It was the next morning and their first board meeting and Jackson knew it wouldn't go well. His mom called him when he got home that night and talked to him about making a change in leadership. How getting a new chief of surgery would be better for the hospital. Something about out with the old and in with the new. He dismissed the idea immediately.
She was driving him crazy and he really wasn't ready to handle all the pressure he knew would come with the job, he had so much bigger things on his mind. He planned on bringing what he discussed with his mother up to Owen just to give him a heads up.
He understood that he was in charge, but he hadn't realized that it would literally all be on him. Every single problem was brought up to him. Weren't there other people that handled those sorts of things? You couldn't run a hospital on the back of one person.
And then there was Owen, who decided that he didn't need to work at the hospital anymore.
"I'll make it easier on you. I quit." Said hunt after Jackson explained to him what the board suggested.
'Damnit'. Jackson thought as he looked over and saw everyone watching him or in Derek's case, glaring him down. He decided to back off and walked into the conference room to prepare for the meeting.
He was in the conference room for 2 minutes letting his mind wander back to April and their baby when everyone showed up, and he decided to get started.
"So-" Jackson began to say until Cristina interrupted him.
"Wait, where's Owen?" She asked.
"Well, he..." Jackson started only to be cut off.
"He quit" Derek said interrupting whatever Jackson was about to say.
"He what!?" Cristina yelled out. Shock apparent on her face as well as the others.
"He quit" Jackson repeated annoyed that he didn't have the chance to explain the situation.
"Great. Your in charge for barely a day and your already destroying the hospital!" Cristina exclaimed.
"Look, I didn't fire him or suggest he leave. He didn't let me finish explaining to him-"
"Yea, because you already told him that the board was firing him." Derek butted in again.
"I was just trying to-" Jackson started again but was once again interrupted. This was getting really old really fast.
"Yea, we know what you were trying to do. What? You think that since your a chairman that you can do whatever the hell you want." Said Cali.
"No I don't, and if you would let me finish any of my sentences-" Jackson started only to get interrupted again.
"I get that your mom is one of the board members, but that doesn't mean you can make decisions like this without consulting us first. Were all apart of this board" Said Meredith which got them all started again.
He put his elbows on the table and leaned his head in his palms. He opened his mouth to respond when his phone rung. He looked down and saw that it was April, so getting up in the middle of the one sided discussion he walked out of the room. He knew that it would only cause more problems, but he really couldn't care less.
"Hey baby, what's wrong?" He asked her after he found an empty on call room.
"I was just checking up on you. I know this is your first day in the big seat, how's it going?"
April was a blessing. He'd been with her since the whole airplane crash happened. She had planned on leaving but when she realized that she was late she told Jackson. He was right by her side when she got tested and found out that she was pregnant. They were gonna have a baby. April wasn't the type to stay off her feet for too long, but she really wanted to be careful for her first pregnancy. They decided to move in together and they got married a few months after that. April still didn't have her old job at the hospital, but she planned on getting back out there a few months after their child was born and she passed her boards of course.
She was 7 months pregnant at the moment, but because of her size she hadn't really started showing until a little over 5 months. None of their family knew that they were having a baby or that they were married. April's family; being really religious, were critical and overbearing and his mother, well she wasn't that great either. She meant well but came off really strong. So they decided to keep everything to themselves. Maybe with time they'd gradually let the people they trusted in.
He planned on getting April rehired back at the hospital, but he knew it might be a little hard with all the board members hating his guts and barely being able to tolerate April. Not to mention she was an Avery too now. It didn't matter though, cause he was gonna do all he could to get her reinstated.
"Honestly not that great. They hate me, and usually I'm not really one to care so much about what others think of me, but for some reason I kinda wanted them to like me. Or at least tolerate me." He sighed.
"Don't worry babe, this is only the first day that you've been in charge. It was a big hit to them, they just need a few days to ease into things, It'll get easier. Hey, I'm on my way to the store to get some things for the kitchen, is there anything you need?"
