"I want to stay," Cristina said weakly.

"What for? I thought you're done with your readings."

"I need to stay. I promised to stay… I promised. I promised."

iShe was talking to herself./i Nearly a year into their internship, Cristina stopped bragging about the cool surgeries she got involved in and started repeating herself like drunken Meredith? That was a bad sign.

Alex wasn't trying to be a friend. He wasn't trying to be nice. He didn't mean to feel sorry for her, but he couldn't contain his feelings. No, it wasn't the same sort of feelings he had for Izzie, but it was similar to how he felt when he saw Izzie broke down in Denny's bed.

"I know I'm not your friend, but I won't tell."

"I can't… No. Nothing is wrong," She buried her forehead in her hands and acted defensive.

"Do you expect me to believe that?"

Alex was a jerk. She needed a place to cry. The hospital was so big and yet there wasn't a place for her to hide?

"Why can't you people stop trying to look for what isn't there? I said, I am fine. What's wrong with you people?" Cristina was about to storm off, although the minute she began walking away, Alex grabbed her arm.

Perhaps what Cristina needed was a few soothing words, perhaps a hug out of camaraderie—None of which Alex Karev was going to offer.

She was clearly upset, but showing sympathy was the last thing he was capable of doing and she was ready to receive. The best he could do was to act like a cold bucket of water.

"You, Cristina Yang, of everyone at Seattle Grace, are being modest. Where's that spark in your eyes when you talked about surgeries?"

"How many times do I have to explain it? I don't want anyone to be jealous!" Cristina rubbed her temple in tiredly. "When I showed off and told you all how I craved for difficult surgeries, all you did was to make fun of how sick I was. Now I'm staying low-key, all of you keep biting on me. No matter what I do, it just isn't good enough. When Izzie broke the rules, everyone came to her defense. When Mer whined about her love life, everyone listened. When George acted like a baby in his relationships, everyone supported him. I don't need any of you to agree with what I do or say, because I can stand up for myself…"

Alex was speechless. He didn't realize Cristina's rant wasn't directed to him, but whoever said she was an unemotional, icy robot was clearly blind.

"…But why do I have to be the only one? Don't you see I've been trying?"

"You're not the only one."