11

Izzie doing?" Eleanora asked George, squinting her eyes at the blonde. She was giggling beside Alex, joking around with him. And Eleanora didn't like it.

"I think they're...friends?" He replied, tilting his head. Eleanora's eyes widened slightly and she looked at her best friend, her voice shocked.

"Izzie? And Alex? Izzie Alex! She literally told me she hates Alex multiple times!"

George nodded, grabbing his pager. "Yeah, I know."

Eleanora followed behind George as they walked into the hallway. Eleanora looked at them when they walked by, and Alex locked eyes with her. His smile fell slightly and he cleared his throat, looking down.

Eleanora frowned, facing George again once they were in the hallway and trying to catch up with Meredith and Cristina.

"So now that I'm not with Alex she wants to be his friend? I mean, I'm all for everyone being friends with Alex because he's nice and kind - " George snorted, and Eleanora smacked at his arm, continuing, "- but she was always mean to me about him, and now she's all buddy buddy? I don't like it."

George sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know, maybe she's just trying to be nice to him for you? I mean, you told us all that you'd talk to him in a day or so, right?" She nodded, biting the inside of her cheek. ", we know you two will be getting back together. Izzie just wants to make everything better for all of us, I'm sure of it."

Eleanora nodded, taking a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. And if you're sure of it, I'm sure of it."

George smiled and squeezed her arm in reassurance. "Sure of it."

____

Roche. She's 23 years old. In for a scheduled ETS for treatment of her erythrophobia hyperpyrexia." Alex presented, Eleanora by his side. She peeked around him, giving Kelly a smile.

"Eythrophobia?" Izzie asked, her brows furrowed. Eleanora looked at her, nodding.

"It's a fancy word for blushing. Right, Kelly?" She turned her eyes to the patient, who just continued to fan herself.

"Yes ma'am."

Alex snorted, Eleanora elbowing him in the ribs. He let out a small hiss, but his smile didn't fade. It was obvious the two were happier near each other, even if they technically weren't together.

"Do you have any questions before the procedure?" Dr. Bailey asked Kelly, flipping through the chart for a moment.

"Oh, no. Dr. Shep...Dr. Shepherd - " Kelly's face was starting to turn blood red, and Eleanora's eyes softened. She moved behind Alex to grab the wet washcloth by her bedside and handed it to her. Kelly gave her a grateful look, placing it on her cheeks and then fanning herself.

"- Dr. Shepherd explained everything, he was very, uh... . He gave me some liter... I'm so sorry."

Eleanora shook her head, giving her a soft and soothing smile. "Don't apologize, Kelly. There is nothing to be sorry for, okay?" Eleanora looked up to see a majority of her fellow interns struggling to hide their smiles. Her eyes widened slightly and she shook her head curtly, pursing her lips.

"Yeah, half the patients that come in here have the hots for Shepherd." Alex butt in, causing Eleanora and Dr. Bailey's heads to snap to him.

"Dr. Karev!" Bailey hissed. Eleanora grabbed his arm and started to push him out of the room.

"We'll go update the chart outside real quick, Dr. Bailey." Eleanora responded, Alex huffing at her words.

Once they were outside, she put her hands on her hips. "Alex, that's not okay! She can't help it, and you teasing her like that is going to make it even worse on her!"

Alex rolled his eyes, leaning on the nurses station counter. "I was just playing around. Come on, Ella, it wasn't that serious. She probably found it funny."

Eleanora looked back, seeing everyone else walk out and start down the hall. Izzie seemed to be glaring at her, but she just frowned, shaking her head. She focused back on Alex for a moment, her voice soft.

"You don't know that, Alex." With that, she turned and caught up with everyone else. Alex stared after her for a moment, sighing. He looked up, as if begging for some help, then jogged towards everyone else.

"There's a new surgical case coming up from the pit, likely diverticulitis. Let's go!" Bailey barked out, everyone falling in line to the elevator.

The doors opened, revealing an older woman screaming and yelling. Her wrists were restrained to the bed, but she was sitting up.

Dr. Bailey took point, and Eleanora fell in stride with her. She handed Cristina the chart, her eyes dancing over the patients name for future use. That's when she stumbled in her steps, eyes widening. Her head snapped to the woman screaming in the bed.

"Where is the chief?!? You're all amateurs!"

Eleanora looked at Cristina, who had obviously come to the same conclusion she had just a few moments before. "Complaining of intermittent cramping pain and diarrhea. Also suffers from...uh.. Alzheimer's."

"Amateurs!" Her throat had to be torn up by now, Eleanora wincing. She locked concerned eyes with Cristina, Bailey not even paying attention to her interns all who were starting to slow down.

"Patients name?" Bailey asked. Cristina stumbled for a minute, Bailey soon growing tired of not being answered.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The patient yelled, and Eleanora followed her eyesight to find a shocked and scared Meredith. Everyone else's eyes followed, soon connecting the dots.

"Haven't I told you?! How many times do I have to tell you not to bother me while I'm at work!" Meredith turns, scurrying to hide behind a wall.

Eleanora took a shaky breath, speaking up for Cristina. "The patients name is Ellis Grey."

George looked at his friend, then to a still slightly confused Dr. Bailey. "Meredith's mother."