Alex comes in and stands by the door listening to Izzie and Lexie laughing in the room.

"Let's try again…" Lexie says.

"Okay. I'm going to get it this time. Meredith slept with Derek, and George, Christina slept with Burke and Owen, Alex slept with you, me and…ummm…who is the other one? I forget…" Izzie says.

"Olivia," Lexie reminds her.

"Right! Olivia! I keep forgetting her. Why can't I remember Olivia…" Izzie says, laughing.

Alex enters the kitchen. "Maybe because the only one that matters is you…" he says, glaring at Lexie.

Lexie looks at him, startled. "I didn't hear you come in…ummm…hi Alex. We were just doing some memory drills and well…we were ummm…"

Alex stares harshly at Lexie. "This isn't a joke, Little Grey. Cristina told you what you needed to do. I work hard to make sure that Izzie is getting the best care. If you can't follow simple directions, you can't be on the schedule. I mean…seriously!" Alex explodes.

Izzie can't help but notice that Alex is talking about her as though she is not in the room.

"Alex! Lexie did everything she was supposed to do. We were finished. I promise. It's not what you think…" Izzie says, mortified by his behavior.

"All I know, is I work really hard trying to help you get better, and I come home and the two of you are sitting at the table gossiping like nurses! Do you want to be a vegetable for the rest of your life?" Alex snaps at Izzie.

"Of course not…it's just that…Alex…I…" Izzie tries to find the right words to remind him that she is still a person…a person who needs him to be her husband and not just a caregiver…a person with feelings that can be hurt, but under the stress of the moment, she can't find the right words and feels her eyes fill with hot tears that spill endlessly down her burning cheeks.

"Now look what you did!" Alex snaps at Lexie, motioning towards his crying wife.

"I didn't mean…I mean…I'm sorry…I…I better go now. Sorry for any trouble, Izzie," Lexie says, rushing out the door.

(Break)

Izzie stands at the top of the stairs, she stares at Alex as he scribbles furiously on small squares of post it notes all of the things that she forgot that day. She watches him meticulously stick them up in the appropriate room of the house. He stops only when Meredith walks into the house.

"You forgot to fill out the notebook," he says as soon as Meredith enters.

"I know. I was in a rush. I wrote it on a post it and figured I'd stick it in afterwards," Meredith says, digging the post it out of her pants.

Alex examines the post it as her sticks it into the notebook. "You only got 10 seconds out of her. Cristina got 25. Yesterday I had her at 22. You're not pushing hard enough," Alex says.

Meredith sighs. "Alex. She needs her rest too. Look at her, she's still so fragile," she says.

"What is it with you Grey girls? If you and Lexie can't tow the line, I'm going to replace you. Bailey offered to help out, and I told her we were covered next week, but now, I'm not sure you and Lexie are up to the task," he says, angrily.

"Alex! What is going on here? I'm working as hard as I can to make sure that things get done around here. I'm working 12 hour shifts then coming home and taking care of Izzie, doing your laundry, waking up every few hours to check on her…what more can you want?" Meredith asks, insulted.

"Forget it, you don't understand," Alex says, dejectedly.

Meredith opens her mouth to answer when Cristina opens the door and walks in.

"Don't you knock?" Alex snaps.

"Shut up. I brought food," Cristina replies.

"Thanks," Meredith says, taking the bag from Cristina's hand and grabbing a bunch of plates.

"I'm not hungry," Alex says. "I think I'm taking Meredith off the schedule," Alex says to Cristina.

"Alex! Stop it! I'm doing everything I can to help you and Izzie. I'm not charging anyone rent anymore, I'm doing everyone's share of the housework, I do all the drills you ask me to do with her, I clean up after she floods all the household appliances, and I haven't gotten so much as a thank you from you and now you say that you're taking me off the schedule…seriously???" Meredith protests.

"I'm going through the notebook. Her times with you are consistently the lowest. She doesn't make progress when you are here," Alex says, matter of factly.

"I get results. I bribe her with food," Cristina says, proudly.

"Yeah. But you screwed up yesterday too. You left early and left her here with Lexie. You can't cut out on your shift. Lexie's an intern. She doesn't know what she's doing. I came home and they were sitting at the table gossiping like a bunch of nurses in the cafeteria. She didn't even fill out the notebook," Alex says.

"I didn't screw up. I got a page for an important surgery. Do you know how many surgeries I have given up to babysit Izzie?" Cristina snaps.

Izzie listens silently from the top of the stairs. She hears someone come up behind her. Lexie stands at the top of the stairs next to Izzie and doesn't know what to say, so she says, "Wow. I think I'll stay up here until they all finish yelling at each other."

Izzie looks away so as not to reveal the tears that are building like an overflowing dam in her eyes. She doesn't answer.

"You want to talk about what you've given up, Yang? How about what I've given up! I married her. I married her knowing she had cancer. I knew we might not have a future, but I didn't know THIS would be our future. God damn post it notes and memory drills and cat scans and…damn it! I gave up my life for her, so don't you dare talk to me about sacrifice, Yang!" Alex yells, slamming his fist into the wall.

Alex's words pierce through Izzie in a million tiny sharp pieces. Lexie gasps, audibly glancing sideways at Izzie, not sure of what to do or say.

Meredith goes to Alex. "Alex, I know this is hard for you…but…"

"Don't talk to you about sacrifice? You wouldn't know what it means to sacrifice if it…" Cristina begins to snap back at Alex.

"Cristina, stop it! Don't…" Meredith warns.

"Seriously? Are you seriously going to take his side? He's right…you are too soft. Your times are slow…" Cristina snaps at Meredith.

Meredith is about to answer back when Izzie runs down the stairs sobbing. "Stop it! Just stop it! Please! All of you…just…please…stop yelling…" she pleads.

All of them freeze as Izzie storms out the door.

Lexie walks down the stairs. "For the record, Alex, I didn't forget to fill out the notebook. I think your notebook is ridiculous. And if I were all of you, I'd take down all these ridiculous post it notes. She only reads about 10 of them anyway," she says, casually leaving the three of them behind staring at each other in shock.

The silence takes over the room, threatening to suffocate all three of them if no sound is produced.

Cristina is the first to speak. "Maybe she won't remember what she heard?"

*********

Thank you for all the reviews! I really appreciate it! I have an idea of where I'm going with this now…

I'm glad you all enjoyed it!