Callie stood in the hallway in shock after seeing her father rolled in on a gurney with her mother by his side. Various nurses and doctors walked past the surgeon for ten minutes as she stood there in silence. How could a morning that started with giggles and kisses in bed with her wife, followed by cheerios and kids with milk mustaches on their smiling faces lead to this…her alone in a crowded hallway scared out of her mind for her father. The only thing that brought Callie out of her haze was when she had to gasp for air; she started to breathe heavily walking towards the exam room.
"Daddy." Callie said as she rushed over to her father who was getting his vitals checked by a nurse.
"Calliope." Carlos greeted softly as he accepted a kiss on his cheek from his daughter.
"What the hell is going on, why are you here and meeting with Derek?" Callie rambled on confused and scared out of her mind.
Carlos reached over from Callie's hand and took it in his own. "We're just getting a few things checked out."
"Daddy you're meeting with the best neurosurgeon in the country to get a few things checked out." Callie said raising an eye brow at her father.
"Yes." Carlos said with a small smile as Derek walked into the exam room. "And here he is… the man of the hour."
"Mr. Torres it's nice to see you again." Derek said as he stepped into the exam room taking the chart from the passing nurse. "Though I wish it was under different circumstances."
"You knew about this!" Callie yelled at Derek.
"Dr. Torres-" Derek tried but was immediately cut off by an extremely pissed off Callie.
"Dr. Shepherd a word please!" Callie said angrily as she stormed out of the hospital room hitting the door as she walked out into the hallway.
Derek seeing this took a deep breath before turning back to Carlos and Lucia. "I'll talk to her."
"I know my daughter…good luck." Carlos said softly.
Derek nodded his head and left the hospital room to meet a fuming Callie in the hallway waiting for him with her arms crossed across her chest. "Callie-"
"You knew my father was sick!" Callie exclaimed angrily glaring at the doctor in front of her.
Derek took a deep breath before nodding his head. "I did."
"You knew he was coming in today and you didn't tell me Derek!" Callie exclaimed once more before touching her head feeling light headed, getting lost in the millions of emotions running through her body.
"He was supposed to arrive next week." Derek said softly as he gently pulled Callie away from the gawking nurses and hospital staff looking at them. "He wanted to be the one to tell you but didn't get a chance."
"This isn't happening…this isn't happening." Callie said looking at the ceiling.
"Callie." Derek said gently.
Callie looked at Derek and swathe sincerity in the eyes of an old friend and trusted colleague. She took a deep breath trying to calm down. "What's wrong with him? Is it a tumor?"
"We don't know yet." Derek breathed before running his hand through his hair. "That's why his doctors in Miami sent him here."
"And..." Callie drawled.
"I couldn't gather anything exclusive…I'm going to run my own tests." Derek said.
"Oh my God!" Callie exclaimed once again losing it as she bit back some tears threatening to fall down her face.
"Callie we don't know anything." Derek said softly before reaching his hand touching her arm, looking her straight in the eyes. "I've got this."
Callie shook her head defeated before nodding her head refusing to give in to fear. "Okay."
"Okay." Derek said.
"Okay." Callie repeated more confidently as she angrily wiped away a tear from her face.
"I'm going to go get everything set up." Derek said giving Callie's arm a final squeeze before heading down the hallway leaving Callie alone.
This can't be happening, her father is invincible. Her father is bullheaded and stubborn and strong. There can't be anything wrong with him, he's superman…the man who chased away all the monsters under her bed.
"Okay." Callie whispered as she closed her eyes taking a breath, feeling more tears slide down her cheeks.
"Okay, here we are." Arizona said as the elevator door opened to the hospital floor where the daycare was located. She guided both of her children out holding a hand from each kid and the three started to walk down the hallway.
"Alright…"Arizona said looking down at both of her children. "What are we going to do at daycare?"
Sofia rolled her eyes slightly, letting out a breath as she recited the same thing from the 5th time that morning. "Listen to Ms. Kayla, remember our manners, and be respectful."
"Timothy." Arizona said turning to her son waiting for his reply.
Timmy thought about it biting her tongue before smiling brightly coming up with it. "Play well with others and share and stuff."
"Very good." Arizona smiled back as they turned a corner in the hospital. "And what are we not going to do?"
"Sneak out." Sofia mumbled.
"Timothy." Arizona said glancing down at her son.
"Let Zola and Sofia sneak out." Timmy said with a big smile.
Arizona let out a tiny laugh. "Very good."
"Wow." Sofia breathed annoyed at her little brother.
"And maybe just maybe if I get a good report from Ms. Kayla we'll have strawberry ice cream for dessert after dinner."Arizona said as they approached the nurses' station where she grabbed one of the charts looking it over.
"Woo Hoo!" Timmy and Sofia both cheered at the same time. "Woo Hoo!"
"You guys are silly." Arizona said as she put the chart away before grabbing two small hands again. "Okay, let's go to daycare."
"Hey there's Alex!"Timmy exclaimed pointing to Alex at the other end of the hallway.
Alex heard a little voice yell his name and looked over at the family with wide eyes and a pale face. Alex nervously started to fidget in place as he avoided anymore eye contact with them.
"It sure is." Arizona said hesitantly wondering what is up with Karev.
"What's wrong with Alex?" Timmy asked looking up at his mommy confused. "He looks funny."
"I'm sure everything is just-" Arizona started but when she made eye contact with Alex his eye got even bigger and he bolted around the corner. "That can't be good."
