Paging Payton(A Grey Anatomy/Jackson Avery Fanfic)

T W E N T Y- F O U R

Jackson Avery

"Ready to go?" I asked Payton.

"Are you sure you won't let me stay just a little lon-" she looked longingly at the ER behind her.

"No Payton. You've already worked a 47 hour shift. You need to go home and sleep." I guided her into the elevator. She grunted at me and I laughed at her pouting face. We walked out of the hospital and to the car. It was pouring rain and pitch black outside except the lamp lights in the parking lot.

Payton walked over to get into the drivers seat.
"Umm, you're not driving. It's pitch dark outside and pouring rain. Passengers seat." I told her. She huffed at me and pressed the keys into my hand before making her way into the car.

"Why are you so opposed to sleep anyway?" I asked Payton.

"I don't sleep. Doesn't matter if I'm at home or in an on call room. I don't sleep. In the past 4 days I've gotten maybe 6 hours of sleep. Every time I try to sleep I-" she cut herself off.

"You get night terrors." I finished the sentence for her. I grabbed her hand which was resting on the middle console and squeezed it.

"Last night, after you woke me up, was the most continuous sleep I've had in a while. Ever since my 'accident' they've come back."

"I used to get them too. There was a shooting at the hospital a while back and I lost my best friend to the gunman." I sympathized.

"How'd you get them to go away?"

"I started sleeping with Lexi." I said quietly. "I don't know why, but the comfort of having someone in the bed next to you, it's like it scares the nightmares away." Payton nodded her head but didn't say anything else.

We pulled into the driveway and sprinted up to the house from the car.

Both Payton and I ran upstairs to put pajamas on and when I came back downstairs she was already sitting on the couch.

"I see you still can't find that shirt." She laughed, referring to my bare chest. I threw a pillow at her and sat down on the couch next to her. She stretched herself out so that her head was laying against my side and her legs were stretched across the couch.

She let a huge yawn escape from her mouth. "I'm so tired." She said quietly.

"Go to sleep." I ran my fingers through her blonde-brown hair. The next thing I knew we had both drifted off on the couch.

-

I was awoken by the sound of the front door opening. I held a finger to my lips to signal an incoming Meredith and Derek to be quiet. Payton was still passed out on the couch, half hanging off.

I was about to wake her, but thought against it. Considering she hadn't slept much, I decided to just let her sleep. I gathered her into my arms and carried her upstairs where I laid her on my bed and covered her with the comforter. I climbed under the covers next to her and she nestled herself deeper against my chest.

"Goodnight Payton." I whispered.

-

I woke up the next morning and Payton was gone again. I stretched my arms and legs before making my way downstairs. Payton was already dressed and was making a pot of coffee.