Excuses
Chapter 2:
A small stream of light seeped into the room as the sun peeked over the hills just enough to flood Seattle with its early morning rays of warmth. Callie Torres slowly turned in her bed as the light lit up her tired face. As she rolled over trying to escape the light, she blindly reached towards the other side of the bed. It took her a couple of seconds to remember that he wasn't there. She heard the echo of the front door slamming in her mind over and over and the sound of chinaware shattering against the wall.
She sighed and opened her exhausted eyes that were puffy and sore.
She wondered where he was, hopefully he'd be at Grey's, she had to hope he hadn't gone back to the hospital. She didn't understand why Webber insisted that he stay at work when it was obvious that a lot of the time Dr O'Malley was not fit to practice medicine. Callie had had to cover for him on multiple occasions.
It took her a few minutes to drag her heavy body out of bed and as she did she realised how drained she really was. She unsuccessfully tried to stifle the yawn that stretched her jaw open. As she moved out of her bedroom her entire body slumped more than it already was. She had had one tiny, small, microscopic glimmer of hope that George would have been sound asleep on the couch when she had walked out of the room. But instead all she found was her bag from the previous day. Looking further around the room she took in the stains that remained on the wall from the food she cooked the previous day and then observed the china that was scattered across the floor. She signed loudly and walked into the kitchen.
It didn't matter there was no one here to hear it.
She stopped gasping and lifted her foot up fast cradling her ankle in her hand. She watched the blood drip onto the floor and took in the destruction that was the kitchen. Nearly all the dishes were broken and there was food all over the ground. Six hours...she'd spent six hours cooking for his family and now...her foot let out a searing sting...
"DAMN IT GEORGE!"
An hour later she had cleaned up most of the kitchen and the lounge and had a small orange bandaid on the bottom of her foot which throbbed each time she put weight on it. She was also seriously short of dishes. The ones that she had managed to salvage were stacked up on the bench ready to go. She was going to take them to the O'Malley's that morning, if she left quickly she could probably get up there and back in time for work...well she hoped she could.
It wasn't much but as she left the apartment and did a couple of trips to transport the food, the doorman/security guard Terrance helping her with the last load she filled about half the backseat. She backed out of the car park her work things with her and set off towards the O'Malleys.
Callie pulled her woolly scarf tighter around her neck as she knocked on the door of the familiar red brick house. She heard movement inside and somebody open the door quickly. The man's eyes widened when he saw her and he called quietly back into the house quickly before opening the screen door,
"Jerry it's Callie"
Ronny moved outside and quickly embraced Callie picking her up and swinging her around with all the fierceness of a teddy bear. Callie laughed and she felt the stress of the past day wash from her body. Jerry followed his brother out the door and tackled the woman just as Ronny had done.
"Callie it's so good to see you, what brings you up here?"
"Hello to you both I've brought you some food" They both perked up at that and she was glad to see them smile,
"Come and give me a hand getting it out of the car?" They nodded and followed her,
"I'm sorry it's not muc—" Jerry cut her off,
"Cal it's more than enough thank you so much you really didn't have to"
"I wanted to guys, is Louise around?"
"She's asleep she has been for the past day or so, I don't think she's left the room actually" A solemn Ronny answered her. Both boys looked at her,
"I might go in and see her, how long ago did she eat something?"
"Probably yesterday morning sometime" Callie nodded and the three of them carried the food inside.
"How are you guys doing" She turned to inspect them and they both shrugged and she nodded knowing they really didn't want to talk about, not while they were both there she'd have to get them on their own if she ever wanted them to drop the bravado. She picked up one of the containers and popped the door of the microwave open. She embraced Ronny again and he hugged her as the brothers enquired about George,
"He's okay, he's working through it slowly but he'll get there" They both nodded and Callie hit the button before the loud beeping pierced the quiet air.
She turned to the boys after locating a fork in the drawer from memory,
"Ok I'm going to take this through to Louise I'll be out soon is that alright?"
They both nodded smiling at her gratefully,
"It's wonderful Cal, we have no idea what to do for her"
"You're doing great by just being here guys, I promise" She rubbed Ronny's arm on the way out and moved up the hall.
Callie pushed the door open to Louise and Harolds room a sadness seeping into her body. The room was pitch dark and she felt along the wall for the lamp. As she shut the door silently and flicked the dim light on she turned towards the bed and felt her heart break for the woman curled into a ball in the centre of it. Louise's face was red and puffy similar to how Callie's had been earlier that morning. Callie moved to the bed and set the food down on the bedside table before sitting gently down on the side of the bed.
