Chapter One: S.O.S


"I got the call today, I didn't wanna hear but I knew that it would come. An old true friend of ours was talking on the phone, she said you found someone. And I thought of all the bad luck and all the struggles we went through. How I lost me and you lost you, what are these voices outside love's open door make us throw off our contentment and beg for something more..." The heart of the matter by Indie Arie


oOo

A famous novelist once said that "You drown not by falling into a river, but by staying submerged", so when April Kepner felt that she's about to drown, she hurriedly hauled herself out of the murky waters and swam to the nearest dock, in her case-another state. She packed her bags, accepted the first offer she laid her eyes on, filed her immediate resignation and bought the earliest plane ticket she can get her hands on; she's not running away like what Cristina Yang pointed out per say, she's just giving her husband what he wants.

Yes, she's married; she married the man of her dreams, her best friend. She exchanged vows with the first man she ever loved and made loved to-she married Jackson Avery but she also left him so he can have the life he wanted; a life free of responsibilities-a bachelor's life in short.

Fairfax Regional Trauma Center – Georgetown, VA ( July, 2011):

"April?"

April turned around and saw the Chief of Surgery standing behind her; "Yes Chief?" she asked.

Bobby Lawrence smiled as he gestured towards his office; "Can I talk to you for a second?" he asked.

"Sure" April replied.

Bobby walked towards his office wordlessly.

April swallowed hard; "Shit! Why does he want to talk to me? Am I getting fired? I don't remember killing anyone accidentally" she thought as she followed him inside his office.

Bobby sat down on his chair; "Close the door and sit down, please."

April followed his instructions; she sat down on the chair right in front of his desk and placed her hands on her lap.

Bobby leaned back on his chair; "I know you're wondering why I called you in here today."

April took a deep breath; "Am I getting fired?"

Bobby chuckled; "Heavens, no" he replied. "What makes you think that?"

April cracked a nervous smile; "I don't know-it just popped to my mind."

Bobby shook his head, clearly amused; "Well you're not getting fired-it's quite the opposite actually."

"Huh?"

Bobby leaned forward and placed his clasped hands on top of his desk; "I've seen your work and I'm beyond impressed. You managed to streamline the E.R. which in turn helped us cut the time intake in half. The whole place is running smoothly for the first time in years and it's something that shouldn't be overlooked."

April felt her cheeks flush; "I really didn't do much, I just followed the checklist."

"The checklist you personally made."

April nodded.

Bobby braced his elbows on his desk and raised his clasped hands under his chin; "You've been working diligently as the lead Trauma Attending for this hospital for over a year now and I think it's time for you take the next step. Your Department Head, Dr. Sanders didn't renew his contract because he's leaving the state to follow his family in Connecticut, the position is currently unfilled and I think you should take it."

April's eyes widen in shock; "I'm sorry?"

"Let me rephrase myself, I want you to take his position-I'm promoting you as the Department Head of Trauma."

"I-I-I don't know what to say!"

Bobby can't help but chuckle at the red head's reaction; "Just say that you'll accept it and we're good."

"Of course, it'll be an honour" April replied happily.

Bobby smiled widely; "Perfect! That's what I want to hear."


oOo


April is still in a daze when she stepped into the hallway; she has just been promoted as the new Department Head and she still can't wrap her mind around it.

"Dr. Avery?"

April's head snapped to the side; "Yes?"

The nurse smiled shyly; "I didn't mean to disturb you but I think your phone is ringing."

April automatically shoved her hand inside her lab coat pocket and indeed, her phone was ringing loudly. She threw the nurse a sheepish look; "Thank you" she said before answering her phone without checking. "Hello?"

"Kepner?"

April pulled the phone away from her ear to check the screen; she let out a large smile when she saw who it was. "Cristina!"

"Lower your voice, I'm not freaking deaf!"

April giggled; "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout, I'm just so happy."

"What are you happy about? Did you get laid?"

"No! It's way better than that" April replied.

"Just spit it out, I don't have time for guessing games."

"I just got promoted! I'm the new Trauma Department Head here!" April said excitedly.

"Whoa! You're right, that's better than getting laid, congratulations not so Virgin Mary!"

