𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐒𝐎 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃 - j. avery ¹

forty-two

"Alex, this kinds of stuff was okay when we first met you, but now?" Meredith lectured.

"You're supposed to be less stupid." Allison added, "I mean, you could go to jail, your whole career—"

"Look," Alex started, "First, Allie, really?" He gestured to their other two friends, "Second, I'm not going to jail." The girls had their arms crossed as they stared at Alex as he defended himself, "He was like that when I found him."

"That's your story?"

Cristina shook her head, "No cop is gonna believe you."

"Alex, it's just us." Meredith assured, "Just tell us."

Alex answered as the door behind him opened, "I didn't do anything."

"He didn't do it." Jo responded from the door, a bruise on her lip and eye, "He just found him. I did it."

***

"We were having a fight." Jo explained, "He-He grabbed my arm. I fought him off. It just—it got ugly. He fell backwards and hit his head on the fireplace, but he was still yelling when I left. He was fine. I swear."

"All right." Alex spoke, "You gotta go." He pointed at the door behind her, "Go."

"Uh, no." Cristina stopped her, "She has to explain to them what happened."

"No." Alex shook his head, "Nobody does anything until we see how Peckwell is." His gaze landed back on Jo, "Look, go home.  Don't let anyone see you." He looked back at his friends, "You three don't say a word to anybody until we know exactly what's going on. Understand?"

The door opened revealing Stephanie, causing the three doctors not respond to Alex. Stephanie eyes landed on Jo's face, "Hey. Are you okay?"

"She's okay." Allison answered for Jo as she looked at Stephanie, "You never saw her."

Stephenie passed the tablet in her hand to Cristina, "I have Paul Dawson's C.T. angio results."

Cristina nodded as she guided her intern out the room, "Great."

"Go." Alex told Jo, who sighed and walked away. Meredith and Allison looked at each other before nodding, as Meredith began to walk out but turned back to look at Alex, "Don't do anything stupid."

Allison followed seconds after before she turned to look at her friend, "What she said."

***

Alex, Allison, and Cristina worriedly placed Meredith on a gurney in the halls after her check in with the O.B. since she fell down the stairs. Alex looked at Meredith, "Did they run a C.B.CC and a K.B. stain?"

"Yes." Meredith answered as she sat down, her hand over her belly, "They ran all the tests. The baby is fine."

"Yeah, well, what about you?" Cristina questioned, "I mean, why did you fall? Are you dizzy?"

"I fell because I have the same center of gravity as a jersey cow." Meredith looked at them, "I'm fine guys."

Allison nodded as she let out a relief exhale, "Good."

A nurse walked up to them, "Doctors, it's time. It's happening."

They all walked outside the E.R. as Jackson caught up next to Allison wanting to tell her what he succeeded at, "I just closed a midline facial cleft."  Jackson proudly informed her with a smile on his face, "Primary surgeon."

Allison smiled, "That's great." She slightly pushed his shoulder, as they stood outside the E.R. watching Matthew's proposal to April.

"What is going on?" Allison heard Cristina ask, as they watched paramedics and random people dancing around April, while Matthew raced down the stairs.