21

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hated funerals.

She had been to a handful in her life, those being her grandparents and her dads older brother. Those ones hurt, of course, because she loved her family and hated the idea of them being gone.

Then there was this one.

She had gotten ready in a blur, pulling on a black dress and flats slowly, the exhaustion from the past few days finally catching up with her. She had been staying at the hotel, the house that she used to share with George and her other friends made her heart burst in pain.

Mark watched with worried eyes as she got ready, almost as if she was just going through the motions but not actually.... He kept a hand on her back or an arm wrapped around her the whole day, too scared that if he let go of her she'd drift off.

Standing in the cemetery, Eleanora gripped Mark's hand that was resting her waist tightly. Her face was emotionless, her eyes just burning holes into the coffin that held the body of her best friend. Lexie is standing on her other side, Max holding her hand as she sniffles. Everyone around them is silent, listening as the Priest speaks.

"There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens." A sob breaks the silence, Eleanora's eyes slowly dragging away from the coffin to the woman who George saved. She was sobbing loudly, even more than George's own mother. Anger boiled in Eleanora's stomach but she stayed quiet, moving her head to face forward again.

Eleanora is too focused on the coffin, her head swimming with thoughts and the voice of her now dead best friend, to notice Izzie running off. Cristina gives Eleanora a worried look, but Mark just nods at her, indicating that he had her.

Once the Priest finished, a majority of the people in attendance left. The only people staying being his family and Eleanora. She didn't think she could stand there and watch as they lowered his body six feet under, but she had one thing she had to do.

Eleanora wiped under her eyes, a few stray tears having of fallen. She unhooks Mark's arm from around her and steps towards the casket. She takes a shaky breath, digging in the purse that was in her hands.

"I promised I'd get you one." She whispered softly, placing the item on one of the bouquets of flowers. She rested her hand on the casket, wishing for one more time that she could hold his hand or just touch him. See him, alive and well.

"I'll see you around, Georgie." Her voice broke a bit, her shoulders shaking with a silent sob. "Tell your dad I said hi, okay?"

Eleanora then turned, wiping under her eyes again. She gave Mrs. O'Malley a small, soft smile, but it wasn't one that fit on her face. Eleanora took her boyfriends hand again, the two of them heading back to the car.

As they lowered George's casket into the ground, the green gem on the pin identical to Eleanora's glinted in the sunlight.

_______

   the bed dip, Eleanora didn't glance over her shoulder. She knew it was Mark, it could Mark. She had been living in the hotel room, not even entering the house to get her things. Meredith packed up most of it, Cristina helping with getting stuff into boxes for when her and Mark finally found a place. But Eleanora couldn't live in that house, not with the ghosts it had.

She couldn't do much, really. The Chief gave her time off, told her to take a week or two to mourn. She was the closest to George, and he among everyone else knew she wouldn't be able to do her job.

Mark's hand slid up her side as he propped his head on his hand. He looked down at his girlfriend, her tangled hair that she hadn't brushed in days, and her red rimmed eyes from the nonstop crying.

"You gonna get out of bed today?" He asks softly, moving his hand to push some hair out of her face. "We could go to that Pizza Place you like, then come right back. Wouldn't take more than an hour, doll."

Eleanora's grip on the comforter tightened, pulling it closer. "I can't." She whispered, her voice gravely from disuse. "I just...I just , Mark."

Mark hid his disappointment and worry, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Okay, that's okay. I'll just order room service instead." He laid down on his back, patting his chest softly. "Why don't you hold onto me, huh?"

Eleanora sniffled, slowly turning to her other side. Resting her head on her boyfriends chest, Eleanora listened to the calming sound of his heart beating. She threw one arm around him and squeezed, staring at the wall in front of them.

Mark held her to him with one arm, and held her hand with the other. "Wanna hear about my day? Had a few cool cases, but mostly just had to deal with those idiot interns."

Eleanora didn't respond, but Mark continued anyway, his voice soothing as he told her stories about his shift. After a bit, her eyes slowly started to slip shut, the exhaustion she had felt nonstop for the past week catching up with her.

______

   interns are the only ones who apparently know what they're doing." Cristina informed Eleanora, stepping over her body in the hotel bed. She plopped beside her, Meredith snorting a little as she sat on the other side of their smaller friend. "I want to steal them from you."

Eleanora was silent, so Meredith spoke up, taking a sip of the coffee in her hands. "We can't steal them, not now. Their first year of residency is almost up. We just have to make Ella train our interns next year."

Cristina snapped before pointing at Meredith with a nod. "Great idea." When they didn't hear the little giggle Eleanora normally gave, they both gave each other worried looks before looking down at her. "Sunshine?"