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CHAPTER TEN

"Good morning, Doctor Bailey," Meredith said with a smile the next morning as she and Cristina approached their Chief Resident. Meredith elbowed Cristina who handed Bailey a mocha latte and attempted to give her most genuine smile. Bailey looked at her residents suspiciously. "We were just wondering how the research proposal was going."

"While I appreciate the bribe," Bailey started "You two really need to keep your nose out of my business." Meredith and Cristina hurriedly left Bailey in peace as she took a sip of her coffee. George and Alex approached Bailey.

"No!" she said, reading their minds. They kept walking past Bailey, pretending that they weren't going to ask her the obvious question.

"Good news, Doctor Bailey," Richard Webber said, approaching Bailey at the nurses' station. "The board has unanimously approved your request. Patricia's going to start looking for suitable candidates today. You may begin your fellowship." Bailey took a deep breath, overcome with emotion but trying not to show it.

"Thanks, Chief," she said with a little smile. He patted her on the back as he left.

"You did good, Doctor Bailey."

"Yes I did," she replied to herself, proud.

&&&

"Hey Iz," Meredith said as she went into Izzie's room and picked up the chart. She had been stable through the night. "We might be able to let you go home tomorrow." Izzie didn't say anything. She stared into space. "Iz?"

"That's nice," Izzie said in a distant voice. Meredith sat on the edge of her bed.

"You're worried about Hannah," Meredith said knowingly. Izzie nodded. "I doubt they'll let you go in there just yet but I'll see what I can organise, okay?" Izzie nodded again, vaguely.

"I feel so helpless," Izzie confessed.

"I know," Meredith said, giving her hand a squeeze. "Me too." She wanted Hannah out of isolation as much as Izzie did but her condition had improved only slightly over night. "I'll make sure you stay posted." Meredith left Izzie's room and was on her way to see her next patient when she found George and Bailey talking in the hallway.

"How's Izzie doing?" George asked Meredith. He had a big smile on his face.

"She's feeling down," Meredith said, sadly. "Physically she's doing well."

"We got the research grant!" George said excitedly. "Hannah's staying!"

"Providing her parents consent," Bailey said cautiously.

"Why wouldn't they?" George asked. "I'm gonna go see Izzie. This'll cheer her up."

"Not a word," Bailey warned. "How 'bout we make sure she's in the study before we go throwing parties?"

"Yes ma'am," George said, disapointed.

&&&

Hannah's parents stood nervously outside the door of their daughter's isolation room. Their hearts broke as they were forced to watch her so sick and yet they were not able to reach out and console her.

"Good morning," Bailey said gently. She felt badly for them. They were good people and were in a situation that Bailey prayed she would never find herself in.

"How is she? She looks so frail," Hannah's mother said tearfully.

"She is," Bailey said sympathetically. "Her tiny body is fighting really hard against the infection. There's been a slight improvement overnight but she's in for a long fight."

"We can't go in there for even a minute?" Hannah's father asked.

"I'm sorry," Bailey said, shaking her head. "Not until her immune system improves more" Hannah's parents nodded, understanding. "I'll be back to check on Hannah later but I thought I'd give you these." Bailey handed Hannah's parents the documents that she had stayed up writing the night before getting approval for her fellowship study. "I'm about to begin study on renal transplantations in children from live adult donors. Hannah is a prime candidate. Anyway, I'll leave these with you to read but I strongly urge that you consider it for Hannah." Hannah's mother flicked through the document suspiciously.

"Is Isobel Stevens behind this?" she asked.

"No, Ma'am," Bailey answered. "Doctor Stevens isn't even aware of this."

"Okay," Hannah's mother replied. "I'll consider it."

&&&

A couple of hours later, Meredith found herself free of patients prior to her afternoon surgery. She'd seen Hannah's parents sitting with Bailey in the cafeteria in deep discussion.

"Psssst!" she said to Alex as she spotted him in the hallway. Alex looked at her oddly.

"What?" he asked.

"Go and stand guard at Hannah's room," Meredith said.

"Why?" he asked confused.

"Just do it!" Meredith insisted. Alex shook his head at her.

"Women," he muttered to himself, as he went to pediatrics.

"Hey!" Meredith said with a little smile as she went into Izzie's room where Izzie and George were cuddled up lovingly on Izzie's bed watching TV.

"Where are we going?" Izzie asked, noticing that Meredith had a wheelchair with her.

"Is something wrong?" George asked, worried.

"Oh no, not at all. This is a good surprise," Meredith said. She pushed the wheelchair over to Izzie's bed and George helped Izzie into it. Meredith led the way and soon they were in the oncology ward in the isolation section. Izzie looked up at Meredith, unsure.

"It's okay," Meredith said reassuringly. "She knows you're coming." They pulled up outside one of the rooms and George moved Izzie up to the window where she could see Hannah there. Alex joined them and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. Hannah picked up and turned towards the window giving Izzie a beaming smile. Alex handed the cell phone to Izzie.

"Hi Izzie!" Hannah said. "You look pretty today."

"So do you, honey," Izzie replied happily.

"Thank you" George mouthed to Meredith, relived to see Izzie happily interacting with Hannah. Meredith noticed that Hannah too looked in better spirits which sometimes made all the difference when battling a serious illness. She left Izzie and George with Hannah and left with Alex, smiling to herself.

"Nice work, doctor Grey," Alex said, impressed.

&&&

Twenty minutes later Hannah's parents arrived back at their daughter's room, surprised to hear Izzie laughing before they arrived.

"Hello," Hannah's mother said uncomfortably to Izzie and George.

"Oh hi," Izzie said with a big smile. Hannah's mother was worried that this socialising would wear Hannah out and was surprised to see Hannah looking better, smiling with more color in her face as she conversed with Izzie over the phone. '"Oh, I'll go," Izzie said, suddenly feeling unwanted.

"No," Hannah's mother said with a little smile. "You stay. She likes having you here. It's good for her."