invasion ↠ jackson avery ✓

35

[BELLA LEDFORD]
Seattle, Washington

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚

Even though Bella had a day off, she found herself at the hospital. Shocker, right? When she legally was forced to stay away—she had reached her hours, and she supposed she had overstayed it a little, too—she couldn't obey, but when she was there, and had to actually work, she wished for nothing more than time off. A vicious circle she couldn't escape, nor manage properly.

She wandered the hallway in her black trousers and grey shirt, a royal blue leather jacket pulled over the top. Her heels touched the floor and echoed between the walls with every step she took. The menthol and eucalyptus flavoured chewing gum blown into a silent bubble, only to go out in a loud snap, was the only other noise that filled the empty air.

When she turned down a corridor, the sound of a man hit her ears. The words were muffled, then became clearer. When she reached the door, she caught some of the question, "...and we're doing something like this again today?"

"Yeah," the answer was very clearly one spoken by Jackson. Perhaps the easiest voice to pick out in a crowded room. It didn't take more than a few steps for Bella to make it to the opened door and stand behind the two surgeons in the room. "Dr Kepner reached out for a consult a week ago, regarding a kid from Jordan with Ollier's disease."

The case was not news to Bella. She had heard about it, both from April, then later on from Jackson. On the screen were two photos. One of the tumours on a previous patient's hand, the other post operation. Jackson's work truly was immaculate. Seeing the side-by-side pictures left Bella's chest bursting with endless warmth, pride coddling her steadily beating heart.

Pointing towards the first photo, Jackson said to Warren, "You can see, these are the enchondromas."

"Cartilaginous tumours," the resident replied. "They—They grow from the growth plates, right?"

"Exactly," Jackson nodded. Even from the back, Bella saw as he loosely crossed his arms. "Which is why you're gonna want to do a wide local excision, expose the bone so I can get in there and reconstruct the hand—,"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait—I will?" the shock in Warren voice had to have replicated on his face as he turned to his mentor because Jackson chuckled. "I will dissect the tumour?"

"I thought so," he said to him. Shaking his head, playing it off, he continued, "If you're up for it."

"Hell yes, I am," Warren laughed.

"Jackson Avery giving the spotlight to someone else? Well, I'll be damned," Bella commented once she found the perfect window of opportunity to do so. Both of the men in the room turned back to be faced with her wide, teasing grin.

"Dr Ledford, hi," Warren spoke first.

"How long have you been standing there?" Jackson questioned right after his student. Bella shrugged; hands locked in front of her body. She walked inside, one slow, careful step after another, like she had nothing better to do. And she did not. "Creep."