April ignored the nickname and chuckled; "Thank you" she replied.

"Oh crap! I don't know if I should still say what I ought to say now-you're so happy."

April moved from her perch and made her way towards the fire exit; "I'm over the moon right now so whatever you have to say just say it, I'm sure it won't really affect me, I'm in good spirits-as a matter of fact it's soaring ten feet above me."

"Are you sure?"

"100% sure" April replied confidently.

"Mara Keaton just transferred from Brigham and your husband is getting cosy with her, looks like they're reconnecting."

April felt her spirit slam towards the ground, her smile slowly fading; she leaned back on the wall, trying her hardest to untie the tight knot that's formed inside her chest. "Well that's just shitty."


oOo


Fairfax Regional Trauma Center – Georgetown, VA ( August 2014):

"Make sure to check her vital signs every other hour, page me if there are any changes" April said.

"Will do, doc"

April threw her resident a thankful smile before stepping out of the patient's room; she walked towards the counter and grabbed her tab. She was about to check her schedule when her phone vibrated inside her pocket; she placed the tab back on the counter and made a grab for her phone. She checked the name flashing on the screen before answering the phone with a smile; "It's been months since I last spoke to you, what can I do for the infamous Dr. Yang?" she asked perkily.

"Still shooting rainbows from your ass, I see"

April rolled her eyes as she plucked her tab from the counter; "Your rainbow joke is getting as old as you, get a new material" she chirped as she made her way towards her office. "What's up?"

"I need a consult"

April pushed the door open and closed it with a snap; she walked towards her desk and sat down on her chair. "In case you have forgotten, I'm a Trauma Surgeon and not a Cardio god, I think you called the wrong doctor."

"You're the freaking head of Trauma there, don't tell me they haven't taught you a thing or two?"

April adjusted the phone on her ear as she leaned back; "Okay fine, whatever" she replied. "You called for a reason-something's up, out with it"

"What makes you think that something's up? Can't I just call an old friend and have a chat with her?"

"You hate phones Cristina, you barely called Mer when you went to Mayo, I highly doubt that I'm an exemption to that hate."

"Fine, you got me."

April smiled triumphantly; "Start talking Yang, I still have to see 2 more patients."

"Avery got into a car accident yesterday and he's in a coma;"

The smile from April's lips vanished as fear started gnawing at her gut; "W-what?"

"His stats are up and he's currently stable but Derek can't really tell the extent of the damage the impact made on his brain."

"Oh god" April gasped. "Oh god..."

"April, listen to me. Don't panic-now is not the time to panic, come on, breathe for me."

April robotically followed Cristina's order and took a lungful of breath; tears fell down from her eyes but she wiped them frantically. "I-I need-I have to be-did-did you call Catherine?"

"Catherine is flying out of Boston tonight; she'll be here in a day or two"

"G-good, that's good..."

"Are you coming?"

April opened her mouth to respond but a sob came out instead; she felt fresh tears pool on her eyes again as overwhelming dread gripped her heart.

"I know that you and Avery have some issues to settle but I'm ordering you to set them aside. Now is not the time for it-his life is hanging by a thread April and I'm sure as hell that you'll regret it if you don't get your ass down here."

"I-I want to Cristina-god knows I want to but would he want me there?" April asked through tears. "I mean, he has Mara and-"

"Who cares about that insipid Neurologist? If anyone has the right to be here, it's you and not her!"

"But-"

"No more excuses, just pack your bags and start delegating your work there. File a leave of absence and book the earliest flight to Seattle. Time is of the essence here Kepner, you know very well how brain injury works."

April closed her eyes as she tries to even out her breathing; "Fine, I'll go talk to the Chief and I'll text once I have my flight details."

"Good, I'll be waiting for it."

"T-thank you for letting me know Cristina...just really-thank you."

"Don't mention it, ever. We'll pick you up from the airport so make sure you inform me beforehand, okay?"