"Louise" Callie gently spoke to the woman, who in return moved in the bed,
Callie reached out and brushed some an errant strand of Louise's tangled hair from her face and as she leant back she opened her eyes,
"Callie?" Her voice was scratchy and sounded sore and from the grimace that passed over her face Callie surmised it was and she lifted the water off the table.
"Hey, how are you doing?" Just like that tears sprung to Louise's face and Callie grabbed her hand.
"Oh I'm sorry" Louise shook her head and Callie just slipped off her shoes and climbed into the bed. As soon as she wrapped her arms around her Louise collapsed into them her body trembling and she broke sobbing loudly into her chest. Callie rubbed her back feeling her own tears well in her eyes.
She let the woman cry for several minutes just letting her get it all out but as Louise quietened in her arms Callie gently pushed her up and piled the pillows up so she was sitting upright. She grabbed a tissue and wiped her tears away before handing her the glass of water to ease her throat. The woman dissolved into tears again as Callie pulled out the food.
Twenty minutes later Callie stepped out of the room as Louise drifted to sleep once again. The nearly empty container made Callie feel slightly better about leaving her, at least she knew that the woman who was like a mother to her had eaten that day. She leant against the wall quickly swiping the few tears that had gathered from the corners of her eyes before she made down the creaky hall again. Ronny and Jerry stood as she walked back into the kitchen and she hugged each of them telling them that Louise was sleeping again.
"Guys I've got to go or I'm going to be late for work"
"Ok, Cal but tell Georgie we said hello would you?"
"Course Ron, maybe the two of us can come up here for a while"
The brothers smiled eagerly at her, telling her how much they had missed having her around and she hugged them a final time before rushing out of the house and jumping back in her car and starting it up. She had twenty minutes to get back to Seattle Grace Hospital and it had taken her nearly forty five minutes to get there. She groaned as she realised she was going to be late.
Nearly five hours later after Callie had made a speedy arrival, which had gone unnoticed thanks to Alex who had covered for her, at the hospital and a quick surgery later Callie had just about had enough, she had been tired when she'd left the apartment that morning and after her visit to Louise and the boys she was drained. The surgery, the patients they'd taken it out of her.
The residents room was quiet and peaceful the only sound was the barely there scratching of a ball point pen. It was dark; the only source of light was from a small desk lamp in the corner of the room where Callie Torres was hunched over a patient's file. She knew it was bad for her eyes but all she wanted was to sit alone, unnoticed by herself for a little while.
She jumped five feet and then groaned when the door opened swiftly and Bailey walked in with a delivery man carrying a huge, seriously huge, bunch of roses. The doctor signed off on them,
"Torres, Come and get you damn flowers and try to keep the nurses away from them" Callie felt her cheeks heat up as Derek and Mark walked in with Christina trailing. Callie shut the door a little more forcefully than she probably should have and dropped the flowers on the bench without a second glance to them. She knew exactly who they were from and she was mortified; could he have gotten a bigger bunch, and roses? She didn't even like roses; she had told him that on what, their first date.
"Nice flowers Tor-"
"Shut up Mark"
She dropped into her seat once again and looked over the patient's file leaving the red and white arrangement lying on the couch,
"So what did he do?"
"What?" Callie questioned in exasperation wanting very much to just be left alone,
"What did O'Malley do...I mean the man doesn't do flowers, he's always ... he doesn't do flowers well so what did he do?" Christina explained,
"Why does it have to be that he did something why can't I just get flowers Yang?" She knew it was harsh and refused to meet her friend's eyes instead staring at the papers,
Christina raised her eyebrows and Derek and Mark looked up at her harsh and almost callous voice, which was very out of character for Callie, a moment passed before Christina spoke again,
"So what did he do?" Callie sighed,
"He was just being a jerk, stormed out never came back, whatever" She feigned indifference where in actual fact she had been awake half the night wondering if he was still alive. George was a different man now. He was more of a do now think later kind of man, an impulsive man. He wasn't her George, he wasn't the man she fell in love with. He had started this a couple of weeks ago. He would get angry with her over nothing, she knew it was just him, part of his grieving process but she would then receive flowers or a necklace or George would have finished off her charts or something similar. But the next time he saw her after he had given her the gift or the apology everything was supposed to be fine, she was expected to be fine. She knew it was unhealthy, she knew that it wasn't fair on her, but he had just lost his father, how was that fair.
