⇢ CHAPTER 22

room with Dr. Bailey the next day after Izzie's brain surgery, Holly took note of Meredith, Alex, Cristina, and George sleeping beside her. Holly tiptoed over to George as she adjusted the blanket on him and chuckled lightly at his new haircut.

Dr. Bailey moved Izzie's small table and the noise woke up Alex, who rushed over to sit next to his wife as Bailey asked, "Any changes overnight?"

"No." Cristina answered, sighing as she woke herself up.

Alex held onto Izzie's hand as Meredith woke up and George, snoring himself awake, was also woken up by a pager beeping.

"Oh," Bailey looked down at her beeping pager, "it's the Chief. Somebody better make a coffee run. You all look like hell."

"I'll go get your coffees." Holly nodded and the group sighed in relief.

"Thanks, Kepner."

✧

Holly walked with Derek as her phone rang and she sighed to herself knowing it was probably April calling her because Holly was invited to meet April's friends at her apartment. 

"Are you gonna answer that?" Derek asked Holly, a step away from entering Izzie's room since the blonde had finally woken up.

"Nah." Holly shook her head, "Let's go check on Iz."

Derek nodded, opening the door for the two of them and see Cristina and Alex standing next to Izzie. Derek began his neuro exam.

"Did you get the whole thing?" Izzie questioned, "Did you get the whole tumor out?"

"Just let me finish my exam." Derek responded, clicking his light off and placing it back into his pocket after making her follow the light, "Can you tell me your name?"

"My name is Isobel Stevens. It's 2009. And I'm in the..." She breathed lightly, "neuro I.C.U. at Seattle Grace Hospital. Did you get the damn thing out?"

Derek nodded with a smile, "Got the whole damn thing."

She gasped, "You got it?"

Derek nodded again, "Yeah."

"Holly," Izzie looked at the redhead to get confirmation, "did he get the whole thing?"

Holly chuckled, "He got the whole thing out."

"Oh, God." Izzie sighed in relief, "You got the whole thing." Cristina sighed in relief as well as Alex smiled, "And I can talk and I know my name and I'm not a turnip."

Alex shook his head, "Nope."

Izzie looked back at Derek, "No offense."

"Oh, no." Derek shook his head.

"You are a great surgeon," Izzie complimented, "but I really thought I was gonna be a turnip." She smiled as Alex bent down to kiss her cheek, "This is so unbelievably great."

Cristina walked forward, "Your, uh, kidneys are little sluggish," Derek moved to write on Izzie's chart and Holly stood next to him, "so we're just gonna keep an eye on your electrolytes for a few hours. Your post-op crit was-- was fine."

"Okay," Izzie breathed out, "good. Good." Cristina smiled brightly at Izzie as Izzie's face calmed down and looked back at Cristina, "How did the surgery go?" Her eyes went to Derek and Holly, "Did you get the brain tumor? Did you get it out?"

Alex's smile went away as he reminded, "Iz, you just asked them that. We just talked about it."

"No, no," Derek explained, "it's okay. She's gonna be foggy for a while." He inhaled, "The tumor's out. There was a little bleeding during the post--"

"You got it?" Izzie smiled, tearing up.

Derek nodded, "Yeah."

"Holl," Izzie glanced at the intern, "did he get it?"

"Y-Yeah." Holly nodded as she looked up at Derek, "He got it all."

Izzie looked up at Alex, "That's amazing." She breathed out, "Derek Shepherd, you... are a hero." Derek's mouth was slightly agape as he stared at the blonde, "And I know that that's Derek Shepherd." She looked up at her husband, "And you're Alex. And you should kiss me." Alex kissed Izzie's lips gently, "Alex, I don't have a brain tumor." She smiled, "I'm tumor-free."

"Yes," Alex smiled, "you are."

Izzie smiled brightly at him before she went back to a neutral face, "What's wrong?" Her eyes drifted to Cristina, "Why do you look weird?"

"No," Cristina frowned her eyebrows and shook her head, "nothing. Nothing. Uh," She adjusted her stance, "your kidneys are a little slow. We're just gonna watch them."

"Okay." Izzie nodded, "So you'll just recheck my electrolytes in an hour?"

Cristina nodded, "Mm-hmm."

"Okay." Izzie whispered before her eyes drifted to Derek and Holly, "How did the surgery go? Did you get the tumor?"

Derek looked up from the chart slowly, "We did." He smiled, "The tumor's gone." Izzie sighed in relief, "There was a little bit of bleeding, and we took care of that."