FINDING HER FAMILY
Summary:
Family unconditionally loves, protects and steps in when needed. Her family arriving for a surprise visit leaves Callie Torres in a panicked mess as she prepares for the worst. But do her family step in when it all goes far worse than any of them imagined.
Chapter One:
Callie Torres hit the small green button a little too harshly in order to enter the OR. She walked in with the swish of the doors and moved to stand between Mark and Owen who were scrubbing in and laughing about something that was apparently very amusing. Mark looked down at her,
"Hey Cal" He greeted her cheerfully,
"Hey Mark" Her voice sounded even tireder than she thought it would causing Mark's eyebrows to rise as he observed his best friend. Owen looked towards Callie concern creasing his eyes while they waited for her to continue.
"What's up, you okay" Mark asked, giving her a gentle nudge. She didn't answer, instead opting to stare at the patient being prepped through the window before giving Mark a small smile. As she began to scrub in everything started to fade away. This was her place, the one place where nothing else mattered, where she was in control and she could do things right. She turned to Mark who could now see the fierce, determined look in Callie's eyes that always appeared when she was in the OR. The look that had made him fall for her so long ago now, not that anybody knew that.
"I'll tell you afterwards, yeah?" Nodding, he propositioned,
"We'll have dinner!" The exclamation was said with a grand finality and before she could speak Mark beat her to it,
"Well Hunt, Torres time to save a life" and with that he strode into the OR. Owen looked up at her smiling and she rolled her eyes, shaking her head. They both entered side by side and together the three surgeons rebuilt a life.
The trauma surgeon carefully sutured several organs back together giving her body the ability to function properly. The orthopaedic surgeon gave the young woman the chance to stand up tall and walk again, changing her life forever. The plastic surgeon examined his work near the end of the surgery, he had done an exceptional job at minimising scarring and significantly reduced the physical reminders their patient would have for her lifetime. Mark Sloan saved his patients lives in another way. Callie had given their patient the ability to stand up straight and tall and Mark had given her the chance to hold her head high. They were good like that, a team.
It was his passion for his reconstructive surgeries had made her fall for him so long ago, not that she would ever dare tell anyone that.
Four hours later after one successful surgery, Callie stood in the locker room, getting changed ready to head out.
"Torres!" A deep, familiar voice boomed behind her making her jump in surprise and in response Mark started to laugh, she scowled,
"Jerk" She muttered causing Mark to let out an exaggerated gasp,
"Wash your mouth out with soap young lady" Callie couldn't help but smile at his playful banter and turned back to grab her bag as Mark stood up. His leather jacket framed his broad shoulders perfectly as he slung an arm around her shoulders.
"So what do you feel like tonight" Callie looked up at him,
"Mark –"
She sighed and he looked down at her before simply wrapping his arms around her. They stood like that, silently, Mark offering Callie the strength she needed.
"What's up Torres" The residents lounge was empty as he pulled away and looked down at her questioningly.
"My parents are coming" The sentence met silence and she looked up at Mark, whose face had taken on an ashen complexion. She giggled,
"Your. Parents. Are coming. Here. Your father"
"Yes" She watched him visibly gulp and hit him lightly in the chest,
"YOU are supposed to be reassuring ME that it's going to be fine! Some best friend, not looking like you're about to faint" He looked offended for half a second before exclaiming,
"You're father threw me up against a wall!" And then he looked at her properly, and saw the exhaustion in her eyes as well as the genuine dread and wrapped his arms around her again. He wasn't going to insult her intelligence by telling her that it would be fine.
"How long are they here for?" he questioned as she buried her head in his chest
"No idea, I just got a call from my mother, and she said that they were coming to Seattle for business and requested to see me. They said they would arrive at my house on Monday, no need to send transport Calliope we'll arrange our own" Her voice took on a posh accent that she couldn't really pull off making Mark smirk. She groaned and leaned into him even more.
"Should I be removing all sharp objects from your house" He smirked,
"Sure just don't touch the alcohol" He laughed this time,
"And so tonight Mark I can't go out to dinner because I have to go home and scrub the place until it shines" He looked at her,
"You don't have anything to prove to them Torres, you got that right?" He swept her fringe away from her wide eyes, Callie laughed hollowly
"Oh Mark, sweet, ignorant Mark. Did you say you're going to come help me move furniture around, aw you're the best?" She battered her eyelids up at him and tapped his nose, making him laugh and push her away before wrapping an arm around her again and leading her out the door.
"Anything for my bestest buddy" She laughed now and Mark revelled in the sound feeling his heart warm as it did whenever he made her laugh.