Callie's POV
The pain in my head is unbearable. My eyes are closed but I can feel light beaming through my eye lids like they aren't even there. I try to squint but the pressure sends a shooting pain from my temple to behind my left eye. My face winces in pain which only causes more intense and shooting pain in almost every part of my face. I grit my teeth and try to calm myself with a few deep breaths. This is not the first time I have woken up like this. And from the smell, I guess it was bad enough to land me in the ER again. Just what I need. All I want is to go back to sleep but I know I have to get up and get going. I open, well, try to open, my eyes but I am only able to see out of the right one. The left is swollen almost shut and I am only able to open it enough to see my own eyelashes and a slit of reality. I try to hoist myself up to a sitting position in the bed but something is wrapped around my hand. I pull to try to free it from the restraint but it only serves to tighten around my palm. That is when I see her.
Arizona's POV
Well Patient X is out of the woods. Nurses have been in an out for the past hour or so checking her vitals and cleaning her up. She has had a death grip on my poor hand for about two hours now. Granted she was sleeping, but when I explained to her how important that particular hand is for saving babies, she eased up a little bit. Her left hand now rests palm down on her bed clutching my fingers. My thumb is playing over the delicate skin of the back of her hand. It has a different tone than her face. Maybe it is the bruising, maybe it is the makeup. But the olive tone of her hands fit her much more beautifully than the layers of base and blush. She really is a pretty girl. It is a shame that her life has turned to this. Or always has been this. Or whatever. I can't speculate. And I am not really sure why I want to. She could have an honest job. I mean look at her. She could be an actress, she could be a model. She could be… anything. Why this? Why settle for this? Not knowing if you will end up in a hospital or dead. I shake the thoughts from my mind and think about leaving for the tenth time in the past two hours. Don't get me wrong. I like helping. And if I can be a calming force then I will oblige. I have done it for the kids on my watch countless times. I am just tired and ready to be home. It's hard to justify asking for overtime to hold a hooker's hand. Oh well. I grab the gauze from the tray behind me and try to clean some of the dried blood that the nurses missed. I didn't like the way they were going about it, anyway. Her face has to hurt and is still swelling but they were scrubbing like they were cleaning a countertop. It had to have hurt. She has a small cut on her bottom lip and a larger cut abover her left eyebrow. It won't need stitches but still needs to be cleaned. After soaking the gauze in saline, I squeeze the excess back into the saline tray and hold the gauze in my hand for a few seconds, warming it. I am as gentle as possible but her eyebrows still scrunch together each time I touch her face. I am lost in thought about nothing in particular when the patient starts to stir and pull her hand away from me. I tighten my grip, hoping that it will soothe her and she will fall back asleep. The pain that I see in her face makes me grimace and I begin stroking the back of her hand with my thumb while shushing her. As her eyes open as much as the swelling will allow, I offer her a smile and sit up straight, prepared to explain myself.
Callie's POV
She is literally the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Her blonde hair is tied up in a messy pony tail and her skin is light and smooth. I don't even think she has any make-up on. Her name tag says Dr. Robbins. Cute. And it has stickers of butterflies on it. Weird but kind of cute. And then she looks at me with piercing blue eyes and I feel instant fluttering in my stomach. Something that I have not felt in years. Snap out of it Torres, she is just a pretty girl. Woman. Lady. She is a pretty lady. You don't see much of those on a daily basis. Then she does it. She raises her eyebrows and fake smiles at me and my hand feels colder than it ever has when she takes hers away. She is judging me. I can tell by her eyes. The same eyes that I was just admiring are now casting judgment and I know it. I feel it. I can tell by the way she is staring at me. The fluttering in my stomach stops and emptiness replaces it. I have to get out of here. If Dr. Robbins thinks I am going to sit here and wait for another lecture from a privileged, know-it-all, snobby doctor then she is mistaken. I push myself up to a full sitting position and am hit with thick fog that makes my stomach turn. I grimace and let my head fall back to the pillow before I vomit. I try to focus on the darkness, anything but the smell and the pain in my head. Then I feel her stand beside me. Soft fingers are in my hair and I hear soft shushing sounds close to my ear. That feeling in my stomach comes back and replaces my nausea and I find myself relaxing at the sound of her voice. She is good. Her fingers smooth my hair over my pillow and every now and then I can feel her thumb on my forehead or my cheek. Just another hour of sleep, maybe. Then I will be out of here. Her caresses work to put me to sleep but, missing the contact of her hand on mine, I reach toward her and find the warm, dark blue fabric of her scrub top. I slip my fingers under the bottom hem and take a handful of the fabric into my palm. Just another hour, then I am out of here.
