Jackson felt a twinge of nervous energy knocking on the door to Christina Yang's apartment. He didn't really know Christina all that well, aside from a very awkward kiss at a party years ago, and what he was about to ask her for was fairly personal. She answered the door in her bathrobe, and that made him feel even more out of place. "Dr. Avery, what are you doing here?"
"I was hoping to talk to you."
She moved aside to let him in.
"Thanks" he said.
"So… sup?"
"I'd really appreciate it if you talked to April for me."
"Kepner and I aren't really girlfriends."
"No, but I know she respects you, and what you've been through something like what we're going through."
"I'm sorry, what are you talking about?"
"I want April to terminate her pregnancy."
"Whoa" she said. "Where is this coming from? I thought you two were all psyched to be procreating?"
"We were" he said. "Before we found out that April's blood pressure is elevated. The pregnancy is high-risk, but April won't even consider abortion. I just think she might understand the whole thing better if you talked to her."
"Uh-huh" she nodded. "You know I think your wife is ridiculous right? I mean, she's obnoxious, and flighty, and Pollyanna-ish."
"Are we getting to a point?" he asked, clenching his jaw in annoyance. He'd typically defend his wife, but sense he was in Christina's house, in the middle of the night, asking for a favor, he held back.
"I'm not going to be knitting sweaters and drinking cocoa with her anytime soon, but I respect her. As a doctor, and as a capable adult who doesn't need me to give her advice on what to do with her own uterus and whatever is growing in it."
"She could die!"
"Well, if she's willing to take that risk, I'm not about to march in there like the abortion police and tell her she has to make the same decision as I did."
"So that's it? What I want doesn't matter? I just have to spend the next six and a half months with my fingers crossed that I won't lose my wife."
"She won't need to wait the full nine months to induce, and I'm sure Addison will keep a close watch on her, she's an excellent doctor."
He sighed. "I guess that all makes it a little better."
"Good, glad I could help" she said dismissively, opening the door. "Should we hug now?"
"Definitely not. Thank you."
"Yep."
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He headed back to room 323, to try to talk some sense into his wife one last time, but found her bed empty. His heart sank in his chest, and it felt like all his worst fears had been confirmed. "Where's my wife?" he asked the nurse in the hall through the open door. "Did something happen? Is she alright?"
"Yes. She just went for a walk."
"'Went for a walk?'" he said angrily, moving into the hall to talk to her. "She's on bed rest."
"She said something about the chapel?"
"Great" he sighed, pressing the call button for the elevator.
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He ran to the chapel, and sure enough his wife was in the second row of pews, head bowed, and eyes closed. "April" he sighed. you're supposed to be in bed."
"Relaxation is good for me" she said, opening her eyes, but keeping her gaze away from him. "This relaxes me. It's so pretty in here. The way the stained glass reflects the light."
"Yeah, it's great" he said, unimpressed. He sat next to her, and put his arm around her protectively.
"Are you still mad at me?"
"I'm not mad at you."
"Right" she scoffed.
"I'm not. I'm just frustrated. I feel like I'm watching you teeter on the edge of a cliff, and there's nothing I can do to get you to come down."
"Jackson, there's a good chance that I'll have carry a healthy baby to term, and be just fine."
"Any chance of losing you is too big, okay? You aren't just my wife, you're my best friend. You're everything."
"You and this baby are everything to me too" she smiled, placing a hand over her belly. "That's why I'm doing this. This is the best thing for our family. I really do believe that everything is going to work out."
"Is there anything I can do to get you to reconsider this?"
"No. I'm sorry."
"Okay" he sighed. "So what do we do?"
"We wait. We trust that everything is going to be alright. We hope for the best."
"Well, you need to do what Addison says then" he said getting up. "Come on, back in bed."
"Alright" she sighed.
"You know, it probably isn't good for you to be walking."
"Jackson, I'm fine."
"Well" he said, scoping his left hands beneath her, and using his right hand to support her back. "We should use every precaution necessary."
"You'll hurt yourself" April laughed.
"Please, even pregnant you weigh like ninety pounds."
"I love you" she smiled, looking into eyes.
"I love you too, April" he said back. "I love you so much it scares me."
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