Claire Jackson AU

Claire Jackson (Chapter 1)

Ethan had a relatively normal work schedule. Relative in the fact he was a doctor, and in the fact that it always tended to be the same shifts. Working on the diagnostics team had a way of creating a schedule for him. He needed to check on patients when the rest of the team was there, and all the paperwork and logistics he would figure out in the evening right before he left. Some days tended to be longer, others shorter, but they were all relatively normal working hours. Today was no different. He worked his usual shift with the team and planned on going home no later than 11. But his head was clouded, and his mind was busy. And all he could think about was Lexie.

She had never acted this nervous, this shaken. If she wasn't nose deep in a patient's file, she was thrashing her neck over her shoulder every 3 seconds, desperately scoping the room with her eyes. She seemed distracted all day. She was slow on her answers, and constantly deep in thought. He only really started noticing this when she chose a salad for lunch. Lexie would normally go for any kind of chicken, there were even dino nuggets that day. But she stuck to a cold salad. More alert was raised when she took one bite before slamming her fork into the salad hard. She then picked it up and tossed it into the nearest bin before running off.

She hadn't really spoken to Ethan all day, she more or less avoided him. The one thing she made clear that day was that she was heading home. He blamed all the behavior and pent up emotions on her mother passing away. He knew the two of them weren't close but her mother meant a lot to her. He tried to talk to her but she walked away or hung up. He didn't blame her, she was sad and grieving and needed to be alone for a while. So he would leave her alone for a while. After such a weird day he decided to take the graveyard shift for the night, hoping this would clear his thoughts.

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Several hours and coffees later brought him to now. Walking around the hospital to finish everything he needed to before he could finally retreat back to his house and dog. Working all night long helped in small amounts, but she was still the first thing in his mind. He was so zoned out that it took him a second to realize the conversation he was about to have. A young girl, the age of, maybe 10, walked through the doors alone, a flight attendant waving her goodbye from a distance. He guessed she was her to see a relative and her parents couldn't take her so she was sent alone. This may have seemed normal except the young child looked oddly familiar. She had short brown hair that was tangled and squashed by a headband. Big brown eyes and an even bigger smile. Seeing as no one was around, and no one else looked like they were going to help her, Ethan decided to.

Ethan towered over the small child as she looked around. He bent down so he was eye level with her and she stared at him deeply. Her smile wavered for a second before she shone back with it somehow bigger than before.

"Hey little lady, you seemed lost. Can I help you find your parents?" Ethan was a natural at being a father figure, even if he always criticized himself on how he was never fit for kids. He had done loads of pediatric work in his time, so it was second nature to joke around with kids all the time by now.

"Hey! I'm not that little, I'm 8 years old. And if you're going to help me find my mum, you better be committed. I haven't seen her since Christmas two years ago." The small child beamed back at him as she weakly tried to recall her mother,

"Well, I guess home will have to wait for now. Is she a patient here?"

"From what I was told, no. I think..... I think she's a doctor here."

"Well do you know her name, and before we start looking for her, what's yours?"

"Oh, well I'm Claire Jackson, nice to meet you Mr?" The young girl held out her hand to him and Ethan chuckled slightly.

"Mr. Ramsey, Ethan Ramsey," he placed Claire's hand in his and shook it gently as her eyes went wide with excitement.

"You're Ethan Ramsey? My mum has your books everywhere at home, I mean everywhere." She giggled at the memory of venturing into her mother's old room to see piles of his work.

"Your mother seems very interesting, now tell me, what's her name?"  

 "You probably won't know her but I think grandma said..." she trailed off in thought, placing her hand on her chin and scrunching her nose, biting her lip deeply. Something he found oddly familiar. " Ohh, her name is Lexie, Lexie Colon."

He could physically feel the color from his face drain as everything seemed to click into place. The looks, the habits, the behavior. They had been dating for 3 years. How had she not even hinted at the fact she had an 8-year-old daughter.