"Okay"

"I'll see you in a few days April, bye"

"Bye" April replied. She then let her hand drop limp to her lap as her eyes fell on the little picture frame on her desk; she felt myriad of emotions battling inside her chest, making it hard to breathe. She can still vividly remember the last time Cristina Yang called her with a heart-breaking news, but this one beats it to a pulp. She was instantly jostled from her thoughts when she heard a loud round of knocks from her door; she wiped her cheeks and sat straighter. "Come in"

The door slowly opened as one of her residents peeked in; "I'm sorry to disturb you Dr. Avery but Dr. Mitchell sent me, he needs you in O.R. 2 asap"

"Oh, okay" April replied. She then stood up from her perch and pocketed her phone; "Can you find the Chief and ask him to not leave yet? Tell him that I have something urgent that I need to discuss with him" she said.

"I'll go find him now."

"Thank you" April said. She then grabbed her tab and made her way towards door; "Detach April, you have work to do" she whispered as she touched the rings that dangled from her necklace.


oOo


Seattle-Tacoma International Airport:

"Are you sure you got the time right? We've been waiting here for almost 30 minutes now and I haven't seen any red head coming out of the gate" Alex said grumpily.

Meredith glared at her friend; "Of course I got the time right, I'm not stupid!" she snapped. "It's the stupid planes fault, look like the flight has been delayed."

Alex crossed his arms on top of his chest; "Is she really coming?"

"I already have her flight details, of course she is, why are you even asking me that question?' Meredith asked as she sat down on one of the metal benches.

"She ran away from this place years ago Mer, I'm just wondering why she's suddenly coming back."

"She's coming back because Jackson is in a coma and we don't know when he'll wake up."

Alex raised his brow; "In case you have forgotten, they haven't spoken in god knows how long"

Meredith huffed; "I'm quite sure April can overlook that-she's still his wife."

"I almost forgot that tiny bit of detail" Alex said thoughtfully.

Meredith chuckled; "I often forget it too."

Alex sat down beside Meredith; "Let's just hope that Keaton didn't."

"I'm quite sure she didn't, Jackson still wears his wedding ring from time to time" Meredith said.

"Really?"

"Yep" Meredith replied. She then leaned back and let out a sigh; "In fact, he's wearing it when he had the accident" she said sombrely.

Alex copied his friend's pose; "Crap"

"Meredith? Alex?"

The two surgeons both turned around and saw a familiar red head standing behind them; Meredith was the first to shot up from her seat and engulfed April into a hug. "You're here, welcome home."

April let her trolley go and returned the hug; "I am" she replied.

Meredith pulled away but kept her friend in arm's length; she furrowed her brows when she noticed April's bloodshot eyes and pallid face. "Are you alright? You look kinda pale"

April let out a small smile; "I'm just tired, I haven't slept since last night."

Alex rounded the bench and grabbed April's trolley; he gave April a one armed hug before pulling on her luggage. "It's nice to have you back Apes but I feel like if we don't move now, you'll end up on the floor."

April chuckled; "Good thinking" she replied feebly.

Meredith wrapped her arm around her shoulder for support and began steering her towards the right direction.

"Can we drop by to the nearest hotel? I need to check in before we go to the hospital-I don't think I can do that after" April said tiredly.

"You're not checking in on a hotel, you're staying with me and Derek" Meredith said.

"But I can't do that, I don't want to impose."

Meredith squeezed April's shoulder; "It's not called imposing if we're offering and willing, end of discussion" she said firmly.

Alex turned his face towards the women; "There's no use arguing with her so just give in."

"Okay" April relented.

"Good."


oOo


Catherine Avery furrowed her brows as she peered through the window of her son's room; "Can someone please explain to me why Mara Keaton is sleeping by my son's bedside?" she asked.

Derek threw Richard a look before averting his gaze, clearly not answering the peeved Surgeon's question.

Richard internally cursed before clearing his throat; "D—dr. Keaton is really close to Jackson, I think she's just worried so she decided to stay with him through the night" he lied.

Catherine's head snapped to side, her eyes narrowing by the second; "Don't take me for a fool Richard, walls have ears and gossip has wings. I know about my son's indiscretions and if he's not currently lying there fighting for his life I would've hit him hard on the head" she snapped.

"If you already knew then why ask?" Richard thought. He stood straighter and shoved his hands inside his lab coat pockets; "Okay" he replied.

