Stitches of Survival

Odd Man Out

Author's note at the end, please read!

Chapter Fifty-Nine: Odd Man Out

*~*~*~*

"I thought it'd be weird, you know, the small talk, the eye contact, the polite eating, but really, it wasn't. I mean, she was nice. It was nice," Jackson told Alex and I as we all stood around in a patient's room as Jackson worked on cleaning glass out of the girl's arm. He was catching us up on the first date he'd gone on since his and April's divorce was finalized.

"So you're getting out there, huh?" I raised a brow at my brother.

"I don't know about that," Jackson shook his head. "I mean, it was sudden, but yeah, it was a date."

"Does Kepner know about it?" Alex questioned. 

"No. No, and do not tell her, okay? Either of you," Jackson glanced between us, clearly not wanting the redhead to know about his new love life. 

"Sure. Whatever," Alex shrugged while I only nodded. It had been a couple of weeks since I had talked to April about her pregnancy, but she had yet to say anything to Jackson about it. 

"I mean, I'm not lying, you know?" Jackson tried to rationalize it for himself. "I just don't want her to hear it from someone else. I mean, I'll tell her, you know, when the time is right."

"Uh, we all hear the dogs, right?" Edwards questioned as she joined us in the room, thrown off by the sound of dogs barking. "There are dogs somewhere."

"Once a month, a rescue group brings in a bunch of puppies for the kids," Alex explained to her. "It's good for morale and healing and crap."

"No," Edwards shook her head.

"What's the matter?" Jackson asked the resident. 

"Okay, I'm on peds today. No," Edwards shook her head at the thought of the dogs while I only chuckled, well aware that she was on my service for the day-- Webber having taken it upon himself to switch up who all the residents were working with for the day.

"Hope you like dogs," Alex chuckled as he left the room. 

"You know, I was thinking about adopting one," I directed my words to Jackson as he kept working on the girl's arm. "What do you think Mark would think?"

"I'm still trying to picture you having a dog," Jackson chuckled at the thought. 

"Hey, I love dogs!" I assured him. "And I think it would be nice for the kids, especially Joel. He's been having a hard time at school, I think it'd be nice. He'd have another little friend at home, it could help teach him some more responsibility."

"Right, well, have fun with that." Jackson glanced towards my resident for the day before adding, "Have fun with the dogs."

*~*~*~*

"She said, 'Because my baby's fine!'" Arizona ranted to me about April later that morning. Apparently she had tried setting April up for testing on the baby, to ensure it didn't have the same condition as Samuel, but the redhead had shot her down. "OI can be diagnosed early."

"Why wouldn't she take the test?" I frowned at the news. "That's crazy."

"I know," Arizona nodded. 

"Well, then it might have to be Jackson who convinces her," I sighed, unable to think of any other way to get our friend to take her condition seriously. After Samuel, there was a high chance that this baby could have OI, too.