"So, you have pains in your chest?" Cristina droned to the elderly woman, Elsa MacDougall, not even trying to hide her irritation.
"Well yes dear, in my chest. It started this morning about 9 O'clock. I thought it was nothing, but my husband, well he's a worrier, he made my come in to make sure it wasn't anything serious. I'm sure it's not but, well at my age, I suppose, it's always best to be on the safe side. I do hope I'm not wasting you time though dear. I know how busy you doctors can get. My nephew is in school to be a veterinarian you know."
Cristina gave to woman a blank stare. "So you have pains in you chest."
"That's right, though I'm not sure-"
"Cristina cut the woman off before she had a chance at another rambling pandemic. "Is it a burning pain or and aching pain?"
"Burning, definitely burning dear."
"Alright, ma'am, you have heartburn. It's not serious. At all, really." Cristina had hoped that the clinic would distract her from what had happened. She had hoped that her brain would be too filled with runny noses and allergic reactions to really process what had gone on that morning, but no dice. All of her patients had had textbook symptoms for textbook illnesses, the flu, a few colds, one scarlet fever, and now heartburn. Yawn. Cristina turned back to her patient who was regarding her with an expectant look on her face.
"Is there something wrong ma'am?"
"Heartburn? It's only heartburn?" The woman's expression changed from confusion to concern. "Are you sure that it's only heartburn, dear?"
"That's what your symptoms lead me to believe." Cristina gave the woman a tight smile. "Take some Tums and if the pain continues, come back and we'll get you a prescription."
"Alright then, thank you dear." Elsa smiled as she delicately lowered herself down from the hospital bed.
"It's not a problem Mrs. MacDougall. Have a nice day." Cristina lead the woman to the clinic's glass doors and returned to fill out Elsa's chart.
"Ooh. Have a nice day." Izzie remarked from behind Cristina. "Alex was right, you really do want to work on your bedside manner!"
"Shut up." Cristina snapped. "Where did you come from anyways?" It wasn't like Izzie to make surprise calls to Cristina's side.
"Uh…I've been in the clinic this entire time. Got here at 8 and have been working right beside you ever since." Izzie shot her a strange look. "Shows how observant you are."
She sighed. "I don't know. I was just focused on my work I guess…" Cristina knew very well why she hadn't noticed Izzie, she had been too pre-occupied with he own thoughts about Dr. Hunt, the professional, to consider any one else's existence.
"Focused on your work? You had a cold and a sore throat, how does that require any focus from the great Cristina Yang?"
Cristina burrowed her head in Elsa MacDougall's chart, hoping Izzie would just walk away. When she held her ground, Cristina relented. "I don't know. My patients were…" Cristina flashed through all the people she helped today, trying to come up with a concrete detail, but it was all a blur. A blur with orange hair. "…confusing. And I - " The blur now had electric blue eyes. "- cared about them more than I thought I would and - " The blur was gaining focus, much to Cristina's chagrin. "- I just need time to think about it all." Cristina looked to find Izzie staring at her, eyes wide with confusion.
"What?"
"Look, I'm really tired." It was a lame excuse, but Cristina wasn't about to spill her guts here. At least not to warm-and-fuzzy-Izzie. "I'm going for lunch, ok?"
"But it's only 10:30." Cristina was definitely getting some weird looks from Izzie Stevens.
"Oh. Well, alright then." Cristina hopped up on the hospital bed and looked towards the empty waiting room. It figures that the one day Cristina wanted an over load of angry patients was the day that there was no business.
Izzie eyed Cristina wearily. "Seriously, what's going on? Where are your sarcastic remarks and your mean…ness? Are you Ok?'
"Yeah, don't worry about it Izzie. Everything is just spectacular. Fucking spectacular."
