now hang me up to dry
you wrung me out too too too many times
now hang me up to dry
I'm pearly like the whites, the whites of your eyes
Do not jump to conclusions, Callie. You probably heard wrong…he's your husband. He asked YOU. Just--relax, and ask calmly.
Callie took a deep breath as she made her way toward the Intern locker room. Addison had spent about five minutes straight, bitching about how she's all of a sudden "adulterer confession guru" and how Izzie Stevens had apparently had mind blowing, adulterous sex with someone--Something clicked immediately in Callie and now she came here looking for her husband.
Peaceful confrontations never hurt anyone--except her.
Except this time, because she feared the worst.
She opened the door and almost ran into Izzie. "Oh…" She was about to move past her, until Izzie wouldn't meet her eyes. Callie found something strange about that.
"Do you need something? George isn't here…"
"I need to ask you something, and I know you'll tell me the truth--if I'm right, because you hate me--"
"I don't--"
"You do. So, you will tell me the truth because you couldn't care less about me." She took a deep breath and waited for Izzie to respond.
"Okay." Izzie nodded.
"Are you or--did you and George sleep together?"
Izzie scoffed and began to laugh.
"Don't." Callie warned sternly. This was not the moment to laugh at her. She could seriously hurt someone. "Just tell me. I'm asking you."
Izzie waited a few moments, then lifted her head and straightened her back, standing eye to eye with Callie. "Yes." She said almost proudly.
Callie nodded, biting her cheeks to hold back all the mixed emotions that were clouding her mind.
"Callie--"
"Don't." She spat out. "You've told me what I needed to know. Thanks."
"I just don't want you to think it was just this one night stand…"
Callie laughed at this, tears welling up in her eyes. "Oh, well, thanks for letting me know. It just feels so good to know that you've been laughing at my expense for a more valid reason. Really. Thank you."
"No--we--Callie, it just happened. You have to understand…"
"Uh-uh. This right now? Is the last time you will ever speak to me unless it is absolutely necessary. We are married. Whether it meant anything to either of you, we are married." Her voice was shaky, as was her breathing.
"Callie--I--I wish that I could say that I was sorry--"
Callie stared at her, her jaw to the floor. Had she really just said that?
Alex had been sitting on the bench between the rows of lockers.
He had sat back as long as possible but he knew he had to stop that conversation before Izzie said anything else more hurtful. He had to admit, he was trying immensely hard to hold back his anger at the recently received news. All of a sudden George O'Malley had slept most of the women worth sleeping with in that hospital. And Izzie--he couldn't even hold a straight thought about her without tightening his hands into fists.
He stepped out from around the corner and both women turned to look at him. Callie looked away immediately, obviously bothered by the fact that he had been listening the entire time. Izzie opened her mouth to speak but Alex raised his hand to stop her. "Shut up, Izzie."
Before she could reply, George stepped inside. His clueless smile fading as he sensed the tension. "What's going on?" He looked at Callie, then at Izzie, but only for a second before looking at the floor.
Callie looked at him with pain in her eyes, and with the love that was making it harder for her to hate him all at the same time. She fought hard to hold back everything inside her, afraid to speak in fear of falling apart.
Alex saw the difference between the way Callie looked at George. And the way Izzie looked at George. Izzie looked guilty--but not sorry. He knew her long enough to tell the difference. And Callie--Callie looked like she was going to fall over.
He couldn't stand to look at Izzie, and Callie's hands were now in painfully tight fists.
"What's wrong?" George asked, looking from Izzie, to Callie again, then to Alex, who only shot him a hateful glare.
"Apparently, nothing." Callie spat out.
Alex saw George begin to realize what was going on and Callie's lip trembled. He placed his hand on her elbow and leaned into her ear. He spoke softly. "Don't do this until you can do it with a dry face. Come on." He ushered her gently outside, sending one final glare at Izzie and George.
"What--Izzie, what the hell was that!" George shouted, causing Izzie to flinch. "Izzie!"
