"Let me catch a vibe, let's just take our time, just relax your mind and take it easy. Don't have to be mine, let's take it easy."
•
"Dream is destiny."
•
Karma Word Count : 3080 EDITED
"They're locusts, comfortable locusts, feeding on our surgeries." Meredith said while looking out the window.
"It's true," Izzy pitched in.
"There should at least be a couple of days where they act like guests before they put their feet up on the coffee table."
Lexie pulled her fingers away from the blinds before speaking, "And what's with the orange scrubs? What, are ours not good enough for them?" She said in disgust.
"We ran out," I said, finally speaking.
"They're on back order."
Cristina looked at me from the side of her eye.
"Mina choose Avery as her resident. I mean, Avery? She just finished a transplant with him a few hours ago." She mumbled.
"What?" Meredith gasped.
"Yes. I did, and I'm also going out with him later on tonight. I can't speak for the others but...he's not that bad. I like him." I said while smiling slightly.
They all whined.
"Tuh, please. You only like him because of the mystery. Or, because your families hate eachother. You're a rebel, you love doing things like this! You live for it!" Cristina yelled.
Right when I was about to respond with my usual snarky comments, the vibration of my phone took me off guard, for the second time today.
Incoming Call: Daddy 💙 👨🏼⚕️
I put my phone on silent and slid it back in my pocket.
"What's wrong?" Lexi asked coming to sit next to me.
"Was it your dad?"
"Yep," I said, popping the 'p'.
"I've been avoiding his calls the past couple of days. I don't want him flying out here." I said, attempting to shake off the subject.
"Awww, boo hoo. Multi-billionaire problems. Doesn't matter, I already called him." Cristina said while smirking.
"YOU DID WHAT??"
•••
911 Trauma
"Let's go Avery, we got a trauma!" I said with an attitude.
"Did I do something? Why are you being so rude?" He asked.
"It's not you Jackson, it's Cristina. S-she called my Dad. And he's probably taking the next flight out. I'm just not in the mood to deal with him." I said nonchalantly.
"Where do you want us?" Cristina asked Owen.
"Uh, at this point, anywhere is good." He replied.
"At Mercy West, we do zones," Jackson spoke up.
I was standing next to Owen where as everyone else was across from us.
"When it's super busy, we just give everyone a zone, a space. The nurses put a person in that space, you know it's your patient, helps us get to em' quicker."
I raised my eyebrow, me and Owen turned to eachother at the same time in consideration.
Cristina scoffed.
"Yeah, well, this is the E.R. not a school yard, we're not playing four square." Everyone from Seattle Grace seemed to laugh.
For some reason, her distaste of the idea made me like it even more.
"I like it." Owen and I said at the same time.
"What's your name?" He asked Jackson.
"Oh, he's mine, Jackson Avery." I said with a smile.
"Well, Dr. Avery, I'm Dr. Hunt, it's all yours, zone away," he said.
He turned to me "Can you hold it down here? I gotta go grab something real quick."
I nodded quickly.
"YOU CAN'T PRAY AWAY THE GAY!" Callie yelled.
Lord have mercy. It's her first day back, and already she's doing something.
She saw me and grabbed my arm before pulling me into a supply closet.
"Can you believe it! The man flew 3,000 minkes to make me straight. With a priest! I'm lucky they didn't bash into the E.R. with incense, all ready for an exorcism!" She rambled.
I picked at my nails, bored.
"Are you done?" I asked.
"No! I'm not done!" She yelled.
"Cal, cut him some slack. You've dated men your whole life, and then out of nowhere, you like girls. He's been consistent for 30 years. You're the one who's switched up the game. So just sit down. Have a conversation with him." I said while opening the door to leave.
"I hate you!" Callie yelled.
Just when I walked out of the supply closet, paramedics came in.
"Frank Nusbaum, 42, multiple, mostly superficial stab wounds. Vital signs stable. His buddy's got a lacerated palm." He spoke, quickly.
Jackson grabbed the chart as he was walking and I checked his eyes.
"Got it, thanks Ray!" Cristina said as she snatched the chart from him.
I sighed before giving him an apologetic smile.
"Okay, okay we got a bleeder here! Uh, draw me up some lidocaine and, uh, get me a lac tray with 3-0 silk." She spoke.
"Need any help?" Jackson asked sarcastically, earning a chuckle from me.
She ignored him and continued to get control of the bleeder.
"Are you sure there's nothing I can do-"
"There. You know what? That's how we do it in our side of town." She said triumphantly.
I rolled my eyes at her before speaking, "You are so immature." I said.
She looked shocked, hurt even.
"Really? You're taking their side. He's an Avery, Karminia. Seriously? I don't understand how you can do that. To me, to us!" She exclaimed.
A girl with long brown hair came running to the patient beside her.
"Oh! Honey are you okay?" She asked.
"Get off of her, you perv!" Her father yelled from behind me.
He quickly got up, grabbing a hammer in the process, coming straight in my direction.
I didn't have time to react before Jackson tackled him from behind, pushing both of them to the ground.
The whole E.R. erupted in claps while Jackson rubbed his neck slightly and shaking hands with random people that came up to him.
