NO MATTER WHAT
Chapter One : A Notion Becomes Reality, Sort Of.
Izzie felt a tug on her left pajama pant leg. This tug was persistent and familiar to her. She let out a loud grunt and rolled over, pushing her face into her pillow, as if asking for just a few more minutes sleep. A few minutes passed, but now the tug had become a full-on cling. There was this creature stuck to her left leg.
"Tucker! Give mom a few more minutes, ok?" Izzie said, quite aggravated.
"I want some French toast." Tucker said, in his whiny voice.
"Go ask daddy. Let me sleep a little longer." Izzie said, moving her leg back and forth, trying to loosen Tucker's grip.
Tucker let go of Izzie's leg and leaped off the bed and headed around to the other side of the bed, where George lay, drooling all over his pillow.
"Eww Daddy!" Tucker said, with a crinkled face.
Tucker then began to poke George, to try and stir him out of his slumber. George of course let out a few moans, knowing he had to get up.
"Daddy. I want French toast. Mom said to ask you. Please, pretty please!" Tucker said, a huge grin spread across his face, his eyes glimmered from the light that came through the curtains.
"Oh she did, did she?" George said, nudging Izzie.
"Ok, come on Tuck! Let's go make us some French toast. None for mommy." George said, grabbing Tucker's hand, tickling Izzie's side with his other.
Izzie smiled a bit, then opened her eyes. She moved over and gave George a kiss before he left the room, running with Tucker towards the stairs. Izzie sat up in the bed, closed her eyes, and let out a sigh. Her day had started, and it was only the beginning…
"Iz! Brooklyn is calling for you!" George said, before heading downstairs with Tucker.
Izzie sighed. She then pulled the covers off of her, then slipped on her fuzzy pink bedroom shoes, and headed down the hall towards Brooklyn's room.
"Mmm…it smells great in here George!" Izzie said, carrying Brooklyn in her arms.
"Thanks! Tuck wanted me to try that new recipe you found in the cookbook, the one with orange and almond extract in it." George said.
As Izzie stood there holding Brooklyn, swaying her back and forth, she watched George help Tucker flip the French toast on the griddle and remembered all the times George had burnt it in the past and how amazingly he could make it now. She loved her George, her feelings hadn't faded over the last 8 years. They had become stronger. They had intensified. George looked over at Izzie and Brooklyn and smiled, knowing all he needed in life was in this room right now.
George then quickly snapped out of his daydream state and looked back towards Tucker, finished stacking all the toast on the plate, then helped Tucker down from the step stool and they both headed towards the table. Izzie sat Brooklyn down in her highchair next to her and grabbed her purple mug and took a sip of coffee. She felt it run down her throat, it was warm, strong, and sweet. It woke her up.
As Tucker ran towards the table to his seat, of course sweetly patting his sister on the head before sitting down, George said, "Hannah called while you were with Brooklyn earlier. She said she would be to the airport around 4 and she would call one of us when she has got her bag and all that stuff. I am thinking you will have to go get her though Iz, because I have a triple bypass scheduled at 5 and I am not too sure about traffic. Is that ok?"
"Sure. That should be fine. Oh! And I still need to go get the cake for tonight too. Do you think Miranda needs us to bring anything else, while I am at the store?" Izzie said, as she spooned applesauce into Brooklyn's mouth.
Miranda Bailey, that is. Over the past few years, both George and Izzie got to know Bailey on a first name basis. She was now one of their best friends, if not their one best friend. It had been 5 years now, since Tucker's death. At least his death was not a shock, it was something that Miranda knew was coming and they were able to deal with that. She did grieve the loss of her husband, but Will helped with that pain. Tonight was for Tucker. His memory.
"You should probably pick up a few bottles of champagne. I think Alex and Cristina are going to bring wine. Or at least that is what they told me last time I talked to them." George said, followed by a slight giggle.
"Alright. Will do…so, did Hannah sound ok on the phone?" Izzie asked with a sideways smile.
"She seemed ok. I did not get to talk with her too long. She was heading across campus and it was really noisy. I think she is just trying to stay busy and keep her mind off of him." George said, biting into his French toast, syrup dripping down his mouth, onto his shirt.
"That is what I am worried about." Izzie said, frowning.
George wiped his shirt off with his napkin, then wiped Tucker's face and told him to go get ready for school. Tucker then ran upstairs.
George went over to Brooklyn to give her a kiss and she spit up her mouthful of applesauce all over his face. George slowly put on a smile and poked Brooklyn playfully on the nose. Brooklyn giggled, with her soft, rosy cheeks.
"You are just a mess this morning, aren't you?" Izzie said, looking at the syrup-y, applesauce-y George.
"Haha. Funny. I think someone needs a kiss." George said, getting up, moving towards Izzie.
"No George! No!" Izzie yelled.
George grabbed Izzie's arms, so she could not go anywhere. He gave her a long, sweet kiss…then proceeded to wipe his face all over hers. Now they were both covered in applesauce.
"Thanks honey!" Izzie said, wiping his lips off.
"You are so welcome!" George said, giving her a kiss on the forehead.
