Chapter 12 "Healing"
"Maybe you should just move back here, I mean, we're pretty fun," Addison laughed as Cooper spun Charlotte around on the dance floor, "And I never thought I'd say that about Charlotte King." Jack shook his head, laughing along with her, taking a sip of his beer.
"I will definitely visit more," he compromised, watching their friends across the bar. "Speaking of visiting, maybe you should visit Seattle. Mark still talks about you, and you and Derek get along fairly well. It'd be like a big, happy, family reunion," Addison cocked an eyebrow.
"Right. That sounds like a blast," Addison took a long drink of her white wine. "You got some sun today," she remarked at the slight sunburn on his cheeks. She noticed he hadn't shaved the entire time he was in LA, his facial hair dark and fuller now. It suited him, she thought to herself. It did age him though, and she wasn't sure he was ready for that.
"I went for a long run on the beach. Even in October you can get some sun here," he ran a hand over his head, watching a blonde watch him from across the bar. Addison followed his gaze.
"I see you still have a thing for blondes," she observed. He let out a self-deprecating laugh and dropped his eyes.
"Not true," he defended himself.
"Oh really?" Addison questioned, turning to face him slightly. She enjoyed teasing the younger man, always had.
"There's actually a brunette back in Seattle," he hadn't mentioned her the whole trip, though he thought about her every day. She had consumed his thoughts during his run this morning.
"A brunette? How come you haven't mentioned her yet? Details!" She faced him fully now, legitimately surprised. She didn't realize he had someone back in Seattle; he had left that part out of their several talks over the past few days. His cheeks grew a little pinker if possible, and he chewed on his cheek.
"She's actually the oncologist treating the little girl I told you about. Her name is Kate. I don't really know her other than through work, but she's different than the others. And there have been others," he raised his eyebrows at his own admittance and Addison slapped his shoulder.
"You and Mark, you manwhores! Thank goodness Derek was well-behaved."
"Oh, because you were," came is sarcastic response but before he could continue, she slapped his shoulder again and pointed a finger.
"That's enough out of you," she narrowed her eyes as he chuckled. "Tell me more about this Kate," she changed the subject, going away from the volatile talk of her and Mark.
"Eh, there's nothing really to tell. Other than the fact that she's stunning. And adorable. And that I've been really nothing but an ass to her," the last part was spoken regretfully. It was true though. As much as he wanted to care, wanted to spend more time with her, everything about that little girl made him sick to his stomach with anxiety. Addison didn't settle for that though.
"So apologize and ask the girl out. Does she seem interested?" She chewed a peanut from the bowl in front of them, her gaze wandering to a few attractive men that lingered around the bar.
"I don't know, she's quiet and focused. It's hard to tell," she's definitely nothing like you, Addison, he thought to himself with a chuckle as Addison made eyes at one guy in particular. She was much more similar to him and Mark, no wonder the three of them got along so well.
"Sounds like someone else we know," she rolled her eyes at her thought of Derek and stood, smoothing her skirt. "Go back to Seattle and ask her out. And save that child. That's my Mother Addison advice," she kissed his cheek, and hugged him tightly. "It was good to see you, little brother. But there's a man over there who is about to buy me a drink, so I must send you back where you came from. Don't be a stranger, you got that?" She knew he was leaving tomorrow morning, and as she waved goodbye before heading to meet the man she'd been staring at, she did send up a little prayer that Jack found his way out of the dark hole he was living in.
He watched the spirited redhead introduce herself to and sidle up to the attractive man, and wondered if Kate had any of that in her. He had wondered about her frequently, she entertained his thoughts with her freckled nose and innocent eyes. He regretted some of the things that had happened between them-some of the things he had done in general.
Paying for his tab, he stood. He wanted a good night sleep before he flew back to Seattle in the morning. He had a lot ahead of him, healing and otherwise. Addison had a point-she always did. Maybe he should help with Stella's case. After all, it wasn't like he could really trust Derek with her after what happened. And it would give him an excuse to innocently get to know Kate better.
This trip had been a good idea, he decided. Despite what had happened to her marriage to Derek, and the fact that she'd slept with his best friend, she was a good person, and someone he trusted with his friendship. She'd grown a lot since her divorce. He decided it was his turn to follow suit. Living in the past never did anyone any good. Or so he'd been told.
"Hi," the husky voice caught her by surprise as Kate jumped slightly, dropping her pen. He grinned beside her, taking in her tight chignon, her pencil skirt, and her fitted blouse. She actually reminded him of Addison for a moment.
She hadn't seen him since their date; it had been a few days. Not because she didn't want to, she'd been busy with patients and the horses. She lost a whole day to a hang over, and that put her well behind for the week.
"Hi," she breathed, greeting him with a smile. He picked up her pen for her, a broad grin on his handsome face.
