Immersed: Alex Karev✓

The Day After

The kiss still haunted his lips. He was confused. Alex had never felt anything like that before, not with any of the numerous women he had been with. He tried to forget about Cassandra, but it was impossible. Evening waking up the next morning, the thoughts of her lips made Alex get to work early. He sat in the locker room and waited for his team to get there, he wanted to go on rounds and see the girl again. He pulled out the list in his pocket and looked at what he could do next. There was only a matter of weeks before she would pass, so he wanted to make sure they completed everything. He checked off the date and then looked back down at the list, trying to decide what he was going to do next.

He heard the door open and was greeted with the sight of Izzie and George.

"How was the date?" George questioned, putting his jacket into his locker. 

"It was fine." Alex said coldly before standing and leaving the locker room. He couldn't let that one kiss haunt him like it was. He was going to go back to his old self.

Alex kept that mentality up until he was in her room and didn't see her in bed. Doctor Bailey must've been just as worried because she started calling her name frantically.

"Doctor Bailey, wait." Alex said, he pointed to the closed bathroom door and opened it to find Cassandra face down in the toilet, throwing up, "found her." Alex said. Cassandra groaned making it clear that she wasn't happy that he or anyone else for the matter seeing her like this. He came from behind and grasped her dark hair, getting it out of the way. She flushed the toilet before closing the lid, she tried to stand but her body gave out. Alex caught her before she hit the ground and brought her shivering body into his own, "you're burning up, Cass." he complained. 

"Karev?" Bailey said from the door before opening it, "what the hell happened?"

"She has a fever, vomiting, and weakness. She tried to stand, I brought her down to the ground before she fell."

"Let's get her into bed. Can you stand or do you need O'Malley?" Alex stood easily, and brought Cassandra into him more and moved slowly to get her into bed. Once in the bed and surrounded by blankets, Cassandra clung to Alex's scrubs, gripping them indicating her desperation to keep him close. This didn't go unnoticed, especially not by Derek Shepherd who came into her room and looked at the pair. Meredith pulled the thermometer out of her mouth, "104.9. We need to do everything we can to get it down. Get some blood tests to the lab, we need to figure out what is causing all this."

"Cass-" Alex said, trying to get her to let go of his scrubs. 

"Karev, stay here and get her blood work done. Then come back, it's clear she is scared and she trusts you." Derek commanded, before going out of the room.

Alex did the blood work and took it to the lab quickly before returning to find Cassandra still in bed, she looked over at him. She had a weak smile on her face when she saw him, she reached for him and he accepted her hand.

"Your body is so warm." she said, clinging to his exposed skin. She moved out and pulled him down into the bed. She cuddled into him, "I don't know why I'm sick. It came on so suddenly. I was fine all last night and early this morning."

"Shh. It's okay. We'll figure it out." she eventually fell asleep and soon enough Bailey and Shepherd were back in the room.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Karev?" Derek questioned, the loudness in his voice caused Cassandra to wake up.

"Stop, Der. He was warm, I needed the warmth." the irritable tone in her voice didn't go unnoticed and it made Derek sigh. It also didn't go unnoticed that her voice was now slurring, catching Alex off guard. 

"There is an infection in your brain. We are going to start you on antibiotics through your IV as well as giving you some electrolytes since you've thrown up a lot. Alex you will be her main doctor on this, because she needs to be closely watched in case she begins to seize. We'll fight this Cass." Cass nodded and Derek kissed the top of her head, giving a glare to Alex before nodding his head to meet him outside. Cassandra tried to cling to the warmth Alex provided but she let go after he gave her a look.

"I'll be back." he whispered in a tone that said he meant it. Once outside he was giving the nurse the instructions and she left to go into Cassandra's room.

"I don't know what the hell is going on between you and Cassandra. But, Bailey told me you were helping her with the list. Do that. I've know that girl since she was born. Her parents are never around. You hurt her Karev and I will destroy your career." Derek stalked off, leaving Alex. He looked in through the windows of Cassandra's window and saw her sitting up, talking to the nurse. She looked over and saw him staring, she smiled at him and starred just as he did.