In the time she'd been caught up in her own thoughts Derek and Christina had vacated the room leaving Mark who was now staring at her.
"What?"
"I don't know Cal, you tell me"
She raised an eyebrow,
"What? So he didn't remember that I don't like roses it's not the end of the world"
Looking back at her charts and trying to focus she heard Mark pull out the chair across from her and sit down,
"Mark, really it's all good I promise"
"He seems to be apologising a lot" She shrugged finally meeting his eyes knowing he wasn't going to drop the subject,
"He's angry, I mean I'd be angry if my Dad was gone, Mark he's grieving we have to give him time it's how he deals" She looked down hoping he'd take the hint that she was done with the conversation. He sat there for a moment, a long moment and she could feel his eyes boring into her. Until finally he stood up but he moved towards her first and leant down and dropped a kiss on her head,
"Look after yourself Cal and you know I'm always here for you day or night" She nodded begging she wouldn't cry, she felt fragile, breakable. She'd wanted to be alone a moment ago now all she wanted to do was tell Mark everything and curl up in his arms and let him be her best friend. He left and she sucked in a deep breath filling her lungs with oxygen and her eyes slowly stopped stinging. She leant back in her chair and dropped the pen unable to concentrate. Her eyes wandered to the flowers, their scent filling the air, and she pushed her chair out and moved towards them. She had spied a small card that she hadn't seen before. Callie leant over the back of the red couch and picked them up pulling open the card,
I'm sorry for last night Cal,
I love you see you at home tonight
Love George
She frowned at it. He was trying. She would at least give him that. When her pager went off she checked it and realised it was the older lady in 2b who had no family and a fractured spine.
And Callie thought she was having a bad year...
She picked up the flowers and moved out the door on the way to a lady who would most probably appreciate them more than she would.
As she walked up the stairs into the apartment/hotel complex she thanked Terrance once again for his help that morning. The modest man brushed it off and opened the door for her causing her to grin and wish him a great evening. When she made it up to the apartment she smiled in relief hearing noise and her eyes widened in surprise as a delicious scent wafted through the wooden door. When she walked in she found the table set for two a small candle flickering between the two china plates that had been set out flagged by two tall wine glasses.
As her husband walked out of the kitchen he grinned as he saw her. She didn't say anything as he moved to her, embraced her and kissed her lips.
"How was your day baby?" She felt the annoyance build up and she opened her mouth to remind him of the fight they'd had last night. She stopped sighing before turning and smiling tiredly,
"Yeah it was good, thank you for the flowers by the way they were lovely" He nodded at her briefly
'No worries baby hope you're feeling better today" She felt her eyebrows raise, hope I'm feeling better...he had said it as if it was her fault as if she had initiated the fight. The tiredness of the day, the exhaustion washed over her again and she went to turn back towards George fed up with his behaviour, she was cut off however when George placed a heaped plate of gourmet food on the table in front of her and she looked at it with amazement.
"You made this?"
"No need to sound so surprised Cal" His voice was spiteful, irate and she paused for a second praying that he wouldn't turn angry. She attempted to quell is growing enragement,
"No it's great George thank you!" He smiled at her almost a little too wide and sat on the other side of the table. They dug in, in silence and it wasn't until Callie's third bite she realised what it was that was weird. Usually she and George would sit on a corner of the table only taking up 2 sides of the table. Next to each other, close to each other. Now, George had placed himself opposite of her...and coincidently as far away from her as he could get. She felt lonely, alone. Again.
George used the rest of the evening to laugh loudly and grin at her and to chatter about meaningless things. Her responses were strained, she nodded and smiled at him but even she could feel her own fakeness.
Did he even notice?
Did he just not care?
A part of her said that he must, he was her husband after all who had loved her with a tenacity she rarely questioned, lately though? She wasn't so sure,
Later on after telling George she'd wash the dishes she moved into the kitchen carefully balancing the plates and glasses atop of each other. As she piled them on the side of the sink she found the plug and slowly let the water fill the metallic sink. Lost in her thoughts of George's fey behaviour of late she jumped when she felt arms slide around her waist.
"George I'm just going to get these done" She tried, when she felt his lips on her neck.
