Salvation ► GREY'S ANATOMY [2]

TWENTY-FOUR

WORDS WERE FLOATING IN FRONT OF HER. Courtney tried to focus on the article she was reading, but her mind kept drifting off. The amount of times that she had read that sentence, 'I felt like I couldn't do anything, like time stood still.' could no longer be counted on both hands. She felt like she could relate to that one sentence, because ever since the news about her friend's disease she didn't feel like herself.

It felt like an outer body experience. The reality of it all still hadn't set in. Maybe it was all just a bad, bad dream. She would wake up any second now, drenched in sweat breathing heavily. However, that moment never happened. Instead the minute hand of the clock moved further, showing that time wasn't standing still.

Everything was real.

Her hands shook as she flipped a page of her magazine, leaving the article for what it was. It wasn't a very good one anyway. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she tried to disappear into her couch even more. It felt like her throat was closing up as she blinked fast. One. She was going to be okay. Two. She was strong. Three. Please, not my friend.

Courtney tried to focus on something else. Try to get her mind of the whole situation. A hand was resting on her shin, softly robbing it. Back and forth, back and forth. Mark was sitting on the other part of the couch with Courtney's legs over his lap. He was so engrossed into a television show about a group of people whose plane had crashed on some kind of freaky island. The motions stopped as he shifted forward, closer to her tv.

"No, no. Don't go there." Mark muttered under his breath.

Courtney lowered her magazine, her ocean blue eyes peered over. His eyebrows were knitted together as his lips were pursed together. It was a cute sight that made her heart flutter a bit. Her heart slowed down its pace and she felt like she could breathe. Sometimes, just a look of her boyfriend could ease all her worries, all her fears. Her lips curled up into a smile as she watched him ease back onto the couch, continuing to rub her shins.

Mark glanced over to his girlfriend, whose face was mostly covered by the magazine she was reading. Courtney tried to be strong, but inside she was falling apart. He knew that, because he could see it in her eyes. Ever since she had heard about Izzie's cancer, he could feel the pain radiating from her. Whenever Izzie was brought up, her eyes would glaze over and she would look away.

"Anything exciting in there?" Mark broke the silence, his hand sliding up higher. He softly patted her thigh, grabbing her attention.

The magazine was closed, lying on top of her chest. Her eyes were locked onto his as she blew a piece of blonde hair out of her peripheral view. "Not really, no. There was this part about a woman who was left at the altar, but that was the most interesting part here. Don't really know why I bought this. I thought it would... Never mind."

"Thought it would make you forget?"

Courtney pursed her lips, breaking eye contact. She glanced away, focussing on a painting hanging on the wall. Her eyes were blinking rapidly. She tried to keep the dam from bursting open. She knew that if she were to look at Mark with his pretty eyes full of compassion, she would break. The dam would break, letting all the water out.