Chapter 71

"I still don't understand why you're doing this. Your father doesn't deserve your help." Derek says. After a lot of thinking I decided to get tested to see if I was a match to donate part of my liver to my father and of course lucky me, I am. After thinking it over I decided to be his liver donor, much to Jackson and Derek's disapproval. And today is the day of the surgery.

"Derek, I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Jackson. I'm doing this, because even though I can't stand my father, I can't sit at home knowing that he's dying, especially since I know he has a son. As someone who watched her parent fall terminally ill, I won't let someone else go through that if I can prevent it." I say. I obviously don't know my , because I don't have a relationship with Phillip, so I don't know anything about his life in L.A., but after agreeing to this surgery, of course my flew down to be by Phillips side. Phillip really wanted us to meet, but I'm not ready for that. I know it's not my fault, but I just don't want to meet the child that my father actually stuck around to raise, while I grew up without a father figure. It's just to emotionally draining.

"I understand. It's just. Are you sure that you really want to do this?" He asks.

"Yes, I'm sure." I nod my head. I grab Derek's hand looking at the nervous look on his face. "Derek, I'm going to be fine. Compared to all of the surgeries I've had before, this one is simple. Don't worry about me, okay?" I assure him.

"Okay." He sighs.

"Now go tend to my patients and make sure that the interns haven't killed any of them." I joke.

"Okay. I'll see you after surgery." He smiles reassuringly before leaving.

"Hey, why are you dressed in your scrubs?" I smile as Jackson walks into my room a couple of minutes later and kisses me.

"You didn't think I was going to let you go through this alone did you? I'm coming to the O.R. with you." He smiles.

"Jackson, this isn't your surgery. You can't just decide you're coming to the O.R." I smirk.

"Well I think I just did." He smirks back making me laugh.

"Okay, Garcia. We're ready for you." Bailey says walking into the room.

"Okay." I nod my head.

"Now Avery. Do I need to find you something to do?" She asks seeing that Jackson is dressed in his scrubs.

"I'm gonna sit by her head the whole time. I won't say a word." Jackson says.

"Avery, this is my O.R." Bailey reminds him.

"I respect that Dr. Bailey, but this is my wife you're cutting into."

"Okay, you can come." She agrees. Before I'm rolled away to the O.R. I'm surprisingly not nervous. I mean it feels kind of weird being awake before surgery, because whenever I had to be operated on in the past I was unconscious before I even made it to the O.R., but I've mastered the art of staying calm during times like this, so the thought of surgery doesn't really scare me. My main thought as I lay on the O.R. table is that I shouldn't even be helping my father, but like I said I'm not doing this for him. I'm doing this, because he has a son and even though I don't know him, I know how it feels to watch your parent die and if I can keep anyone else from experiencing that I will, because it's one of the most heartbreaking feelings in the world.

"Baby." I say looking over at Jackson as he holds my hand as I lay on the O.R. table getting prepped for surgery.

"Yes sweetheart." He says.

"You're scared aren't you?" I ask. I can tell he's nervous, just by the look on his face.

"A little." He admits.

"Don't be, I'm going to be fine." I assure him.

"I know. I just hate that you have to go through this surgery, but I understand why you're doing it." He sighs.

"Well thank you for understanding." I smile.

"Okay, Liliana we're about to put you under." Bailey says.

"Okay." I sigh. "I love you." I say looking over at Jackson.

"I love you too. I'll be right by your side when you wake up." He says kissing me, before the anesthesiologist places the mask over my face, before telling me to count backwards from ten and I feel myself losing consciousness a couple of seconds later.

"Avery, you okay?" Bailey asks me.

"Yeah, I just hate seeing her like this." I say looking over at Lily as she lays unconscious while Bailey operates.

"I know, but she'll be okay. This surgery is a walk in the park considering everything she's been through before." She says.

"I know. I just still can't believe she actually agreed to do this surgery. I mean her dad abandoned her, her whole life and she still decided to help him." I sigh.

"I can't believe she agreed to it either, but Garcia's always been selfless even though I don't think she realizes it. You know, she actually reminds me of O'malley. They were always the most caring of my interns, I think that's why they were so close. Even though Garcia comes off as harsh at first she has a big heart." Bailey smiles.

"Yes, she does." I smile. "I wish I would've gotten the chance to meet George. Lily doesn't really talk about him a lot. I know it still hurts her that he isn't around though. From what she's told me in the past, I can't tell they were close." I say.

"They were very close. O'malley and Garcia were inseparable. Whenever you saw one, the other one wasnt to far away. I remember their first day here. O'malley was awkward and timid at first. It took the other interns some time to warm up to him that day, but him and Lily they automatically clicked. No matter what the situation was they were always on each others side. It really hurt all of us when George died, but it affected her the most. At one point I thought she'd never be the same, but then you got here. And once you two started dating, I started to see her get back to her normal self, actually she was even happier then before. I'm glad she has you, Avery."

"I'm glad to be part of her life. Everyone always says I changed her life like she's the lucky one, but it's the opposite. I'm the lucky one." I smile, I continue sitting by Lily's side while Bailey operates, until she finishes and closes her up before taking her to recovery.

"Hey beautiful." I smile as Lily begins to open her eyes.

"Hey, pretty boy." She winces as she shifts around in bed a little.

"Are you in pain?" I ask.

"Just if I move, but it's not that bad." She says "Baby." She winces.

"Yes sweetheart." I answer.

"You're leaning on my I.V."

"Oh sorry." I say moving my arm, so that it isn't on her I.V.

"How's Phillip?" She asks me.

"He's good. The surgery went well and he's not showing any signs of rejection." I say.

"Good, because I did not just get cut open for nothing."