Title: Undertones.
Continuity: Anytime between 'Crash Into Me, Part Two'(Season Four's 10th episode) and 'Piece of my heart' (Season Four's 13th episode.)
Song: -.
Feedback: Of course, reviews are great.
Warning/Comments: A/U. George-centric. I'm sorry, sorry, sorry about the delay. All I can say is that this multi-shot will end soon so you won't have to stand through the wait much longer. (This is the chapter before last.) The show didn't give us much information about the repercussions of Izzie and George's break up or about their feelings about it, and with this chapter and the previous I've tried to fill those empty spaces. This is completely fictional, but I think that, knowing George, it is possible that even after they broke up he would want to talk to her and see how she was doing, but wouldn't feel able to do it and instead would do this kind of stuff, like calling and hanging up before anyone picked up. :P Maybe that's weird, but that's the way I imagined it would be.
The phone rang once.
Please, just be home right now.
The phone rang twice.
This is a stupid idea. I shouldn't be doing this.
Before the phone rang for the third time, someone picked up.
"Hello."
Meredith. Crap.
"Hello, who is this?"The female voice insisted.
"It's George. How're you, Mer?"Your voice was steady, quiet, as usual.
(Because you were not letting it show how extremely disappointed you were about the fact that she'd been the one to pick up the phone. It wasn't her voice you had called to hear. It was not her you wanted to talk to. It was not her you wanted to be close to. But she could not know that, so you were keeping it secret.)
"George?"She sounded surprised, almost confused. "It's… um, kinda weird you're calling here."
(She didn't know you'd been planning to make that call for weeks. You had dialed that number a thousand times, and a thousand times you had hung up before someone picked up. )
"Yeah, I guess it is…" You answered.
(She didn't know how desperate you were. She couldn't tell, because you're a good actor, and no one can notice your real feelings once you're determined to hide them. Well, maybe there is someone who can, but that's not the point. )
"Okay…"She seemed to hesitate, as if she didn't know what to say."Well, can I help you with something? Do you need anything?"
(She really couldn't. You wished there was something she could do, but there wasn't, because she couldn't give you back the love of your life, fix up the mess you had made and go back in time. And of course you needed things: you needed to know where your best friend was, and who she was with, and what was she doing; you needed your best friend, not only because you loved her with everything you had, but because she simply was your best friend and you missed having her around.)
"No, I guess."You paused, doubtful.
Oh, please ask me if I want to talk to Izzie. Just wake her up and put her on the phone. Please, please, please, please…
"I must have dialed the wrong number, or something. I'm sorry that I woke you up, if I did."You apologized.
There was a perceptible undertone of worry in Meredith's voice. "George, are you okay?"
No, I am not. I'm mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted.
"Yeah, definitely."You replied in the most confident, reassuring tone you could manage to utter.
Another pause. "Seriously?"
Oh, come one. You have got to be kidding me. You had to use that word precisely. Go on, remind me a little more of the girl I'm trying to get over. I really appreciate it.
"Seriously, Mer."
(You could tell her about the Hell you were going through. But telling her about your problems was pointless. She had her own messy life to deal with.)
"Listen, I gotta go, okay?"
"No, George, wait."She stopped you. "Look, I… "It took her a couple of seconds to find the right words."We haven't been talking much recently and I don't know what's going on with you. I don't understand why you had to move out, but I guess you deserve to have some freedom if you want it, but listen, you can still count on me if you need anything. "
"That's great, really. Thank you. I appreciate it."You really did, even when it felt like there was no difference, since you would never ask Meredith for help. The only person who could help you was your best friend, and she wasn't going to, so why would you bother anyone else?
"You're welcome. And, George…"
"Yes?"
"Don't do anything stupid."
"What?"
And I thought I was a good actor.
"I can't tell when someone's life's messed up. Mine's always messed up, and for some reason now yours is – you don't need to tell me about it. I respect your privacy. But don't do anything stupid, like drowning yourself in the bathtub, or starting dating Lexie."
(You were overwhelmed by the fact that Meredith had actually able to notice your desperation and do something about it. You weren't going to kill yourself, of course. But it didn't mean that you weren't miserable. )
"Um, okay. Thanks for the advice, Mer."
"No problem."
"See you tomorrow."
"Goodnight."
You hung up, and absentmindedly looked around the apartment.
You felt depressed.
You felt alone.
You felt disappointed.
Your plan had failed once again.
