twenty-seven

seeing as he went to go check on Zola while the residents and their mentors stood outside so they could catch the bus that would take them to the airport for their Boards in San Francisco.

"Yes, Derek." Allison assured, "Except a good luck hug from my best friend."

"I'm sorry." Derek apologized, "The daycare paged me for Zola."

"Don't apologize, Zola comes first." Allison assured him, "I'm nervous, I think I'm going to throw up. What if I don't pass?"

"You're ready." Derek said, "Now get on the bus and make me proud, Allison Carter."

"Okay." Allison smiled, "I got this."

***

Allison walked in between Jackson and Alex as Meredith, Cristina and April caught up to them.

"Ow!" April yelled as someone accidentally bumped into her and the group got to the lobby and decided to sit down. April conversed with the man some more before he scoffed and walked away. April made her way to the group, "Well, he hates me." She sighed and sat down on one of the lobby chairs.

Alex laughed, "How do you do that? You've been here, like, two minutes."

April looked at the floor, "My examiner is gonna hate me too, instantly."

"No, they won't." Allison assured her, while Cristina looked at her,

"Don't psych yourself out."

"One in five people fail the boards." April mentioned as she shook her head.

"Fine." Cristina shrugged, "Psych yourself out."

"It's just a test." Jackson assured April, "We've all dealt with worse. No one's bleeding out on your table. We will be fine."

Meredith got up and brushed her hand on Cristina's arm as she walked away, "Cristina."

Cristina and Meredith walked away and the rest of the group talked about the Boards but stopped when April got up as she approached the other two, "So you guys wanna go register and then go get some lunch?"

Meredith inhaled and turned her body to the side as she threw up causing April smile to drop as she looked concerned for Meredith, while Allison looked away.

"Wh—Uh, what just happened?" April asked, looking at Cristina.

"Is she okay?" Allison asked.

"Stomach flu." Cristina answered.

***

"Zola has the stomach flu and you didn't say anything?" Jackson questioned, looking at Meredith.

"How could you?" April asked, "Are you trying to—to sabotage us all?"

Meredith rolled her eyes, "It's not like it's the black plague."

"You are supposed to be our friend." April freaked out.

"Oh, April, calm down." Meredith waved her hand at her as she got up.

"Oh...y-you stay right where you are, Typhoid Mary." Alex put a hand in front of Meredith as he kept his distance, "Come on." Alex looked at the rest of the group, "Let's go register."

Allison stood in front of Jackson as they waited on line to register due to their last names being in between the letter 'A-F'. April and Alex on separate lines due to their last names being 'K'. Alex got off the phone as he looked at Jackson, "Dude, isn't that your mom?"

Allison eyes widen as she and Jackson moved their hands to see Catherine approaching them, "Baby."

"Oh, no." Jackson sighed as he looked at Allison's freaked out face. The Carter girl hasn't had a proper conversation with Catherine Avery, except that one time she first came to town.

"I know. I know you don't want to see your mother before the boards, but they are wearing this old girl out. Got me examining three sessions tomorrow, and I might not see you, so I had to say good luck." Catherine gave him a kiss on the cheek, "Dr. Carter." Catherine politely greeted Allison, giving her a small smile.

"Dr. Avery." Allison nodded as she smiled at her.

"Oh, and I brought it." Catherine said as she rummaged through her purse.

"Mmh. No, no, that's fine. You don't—-"

"It's in her somewhere." Catherine interrupted Jackson.

"That's fine. That's okay." Jackson assured her, as Allison raised a brow.

"That's what you always say, but you always want it in the end." Catherine dismissed as she reminded him.

"Okay, all right."

"Mom, I'm good." Jackson assured, as Catherine held a gaze that showed him, she didn't believe him. "I am."

"I'm in room 809 when you change your mind."

"All right." The line moved up, seeing as Allison was talking to one of the staff members to get her registration packet.

"Mommy bring you your binky?" Alex teased, looking at Jackson.

"It's my lucky pencil. She brought my lucky pencil."

"You know this is an oral test, right?" Alex asked.

"Yes, I know, okay? It's just, I used it for my S.A.T.s, and my M.C.A.T.s and my intern exam," Jackson explained.

"So it's your binky." Alex shrugged.

"It's..."

Allison grabbed the folder as she walked up to them and patted Jackson's shoulder, "I can't believe you still have it."

***

"Okay." Jackson spoke up, as Cristina stared at the wall worrying about Meredith and Alex tried to call Arizona again, while Allison sat on the same bed as Jackson and April, "56 year old presents with pancreatic ductal obstruction...and dilated main pancreatic duct. Post-op procedure..." Jackson turned the card, "Yes."

"Dude, give it a rest." Alex commented from the other side of the room, "If we don't know it by now, we're screwed. Besides," Alex shrugged, "You've got your magical pencil to see you through."