People have scars in all sorts of unexpected places. Like secret roadmaps of their personal histories, diagrams of all their old wounds. Most of our old wounds heal leaving nothing behind but a scar, but some of them don't. Some wounds we carry with us everywhere and though the cuts are gone, the pain still lingers.
In our hotel room, George and I are eating dinner together, arguing over Izzie Stevens. "No, she's selfish is Izzie's problem," I complain to him.
"She's not selfish, she's just generous. But she's also self absorbed. Her problem is that she doesn't see other people's perspectives," he explains.
"Can you please pass me the salad?" I ask him, already over the current topic of conversation.
"It's weird because she's so ridiculously compassionate with all of her patients, you think she'd roll some of that off with her own friends," George says, completely ignoring me.
"How about we don't talk about her anymore," I suggest.
"That's a great idea," George says, passing me the salad. I kiss him quickly before eating again.
In the locker room, everyone is talking to Meredith since she had a very eventful week. There was this huge ferryboat crash and she got pushed into the water and drowned. It took her a long time to wake up and when she did, her mother had passed away. Only Meredith.
"Does anyone know who the new chief candidate is?" Cristina asks us, trying to move all of the attention off of Meredith. Before anyone could answer her, Bailey walks in.
"O'Malley, you're with Shepherd today. Yang, Dr. Montgomery. Stevens and Lopez, down to the clinic. Karev, Jane Doe. Grey, scut," Bailey orders. I huff since I have to work with Izzie, but I keep it professional, even though Bailey shoots me a nasty look for huffing.
"Once again, I am fine," Meredith complains.
"You can tell everybody you're fine until you're blue in the face. Your mom died and you almost joined her, you're taking it easy for a while," Bailey orders. Now Meredith huffs and Bailey gives her a dirty look. We all rush out of the room to our cases.
In the x-ray room, I find George waiting. Izzie is staying back with our patient. "So, our room service bill, at the Archfield, is that a part of the deal?" he asks me.
"Yeah, sure," I shrug.
"I mean, breakfast alone is what, fifty bucks a day and they still only charge us $400 a week?" he asks me.
"Sometimes I pay them a little bit more for room service," I tell him.
"Okay, well then just tell me how much it is and we'll split it like the rest of the bill," he suggests.
"Don't worry about it George," I tell him.
"No, come on, I'm not going to have you pay for all of the food. Just tell me how much the room service bill is," he argues.
"We pay about $800 a week," I honestly tell him.
"Dollars?!" he asks, raising his voice.
"I told you not to worry about it," I say.
"You can't afford that," he says to me.
"Yes I can," I tell him.
"How? I'm your husband now, you're supposed to tell me this stuff," he complains.
"Okay, just come over here," I say, pulling him off to the side. "All right, my grandparents basically raised me since my parents only cared about two things. Alcohol and drugs. My grandparents have a lot of money and so I have more money than I actually make. We don't actually have a special deal through family friends at the Archfield, I just pay for it all," I admit to him. I don't like talking about my money but now that we're married, I feel like I have to tell him the truth.
"How much?" he asks me.
"$2,500 a week," I mumble, hoping he won't hear me.
"You're an heiress," George says in shock.
"Okay, see this is why I don't tell people about my money."
"No, you're an heiress," he argues.
"Nope, stop talking, just don't. Okay, stop talking, stop talking George. I mean it. Why do you really think I wear Louboutins to work every single day? I didn't tell you because my money affects every single relationship I've ever had in my life and so I've stopped talking about it and living it all together," I admit to him.
"No, no wait. Wait, so I've been paying you $200 a week for what, just for fun?" he asks me.
"No, I use it to tip housekeeping."
"Great! I'm glad I could really pitch in. Is there anything else huge I should know about like this?"
"Nope," I say, shaking my head before walking out of the room, holding back a rude comment. I think I'm doing the right thing there anyway. He didn't need to know about my money, but when he asked, I was honest. I didn't have to be honest. It's not like I'm taking his money and keeping it all for myself. I'm paying the workers at least.
I go back to our patients room, Mr. Scorfield, and I show Izzie and Dr. Webber the x-ray I picked up. "Well, it looks like the bullet has damaged your scapula," I tell our patient.
"No wonder it hurts," he groans, holding his head.
"How did you get shot, sir?" I ask him.
"Korea, garden spot, makes a nice vacation. Can I just get a damn painkiller?" he aks us.
"I think we'll do one better, we're going to take it out for you," Dr. Webber tells him.
"My bullet?"
"There was no reason to remove it when you first got hit at first, but now that it's infected, it's working its way into your scapula and we can't have that happen," Richard explains to him.
"I need to see that bullet," Mr. Scorfield argues.
"What, are you going to frame it or something?" I ask him.