"Baby please" His voice was literally pleading, she turned in his arms still captured against the sink and looked into his eyes. He was there, she could see him behind the anger, behind the pitiful pleas that swam in his eyes. He was hurt, he was hurt more than she knew.
She felt herself lean forward and meet his lips with hers in a gentle kiss. Well, it started that way before long George pressed her harder against the sink causing it to dig, uncomfortably, into the bottom of her spine. She then found herself pressed up against the wall as he flung them both around. His hands found the bottom of her shirt and he ripped it upwards forcing her arms up. As he held onto her shoulders his teeth grazed her neck she almost yelled out when he nipped skin that little bit too hard, but his mouth covered hers again and he led them towards the bedroom.
At two am Callie's feet hit the hard wooden floor beside her bed. She carefully reached down her back aching and grabbed her shirt slipping it tenderly over her body that screamed in protest. As she got up and pulled on a pair of shorts she slowly moved towards the door. Glancing at the time she groaned, she had to be at work in three hours. Her body ached as she moved her stiff joints out into the passage. Glancing back at George she nearly rolled her eyes as she took in his body spread out on their bed snoring quietly, without a care in the world. When she finally got to the kitchen she almost staggered to the faucet on shaky legs filling up a glass before she raised it to her lips.
She then moved back towards the opposite wall her body cold from the night air and feeling...something else she didn't know what to label as. She let herself slide down the wall until she landed gently on the ground. She sighed taking a deep breath unable to believe what had happened in the last 24 hours. Her life was a rollercoaster, just the night before George was yelling at her, screaming at her and throwing things. Tonight he was the loving husband who cooked her dinner and called her beautiful and then...wanted sex..a lot of sex. It wasn't as though she was complaining it had been a while since George had even remotely suggested he still looked at Callie like that and it felt nice to be acknowledged like that again. But as her body gave a sharp twinge she knew that to George it had probably been more about feeling something else, feeling something else than the hurt or the grief, more than it was about making love, or feeling something with her. She turned her head to the side trying to avoid the tears that were building in her eyes. But it was a mistake, because sticking out of the bin to her left was a container. She got up on her knees and reached over pulling back the lid of the trash can and she felt her heart sink and was unable to hold back the rest of the tears. Not only had he not cooked dinner, instead buying it, he had lied to her face about cooking it when he had placed it in front of her the night before and then had a go at her for not believing him. Her watery eyes were wide incredulously staring at what her husband had come to.
No this wasn't her husband. She pulled her knees to her chest and the stream of tears became heavier. She had left the lid of the bin off and finally she staggered up but chose the couch instead of heading back to bed, she knew it would probably cause another fight but she didn't want to lie next to him, she didn't want him to touch her, and neither did her sore body.
Her tears blurred her vision and her thoughts consumed her mind and it wasn't for at least another hour until Callie's mind finally gave her body the rest it deserved slowly drifting to sleep.
What felt like a second later she was jarred awake again and she threw her body up in response to the loud bang that had startled her. She turned her head towards the front door which had slammed shut and sighed before collapsing back on the couch. Light was just starting to seep into the house and she peered at the clock unable to see the hands. She pushed herself up and moved through to the bedroom supporting her sore body on the walls. When she got there she took in the empty bed and pushed her phone causing the small, bright screen to light up the room.
4:30. This time her groan did fill the room. She had half an hour to get to work.
Fifteen minutes later she had showered and was just finishing getting dressed when there was a knock at her door. Her eyebrows raised as she walked out with a shoe in her hand and her hair a mess. As she opened the door Christina and Owen's eyebrows raised together.
"Ugh...Do you think I want to be late Torres" Christina never had been a morning person,
"What are you two doing here?" Again the pair looked at her questioningly,
"George called us" Owen explained,
"asked if we could pick you up cause he was taking your car today"
"Oh nice of him to ask me" She turned back into the house completely over everything,
"What he didn't tell you we were coming to get you, or that he was taking your car?" Callie shook her head at her old roommate.
"I'll be two seconds guys I'm sorry" The couple shared a look as she disappeared back into the bedroom. Christina squeezed Owen's hand before following her friend,
"Cal?" Callie didn't turn around from gathering her things in her room,
"Yeah"
"What's going on with you and George?"
"Chris, really ...let's just get to work" Callie turned and brushed past her and Christina sighed as her friend avoided her question like she had been for weeks now.
The three finally arrived at Seattle Grace Hospital nearly twenty minutes later.
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