Sofia looked at where Alex was and then tilted her head up at her mommy. "I think he's hiding something Mommy."
"I think so too Baby." Arizona agreed.
Sofia nodded her small little head. "Are you going to nail him?"
"Sofia, where on earth did you hear that?" Arizona asked curiously at her daughter, secretly scared of the answer.
"I don't know." Sofia shrugged before trying to hide a proud smile. "But I nailed Tyler Scooger in my last soccer game."
"Awesome." Arizona breathed before shaking her head. "Let's go."
Arizona walked both of her children to daycare and after about 5 minutes of hugs and kisses and goodbyes, and reminders of strawberry ice cream she left them with their friends at the daycare. As she walked away she giggled to herself thinking about her kids. Timmy made sure to remind her about the strawberry ice cream and did not forget to remind his mommy that he is allergic to chocolate causing Arizona to bite back a laugh, like she would forget. She headed down the hallway and remembered she had a bone to pick with Alex Karev, or rather a shell to break. She headed down the elevator onto the surgical floor and was lucky enough to have him in her sights from the elevator.
Arizona took a breath and walked over to him, sneaking up. As she got closer she reached over and smacked him on the head. "Okay spill."
"Owe! What was that for, you can't do that." Alex groaned annoyed.
"You are hiding something, so out with it." Arizona said waving her hand at him.
Alex let out a sarcastic snort. "I am not hiding anything Robbins."
"Karev tell me what is going on…now." Arizona said not wanting to drag this out any further.
"It's not my place to say." Alex said under his breath.
Arizona in that moment got even more confused, if it was something to do with a patient why couldn't he say. "What do you mean it's not your place to say?"
"Go to talk to your wife okay." Karev snapped annoyed.
"My wife?" Arizona questioned.
"Yeah." Karev said.
Arizona swallowed the lump in her throat as emotion started to take over. "What is going on with my wife Karev!"
"Ahh-" Karev started but was saved by Teddy.
"Go Karev, I got this."Teddy said hearing the last part of the conversation as she walked over to the two.
"Thank you." Karev said to Teddy as he walked away relieved.
Arizona watched Alex leave before turning to Teddy. "Teddy, I am really trying to stay calm."
"I saw Callie heading down to the basement...I think she needed a chance to think." Teddy said gently.
"About what?" Arizona questioned still confused…and extremely worried.
"Derek is running some tests…on Callie's dad." Teddy said.
Immediately the air left Arizona's lungs. "What?"
"He just arrived; Derek and Miranda are on the case as of right now." Teddy said seeing the confusion still on Arizona's face. "They don't know anything yet."
"Callie never said anything." Arizona said shaking her head thinking about what her wife must be going through.
"She didn't know till today." Teddy said softly.
Arizona closed her eyes before opening them thinking about her wife alone in the basement. "I have to go." She said before walking away towards the elevator.
Arizona stepped out of the elevator onto the basement floor and took a deep breath as she looked around at the poorly lit hallway filled with spare medical supplies and beds. She looked around and after a few steps found what she was looking for. She tilted her head at the sight of her wife sitting on the floor leaning against a gurney looking straight forward at the wall across from her.
She gently stepped closer and took a seat by her wife who kept looking straight ahead not acknowledging the person sitting next to her.
Arizona seeing this decided to make the first move. "Callie."
"My father is here." Callie said softly with a far off look on her face.
"I know." Arizona sighed.
Callie kept starring forward as a tear started to bubble in the corner of her eye. "I turned my head and there he was…being wheeled in on a gurney. He looked so…small."
"Sweetie." Arizona tried.
"My mother's here too…the mother that personally crushed our children in little pieces a year ago." Callie stated.
Arizona let out a breath as she reached over and ran her hand down Callie's hair. "Let's concentrate on your dad right now Baby."
"My dad is getting his head examined by Shepherd and my mother who despises me is roaming around the hospital." Callie said as tears started to down her cheeks. "This is all too hard; I don't think I can do this. I really don't think I can handle any of this." She finished as she finally broke, breaking into tears titling her head down to the ground.
"Sweetie." Arizona said tearing up as she wrapped her arms around Callie who leaned in to her. Arizona bit back her own tears as she pressed her cheek against Callie's head holding on to her wife for dear life.
They sat like there in silence for ten minutes before Callie pulled away sniffing back some tears as Arizona wiped the remaining tears off her face. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize to me Calliope Torres."Arizona said sweetly as she pressed a kiss on her forehead before pulling away.
Callie took a breath and shook her head thinking once again. "I don't know what to do here."
"You're going to be there for your dad and support him. And I am going to be here for you, supporting you…and our little baby." Arizona said glancing down at Callie's stomach.
"The baby." Callie breathed closing her eyes, remembering the bundle of joy in her stomach. "I haven't even told my dad."
"There will be time for that later…I promise." Arizona said holding her hand open for Callie to take.
Callie looked at the hand before placing her hand in Arizona's before bring it up to her lips placing a soft kiss on Arizona's hand. "I love you."
"I love you too." Arizona said as she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Callie's cheek. "It'll be okay."
Callie nodded her head trying to believe what her wife was telling her. Of course it has to be okay, this was her dad. The one parent that she has left won't be taken away from her, that would be simply to cruel to bare.
"I just…I just need him to be okay." Callie said blinking away a tear as she nodded her head furiously.
"I know." Arizona breathed.