I admit it... I'd been planning this evil cliffhanger for you because I knew I was going on vacation for a week and wouldn't be able to update. For that, I apologize. I'm really happy so many wanted to review instead of... i don't know... punching me in the face. ;) Thank you.

I might also have to add that up 'til now I've had a line of finished chapters waiting to be posted, but I've run out of them now, so i will update less frequently from now on.

Anyway, I'm just gonna shut up now and let you read...

Silence. They sat together on the floor of the hall in silence. Derek was rubbing Meredith's back while she stared at the people passing them only to occupy her mind with something easier to deal with.

Alex was there too, along with Jackson and April. Bailey was clearly fighting back tears.

Mark was just staring. Staring into space, his mind empty. Not until the oncologist was standing above him was he able to snap out of his own mind. They all got up from the floor, standing in front of him in a circle.

"We were able to get her stable again", he said, looking at them one by one. "She's okay for now."

"No, she's not okay!" Meredith said angrily. "Her heart stopped! When your heart stops, you die. She was dead!"

"I'm sorry", the oncologist said. "The tumors are taking all her energy. It's getting too hard for her body to cope with it. If you add her low oxygen levels it's a miracle she's still alive."

Mark was still in shock. He hadn't said a word since a nurse led him away from the drama. He was focusing on breathing. In and out. In and out. That was all he could handle right now.

"I think we'll need to remove the tumor in her lung by surgery or she will die... soon", the oncologist continued. "She's awake right now, so you can go see her if you'd like. But I have to warn you, she's extremely tired. I wouldn't overwhelm her."

Mark managed to nod. He started walking in the direction of her room, noticing Derek and Meredith were following him.

Lexie looked terrible. Beautiful, but terribly pale. Still, the sight of her calmed him down a little. The image of her lifeless body was haunting him, and seeing her now, her chest rising with every breath, was definitely better.

Meredith looked terrified, like she wasn't sure weather to go inside or turn around and run. She stopped in the door instead. Derek stayed by her side while Mark slowly walked up to Lexie's bed and sat down beside it. She carefully opened her eyelids to look up at him. A tear escaped from her eye but she didn't make an effort to wipe it off. In fact, she didn't move at all.

It broke Mark's heart completely. He reached out and wiped the tear away.

"It's okay", he whispered. "You don't have to say anything. Just try to rest, okay?"

She didn't respond. Her gaze lingered at him for a moment before she closed her eyes again. Once again he found himself holding back tears. She couldn't worry about him now. He had to be strong for her.

He sat with her until he was sure she was asleep. After that he walked out into the hall, taking shallow breaths. He slumped down on the floor again. He didn't realize he wasn't alone until Alex cleared his throat. He looked up to see him standing beside him and he wondered how long he'd been standing there.

"Hey, man", Alex said and sat down next to him.

Mark just looked back down.

"Hey."

"I just wanted to say..." Alex said. "that I know how you feel."

It was like Mark saw him for the first time. In all his own misery he had forgotten... He hadn't understood what Alex had gone through when Izzie was sick. But he understood now, all too well.

"I'm sorry", he said in a raspy voice. "I wish you didn't."

"Yeah", Alex said quietly. "It kinda sucks."

"It's like every time I think things can't get worse, that she can't get worse", Mark sighed. "she does."

"Izzie was fine one minute", Alex said with a spark of sadness in his voice. "and then she died in my arms. I was holding her when her heart stopped."

Mark shivered. He couldn't imagine, didn't want to imagine, what that must have felt like.

"But her heart started again", he tried to comfort. "You got her back."

"Nah..." Alex said and shrugged his shoulders. "She left me."

They sat in silence for a moment, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

"No offense", Mark said after a while. "But that's kinda douchey of her to do to you after all you'd been through."

"Don't apologize", Alex answered with a smile that faded just as quickly again. "I should hate her guts."

Mark smiled back at him.

"But you can't do that, can you?"

"No", Alex mumbled. "I guess I can't."

"Lexie walked out on me twice", Mark continued. "and yet here I am, every minute by her side. I guess love's not as easy to run from as we think."

"I guess not..."

"Basically", Derek said in a low voice. "the options we have left is to remove it by surgery, or leave it in there."

They were all back in Lexie's room. She'd woken up and they were explaining her options to her.

"But you said the other day that you didn't think she was strong enough for a surgery that big", Meredith interrupted him.

"Well, it's grown now, which means that the radiation isn't helping", he explained.

"You said that she'd most likely die", she continued fighting. "and now that she's even worse you want to try it?"

"We need to get it out somehow", Mark said beside her. "We can't just leave it there."

Derek looked down at Lexie.

"You have to understand that this surgery is a complex procedure, and chances are you won't make it."

"Yeah, I understood that", she sighed. "But if it's the only way to get it out, then I'd like to try."

"No!" Meredith objected and looked Lexie in the eye. "It's too dangerous! Do you understand the risk you're willing to take?"

Before Lexie got to reply Alex interposed.

"I'm with Meredith", he said. "We still have lots of alternate treatment plans to go through on the internet. This surgery would be dangerous even if you weren't already this far gone."

"You're a resident Karev", Mark said raising his voice. "What do you know about this?"

"Can everyone be quiet so that we can reach a decision?" Derek asked, but it was hard to be heard since everyone were talking at the same time.

"We can't!" Meredith answered. "We have to discuss this carefully before we jump to anything!"

Derek sighed and looked at Lexie who was silently watching everyone fight about her.

"Everyone stop!" he yelled. "Let's take this outside."

Reluctantly they all stopped talking and left the room. As soon as they were outside Meredith raised her voice again.

"Who put you in charge?" she yelled and gesticulated wildly towards Mark.

"I'm not putting myself in charge", he denied angrily. "I'm trying to do what's best for Lexie, but you won't let me!"

"She can't have the surgery!" Meredith yelled desperately. "She will die right there on the table! Is that what's best for her?"

"She doesn't stand a chance without it!" Mark replied. "I love her! I need her to survive, and this is her only chance."

"Well I love her too!" Meredith got angrier and angrier by the second. "But my opinion doesn't seem to matter! And we don't know yet if it's her only chance. We could still give her more radiation! We don't know what that can accomplish, but we do know that surgery is extremely dangerous in her condition! It's not an option!"

"It's her only option!" Mark yelled. "I'm more experienced than you are, therefore I'm a better judge. And besides, Lexie said it herself! She wants to try! Stop babying her and let her make her own decisions!"

"Guys..." Derek put up his hands between them to calm them down. "This is not helping."

He turned to Meredith.

"I know I said it was too dangerous", he said. "but now that it's this bad she will need surgery. It's the only way she has even the slightest chance of survival. Without it she will die within a few weeks, a month at most."

Meredith was quiet now, but she looked at Derek with pleading eyes.

"You know it's true", he mumbled.

Her gaze sank to the floor and she nodded.

"Okay", Derek said turning to the rest of them. "Now, can we all pull it together and go back into the room. The last thing Lexie needs is having everyone she knows freaking out and fighting about her. She's already scared."

Everyone agreed and they walked back inside.

"So", Derek said to Lexie. "You're having surgery then?"

She looked at Meredith as to reassure herself she wasn't doing something against her will. It was like she was scared Meredith would be mad at her. Luckily, Meredith could bring herself to nod in consent and Lexie looked at Mark instead who smiled encouraging at her.

"Yeah", she said weakly. "I am."