The day her daughter was born was the first day she remembered, the first day where what was real and what was not seemed to click, where she began to understand. That night when she fell asleep she dreamed of far off places, of things which could only happen in dreams. She didn't go back to the other world, the one where Alex wasn't.
That day marked the start of a new beginning, it was the day she became consciously aware of her situation and she became determined to get better. Recovering though wasn't easy, she'd come a long way but there was still an even longer way to go. The nightmares she'd been having, the ones where the things in white came and pulled at her were real. They weren't things but a rehabilitation team responsible for getting her body working again. Everyday they would come in and stretch and pull her arms and legs, at first it hurt, she would cry and a few times even begged Alex not to make her do it but he said she had to, that it was for her own good. She couldn't argue with him so she just closed her eyes and sucked it in and after a few weeks it didn't hurt so much.
She was slowly but surely making progress, she was getting stronger. They got her out of bed and she learnt to walk again. It was difficult and frustrating but Alex stood with her, he told her he'd already been through it, that she could do it, and when it was all over it would be worth it.
And worth it, it was, four months after she 'woke up', a couple days short of exactly one year after the accident she was discharged. It was their anniversary, and she was getting the best present imaginable, she was going to sleep in her own bed, she was going to sleep there with Alex.
"Easy now," Alex said as he gripped her hand tightly in his own and helped her off the bed.
"I'm okay Alex, I can do this." She said, placing both feet on the floor.
"I know," Alex smiled at her but he didn't let go. He helped her walk the two steps over to the stroller and wrapped her hands around the handles. "I just want to make sure we get out of here in one piece."
"Right," She gave him a wink and took a deep breath. She'd been waiting for this day for a long time, she was excited about it but nervous too. Alex had the whole day planned out for them, it was nothing too exciting, most of it would be spent at their home, but just being home was something. Alex had promised her he would cook a feast for breakfast, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, and sausage. She was looking forward to it, she couldn't remember the last time Alex had cooked for her. The morning and the afternoon were going to be all about them as a family, finally home together. Little Bella was four months old now and she'd developed quite a personality, she was a happy little baby and she already had toys she liked to play with the most. She would always smile when this rag doll with a crackly skirt was waved in front of her, she loved that doll and watching her daughter play was one of the things Izzie liked doing the most. She was such a smart little girl and Izzie couldn't look at her without feeling a warm sense of pride.
The day was all about them as a family but the evening would be all about the two of them. Alex had some how talked Meredith into taking Bella for the night so they could have some alone time. He was going to take her out for dinner and then head back to the house, he hadn't told her what he had planned but every time he started talking about it he got excited.
"Are we ready to go?" She asked feeling his arm wrap around her back.
"I'm ready when you are." He told her and she took her first step, she began to push the stroller forward and the biggest smile spread across her face. She'd done it; she'd learnt to live all over again. She was going home, and her life as Isobel Karev was about to truly start.