matilda / j.avery

fourteen - the big day

Jackson adjusts the hair cap on Mae's head. "Perfect. You know it really does suit you." He smiles leaning on the railing.

She flips him off and sighs. "Any chance I can run?" She half-jokes.

Jackson smirks. "Darling, if you can run then we wouldn't be in this situation. Feel free to try, though." He teases.

She scratches her nose with her middle finger as he laughs. Link and Owen walk in, both already in their scrub caps. She takes a deep breath. "Uh oh. It's time."

Owen smiles. "You really are making a fuss huh. I thought the nurses were exaggerating."

"You're all being so mean to me." She scowls.

"Only coz we care." Jackson kisses her forehead.

Link leans on the railing. "Alright. It'll be 4 hours at most. With any luck, I won't need to do much repair and clean up and if that's the case, you'll head home tomorrow on bed rest."

"And if it goes bad, I will find a way to end all 3 of you. And MJ. And Bentley." She muses.

"Deal." Link rolls his eyes. "See you in a few." He pats her shoulder and heads out, Owen following.

Mae takes a few deep breaths, gripping Jackson's hand. "Please please don't let me be intubated when I wake up. Make them take it out right away-"

"Shh I will." He promises, stroking her cheek. "I got you. I'm not going to let anything bad happen, okay?"

She looks into his blue eyes as she shakily nods, gripping tighter to his arm and digging her nails in unintentionally as the nurses arrive to move her down. Jackson follows, stroking her hand, right up until the red line.

He leans over and looks in her eyes again. "I'll be right by your side the moment you're out. The moment you wake. And through your whole recovery. Okay?"

She nods small and swallows the lump in her throat. "Okay." She whispers. Her eyes close as he kisses her lips gently and she doesn't open them again as she's wheeled away. She let's go of his hand at the last moment, too, her heart thumping loudly in her ears. That's the last thing she remembers as she succumbs to the weird smelling gas.

-

MJ finds Jackson sat in the waiting room, leg bouncing; she sets the flowers she has on the chair beside him and then sits opposite him, leaning forward the same way he does. "When did she go down?"

"About 3." He checks the time to see its past 6 now. "Hopefully it'll be no more than an hour longer... how did you talk her into this?"

"I reminded her what she has now. You." MJ smiles a little.

Jackson blushes a little as he sits back. MJ smirks. "Don't you believe how much she loves you?"

"I do.... mostly." He admits. "She's so hard to read sometimes, I often wonder where I stand. I know she loves me but she never truly opens up."

"That's just our Mae." MJ shrugs as she too sits back. "She's not used to feeling safe but she's getting used to it. You suit her."

Jackson laughs a little. "Thanks. She suits me too."

"Avery?" Hunt calls.

Jackson scrambles up and goes over, MJ quickly following. "How was it?" He quickly asks.

Hunt smiles. "All good. Links just finishing up but here."

Jackson raises an eyebrow as Hunt holds out a small sample pot. "Is that...?"

MJ takes it and holds it close to examine the bullet, about an inch in size. "That is fucking mad, dudes!" She blurts, excited. "That was it!?"

Hunt nods. "That was all. It was easy to get out, but Link had to do a bit of clean up. But it went way better than we expected. She'll be out in a few."