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Never Saw It Coming
Chapter 9
April
Jackson had orchestrated the perfect day. They did a tourist day. Funnily enough, neither of them had done the main attractions before. They went to the Seattle Space Needle, went to the Seattle Aquarium, did a land and water tour of Seattle called Ride the Ducks, fed green herons at Washington Park Arboretum (which was Jackson's favorite thing to do in his downtime), went to see the Fremont Troll. People thought they were tourists like them. Little did they know Jackson and April had been living in this city for years now. It was an amazing day.
Jackson ended the day by taking her out to dinner at a beautiful restaurant. At first she had been self-conscience about the fact that she was still wearing rain boots in such a nice place, but Jackson waved it off and as they split a bottle of wine, April relaxed and they both laughed throughout their entire meal. Every place they had gone, Jackson had gotten photo souvenirs of them both and they flipped through them, laughing and pointing out their favorites.
"I think my favorite is the Fremont troll," she said, taking a sip of her wine. It was April pretending to be terrified of the troll and Jackson pretending to rescue her. There was another one of them laughing at the camera with April in Jackson's grasp, safe from the protector of the Fremont neighborhood.
Jackson nodded and said, "I think that that's my favorite fun one. My all-time favorite is the one of us on the duck boat," Jackson said, handing her the photo. April smiled as she looked it at. Jackson's arms were around April and she was laughing and smiling at the camera. Jackson though was smiling down at her, watching her laugh. The Seattle skyline was behind them. It was actually one of those photos that looked too good to be real. Like it was taken specifically for a tourism magazine.
"Yeah, this one is amazing," she said, setting it down on the pile.
"Did you have fun today?" he asked.
"More than you could know," she said truthfully. "It was so perfect. What about you? Did you have fun?"
He nodded and said, "I had so much fun. It was a perfect day."
Jackson and April split a tiramisu and when they were both stuffed full of delicious food, he asked, "Ready to go home?"
She nodded and he stood, helping her up. She smiled and said, "I am so full I will probably waddle out of here."
He chuckled and led her out of the restaurant and the valet brought up his car. April shivered as he blasted some heat and she leaned her head against the headrest, her eyes hooding. She was so comfortable. And happy. She hadn't felt that way in so long.
The next thing she knew she felt the car stop. Her eyes snapped open and she flushed in embarrassment to Jackson and said, "Oh jeez. I didn't mean to pass out on you. I was just so comfortable."
He nodded and got out, walking around the car as April gathered her purse, umbrella, and pictures up as she unclicked her seatbelt. Jackson had her door open and held his hand out to her. She accepted it and he took her umbrella and the photos from her grasp. She walked into her apartment and just assumed Jackson was staying with her.
She locked the apartment behind her and asked, "Sleep with me again?"
He nodded and said, "Of course, come on."
April smiled and turned towards her room and Jackson began stepping out of his jeans and his shirt as April went to her dresser and grabbed a little nightgown and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Jackson slid in next to her a moment later and brushed his teeth at the sink with her. She smiled a toothpasty grin at him in the mirror as she brushed, which he returned. They both began to laugh and April and Jackson rinsed and finished before going back to her room and climbing underneath the covers.
It had been a long, fun-filled day and they both were tired. April snuggled against Jackson and he flinched as her skin touched his and said, "You are freezing!"
"I know. It's the rain and being out in it all day," she said, "Warm me up."
She tilted her face towards his and he smiled before leaning down and pressing his warm lips to hers. She shivered as the kiss continued, but not because she was cold.
Jackson ran his hands up and down her arms, warming them up under his touch. She wrapped one arm around his neck and then ran the other up his chest and then to his shoulder, finally resting it on the back of his neck to pull him closer.
Jackson and April kissed and made out like teens for what seemed like hours until Jackson broke the kiss with a yawn. She chuckled and said, "I am worn out too. Let's get some sleep."
He kissed her lips once more before rolling to turn off her bedside lamp and pulling her close to him. She smiled as she felt his lips brush against the nape of her neck and whisper, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight Jackson," she whispered back. It took no time for both of them to be pulled under.
Jackson
Jackson woke up with a smile on his face. He had held her all night after such an amazing day. April and him were back on track and he couldn't be happier. He never felt like this before. Ever.
Jackson was surprised he woke up before April did. He looked down at her and smiled. Her mouth was slightly open and she was snoring softly against his chest. He chuckled and it was enough to wake her up.
She smiled up at him and then coughed loudly. Jackson stopped and said, "Are you sick?"
April coughed again and her nose was plugged as she said, "Oh God. I am! It figures. I play hooky once and I get sick! Karma is an evil mistress."
He laughed and said, "I shouldn't have kept you out all day in the rain."
She shook her head and said, "I am glad we did all that. It was perfect."
She coughed again and began to pull herself out of his arms, "I don't want to get you sick!"
He shook his head and pulled her close and said, "I don't care." And he really didn't.
