finished slurping her soda, "Take that food to go— we're gonna do this again." Derek and Holly groaned while Callie chuckled, "Come on, come on, let's go!"

Holly sighed, following after Callie with a pout as she waved at Jackson, who frowned his brows as he ate his lunch with Alex but nonetheless waved back, "I shouldn't have let her convince me  to do the stupid test."

Derek nodded, "Yep."

✧

Derek leaned his head back into his chair as Holly rested her legs over the table— both eating their lunches in boredom as Callie spoke, " She chuckled, "

"Want one?" Holly questioned, passing a fry to Derek as they both semi-listened to Callie's story.

Derek nodded, grabbing onto the food, "Thanks."

"Callie continued, "

"Yeah, look, Callie," Derek prefaced, the two Neurosurgeons staring at the color on the monitor, "I know you don't want to hear this, but—"

"" Callie scoffed, ""

"A bunch of people are depressed." Holly assured, trying to cheer the sour mood possessed by the Ortho surgeon, "You—"

"" Callie defended, "."

"Fine. Let's see." Derek mused, pressing the button to release Callie as he nodded at Holly, "Go, please."

"All right." Holly nodded, rushing over to the other room as Callie begrudgingly left.

Callie grumbled as she joined Derek on the other side, "Stupid, good for nothing money from the President—"

"All right." Derek interrupted, pressing the button to secure Holly into the device as he glanced at the monitor, "Let's start with dislikes— um, planes."

Instantly, the monitor glared red, making Callie hum, "See, it doesn't work."

"All right, watch this." Derek assured, straightening his position as he smirked— knowing his plan would work within one word, "Jackson."

"Dammit!" Callie groaned, watching the monitor glow green.

"" Holly asked, a soft smile on her face as she felt her face redden.