"She knows!" She finally said. "Okay? She knows. She came in here and she asked me…"
"So you told her!"
"George, she needed to know…"
"Not from you!"
"When were you going to tell her, George! You and me…she had to know!"
"It was NOT your place!" He ran his hands through his hair. "I have to fix this…I have to…damn it!"
"George--what about us?"
"Izzie!" He stared at her, he knew he had feelings for her but at that moment, all he could think of was the woman that just walked out, broken, because of him. He sighed and turned to leave. "I have to go find her."
XXX
Alex closed the door behind him as Callie took a seat at the table in one of the hospital conference rooms. He approached her carefully and sat in the seat next to hers.
He didn't know what to say. He'd cheated before.
He'd cheated on IZZIE before, so he didn't know what to say.
He simply sat next to her and tapped his fingers on the table as he stared ahead and let her cry quietly.
She sniffled and dried her eyes with her hands. "Thanks. For getting me out of there. I don't know what was wrong with me. I just--froze."
"No problem."
"I can't move." She continued. "I feel like if I move I'll fall--"
"Take your time. I'm off duty."
She looked over at him and he smiled slightly. She smiled back, then returned her attention to the wall ahead.
The door swung open and they both turned to see who had wrecked their silence.
"Oh God." Callie swore as she buried her face in her hands.
Seeing her discomfort, Alex quickly rose to his feet and blocked the entrance before George could come inside.
"Callie--" George pleaded, breathless, his brow furrowed as he looked past Alex. "--please. Le me explain."
Alex shook his head and stared him down. "Not now, man."
"Alex, this is none of your business." George growled back.
"Yeah, maybe, but she doesn't want to talk to you! So get out!"
"Alex--move!"
"You can stomp and whine all you want, Bambi. I'm not letting you in here. She'll talk to you when she's ready. You've already messed up. Own it. And let her process it because you've got no real chance right now anyway."
"Callie?"
She heard him call her name but she couldn't look at him. She ignored him, breathing into her palms, her eyes shut closed.
"--Callie. Please, I--I love you." He said, before leaving reluctantly.
Alex closed the door and slowly turned to her.
He was pissed. He was livid at Izzie. He cared about her. He stood around and watched her with Denny, he was there for her like an idiot as she mourned his death and he waited…
He stumbled out of his thoughts and noticed that Callie's shoulders were shaking. He moved forward fast and grabbed one of her hands. She quickly laced her fingers with his, rested her forehead on her palm and wept silently.
They sat there for a while, Callie crying and Alex giving as much comfort as he could give by just holding her hand. And he welcomed the pain when she dug her nails into his knuckles, happy to feel anything other than jealousy and anger.
After she had completely drained herself, Callie dried her eyes and immediately let go of Alex's hand. She didn't know him. They had never exchanged more than a couple of sentences and now, after having the worst happen to her, out of all people, Alex Karev had seen her cry--sob inconsolably. She swallowed hard and prayed the he would get up and leave, and never mention this again.
"Don't be embarrassed." Alex said calmly. He smiled as she turned to him. "You're freaking out, I can tell. Don't. O'Malley's an ass and what he did to you--what Izzie did--"
He trailed off and she remembered he had once been involved with Izzie. She saw the marks she had left on his knuckles and she reached for his hand immediately, holding it cautiously as she examined it. "Damn. I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry about it. I can take it." He winked and chuckled as she rolled her eyes and dropped his hand. His pager went off and he groaned as he reached for his waistband and silenced it. "I have to go." He frowned.
"It's okay." She reassured him. "Thanks."
"You sure? You going to be okay?"
"Yeah. Go. I'll figure something out about George."
"Dude. Go home. Pack his stuff. And leave it out on the doorstep. You're set. Just like that." He stopped and thought. "Hold on--" He searched through his shirt pocket and wiped out a pen, then searched his coat pockets for his notebook. "Damn. I left my notepad--here…" He grabbed her hand and wrote his number on her palm.