"With a tackle like that, you had to play football." I said while moving on to check the next patient.
He looked up at me and smiled.
That damn smile.
"I played a little in college." He replied.
"Safety?" I asked.
"And wide receiver, yeah. I wouldn't take you as a fan of football." He said with a slight smirk.
I laughed, "I'm not, my father never had a son so he practically forced me to be a tomboy. I quickly had to learn how to dribble a ball, throw a football, and know how to suture by the age of 5."
We both laughed before examining the next patient.
•••
Sitting in the lunchroom, I was quiet among the group.
They were all ranting about the Mercy Westers, but I was minding my business, eating.
"Hey, Mina, I hear your boy toy is the one who got a standing ovation in the E.R." Alex said while stuffing his face with his sand-which.
Lexi turned to me, "Yours is the one that saved the whole E.R.?" She said in shock.
Cristina scoffed, for the 700th time today, "He didn't save anyone! He did some stupid ninja leap and then tripped a guy,"
Ninja leap.
"I used actual medicine to stop a person from dying." She finished.
"Well, mine has a notebook, a notebook that she takes notes in, notes of a very personal nature, and I stole it." She said, ashamed of her actions.
I laughed before sticking my hand out for a high five.
"You what?" Cristina asked.
"Give it." Alex and I said at the same time.
"No. No, I-I am not sinking to their level." She said while putting the notebook away.
"Tuh, please. You took it already, sorry to break it to you Lex, but you are at their level now." I said while eating more strawberries.
"No! They are vindictive and they are not team players! And if we're not careful that spirit is going to infect our hospital. We have to fight it." She said while pounding her index finger down on the table.
Izzy came up to the table with two coffees.
"Thanks!" Alex said while reaching for it.
She snatched it away from him, "It's not for you, it's for Charles." She said with a smile.
"Your Mercy Wester?!" Cristina yelled.
"They're handing us our asses on a plate and you're serving them coffee?" Alex said in disgust.
"Charles is actually kind of awesome." She said while smiling.
"Finally! I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with you, Izzy. Jackson is great." I spoke.
Alex looked around the lunch room.
Confused, I do the same.
"Hm. No orange scrubs in here, orange is such an ugly color." I said.
Lexi and Cristina suddenly look around like Alex.
"No orange scrubs." I said slowly.
"No orange scrubs." We all day in unison.
"Dudes...they're not eating. They're working!" Alex said before he scurried out of his chair.
"Oh my God, they don't eat lunch."
"Oh, God." Lexi yelled.
Quickly, we all get up, grabbing our things after we come into realization.
Cristina, Lexi and Alex go to the right, whereas me and Izzy go straight ahead out the doors.
We ended up in the main lobby.
In a group we see Charles, Reed, April and Jackson.
You could hear the Charles' obnoxious voice a mile away.
"The woman does, whatever I ask," he said while laughing.
"I want something," he pauses and snaps his finger for dramatics, "she gets it for me. The research library? Anytime you want to go in, it's closed, just say the word. She gave me the code to the place." He said, proudly.
"You're kidding." Reed says while smiling.
"She can't do enough for me. It's like I have my own surgical bitch." He finishes off.
Looking around the group, Jackson stood there laughing.
Was he really laughing? I thought he was more mature than that.
I turned to my side and saw how sad Izzy looked. I didn't like her, at all, but Charles was an ass.
And I always, always stick up for other women, regardless of how I feel.
April started to laugh but stopped once she saw me and Izzy standing just a few feet away. Recognition suddenly went through all of them as they all turned their heads to us.
I only focused on Jackson though, he looked ashamed.
I take Charles' coffee from Izzy before walking towards him.
I reached my hand out, indicating him to take it.
With lightning speed I pulled my arm back, took the top off, and poured it down on his head.
Muffles of laughter could be heard from the group.
Not sure why they're laughing, I got something for everybody.
Going into my back pocket, I pull out April's notebook.
I managed to steal it from Lexi while she was ranting about 'not stooping to their level'.
April's eyes widen in fear before I open it and start reading.
I clear my throat, "You're not just a good doctor, your a great doctor," I said in a mocking tone.
They're all friends so everyone knew who it belonged to.
"You're the future of medicine," I couldn't help the laugh that part. "Oh, that's cute, April. Here are a few of my favorites. 'Only you can keep yourself down' and 'No one can tell it's plastic surgery'," I tapped my nose, indicating she had a nose job.
"We can tell." I said while smirking.
Reed laughed. Some friend she is.
"Oh! Reed, there's something in here about you too, 'Note to self: Don't tell Reed any of your secrets, she slept with her brother. That's gross'." I closed the notebook, laughing at how her face filled with horror.
"Oh and Jackson, we can just go ahead and cancel our plans tonight, maybe I should've just treated you like the piece of shit my father says you Avery's are. I mean, you're just...pretty." I said, laughing wickedly.
He looked me in my eye. It was hard for me to read him, but I could tell he was upset. But I honestly didn't give a shit.
"Have a great day guys! Charles you might want to clean this mess up, yeah?" I spoke while turning around.
I made no attempt to make eye contact with Izzy.
