It's always been you, April Kepner

grief

What's Inside
season 13 ep 19

🎵The Exit-Conan Grey🎵

"feels like we had matching wounds but mines still black and bruised and yours is perfectly fine"

~~~~~

"Why did Diane want to be buried here?" Amelia asks browsing the silence between her, Meredith and Madelyn who both watch Maggie sat next to her moms grave "She's not from here. It's weird"

"Maybe so she could be close, so Maggie could do this" Meredith shrugs

"What's "this"?" Amelia asks

"Don't ask me" Meredith replies

Amelia looks over at Madelyn who's shrugs "I did this for Lexie, is still visit sometimes. It helps"

"I guess it's better than the way I did grief" Amelia says

"Which time?" Madelyn jokes

"The time with the oxy binges" Amelia replies

"I go a little dark and twisty, but then I come back" Meredith says

"A little dark and twisty"? You disappeared. You had a secret baby" Madelyn points out

"Please don't refer to your niece as my secret baby" Meredith replies

"I mean, maybe this is what grief looks like when you've lived a whole, healthy life. You know, before anything terrible happens" Meredith suggests

"Like watching your father get murdered when you're 5?" Amelia asks

"Or like watching your mother bleed out on the kitchen floor" Meredith says

"You two are more alike than you realize" Madelyn says

"Come on. We don't want to be late" Maggie says walking over to them

"Are you ready for your first day back?" Meredith asks

"So ready" Maggie replies

"Now that's weird" Madelyn whispers to her sister who nods in agreement

~~~~~

"Uh, hey, general consult?" Edwards asks walking over to Madelyn who's working on a patient in the ER

"Abdominal pain, Bed 3" she replies with a smirk

"Okay. Good morning" Edwards says opening the curtain revealing one of the interns "Cross, you can't sleep here"

"I'm not sleeping. I'm your patient" Cross groans in response

Stephanie turns to Madelyn "For real?" she asks

"For real?" Madelyn replies smugly "As Dr. Minnick would say, "This one's all yours, Edwards." Enjoy"

~~~~~

Madelyn is sat in a skills lab watching Meredith hell Alex set up

"Anyway, so, I wasn't sure if Maggie was okay, but I think she's fine, and if she's fine, then it's okay for me to go to dinner" Meredith says

"If Maggie's fine, you get to eat?" Madelyn questions

"Dinner with Riggs" Meredith replies

"Ohh" the brunette says

"You know, I was holding off because I didn't know if she'd be okay, but I think she's fine, so I think it's fine if I go to dinner" Meredith says

"Mm. With Riggs" Alex grumbles

"When did you become a grumpy old man who doesn't like people?" Meredith asks

"I like people. I don't like Riggs" Alex clarified "If you want to go to dinner with the guy, go to dinner. If you don't, don't. But otherwise, pick up the pace"

"Why are we stapling these again?" Madelyn asks

"Who's we? I haven't seen you lift a finger" Meredith replies

"Minnick's got me teaching NICU procedures to interns, so the sooner I start, the sooner I can get out of here" Alex says as a group of interns walk in "Wait! Did I say you can come in? Go outside! Wait" he yells

Madelyn motions a small gap between her thumb and finger showing it to Alex "You are this close to telling the kids to get off your lawn"

"Stop acting like it's something new. Go" he orders the two women

As Madelyn gets uk to leave Alex pulls her aside "So Jo-"

"Go away Karev" Madelyn shrugs him off "You know I can't talk to you about her"

"Worth a shot" Alex mumbles to himself

~~~~~

Madelyn follows Bailey into the OR gallery using the intercom to talk to April "Kepner, start talking"

"AFB stain came back... Cross definitely has TB" April replies

"How did he get TB?" Madelyn questions

"Uh, where are your residents?" Bailey asks the redhead

"Kicked 'em out for being annoying. Plus, I figured the fewer people in here, the better" April replies

"You good to finish and close? Because if not I could send Madelyn down" Bailey suggests

"I'm not going in there" Madelyn replies

"Im good in my own" April replies

~~~~~

At the end of the day Madelyn heads up to the daycare ready to pick up Alexis only to be met with April who holds Alexis in her arms "Oh- hey" the brunette says "I thought it was my night?" she questions

Madelyn had been adjusting a lot easier than April had to not living under the same roof

"It is, I just needed some time with the little lady" April replies

"Everything okay?" Madelyn asks

"Yeah of course" April replies

"Okay, well if you need some more time I can just come back" Madelyn offers

"No, no that's okay, she all yours" April replies, she places a soft kiss on the top of Alexis head before whispering "I love you baby girl" and handing her to Madelyn

"Hi sweetheart" Madelyn whispers "Oh- April, before you go I just-"

"Don't" April says softly "Whatever you're going to say please don't, I need to not rely on you for a while, just until I get used to this whole thing. So please don't say anything"

"Okay" Madelyn says nodding slowly "I'll see you tomorrow then"

"Yeah" April whispers as she leaves