Jolex: Izzie's Return

Chapter Five

Alex
I caught up with Izzie a few moments later at her patients room. The patient was a little boy with Marfan Syndrome. She was talking with the boy but when I walked in, all talking seemed to diminish.

"Luca, this is Doctor Karev and he will be helping me with your procedure tomorrow." She said motioning to me.

"What's up Luca?" I said giving a small nod to the boy and to his mother who was sitting beside his bed. "Actually, Doctor Stevens, I need to speak to you." I said

"Alright." she looked at the boys mother "I will be right back."

We walked out of the room and into the hallway. It was pretty early so not many of the kids were up and there weren't many doctors or nurses in the hallway with us. I shut the door to Luca's room and turned to Izzie.

"You never answered Meredith's question." I said "How long are you staying?''

She looked at me and hesitantly gave me an answer "I don't know yet."

"What do you mean you don't know yet? Why are you even-"

"Doctor Karev?" said a voice behind me. When I turned around I saw it was Jo with her army of interns standing behind her. Some looked like walking zombies but others were smiling. "We need to round on Luca if you guys don't mind."

"No you guys are fine." said Izzie jumping in almost too eager to be relieved of our conversation. She gave me a glance before walking in the room to join Jo and her interns. I followed.

"Who's presenting?" Jo asked looking at the large group of doctors.

Hellmouth stepped forward. "Luca Greenbro, Seven years old. Marfan Syndrome. He has concaved chest that is essentially squeezing both his heart and lungs."

"So what's the procedure?" Jo asked Hellmouth who didn't have time to answer before Glasses stepped forward and answered for her.

"A Pectus Excavatum Repair." He said.

"Great" Jo said writing something down on the chart in her hand. She looked to Izzie. "Do you have a preference on your intern today?''

"That one with the glasses seems to know whats going on." She said pointing to Glasses. Jo and I exchanged looks.

"Yeah actually give us Hellmouth." I chimed in. Jo smiled and nodded.

Hellmouth stayed behind but the rest of the interns left with Jo.

Izzie and I had to prepare for the surgery so we went to the lab. I don't want to spend anymore time with her but I had a job to do and I was going to do it.

I was always really good at compartmentalizing. I learned it after Izzie left. That day I cut into that woman who had soot in her throat was the last time I ever let my emotions cloud my judgement. I remember that day like it was yesterday. A dozen doctors around her and no one was giving her a tract. So I did. I was so frustrated with Izzie for not answering my phone calls. Then Kepner got canned for it. I don't think I ever told Jo that story.

In the lab I tried to keep the conversation on the patient but I noticed that Izzie kept wanting to change it.

"So your girlfriend... Jo..." she trailed off.

"Yeah what about her."

"She seems nice." She said

"She is." I said back busing myself with the electronic anatomy board.

"A little too nice... I mean."

I tried not to look up or shift my tone of voice but I was getting annoyed. "She can be."

"I never pictured you with a girl like that. She looks like she popped out of one of those suburban summer catalogues my aunt used to buy." She chuckled

"Yeah summer catalogue" I chuckled with her superficially. "She is perfect." I knew that comment would annoy her and it did.

"I mean... hardly perfect... but a little above average" She laughed "Although, she could have drove her ex crazy. Mer did say he was a psycho."

That comment caught me by surprise but I managed to keep my cool and ignore it. Then Izzie went silent and my curiosity as to why caused me to look up. In the doorway to the lab was Jo listening intently. Izzie gave me a nervous look.

Jo shot Izzie a smiled and looked to me. "Hey I was wondering if you were busy? I didn't grab breakfast and I am hungry and in need of company that isn't an intern."

Izzie looked at me and then back at Jo. "I didn't mean what I said..." she started

"It's fine Doctor Stevens you don't know me so it's fine." Jo said shifting her weight to her opposite leg. "Alex?"

"Yeah I'm not too busy" I said shaking my head out of confusion.

I headed out with Jo who refused to talk about Izzie or what she said. A hour or so later I met Izzie back in the lab.

"Alright." I said "I thought it over and I don't want to remove his sternum completely."

"What do you mean? It's compromised" she said

"Well the ribs connected to his sternum are compromised. What if we cut the ribs down where they start to cave and use small steal connectors to connect them to his original sternum."

She gave me a dirty look "why not just use a steel sternum. Too many screws in the sternum could cause the bone to shatter."

"Well because if we keep his collar bone connected to the sternum then, in theory, it will grow with him. Less surgeries in the long run."

"You can't do that Alex." She said "that bone is only so big. Let's just stick to the game plan I laid out."

I knew she wasn't going to listen to me. No one seemed to listen too me anymore. Her over confidence in herself made my blood boil. Why does she get to be better then me. I knew what I could and couldn't do and I had a feeling this would work.

"Alright then, if you are so sure about the plan then I'm going to go check up on my other patients" I said walking out of the room.

For the rest of the day I grabbed patients from the trauma unit. I did an appendectomy and a gallbladder removal. Nothing too time consuming. I tried to stay away from Izzie.

I got home at a decent time. Jo showed up around 9 which was usual. I was doing paperwork when she came in.

"Hey" She said. "How was your day?"

"Fine I guess?" I responded

She tilted her head "You okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine." I looked back down at the papers "why do you keep asking me that."

"I'm just making sure" she said

"Okay well you don't have to ask anymore Because I'm telling you I'm fine." I said a little more rude then I meant too.

"Okay but you have been acting off today and so I don't believe you when you say you are fine anymore!" Jo shot back.

I'm not sure what happened to make me react so poorly. I wasn't mad at her. I was frustrated with the questioning and lack of confidence that Izzie had in me and it piled up.

"JO NOT EVERYONE FREAKS OUT WHEN THEIR EX SHOWS UP JUST BECAUSE YOU DID." I yelled. And all at once the anger left my body and I was stunned. So was Jo.

It looked like she was processing what I said. I was processing it too. Then, she looked down at the ground and back up at me and a single tear left her hazel eyes and fell down her face.

"I'm done arguing Alex. I'm going to bed that way I'm not too over dramatic." She said as she walked into the bathroom and slammed the door.