Nowhere, Kansas

Part III - Limbo

"Lovers leave chaos and clothes

In quiet corners where you rarely ever go.

One day you find proof she was real

Despite your struggle to forget.

Lovers leave chaos and clothes,

More debris that you can sort through in one go.

You say love is hell

But it's the ghost of love that's made you such a mess."

* * *

"You're still here?"

Izzie looks up in irritation from the pile of toys she's been sorting as Alex shoulders through the front door. "Clearly," she answers wryly.

He rolls his eyes at her. "Why aren't you in Seattle? Wasn't that surgery supposed to be today?" He glances at his watch. "Do I not know what day it is?"

She puffs out a breath of irritation and shoves a bunch of cheap Happy Meal toys into a trash bag. "Mer postponed. Like, days ago. Sorry, I thought I told you."

"Again?" he asks, incredulously. He walks into the living room and absently brushes a kiss onto his wife's mouth. "I thought this patient was in really bad shape."

Izzie shrugs. "So did I. But she texted right when I was about to head out the door."

He frowns at her. "That's so weird. It's, what, the third time?"

"The fourth," she corrects him. "I asked if we needed to cancel, or if she needed me to talk to the patient or to insurance or something, but she won't give me any details. Just says to wait, and she'll let me know when they're ready for me. I haven't even gotten updated scans."

"Huh." He shakes his head. "At least you didn't spring for a plane ticket." He collapses down on the couch with a groan and looks down at his watch again. "Don't let me fall asleep," he tells Izzie as he closes his eyes. "I gotta pick up the kids from soccer in half an hour."

"Sure thing."

A stretch of quiet spreads out between them. Izzie continues to sort through the twins' toys; it's rare that she has time to do any cleaning at all, but she keeps pushing her non-essential surgeries since she thought she'd be going to Seattle. It's unlike Meredith to be so flaky – though not offering a reason for canceling plans is a little on the nose.

She thinks Alex has fallen asleep when his low voice startles her.

"I ran into that nurse from the IVF clinic today at the hospital. She was visiting her niece who just had her tonsils out."

Izzie's heart drops at the mention of IVF, but she tries to keep her voice light. "Which nurse?" she asks.

"The nice one. Dark hair. She always wears the bright purple scrubs."

"Oh, Dina. She is nice."

"Dina, yeah."

She glances over to find Alex watching her carefully. "She was asking after you. Dina."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." He shifts. "She just wanted to know that you were doing okay... says they worry when people stop returning their calls."

Izzie sighs. "Alex, I'm still not sure—"

He holds up a hand. "You don't have to explain anything to me, Iz. I told you – we'll do what you want to do." He sits up a little straighter and leans over, elbows on his knees. "But if you told me what you were thinking, I don't know... maybe I could help."