Alone, all alone

Chapter 8

Alex helped Meredith on her crutches into his apartment, Meredith actually shocked with how clean it was, thought she doubted it looked like that yesterday. She felt her nose tingle as a strong smell of vanilla took over her senses. She barely registered Alex as he spoke to her, her eyes closing over slightly in content.

"Okay so this is the living area, I know its a lot smaller than your moms house and the kitchen it practically the same room but you have your own bedroom which is next to mine. I only have one bathroom but I got someone to come out real quick last night and they installed a lock so if you are in there I won't bother you at all" He turned around to face her, frowning when she still had her eyes closed.

"Mere?" He tapped her shoulder, her opening her eyes to his concerned gaze. She smiled at him, feeling tears in her eyes.

"I love the smell of vanilla" She whispered, Alex sending her his sideways smile he only does rarely.

"I know, you told me when you were helping me study. I remembered so I thought it would homely for you" She sniffed and looked down, laughing slightly.

"I feel really bad for calling you a douche when we first met" He laughed at her, continuing to help her down onto the couch.

"Well I thought you had only got into the program because of your mom so technically, I was a douche" He sat next to her, watching as she rested her head back, sighing in content.

"It feels good to be out of that hospital. Away from everything" She admitted to him after a few moments of silence, him wrapping his arm around her shoulders for her to rest on him.

"I know, but it's all going to be okay because you are going to recover and we are going to get you back on your feet and it'll be you and me, the two musketeers!" He expressed as enthusiastically as he could, Meredith laughing into his shoulder.

"You ever call me a musketeer again I will cut you" They sat laughing for a while, just soaking in each others comfort until Meredith spoke again, her voice filled with a small amount of dread.

"I need to get some things from home" Alex sat up, shaking his head.

"I don't want you to worry about that. Write me a list and I will get it all for you, and then I will bring back some food and rent a movie and we can stay up late and do what girls do when one of them is upset, okay?" Meredith smiled and nodded, moving so he could stand up.

"Well, I don't know what girls do when one of them is upset because I didn't have friends growing up but that sounds about right" Alex rolled his eyes, passing her a pen and paper so she could write him a list. And hour later Alex was out the door, after helping Meredith into bed so she could sleep while he was out. He came up outside her house, spotting Izzie's car making him cringe.

"Great" He muttered, putting the key Meredith had give him in his pocket. He knocked on the door, staring at the list waiting for someone to answer it. He looked up when he heard the door handle turn, Izzie staring at him with a frown.

"I know you don't want to see me, but I need to get some of Mere's things. She gave me a key but I didn't want to just walk in so, I won't be long and you won't even know I am here"

"It's fine, her bedroom is the one opposite the bathroom upstairs" He smiled at her, trying to be as civil as he could while he was there.

"Great, thank you Izz'" He walked past her with a cringe at how easily her nickname slipped off his mouth, but she never said anything as he headed to the stairs.

"Do you want a coffee? I was just about to put a pot on?" She asked, Alex turning to look at the kitchen, fronting when he saw Derek and Cristina looking back him. He looked at Izzie, shaking his head.