A/N: Hey! Sorry for sloooow update! I didn't know what to do in this chapter because I just keep thinking about the next chapter (which is going to be better then this one, I promise!) So I decided in this chapter to put the final nail in the coffin for Gizzie for good. Because seriously, in the show, they are just got gross.
Thank you soooooooooo much for the reviews! You are all very very very kind keeping me motivated.
Meredith watched as Alex walked into the kitchen. She was attempting to fry pancakes for Izzie but her attempts were rather unsuccessful. "Did you check on Izzie?"
Alex nodded. "Yeah, she's just coming down."
"Is she ok?"
Alex shrugged. "I don't know… Are you sure she has breast cancer? She's acting like she has a brain tumor!"
Meredith looked up. "That's not funny…"
"No I'm serious! She spent the whole time talking about how great Mark Sloan is! She's acting crazy!"
Meredith smiled. "Yeah, I noticed that too."
"And you're not concerned? Mark Sloan? She hates him!"
"Oh come on… he kept her company. And she needs people. He's quite charming you know…"
"I know," he grunted.
"Are you jealous?"
"No!"
Meredith grinned. "Oh you so are!"
"No I'm not!"
"Do you still like her?"
"No!"
"Otherwise you wouldn't be so worried about Mark! You like her! You want her!"
"No I don't!" Alex insisted, irritably. "I don't take George's left overs!"
"That's just mean!"
"What? She is!"
Just as he said this Izzie walked into the room. She looked tired but less upset then she had been the last few days. "George's leftovers?" she repeated.
"He didn't mean it!" Meredith said quickly at the same time Alex said, "I didn't mean it!"
Izzie smiled weakly. "It's ok… I don't mind. Mark doesn't think I should worry about that anymore. Things happen. Right?"
Alex and Meredith exchanged looks and Alex turned back to Izzie. "Watch out for that one, Iz. You can't trust Sloan. He's a sleeze."
"Oh don't! He can be quite nice sometimes you know."
Alex shook his head. "Oh god, he's already got her. Meredith, knock some sense into the girl!"
Meredith passed Izzie a plate of badly burnt pancakes. "See if that helps!"
Izzie looked at them. "Thanks…" she said, hesitantly.
"Izzie! Sloan is a manwhore! He sleeps around with random people!"
"So do you, so do I!" Izzie replied, cautiously tasting Meredith's pancakes.
"Izzie! He'll take advantage of you!" Alex said, desperately. "He's only after one thing!"
"Alex don't…" Meredith whispered, warningly.
"Don't worry about Mark," Izzie told Alex confidently. "He's just being a good friend."
"Mark's friends don't stay friends for long. Remember Addison? Or Callie?"
"Some people can change!"
Alex nodded. "That's right. Some people."
"Just ignore him Iz, he's just bitter!" Meredith explained, amused. "Shall we go in about half an hour?"
Izzie's face fell for a second, for a moment she had forgotten that she was hours away from beginning treatment. In fact, whilst she was doing 'fake surgery' with Mark yesterday she had even forgotten she had cancer. "Yeah… sure…" she replied slowly.
Alex and Meredith looked at each other nervously.
"I'll be alright…" Alex said softening his tone. "I'll come see you straight after work. It's gonna be ok…"
Izzie nodded nervously as he kissed her on the cheek.
"You can do it… you're like the strongest person I know…"
Meredith sat with Izzie as the doctor talked her through her treatment plan. Meredith had made a secret promise in her head that she would be there for Izzie at every step from surgery to recovery and she was determined to keep it.
"Your treatment is going to be quite aggressive," he explained solemnly. "Although your surgery was successful, your biopsy results show that there is still cancer cells spreading in your blood."
Meredith raised an eyebrow. "But how is that possible? You removed her lymph nodes?"
The doctor nodded. "Well yes but there are still cancerous cells remaining."
"So what you're saying is that you removed nearly all of her lymph glands in her arms, leaving her swollen and in serious pain because her blood could not be filtered… and it didn't even work?" Meredith asked, defensively.