She felt a slight twinge inside, recalling the night she had done the same to George. She shook the thought away immediately. She had cried enough.
"That's my cell phone number." He said, putting the pen back in his pocket. "If O'Malley gives you crap, call me and I'll come drag his ass out of there."
"Did you just write your number on my hand? I have paper." She pointed at her own pocket.
"Yes. But this is romantic. And I'm disgustingly charming." He winked again, smiling at hearing her laugh. "Don't wash your hand until you write it down in a safe place."
She scoffed. "Okay."
"Okay." He drummed her palms on the table top, then stood up. "I'll see you later."
She smirked and waved as she walked out. She caught sight of his writing on her palm and smiled. Who knew Alex Karev had a heart? She suddenly thought of a better person to pour her heart out to and pulled out her cell phone. "Addison? Hey, can you meet me for a couple of minutes?"
XXX
"CALLIE! Callie, open the door!" George shouted as he pounded on their door. "Callie--please! I'm sorry!" His throat was beginning to ache from shouting but he couldn't leave. He ran his hand through his hair and kicked one of the suitcases in the hallway that Callie had set out. "Callie! It was a mistake! I was--it was a MISTAKE! Callie, please open the door! We have to--we can't just leave it like this! We're married! Open the door! Please!" He had to fix it. He wanted to fix it.
Callie stood inside, her palm flat on the door as if trying to feel him somehow. She took a deep breath and opened the door. For a second, she let him hold her and kiss her cheek, but she immediately pushed him away. "No."
"Callie, I'm so sorry." He said, holding her face in his hands. "I'm sorry." He repeated, but she pushed harder and took a step back, tears in her eyes.
"No!" She kept on going backwards until she felt the door behind her. "You wanted to talk. Talk."
"Callie, I swear, it was a mistake. I was upset. And we were drunk, and you and I had just fought--"
"Wait. When you and I fought--last…you went an entire week without telling me!" She held onto the doorknob for support and glared at him. "We--you made love to me and--"
"Callie…"
"You lied to my father--"
"No…"
"You sat there! Looked him in the eye, holding my hand and you lied to him! She was crying now. "You made me look like an idiot. I defended the HELL out of our relationship to my father and meanwhile…I just. You need to go. You need to leave." She opened the door. She needed him to go. She couldn't breathe with him there. "George, get out!"
"No." He shook his head. "No! Callie, I love you."
"You love me" She laughed bitterly. "If you loved me, you wouldn't have FUCKED your supermodel best friend who is just SO out of your league. I'd bet all of your friends are so proud that you thought twice about settling."
"Callie, no!"
"Do you love her?"
"Callie, come on…
"You can't even look at me! If you can look at me and tell me that you don't have feelings for her, George, I will try--I will try to…" She couldn't even say the words. She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. When she opened her eyes, he was looking back at her. "Do you love her?"
"I--I don't know."
She nodded and bit her bottom lip as she opened the door wider. "You really need to leave."
"Callie, please…"
"No. We broke up. We broke up twenty-seven times and you kept on chasing me! Remember that?! You kept chasing me--and then, you're father died and--I said no. You asked me to marry you and I said no. I told you that you weren't ready but there you were, saying all these wonderful, right things and I was stupid enough to fall for it and now this happened and--why I'm surprised I don't know. I don't. But I know that I can't look at you. And you really need to get out of my room because I can't stand myself around you. Go!" She sobbed the last word and her eyes seemed hurt as her stepped out, stopping to look at her once in the hallway. She shut the door in his face, then looked around their room--her room.
"Fuck this." She takes a shaky breath, and shakes off the feelings overwhelming her as she makes her way toward the bathroom, stripping off her clothes on the way. She needed a hot shower.
XXX
Alex sat in the kitchen. His stay at Meredith's house had extended a little bit longer than he had expected, and he really did not want to be there. It wasn't that Izzie had slept with someone else, it was--she was not supposed to be that person. Alex had feelings for another Izzie. Another Izzie who didn't sleep with married men.