George then picked up Brooklyn, then headed for the stairs.
"Oh, wait. So, what is your schedule for today Iz?" George asked, Brooklyn's head leaning on his chest.
"I have two meetings with prospective bone marrow transplant patients. They are actually cousins. They are both girls. One is 10 and the other is 8. Then I have to interview about three others for the internship. I need one more, so two of them I will have to say goodbye to. That is gonna be really hard, these three interns are utterly brilliant." Izzie said.
"Wow! You are gonna have a busy day. Do you think you will have time to get Hannah? I mean I can get Cristina to cover my surgery if you need me to Iz." George offered.
"No, it's ok. I think I got it. Thanks George…Oh, are Callie and Matt coming tonight?" Izzie said.
"Yes, they are. I think he is bringing his famous chocolate soufflé. I know a week ago Callie told me she was making something, but I forget what it is now." George said.
"Great! I am really excited about seeing them again. How long has it been? Like 8 months now…?" Izzie pondered.
"Um, I think that is about right. Yeah, Matt and I really need to catch up. Tucker misses him too. We always have a blast throwing the football around!" George said, excitedly.
"Yeah. I know he does. Matt spoils that poor kid. Well, I am going to get ready. My first meeting is in an hour." Izzie said, getting up from the table, walking ahead of George at a faster pace.
"Ok! I am gonna clean up down here a bit and then get Brooklyn ready for Mer's. Can you check on Tucker? The bus should be here in like 10 minutes. He can't miss it again." George said, shaking his head.
"Alright. I will send him down and then I will be down soon. Love you George!" Izzie yelled from upstairs.
"I love you too, Iz!" George yelled back.
When they said those words to each other, it was almost out of routine. It was routine. But those words still held all the meaning that they first did when they were first spoken between them. When Izzie professed her love to him in the locker room…and when he told her he was in love with her in front of the whole O.R. Those words still held so much passion, so much truth, so much emotion. It was these kind of days that they hated the most. The days where they got so busy, they had no real time for each other, so all they had were those three words. And it was ok. Those words…were extraordinary.
They had been sitting in traffic for about an hour now. It had been pouring all afternoon long and many of the streets were flooded. Izzie had got held up at work with her interviews and George was able to get Cristina to cover for him at SG. So, George picked Hannah up at the airport.
"So, you glad school is over for a while?" George asked.
"Yeah. It was hard at times, but I met a lot of really great people in Brooklyn." Hannah responded.
"Yeah I bet. I remember I visited their once, when I was trying to find a place to do my internship." George said.
"What made you choose Seattle? All this rain?" Hannah said, giggling.
"Actually. Yes. The rain can be nice, you'd be surprised." George said.
"Hah. I guess…So, how is Iz?" Hannah asked.
"She is doing really well, can't wait to see you. And Brooklyn has grown so much since the last time you saw her." George said.
They finally reached their exit.
"Why are you taking this exit, George. The sign said it is a country road?" Hannah asked.
"This is the short cut I take every once in a while when I need to get home quickly. And we need to get you home. I bet Izzie and the kids are starting to worry." George said.
"Okay…well, I am really tired." Hannah said.
Izzie had just made it home and was decorating the living room with Tuck and Brooklyn. They were even painted signs for Hannah and there were balloons and streamers. They were so excited to see her…and Izzie needed to see George.
"Momma, when will daddy and Hannah be here?" Tucker asked.
Izzie was completely distracted with her thoughts. She could not put her finger on it, but something was wrong. Really wrong.
"Momma…momma…" Tucker pleaded, tugging on Izzie's blouse.
"I don't know sweetie, they should have been here already. I bet daddy is just driving really slow because of the rain. Don't worry." Izzie said.
Izzie kneeled down next to Brooklyn as she colored on the poster board, watching to make sure she stayed on it and not on the table. Their new 2,000 dollar table, that is.
"Can I call daddy?" Tucker asked.
"Yeah, sure. He always has it with him and never misses a call. My cell phone is on the counter in the kitchen. You remember what numbers to push, right?" Izzie asked.
"Mmhmm. The 202 one?" Tucker asked.
"Yes." Izzie replied.
Maybe it was the rain, maybe it was the fog. Or maybe it was the excitement of reuniting Hannah with Izzie that distracted him from seeing the school bus speeding in their direction.
No matter what had caused him not to see the car as George turned. It didn't matter why he didn't see it. It only mattered that he didn't see it. In an instant, their car was struck on the passenger side and began to roll several times and landed in a fully flooded nearby ditch. Both George and Hannah lay there unconscious as water began to fill the car.
"Mommy? I tried five times. Daddy is not picking up…" Tucker said, as he walked over to Izzie.
Izzie took the phone from Tuck and dialed George's number. It rang four times and then went to his voicemail.
"So, you've reached George O'Malley, or McYummy. See, my wife likes to call me that. It's cute, isn't it? Oh yeah…back to the message. Well, leave me a message at the beep. Later."
Beep.
"George, where are you? I am worried. Is everything ok? Call me."
The screen of George's phone was flashing as it lay on the floor under the steering wheel in a pool of blood…