Stuck

"Meredith!"

"I'm coming!" Meredith ran into Izzie's room wiping her eyes. "You realize I was trying to sleep."

"I know. But I could really go for some popcorn."

"We don't have any."

"Then can you please go get some." Meredith grumbled to herself as she exited to get her shoes and coat. It had been three days since Izzie had come home and since Alex was working extra hard she was often left with Izzie. Well, she and Christina were. But Christina refused to get up.

"I don't know if I can take much more of this," she grumbled to Christina.

"I think the way to channel this behavior is to beat up Alex when you see him tomorrow. I will even offer to help you."

"I wish you still weren't sleeping. Then you would have nothing better to do than deal with that."

"But, Michael cured me. Get George over here."

"No. He's camped out by Dr. Anderson's bed."

"Kiss-up."

GAGA

"I mean it's been three days. He should have visited me." Sarah sat up in her bed looking at Izzie's charts George had snuck her. "But enough of my ranting. How is your life?"

"I've been here with you for the past three days."

"Hey, I tell you about every ten minutes you can go home if you want to."

"I didn't say anything. Why are you so intent on that chart?"

"I don't like it when other doctors do my work. It bothers me. Now why are you not visiting Izzie instead of me right now?"

"I'm trying to keep my distance so Alex doesn't punch me again."

"That is wise."

GAGA

Meredith found Alex in the locker room getting ready to head home. "I can't take it anymore. Listen, I love Izzie. I really do. And this is coming from me, so it must mean something. But she is driving me up a wall. I mean its get this, grab that, change this, fluff-AGGH!"

"Calm down. I'm going home and I'll take care of her. Just take deep breaths." Meredith just was about to leave when Alex blocked her. "What's this really about Grey?"

"Excuse me?"

"I know you. You still have that frazzled my love life's a train that's about to jump the tracks and crash into a brick wall look."

"I can handle that oddly-specific definition."

"Alright. But if Derrick gives you a hard time I'll knock his lights out for you."

"That's actually sweet of you. But I've got it."

GAGA

Callie had called in sick and refused to answer the door and pick up the phone. "Callie, let me in." This voice made her open the door to find Lexie.

"What are you-"

"I called in sick too. Can I come in?"

"Um, sure." This was honestly the last girl on the face of the earth she expected to see.

"I cheated on George with Mark."

"Ouch! I have been down that road."

"I know. He won't even look at me. He never comes home. I-"

"Listen. First you need to give him time. He needs to think." There was a pause.

"Did you feel this horrible?"

"I think I did."

"Mark feels worse. I've never seen him cry before."

"Mark Sloan cry? Are you sure you weren't-"

"He did."

"Then it must be love."

GAGA

Meredith stood next to Christina as the two filled out charts. "How do you when it's time to take your relationship to the next…"

"Trust me, whenever you're ready he is."

"But Michael's different. He's all considerate and he freaking got you to get my mom's stuff out of Callie's apartment."

"I thought it was half yours."

"Face it. I live at your place now."

"Are… are you taking it slow?"

"Well, with Burke it pretty much started with that. We skipped all the steps before. Here, well it's an actual relationship. And I'm not very good at those."

"You're scared with ruining it. You really like this guy."

"Be quiet."

"Well, I wish you the best of luck. I have my own relationship turmoil. I'm breaking up with Derrick."

"What?!"

"His family should come before me. So when I see him I need to talk to him. He only gets one family."

"But there's also only one of you. I see you're trying to smile and be whole and healed, but don't. Be cranky and crabby. Demand he fixes this and keeps the girl. He's your knight in shining whatever."

"I know which is why he needs to be happy."

"Don't do this Meredith."

"I'll be fine."

GAGA

Alex found Izzie in bed reading a book. She smiled as he gave her a kiss. "You're driving Meredith up a wall."

"I know. But I really hate this. I can't get up and this is my seventh book for the day. And all of them have an unhappy ending."

"Well, take it out on something besides Meredith. I think she's about to snap. Now, do you need anything?"

"Can you get me out of this bed?"

"Nice try."

GAGA

It took Derrick three days to corner Mark in an on-call room. "You didn't show up. She's your… whatever she is and you don't show up."

"I know-"

"She called for you. I hope you know that. I hope you know she was in agony and screamed your name. And I finally got it. This is still all a game to you. This is about getting her for one night. You don't want all the cling-ons. Well, visit her. Visit her and fix whatever you did to her. She needs to know the truth." And he left.

"But the truth isn't the truth anymore."

GAGA

George walked out of Sarah's room to stash the charts away, not paying much attention to a man talking to the nurse.

"I came to visit my daughter."

"She's right there."

He didn't see her point to Sarah's room as he kept walking. He didn't see him enter her room and stare at her.

"Hello Sarah."