He leaned back in his chair, a half full bowl of cereal in her hand, and a spoonful of that cereal in his mouth. As he swallowed, Izzie walked through the swinging door.
"Hey." She smiled, headed for the fridge.
He stood up and carried his bowl to the sink. Suddenly, he didn't feel like eating.
Izzie rolled her eyes and looked at him from around the open freezer door. "Are you mad at me?"
"It's none of my business." he mumbled as he rinsed his dishes.
"You know, you're no one to judge…"
"I said it was none of my business didn't I?" he snapped. "I'm NOT judging you. It's your business." He switched the water off and turned around to dry his hands.
"How--how's Callie?"
Alex laughed. "Right." He grabbed an apple from the table on his way out. "See you at work."
"Alex--" he was gone.
XXX
"Hey, AVA. Alex greeted Jane Doe as he entered her room and he grabbed her chart.
"Ava?" She asked.
"You like Jane Doe better?"
"I like Cher better."
"You want to be worshipped by gay men?"
"Why not?"
He put the chart back down and leaned against the edge of the bed. "You had you bandages changed and everything? You in any pain?"
"No. I'm okay. How are you?"
"I'm…" he stopped as something caught his eye. "Hey!"
Callie stopped in her tracks and walked back. "Hey." She smiled at Alex, then at the young woman in the bed.
"How you doing?" He asked.
"I'm fine."
"Yeah? I figured. I got no phone call last night."
"Yes, but I saved that number on my phone for a later crisis."
"Good."
"Okay." She smiled and waved ass he walked off.
"Oh--" he ran after her. "Hey, Torres!"
She turned around a few feet away.
"You working tomorrow?"
"No."
"I play football with some people at the park. You should come. Distract yourself. Eat a hotdog. My treat."
"Um--"Her first instinct was to say no, but she didn't want to be cooped up and depressed all day on her day off. "--yeah. I'll come."
"Okay. Where do you live? I'll pick you up."
"I live--at the Archfiled." What the hell, she thought. Half of the people in the hospital already knew she was rich, why try to hide it. She waited for him to make a stupid remark.
"Okay. Be ready at two."
She smiled at his indifference. "Okay."
He nodded. "Okay."
"Bye." She turned back around and headed towards the elevator.
When Alex came back into the room, Jane Doe, or Cher, was looking at him curiously.
"What?" he asked, pulling up a chair by her bed.
"You don't like the redhead anymore?"
"What are you talking about?"
"You're going to pretend you weren't checking her out?"
"I don't like the redhead."
"What about Doctor Torres? I think she likes you."
"We're friends."
"You have a lot of attractive, platonic friends you secretly want to sleep with?"
"Shut up." He didn't want to sleep with Torres. Did he? No. he didn't.
XXX
"It is raining, you do realize that, right?" Callie shivered as she and Alex walked across the grassy field.
"It's drizzle, Torres. We don't let a little drizzle scare us. Don't be a pussy." He teased.
"Oh!" She stumbled and he grabbed her elbow so she wouldn't fall.
"You okay?" he asked, half laughing as he mindlessly took her hand in his.
"I'm fine." She responded, noticing their interlaced fingers but not thinking too much about it and she giggled.
He liked her giggle. It made him want to giggle, but didn't. Because men didn't giggle.
"You guys don't have uniforms…" Callie observed, mirth in her tone.
"We play for the love of the game, sweetheart. It's not about the money."
They laughed together, and Callie remembered how good it felt to just laugh. She never did anything like that with George.
She let go of his hand as he slipped out of his jeans and jacket, leaving him in an old tee-shirt and work out shorts. She observed he had nice calves--and arms. "Should I go sit with the rest of the girls?" She asked sweetly.
Alex dumped his clothes on top of his gym bag, which he had dropped on the grass. "Yes. Go drink beer with the other girls, little lady."
"Oh, look, Joe's here." She said waving at the bartender, who stood with a couple of other people some yards away.
"Yeah. That's what I mean. Ladies." He smirked as she hit his shoulder playfully. "Go hang out with Joe. Watch the manly mens play."
