Motherhood Lessons²

Cutting Checks

14x21

Ivy changes into fresh scrubs after her and Jackson spent the night at the hosptial. Bailey barges in, "Hey, I'm pulling the plug on your contest. I'm killing it. What do you want me to do with the $100 million?"

Jackson's mind isn't catching up, "Whoa, whoa, whoa."

"No, no. If word gets out that Harper Averys grandson secretly funded a competition that he entered himself? Well, that's just gonna mean more nasty headlines that we do not need right now," Bailey closes the door.

"This is all turning into one big mess," Ivy groans, falling back onto the bed.

"Come on," Jackson pulls her up, kissing her, "We need to go talk to my mom."

Ivy sighs, "Fine, but if I'm asked about how horrible of a person your grandfather is, I'm not gonna hold back."

○○○○

Jackson opens the door to a conference room, "Mom, we need to talk about this contest."

Catherine starts to introduce them, "Honey, come in. I want you to meet-"

"Erin Mason, crisis management. You two are just the people I was looking for," she shakes their hands, "They both are camera-friendly. That doesn't hurt us."

"Oh, I may look pretty but I can be a bitch and Harper Avery was an ass," Ivy snorts, looking at the white boards behind Erin.

"You assured me that us three could handle this together," Jackson looks to his mother.

Erin stops him, "Dr. Avery, if I had an aggressive cancer, would you recommend I operate on myself or hire a professional."

Ivy mumbles, "Lord knows I wouldn't operate on you."

Catherine pinces her arm before turning to her son, "Sweetheart, this is what Erin does. Let's hear her out."

"That lawsuit brought by the 13 women who signed and then violated their NDAs? It's tip of the iceberg. This is a developing situation, and it's getting worse by the minute," Erin explains.

Webber barges in, "So, this is how you get out from under the bad name of Harper Avery? With a surgical innovation contest secretly funded by his damn grandson? Then the damn grandsons wife in charge of it?"

"You're the one who asked me to be in charge of it?!" Ivy reminds him.

"Wait. Jackson, you're the anonymous donor? You put up the money, and then you entered the contest?" Catherine asks.

"You entered your own contest? Oh, God. Is this some kind of tax-envasion scheme?"

Ivy shakes her head, defending her husband, "No, it was him being able to help shape and change medicine and own it without his name being taken off the damn paper so the project could win a damn award!"

Erin sighs, "Public perception is everything, and they're going to destroy you if this gets out."

Catherine warns her, "Then, let's not let it get out."

"Agreed. And to that end, I have some good news. You are welcome," she hands Jackson some papers.

"Whats this?"