As Cold as it Gets 6/?
This was turning into a bad habit. A habit that was proving hard to break. Well, to be honest, Callie didn't quite know why she would want to break this particular habit. It had been 3 months since they had first been together on that late night at Mark's loft. And since then she had found her way over to Mark's apartment again on more than a few occasions. They didn't talk about it afterwards. They didn't really even allude to it at work. They had their own little code. She knew he could tell when she had come off of a particularly hard day. Or when she was feeling lonely. The way his hand would softly find its way to her lower back as they walked into meetings or patient's rooms. The way she would catch his eyes with her own when they would both be charting at the nurse's station. The careless wink she would throw his way would be noticed by no one else but him. An invitation was never formally extended, but Callie could tell when he needed to see her. When he wanted her to darken his doorstep.
Callie chuckled to herself as she pondered the little game they were playing. But ultimately it had made it easier to be together without the drama that had surrounded their encounter that night in the rain. Mark had been the closest thing to an ally, a confidant, that she had had since her split from George. Dealing with that kiss after her patient had died on the table had been too much for them both. So right now dark, late night interludes were comfortable. They were needed and they were comfortable. She knew there were many strings attached but what made it comfortable is that neither of them was talking about it.
As Callie made her way down the hall to her patient's room at the far end, she turned slightly as she heard the sound of quickening footsteps close behind her. Mark's familiar scent registered with her as he approached her shoulder to match his pace to hers.
"So the Larson baby. I am on my way to consult with the team before the sternum surgery. I assume you are headed there as well?" Mark inquired as she shifted the chart from his left hand to his right
"I am indeed." Callie replied with a guarded smile.
Callie's pace slowed as they approached the door to the conference room. Mark quietly knocked and then slowly opened the door as he paused to allow Callie to enter ahead of him. Instinctively, she anticipated the feel of his warm palm on her lower back. It was these moments that reminded her of how having Mark so close could make her feel. Her nerve ending danced as he unnoticeably rubbed her back with his thumb as he ever so slightly tugged at the waist of her scrub pants through her jacket. Callie shifted her files from her left hand her right hand as she disguised her elbowing of Mark's arm in the process. Mark coughed, covering his grin with his hand, as he handed George the chart with his other hand, asking him to brief them on any new developments that had transpired over the course of the night. The final exam before the surgery had went off without a hitch and the surgical team began to file out of the conference after discussing the plan for the surgery that was to take place the next day.
"Dr. Torres, let me know what your plans are for the bone placement of the piece you are harvesting from the hip and I can make sure I have the extra skin we need to close." Mark stated as Callie started to walk towards the door. His eyes scanned up and down the outline of her body as he spoke.
Callie turned back around in the doorway, her eyes catching him taking her in. Her lips pursed knowingly as she replied, "I haven't seen the most recent films but I can page you once I get them and we can talk logistics, Dr. Sloan." Her eyebrow rose slightly as she nodded in his direction. Logistics. Callie smiled to herself as she contemplated paging him to the on call room to go over the new films there. Even though that had yet to bring their relationship onto hospital grounds again, Callie couldn't suppress the desire that had begun to grow in her abdomen and was sure that Mark would not protest her invitation for a late afternoon rendezvous. Her hips swayed as she paused slightly before turning to walk out the door.
"I'll just wait for your page then, Cal." he called after her. A slight smile formed on his lips as he began to gather the errant papers that had remained on the conference room table from the meeting. He liked how even in everyday conversations their demeanor and insinuations still reminded him that their nights together were not far from her mind. Mark raised his, head glancing in George's direction, as he tossed the loose paper in the trash can. He hung back towards the door as he waited for George to cross the room and hand him the chart.
George's eyes were trained on Mark as he slid the folder slowly across the table in the attending's direction. As slick as Callie and Mark thought they were, he knew what was going on. He and Callie may have been long over, but he knew her well. He could tell there was something between them again. The way their bodies would touch subconsciously when they were talking. Or how Mark's hand always seemed to have an excuse to brush her arm or lead her through a room. He chastised himself as he felt a pang of jealousy rise within him as he recalled how comfortable they seemed together. As much as he knew his actions had caused her so much unhappiness and anguish, he still couldn't help but feel protective and territorial about her. His jaw was set as he crossed his arms over his chest and said "Dr. Sloan."
Mark picked up the folder as he replied, "Yes, O'Malley".
George stammered, "I uh, I just wanted to let you know that…. that I can see what is going on. I know what is going on."
Mark shook his head dismissively as he glanced up, "O'Malley, I am not telepathic. You are going to have to give me a little more to go on. What's going on with what?" he questioned.
"With you and Callie. I know something is going on again between you two." Mark sighed loudly as he dropped the folder back onto the table. His arms were tense as he braced them on the table in front of him. His torso leaned in slightly as he looked back up, training his eyes on George.
"Is there are reason you are bringing this up with me, O'Malley?" Mark stated in a low even tone. His eyes were intense as he glared at George, waiting for a response.
"She's just, I mean she's my wife. I know we aren't together but I want her to be happy. I know I hurt her and I just don't want to see her get hurt-" Geroge's confession was cut off.
"I think the nicest way I can put this," Mark motioned with his hand "is that I am not at all concern with your needs or wants at this point."
Mark turned to exit the room when George continued, "Look I know who you are. How you treat people, Mark. She is a great person and she gets very involved very quickly. I know you all are friends and have a history and all. But I just want you to know that she isn't up for any of your games right now." George shifted his weight from side to side as he watched Mark slowly lift his head and begin to make his way around the table towards him. As he passed the door, Mark carelessly flipped it shut, the sound of it shutting echoed through the room and the hallway outside.
Mark came to a stop with his hip resting on the table a couple of feet in front of George. "I think this is a really ironic plea coming from you. Am I missing something here or are you the only asshole in this room who has played games?" Mark said as he crossed is right ankle over his left and leaned further into the table.
"Look, I know I did was wrong and I never wanted to hurt, Callie. Just because we aren't together doesn't mean I don't want to protect her from being hurt again. She may not see the kind of person you are but I do. She is nothing but filler for someone like you. Filler until you find another flavor of the week and move on. I may have betrayed Callie when I was with Izzie, but at least I can say I had genuine feelings for two women. I would pay anything for it not to have happened or to be able to have handled it better. But you and I are different. I cared about Callie before and I still do now-“
George flinched as he watched Mark's right hand swing violently across the table in front of him, sending the files and papers flying into the air. George’s eyes were wide with surprise as the light white pages floated down around them, littering the ground. Mark’s eyes looked almost wild as he paused slightly before responding.
“We are different, O’Malley” Mark stated in a low terse voice “You led her on from the beginning. You may profess to care for her but you and I both know that you knew how invested she was in you from the start. I may be the asshole, man whore but at least I didn’t marry a woman that I never even loved.”
George’s eyes feel to the floor as Mark turned quietly towards the door. Even though he had known he and Callie weren’t meant to be together he couldn’t decide whether the words that had just come out of Mark’s mouth were a lie or something closer to the truth than even George had had the courage to think, let alone speak.
Suddenly Mark turned back, stopping at the door with his hand resting on the handle. His piercing blue eyes slowly raised from the floor as he evenly said, “You are a coward, George, so don’t stand here and preach to me about protecting anybody’s feelings.” As Mark quietly opened the door he simply stated “I trust you’ll clean up this mess and get that file back in order before you leave.”