Dr. Berry chose to ignore Meredith this time, turning straight to Izzie. "So basically in order to eradicate these infections for good we are going to give you combination chemotherapy within your radiotherapy treatment."
Izzie nodded. "Ok…" she said softly.
"It's called chemo-irradation and basically it means that your treatment will be quicker and will take less time then a long course treatment which can last for weeks. The radiotherapy and chemo taken together should only take a few weeks but because of it's intensity it does mean a stay in hospital."
"Ok…"
"Now you know the side effects I'm guessing so I won't go over them now but because of the combination treatment they will be some that we will have to treat separately. We'll need hormone replacement therapy and other complementary treatments."
"Can't hormone replacement therapy be dangerous for people with breast cancer of even womb cancer?" Meredith asked, worriedly.
Dr. Berry looked at her, slightly irritated, "Taking into consideration her young age any risks are very much lowered…" He turned back to Izzie. "The first round of chemo is normally the hardest because your body isn't used to the stress. We'll keep it quick and you shouldn't need to stay long in hospital after the first time. Afterwards we will be able to discuss all the other issues such as lifestyle, fertility… I just want to see how the first round goes."
"Can I ask a question?" Meredith asked.
"If you wish…" he replied, resentfully. He hated treating doctors as they always had so many questions.
"Why does she have to have chemo and radio therapy at the same time? Isn't that unnecessarily aggressive?"
Dr. Berry sighed. "I already explained this, combining the treatment is quicker."
"But not more effective?" Meredith probed.
"Leave it, Mere," Izzie whispered. "It's ok…"
"No it's not! If it's not more effective then why are you doing it?"
"Because it will kill of the cancer quicker!"
"But she doesn't have stage three cancer, does she? It's not urgent that you remove all cells that fast, is it? Why do you have to put her under unnecessary discomfort and pain when you don't have to?"
"Dr. Grey, the treatment plan is quick and effective. Yes it is mildly aggressive but if it works it will be worth it."
"Mild aggressive?" Meredith repeated, angrily.
"Meredith! Stop it! It's fine!" Izzie insisted. She had never seen Meredith question a senior doctors decision so forcefully before.
"Mildly aggressive? Why don't you tell Izzie about the side effects? I think she has the right to know!"
"Dr. Stevens knows the side effects. Now thank you for your concern Dr. Grey but I think I will take everything from here."
Meredith shook her head. She was determined to protect Izzie from unnecessary pain. "No I'm sorry I won't. There's no reason, as far as I'm aware, why Izzie needs such intense treatment. All it would do it cause her more pain then she needs!"
"We wouldn't be giving Dr. Stevens the treatment if she didn't need it!"
"Well actually, I'm not so sure about that! Everyone knows Seattle Pres is over budget and under funded! If you are trying to save some time and money by putting the two treatments together then forget about it! Ok? I'm not having my friend going through physical hell to save your hospital some money. In fact, I'm going to call Derek!"
"Meredith!" Izzie said, forcefully taking her arm. "It's fine. Just leave it. Don't worry. They know what they're doing."
"But!"
"No Meredith. Just let them do their job. Please," she pleaded.
Meredith looked at Dr. Berry trying not to question his judgment. Izzie was already going to face tiredness, nausea, digestion problems, vulnerability to infections, soreness – she just didn't want it to be any worse then it had to be. "I want you to note down that I'm not happy with the treatment plan you're giving Izzie," she said simply.
"Why?" Dr. Berry asked, impatiently.
"So that if anything goes I can sue your ass into the ground!"
"Meredith!" Izzie shouted. "Can you just stop it? Please! I don't need this right now!"
Meredith looked at Izzie sadly. "Izzie… I just want the best for you. You should be at Seattle Grace."
