Jackson supports April when she takes the interim chief position. S13.
April Kepner was not a violet person, and yet, she really wanted to punch someone for the first time in years.
She knew that everyone was upset about Dr. Webber's dismissal and the hiring of Dr. Minnick - she was too, but things had to keep on moving. They couldn't just stage a protest and pout their lips in the hopes that he'd be reinstated - not when there were patients who needed attending to and paperwork that needed to be done. She'd hoped that the rest of her coworkers would understand that, instead of acting like she was some sort of traitor. It made her feel like she was back in high school, and she'd worked way too hard to stand up for herself and not be stuck in that period of her life anymore.
It had been a difficult morning, dealing with pettiness from Richard, Arizona and Maggie, and it was only on her lunch break that it really sunk in how few people she had on her side. Sure, there was Bailey and Catherine, but everyone else seemed to be giving her dirty looks and not even offering one word of support. She tried to hide her hurt, taking a seat at an empty table on her own as they watched her from another table. She wanted to at least talk to Jackson, but she didn't want to cause a scene or make things uncomfortable by convincing him to sit with her. A part of her hoped that maybe he would come over on his own, just to see where they stood. Hopefully at least one person would support her - if not her for, then for Harriet's sake. The last thing she wanted was for things between them to be awkward at home. Sighing to herself, April picking at her salad with a fork, trying to tune everything out.
Jackson looked over at April, debating whether he should move. The hospital situation was complicated, and whilst he didn't agree with Richard's dismissal and Meredith's suspension, the main person he blamed in the scenario was his mother. He knew that April looked up to her a lot and that she was just trying to keep things running smoothly and keep the peace, which was why it was hard hearing everyone question her character.
"She's a turncoat. She was leading the charge and suddenly Bailey dangles a carrot and it's all 'See ya, Webber'," Maggie stated, causing Jackson to suddenly tune back into the conversation.
"She's also a friend," Owen tried to reason. He'd been insisting on being Switzerland and remaining neutral.
"A poor, misguided, very confused friend. It's like finding out that your friend voted wrong," Arizona added, taking a sip of her water.
He clenched his jaw, feeling himself getting mad. He'd been listening to people question April all day - from calling her a traitor, to disagreeing with her choices as chief of general and just generally making things difficult for her. His mind flashed back to the day they're told each other 'me and you', and he knew that he had to stand up for her. That was still the mother of his children and one of the only people he had left from Mercy West.
"All right, knock it off. I get it - we're all pissed, and we all want things to go back to the way they were, but quit judging April and acting like she's some sort of pariah. This is April we're talking about - the person who felt guilty for earning chief resident. She's always supporting everyone else, even when they mess up, so we should be supporting her. Let her do her job."
Everyone at the table looked at him with wide eyes, obviously not expecting him to snap. Their expressions soon turned guilty, and they spent much of the rest of their lunch in silence until they were either paged or left on their own accord.
Jackson looked over to April's table, hoping to offer her a sympathetic smile, but was disappointed to see she'd already left. He made a mental note to check in on her the next time he saw her.
She didn't know how many hours had passed by the time she next got a break. Between admin work, a difficult patient and Maggie continuing to be a pain, April felt more exhausted than usual. When she did finally get a few minutes to spare, April made her way to the daycare, hoping to catch a moment with Harriet. She was greeted by Jackson in his everyday clothes, who was getting ready to take her home.
"Hi, sorry. I just wanted to kiss her goodnight, 'cos I'm gonna be here late prepping for a department meeting, and then I've got a tumour debulking to prep for, so..." April explained, swaying Harriet in her arms and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"It's alright. You doing okay?" He asked, picking up the baby bag and placing it on his shoulder.
April let out a sigh, "Uhm, yeah, I guess. I mean, I love the work but I don't love being made out to be a bad person for doing my job. It almost feels like when we were considered the invaders again, you know? I thought I'd moved past that with everyone."
"You're not a bad person, April. If it helps, I told them to back off at lunch. I may not agree with Minnick being here but that isn't your fault."
"Thank you...for having my back. I appreciate it."
"Me and you, right?"
April chuckled, "Yeah, me and you. I better get going. I'll see you later?" She gave Harriet another kiss, before handing her back over to Jackson, "Bye, my little ladybug."
"You saying that to me or her?" Jackson joked, making sure that Harriet was comfortable in his arms.
She rolled her eyes, refraining from swatting him only because he had their daughter in his arms. "Bye to you too."
As she turned on her heels and exited the daycare, Jackson couldn't help but feel good about where things were between them. Even amongst all the chaos of Grey Sloan, they still had each other, and he was grateful for that.