Catherine threw Richard and Derek a withering look before sauntering towards the door; she pushed it open and clapped her hands loudly. "Wake up!"

Mara instantly sat up; her head turning to the side. Her eyes widen upon seeing her former mentor standing by the foot of the bed; "D-dr. Avery" she stuttered as she stood up.

Catherine placed her hands on her hips, making her look very intimidating; "Sleeping quarters are made for a reason Dr. Keaton and I'm sure you're well aware of that" she said coldly.

Mara felt her whole face flush red with embarrassment; "I'm sorry, I'll leave now" she whispered before snatching her lab coat from the foot of the bed, hastily making her way towards the door.

Richard threw Mara a sympathetic look before walking towards Catherine; "You didn't have to embarrass her Catherine."

"I didn't, she already did that to herself" Catherine quipped. "Cavorting with my son eventhough she knows he's very much married."

Richard just kept quiet; knowing fully that he won't win this round.

Catherine shifted her gaze towards her unconscious son and almost instantly her demeanour changed; she walked towards the side of the bed and gently caressed his face. "Wake up baby boy, Mama is finally here..."

Derek cleared his throat after his long silence; "He should be waking up anytime soon Catherine, the medicine induced coma only lasts for 48 hours."

Catherine sat on the side of the bed, her eyes fixed on Derek; "Is there any significant damage to his brain that will affect him in the long run?" she asked.

Derek folded his arms on top of his chest; "That's what I'm actually worried about, he seem to have hit the back of his head quite hard which caused some clots to form, I managed to take most of the blood out but his thalamus is quite bruised."

Catherine gasped; "He might-he might lose his memory, is that what you're trying to say?"

"It's a possibility but not a definite; we still need to wait for him to wake up to be able to tell."

Catherine turned her face towards Jackson; "Oh my darling boy" she whimpered. She carefully clasped his hand with hers as tears fall down her cheeks; "Did-did you inform April about this? She has the right to know..."

"I do believe Dr. Yang informed her yesterday" Derek answered.

Catherine wiped her cheeks before turning her gaze back to Derek; "Is she coming?" she asked.

Derek nodded; "She is, my wife is currently picking her up from the airport."

Catherine let out a sigh of relief; "Thank god" she whispered. She then turned her attention back to Jackson; "Wake up son, you're wife is finally coming home" she whispered.


oOo


Alex pulled on the hand break and switched the ignition off; "We're here" he said.

Meredith unbuckled her seatbelt before turning towards the backseat; she sighed upon seeing April's slumped form. "She's asleep"

Alex unbuckled his seatbelt; "Wake her up."

"But she looks so tired."

Alex rolled his eyes; "So what do you suggest? Leave her here?"

Meredith turned towards Alex and glared; "Of course not" she snapped. She then pushed the door open and climbed out; she made her way towards the backdoor and opened it. She leaned forward and gently prodded April's arm; "Wake up Apes, we're here" she said.

April groaned before slowly opening her eyes; she licked her lips as she sat up. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, I'm sorry"

Meredith smiled in a placating manner; "It's okay, you needed a shut eye."

Alex shifted on his seat to face April; "Are you sure you want to do this now? I can drop you off at Mer's place, you can sleep first and come back later" he offered.

April shook her head; "No, it's alright" she replied. She grabbed her bag from the seat before scooting towards the door; she closed it behind her and began straightening her rumpled clothes. "I just need a cup of coffee and I'm good."

Alex stepped out of the car and locked it behind him; "Then coffee you shall have."

"Let's leave your luggage here for now, there's no use hauling it over there when we'll be bringing it to my place later" Meredith said.

April nodded; "Okay" she replied.

"Let's go" Alex said as he walks towards the E.R. door.


oOo


"I heard Dr. Avery is coming back, is that true?" Leah asked.

Stephanie tore her eyes away from her tab and stared at Leah, confusion evident on her face; "What are you talking about? Dr. Avery is currently lying unconscious inside his room" she replied.

Leah rolled her eyes; "I'm not talking about the Pretty-eyed doctor, I'm talking about the Missus, his wife-formerly known as Dr. Kepner" she explained.

Stephanie's eyes widen; "She's coming back?"