She rolled her eyes. "God, the amount of love you have for yourself is just heartwarming, really."
Alex watched her walk away. Friends could do that. Watch other friends walk away…
"Hey, Callie." Joe greeted warmly and the girl next to him offered Callie and equally friendly smile.
"Hey, Joe."
"Is--George here?" He asked curiously, obviously noticing she had been holding Alex's hand.
"No. I'm here with Alex. Who are you here with?"
"Oh, Walter plays. Hey, this is Darcy."
"Hi." The girl said ass he shook Callie's hand. "Are you Alex's girlfriend?"
"Oh no." Callie laughed. "No. We're just friends."
"So, where's George?" Joe insisted. "Did you two make up? I heard you had a fight."
"Um--" Callie avoided his eyes. "--no. We're over actually." She spotted Alex and he stuck his tongue out at her as he threw the ball and she laughed.
"Well--"Joe began, a little lighter this time. "--here's to that." He handed her a beer and she took it gladly.
"Thanks." She added, sipping from the bottle. "So, when exactly does the game sta--holy shit!" Someone in the field got tackled and the rest of the spectators hissed and groaned and Callie laughed with Joe.
"Yeah--that WAS my boyfriend." Darcy stated dryly, then picked up a beer from the cooler at their feet.
"Look at Walter." Joe said.
The three of them turned their heads and looked at Walter, who did his best to avoid getting anywhere near the ball. They laughed together and suddenly, Callie didn't mind the rain so much anymore.
XXX
Callie and Alex sat at a table, laughing out loud with the rest of the crowd from the park. Alex's team had lost but they had moved to Joe's to celebrate anyway.
"Karev! How's your ass?!" Someone shouted from somewhere in-between the crowd.
"It's just fine! You just worry about yours next Saturday!" He frowned, noticing Callie look at her watch for about the third time in five minutes. "You late for something?"
"What? No. Sorry. It's just--George is getting out of work soon and I don't' want to--you know--"
"Let's go."
"What?" She asked, smiling. She liked having things done for her for no reason.
"Let's go." He repeated and began to stand up.
"We don't have to go. It's still early. You should stay with your friends."
"Will you shut p? I don't' even know these people. I just met them today."
"You serious?"
"No. Let's go! What's your problem? You don't' want to see O'Malley, right? Let's go. Come on--"He playfully flipped her hair. "--come on." he did it again as she stood up.
"Okay!"
He helped her slip into her jacket and they said their goodbyes to different people as they walked out.
"It stopped raining." Alex slipped his hands into his pocket. "You happy now, Princess Pain in The Ass?"
"I was COLD, so suck it."
He wanted to respond to that, but it was too easy. So he decided to ignore it. "What do you want to do? It's still pretty early."
They began to walk down the street.
"I don't' know…let's go back to the park. Let's play some catch."
"Okay, Sport."
"Fine. Forget it. Let's go get ice cream."
"ice cream?! You said you were cold!"
"Yyeah…and?"
He shook his head, "You're psychotic."
"Shut up or I won't pay."
"Oh, score. A rich hot chick."
She turned to him now. So he had heard.
"I don't care." He reassured. "Good for you. And apparently, good for me."
She laughed. She had been doing a lot of that lately. "Ass."
XXX
"Slurpees on the hood of a car. It's no Baskin Robbins." Alex said with a sigh.
He and Callie sat on the hood of his car outside the local 7 Eleven.
"It's still good. Shut up and enjoy it." She responded, drinking through her pink straw. She saw him choke on his blueberry drink and she turned, startled as his hand flew to his temple. "Too cold?" She choked back a chuckle.
He glared at her and hissed. "Shut up. Fuck!"
She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Jesus…come here." She placed her plastic cup aside and rubbed her hands together to warm them up before placing them on either side of Alex's head and rubbing his temple with her thumbs.
He watched her intently as the pain slowly faded. Her eyes were smiling and what was weird was that, he was completely comfortable with having her that close to him.
