"George…" Izzie looked mildly surprised. He tried to smile, but it faltered and seemed forced, even to him.

"Hey Izzie. How have you been Alex? It's been a long time…"

Alex didn't fake enthusiasm, or even attempt to be interested in answering George; "Listen, O'Malley, I came for her, not to play catch up with you. Do you still practice medicine or have they finally taken pity on the poor souls that have the misfortune of being your patients?" His signature sneer appeared, still in existence, even after all his time away.

"That's uncalled for, Alex. If you plan on being rude to George, you can just leave, because it's not going to happen. Especially not now…"

"It's alright, Iz. I was just making sure you were okay. And to tell you that Grace woke up…"

"Thank God! I'm going to see her!" Izzie made a move to get out of her bed, but Alex was faster.

"Don't be stupid, Izzie. You haven't been cleared by Bailey, and if she's still the same Nazi we knew and despised, you won't get one foot out of that door without her down your throat."

"It's good to know you're still exactly the same, Karev. How's California treating you?" Bailey walked in to the room without a moment's hesitation. " He's right, Stevens. If you were to leave this room before my clearance, I'd have your ass so fast your head would spin. Besides, you twisted your ankle and dislocated your right shoulder…"

"But I feel fine, Dr. Bailey," Izzie interjected.

"And why would that be, hmm? Let's all think about this, shall we? We're medical professionals in a hospital, and you were just in an accident. Does anyone else see where this is going?"

"In her own not-so-subtle way, Bailey's trying to tell you you're doped up, so you can't feel the pain." Karev headed for the door. "I'm in town for a few days, Iz, I'll be back tomorrow."

He pushed past George, almost knocking him over. George glared at his retreating frame, silently saying all the things he'd thought about him since the day they met.

"George, stay with her, I don't want her trying anything stupid." Bailey exited the room but stopped just outside the door. "And if she does anything stupid, I will hold you responsible…"

"That's not fair…" he stopped when both women glared, "Alright, alright, it's a deal."

He sat next to Izzie. "I cannot tell you how happy I am that you're not hurt. I've had enough scares today…"

"What happened? George, what aren't you telling me?" Izzie sat up carefully, trying not to shift her right side too much.

"Meredith's heart stopped momentarily. They brought her back and put her in emergency surgery to stop her internal bleeding and repair the damage to her organs."

"Oh god, this is all my fault!" Her eyes welled up but she continued talking to try and avoid letting them fall, "But Grace, you said she was okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She woke up, which is a great sign. She broke both of her legs, and her right wrist. But other than that, she's fine." He exhaled, and squeezed her hand, "Listen to me, and listen closely because I only have the strength to say this once. This is not your fault. This was an accident, some random twist of fate. I think something out there, something in control, whatever you believe it is, is trying to tell us something. Maybe that we're taking something for granted, or maybe we're just being tested. We think our bond is strong, but maybe it takes something almost catastrophic to show us we're stronger than we think. Personally, I think that I'm supposed to stop taking this for granted. I think I have to do something, to risk everything…"

He looked at Izzie. Her eyes were closed, and she was starting to snore softly. He smiled to himself; "I'm in love with you, Isobel Stevens…"

"You have got to be kidding me!" George spun around to see Alex Karev standing at the door, laughing. "Seriously, O'Malley? Do you honestly think you have a chance?"

"This is none of your business, Karev. Get the hell out of here!" He whispered, getting up from beside Izzie and approaching him. He pushed him out of her room and against a wall. He grabbed Alex's shirt collar and pinned him there, putting his face only a few inches from Alex's. "Listen up, Plastic! I've had enough of you already and I barely spoke to you for five minutes. Ever since we were interns, I knew you were trouble. And you proved it to everyone when you cheated on Izzie with Olivia, you let everyone else know what I saw from moment one—that you are nothing but scum. How dare you come here and try to… do whatever it is you're trying to, after everything you've done to her!"

"Chill out, O'Malley. If you've got that big of an issue with me being here, you should take it up with her."

"Why's that?" He released Alex and took a step back.

Alex used the opportunity to let his fist meet George's face, "Because she's the one who called me."