A Beautiful Day To Save Lives - Jackson Avery

Chapter Eight

Ophelia stormed out of the OR once her surgery was finished. Of course, she made sure her patient was stable, all sewn up, everything back in its place as it should be, then she stormed out of that room, thunder rolling in her wake. She had no time for petty arguments like this, no time to be stuck between two people, no desire to be a rebound. Lia had always known her worth, and knew she was worth more than this. How dare he use the death of her brother to take advantage of her for some stupid rebound? There was low, and she had experienced low, but this was a new level. It was disgusting, despicable. And all because Avery was pining over some girl whose virginity he took.

"Ophelia!" she heard his voice call out behind her as her heel clicks echoed down the empty hall. She didn't stop, she didn't turn to look. She had no care to hear what he was saying. She could hear his footsteps running up behind her, but she ignored them. "Dr. Sloan, how many times have I told you, you can't just keep running away from me!"

Lia had just about had it being told what she could or couldn't do, should or shouldn't do. She whirled around in the hallway, coming face to face with Jackson. In a low whisper, or at least what she thought was a whisper, she said very quickly. "Dr. Avery, you hear me, and you hear me good. What I do or don't do has absolutely, I repeat, absolutely, no influence by what you do, or don't do. Or who. How dare you think that you can come chasing after me after what you've done. Honestly, how dare you." At this point, she was yelling, but she frankly didn't give a fuck. "You think Mark would be happy about this?" She could feel the tears in her eyes and hear just the slightest break in her voice, but she kept pushing on. "No, he wouldn't be. You say he's your mentor and then you go and treat me the way you have. Mark would be so disappointed in you. But he's not here, is he? So my disappointment will have to do." She jabbed her finger into his chest to accentuate her words, make sure he truly understood just how upset she was. One of the tears in her eyes pooled and spilled over the edge, slipping silently down her cheek. She let it fall, not wanting to move, not wanting to breathe.

He stared down at her with those beautiful, beautiful blue eyes of his and she thought for a second her might not be able to speak again, even if she wanted to. She could feel the electricity between them, almost as if it were a physical thing. "Dr. Sloan," he started to say, his lips forming her name perfectly. She thought for a second he might kiss her, and she took a step back.

"Now get back to work, get the hell out of my face," she said quietly, whipping the betraying tear off of her face. For a moment, he didn't move, and she didn't look up to see until she heard his footsteps fading away from her. When she finally did, she saw April and Meredith standing in the doorway, Mer with a sad look on her face, April's cheeks red with...what? Confusion? Anger? Lia didn't know, and didn't care. She shook her head at Mer, a silent signal that she would fill her in later, then turned on her heel and slowly walking away. She needed a smoke, and she hadn't needed a smoke in a long, long time. She and Mark had quit together. Being doctors and all. She knew it was so, so bad for her. Knew it was poisonous to her body, knew she was betraying herself. Her fingers twitched as she hit the button for the elevator, as she fought the idea to walk down the street to the gas station, buy a pack, and smoke the entire thing. It had been so long since a craving, she didn't want to break it now.

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Ophelia was sitting in the stairwell, head resting in her hands, when Mer entered carrying an iPad. Lia looked up at her, shook her head, and took a sip of the coffee she had chosen over a fresh pack of cigarettes. She wasn't about to allow a man to cause her to relapse into something she had quick long ago. "Dr. Sloan," Mer greeted, stepping forward and sitting on a step beside her.