Gray's anatomy reverse

April sat on the couch in the attendings' lounge, clutching a cupcake like it had personally offended her. Her expression was somewhere between dread and exhaustion, and the pink glittery “Birthday Girl!” sash draped over her scrubs wasn’t helping.

“I told him,” she muttered. “I told Jackson not to make a big deal. I said I didn’t even want to acknowledge my birthday this year.”

Lexie, seated beside her with a yogurt cup and her tablet, blinked. “And he responded by planning a whole week of celebrations?”

April groaned. “It’s Jackson. Of course he did.”

Meredith leaned in from across the table. “Isn’t your birthday next week?”

April sighed. “April 23rd. I’ll be 29. Which I won’t be celebrating. Because something always goes wrong on my birthday.”

Lexie’s brow furrowed. “Always?”

April held up one finger. “Last year? Plane crash.”

Another finger. “Year before that? Hospital shooting.”

A third finger. “Before that? My boyfriend dumped me via text. At church camp.”

Even Meredith winced. “Okay, yeah, that’s pretty cursed.”

April leaned back dramatically, arms crossed. “It’s a jinx. I don’t want cake. I don’t want a surprise party. I just want the week to pass without an explosion or a natural disaster.”

Right then, Jackson walked in carrying a pizza box the size of a coffee table, beaming. “Ladies! Happy Birthday Week, babe!”

April narrowed her eyes. “I swear if there’s a clown in that box—”

“It’s vegan. And meat lovers. Half and half. Like you like it,” he said proudly, placing it on the table.

Lexie looked impressed. “Okay, points for knowing your audience.”

April looked like she wanted to crawl under the couch. “You’re lucky I love you.”

Jackson grinned and kissed her forehead. “This week is going to be great. You’ll see.”

April groaned again. “That’s what I said before the plane crash.”

Lexie whispered to Meredith, “We should probably prep a trauma bay. Just in case.”

Meredith nodded. “And maybe alert the ICU.”

Lexie whispered to Meredith, “We should maybe start emergency prepping. Just in case.”

Meredith smirked. “I already checked the supply closet this morning. Trauma kits are stocked. Crash carts ready. Fire extinguishers accounted for.”

April glared at them both. “You’re not helping!”

Jackson, still cheerful and oblivious to the sense of doom surrounding his girlfriend, opened the pizza box with flourish. “Come on, babe. Just try a slice. No disasters yet, right?”

April gave the pizza a suspicious look. “That’s what makes me nervous.”

Just then, Arizona strolled in with a tiny party hat perched on her head. “It’s Birthday Week! Who’s ready for themed cupcakes tomorrow?”

April buried her face in her hands. “Oh God, there’s a schedule?”

“Oh yeah,” Lexie said with a grin, scrolling through a text Jackson had sent her earlier. “Tomorrow is pastel cupcake day, Wednesday is ‘Sweet Scrub Swap,’ Thursday is ‘Throwback Picture Day,’ and Friday is…” she paused, trying not to laugh, “a karaoke dance battle.”