The Starting Line

Chapter 4

Other than the operating room, one of Eleanora's favorite places was the observation deck. When she had free time during a shift, she would grab charts or textbooks and go up to see a surgery. When she didn't really want to go home right after her shift and she knew there was a great surgery, she would take her bag and sit through the entire process.

Now was an example of free time. All the interns were sitting, watching Meredith help Burke. Eleanora had a new article in her hand, highlighter in the other, as she went back and forth from reading and watching.

"I wish I could hold a heart." George complained, leaning back in his chair. Cristina scoffed, shaking her head.

"A monkey could hold a heart." She scoffed, making Eleanora look over her. She raised an eyebrow at her friend and then looked at George.

George snorted, punching Cristina's shoulder. "You're mad that Burke didn't ask you." Cristina turned, probably about to go at George, before Izzie interrupted her from where she was texting on her phone.

"George, I need more ice and chips. And Eleanora, can you still pick up the sauce?" Eleanora hummed, nodding.

"Yes. Fresh sauce from the market, three large jars as you requested." She confirmed, focusing back on the article.

"Three large jars? We really only need one, maybe with a smaller jar added. How many... who else did you invite?" George asked, his eye twitching slightly. Izzie continued to make the party bigger and bigger without confirming with Meredith, and at this rate she would kick them all out.

Well, she and him would go. George had a feeling Meredith would take one look at Eleanora and refuse to kick her out for fear of making the smaller girl cry.

"Izzie, we said the list was for interns only!" Cristina complained, looking over her friend's shoulder. "Surgery, trauma, plastics. Who else?"

Izzie sighed, looking at the three next to her with a nervous look. "Just some people from Peds."

Cristina and George let out moans, Eleanora looked up. "Did you invite some of the nurses from the Peds floor? They're all really nice, and Lindsay was a sorority bouncer in college! She said she could teach me how to shoot a beer!"

Cristina ignored her friend but saved the information that she didn't know how to shoot a beer for later. "You invited preschoolers to Meredith's house? Next thing you're going to say you invited psychiatrists!" Izzie was silent for a moment and then looked away, and Cristina gasped. "She invited mental defects! This party is DOA"

"You know, Meredith thinks this is going to be a small cocktail party, to meet your boyfriend. Did you clear it with her?" George asked, looking at Izzie with practically pleading eyes. Eleanora put the cap on her highlighter and looked at the page she was on, leaning forward.

"Meredith said she used to party a lot, but now we have jobs. And I don't know if she'd like to have to clean up a trashed house like she's a college student." Eleanora pointed out.

Izzie looked at George. "No, I haven't, but I will. I promise!" She then looked at Eleanora. "And anyway, Meredith loves to party. She went to Europe just for that, you know."

"Why are you wasting your boyfriend's only weekend in town on a big party? Is he bad in bed?" Cristina snooped. Eleanora let out a small 'oh', a sad but understanding smile tugging at her lips.

"If he's bad in bed, I can make sure he gets really drunk so he passes out and you don't have to worry about hurting his feelings."

Izzie laughs, shaking her head. "No, he's not bad in bed. I just want him to meet some of my friends."