Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's

Taking Over Me part 9

"Don't you look great today," Alex said as Izzie sat down at the table.

"Thanks," Izzie said coolly. "I couldn't sleep."

"No kidding," Mer said, joining them. "I could hear you up walking around."

"Sorry," Izzie sighed. Alex and Mer looked at each other.

"What?" Izzie said tiredly. She really didn't feel like putting up with them at the moment.

"Nothing," Meredith said at once.

"We're just worried," Alex said. "We want to know what's going on. We're tired of watching you lose it."

"I'm not losing it," Izzie said at once, looking offended.

"What about what happened yesterday?"

"Nothing happened yesterday."

"And you never sleep anymore. You hardly eat."

"I disagree."

"And the box of maggots? Or when I came home and you-"

"Will you shut up?" she said angrily, standing up suddenly, making them jump. "You want me to tell you things? Well I'm sorry but I can't. I wouldn't even if I could, not with the way you're always hovering over me."

"We just want to help," Meredith said.

"And I appreciate that," Izzie said. "But I don't need it. So get off my back about it."

She turned and left. They heard the front door slam. Meredith and Alex looked at her.

"I'd say she does need help," Mer said.

"Yeah."

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Izzie was walking out of the locker room just as George was walking in. They looked at each other for a moment, then walked past each other without a word. She could see that this situation was just getting worse and worse. She trusted that he'd keep his mouth shut until something came up. And that was bound to happen sooner or later. Well, most likely sooner.

She still didn't fully understand why he had let her walk away last night. He hadn't sounded too happy with her for a while. Who knows how he thinks, she told herself. He's crazy.

She found Dr. Bailey. Bailey looked at her for a second, then looked away.

"So what do you have for me today?" Izzie asked.

"A nice stack of charts and papers to catch up on," Bailey said.

"All day?" Izzie asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, all day, miss I can't work. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some lives to save."

"But Dr. Bailey-"

"No buts," Bailey said firmly. "You won't be around any patients until you work out whatever's got you all crazy. Now go. Go."

Izzie glared but listened. She walked away without any more protests. She passed the others as she went, but ignored them and went on her way.

"Did you and Izzie have a fight?" Meredith asked George.

"No," George said shortly.

"You're acting like you did."

"Well we didn't," George said.

She didn't ask him any more questions. Not then, anyway.

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Izzie didn't join them for lunch that day. She didn't even speak to any of them. They tried earlier in the day (well, all except George) but she firmly said she was busy and needed to get work done. She was in an angry mood all day, and they eventually just stayed out of her way. She didn't mind. She did feel bad for the way she was treating them, but right now, as far as she was concerned, it would be better if they stayed away. It would only do them good.

She ended up getting tired of looking at files, and decided to give herself a break. She walked around the hospital for a while, wondering what it was like to have a care free life. These people may think they have a lot to deal with. But they have no idea. Not until they met Al Chambers, at least. She ended up in the on-call room. She took off her shoes and lay down on the bed. At least it was quiet in here. Some place that you could actually think.

She stared up into nothingness for a long time, waiting for something to happen. Surely she didn't deserve quiet time. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. She wished it were that easy. That you could just close your eyes and everything could just fall away, and you wouldn't have to think about it anymore.

She fell into the first real sleep she'd had in days. It wasn't that easy though of course. Only flashed went through her mind, everything from being threatened with a knife in a too small car, to coming home to find her least favorite person standing behind her. Then it changed, into something new. Nothing that made sense. A car. Hotel. Gunshots. And then at the very end, a face she felt would always haunt her dreams, so close she could feel his breath, his eyes crazy, angry, terrifying.

I told you I'd get you.

Beeping woke her up. She jumped, completely terrified, sure that he was there in the room with him. She allowed herself to breathe; the room was empty and her pager was going off. She calmed herself, then left the room.

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She nearly ran right into Meredith, hardly unaware of where she was going. She looked at her as though surprised to see her there.

"Bailey's been looking for you," Meredith said.

"Yeah, I know," Izzie said. "I'm going to find her now."

"Okay," Mer said awkwardly. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah," Izzie said, and sped away.

She found Bailey a couple minutes later, knowing that she wouldn't be happy. She walked over to her and cleared her throat.

"How are those charts coming?" Bailey asked.

"Good," Izzie said at once. "I'm almost done."

"I can see that." Bailey handed her the unfinished work Izzie had left when she went to the on-call room.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Izzie said embarrassedly. "I was-"

"I don't care where you were," Bailey said. "I give you the simplest work possible and you still can't do it. And you were complaining earlier."

"I know, I'm sorry," Izzie said quickly.

"Don't worry, they'll be here for you tomorrow too." Bailey looked her up and down. "Now go. Your shift's over."

"It-? Yeah," Izzie said, surprised at the time. "I'll be better tomorrow."

"Mm-hm," Bailey said. Izzie forced a smile and walked away.

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"I'll see you outside," Callie said to George just as Izzie came in the room. He nodded. Callie walked out. He spotted Izzie. She looked over at Meredith, Alex, and Cristina, who were getting ready to go to. She walked up to George. He ignored her.

"You can't be angry at me," Izzie said, annoyed.

"I never said I was," he said without looking at her.

"Well that's good for you. But yes you are. Can't I at least-"

"No," he said. "You can't."

"But you don't even-"

Her phone rang. She took it out, looked at it, then at George. She said nothing, just walked out of the room.

"Hello?"

"Do you like surprises, Izzie?"

She said nothing.

"Well I have one for you, and I'd love for you to see it."

"What did you do?" she said in a hushed tone.

"Well you can't see it from where you are," he said, and she could see his grin in her mind. "But you can if you moved."

"Where are you?"

"Now wouldn't you just love to know that."

She started to walk quickly, looking around.

"I'll give you a hint," he said. "You can't find me from where you are."

"Didn't you already say that?"

She walked down the stairs to where Callie was now walking out the door.

"Now here's what I've been waiting for!"

"What you-?"

Something clicked in her mind.

"Oh no," she whispered. "Don't do anything. Please."

"Sorry about this," he sighed. "But I-"

"Callie wait!" Izzie called after her desperately, running.

"-have to."

Callie stopped. Izzie ran out into the night.

"What?"

That's when the car came. It came to quickly for either of them to do anything.