2 months. That was too long… right? People had told her not to give up hope, to stay optimistic. Others had told her to face the facts: her brother had been in a coma for 2 months, he hadn't moved even so much as a finger in weeks.
As she was looking down on him now, he seemed so small, so fragile. This was not the strong army man she was used to, not her older brother, her protector, that she could lean on when she needed to. His face was calm, content almost, which allowed her to imagine that, wherever he was right now, he wasn't in pain, maybe happy even.
Every now and then she could see his eyes moving behind closed lids. Whenever she was able to spot one of those small indicators of a dream, of brain activity, she couldn't help but smile to herself. No, she wasn't willing to give up on him, not just yet. She grasped his hand as one single tear ran down her cheek.
She was suddenly jerked out of her thoughts as a young blonde doctor stumbled into the room. When said medic saw the other woman sitting at her brother's bedside, she stuttered nervously "Oh, hey, Dr Robbins, I didn't know… I mean, I wouldn't have… I didn't mean to… I'll be, ehm, I'll be back later… sorry!" and turned to the door she had stepped through just seconds ago.
Arizona couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight of the now unmistakably flushed woman who was slowly turning to face her again.
"Seriously, Lexie, we've known each other for months now, quit calling me Dr Robbins! You've seen me covered in snot and tears, so I'm pretty sure we're on first-name basis! And now get your little behind back in here and do whatever you came to do!" the PEDs surgeon lectured the younger woman, finishing it off with a small wink.
Lexie gave her a small smirk and came around to Arizona's side of the bed to check some of her brother's blood levels. While jotting them down she informed the older blonde that while the data wasn't great, at least Danny was stable.
As she turned to leave she gave Arizona one last apologetic look, almost as if to say "Sorry for your loss", and exited the room, leaving her alone again with the constant beeping of the machines.
"Great, another one of those", the PEDs surgeon thought to herself, her good mood vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. People didn't seem to realize that while, yes, when you were sitting next to your comatose sibling, you did want to grieve; no, you didn't want to be constantly looked at like your brother was already dead. All she had gotten from anyone the last two months were sorrowful looks, shoulder grasps and rubs on the back. Not one joke or funny story had been told had she been around, not one prank or tease had she witnessed.
But what Arizona wished for the most was exactly that: distraction. That little chuckle she'd had over Lexie's blushing a couple of minutes before was the most fun she'd had in days. She desperately needed to have some fun, just for a couple of hours, to distract her from the fact that her life, right at that moment, was a mess. She was 34 years old, single, had quit her job to be with her brother, who had been wounded in Iraq, and who would, by the looks of it, never wake up. So really, diversion was required.
Her thoughts were interrupted yet again when a light knock caught Arizona's attention. "Please dear God, let whoever it is behind that door take my mind off things!" the young woman thought to herself.
"Come in"