Chapter 27

Meredith Grey came into George's room. "Mr. and Mrs. O'Malley?" she asked.

They looked up at her with tear-stained eyes. "Yes," Dana O'Malley replied.

"I'm George's roommate—Meredith," she said in that compassionate way she had with patients and their families. "I was wondering if I could have a few minutes alone with George…if you don't mind."

They shook their heads. "No, we don't mind, dear," Dana said. Meredith liked her instantly, just as House had. She was warm, friendly, kind. She was the only mother that could have raised George O'Malley.

As they got up to leave, George's parents smiled to themselves. The girl was Meredith Grey. They had heard so much about her from George's phone calls, letters, and emails home. Dana and Bob knew that he did not even realize how much he talked about her. They both prayed every night that he would not get hurt by this woman, never knowing that he already had been.

After his family had vacated the room, she went to stand beside him. Meredith looked down at his face. She saw a small freckle under his left eye that she had never noticed. The young woman choked back tears, trying to swallow over the lump in her throat. Meredith had never really looked at George before, had never studied his face. In fact, she hadn't ever paid too much attention to him at all. Guilt ate a hole in her regretful heart as a long-forgotten memory flashed through her mind.

Meredith was sitting in their spot in the hall on a cot. It had been one of those days. It was raining. Again. She had forgotten to put deodorant on that morning. She had seen Derrick lightly kiss Addison on the lips as the elevator doors shut. Her patient had died about twenty minutes ago and another had vomited on her new shoes.

Life really hated Meredith Grey.

Just as she was on the verge of tears, George bounced into the corridor with a fresh cup of coffee. He handed it to her with a smile. "What's behind your back, George?" Meredith asked as she took a sip of the hot cup of heaven, referring to his left hand tucked behind him.

He blinked sheepishly. George revealed a yellow daisy. "Here," he said. "I heard that you could use it today." His face was warm as he added, "You know, a bit of sunshine on a rainy day?"

Her fingers brushed against his as she took the flower. She had no idea how many butterflies she gave him by that touch. "Thank you."

He sat down beside her and waited for her to let out whatever was on her chest. Chest! Don't think chest, man! he shouted to himself. He was trying to be a friend, but it was a bit difficult not to think about how beautiful and wonderful she was.

"Do I make things hard on myself, George, or is it that I was just destined to live a life of crap-filled roads?" she blurted, her messy bangs flopping over her eyes.

George chuckled a little. Then he looked over at her with unadulterated love. "It's just bumpy right now. But like Seattle, the rain will clear," he told her, repeating what his mother had told him once when he had broken his arm trying to impress a girl.

Meredith patted him on the knee. "You're a really good friend, George."

He tried to not look disappointed as he hopped off the gurney. "No, I'm not," he countered tenderly. "I was just what you needed right now." He smiled and then left to finish his duties.

Meredith sat there a few minutes longer, twirling the daisy in her hand.

Tears started to pour from her, but for a very different reason than that night they had spent together. "I'm so sorry, George," she cried, grabbing hold of his hand. "I didn't see you. I just didn't pay attention."

An epiphany that was as bright as the daisy struck her. She had been so stupid for so long. She had been living with a good man that loved her for two years and was barely aware of his existence because he had been blotted out by a man that would never be able to love her the way that she needed him to. Her eyebrows rose as she pleaded with him through sobs. Meredith shook him lightly as if she were still a little girl trying to wake someone up. "George, you have to come to," she begged. "Who's going to be my date for Burke and Cristina's wedding? Burke will need a best man."

Bending over, she laid her head on his chest and listened to him breathe. "Cristina's getting married?"

Meredith shot up straight. She saw that George was awake, with that same blue spark in his eyes. Blinking the tears from her eyes, she laughed, "Yeah, she is."

George smiled up at her pale face. She had never looked prettier. His eyebrows furrowed as he tilted his head. "Did you just ask me out?"

………………………………………

House couldn't take much more. It had been a long while since he had been with someone he actually cared about. He guided Cameron towards one of the cots in the room. When her thighs hit the base of the bed, she shrieked. Cameron started remembering where she was, but House had already gently nudged her to sit down and was nibbling on her collar bone. Panic mixed with lust. She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed softly. "House, we can't," she reasoned. "Not here."

He hugged her to him. House did not really desire to have their first time, or at least an arousing game of "tag," to be in this hospital, let alone the On Call room, but he was spinning out of control. "If we don't do something, I'm going to be in a coma again," he countered.

Cameron agreed that she felt the same way. She rubbed his stubbly chin with the palms of her hands, and then lifted his hand. He gasped when she placed a hot, wet kiss in the center of his upturned palm, her tongue flicking the sensitive skin. House started to lean her back.

A chirping noise sang through the room. Cameron reached for her beeper at the same time that House looked at his own. Her expressive green eyes lit up when she looked at him. "George is awake," she said with a smile.

Kid's got damn lousy timing, House thought with a scowl.

TBC