Ugh. The second time today I've stuck up for her. I think I'm going to be sick.
•••
"You said what!" Meredith exploded with laughter after hearing what Izzy told her.
"I can't believe you took the notebook from me without me knowing..." Lexi said while crossing her arms.
I shrugged my shoulders, "Girl, please. You stole it first. Did you read the part where Reed slept with her brother? That's disgusting!" I exclaimed.
"Thank you, for sticking up for me today." Izzy said.
I didn't give her response, because before I could, Jackson came knocking on the door.
"Hey! C-Can I talk to you?" He asked, purely focused on me.
I went out and joined him in the hall.
"Is this about a patient?" I asked, very rudely.
He didn't seem fazed by it.
"No. I came here to apologize. I'm sorry for laughing about you're friend. It's just hard for us." He said while focusing on the ground.
"Look me in the eye when you talk to me, Avery." I spoke firmly.
The sides of his mouth twitched up.
Hm. Kinky. Likes when women are in control. Noted.
"Uh, sorry." He was flustered. Very flustered.
"It's fine, don't make the mistake again." I winked at him before flipping my hair behind my back.
"Can we please go out? Like we agreed. I don't like being on your bad side." He said chuckling.
"Actually, yes. I need a drink. After exposing Reeds dirty laundry, I need to clear my mind."
•••
"You asked me who I was today," I said while downing my shot of Henny.
"And I don't know who I am, if I'm being honest. It's a deep question. I haven't met myself yet." I said while moving my knees to the side so my body could face him a little more.
He looked confused, "Elaborate." He said.
I clear my throat before taking another shot.
"I haven't met myself yet. But the advantage of meeting others in the meantime, is that one of them will present you to yourself."
"Whoa. Deep." Jackson said while following my actions of taking another shot.
"I'm sorry about calling you pretty...again." I apologized.
"I mean, you meant it. Why apologize. You're the one that told me you never say anything you don't mean." He spoke dismissively.
"I mean...you are pretty," I said while turning my body completely.
"Very pretty." I added.
The liquor in my system made me bolder than I already was on a daily basis.
"Well, you are very pretty too." He scoffed at himself.
"Ouch. Did it pain you to say that?" I joked.
He shook his head before looking up to me with a smile.
"It did, actually," he started.
Not going to lie, my ego was hurt.
"Because you are the most stunning woman I've ever laid my eyes on. The way you carry yourself is...inspiring. You don't let your name define you. I'm...I'm jealous. I wish I could be like you. You are a beautiful woman, Karminia. Calling you just pretty, is insulting." He finished.
"I-I, thank you. No ones ever-thank you." I stuttered out.
He just looked at me and smiled.
"What's your worse fear?" He asked.
I nearly choked on air.
"My worst fear?" I questioned back.
He shook his head in reply.
I thought for a moment.
"Promise you won't laugh?" I said.
"I promise." He said while sticking his pinkie finger out.
Pinkie promise? God. I think I love you already.
"I don't want to be an ant," I said while checking his facial features to make sure he didn't laugh.
He moved his hand in a way of telling me to continue.
"I just, I don't want to be an ant. I mean it's like, we go through life with our antennas bouncing off one another, continuously on autopilot, like ants, with nothing really human required of us," I paused to collect my thought and to make sure he was following.
"It's always stop, go, drive here, go there. All action is basically just for survival, all communication simply to keep this ant colony buzzing along in an efficient, polite manner. So here's the change, paper or plastic? Credit or debit? Do you want ketchup with that?"
Joe, the bartender, interrupted me by asking, "You guys want more shots?"
Jackson waved him off, too focused on what I was saying.
"Like that! I want real human moments. Moments like this where we can sit down and have an actual, deep conversation. I want to see you. I want you to see me. Not a phone or TV screen. I don't wanna give that up...I don't want to be an ant, ya know?" I huffed out.
"Wow." Was all Jackson said.
"What?" I laughed, tucking my hair behind my ear.
"You're amazing. You are so intelligent. I asked what your worse fear was and your response was 'I don't want to be an ant'. You're just, you're just amazing," He said in awe.
I could feel my cheeks heat up so I took my took my eyes elsewhere, away from his blazing gaze.
"You wanna, you wanna get out of here?" He asked me.
I laughed loudly before smirking at him.
"Oh Avery, you're gonna have to come harder than this liquor if you want to get me in bed." I said, cheesing.
"I don't want to get you in bed, well not yet. Karma, I just want to be a gentlemen." He spoke with confidence.
•••
Kicking off my shoes, Jackson and I stumbled into my house. Barley closing the front door.
Somehow, we managed to make it to my bed room.
All that could be heard was giggling and the sound of our lips connecting.
•••
Out of breath and gasping, Jackson and I stare at the ceiling, shocked.
"Wow." We both said simultaneously.
"That was-" Jackson started.
"Fucking amazing." I said, finishing his sentence for him.
"I can't believe we did that," I said in shock.
"God, if Cristina finds out she's gonna freak." I said laughing.
"I don't really give shit," Jackson said while rolling over towards me.
"We'll figure it out as we go, yeah?" He said.
Lord, take me now.