"I just asked you the same question" Leah said.

"I don't have the slightest idea"

"I have an idea, why don't you two idiots do your job instead of gossiping like giddy little school girls"

Leah and Stephanie both turned around and saw Cristina standing behind them; the two residents stared at each other before fleeing towards different directions.

Cristina huffed; "I should ask the board to hire a new Trauma Attending here, the residents are having too much fun frolicking instead of saving lives."

"Can I apply then?"

Cristina spun on her heels and saw a familiar red head standing a couple of feet away from her; she crossed her arms on top of her chest, her brow raised. "It depends, how expensive are you now?"

"More than you can afford."

Cristina grinned widely; "I'm sure we can come up with a reasonable bargain."

April cracked as smile before walking towards the Cardio Surgeon; she flung her arms around her and hugged her tightly. "I know you don't do hugs but humour me, I'm dead tired-both physically and emotionally."

Cristina didn't say anything and just patted April's back.

April pulled away; "How is he? Any changes? Is Catherine here?"

"Slow down-one question at a time!" Cristina chastised. "He's alive but still sleeping, no changes since last night and yes your mother in law is here."

Meredith fell into step with April; "Did she raise hell?" she asked curiously.

Cristina smirked; "According to some nurses she threw Keaton out of Pretty boy's room."

"Uh oh" Alex piped in. "Watch your back Kepner, looks like Mama Avery is out for blood."

Meredith elbowed Alex; "Shut up!" she hissed.

April let out a wan smile; "Is he in the ICU?" she asked.

"Nope, Derek decided to transfer him into one of the VIP suites since he's out of the woods" Cristina said.

Alex whistled; "He's hospitalized with a style."

Cristina shrugged her shoulders; "He owns half of this freaking hospital, he gets to have the swankiest room."

"I'll take her, I need to talk to Derek as well" Meredith offered.

"Go now" Cristina said. She then turned her gaze towards Alex; "Change out of your street clothes, I need you here."

Alex wrinkled his nose; "Robbins asked me to handle Ped's this afternoon."

"Would you rather skulk around Ped's than go trolling for surgeries?"

Alex thought for a moment before walking briskly towards the hall; "Give me 5, I'll be back" he called out.

"Trolling for surgeries? You still do that here?" April asked.

Cristina smirked; "Some things never change Kepner."

"True" Meredith said. She then looped her arm around April's and began dragging her away; "No time to waste, let's get you up" she said.

April took a deep calming breath before nodding; "Right, no time to waste" she replied. "Lord help me" she thought.


oOo


Catherine was riffling through her son's belongings when she saw a familiar diamond encrusted platinum band inside the zip lock bag; she plucked the ring without thinking twice and made her way towards Jackson's side.

Richard was looking through the window when he saw Meredith walking with a familiar red head towards the room; he turned towards Catherine and cleared his throat loudly.

Catherine ignored Richard and slipped the ring back to where it belongs.

Richard shifted in his feet and cleared his throat again.

"You might want to drink some water if something is stuck in your throat" Catherine said.

"Nothing is stuck in my throat, I'm trying to get your attention" Richard quipped.

Catherine turned her face towards Richard and raised her brow; "You got my attention now, what do you want?" she asked.

"Your daughter in law is here" Richard replied.

As if on cue, there was a soft knock on the door. Being the one who's the nearest, Richard walked towards it and pulled it open; he let out a small smile upon seeing April. "It's been a long time Kepner"

April returned the smile; "Hello Dr. Webber" she replied politely. She walked into the room and her gaze automatically zeroed on the bed; she felt all the air leave her chest when she saw her husband for the first time in 4 years. Her hands flew to her lips as a sob escaped her; she willed her feet to move but it felt like it's been glued to the floor. Tears pool in her eyes as she raked her husband's frail form; "Oh god..."

Catherine felt her heart go out to April when she saw how truly distraught the young woman was; she stood up from her perch and made her way towards her, pulling her into a tight hug. "Oh sweetheart..."

April buried her face into Catherine's neck as she cried; "I-I'm sorry...I-I-" she whimpered.

Catherine began rubbing April's back soothingly; "You have nothing to be sorry for April, hush now" she said softly.