Izzie just shook her head at her silently. "I'm sorry…"
"You have nothing to be sorry for," Meredith replied, running her hand through Izzie's short hair. "I just don't want anything to happen to you…"
Dr. Berry sighed, "The treatment should be fine. We will give you 20 minute session of radiotherapy this morning and then follow this with combination chemotherapy in the afternoon. You will need bed rest, and will initially feel quite weak but you are in the best care."
Meredith looked at him but said nothing. She wasn't happy with any of this but for Izzie's sake she decided to keep quiet. "I will be there the entire time… I promise…"
Izzie nodded. She was scared senseless but she didn't want to say anything. She just took Meredith's hand. "Right…thanks…"
Meredith had been sitting outside Izzie's room for nearly eight hours. She had talked to Izzie briefly after her radiotherapy but she seemed so sick after only 20 minutes. She also talked to Izzie just before her chemo started and she seemed petrified. Meredith didn't know what to say to comfort her and she felt like such as failure as a friend as Izzie left helpless to chemo. She had finished her session almost three hours ago, but Meredith wasn't allowed in. Izzie had said she didn't want to see anyone.
Meredith looked up as Cristina came at sat next to her.
"What's going on?" Cristina asked, passing Meredith some coffee.
"She came out of chemo hours ago and no one will tell me how she is and she doesn't want to see anyone. I don't know…" she added hopelessly. "Thanks," she added, sipping the coffee.
Cristina looked on. "I'm sure she's fine. Otherwise they would say something."
"You know they gave her radio this morning? She's having combined treatment of both."
"Why? Do they want to kill her?" Cristina asked with her usual bluntness.
Meredith shrugged. "It would kill the cancer quicker they say. It's just… I don't know. She seemed fine until after Radio. Then she just seemed petrified…" she trailed off. "How was work?"
Cristina grinned slightly. "Oh Callie was pissed as hell. Shephard let me going early and Sloan let Alex go too and she just didn't understand. With you and Izzie missing she was left with a whole bunch of babbling interns. Alex has gone to clean the bathroom floor for Izzie or something."
Meredith sighed. "This is just so surreal isn't it?"
"What do you mean?" Cristina asked.
"Well, a few weeks ago everything was normal you know. Suddenly we're residents, George is retaking the year, you and Burke are over, Callie hates all of us, Addison has gone and Izzie has got cancer. I mean… seriously?"
"Yeah."
They remained in silence making small conversation randomly over the next hour or so. They all felt quite down and didn't really know what to say. None of their usual petty problems seemed to matter now compared to Izzie's illness. It was coming up to Christmas but they all just felt depressed.
"Oh my god… guys! What are you doing here?"
They looked up to see George moving towards them.
"George!" Meredith exclaimed, shocked. "Oh…."
He rushed over to them, looking confused but excited. "Hi! Oh my god, I haven't seen you guys in ages… what are you doing here?"
"Uh…Picking up organs," Cristina covered. "What are you doing here?"
"I work here," George answered eagerly. "I can't believe you're here…"
"Didn't Callie tell me you were seeing family?" Meredith asked him, looking nervously between George and Izzie's room.
George nodded. "Yeah I went to sort my head out. But now I'm back… Why did Callie send both of you to pick up some organs?"
Cristina raised an eyebrow, "Well you know the whole Denny thing… No one trusts us with transplants…Uh… Don't you have somewhere to be?"
"Yeah, we can catch up later," Meredith said hurriedly, looking at Izzie's room.
George shook his head. He had to admit, he seemed more excited to see them, than they did to see him. "I really missed you guys… Is Izzie with you?"
"No!" Meredith answered hastily. "Izzie? Transplant patient? Seriously…"
"Yeah! Like Callie would let Izzie anywhere near a transplant patient," Cristina added.
George noticed their slightly odd behavior but just nodded slowly. "Yeah, of course… how is she? She ok?"
Cristina laughed cynically. "Like you care…"
"Cristina!" Meredith warned.
