Nothing Comes Easily by captstarbuck
AN: This is, for the most part, Calzona, but Arizona-centric, with lots of other Grey's characters, especially Arizona's friendship with Teddy. It's slightly AU/Mostly Canon – Starts just before Arizona returns from Africa and varies a bit in the story of bringing them back together. Let's just say I bend the timeline and modify a few scenes to suit my own purposes.
AN2: I do not claim any medical knowledge… only what I glean from the internet. All medical mistakes are my own.
AN3: There are parts of this chapter where I take a little creative license with what actually happened on the show. I'm leaving out scenes that actually occurred on the show, unless I was changing them to suit my needs. I don't need to re-hash what we all saw. I've also played fast and loose with some of the laws regarding medical credentialing. If Grey's Anatomy can do it, so can I.
AN4: Thanks again to Stacy, my "awesome" beta reader.
Disclaimers – All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual. (I don't own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy. All of that belongs to Shondaland et al. I just wanted to take them out and play)
Chapter Four – Battle Zone
Arizona Robbins cracked one eye open and for one fuzzy moment she wondered where she was. She spotted the clock and its dim green light informing her that it was quarter after four. Digital clock. Hotel room. I'm in a hotel room. Think. Where am I? Archfield. Seattle. Oh, god, I'm back in Seattle. Callie. I saw Callie. She felt her chest tighten and tears sprang to her eyes again. Her fingers clutched the pillow and she pressed her face into it. She felt movement behind her and she froze for an instant before she remembered that Teddy and Kayo were with her. It was enough to startle her out of her moment of self-pity.
She carefully sat up, hoping not to disturb her friends. She quietly slipped off the bed, immediately tugging down her orange t-shirt that had ridden up. I don't need to be showing my business to Teddy and Kayo.
She looked down at the bed as she gathered up her clothes. Kayo had ended up on her stomach with one arm dangling off the edge of the bed, her face firmly planted in the soft pillow. Teddy was curled up in a fetal position facing Kayo. Her right hand was tucked under her pillow and a piece of Kayo's shirt was clutched in her left fist. Both of them were in a deep, deep sleep, which Arizona attributed to their alcohol consumption. She glanced down at her friends again, almost envious of their affection for one another.
Kayo. Seeing her at Joe's… that had been a total surprise. Would I have still told her everything that I had if I'd known I'd see her again? I don't know. Maybe. I do know that it's been nice having someone in addition to Teddy offering me support and friendship. I have a feeling that I won't be getting much support at the hospital. I'm the one who's been gone. I'm the one who left. I'm sure the nurses, and probably most of the doctors, have been rallying behind Callie.
Moving around the room by the light in the bathroom, Arizona gathered some of her belongings. She hoped that she wouldn't wake her friends. She had plans and she didn't want her friends to know about them. She was pretty sure they wouldn't approve of at least one of them.
Half an hour later, Arizona was showered, dressed and jotting down a quick note for the two sleeping women.
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Teddy Altman was one of those people that when she woke up, she was awake. Years of having to be awake at an instant's notice because of surgery had left its mark. This morning was no exception. She took in her surroundings, checking the time on the clock. The first thing she noticed was that one side of the bed was empty. She waited for a moment, listening for any sound of her missing friend. The room remained silent, other than Kayo's soft snores.
"Kayo, wake up."
Knowing her friend usually slept like the dead, especially when she'd been drinking, Teddy gently shook her shoulder.
"C'mon, Kayo, wake up."
Kayo rolled over, her arm instinctively curling around the body beside her. She seemed to be still dreaming as she mumbled, "not again, baby…more sleep first..."
Teddy laughed to herself, having a good idea what Kayo had been dreaming about. Could be worse, I suppose. At least her hand hasn't landed anywhere it shouldn't. She gave Kayo a little harder shove. "Wake up, Dwyer!" she said, her tone sharp, knowing that it worked best in waking her friend.
Kayo's eyes snapped open. "I'm awake, I'm awake," she said, sitting up.
"Get up," Teddy said, climbing out of bed. "Arizona's gone."
"What?" .
"Yeah, at some point she snuck out of here." Teddy ran her hand through her long locks in attempt to comb it. "I'm betting her absence has something to do with one Callie Torres."
Teddy grabbed her bra and headed for the bathroom. Moments later she came back out, holding a piece of paper in her hand.
