The Starting Line (Reupload)

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Just below the operating room on Eleanora's list of favorite spots was the observation deck. When she had free time during a shift, she would grab charts or textbooks and go up to watch the surgery that was happening at the moment. When she really didn't want to go home immediately after her shift and knew a cool surgery was taking place, she would grab her bag and sit through the whole process.

Now it was an example of free time. All the interns were sitting, watching Meredith help Burke. Eleanora held a new article in her hands, highlighter in the other, as she went back and forth from reading and looking.

"I wish I could hold a heart." George groaned, leaning back in his chair. Cristina sneered, shaking her head.

"A monkey could hold a heart." She sneered, causing Eleanora to look over. She looked at her friend with an eyebrow raised and then looked at George.

George snorted, tapping Cristina's shoulder. "You're angry that Burke didn't ask you." Cristina turned, probably about to go against George, before Izzie interrupted her from where she was texting on her phone.

"George, I need more ice and chips. And Eleanora, can you still pick up the salsa?" Eleanora hummed, nodding.

"Yes. Fresh salsa from the market, three big jars as you ordered." She confirmed, focusing again on the article.

"Three big jars? We really only need one, maybe with a smaller jar added. How many... Who else did you invite?" George asked, his eye moving slightly. Izzie continued to make the party bigger and bigger without confirming with Meredith, and at this rate she would kick them all out.

Well, Izzie and George would leave. George had a feeling that Meredith would take a look at Eleanora and refuse to throw her out for fear that the younger girl would cry.

"Izzie, we said the list was for athletes only!" Cristina complained, looking over her friend's shoulder. "Surgery, trauma, plastics. Who else?"

Izzie sighed, looking at the three beside her with a nervous look. "Just a few people from Peds."

Cristina and George let out groans, Eleanora looked up. "Did you invite some of the nurses from the Peds ward? They're all very nice, and Lindsay was a fraternity gorilla in college! He said he could teach me how to shoot a beer!"

Cristina ignored her friend but saved the information that she didn't know how to shoot a beer for later. "You invited the preschoolers to Meredith's house? The next thing you'll say, is you invited the shrinks!" Izzie was silent for a moment and then looked away, and Cristina gasped. "She invited the mental flaws! This party is D.O.A."

"You know, Meredith thinks this is going to be a little cocktail party, to meet your boyfriend. Did you clear it up with her?" George asked, looking at Izzie with almost pleading eyes. Eleanora put the lid on her highlighter and looked at the page she was on, leaning forward.

"Meredith said she used to party a lot, but now we have jobs. And I don't know if she'd like to have to clean up a wrecked house like she's a college student." Eleanora pointed out.

Izzie looked at George. "No, I haven't, but I will. I promise!" Then she looked at Eleanora. "And anyway, Meredith loves to party. She went to Europe just because of that, you know."

"Why are you wasting the only weekend your boyfriend is in town on a big party? Is he bad in bed?" Cristina snooped. Eleanora let out a small 'oh', a sad but understanding smile tugging at her lips.

"If he's bad in bed, I can make sure he gets really drunk so he passes out and you don't have to worry about hurting his feelings."

Izzie laughs, shaking her head. "No, he's not bad in bed. I just want him to meet some of my friends."