Disclaimer: I do NOT own Grey's Anatomy and the characters/places mentioned herein that has something to do with it.
A/N: This is my very first GA fanfic. May I remind that I have no medical background or whatsoever, so don't expect much -medically speaking. The narrator on the very first part is an OC. Any questions, suggestions will be greatly accommodated and appreciated. :) ~Inks
Title: At the Eleventh Hour
Author: Inks and Papers
Rating: T for now. May change to M in the future.
Summary: Just as everything thing is going crazy between Arizona & Callie after her return to Seattle, another dilemma enters the scene. Someone from Arizona's dark past comes to visit -or maybe, to bid goodbye. A bit of CalZona, more about Arizona.
September 22. 6:37 PM. I have just arrived at Seattle. My friend reserved me a room at Fairmont Olympic Hotel and I'm supposed to go there like, now. But instead, I'm riding a taxi towards a different destination. This ride should last for a just a couple of hours. I'm not really sure. I've never been there or anywhere in this country. It's the first time I set a foot outside my homeland and I'm not sure if I made the right decision.
Arizona sat on the bed inside the on-call room. Two more hours left and her forty-eight hour shift would end. She sighed as she lay down on the bed, stretching every inch of her exhausted body.
God, I could really use some sleep right now.
There was a massive school bus accident yesterday and most of the injured kids were sent straight to Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. They lost five already, and she couldn't take it if another child dies on her watch.
The blonde closes her eyes for a moment. She had been busy since the day she returned from Africa and she is more than delighted to be so. That pain she felt when Callie closed the door to her face still lingers around her chest.
She tried to picture her girlfriend in her mind: her fair smooth skin, her dark brown eyes, her long –no, short hair, her soft lips, and her more than gorgeously hot body. She missed seeing her, hearing her angelic voice, feeling her soft touch and smelling her sweet scent. She missed her. But why does it seem that she didn't miss her back?
I was crying and she shut the door to my face.
That's it. Arizona opens her eyes as a tear fell from it. They haven't talked since that day –more of because she does not have the courage to face her girlfriend and Callie obviously does not want to talk to her either. She's mad and hurt and she can't face those feelings, yet. Today she needs to save the lives of those children.
"Dr. Robbins."
The voice snapped her back to reality. Startled, she wiped the tear off her cheeks and turned to the door but it was firmly closed. Her brows crossed in confusion.
"W-who's there?" She stared right through the door where she was sure the voice came from.
"Dr. Robbins." It finally spoke again. The blonde turned to her left and saw Cristina Yang lying on the other bed, head on her hand, facing her. Arizona made that 'oh!' expression upon seeing the resident. They stared at each other for at least half a minute before Cristina broke the silence, again.
"For the nth time, Dr. Robbins." Cristina said in an irritated tone.
"Yeah! I, uh…" She looked down with her eyebrows still crossed and then looked back at her companion. "I-I didn't notice you were there, Dr. Yang."
Cristina sighed, laid back on the bed with her hands under her head. "So it seems." Arizona mimicked Cristina's position and stared blankly on the ceiling.
"You know, I was going to say a few comforting words because you really looked tired and down but that thing you did? It almost made me laugh." The resident said in a monotonous tone, with an indifferent facial expression.
"Almost?"
"Yeah. You see, I'm trying to be a little less…"
"…rude?"
"I was rooting for the word 'impolite', actually. So yeah, I'm trying not to laugh."
Arizona faced the dark-haired doctor. "But that means more or less the same thing."
"I know right."
After a moment, the two ladies laughed inside the on-call room. Half panting, the blonde spoke.
"You still laughed anyway."
"Whatever. I made you laugh too, you know."
"Okay, redeemed." A few more laughs from the two. For the first time after the school bus rush, after Callie shut the door to her face, she smiled –no, laughed. It felt good. It temporarily eased the pain she felt from within.
The dark haired doctor remained silent and so the pediatric doctor took the initiative to break the silence. "Thank you, Cristina. I needed that."
"Yeah." She turned to the blonde. "I'm really happy you're back."
