Youngest Shepherd

Remember The Time

The surgeons from the plane crash had been taken home to Seattle. Ava hadn't woken up and when she arrived at the hospital in Boise her pulse was weak. They did Head CTs due to a laceration on her head which showed she had subdural hematoma (Brain bleed).

She had fractured her ankle and damaged some of the nerves and ligament in her ankle as she had to go through three surgeries to get her ankle healing.

She also had surgery to stop the bleeding on her brain but during the surgery she coded.
-
Ava sat with her feet in the lake as the sun shone brightly on her face lighting up her blue eyes.

This lake was where Derek would take her fishing when she was younger it helped them both relax. It also allowed Ava to learn the art of patience especially with growing up with a brother and four sister as well as Mark Sloan.

Ava felt calm and peaceful as she looked out over the lake until she heard a unfamiliar voice as she turned around to see someone she'd never thought she'd meet.

"Dad?" Ava says as she stands up seeing her dad.

"Hey Ava Grace." He says with a smile on his face just like hers.

"How am I seeing you?" Ava asks him as she walks over to him.

"You coded sweetheart they're losing you but it ain't your time yet. You've still got so much life left to live. I know I didn't get to meet you but I have watched over you everyday and your just like me. I'm so proud of the women you are. I love you sweet girl." He says to her as she hugs him.

"I love you too dad. I just wish I got the chance to know you myself but Derek he told me all about you and mom she kept you with me." Ava says to him as he smiles.

"I know and you look so much like her apart from your smile and your eyes their from me." He says to her as he strokes her cheeks.

"They all really miss you and you'd be so proud of Derek seeing the dad he's become to his little girl." Ava says as they sit beside each other.

"I've seen him so who's Jackson?" Her dad asks as Ava looks up at him.

"He's the love of my life. He's amazing and he loves me so much I'm not ready to let him go yet dad." Ava says to him.

"I know honey and your not going to. Ava promise me this you'll live every moment you can with happiness and love. Also that you'll hurry up and Marry Jackson I've seen how happy he makes you he's good for you Ava and if you have children you cherish every moment with them because you don't know how long you have." He says to her.

"I promise dad." Ava says to him as he hugs her kissing her head.

"You need to go now I'll be watching over you like I always have I'm proud of you baby girl and I love you more than you'll ever know call your mom more will you." He says to Ava as they get her back.
-
Ava had been put into a coma to help her brain recover as it had been through a huge trauma.

"How is Arizona's infection?Is it getting any better?" Meredith asks Alex as they sit in Cristina's room eating their lunch.

"Don't know. I haven't seen her." Alex says Meredith.

"What do you mean?You're running her service." Meredith says to him as she eats her lunch.

"You really think she wants to talk to me?I mean, what am I supposed to say to her..."Hey, remember the time that I quit and you got pissed and took my seat on a plane that crashed,and now you're trading in
your wheelie sneaks for a peg leg?Sorry. My bad"?" Alex says to Meredith as April listens as Jackson walks in.

"How are we doing here?" Jackson says to them as he fills out Cristina chart.

"Hey, Jackson, you're talking to Sloan, right?Keeping him updated." Meredith says to Jackson.

"Yeah. Not about work stuff, though.He doesn't need that kind of pressure right now." Jackson says to her.

"How's Ava doing?" April asks Jackson as the three of them look at him.

"She's still stable and swelling on her brain has gone down but Callie thinks she needs another surgery on her ankle." Jackson tells them.

"What is wrong with you all? They're gonna be fine.Arizona's not gonna lose her leg, and Sloan is coming back.Ava going to wake up.They're coming back.So let's act like it.They're gonna be fine.We're all going to be fine." Meredith snaps at them all.

"How long are we saying that this is okay?" Alex says to Meredith.

"As long as she needs." Meredith says as she eat her food.

"I, for one, find it refreshing.They say, if you don't have something nice to say...She never has anything nice to say.Come on, Yang. I'm wide open. Just hit me." April exclaims to Cristina.
-
Derek, Meredith,April, Alex,Richard, Bailey, Callie and Owen had been all visiting her.

For the first few weeks Jackson refused to leave her side but April was able to get him back to work but he hadn't been home he'd sit beside her all night.

Alex sat on the edge of Ava's bed as he had a few minutes before his surgery.

"I haven't gone to Hopkins yet I thought I'd postpone till robbins is better and till your better. I really need you to wake up Ava because we've been through too much and this isn't our end so you need to wake up. And Avery is a complete mess so you stop messing around and you come back to us." Alex says to her as he kisses her head as he goes to his surgery.

Derek had been going between Ava and Mark room he'd talk to them both everyday. He sat in the chair beside her bed as he held her hand.

"Mark awake Richard thinks it's a surge but I don't he's strong just like you. Now you've got to wake up because your not the last to do anything. Moms been calling she wishes she could've stayed longer but I told her you would want her to be with all the grandchildren. Zola misses you I've telling her stories about when we growing up. I remember after dad died I didn't know how to cope but you were this little miracle to come out of so much pain. You were the light I needed." Derek says as he looks up at her.

"It's always been me and you kiddo even in the darkest moments of life you were my light. You got me through so much. I swore the day you were born to care for you and keep you safe like dad would've done. I'm sorry I failed you Ava I sorry I couldn't keep you safe." Derek says as he breaks down keeping all in for so long. "I can't lose you. So please wake up please wake up."

Jackson had spent every night talking to Ava about what was going on and telling her he loved her he'd been staying strong on the outside but on the inside he was falling apart without her.

"We're going to take her off the ventilator and it's up to her when she wakes up." Dr Nelson explains to them all as they stand around her.

Ava had been taking off the Ventilator for hours but hadn't woken up yet and it could take a while so everyone had gone while Jackson had stayed beside her like he had the whole time.

Jackson had fallen asleep on Ava's bed as her eyes began to open as she sees him she smiles. As she becomes more awake she puts a hand on his cheek stroking it as he wakes up.

His greens eye fall instantly on her blue eyes as she strokes his cheek. "Hey." She whispers smiling at him as her throat was dry.

He smiles back at her as his eyes glaze over as he leans over to her capturing her lips as she smiles into the kiss. As he pulls away he rests his head against hers as Ava wipes his eyes.

"I love you I love you so much more than anything in this world I'm so glad your awake." Jackson says to her without taking a breath and he kisses her again as she giggles at him.

"How you feeling?" Jackson asks her as he lays beside her holding her as she rests her head against his chest.

"Like I've been asleep for ages and my body aches a bit and my ankle is hurting." She tells him.

"Ava-" Jackson starts as Ava cuts him off.

"Lexie's dead and Mark is dying." Ava says to him as he nods his head.

"I should go call everyone tell them your awake they've all been so worried and so have I Ava shepherd you can't keep doing this to me." Jackson exclaims to her as she looks to him.

"I'm sorry." She says to him.

"You've got nothing to be sorry for I'm just glad to have you back." He says to Ava as he kisses her head.