"Having a good day?" he inquired, leaning against the nurses' station next to her on his elbows. People eyed them as they walked by, and Kate was acutely aware of the attention people were paying them. It was not necessarily her favorite. Though when she caught his blue eyes, she relaxed for a moment, knowing he didn't mean any harm.
"Yeah, just busy. You?" She stopped writing briefly to listen to him recount his day. He was always a bit funny, giving her a laugh no matter what he was talking about. She found that charming.
"So, I was thinking, there's a great French restaurant a few blocks from here. How does Friday night sound?" She was slightly taken aback by his bluntness, but her face relaxed into a smile at the prospect of another night out. "I know the chef, he'll treat us very well," he added that statement and a wink in, as if she needed help deciding.
"I'd like that, Mark," She replied shyly. He squeezed her forearm gently before standing to his full height. She found herself slightly weak in the knees at the gaze he was giving her.
"Great! I'm looking forward to it," He gave her one last handsome smile before striding off. Kate did her best to ignore the jealous looks she got from the surrounding women, and stared down at her charts. One of the intern's beside her had overheard the conversation. She was young, brunette, and Kate thought she remembered something about her being Meredith Grey's half-sister.
"Gosh, he is just so…dreamy. I've heard amazing things about that restaurant. You're really lucky," Kate looked up at the pretty brunette who was jotting away on another chart. Kate remembered she was on Arizona's service this week. She looked in the direction Mark had gone, and looked back at the younger woman.
"I don't know if I'd say lucky is the right word," Kate replied, not entirely sure of herself in this weird, dating position she was in. Lexie shrugged, looking up at Kate, her eyes wide and honest. She reminded Kate of herself.
"I think it's the perfect word," Lexie closed the chart she had and wandered off to find Arizona. Kate watched her go, chewing her lip thoughtfully at what the intern had said. Lucky could be a good word, she supposed. She just felt…fortunate. And still a little shocked.
Arizona settled down into the office chair in front of Kate and eyed the brunette. "Dr. Grey just told me that Mark asked you out again. To Maximilien. I have the perfect dress for you to wear! And a great pair of heels!" Kate stared down at her black ballet flats and then looked back up at Arizona.
"Do you think it's smart for me to go out with him again? I mean, I don't know if I'm ready to start anything serious, and he's just so…you know…and I don't think I'm ready for that yet." Kate's concerns were honest and true. She meant every word. Arizona's dubious look didn't exactly reassure her however.
"Umm…yes I do," was her sassy response. "We don't pass up French fine dining, Kate. And besides, the man likes you and enjoys your company. Maybe he's not Mr. Forever, but enjoy him for a while." The thought of there actually being a Mr. Forever made Kate shiver. Marriage was not something she thought of often.
"I guess you're right. About the meal I mean. I've always wanted to go there. I hear the view is gorgeous."
"The view across your table will be gorgeous too," Arizona winked at her before her pager went off. Kate was relieved. She rolled her eyes. She didn't know why everyone was so interested in her personal life. She finished her chart and went in search of more coffee and a snack. Maybe a walk would take her mind off things.
"As soon as we can see the full extent of the damage once the swelling has gone down, we can proceed from there. With the anti inflammatory drugs we're giving her, and the fact that she is recovering well otherwise, with no infection, I say it could be just another week or so before we can evaluate our next move." Her words were cautious, she didn't want to over promise and under deliver to these poor parents. They'd already been through so much, and they could easily have sued Derek had Jack not managed to fix the child. But she couldn't promise Jack Shephard would appear and fix everything, and that was what made her the most nervous. She hadn't seen him since the surgery. She was concerned for his personal wellbeing as well as her patient. She had contemplated asking Derek for his whereabouts, but thought better of getting involved. She had learned to tread very carefully with the Shephard family thus far. This was no exception just because he sewed her patient back together. "Now that we know she has a Ganglioneuroblastoma we can begin a fierce mixture of chemotherapy in the mean time to help shrink the tumor for possible removal."
"Dr. Jack Shephard will continue with the removal, correct?" Stella's mother gripped her husband's hand so hard Kate could see the white in his knuckles. She hesistated before replying.
"He's been on vacation since Stella's surgery. But as soon as he returns, I will most definitely bring him up to speed. She's still not ready for surgery again so we have time in that regard,"
Kate had read up all she could on Ganglioneuroblastomas. They were beasts of a tumor, and their prognosis was not exactly favorable for young patients. They were extremely rare, especially intramedullar. She hoped the rarity would entice Jack to pursue it further. She knew Derek could do it, but she wanted someone with the ability to focus on it and study it, help her provide the best case scenario option. Being chief of surgery, Derek was not an ideal candidate. He had too much else on his plate.
Kate finished answering Stella's parents' questions, before excusing herself. Though she spent much of her time with Stella, she still had two other patients she was working with. As she made her way toward a little boy's room, she passed her wall of healthy children in remission. It was moments like this she felt blessed to be able to do what she did-glad that all she had to focus on was curing these little lives. She just hoped Stella would have the chance to be on that wall in the future.