The Next Day
Arizona's POV
Last night was rough. Four hours of sleep and back at the grind this morning. I make my rounds and make small talk with a few little patients on my floor before heading to the cafeteria to grab breakfast. That patient has been on my mind since I left here last night. I called for some more pain meds after she woke up and the nurses put it through her IV so she never even knew. When she was asleep enough to let go of my scrub top, I told her that I would be back this morning and to sleep well. She didn't respond but I hope she heard me. It has to be rough being her. Doing what she does. My trip to the cafeteria leads me straight to the ER which doesn't surprise me. I have been arguing with myself over whether I should check on her today or not. There is nothing wrong, ethically, with checking on her. She just isn't my patient. She isn't a PEDs case. So why am I even concerned? I make my way to her curtain and straighten my jacket and top, running a hand over my hair before peeking around to her bed. I had every intent of explaining to her why I stayed last night, every intent of giving her a good talking to about her lifestyle, every intent of giving her resources to keep her safe. But I didn't have the chance. She was gone. In her place was an older male in a sling with his family at his bedside, a far cry from who occupied the bed just hours ago. So I walked to the nurse's station and get the attention of the first one I see. "Hey, what happened to bed 9? The woman from last night." I am met with an odd look but the nurse finds a chart from her desk and flips to the first page.
"AMA. She left. Didn't get her prescription or sign herself out." Go figure. The nurse takes note of my expression and narrows her gaze. "If you need her, go look at the corner of 3rd and Norfolk. She will be there in all of her glory as soon as the sun goes down." I recognize her voice as sarcasm and question my motive to defend the patient. I am back on my way to the cafeteria without a word. Oh well. So much for helping the downtrodden. Maybe next time.
Callie's POV
I had to get out of that hospital. I didn't ask to go there. I would have been fine alone. It wouldn't be the first time. Now I missed out on a whole nights pay. And I owe the boss 400 as it is. It was some good sleep though. Probably the best that I have gotten in years. I usually don't stay the night in the ER. I stay just long enough for them to leave me alone and then I am gone. But let's face it, the seats in the Honda aren't getting any more comfortable. It was nice to have a pillow. And a sheet. And someone beside me. But I could tell what she thought about me. She was probably just waiting for me to wake up so she could tell me what to do with my life. Like she knows anything about my life. Little does she know that I am doing just fine. I don't even know why I care what she thinks anyway. I find the keys to my car just where I left them in the alley behind 7th. It is good practice not to keep them with you just in case something happens. Much like last night. I collect my keys and walk toward where I last parked my car. When I turn the corner there he is. The boss. Leaning against the hood of my car waiting. It does no good to run or hide. He always knows where to find me. And I know what is coming. He has already warned me. Maybe if I make my case and show him what happened he will understand and give me another night. But when his eyes meet mine, I know that was wishful thinking. He cracks his knuckles as he begins taking slow steps toward me. "Look boss, let me just explain, ok? I have 100, I can get you the rest tonight. Before midnight. I am good for it."
"You told me that last night. Where is my money."
He is angry. "I have 100. That's all. You can have it. Right now. You can have it." I know that my voice sounds frantic which is not very becoming. He stands almost a foot taller than me and has about 80 pounds on me. I don't stand a chance. And he knows it. I only have one option. "Come on baby… you know I am good for it." I reach out and grab the waist band of his pants, pulling him into me. "I can make up the rest. You tell me what you want." The thought of sleeping with him makes my stomach turn, but I know what my options are. And he usually takes me up on the offer to knock a few hundred off of what I owe him. He seems to be coming around so I lean in to press my lips to his neck.
"Get the fuck off of me." He pushes me hard but I keep my footing. I go back for a second try, knowing it is the only thing I can offer to settle my debt. "What are you deaf AND stupid," he asks while pushing me back again. "You look disgusting. You think I want that? I want my money. Not your body, which leaves a lot to be desired now that I actually look at it." He sneers at me and I feel instant rage. Those feelings are suppressed as quickly as they come.
"Come on, boss. I can give it to you real…" There it is again. Another blow to my face. This time the right side. The shooting pain streaks to my jaw and I fall to the ground, covering my face and head. Today, just like every time before, I go away to another time and place. I think of anything that I can to get away from where I am right now. And this time, I went back to her.