Chapter 15

Much to Alex's and Bailey's dismay Izzie is back at work. Bailey has forced her to do desk duty, but at least Izzie isn't spending her days going crazy in Alex's apartment trying to find things to do while he's at work. The day progresses slowly as Izzie edits patient's files in an attempt to give her mind something stimulating to do. Alex drops by every twenty minutes or so to check up on her.

After the third time Izzie began to time the visit. She casually checks her watch and smiles knowing that Alex will be showing up in a minute. She puts her files aside and pushes her chair back. She calmly sits down on the floor and bends her leg underneath herself so it looks like it couldn't hold her when she stood up. She pinches her cheeks for color and tries to think of something sad.

A minute later Alex turns the corner smiling to check on Izzie. He frowns when he doesn't see her at the desk. Hearing a soft sniffling he rushes towards the desk and spies his girlfriend crumpled on the ground softly crying.

"Izzie." He asks putting an arm around her. He rocks her slowly and begins to whisper to her. Then he stops. 'No she isn't.' Alex backs away from Izzie just a bit and sees her shoulders lightly shaking. He reaches out and pulls his girlfriend's hands from her face to reveal and laughing Izzie.

"Oh you think you're so funny now. Fine I get it. You're okay, stop checking up on you. Just remember this attention that you're getting from me because it'll never happen again. I have used a lifetime's worth of attention for anyone on you these last few weeks." Izzie just laughs harder knowing she will always be the center of his attention and loving every minute of it.

"I am now useless to mankind. I will go back to thinking of myself as a butcher and my patients as slabs of meat all because of you. Though ironically it is because of you that they were patients in the first place."

"Alex?"

"Yea?"

"You still called them patient's. I hate to tell you, but you're stuck. They will now always be patients to you."

"Whatever, anyway you get my point."

"You had a point?"

"I'm sure I did. I just never got to it."

"Apparently." Alex leans down and gives her a deep kiss.

"Are you sure that wasn't your point?" Izzie asks smiling up at him.

"If it wasn't it is now." He replies giving her another kiss on her temple before walking away. After Izzie's declaration of independence Alex checks on her less often and only quickly peeks around the corner. Izzie knows that he's still checking up on her, but considering he knows to keep his distance she decides not to torment him about it.

Around one o'clock Alex and Izzie head down to the cafeteria together to buy some lunch. Alex carries the tray and doggedly followes Izzie to the salad bar.

"I seem to remember having a conversation about you and salads months ago. It had something to do with eating more than salad. I also believe that said conversation had witnesses."

"Witnesses who will conveniently forget you said anything other than you love me eating salads. And will call you an ass for pressuring me to stay thin in order to please you" Alex grumbles behind her knowing she's right and hating it. He watches Izzie fill a plate with lettuce and holds it while she goes down the line adding toppings. Alex leads her to the deli and orders two sandwiches. Izzie laughs when Alex orders her favorite and knows that she won't be eating too much of her salad. Alex follows Izzie to a table towards the back of the room and sets the tray down passing out the food. He sticks her salad in between the two of them and steals a bite of it just to annoy her. A few minutes later Meredith, George and Christina arrive carrying their trays.

"So I have this guy and he's wacko I mean yesterday he thought I was his mother! He started screaming and cursing at me. Then today I walk in and he tries to kiss me! I refuse to go back in there without some kind of protection." George says when he sits down.

"Well O'Malley I always knew you were the mothering type." Alex teases.

"We should send the spawn in there; maybe the guy will think he's his blow up doll." Christina replies.

"Christina! That's so gross!" Izzie cries horrified.

"What? I could tell you about the guy with the tin soldiers up his butt, but I figured I'd be polite since we're eating."

"When are you ever polite Yang?" Christina just smiles.

"Oh it's on Karev. It's on." Izzie looks around the table confused.

"I swear you guys were somewhat civil to each other yesterday. What happened?"

"Are you feeling better Izzie?" Christina asks.

"Yes." Izzie answers slowly.

"That's why. I no longer feel any need to be nice to the spawn. Now it's time to make up for all the lost insults." Alex nods his head in agreement.

"Yang's just jealous because I haven't checked out her panties in months."

"In your dreams evil spawn!" Christina hisses back at him eerily similar to the last time Alex commented on her panties. The rest of the table laughs at their antics as the barbs pass back and forth throughout lunch. The hour goes by far too quickly and the interns start to gather their trash up. Alex and Izzie lag behind the others as they make their way back upstairs.

"Are you scrubbing in on anything today?" Izzie asks Alex as they wait for the elevator.

"I need the test results back for the abdominal patient and if they're okay, she'll go into surgery this afternoon. I don't know if I'm scrubbing in or not."

"Burke hasn't said?" Alex hesitates and watches the elevator. "Alex you better not being avoiding scrubbing in because you think you need to take care of me. I'm fine. I can hang around here or catch a ride with Meredith and George. You can come by afterwards and then we'll go home."

"I was going to take you to Joe's tonight after we get off. He's been asking to see you, but it's been so busy lately and I wanted to wait until you were feeling better."

"Then I'll wait. There's always something to do around here. If you can scrub in then you scrub in. Don't worry about it."

Eight hours later Alex and Izzie leave the hospital. Alex did scrub in on the surgery with Izzie up in the pit watching it. She can't wait until she can get back to work fully. They walk side by side on their way to Joe's.

"Alex!" Joe calls when he spots Alex holding open the door for Izzie. Joe gestures to the table closest to the bar and after Izzie is settled Alex puts her crutches against the wall behind her. Joe comes over and greets Izzie with a hug before joining the couple at the table. "It's good to see the two of you here. Ever since you went and stole Alex I haven't had anyone to talk to." He tells Izzie.

"Sorry Joe."

"Nope. I don't like sharing." Alex sits back in his chair and laughs proud that his girlfriend's possessiveness matches his.

"At least he's not hanging around all the time running up a tab that we both know will never be fully paid off."

"Good point." Joe laughs. "So what can I get for you guys tonight?"

"Nothing for me. Too many medications right now." Izzie declines. Feeling for his girlfriend Alex also abstains for alcohol.

"I'll just get a soda. You want anything to eat babe?"

"Sure."

"Don't worry you guys; I'll make sure you're taken care of." Joe says walking back to the bar. Twenty minutes later he's back with a large sampler of all the appetizers the bar offers.

"Dig in!" He invites laying it on the table.

"It's not busy. Hang out with us." Alex invites. Joe agrees and sits back down at the table.

"So how are things going?" Alex and Izzie look at each other.

"They're good. It takes so much longer to get anything done, but it's better than what it was." Izzie answers.

"I don't think I've ever seen Alex so lost as he was that night. You gave everyone a scare." Izzie smiles sadly at Alex.

"You've just got to tell her about my weakest moment. Ruins the whole macho male thing I have going."

"What macho male thing? I seem to remember congratulating George for beating you up."

"He's got you there Alex."

"Hey! You should be defending me and supporting me and all that other stuff that girlfriends are supposed to do!"

"Not tonight, I'm on a break." The two stayed at Joe's until closing and after Alex helped Joe clean up for the night they made their way home.

Author's Note: I love leaving these. Especially knowing you guys actually read them. It makes me so happy. So I hope you liked this chapter. I'm trying to bring back the banter more and more, especially as Izzie gets better. Just one more chapter to go. It'll be posted after Grey's on Sunday. Nice short note this time. Read and review because I do try my best to change the writing based on what everyone is saying, especially when it's constructive criticism, so review! They make me happy!