"What? He did her and dumped her, failed the year and then ran away back to Mummy. I'm not gonna feel sorry for him…"
"I wasn't like that!" George argued. "I just… I just needed to sort out what I wanted… I didn't run away… I just needed some time…"
"Oh George," Cristina sighed. "Sometimes you make me sick with your crap… stop being so weak and child like… needing sometime? God."
"I never meant to hurt anyone! I just…"
"It's ok, George," Meredith muttered. "Just ignore Cristina… Did you work out what you wanted?"
"Yeah… I want… I want Izzie… but don't tell Callie. I haven't sorted her out yet!" he said anxiously. "I wanted to talk to Izzie first…"
Cristina raised an eyebrow at him. "Incase she rejects you?"
George looked at her sadly. "No… I just… look I didn't mean to upset anyone… I just…" he shrugged. "I tried calling Izzie today but she didn't pick up…"
Meredith looked at Cristina. "George, I would just leave Iz if I were you…"
"Why?"
Meredith looked blankly at Cristina. She didn't really know what to say. "I just think you should… otherwise you're both gonna get hurt…"
Suddenly Dr. Berry appeared behind the three of them. "Dr. Grey?" he questioned.
Meredith looked up. "Oh hi…" she replied shocked.
"I've just checked and she seems stable – tired but stable. I hope to discharge her in a few days. The radio and chemo is just as effective as I thought although, yes, admittedly aggressive. I advise you go home and rest. There's no point waiting around…"
George looked between Meredith and Dr. Berry. "I don't understand… you're harvesting organs from a patient who is still alive?" he asked, confused.
"Um… George it's complicated."
Dr. Berry looked down at George. "Ah Dr. O'Malley… are you on call tonight? Or are you here to see Dr. Stevens?"
"Dr. Stevens? Izzie's here?" he asked, bewildered.
"George! Just leave it will you!" Cristina said quickly.
"Where is Izzie?" he asked Dr. Berry.
"Why, she's in there!" he said nodding at Izzie's door. "Anyway, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow!"
George looked at Meredith and Cristina and then back at Izzie's room. "Is she in there?" he asked, worried. "Meredith?"
He pushed opened Izzie's door and ran inside. "Oh My God…" he uttered as he entered. She was lying asleep or unconscious in a hospital bed but she was hooked up to many machines. There were more then 4 IVs in her arms and her body was already becoming thinner and gaunt. "Izzie…"
Meredith walked in after him. She looked at Izzie and it was worse then she thought. She knew that chemo and radio on the same day was the worst thing to do. "Oh God, Iz…"
She walked over to her and touched her face lightly. She noticed that her eyelashes were already beginning to fall out. She sighed.
"What's wrong with her?" George asked, fearfully. "She looks a mess, what's going on?"
"I'll tell you outside," Meredith replied, not taking her eyes of Izzie.
"No! Tell me now!" He demanded. "She's… I… What has happened to her?"
Meredith looked at him. "George, we got to get out of here."
"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's happened! She's my best friend, damn it!"
Meredith looked down at Izzie. "She has cancer… Breast Cancer… Stage 2…. Now she's undergoing post-surgical treatment…"
George's jaw nearly dropped to the ground. "Breast Cancer? Izzie has breast cancer?"
She nodded. "Yeah…."
"Is she gonna be ok? How big was the tumor? When was the surgery? What's the treatment like? I…" A thousand question popped into his head as he stared at Izzie's disbelievingly. He looked up at Meredith. "I can't believe you didn't tell me!"
Meredith shrugged. "It doesn't matter now…"
"It matters to me!" he replied, desperately. "She's my best friend… with cancer… how could you not tell me? She needed me! How could you? She probably thought I didn't care!"
Meredith shook her head. "It wasn't like that…"
"But she has cancer! I should have been here… you should have told me…"
"She didn't want me to tell you, George," Meredith said quickly, not wanting to upset George. "She didn't want you to know…"
"What do you mean? She's my best friend…"
Meredith shrugged. "She specifically didn't want you to know…"
George stared at her, gob smacked. He could hardly believe what she was saying.
