Alice ✧ [a. karev]

21. holiday cheer

Thanksgiving

The ER floor was sitting idle that day, only three beds occupied. The early morning hours of the holiday not bringing in too many patients yet.

Jade stood beside bed 1, wrapping up a broken wrist and trying to block out the screams of the burn victim that Mark was currently working on.

"What do you think she wants?" Alex's voice floated into her ear, as he came up behind her.

"Who?" Jade asked.

"The blonde," he confirmed, pointing his clipboard toward the young girl making her way towards Mark. "Just came in asking about Sloan."

"Probably nothing good," Jade shrugged as the pair watched the interaction, straining their ears to listen in.

"...my moms Samantha Reilly. And, um, I'm pretty sure you're my dad," the girl spoke, fidgeting with her fingers as she gauged Mark's reaction.

Jade's eye widened and her lips parted as she and Alex instinctively looked at each other.

"Holy shit," she whispered to him before they looked over again, both cringing as Lexie started to walk up to them.

Their eyes darted between the three people, all standing still as Mark and Sloan stared at each other.

It was eventually broken up by Lexie, oblivious to what had just happened, as she asked Mark a question about a patient.

Sloan was soon ushered away by Jade, Mark following closely behind in a dazed shock after Jade instructed Lexie to finish Mark's debriding.

She left them alone in a conference room, off to gather supplies in an inappropriately amused manner. Some part of her knew this day would eventually come.

"Hi," she said lightly upon walking back into the conference room, closing the door behind her. "How's it going in here?" She asked.

"Great."

"Fine."

They spoke at the same time, not taking their squinting eyes off each other.

"Okay. So, have we broached the question of a paternity test?" Jade asked carefully. "I brought the stuff."

They agreed and Jade slipped a pair of gloves on, trying to fill the awkward silence with conversation and one joke that failed miserably.

"Mark," she tried. "Maybe you want to say something now?" Jade asked from her seat next to Sloan on the other side of the table.

His eyes shifted from Sloan's to Jade's, minuscule movements of his eyes trying to communicate with her.

"Out loud," she clarified.

"Dude, are you like high or something?" Sloan asked and Jade closed her eyes, folding her gloved hands together.

The silence that followed was broken by Derek barging the door open. "Sloan."

"Yeah?"

"Yes?"

Derek gave an awkward sort of laugh, looking at Jade with wide eyes before turning back to Mark.

"Mark, I need you on something."

Mark gratefully took the opportunity to get up and leave, leaving Jade and Sloan in the room alone.

"Anyway," Jade mumbled as she started to pack up her supplies and take her gloves off.

"So what do I do now?" Sloan asked.

Jade glanced up at her, looking out the window to where Mark and Derek were walking away before turning back to her. "Um," she started. "Well I have to get back to work but, um, you can hang in here if you'd like. Or there's a cafeteria if you're hungry."