It is quiet for a long time, and her legs begin to go numb, prickles going up and down. Then she hears the slam of the front door. It shakes the entire house, reverberating around the house and making Izzie's head hurt.
For one wild, disoriented minute, Izzie thinks it's Denny. Her eyes snap open, only to realize the ludicroucy of that fleeting thought, and her pulse slows.
She listens to the sound of heels clicking against the hardwood floor and a tired sigh. It is only Meredith. Then Izzie hears a gasp, and Meredith is down on her knees next to her. Izzie looks up to see her friend's concerned face, pinched and white. She looks like she's been crying. But Izzie doesn't inquire about it; she can't handle her own emotions right now and she can't invest in someone else's. She knows that's selfish, but then, no one else she knew had a fiancé one minute and their funeral to attend to the next.
"Izzie? What happened? Can you get up?" Meredith's voice squeaks a little, like it always does when she's frazzled. She reaches out and puts her hand on Izzie's shoulder tentatively.
Izzie shrugs it off with as much anger as she can muster. "Where was everybody? You just leave me here all day while you go and work, and then come home looking all worried? Denny…" she doesn't know what else to say, so she makes an effort to sit up instead. She's so weak, she can feel her arms shaking as she tries to support her upper body.
Meredith doesn't break eye contact. She looks at Izzie intently. "George and I have been switching off, for the past three days. The first two, we both stayed home. He's at work today, I'm not. So I can take care of you. I was just getting popsicles for you. I was gone for fifteen minutes."
"Popsicles?"
"You're dehydrated. You threw up four times last night and you haven't eaten or drank in days. Popsicles."
She forcefully lifts Izzie up by the waist, and after a moment, Izzie throws her arm around her neck for extra support. They slowly make their way across the kitchen and into the living room. Izzie collapses on the couch and closes her eyes, exhausted. She doesn't remember throwing up, or George or Meredith taking care of her. It seems like years ago that she was in the hospital, playing scrabble and laughing with Denny. It seems like she had been here, alone, forever.
She feels something being placed in her hand. She opens her leaden eyes. "I don't like lime flavored." She mutters, but Meredith sits down on the couch, flipping on the television. Izzie pulls her knees up to her chin to make room for her, and wipes the tangled hair out of her face. "You smell like Seattle Grace."
Meredith glances sideways at her. "What're you talking about?"
"Latex and metal and coffee." Izzie says, leaning her aching head back on the arm of the couch. "I'm never going back. I can't." sheadds flatly.
"You will if you don't eat the damn popsicle." Meredith says sternly.
So Izzie obliges, feeling the slightest bit better than she had been. Maybe shehasn't beenso alone.
A/N Next chapter takes place at the hospital, with George and Burke. I'm lookingat some Izzie/Burke friendship in future chapters. Remember the Thanksgiving episode? I love them!