"There? Better?" She asked.
She smiled, teeth and all and couldn't help but smile back. Teeth and all. "You want me so bad."
She smacked him lightly in the back of the head and picked up her drink. "Yes, yes I do. I don't know how I manage to keep my hands off of you."
They remained silent for a while, before the tension caused them to laugh again.
XXX
So Addison had left. Callie had driven her to the airport and they cried, even when they said they were not going to. As she had pulled into the hospital parking lot, she received a message from her. Just to tell her she'd better sound happy when she called her the next day.
She yawned as she made her way into the lobby. She hadn't gotten much sleep lately. Suddenly, she was that girl who couldn't sleep alone. It pissed her off. Made her feel pathetic. She froze in mid stride as something vile caught her eye. George and Izzie. George and Izzie looking particularly chummy. Her breath caught in her throat at witnessing the proceedings. He leaned over and kissed her, and not only did she kiss him back, but she giggled like an idiot and wondered off with George on her tail like a puppy.
Tears welled up in Callie's eyes and she turned to go back to her car. It hadn't even been a month and they were already flaunting their incestuous relationship around the hospital. The fact that they had anything to flaunt made her sick in itself. How do you move on so fast after your marriage is over?
Alex adjusted his backpack over his shoulder as he dragged his feet out the hospital and in the direction of his car. He had been working all night and he needed a bed. His phone rang and he couldn't help but perk up as Callie's number flashed in the screen.
He flipped the phone open and held it to his ear. "Hello." he heard what sounded like sniffling and he held the phone closer. "Hello?"
"So, I know this is not your thing but Addison is gone and George is an asshole and I can't stop crying and it's pissing me off!" Callie cried on the phone.
Alex sighed angrily and rubbed her tired eyes with his hand. "Where are you?"
"I'm in my car…" He heard her blow her nose. "--in the hospital…in my car. It's so stupid! I'm just--and he's just--"
"Okay. I'm in the parking lot. Where exactly are you?" He asked, searching through the empty vehicles.
"I don't know…" She responded, resting her head on the steering wheel. "--just forget it. I'll--I'm calm." She said, taking a deep breath, finally silencing her sobs. "I'm calm. I'm sorry. Bye."
She hung up her phone, threw it on the passenger seat, then jumped up as someone knocked on her window. She turned her head and clutched her chest. "Alex! God!"
His voice was muffled through the glass. "Open the door." He kneeled in front of her as she did. "What happened?"
"Nothing." She said quietly.
"Do not pull this crap on me. I'm tired. I need sleep. So, let's just save ourselves some time and get this over with."
She looked at him for a second then rolled her eyes at her own weakness. "George and Izzie are together. I mean, I knew they were--you know--but it's been less than a month for gods sake…I hate them. He's happy and he's moved on and I'm just--he moved on before it was over."
Alex watched her our her heart out to him. She was hurting and it pissed him off that she would let anyone hurt her like that. She hated all parties involved in fact.
"I thought I'd be a little bit harder to get over." She joked, then shook her head. "Anyway--"
"You want me to kick his ass?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. I'll kick his ass right now." He was only half joking.
"Okay. Yeah, that'd be great."
"Okay." He stood up and dropped his bag on the floor.
Callie's eyes widened and she grabbed his jacket sleeve. "Alex, I was kidding!"
He scoffed as she got out of the car and closed the car door. "Make up your mind, woman."
She smiled. "Thank you for wanting and willing to kick his ass but, really, it's fine."
"Okay."
"Great. You can go home now. You look like crap."
"I look good and you know it." He held her gaze for a moment, the leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. It was short and friendly, but a kiss nonetheless. He didn't know why he had done it but he wanted to do it again. "Just for the record, I don't think you'd be easy to get over--at all."
"Thanks." She nodded as she made her way back towards the hospital.
He watched her leave for a moment before forcing his feet to move past her car and towards his own. Friendships with women were tricky. Friendships with Callie Torres were very tricky indeed.