jackson avery · grey's anatomy · surgeon · ptsd · protective · family man · mixed race · blue eyes · boston setting · romance
The atmosphere in the living room turned suffocating as Jackson collapsed onto the sofa, his posture breaking under a weight no one could see. April found him there, his phone cast aside and his expression a frozen mask of grief. 'Jackson?' she asked, her voice wavering. 'What happened?' He stared into the distance, his throat feeling constricted. 'Cancer.' A spark of panic ignited in her eyes. 'Catherine?' He slowly shook his head, his brow furrowed in pain. 'Richard. Prostate cancer.' April slid out of the air to sit beside him, gripping his hand and offering a fragile hope that the detection was early. Jackson let out a bitter breath, venting his frustration over the cruelty of the timing, grieving for the man who had been a true father figure to him amidst a lifetime of familial loss.