𝘼𝙐𝙍𝙊𝙍𝘼; 𝙟𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮

Ø7

Louie coughed. "We were having a fight." He started telling the story of how the decorative candy cane went through him. "Which he started." Veronica added. "So I went outside to get away from her." He continued. "Which is all he ever does." She stated. "And I slammed the front door on her perfectly. Rivaled the Great Door Slam of 1987. And then someone's mailbox slammed into our sycamore. But I couldn't undo that door slam, so I took a walk." The younger married couple exchanged a look, both of them wondering if they would end up like that if they could fix them. "Like an idiot." Veronica shouted.

"I can't tell if there's a pericardial effusion." Aurora said.

"I'm getting a pulse in the neck, but I'm worried about an underlying injury." Jackson informed her. At least they could always work with each other no matter what.

"So, I'm standing in front of the Hoffmans' house when their stupid Christmas decorations caught the wind, and, ta-da!" Louie continued narrating the story of how he got injured. "I should be in Santa's workshop."

"It isn't even Thanksgiving." Teddy commented.

"It's enraging." Veronica grunted. "I wrote a letter to the neighborhood association. I write one every year."

"Dr. Sloan, Dr Grey is asking for you." A nurse entered the room and informed Aurora.

"Go, we got this." Jackson told her, "We'll page Hunt." And she left to find Meredith. She took a last glance at the old couple, almost envying them as they continued bickering at each other.  

×××

"Hey, do you need me to scrub in?" Aurora found Meredith outside of the OR getting ready to scrub in for her surgery. 

"Do you love him?" Meredith completely ignored her and started the conversation with no unnecessary introduction. She was about to tell her something she wasn't supposed to. She had just returned from a trip in LA for a patient and the patient was Catherine Fox. No one knew apart from Meredith and Tom Koracick. 

"Who?" Aurora asked confused about what was Meredith telling her and what it had to do with anything. 

"Jackson. Do you still love him?" Meredith repeated, knowing exactly that what she was going to tell her was going to change everything. 

"Why are you asking me that? Did he put you into this? I get that I might be running away from him, but I need some time. Of course I love him, but that's not the point right now!" Aurora got defensive.

"No, that's exactly the point!" Meredith argued with her and turned her whole body to face her. "Catherine has advanced chondrosarcoma on her spine." Aurora's mouth fell open. "She's my VIP patient. She's why I went to Los Angeles." Meredith continued her voice steady; she was used to bringing bad news to people. "It's big, and it's bad, and he's gonna need you. So, unless he's revealed himself to be some sort of sociopath, just make up with him, or, at the very least, be his friend." She advised her and Aurora knew that there was no way she was going to leave his side. She was going to put everything aside and be there for him and Catherine. She was her mother-in-law after all.

"Does Jackson know? Does Richard?" Aurora asked her, balling her hands into fists to keep them from shaking. 

"Not yet."

"Meredith." She breathed out and covered her mouth with her palm, trying to cover the shock she went through. She had to find a way to tell Jackson. She couldn't keep this from him.

"I know."

×××

Jackson was informing Veronica for her husband's condition after they were done with the surgery. "Louie's fine?" She asked relieved. "He... He was an appetizer on a festive toothpick." She said making Jackson chuckle.