Grey's Anatomy is a television drama about "the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors" (IMDB). This fanlisting was inspired by the romance between heart transplant candiate Denny Duquette and resident surgical intern Izzie Stevens.
Isobel "Izzie" Stevens is played by actress Katherine Heigl. You may also know her from one of her first films roles along side French actor Gerald Depardieu in "My Father the Hero". Also, she was a regular on the science fiction series "Roswell". As character Izzie, we have learned that she was a small town girl from a poor family. She modeled lingerie to pay her way through medical school. Also, she was pregnant at 16 and gave up a daughter for adoption. As one of the surgical interns at Seattle Grace Hospital, she displays a big heart for her patients but to a fault. She lets her emotions cross the line of professionalism. She becomes attached to her patients. This went to the extreme after meeting heart transplant patient Denny Duquette.
Denny Duquette was played by actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan. You may also know him from appearances on the WB's television series Supernatural. As character Denny, he first charms his way into Izzie's heart. Then, what first appeared to be a flirtatious exchange between the two develops into an emotional, heart-felt love relationship. You can see Denny in the following episodes (IMDB):
1. Begin the Begin (15 January 2006)
2. What Have I Done to Deserve This? (26 February 2006)
3. Band-Aid Covers the Bullet Hole (12 March 2006)
4. Superstition (19 March 2006)
5. The Name of the Game (2 April 2006)
6. Blues for Sister Someone (30 April 2006)
7. Damage Case (7 May 2006)
8. 17 Seconds (14 May 2006)
9. Deterioration of the Fight or Flight Response (15 May 2006)
10. Losing My Religion (15 May 2006)
11. What I Am (12 October 2006) - (voice)(uncredited)
12. Drowning on Dry Land (15 February 2007)
13. Some Kind of Miracle (22 February 2007)
In the Season Two finale, Dr. Preston Burke has been notified that Denny has been found a heart. The hospital where the heart is has two hearts. Along the way, the donor heart is no good. The other heart is available but another heart transplant candidate is higher on the donor list by 17 seconds and is to get that heart UNLESS Denny is in a dire condition to be moved up the list. Izzie deceives Dr. Burke about Denny's condition by cutting his LVAD wire and making his condition worse on purpose. Denny agreed to this after a tearful plea to "do it for her". She couldn't stand the thought of losing him because she loved him. The plan appeared to be on track for Denny's new heart. She knew as long as Dr. Burke came back to operate he would be fine. Then, the plot thickens. On the way back, Dr. Burke is shot and unable to operate. We all thought right there that Denny wasn't going to make it because there was no one to operate. At this point, Denny asks Izzie to marry him. She couldn't believe it. Was he serious? A rival colleague of Dr. Burke comes to Denny's rescue and he does indeed go into surgery to get the heart. Denny comes out of surgery and professes his love again to Izzie and proclaims, "You're the one." He asks her again to marry him. She dances around the question and eventually leaves with no answer BUT not to fret - she returns and says, "Yes." Sadly, that night, as she dressed so lovely for the prom they were holding for the chief's niece (a 17 year old patient at the hospital dying of cancer) Denny died alone in his hospital room at 7:42pm due to complications from a blood clot. As word spread, the other interns came to Izzie's side where she laid in his bed holding him. Only Alex could approach the inconsolable Izzie; he lifted her off the bed and held her in a chair as she cried. The love affair was over - and as she said, "how ridiculous is that?!"
In Season Three, episode 16 - "Drowning on Dry Land", Denny returned! At the end of this episode, there is an attempt to save Meredith's life as she is losing her battle with hypothermia after she fell into water at a ferry boat crash scene. She wakes up like she was choking in what appears to be a hospital room. She looked to her right and Dylan (from Season 2 episode 16 - "It's the End of the World" & episode 17 - "As We Know It") was there. She asked, "Am I dead?". The camera shifts to her other side and Denny replies, "You damn right you are."
In Season Three, episode 17 - "Some Kind of Miracle", Denny walked Meredith through what she kept calling "drowning"! By sharing what the other side brings, which is only moments of Izzie, it brings out of her that the truth of the incident was she fought but not for long. She gave up. She let herself drown. With the help of Dylan, Bonnie (from Season 2 episode 6 - "Into You like a Train"), and Ellis Grey's scrub nurse - they make her realize that life is worth fighting for. Derek is worth fighting for. If she doesn't live, his entire life will change. She will have died for nothing. Denny makes her realize she needs to fight. And she does just that.... she fights her way back.... and lives. As Izzie walks out of the hospital after a long day, she stops in the hall. Denny is there with her. His moment with her.