"No, nothing but you." Jackson said sounding a little depressed.
April laughed "You can have all you want of me when you get home."
Jackson smiled his mood already improving. "Can't wait. Thanks for the call it really helped." he told her, glad that he had her in his corner.
"No problem honey. Call me if you ever need to talk or if the pressure is getting to be too much." she said thoughtfully.
"I will. I love you baby." Jackson said.
"I love you too honey." April said back and they hang up.
Jackson took a deep breath and walked back into the conference room.
"About time you came back." Cristina said.
"Look we'll discuss this later tonight. You can all get back to work." He finished and before they could argue anymore he walked out the room.
It was the middle of the afternoon when he heard the doctors fighting over who had which operating room. He was exhausted and he didn't really feel like telling trained professionals what to do, but clearly they wouldn't be able to figure it out on their own.
"I have this O.R." one doctor argued.
"No I have O.R. 2" the other one argued back.
"Can you guys please shut up my patient is trying to die in silence!" Cristina yelled.
The arguing continued until Arizona stepped in. "All of you shut up, okay here's what your gonna do...uh just give me one sec" she said and passed right by Jackson clearly not having a solution to the problem. Jackson rolled his eyes and took charge.
"Grey, go back to your patient he can take as long as he needs we will wait, Yang your in O.R. 2-" Kerev interrupted him.
"What? No!" Kerev said trying to move his patient into the room.
"Heart and lungs trump kidney, take the patient back to holding and the next O.R. that's available is yours." Jackson told him.
"You can't-" Kerev said
"That is it! Jackson said sternly, tired of being talked back to and not taken seriously.
Everyone stood there not sure what to do. "Well you heard the man he's the boss now move" Bailey said and everyone moved to follow Jackson's orders.
By the time the day was over Jackson was exhausted, but he knew that he had to go to that damn board meeting.
Everyone met up and they signed the necessary papers for the new board of directors. They were about to leave when Jackson stopped them.
"Actually I'd like to share a list of a few things that I think are our top priority." He told them hoping they would cooperate with him.
"You mean that the foundation thinks." Cali said
"No, I don't actually mean the foundation or my mom or those stupid protocols" he said throwing the book away "I mean me" he repeated looking at them and expecting them to blow him off.
"Well let's just listen" Meredith told them and they all sat down.
"One, I move that we reinstate Owen hunt as chief of surgery effective immediately. Dr hunt had agreed to this-
"There were some conditions" Derek interrupted.
"Which I was getting to. 2 we will be reopening the ER. We will be a level 1 trauma center again. From now on the foundation will follow our lead. We will tell them our decisions as we make them." He finished.
"That sounds good" said Arizona.
"I've got one more thing." Jackson told them
"Maybe you shouldn't push it" Meredith said.
"We are building a new hospital and that was your vision not mine. My priority is to make sure your vision comes true, and while it is important that we become a leading center for research and innovation we have to remember something. We are now officially a hospital run by doctors, that should mean something. It is our responsibility to be the best doctors we can possibly be, so that those who come after us can strive to be their best. So, with that in mind I move to rename the hospital."
"Again?"asked Yang.
"Why would we do that?" Meredith asked.
"To what?" Arizona questioned.
"Uh let me guess the Harper Avery Hospital" said Cali.
"No. I propose that we give this hospital a name that can honor the very reason we've come together and been able to do this. A name that exemplifies the spirit of this hospital but also the dept of our dedication."
Jackson picked up a notepad and turned it around showing them the name he came up with (Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital) "All in favor?" He asked and everyone agreed looking touched.
By the time the meeting was over he was tired, but feeling really good about everything he got accomplished.
He got home and opened the door to find the house dark. He headed straight to his room, took off his clothes and got into bed next to his wife. He wrapped his arm around her waist and lay his hand on her belly, instantly falling asleep.
~Hey guys, so there goes ch 2. I would love to hear what you think, and as always, thanks for the reviews and favs they keep me going. I'll be uploading the third chapter next week the latest. I hope you enjoyed this one . : )