Friday came quicker than Kate had anticipated and admittedly, she was dreading her date and looking forward to it all at the same time. She hurried through her day, seeing her three regular patients, as well as performing two consults. The work kept her mind busy, and off her date, that was coming up on her quickly. She glanced at her watch at once point, and was surprised to find it to be already two o'clock. As she threw away her salad from lunch, she prepared herself a cup of tea and made her way back to the elevators to pediatrics.
She pressed the elevator up arrow and wait patiently, straightening her lab coat, and blowing on her hot tea. She tried to envision her closet, did she even own a pair of heels anymore? The last time she'd pulled out a pair of black heels, she and Rich had been going to a gala. And what year had that been?
She was suddenly aware of a presence beside her, and looked up next to her to find Jack Shephard beside her, also appearing lost in his thoughts. She hadn't seen his since the surgery, and seeing him beside her now, quiet and distant, she was at a loss for words. He felt her looking and turned to meet her eyes as she looked away, having caught herself staring at the rugged scruff that lay across his strong jaw. Something about his un-shaven face made her stomach flip flop. The elevator opened at the prime moment, and she slid in first. He stepped in after, his navy scrubs a contrast against her white ones. She chewed on her cheek for a moment, knowing she didn't have a lot of time for all the things she wanted to say to the man, had been dying to say for days. He pressed his button, as she pressed hers.
"Umm, Dr. Shephard, I wanted to formally thank you for what you did," she began timidly. After everything she'd seen that day, she suddenly felt as she knew the man more than she really was supposed to, and it made something about talking to him awkward. He didn't look at her. "You have no idea how much I appreciate what you did, after everything that happened with your daughter," she waited for him to say something, and when he didn't, she continued, "and I just need to tell you how thankful I am. So very thankful. You did great." The last sentence was one of appreciation, and it was so heavily laced with support and proud adulation, he couldn't help but glance down at her, as she looked up to him, her eyes so open, honest. "I know doing it was the last thing you wanted, but please understand how Stella's family feels. And I know Derek appreciates you stepping in, despite how he acted."
Jack couldn't help the smallest of smiles that crossed his lips, his arms dropping from their protective, crossed stance, his hands finding the pockets of his scrubs. He locked eyes with hers. "I didn't do it for Stella, or my brother, Dr. Austen," came his simple response, his eyes bearing into hers. She couldn't have pulled herself away if she had tried, the magnet that was this man had her stuck. Her mind rushed at his words.
Her eyes were deep, and he found himself floored by how clear they were, how he could see forever into them. There were no barriers, no walls, he could see her expressions through their chocolate abyss.
The elevator door chimed, and they were interrupted by a young blonde intern in her light blue scrubs practically prancing in, her long, high ponytail bouncing against her shoulders. Her expression changed completely upon the sight of Jack, and as he and Kate broke their contact, the young girl before them faced him shamelessly. "Good afternoon Dr. Shephard." She greeted only him, before turning, her glance back at him overtly seductive for Kate's taste. Jack's demeanor changed almost completely.
"Hello, Dr. Lyons." Kate registered the change in his tone, and noticed the way his eyes ran down the young woman's back. Through her lab coat, even Kate could tell she had a nice behind. And then she realized what was going on, and she wanted out of the elevator, immediately. Embarrassment crept up her cheeks at the previous moment she'd had with Jack, and she kicked herself for having thought for half a second he'd done that surgery for her, that he had helped her. It sure had sounded as if that had been what he meant, the way he had said it. Apparently, she was mistaken however, as the blonde before him appeared to be where his interests lay. She dropped her head, hiding her eyes, and as the elevator stopped, chiming her floor, she eased out quickly passed the intern, not bothering to acknowledge the way she moved into where Kate was standing as soon as she departed.
She felt stung, though she wasn't entirely sure why she was letting the doctor get the best of her. She knew he was a playboy, it most definitely wasn't a secret. But it was the way he had looked in her eyes, the way he has sucked her into his. Her blood boiled jealously, though she refused to admit that she was jealous to herself. Instead, she found Arizona on one of the computer stations, jotting down notes, and staring at a medical journal on the screen. She sat down abruptly next to her friend.
"You said you had a dress for me to try on right?" Her question was bold, and Arizona nodded quickly.
"Sure, lots! Finally coming around to the idea of your hot date?" The blonde teased, laughing a little at her shy friend.
"I just want to make sure I look nice, is all." She knew Mark found her attractive, there was comfort in that. She was going to have a good time, she told herself. He was a nice man, and how hard could it be to spend the evening with him again? And maybe it would ease how she felt right this moment, as she pushed the idea of Jack and the intern out of her mind-or at least tried.
A little Jate action for your amazing readers ;) Don't worry, there's more to come, from a guest author as well! Thank you to ForeverErica and emerson123 for their amazing encouragement! Go read their work-you won't be disappointed if you love Jate!
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