My favorite chapter to write so far. Especially since we won't be getting Jackson/April on Grey's anytime soon. Thank you for your reviews and enjoy!
April and Jackson went to the hospital and ran over to Jackson's mother.
"Where is he?" Jackson asked.
"He's with Dr. Hunt. They won't let me in." Catherine cried.
Jackson and April ran to the room he was in and right then his grandfathers stats started lowering.
"Get me a crash cart." Jackson yelled out.
"Do you want us to save his life? Get out Avery, now!" Callie yelled at him.
"It's okay Jackson, I'll stay. You go be with your mom. Charge the paddles to 200." April said as she took over. "We have a heartbeat, let's take him to the OR." April said as she read his chart.
"I'll update you as soon as I can." She said as he stood in disbelief. "Hey, I love you Jackson." She said as she grabbed his face so he could look at her. She ran off to the OR with Callie and Hunt as Jackson went off to comfort his mother. April scrubbed in and joined her Callie and Owen at the table. They began to cut him open.
"So when did you and Jackson become friends again?" Callie asked.
"We're kind of dating." April responded.
"Good for you, you and Avery go well together. He's a good guy." Hunt said. Right then Harper's stats started lowering. They tried to revive him, but they couldn't. April walked over to Jackson and his mom and broke the news.
"We did everything we could." April said as she started crying and tried to comfort Jackson. "I'm sorry." She said to him and Catherine. Jackson got up and walked away. He needed to be alone.
"All my life, everything I have - I owe to that man. He was rough around the edges but he did his best." Catherine cried to April.
"His tumor eroded, there was no way to take it out without killing him." April said to her.
"Tumor? He didn't have a tumor. He would've told me, he -" She stopped and started crying.
"I'm so sorry Ms. Avery." April replied. She walked off and went to look for Jackson. She found him sitting in the room where they had his grandfather and sat with him. He was crying and staring at the dead body.
"You know my whole life has been about impressing that man - about trying to be like him. Yet he didn't even have the courage to fight this thing. I read his chart." Jackson said to her. April put her arms around him.
"You've become such a strong person, a person that's willing to risk his life to save someone else. If that doesn't impress him, I don't know what would." She said.
"That's the thing - nothing made him proud. And part of me felt relieved that he passed away - that makes me a terrible person, doesn't it?" He said.
"No it's part of what makes you a human being. You feel, you hurt. You love. If you ask me, that's what makes a person strong - the ability to open up." April responded. A tear came down her eye and she wiped it away quickly - she wanted to be strong for Jackson.
"I uh, I just need to be alone for a while." He said as he got up and walked away. April felt terrible, but right now Jackson needed time to grieve.
A week went by and she hadn't heard from Jackson. He didn't come home the night that his grandfather passed away and she had no idea where he was. He hadn't been showing up to work either. He even missed his grandfathers funeral. She went to the hospital and found Catherine in the hallway.
"Have you seen Jackson?" April asked her.
"No I've been calling him and he doesn't pick up." She said.
"Are you guys talking about Jackson?" Derek asked as he walked by. They both nodded. "I gave him the keys to my trailer, he should be there." Derek said as he walked off. April walked off and drove to the trailer. She found Jackson sitting outside having a beer.
"Go get dressed." She said to him.
"I think I'm going to stay here for a couple more days." Jackson replied nonchalantly.
"You don't get to do this, not anymore - we live together. You don't get to leave and not tell me where you're going." She shouted at him. "I know you're going through a rough time - but so is your mother. I'm trying to be understanding but God Jackson! You don't make it easy." She yelled. He put down his beer and walked into the trailer. April followed him inside.
"Talk to me." She pleaded. Jackson turned around and looked at April.
"Why wouldn't he tell us?" Jackson shouted. "Why? We could've helped him. He wouldn't have had to die alone." He yelled furiously as he kicked a chair.
"Maybe he was scared." April replied getting closer to him.
"Scared of what - staying alive?" Jackson yelled out.
"Scared that you wouldn't look beyond the tumor. Scared because his days were numbered and he didn't want his last moments with the people he loved to be all about the tumor." April replied.
"I just wish he would've told us." Jackson said as his eyes got watery. April walked over to him and hugged him.
"We're gonna get through this Jackson. You don't have to go through this alone anymore. Your problems are my problems." She said not letting him go.