April tried her best to rein her emotions before pulling away; she sniffed and began wiping her cheeks. "I came as soon as I can."

Catherine cupped April's face and smiled; "You here now, that's all that matters" she said.

April smiled through tears; "Thank you" she whispered. She then shifted her eyes back to the bed; "How is he? Did he wake up already?"

"He hasn't opened his eyes yet, not even a single peek." Catherine pulled her hands away and wrapped her arm around April's shoulder instead; she slowly led her towards the side of the bed before fixing her eyes on her son.

Before April could stop herself, she leaned forward and gently caressed her husband's face; "Jackson? Can you hear me? Please wake up" she pleaded.

"I think it's best if you try to talk to him, I'll give you two some privacy" Catherine suggested.

April turned her face towards Catherine; "Do you think that will help?"

"Do not underestimate the power of love" are the words that Catherine wanted to say but she kept her thoughts to herself and responded differently. "Of course it will help sweetheart, you should also sit by his bed side and hold his hand-touch is very important."

April couldn't think straight so she followed Catherine's instruction obediently; she sat by Jackson's side and gently squeezed his forearm.

Catherine hastily turns around to hide the triumphant smile that crept to her lips; she walked towards Richard and began pushing him out of the room. Once they're both outside, she closed the door behind them and made her way towards the nurses' station; "Don't let anyone disturb my son and my daughter in law unless it's an emergency or you need to check his stats. Dr. Shepherd handles this case so he's the only one authorized to enter his room unless I say otherwise, is that clear?"

"Crystal" The nurse replied.

Catherine smiled; "Thank you" she replied.

Richard sidled up next to Catherine with a raised brow; "Why didn't you just tell the nurse that Dr. Keaton is not allowed? That would've saved you time" he whispered.

Catherine shrugged her shoulders; "I have time."

Richard stared at Catherine for a couple of seconds before chuckling; he then gestured towards the elevator and smiled. "Why don't we grab some coffee? I think your daughter in law badly needs it."

"Good thinking, come on."


oOo


April kept her eyes on Jackson's face as she grasped his hand with hers; she felt a tinge of cold metal pressing on her fingers so she moved her gaze down. She felt her heart clench tightly when she recognized the other twin of the band that hung from her neck; fresh tears pool in her eyes again as she stared at it. She ran her thumb on their wedding ring before shifting her eyes back to his bruised face; "When I left you, I promised myself that I'll never shed a single tear for you again. I told myself that the next time our eyes meet, you won't recognize me because I'll be a better version of myself but here I am now, 4 years after and I'm still bawling my eyes out for you" she paused and chuckled. "It's curious how life works; I left because I wanted to give you the best chance in life and you clearly had it-last time I bothered to check you were happy with Mara but now, you're lying in a hospital bed, wearing our wedding ring and fighting for your life-what the hell happened?" She wiped her cheeks before leaning closer, never letting his hand go; "You're supposed to manage this hospital and make a name for yourself-you can't do that if you continue sleeping" she said. She felt that she's already grasping straws so she decided to throw caution to the wind and just thrive on, maybe telling him some of her feelings will wake him up; "Didn't we promise to each other that we'll always be the last one standing? We've been through so much and I refuse to end it this way. I didn't give up my love for you so you can just die so open your eyes Avery and prove me right, show me that I made the right decision 4 years ago, show me how successful and happy you've become" she paused when a sob escaped her lips. Her walls started crumbling down as innumerable emotions rage inside her chest; she didn't know what made her finally admit the feelings she's been trying to suppress for years but admit she did. "I love you-I always have, please wake up."

And just like some old cliché, Jackson Avery slowly opened his eyes.


oOo


A/N: This is the start of the bunny that plagued my head for months, I finally decided to put it in writing so tadah! \( ^-^)/

Did you like it? Do you think I should pursue it? I haven't written the second chapter yet because I'm kinda reluctant, I haven't finished writing "Gravity" and I normally don't write two stories with the same fandom at the same time-it might confuse me, LOL. So having said that, help me decide, should I put this one on hiatus while I finish the other story or should I continue with and just keep my fingers crossed? Let me know, hit the review button, cheers! :D