Oops, should really be updating something else but instead here's a one shot.
Please review and as always I do not own any of these characters.
Years ago when Izzie was home from college for a visit I picked up an article she had left out on the table. Now I'm no good with books and learning, I dropped out of school as soon as I could but this was actually kind of interesting. I was expecting it to be some kind of complicated thing about parts of my body that I had never even heard of but this article was actually about mistakes made in hospitals.
Now I don't remember the exact number but I think the article said that 50,000 people die every year due to these mistakes. First I was shocked but then I continued to read the rest of the article. When you actually think about all the jobs doctors and nurses have to do I can easily understand how mistakes happen, I'm not saying mistakes are ok but they can happen. I go to the store especially for milk and often come home without it but in a hospital forgetting something could be the difference between life and death.
Since Izzie knocked on my door two weeks ago I've been trying to remind her that mistakes happen. She won't listen though. Whatever mistake she made caused her to lose her job and return to my home miserable.
Her phone vibrates on the table again causing me to jump. It rings for a few minutes. Izzie is out but even if she was here she wouldn't take the call. It's her husband Alex, again.
From what I can piece together Izzie has had a really bad year. First there was the cancer, which I'm starting to realise was more serious than just a silly little mole. The cancer led to operation after operation, including on her brain. I feel stupid for not realising how serious things were but I think Izzie was just trying to protect me. We do have quiet an unusual relationship.
She has mentioned something about crashing, which I believe means she died and was revived at least that is my understanding of it from ER and other hospital shows. She has mentioned her best friend George who died. She cried a lot telling me about him. I think she's still shocked that he is gone.
Then she threw herself back into work. Maybe Alex was right and she went back too soon but my Izzie is a determined girl and once she puts her mind to something there is no stopping her. She has mentioned some other hospital joining them and she does not seem to like these new doctors.
There was also the wedding to Alex. They both thought she was dying and Alex gave Izzie the wedding of her dreams. I really like that guy, he seems good for her. Izzie doesn't talk about him much and if I mention him she quickly leaves. Poor guy, he's been ringing me constantly since Izzie arrived. Part of me just wants to tell him she's here but I'm sticking to Izzie's wishes.
Izzie's home. I can hear her park the car outside my trailer. The recession has hit us all hard here. The local factory which hired nearly everyone shut down four months ago. My hours at the diner have been cut which has been tough but I'm in a better position than most. The door flies open and Izzie comes into the trailer carrying milk and a large chocolate cake. Today has not been any better so. Izzie buying a cake is worse than her going on a massive baking spree. It's like a white flag signalling that she has given up.
She mutters hello and crashes around the kitchen while I watch. When she first arrived she barely ate but she's slowly getting her appetite back. I have changed my diet buying fresh vegetables to make sure she's eating good food not the processed crap I usually live on. She cuts two slices of the cake and throws herself down on my couch.
"What did you do today?" I ask carefully positioning myself on the edge of the couch and placing my piece of cake away from me. I'm so worried about her that comfort eating won't make me feel better.
"Nothing." She mutters while twirling her wedding ring around her finger.
"You have four missed calls from Alex." I tell her but she continues to stare blankly at the TV screen. "Izzie he is your husband you need to talk to him, he's worried about you."
"I don't want to talk about Alex." Izzie says shortly. She never talks about Alex; she has barely mentioned him since she arrived.
"Why not? Did you two have a fight?" I push for more information.
"No, Mom drop it." I'm just about to complain when my phone rings. "Izzie it's Alex."
"Don't answer it." she says with pleading eyes. Screw it, I ignore her.
"Hello" I say cheerfully.
"Robbie it's Alex, have you heard anything?" he asks, pain evident in his voice. Every day he asks the same question and every day I lie for my daughter. I'm beginning to feel like I am doing the wrong thing.
"Oh hello Alex." I look at Izzie who is waving at me to say she is not there. I give her a stern look and pause for awhile. I click the phone so it's on speaker.
"Robbie, are you there?" Alex asks while Izzie looks like she is about to burst into tears.
"Yes I'm here Alex, sorry I'm driving." I lie. "What did you just ask me?"
"Izzie, I still have not heard from her. I don't know where she would go other than yours. Do you know where she could be?" Izzie gets up from the couch and makes her way towards the door but I quickly grab her wrist. Tears are running down her face but I make her stay. She looks terrified that I am going to tell Alex where she is. Finally I answer Alex.
"No I'm sorry Alex. I can't help you. I have to go." I say and quickly hang up.
Izzie collapses back onto the couch and continues to sob.
"Cricket, you need to go back to him." I say soothingly as she shakes her head.
"Why did you do that? Why did you make me hear his voice again?"
"Because whatever is going on you need to face it. This girl staying in my trailer, eating cake that she did not make herself, she is not my daughter. My daughter is a surgeon. My daughter made it to medical school against all odds. My daughter gave up her baby giving a couple the best gift ever and my daughter fought cancer. Izzie I am so proud of you." I say, tears starting to fall down my cheeks. "So you lost your job, lots of people have lost their jobs but it does not give you the right to run out on your husband."
"He must hate me." She sobs, "I hate me. I can't do anything right with him. I died in his arms, I made him live in a trailer and I lost my job."
"And he's still frantically calling looking for you." I point out.
"I don't think about him which is harder than fighting cancer. I don't think about him because I hate being without him. I do love him, I love him so much but I'm scared. He deserves better than some cancer ridden, unemployed failure. Mom I'm covered in scars, I look old from the treatment, I can't naturally have children and we got married because I was going to die. And now he's stuck with me. I'm giving him an out."
"Cricket he's not taking it. He doesn't want it; he doesn't think you're a failure because you are not. You are a great doctor and you will work again as a great doctor." She continues to cry on my shoulder for a few moments.
I reach out and pass her my phone.
"Here, call your husband." I stand up and pick up the rest of Izzie's cake. "I'm going to take this over to Jenny. Good luck cricket."
"Thanks Mom." She sniffs. As I close the door I can hear her hold her breath as she waits for an answer.
"Alex, I'm so sorry."