overprotective | greys anatomy

5

"you will do great, trust me." levi smiled. paige relaxed, hoping he was right.

she walked into the scrub room, meeting jackson's eyes. he put a hand on her shoulder, "you are going to do fantastic, okay? you're paige meyers. you're an amazing surgeon in training and you are going to be an amazing surgeon. you can do this."

she smiled. she felt happy and warm inside, she hadn't felt that way since before her parents died. this was new and good. this hospital was bringing her more happiness than she had ever hoped. everyone here was like her big siblings. she loved them and they loved her.

—

"how long now?" asked john hansen, the world class surgeon no one here had ever heard off.

"we just hit six hours." wow. no one told paige that her first big surgery would last six hours.
bokhee and glasses stood around dr. avery, and paige stood by dr. hanson.

"okay, we're almost done. paige, you look tired." hanson said, "why don't you go, we can take it from here."

paige wanted to object but she was about to fall asleep. she unscrubbed and head to the changing room.

"ah, cramp!" hanson shouted.

"you okay?" jackson questioned.

"i can't move my hand. do you, uh, think you can close up?"

jackson met the big guys eyes. "yeah i think i can close up."

hanson left and bokhee prepped jackson to close.

—

paige looked at her weary eyes in the mirror. she pulled her hair back and put cold water on her face, trying to wake herself up so she doesn't fall asleep standing there. suddenly, she heard the doornob turn behind her.

"hey i'm in here-" her eyes went wide. "hanson? what are you doing in here? your supposed to be in surgery. and this is the girls restroom!"

she was suddenly pushed to ground.

—

"i haven't heard from her. i thought she stayed in the on call room?" levi said at the morning meeting.

"so did we," jackson said, "all her stuff is here, but she's gone. her phone goes straight to voicemail and no ones seen her since she left surgery yesterday."

"did she seem alright in surgery?" asked april.

"yeah she seemed fine, tired. but we thought she would go to the on call room and sleep."

april, jackson, and levi looked down at the table.

"it's not like she's home sick," levi said, stopping the awkward silence, "she doesn't have anywhere to go. she's not at your place, or mine, or merediths, or alex's, or amelias. everyone has looked everywhere."

jackson's head shot up, "not everywhere." he said, standing up. "tell webber i'll be right back."

april and levi looked at him confused, but he ran out of the room before they could interrogate him.

jackson arrived at the seattle sleep shelter for women and children. he opened the door and was met with a short old lady carrying boxes of canned food.

"can i help you sir?" asked the woman.

"hi, i'm doctor jackson avery. one of my friends has been missing since yesterday. we've checked everywhere, we wanted to know if she showed up here."

"well we don't really keep track of names around here. but i've been working since yesterday morning so i've probably seen her. what's her name?"

"it's paige meyers, but she doesn't like to leave a paper trail so she lies about her name a lot. she might've used the last name asher?"

"not ringing a bell, what does she look like?"

"uh she's 5'4, about 110 pounds. she's got dirty blond hair and blue eyes. really skinny legs, always wears red high top sneakers and she has a gab between her teeth." jackson's voice started shaking. if paige wasn't her he would need to call the cops, and no one wanted that. they all just wanted her home.

"you know, i think i did see her. she was playing chess with these little kids, she really likes the kids. let me go get her."

jackson nodded and sat down, burying his head in his hands.

a few moments later, paige and the old women walked out. paige held a plastic water bottle and her jacket between her arms, her head stayed down. jackson walked up to hug her but she refused. she didn't look him in the eyes or talk to him. she just walked out the door.

"paige! talk to me!" jackson yelled.

"why did you come and get me?" she screamed at him. "i was fine. i was more then fine i was perfect. and you just show up and take me back to that place."

"i thought you loved the hospital." jackson said, confused.

"i do i just- i needed a break."

"well next time call us so we know your not dead or high or kidnapped. please."

"mhmm." paige nodded, slouching into the passenger seat of jackson's fancy car.

she wasnt gonna get to hide this forever.