It was the night of the prom and for some reason Mark had decided that he too would like to share in the festivities. He was standing at the entrance of the hospital when Izzie walked in. He was taken back by her beauty and thought it wise to inform her that she looked stunning in her pink Cinderella outfit. Izzie turned to Mark, thanked him for his compliment, shook her head and muttered "you are so McSteamy" then proceeded to walk in. She had promised Denny that she would see him at 7.00pm, but she couldn't decide what to wear – in fact it took her seven goes until she felt ready to walk out the door.
Mark couldn't help but follow Izzie as he had no idea why she was rushing through the corridors. He got into the elevator with her and Izzie turned and asked if he was stalking her and if so to please stop. "Dr Sloan, I am in no mood to play games at the moment. My fiancé is waiting for me upstairs and I am already 45 minutes late." Mark paused for a moment and said "Fiancé….right so you're the intern that happened to get engaged to the patient who received the hear transplant."…. "Yes I am" replied Izzie "and for your information I am seriously ecstatic." As the doors opened Izzie ran out and tried to get to Denny's room as fast as she could.
As she approached Olivia was sitting on the floor outside Denny's room, Izzie thought this was strange – but then again Olivia was a strange one. She turned and walked into Denny's room and she found him asleep. As she moved closer she knew there was something wrong. After staring for what seemed to be an eternity, she moved closer and touched his face. He was cold. She turned and ran back outside and yelled at Olivia, "when, when did this happen?" Olivia was speechless. Mark who was standing at the end of the corridor approached and asked what was going on. Izzie just looked at him and the tears started to roll down her face. Without an answer Mark walked in the room and found Denny lying there, there was nothing he could do. As he stood there Izzie walked in, brushed past his arm and lay next to Denny on the bed.
Mark just watched, he had no idea what to say. He just watched Izzie helplessly. He wanted to go over and take her in his arms and get her out of the room but he was afraid that that would hurt her even more. He took a few paces back and leaned on the door, when he heard footsteps coming up the corridor. There was Meredith, George, Alex, Christina and Callie. Meredith approached Mark, "Is it true? Is Denny really gone?" Mark looked at Meredith and just nodded. As he started to walk across towards Izzie, Alex moved forward and said "I'll go" Mark looked at him and said "No, I'll do it. She will hate the person that will try and take her away…she already doesn't like me so I'll do it". Meredith and Cristina looked at each other, stunned that Mark actually had feelings. "Wow…McSteamy does have a heart" whispered Meredith. Cristina looked at her and replied "You think? I don't know. Seems he may be thinking that some comfort sex may come his way". George heard that and turned to Cristina and said "Not now, she needs us and all you can think about is what McSteamy's agenda is… save it he is at least trying to comfort Izzie and she needs us more than ever."
Mark slowly walked towards Izzie who was lying next to Denny with tears streaming from her face. "Isobel" he said. "Its time to let go". Izzie looked up and said "Let go, how can I. we just found eachother, he proposed to me …how can I walk away from that. I am not ready to let go…I can't let go". Izzie's words penetrated through Marks' so-called coldness, and at that point tears began to gather in Mark's eyes. Outside Derek, Addison, Miranda and the Chief had made their way up from the prom and were just looking on. Mark whispered "Izzie, I know that you are hurting, I know you don't want to let go but you have to. Come with me and let Denny sleep. He has been through a lot and I'm sure that he is looking down at you right now saying that he wants you to let go." Izzie turned and looked at Mark and at this point Mark picked her up and she didn't resist. He took her over to the couch, holding her tight while she let all her emotions take over.
Addison looked at Derek, amazed at how Mark handled such a delicate situation. While Izzie was in his arms, her arms wrapped around him and crying profusely, the Chief ordered that Denny be removed from the room. As they began to wheel him out Izzie put her head up and said "Goodbye Denny, now I am all on my own." At this Mark turned her head towards him and said "Isobel, you are not alone. I am here for you. I want to be here for you." Izzie looked at Mark and placed her head on his shoulders and said "Please take me home." Mark got up still holding onto Izzie and made his way out of the room.
They all just stood there looking at them both as they made their way to the elevator. As the doors closed Meredith turned to George, Alex and Cristina and said "we need to go and be with her…she needs us more than ever." As the group of interns walked away, Miranda turned to the Chief and said "This is not good."
As Mark drove Izzie home he tried to tell her how sorry he was but all she could say was "he didn't try….he didn't try….he didn't try because he didn't want to be with me". As Mark pulled into the driveway he turned and said "Isobel he did try, the look on his face showed that. I'm sure he loved you but you have to see it from his perspective. He was weak and tired, he held on as much as he could but he was hurting….he would never want to leave you." She turned to him and yelled "but he did, he did leave me. What would you know about anything….you sleep with anything that walks…you have no idea what we had so just stop, stop talking to me." With that she opened the car door and ran into the house. She slammed the door behind her and leaned on it. The tears were non-stop and with that she slid down the door and lay on the floor.
Standing outside Mark could hear her. He came up to the door and crouched in front of it. "Isobel, please I know you are angry with me but let me in. I just want to show you that you are not alone. Please open the door." He could hear her get to her feet and walk away from the door. "Please leave me alone" she yelled. "I just want to be by myself….please respect that." He could hear her walking up the stairs, as he turned to walk to his car Meredith, Cristina, George and Alex drove up. Meredith got out of the car and walked towards him. "Where is she?" Mark, now leaning against his car said "Inside. She yelled and screamed out me which is ok, but she's locked the door. She won't let me in but I think you guys shouldn't leave her alone. She is in no state to be alone." Meredith nodded. With this Mark got in his car, wiping away the tears and the hurt and said to Meredith "I'll be back in the morning to check on things". As Cristina approached she asked "Why do you care? You didn't know Denny and you barely know Izzie. Why do you care?" He turned to Cristina and said "I just do. I am not the heartless bastard that people say I am. Just look after her, she needs you all to rally behind her even if she claims she doesn't". With that Mark drove off, and the four interns looked at eachother, each thinking to themselves what do we do, and how do we do this.