"No, smarty pants. I was fragged a couple of weeks before it all ended," he tells me. I raise an eyebrow at him, not knowing what fragged means.
"Fragged?" Izzie asks him before I can.
"Shot by one of his own men," Dr. Webber explains to the two of us.
"I made a decision and they didn't like it and then what do you know, we were facing enemy fire and I took a hit from the wrong side of the line. I could never prove it but I could finally prove it now, when you pull the damn thing out of me. Get me my bullet," he tells us, explaining what had happened to him.
"Just calm down Mr. Scofield," Richard says to him.
"Do you know what it's like when one of your own men turns their back on you?" Mr. Scofield asks us.
"It's not a good feeling," Richard says, shaking his head at the patient. Izzie and I both look at him, not knowing what he's implying.
It was finally time for Mr. Scofield's surgery where Richard, Izzie, and I were operating. "That things been in there since the Korean War?" I ask Dr. Webber.
"He was lucky it didn't travel down to his aorta. Okay, a little suction there. Almost, I got it. Make sure we get that back, the patient wants it for keeps," Richard orders.
"He's got a pretty warped sense of nostalgia," Izzie says.
"Hmm, I kind of get where he's coming from. If they pulled a bullet out of me, I would want it cast in gold and mounted on my wall too," I say, trying to make it seem like there's no tension between Izzie and I.
"Yeah, well, you can afford it at least," Izzie says. As soon as she says that, I can see the look on her face realizing she slipped up. I take a deep breath and tell myself I'm not going to get angry until I'm out of the OR since there is a patient on the table.
"A little more suction, let's get ready to close up," Richard says. I glare at Izzie, take one more deep breath, and begin to suction.
As soon as the surgery is over, I go back to the hotel room by myself. George can find a ride home on his own. After waiting for about two hours, he finally makes it to the hotel. "Izzie Stevens? Really? I share something with you that I am clearly uncomfortable with and you tell Izzie Stevens of all people!" I yell at him as soon as he walks through the door.
"No, I didn't tell Izzie, I only told Meredith, Meredith..."
"Oh, so that's supposed to make me feel better?" I ask, interrupting him.
"No, it was an accident. It was a total accident. I was just pissed off. Why can't you just give me the benefit of the doubt that maybe sometimes I'm on your side?" he asks me.
"Because you always choose the people I thought were my friends over me every chance you get."
"No I don't Rachel. I married you and I haven't talked to my best friends in weeks. I even moved out of Meredith's. Meanwhile, you lied to me about where we live and why we live here. You lied to me about your background, you lied to me about your family and still everything is my fault some how. When is this going to stop?" he argues.
"Oh, so this is my problem?" I ask him.
"Yeah maybe it is your problem."
"Oh, the fact that your best friend violently disses our marriage every chance she gets, publicly, repeatedly. Why do you think she does that to us George? Have you ever really thought about that?"
"She's having a problem with this, I understand that and where she's coming from."
"She has feelings for you George," I tell him.
"What are you even talking about Rachel?" he asks me.
"She wants you. She wants you, that's what this is all really about. That's why she hates my guts all of a sudden," I tell him. He starts to laugh at me. "George, do not laugh at me. Do not laugh at me I'm serious!"
"No, I'm not laughing at you. I'm not. Oh my god. It's just that, she's Izzie Stevens. She's blonde, she's stacked, she's a literal supermodel, and I'm just George O'Malley," he whines.
"So what does that make me?" I ask him.
"No, come on now. You're gorgeous and curvy and I never thought you would go for me either," he tells me.
"Just please shut up already," I say, pointing to the door.
"Rachel just come on!" he yells.
"This is my hotel room that I paid for with my huge piles and stacks of money, remember? Get the hell out of it!" I yell at him. I run to my bedroom and once I hear the front door slam, I cry. I really do love George, but I can't make this work out. What if Izzie was actually right? I hate to admit it but, what if it was really was too sudden for the both us?
What's worse, new wounds that are horribly painful or old wounds that have healed years ago and never did? Maybe our old wounds teach us something. They remind us of where we have been and what we've overcome. They teach us lessons about what to avoid in the future. That's what we like to think. But that's not the way it is, is it? Some things we just have to learn over and over again.
A/N!! New update! I'm back from my weekend tournament. Three things I need to tell you guys. One, I decided not to include Meredith's drowning storyline. I mentioned it briefly, but I wasn't sure how I wanted to fit it into the story so I decided not to really use it. Two, I know I wanted Rachel to be neuro at first, but for right now she will be experimenting specialties. Three, George will NOT cheat on Rachel with Izzie. I hated that storyline so that will not be happening in my story. I really hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please vote and comment any suggestions you may have for this story. Comments are motivation <3 (2030)