The sight of her girlfriend closing the door before her, popped into her head. The pain was back.
"I –well, uhm. Thanks. N-not everyone felt that way though." The blonde said.
"You mean Callie."
Arizona hesitated before she nodded. Tears were on the verge of falling down from her blue eyes again. Cristina looked down and back up at the attending. "She was hurt, so much. I even have to cut her hair, for whatever it's worth. I suppose you noticed that."
"It's impossible to not to spot that, Dr. Yang. I didn't know it was your handiwork though." She chuckled.
"It wasn't, entirely. Her hair does not feel like a heart so I had to let go."
She still looks beautiful, no matter how her hair is done. She smiled to herself.
"She was hurt because she loves you so much." The resident said. "And I don't think that ever changed." She continued.
Arizona let her tears fall again. She wanted to pursue that dream she always had –to make a difference. She had the opportunity and so she made the dream become a reality. She left because she knew a dying child could not wait but Callie can, true love can.
But why are we like this?
Their silence was interrupted by a continuous beeping of their pagers.
"Nick, 911. Crap!" The blonde stood. She flashed a super magic smile before she dashed out of the on-call room. Cristina slowly stood up. Arizona was such in a hurry that she forgot to put her lab coat back on. The dark haired resident picked it up and made her way out of the on-call room.
The day has been slow for the orthopedic department at SGMWH. Sure there was a huge road accident yesterday, but only few needed an orthopedic surgeon as for the moment.
7 o'clock in the evening. Early dinner for me tonight.
Callie grabbed her purse and strolled out of the hospital. It's a good thing that she can get away from seeing Arizona from time to time. There's no way she going to cry for her anytime soon –again. Besides, she had another problem to deal with. Something that she and Mark have to talk about.
She went straight to Joe's and found her best friend. Upon seeing her, Mark waved at her, half grinning. The orthopedic surgeon sat beside her best friend, looking blankly into the bar.
Mark placed his right arm against the table and stared straight into the Latina's eyes. Out of the blue, Callie returned back to earth.
"Oh, yeah. What were you saying?" Callie replied.
"I haven't said a word, Torres."
"Uh… you just did."
"Whatever. So, have you two talked?"
"N-no… absolutely not." Mark chuckled.
"Not yet, you mean. Come on Callie, blondie returned for you." He took a sip on his tequila.
"Nah uh. Don't think of her as the hero in here. She's the one who left, Mark. You're supposed to be on my side!"
"I am on your side, okay? It's just… Those were dark times. And right now, what Arizona is doing? She's trying to lure you back into the light. Come see the light, Torres!"
Callie snorted at her best friend's statement. He surely must've had quite a few glasses of drinks. "You can't be serious, right? This conversation is not helping me, Mark."
"What about a drink? It's on me."
"I-I can't."
"What do you mean you can't? What nonsense. Hey, Joe!"
"Stop it, Mark. We have to talk, about… something." Callie looked away, hesitating.
"Another tequila and tonic, and uh, a scotch. Give it here a wine as well, and uh... lasagna?"
Joe stared at the Plastics attending. He turned to Callie, wondering about the doctor's weird set of drinks. "He can't be serious."
"Oh, he is not. He's drunk, Joe. I'll take it from here."
"Uh, hey mister. Do you happen to know where Seattle Grace Hospital is?" She asked the man who was waiting for a bus. He scanned her with mean eyes, from head to toe. He looked away as he took the last sip from this cigarette before he threw it off the sidewalk.
"You're not from around here, are yah?" He said.
The girl looked up at the man and nervously smiled. "No sir, I'm not."
"Well, even if you're not from around here, you should be able to tell that," He gestured for the girl to follow him to the corner of the street. "That building over there, see? That's Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. That's what you're looking for."
Although he sound annoyed, the guy turned to the girl and flashed a friendly smile. The girl smiled back and made her way to the best Hospital in Washington.
I'm going to find you. And after I did? I- I don't know. I just wanna see you for the first time –and probably for the last as well.
A/N: Comments? :)