Arizona, as gently as possible, took out the car seat and ran to a grassy area where she knew she was out of the way of inattentive rubber neckers who wanted to catch a glimpse at the wreck. She gingerly sat the baby down still inside of his seat and ran to her vehicle grabbing her emergency bag which contained various medical equipment and sprinted back. "Where the fuck is the ambulance" she murmured breathlessly.
"120 to Headquarters, I need an ETA on rescue. Also get Fire department enroute for extrication" Callie asked her dispatchers for an estimated time of arrival for addition help.
After a few seconds, she received her reply…"Heaquarters to 120, ETA on the ambulance is 15 minutes. Fire and rescue enroute. ETA 30"
15 fucking minutes? They could die in 15 minutes and I do not have enough equipment for this many people. Shit. She turned her focus back to the ailing baby. He seemed to be calm, a little too calm for an infant who endured a trauma. He is loosing blood. Without taking the child out of the carrier due to possible neck injuries, she held pressure to a gause pad on his little forehead. His eyes fluttered shut and opened again and again. Blood had run down the length of his face, entering both eyes and covering his nose and lips. He coughed slightly causing blood to spray from his mouth. Shit, this isn't good.
"Stay with me baby, you will be ok." She rubbed his little chest a little harder than she should to try to keep him awake. As she looked back to assess to crash while still caring for the injured infant, she saw her. A dark skinned, raven haired woman stared at her with frightened eyes as she saw her attempts to comfort the child. The woman, the miraculously beautiful woman, mouthed words to her but she was unable to understand them. She focused hard on the woman's mouth and saw her ask "come here." Fuck, I can't leave this baby, he is bleeding.
Turning back Arizona yelled, "It is ok ma'am, the ambulance is on its way. Try to remain calm. They are on the way!"
Callie's POV
"Ok, police are here. It is only a matter of time now." Callie watched as a blonde haired woman in a police uniform and a neon vest ran past her. Screaming at the other police officer. "She ran right past me and to the other car. Why did she just pass me up? Ok calm down, they might be injured more severely than you. That's all. She will come back. Paramedics are never far behind police. It will be soon. Breathe. In. Out. Breathe."
Callie watched intently as the female officer continued to scream. She could not hear the words but the officer looked frantic. "I hope that driver is ok. Is that a car seat? Shit. It is a car seat. The baby is covered in blood." Callie kept her eyes focused on the officer who carried the car seat and infant out of the street and tried to stop the bleeding. She left the infant and left Callie's sight whose eyes were intently watching the infant. "It looks like he is pulling at the straps. He is losing color. He cannot breathe. Where did that cop go? He cannot breathe!"
"Ma'am! The baby! Her voice comes out ragged and strained. "Ok there she is. Get him out of that seat. Ma'am! Get him out!" She can't hear me. I try honking my horn but it is completely trashed now that the airbag had deployed. I try screaming again and she turns to look at me. Her eyes, she is so scared. "Come here" I mouth, knowing that she will not hear my direction over the ambient noise. "Come here!" I say again. She breaks eye contact and looks away. Dammit.
Arizona's POV
Arizona prided herself on remaining calm and strong through traumatic situations. She was calm. She was strong. But she was also human. She looked down to the child and his still fluttering eyes and she felt a tear escape her eye. Wiping it away on her shoulder, she tired to refocus. Glancing back at the woman she saw that she was now motioning to her slowly with her hand. She was waving her hand at her, asking her to come closer. Feeling absolutely helpless and wanting to ease her mind, she gingerly picked up the child and rushed to the aid of the woman in the car. She could see that the front end of her vehicle was crushed, leaving her legs pinned under the dashboard.
"Ma'am, the ambulance is coming. I am sorry you are hurting. They are coming. I cannot move you, I will cause more damage to your body. I am sor…"
"no..no, unstr…. Unstrap the…." Hoarse and breathless words left the Latina.
"What? What are you saying?" Arizona asked flustered and worried.
"I.. I am a doctor. Sea….ttle Grace. The woman said struggled through her own pain to speak.
"unstrap him."
"Untrap the baby? I can compromise his neck, I cannot unstrap him."
"He needs to breathe, unstrap him."
Not knowing what else to do and taking the woman at her word, she unstrapped the infant.
"Lay him flat… and…and elevate… his head" The woman's words were stronger now, more clear. "Keep pressure to… to his forehead. Life his chin with your…. other hand".
Arizona did as she was told. She did not like to not be in control, to not know the answers, and she especially did not like it when the smallest of lives were in her hands.
"That's it" the voice reassured her. Straps were tight. Blood in his airway… needs to breathe" Callie struggled to get the words out to help the officer with the child. Fighting through her own pain she watched as the child came to.
Without the binding straps which had tightened during the crash, the infant slowly began kicking his legs and flailing his arms, visibly terrified. He let out small cry before belting an ear piercing scream which showed his discontent. Arizona had never heard a more beautiful sound. He was going to be ok. She helped him be ok. She and the beautiful woman beside her. She glanced to the woman who had helped her save the infant's life just in time to see her eyes roll back and her head slump to the side. Shit.
