I often wondered as a child especially when being teased by other children on the playground how I ended up with a name like Arizona Robbins. In my opinion it was as bad as my parents naming me New Mexico Hagen-Diaz .But as I grew older & learnt to throw down on the other kids I actually started acting like my name – all sunshiny, happy and positive. Ofcourse it helped that my older brother Austin was big and strong and always on my side to protect me. Infact he was the one who helped me to come out to my parents.
However as I was rolling down the halls of Seattle Grace hospital I was not in a warm , sunshiny Arizona mood , today I was more like Alaska and Sarah Palin. As I realized I was comparing my mood to a politician I chuckled to myself and decided maybe it was time to go home and get some sleep. It had just been a bad day all around .It was Austins two year death anniversary and I lost a small patient I had been treating for a year to a brain tumor .Despite knowing I would end up dreaming about another small coffin and airplane hangers and wake up screaming , I decided to go home and get some sleep. I was just emotionally exhausted and needed to get out of here.
Just as I was about to leave I got a 911 page from Bailey. "So close" I thought to myself before sighing and rushing off to attend to the patient. When I entered the room the sight infront of me almost made my heart stop. I saw a small 6 year old boy in a wheel chair clutching a tiny brown teddy bear. I could see the dried tear stains on his cheek, his sandy blond hair were unkempt and he was crouched over obviously in a lot of pain. My heart literally broke for him , I just wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything would be ok.
Bailey started to explain and present the case " Bernie Smith , 6 years , quadriplegic since birth due to a spinal birth defect, found alone in mothers apartment today by social services with a broken back ".It was then that I noticed a middle aged , jaded social worker standing in the room. I saw that when Bailey or the social worker tried to approach the child he flinched and started crying which was surprising as Bailey normally had a way with children.
I then put on my biggest and kindest smile I could muster and approached him and surprisingly Bernie didn't flinch from me. He just looked at me curiously and shyly with his big blue eyes. I then stroked his soft blond hair and said" Hi Bernie , I'm Arizona I am going to make you all better,so will you be my friend" Bernie just nodded shyly. I then gently asked " Is it ok if we move you to a bed so that we can get a better look at you" Bernie just clutched his teddy bear tighter and answered with a shy smile " Only if skipper can come and if you will move me" My heart melted at his smile and I just said " Skipper is that your teddy bear friend. Ofcourse he can come". Bernie then smiled again and I transferred both him and Skipper from the wheelchair to the bed.
I told Bailey " Page Dr. Torres immediately" and then addressed the social worker " can I speak to you outside for a minute".