Cristina opened the door. "Is everything ok?" she asked, apprehensively, looking over at Izzie.
"Is this true?" George asked, clearly upset. He could hardly take his eyes of Izzie. "She didn't want me to know?"
"Oh get over it George… she didn't want anyone to know… she just told me so that I could cover her shifts…" Cristina said.
"She told you?" he repeated, disbelievingly. "I just can't believe this… cancer?"
Suddenly Izzie stirred. "Meredith?" she stuttered, weakly. They all looked up and Meredith moved towards her bedside.
"Izzie?" she said, taking her hand. Meredith had never really felt close to Izzie but right now she felt like they were life long best friends. "You ok?"
Izzie opened her eyes and shifted around slightly. "Meredith?" she repeated, sounding strained.
"Izzie, I am here… It's ok…. You're ok…"
"It hurts," Izzie responded quickly. She sounded like she was in pain and she was moving around uncomfortably. "Meredith!"
"It's ok, Iz… Where does it hurt?" she asked, exchanging worried glances with Cristina.
"I don't know…" Izzie replied, weakly. She was beginning to panic and becoming more agitated, "I don't know… everywhere…." she cried.
Izzie was confused. She had fallen unconscious during surgery and it scared her to wake up feeling so weak and in pain. "Meredith…"
"It's ok, Iz…. It's just the chemo… you're going to be ok…"
Izzie grabbed Meredith's wrist feebly. "I can't move, I can't move…" she uttered softly, but fiercely. She was looking around frantically, a tear running down her face. She was petrified. "I can't move… I can't…" she trailed off. "Mere…"
She began shaking aggressively. "Help me…" she whimpered. "I can't…" she said, beginning to hyperventilate.
"Iz… you gotta calm down," Meredith soothed, taking both of Izzie's hands. "It just the effects of the chemo, ok? You're gonna need some rest and then you're going to be fine… ok?"
Izzie shook her head at Meredith, hardly taking in anything she was saying. She was just freaking out trying to move. "But I can't… I can't move…"
Meredith looked over at Cristina for help whilst George stared paralyzed.
Cristina moved closer to Izzie and put her hand on her shoulder to stop her moving. "Izzie! It's Cristina! Can you hear me?" she said forcefully. "Izzie? Stop moving! Do you understand?"
Izzie looked at Cristina and tried to focus on her. "I don't… I can't…"
"Don't say anything! Just try and calm down. Deep breaths. Now just look at me. Look at me! And don't do anything else! Focus on me…"
Izzie stopped trying to move and looked at Cristina.
"Now breathe with me ok? Iz? Breathe?"
Focusing on Cristina, Izzie began to breathe more calmly.
"Ok… that's good… that's good." Cristina told her, kindly.
Meredith nodded. "You can move Iz, you're body is just recovering from the chemo… but you can move… you're gonna be ok…"
Izzie nodded, looking at her desperately.
Cristina nodded. "I am gonna get a doctor… the patient care here is crap…"
As she walked away Meredith squeezed Izzie's palms carefully. "You ok?"
Izzie nodded, silent tears pouring down her face. "I'm sorry…" she muttered, softly.
"Don't be… It's ok…"
"Izzie?" George said suddenly, moving towards her.
Izzie jerked her head suddenly in George's direction.
"Izzie, its George!" he said, earnestly standing next to Meredith. "I'm here…" He touched her arm, sensitively. "I'm here…"
Izzie looked between Meredith and George shocked. She didn't want George to find out… She didn't want him here…
"He just came in," Meredith said quickly. "I'm sorry Iz. He works here. He would have found out eventually… He's worried about you."
Izzie flinched as George moved his hand up her arm and clenched Meredith's arm firmly. "Get… him… out…" she ordered, softly but determinedly.
"Izzie!" George protested.
"I don't want him here!" she declared. It was almost as if Izzie had suddenly found strength. "Meredith!" she pleaded.
