Code Blue • Jackson Avery

Chapter Eighty One

Jackson and I walked into the hospital with happy grins on our faces. The morning had gone well with us being able to enjoy coffee, sitting down. It indicated it was going to be a great day.

"Are you excited?" I asked as we rode the elevator. I straightened out my coat and fixed my badge.

"I have money on someone peeing in the first 24 hours" Jackson said, pulling out a twenty dollar bill from his front pocket. I couldn't help but laugh a little.

As we walked out we saw Callie, Meredith and Alex waiting by the board. Suddenly Arizona runs by.

"It's happening. The baby chicks and ducks are here" Arizona announced running ahead of the group to get a good seat. We all gathered into the gallery to watch Webber give his typical speech. The same speech I heard when I came to Seattle Grace for the first time.

I quickly thought back to my first day here, the fresh opportunity I had been given by my dad. The escape from the hustle and bustle of New York in exchange for the fresh pines and rainy days.

A wave of sadness hit me but I choked back the feeling not wanting to be sad when meeting the new interns. We watched as they looked around in awe.

"They look stupid" Alex commented.

"They look like babies" Meredith corrected him. "We're we ever that young?"

"Speak for yourself I am still youthful" I joked.

"Two years is nothing. They look so rested" Jackson commented back.

As the interns left the OR all the doctors including Jackson and myself started to leave the gallery.

"Oh hey, don't forget about the wedding this afternoon" Jackson said reminding me.

"I won't" I said planting a kiss on Jackson's lips before heading to the intern locker room to go and meet some of them.

"How's the chicks and ducks?" I asked standing next to Webber in the hallway.

"Chicks and ducks?"

"Arizona" I responded not needing to explain that anymore. Webber shook his head understanding.

"Interns. This is Dr. Shepherd one of the best neurosurgeons to walk this hall. I hope you all listen, observe and learn from her" Webber announced. I smiled giving a small wave to the interns.

I walked away to go check the board when all chaos broke lose in the hospital. Mass casualties were being reported when the 99 tunnel collapsed. I immediately geared up awaiting the arrival of patients with head trauma.

I was paged to the trauma room one. "What do we have?" I asked pulling the curtain back to walk in.

"Kid 17 extremely unstable"

I began to examine his eyes and head while the rest of the doctors tried to bring his vitals up.

"He needs to be brought to the OR immediately" I announced having seen head trauma that needs to be corrected immediately.

"He won't make it to the OR. We need to drain his blood and insert cold saline. Hibernate his body and hope we can bring him back" Hunt explained. Everyone got quiet.

"No, are you serious?" Jackson asked outraged.

"It's his only hope. It's a study that's been conducted in major trauma scenes-"

"It's a study. He's a minor. There's no way" Jackson shouted. His mother who I didn't know arrived walked in.

"What is going on?" Catherine asked.

"We need to insert cold saline. Drain the blood and then bring his temp back up" Hunt explained. Catherine looked outraged.

"It's a no hunt. We have wasted too much time arguing about this already" Catherine exclaimed before walking off. Hunt quickly turned towards me.

"You have just as much say as they do? Can I go ahead?" Hunt asked. Alex and Wilson looked at me.

"Go for it. He's on the verge of dying. It's our only hope" I said looking at Jackson. He immediately looked bewildered that I went against his judgement.
———
Later that day I had tried to save a patient but had decided for my sanity and for the families sanity that this was a lost cause. The brain was too swollen to work and the nerves were completely useless.

"Time of death 18:45" I said defeated. I walked out of the OR to scrub out.

"Just like that. You decide it's over" Amelia said from the corner.

"Excuse me?" I asked running the water and scrubbing my hands with soap.

"You decide its over. Just like that" Amelia continued. She was becoming sad and angry. "People can survive. I make miracles happen daily. So did your father. You don't give up like that. That's why your dad died"

"Amy, I-"

"Don't call me that. No one is to call me that. I could have saved your dad. Just like you could have saved that man" Amelia shouted.

"You think I don't think about that daily. That maybe just maybe if I had been there I could have done something. I believe Meredith made the right call. At the end of the day he had other children. It was just me losing a father" I shouted back. The scrub in door swung open to reveal Jackson.

"I didn't even get to see my own brother"

"I didn't either. My own father was there one moment and gone the next. I am hurting just as much as you are but I am damn sure that I try to save lives everyday. Some just aren't save-able. My dad is one of them" I shouted once more before pushing past Jackson and walking down the hall trying to take a breath.

"Bella" Jackson called out but I continued down the hall. I headed to check on the kid we had originally operated on. When I exited the room I was met by Jackson.

"I'll just say it now. You were right I took a big risk"

"You were lucky. That's not why I am here though. What was with Amelia and you?" Jackson asked leaning on the nurses desk and I filed out the remaining paperwork.

"She's angry at the world. She's just not sure who to take it out on. I'm just as mad at Meredith as she is. Why couldn't I get one last goodbye. Tell him about Jacob? He was gone before I even knew" I began trying to choke back the tears.

Jackson grabbed me in a hug tightly. I let out a deep breath inhaling his smell.

"Are you ready for a wedding?" Jackson asked. I looked up at him with a smile.

"Ready"