2Ø

   "you still mad at me?" Eleanora asked, looking up at her boyfriend as she fell in stride with him. They were heading into work, and she had made sure to get here early so they could speak before the day began.

"You stole my surgery." Alex didn't look over at her, rummaging through his bag for a moment. She nodded, her voice understanding.

"I did. I did steal your surgery, even if it was unwilling. And you can be upset at that, but I just don't want you to be mad."

They entered the hospital, Eleanora giving a few smiles and "hello's" to some of the workers. Alex finally looked down at her, his face softening.

He couldn't stay mad at her, truly. Once he got back to his place a few nights ago, he automatically felt bad and wanted to go back and apologize for being an ass. However, him being stubborn, he kept it up for a few days.

He sighed, shaking his head. He took her hand, causing her to focus fully back on him. With hope in her eyes, Eleanora smiled, tilting her head.

"I'm still pissed you stole my surgery, and you owe me one. But I'm not mad at you, okay? Don't think I could ever be truly mad at you."

She let out a squeal in response, moving his head so she could press a kiss to his lips. He smiled into it, looking at her with a raised brow.

"Good. I was having a whole dilemma over you being mad." They entered the locker room, and Eleanora remembered what Meredith told her to tell Alex.

"Oh! Izzie is coming in today to clean out her locker. Let's try and not be mean to her, okay?" Alex rolled his eyes, taking off his jacket and shirt. Eleanora let her eyes trail over his bare chest for a moment, stifling a smile at the sight.

"She still have that 8 million check?" Eleanora nodded, quickly changing into her pink Henley that went underneath her scrubs.

"Yeah. It's giving us all severe anxiety. I mean, that's a lot of money to just have lying around in a house."

Alex snorted, staying quiet as their other friends came in. Izzie gave them both a bright hello, taking the box she brought to her old locker.

Eleanora's pager buzzed, and it she picked it up, her brows furrowing slightly. It was Dr. Burke, and she shook her head, closing her locker. She grabbed her labcoat and maneuvered around her friends, kissing Alex on the cheek quickly.

"Burke paged me, so I gotta go. And Izzie, please go and cash the check!"

______

   Burke, you paged?" Eleanora bounded up to him, the man looking up from the charts. He gave her a nod, turning his attention fully to her.

"Dr. Amedeo, yes. At the M&M, I will be giving a review on patient #34986 and needed someone who was present to go over the paperwork and make sure it matches." He hands her a folder, nodding. "You are the most trustworthy person who was in there, so I would like you to go over it and make sure everything is correct."

Eleanora's brows furrowed, taking the folder. She laid it on the top of the desk, opening it. "Patient #34986? That was...."

She paled, gripping the folder tightly. She cleared her throat, trying not to let the panic take over. Burke watched, his face falling as he realized this might not have been as good of an idea as he had previously thought.

"Co-congestive Heart Failure?" She asked, her voice light. "That's what we're going to say killed him, Dr. Burke?"

He nodded, flexing his hand. "That is what he died of, Dr. Amedeo."

She scoffed, reading through the report. "Yes, but it was due to a complication of the LVAD Wire, which was purposely cut." She finished reading the report, nodding. She handed it back to him, her hand shaky. "People are going to know that, Dr. Burke. And they're going to ask."

He slipped the folder back with the rest of them, raising a brow. "I know. And I'll tell them that the coroner and I both came to the conclusion that his COD was congestive heart failure."

Eleanora nodded, wringing her hands together. "Is there anything else you need, Dr. Burke? Or can I go ahead and go to the M&M?"

Burke just looked at her for a moment, then waved her off half-heartedly. "Of course. I wouldn't want to keep you waiting. I'll see you in there, Dr. Amedeo."

She gave him a tight-lipped smile, walking around him. She felt her shoulders sag, and she closed her eyes. Tears built up and she took a few quick, deep breathes.

, she thought to herself.

She pushed into the bathroom, going straight to the sinks. She held onto the edge of the counter tightly, closing her eyes and taking deep breathes. That night just kept running through her head, her hanging her head.

Eleanora had stopped hating Izzie for what she did the moment Denny's heart stopped for the last and final time, but that didn't mean she had fully forgiven her. Izzie knew that she could use Eleanora's loyalty and love for Alex against her, and Eleanora trick her into staying in that room.

Maybe if she got help faster, maybe Denny would still be alive? None of this would have happened, Izzie wouldn't be breaking down and refusing to cash this huge check, and her friends wouldn't have to sit and listen to Dr. Burke explain all the mistakes that led to the death of Denny.