Meredith looked at George apologetically. "You better go," she urged him, quietly.
George shook his head. "No… I… Izzie… it's George…" He knelt down next to her bedside and looked at her. "It's me…"
Izzie pulled her arm away from George's grip and turned away from him, visibly upset. "Leave me alone…"
George looked devastated. "Izzie, I'm so sorry about the cancer… non one told me… otherwise I would have been here… you know I would have… Izzie… please…"
"George, you should really go!" Meredith said firmly. "Please… you're upsetting her…"
"No I'm not!" he replied, quickly. "Izzie… talk to me… I want to help you… I'm gonna take care of you… you're gonna be ok…"
Izzie sniffed and shook her head looking up at the ceiling. "I don't want you her…" she answered, slowly, gaining more strength as she became more angry. "Go away…"
George shrugged. "I don't understand… I want to help you… I can help you..."
"Why? Because I have cancer?"
"No! Because… Because I love you…" he replied, passionately. "…You're my best friend, my lover, my person… I love you…"
"George, now probably isn't the best time," Meredith muttered, uncomfortably.
"But I do! Izzie I'm going to leave Callie… I'm going to be with you… I'm going to get you through this… Izzie! Iz look at me!"
"Go away!" Izzie tried to shout. She to move away from him but she struggled with the pain. She began to sob. "Just leave me alone George…" she cried, feebly.
George got up from the floor and looked at her frustrated. "Izzie!"
"Just leave me alone, damn it!" she shouted, angrily at him. Although she sounded weak and almost frail, he could hear how mad she was.
George gaped silently. "I just want to help Iz! I love you and I want to help!"
"You left me!" Izzie cried, angrily. "You left me for her… on my own… to cope… with everything… everyone…" she began breathlessly.
"Iz… shh… it's ok…" Meredith said, quickly.
"You blamed me… for everything! Like I…I was a slut…"
"Izzie no!" George argued back. "No, no, no… you got it all wrong!"
"I felt so small… so…damn…small… and when I found out about the cancer… you were gone… I had no one…"
She was beginning to become hysterical again, breathing deeply and erratically.
"Izzie! Please calm down!" Meredith panicked. "George!"
George looked at him grabbing her arm anxiously. "But I'm here now! And I won't leave again! Iz, I'm sorry!"
"No – No! I said, when you come crawling back… when you come crawling back… I won't be here… to pick up the pieces… And I won't! I'm not!"
George stared at her speechless. "But I love you!"
"Shut up!"
"But I do!" he insisted.
"Just leave me alone…" she shrieked. "Meredith! Make him leave!" Izzie cried.
Meredith turned to George. "Go George. Now. I'm sorry!"
"But I…"
"Get out!" Izzie shouted at him, painfully. She was sobbing hysterically by this point and Meredith was trying to calm her down.
Dr. Berry walked in, followed by Cristina. "What is going on? I said no visitors!"
"Get him… Get him away from me!" Izzie pleaded, struggling to breathe. "Please…"
George looked traumatized. "Please Iz!"
"No!" Shouted a voice. But this time it wasn't Izzie's. Alex had burst into her room and grabbed George violently. "She said get out! Are you deaf?" He pulled him roughly out of the room. "You leave her alone!"
Izzie watched as Alex dragged him away and Cristina, Meredith and Dr. Berry stared at her in shock. Izzie fell back into Meredith's arms who were looking quite shaken by the whole scene. She wrapped her arms around Izzie as she wept bitterly.
Dr. Berry just shook his head. "I said no visitors…"
A/N: Ok, randomish filler chapter I know. And the lack of Alex, or Mark or whoever you like. I just needed to get rid of George. I love him dearly but just not in this story.
Mark is back in the next chapter (I PROMISE) and McStizzie really gets rolling. Callie also makes a grand appearance. So please keep reading! Please please please review. Any ideas are good too. I'll try and update waay quicker then I did last time! x x
