chapter six

save me.season one, episode eight.

        in the morning, she was greeted with the sight of Izzie wearing an apron, the walls and counters covered with frosting, cupcakes, and flour. "Holy mother of all that is sweet," she muttered with wide eyes. "Uh, what's all this?"

"Eight hours, sixteen ounces of chocolate, and thirty-two cupcakes. And they still don't taste right," Izzie shook her head, glaring at the little balls of sugar. 

"No, these are good!" George told her as he stuffed his mouth. "Martha Stewart would be proud. Here, Cassie, try one."

The twenty two year old scrunched up her nose in slight disgust at the amount of sugar. "I think I'm gonna stick to my eggs, thanks though."

"There's something missing," Izzie sighed. "Some specific ingredient. Why can't I remember?" 

"Look, just call her. Call your mother and ask." 

"I don't want to call my mother."

"My mother is dead," Cassie added nonchalantly, taking a bite of her breakfast.

"Good morning," Derek greeted the group as he came into the kitchen with Meredith. The week prior, they went public with their relationship — albeit unwillingly — and George and Izzie had finally accepted it.

Cassie had tried to convince Derek to tell Meredith about his divorce, since they were getting serious, but he just brushed her off and said he would do it when the time was right.

"Hey, you guys want a cupcake?" George offered. "Izzie made them." 

Making the exact same face Cassie had a moment ago, Derek declined. "You know, I like it here," he said to Meredith, grabbing a bowl of cereal and sitting next to his sister. "You said so yourself, you like having your things around, sleeping in your own bed."

"You're a health nut like Cassie, aren't you?" George interrupted. "You eat Muesli every morning." 

"No I don't," Derek argued, at the same time Cassie said, "I'm not a health nut."

"Yeah, you do, and yeah, you are," Izzie agreed with George. "The last seven days, at least."

"Oh, come on," Derek frowned. "I haven't been here for a whole week, have I?"

The interns shared a look, causing Meredith to smirk. "See? Even they think it's weird."

"I like having you around," Cassie shrugged, earning a smile from Derek as he affectionately ruffled her hair.

☆

"This guy belongs in psych.What are you doing turfing him here?" Cristina and Cassie looked at their patient's chart, questioning the psychologist who decided he needed to be on the surgical floor.

"He's my gift to you," the doctor said with attitude. "Had a seizure two days ago, and another one this morning."

"What are you talking about?" Cassie frowned, reading from the chart. "It says right here, . That's psych, not neuro."

"Man, didn't you go to med school?" Cristina scoffed.

"Yes, and unlike the correspondence schools you two attended—"

"That would be Stanford, right?"

"Oh, you mean NYU?"

"—I learned not to jump to conclusions. Sorry, ladies. We can't take him back until he's cleared."

"So, you're dumping him on us," Cassie frowned.

The doctor rolled his eyes. "He thinks his seizures are visions."

"They're not seizures," the patient called out from his room. "I'm psychic."

"Of course you are. Oh, and I'm a chicken," Cristina retorted, reluctantly checking him out as Cassie followed her lead.

"Okay, Mr. Duff. We're gonna start your workup now," Cassie smiled politely.

"Work me up, work me down, I'm telling you it's a waste of time." 

"Ok, well, humor us. Can you grip my fingers, please?" Cristina asked. Before he could do so, however, he appeared to go into some sort of a trance.

"Cristina..." Cassie trailed off, eyeing the patient.

"Mr. Duff?"

"Mr. Duff, are you okay?" 

"Someone—"

"Someone what?" Cristina asks. 

"Someone's gonna check out," he said, gesturing to the ceiling. "Bye."

"Oh, man, he's nuts," Cristina sighed.

"I'm dizzy, not deaf, lady," he scoffed. "And I'm telling you, someone on the fourth floor is gonna die."

""

Cassie looked at him skeptically for a moment, before ultimately letting it go. "Alright, uh, we'll be back soon, Mr. Duff. Until then, feel free to get some rest."

"Anything for you, Dr. Cassie Harper," he replied cheekily.

As her and Cristina left the room, it took a few moments for his words to sink in; Cassie had never told him her first name. "Oh, what the hell," she groaned to herself. "This is gonna be fun."

☆

After Cristina switched cases with Izzie, for reasons unknown to Cassie, the two were in a scanning room with Mr. Duff, prepping him for the MRI of his brain.