"You will when you won't be able to operate," she argued, but didn't pull herself out of his arms.
He shrugged, then looked down at her and said, "I think you should call out sick…again."
She frowned and said, "Hunt is going to be so mad."
Jackson laughed and said, "No he won't. He won't want you there getting all the patients sick."
April sighed in defeat and called Hunt's secretary, but Hunt was there and asked, "Kepner? Are you feeling better?"
"No, that's why I am calling, I am just feeling worse. I want to come in, but-"
"Don't come in. We don't need another CDC situation on our hands. Stay at home until you are better," he ordered in his authoritative voice.
April thanked him and hung up.
Jackson began to climb out of bed when his phone rang. He scrambled for it in his jeans pocket on the floor and said, "It's Hunt."
April grimaced and he said, "Hello?"
"Jackson, are you feeling any better?" Hunt asked.
"A little. I was planning on coming in today," he said.
"Don't. Can you do me a favor and head over to Kepner's. I know you are close. She has been sick the past couple of days and I want to make sure she has everything she needs," he said in concern.
Jackson smiled over his shoulder at April as he dropped his pants and said, "I would be happy to look in on her. Maybe I should make her some chicken noodle soup," he said, smiling down at April as he played with her hair. Jackson snuggled back in the bed with her as she covered her mouth to muffle her giggles.
"I think she would appreciate it," Hunt said, "Thanks, Avery and let me know how she is doing."
Jackson told him he would look after her and then hung up and both April and Jackson burst out laughing.
"Let's' go back to sleep. Then I will make you that chicken noodle soup," he said, kissing her slightly warm forehead. She nodded and he wrapped the blankets around them and they both burrowed deep under them as they fell back asleep.
Her coughing woke Jackson up about an hour later, but April remained asleep and he silently climbed out of bed. He grabbed his keys and his clothes, pulling them on. He was going to the store to grab some medicine for her and to get stuff for the homemade chicken noodle soup. His mother had the best recipe. He also wanted to swing by his apartment to grab some clothes and toiletries.
He texted Catherine for it as he shopped and she quickly responded, concerned he was sick. He would call her later. He grabbed all the items he needed and checked out, quickly getting back to April after swinging by his apartment.
When Jackson got back, he found April was still sleeping, which was a good sign. She obviously needed it and the best remedy was rest.
Jackson walked to the kitchen and began throwing the soup together. He also made delicious rolls that she could dip into the soup if she wanted. He set out the medicine and then went to her bathroom and rooted around it until he found her humidifier. He set it up in her room and then walked out into the living room and waited for her to wake up.
About an hour and a half after Jackson had woken up, April emerged rubbing her eyes and holding a wad of Kleenex. She inhaled and said, "I can smell the soup. It's smells amazing!"
He smiled and asked, "Hungry?"
She nodded and he guided her towards the kitchen. He served her a bowl and a small plate of three rolls. She smiled and began to eat. "Mmmm. This is so good!" she said, closing her eyes.
He nodded and ate some soup and rolls. Not as good as his mother's, but it was pretty good.
Jackson regarded her across the table and she held up her hand and said, "No diagnosing me at the table!"
He laughed and said, "At least let me feel if you're fever has gone down."
She shook her head, but leaned forward as Jackson extended his hand across the table and placed the back of it against her forehead. She was slightly warm, but it had gone down.
"You will be good to go," he said, sighing in relief.
"Thank you for taking such good care of me," she said, ladling the last bite of soup in her mouth.
"It's the least I could do, since I got you sick," he said, "You want more soup?"
She shook her head and said, "Let's go watch some TV."
Jackson nodded and grabbed her soup bowls and set them in the sink. He would wash them later.
Jackson grabbed April a glass of water and then handed her the medicine he had picked up for her. "Take that and then we will"
April nodded, read the instructions on the bottle and then he followed her into the living room. Jackson sat on the couch and April sat next to him. He tapped his lap and she placed her feet on it, covering herself in a throw blanket at he flipped through the channels. They settled on some documentary and April soon fell asleep once more as Jackson snuggled next to her, half of her weight on him.
Jackson and April spent all day, lying together. Jackson rubbed her back as she coughed every once in a while in her sleep. He liked taking care of her.
She woke up a few hours later and said she wanted more soup, which was sitting on the lowest setting on the stove. Jackson served her some more as she sat up on the couch and said, "Jackson…thank you."
He kissed her forehead and said, "Your fever is gone."
April yawned and smiled and said, "I am going to take some more meds and go back to bed. Will you stay?"
He nodded and said, "I am going to make some calls, but I will be in later."
She smiled and he stood and kissed her before saying, "Get some sleep."
"That's all I have been doing it seems," April said, pouting.
"You need it," he replied with a smile as he set out her medicine once more.
She took it and then left Jackson in the kitchen. Jackson began cleaning everything up and then went out the living room to return some calls to his mother and Dr. Hunt.
After he spoke to both, he was more than happy to climb in beside April and pull her into his arms.