Chapter 8

Alex, Meredith, and George file into the room to view the operating room. They watch the nurses prepare the room for surgery. Dr. Weber and Dr. Burke walk into t he scrub room.

"Anything we can do?"

"No." Derek replies. "Most of her other injuries are minor. The head injury is the most important."

"I'll stay nearby in case something happens on the table."

"Thank you." Derek replies as Burke scrubs in. Miranda looks over at Dr. Webber.

"Dr. Webber. If you're not too busy some of my interns will be watching the surgery. This is the first time they'd see this kind of surgery, maybe it would be helpful if a senior surgeon sat with them and explained it to them. Kept everyone calm. I would do it, but…" she trails off.

"Understandable. I'll be with the interns if anyone needs me."

Meredith sits next to Alex who has his head in his hands. She finally notices the blood that has been covering his clothes; she cringes at the amount of it, knowing who it came from.

"George can you go get a fresh pair of scrubs. Alex maybe you want to change before the surgery." Alex ignores her and leans forward in his seat as he watches Bailey, Shepherd, and Burke make their way into the operating room. Bailey takes hold of one of Izzie's hands while Shepherd and Burke prepare to start.

Webber stops in the doorway watching the three interns. He makes note of Alex's haunted look and sits down in the corner.

"Have they started?" Christina asks barging into the room. "I can't wait to see this! Wonder how Shepherd's going to open the skull."

"Christina!" Meredith hisses, standing up and pulling her out into the hall after sending a quick look Alex's way.

"What?" Christina asks. "Why are you making all buddy buddy with the spawn? Where have you been all night? Come on lets go back in there I have to see this!"

"Christina this isn't just some nameless surgery! It's Izzie on the table! There was an accident." Christina just stares at Meredith.

"That's why Shepherd wouldn't let me scrub in."

"I didn't even realize. I didn't see her, but I knew she had left to go home."

"She did leave. She and Alex were talking and when she headed into the parking lot someone ran into her. Alex has barely said a word other than to scream and hurl curses and fists at the guy who did this. Let's go back in." Christina nods and silently follows Meredith back into the room. Webber had moved from his spot in the corner to the seat next to Alex and is quietly talking him through the surgery even though everyone in the room already knows the procedure; the low voice is comforting so no one asks Webber to stop.

"Shepherd might shave her whole head to avoid anything going into the wound. It depends on how large of an area he needs to work. Then he'll either widen the fracture or create a separate opening to relieve the pressure on her brain. There'll be a shunt for the next few days to prevent the blood from collecting on the brain until the bleeding stops. Then it will just take time to see if there is any permanent damage." Alex doesn't move or take his eyes off the surgical bay in front of him as Webber's words flow around him.

Derek begins by shaving the side of Izzie's head. Then he cuts a thin line under her hairline so that later on no one would be able to see the scar. He cuts deeper until he sees the bone. Burke passes him the next instrument and Shepherd makes an opening into Izzie's skull. Burke passes him the shunt and Derek inserts it. He steps back and checks his work. He nods before moving back in to prepare to stitch her up.

"I'll do it." Burke interrupts; he nods to where the interns are sitting. "Maybe explain to them what the next few days will bring." Derek nods and heads out to clean up before going upstairs.

Bailey who had been holding Izzie's hand the whole time sighs. "It's always the good ones these things happen to."

Derek walks into where the interns and Dr. Webber are sitting. Everyone but Alex whose eyes are focused on the surgical bay below him stands up to great him. Webber motions Derek over to his vacated seat and Derek nods and sits down next to Alex.

"We're going to leave the shunt in for at least two days. After that we'll see how well she's healing and if the bleeding has stopped we'll remove it. Both fractures will heal on their own, but we won't know about any kind of permanent damage until she wakes up. Alex nods slightly to show Derek he was listening.

"How long until she wakes up?"

"That depends on her." Alex sees the nurses wheeling Izzie out and stands up to follow them when they pass by.

He turns back to Drs. Shepherd and Webber, "thank you, for everything." He says before leaving the room.

"How bad is it?" Meredith asks coming to stand behind Derek.

"Hopefully not too bad. The blood wasn't on her brain very long and even though the initial fracture was big, no fragments entered her brain. It will just take time to see for sure." He answers before heading down to Izzie's room to check her bandages and vitals.

"George, we should call her mother." Meredith says turning to look at him.

"But aren't they estranged?"

"A little, but Izzie called her last year, so maybe they're better. Anyway, it's her mother. We can't not tell her especially if she is listed as the emergency contact."

"Is she?"

"We'll find out. Come on." Meredith and George walk down to where the charts are and pick up Izzie's.

"Right here, I think that's her mother. I'll call her; maybe you can get Alex to change into some clean clothes." Meredith says picking up the file and heading towards the phone. George nods and heads to the storage room for a change of clothes before going to Izzie's room.

"Alex?" He calls seeing the figure sitting in the chair. Bailey looks up from the other chair at George's words.

"Yes O'Malley?"

"I just brought a change of clothes." He says holding up the bundle.

"Just leave them here for now." Bailey says softly.

"It has been a long night, you, Grey, and Yang should get some sleep. We'll be short interns tomorrow." George nods to placate Bailey, but has no plans on leaving while Izzie is listed as critical. He backs out of the door and waits for Meredith to finish her call. Christina joins him.

"How is she?"

"I didn't ask. Alex and Bailey are with her. Bailey said we should all go home, get some sleep." Meredith just shakes her head no as she comes up to them.

"Her mother is on her way. I hope Izzie doesn't mind."

Bailey looks over at Alex who is watching Izzie's face intently.

"Karev, Alex you need to get some sleep. Get changed and then go home and get some sleep."

"I'm not leaving her." Meredith, George and Christina all pull in chairs and surround Izzie's bed. The vigil lasts for hours in silence before they are interrupted.

"Alex!" Joe yells as he barges into the room.

"Jeeze it's true. The nurses that came to the bar have been talking about it all night, but I didn't believe them. I had to see. Are you okay man?"

Alex takes his eyes off Izzie for a moment to look at Joe. He stares at Joe for a second before returning his eyes back to Izzie. Joe slumps against the wall. He takes in Alex's bloodstained clothing.

"How about I go back to your apartment and get you some clean clothes." Bailey nods and hands Joe a key.

"O'Malley take Joe down to the lockers. This will let you open it." George agrees and gestures for Joe to follow him to the locker-room. A few minutes later they return.

"Alex, I grabbed your keys. I'll just bring back some clothes and stuff for you okay?" Joe asks edging into the room. Alex nods, but doesn't turn away from Izzie. Joe backs out of the room and leaves to go to Alex's apartment. Bailey looks around the room.

"If you are not planning on leaving you should at least try to get a couple of hours of sleep. Now all of you out." She says looking at Meredith, George, and Christina. After some grumbling and a promise from Bailey to tell them if anything changes the three go to the break room to get some sleep.

Joe has come and gone dropping off Alex's clothes with a promise to call later in the morning to see how Izzie is. Bailey sits with Alex and Izzie for another hour before excusing herself to go get some sleep. Alex doesn't even acknowledge that she said anything.

Thanks again for the reviews you guys!

Kellie: thanks for telling me about the epidural bleed. I was thinking of doing that but decided to mess with reality a little and go for the subdural because it was considered more serious and I wanted a more serious head injury for the story. I didn't know that one was arterial while the other was venous. Explains why one occurs faster than the other. Thank you so much for telling me. It means a lot to me that you took the time to do so.

Drealynnz: Thanks for adding me to C2, I'm glad you like the story enough to do so.