"She left a note," she said. "She's running an 'errand'," Teddy scoffed. "Errand my ass. Who runs an errand at six in the morning?" Teddy pulled up her jeans and fastened them.
"That's it? That's all the note says? An errand?" Kayo asked, reaching for her shirt.
"It also says she's going to the hospital to speak with Chief about getting her job back. She'll meet up with us there."
"Think she's off to find Torres again?"
"I'd bet my last dollar on it. Arizona is nothing if not persistent." As irritated as she was with her friend, Teddy couldn't help but smile. It was Arizona's persistence that had made them friends.
"So, what's the plan?" Kayo walked over to the sofa, sat down, and started putting on her boots.
"Plan?"
"What do you want to do?"
"Let's pack her stuff up and take it back to my place. We can both grab a shower and a bite to eat, then we'll get you to the hospital to meet up with Owen and the Chief."
"Coffee first, right?"
"Absolutely."
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My legs are going numb. I don't know how much longer I can sit here like this. What if Callie isn't working today? How long do I wait?
Suddenly the door popped open. Arizona looked up from her perch, trying not to look too hopeful. She felt her heart suddenly race and she knew it wasn't the caffeine from the cup of coffee she'd been sipping. Just being near Callie Torres… it still made her heart pound. Please, please say something Arizona pleaded internally.
Callie almost looked confused when she spotted her former girlfriend sitting in the hallway.
"You sat here all night?" she asked in disbelief.
On somewhat shaky legs, Arizona rose to her feet.
"Um, well, no," she confessed. "I flew in from Africa so I went to a hotel, took a shower, got some sleep and came back really early."
Callie looked away, adjusting her bag over her shoulder.
"Really, please, go back to Malawi."
Without looking at her, Callie headed for the elevator.
Arizona steeled herself before following. She was only a few steps behind Callie when Callie entered the elevator. Turning around, Callie saw Arizona and she raised her hand to halt her.
"No," she simply said, pushing the button for the first floor.
"Calliope…"
"No."
For the second time in twelve hours, Callie Torres closed the door on Arizona.
Arizona bit her lip and her shoulders slumped. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought, she thought. Suddenly she heard her father's voice in her head. "Soldier on, Marine. I didn't raise a quitter." She tossed her empty coffee cup in the trash can by the elevator and squared her shoulders. No, Dad, you didn't. I am most definitely not a quitter. I don't give up that easily. She jabbed the down button on the wall and waited for the elevator to return to the fifth floor.
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"So, how well do you know Arizona?" Teddy asked, not even glancing at her friend as she drove them to the hospital.
"We talked on the plane. A lot. She told me all about Callie and their relationship. She was upset and I offered a shoulder for her to cry on, I guess."
"Uh huh."
Kayo could hear the skepticism in her friend's voice. She reconsidered Teddy's question before replying. "But that's not what you're asking me, is it? You're asking me if I hit on her, aren't you?"
"Did you?"
"Of course not, Bear." Kayo glared at her friend. "I can't believe you actually think I'd do that."
"I know how you operate, Kayo, and I'm not talking about surgery. I mean it. Why wouldn't you? She's attractive and smart; beauty and brains. That's a combination I happen to know you like very much." Teddy paused a moment. "Arizona's vulnerable and hurting right now, and that's another combination you find irresistible. You've usually swooped in by now; made your move."
"Bear, that's just fucking disturbing," Kayo said, irritation evident in her voice. "And I don't know what bothers me more."
"What?"
"The fact that you think I'd actually try to hit on Arizona, or the fact that you seem to have spent an inordinate amount of time contemplating my sex life."
"Kind of hard not to, Kayo. How many years did we share quarters? I know you better than you think."
"Well, I didn't, okay?" Kayo protested. "It was the goddamned flight attendant who was hitting on me. I didn't hit on anyone."
Hmmm, Teddy thought. A flight attendant would be right up Kayo's alley. Then again, she seems just a bit touchy, protesting her innocence just a little too much. Teddy sighed and contemplated just how she was going to tell her friend to back off without pissing her off too badly.
"Look, Kayo, Arizona's a very good friend of mine. I'm only going to say this once, okay?"
"What?"
"Give her some time to work it out with Callie. Don't be your usual 'Don Juanita'."
"I wasn't planning on it. I like her. I feel badly for her. But that's as far it goes." Deciding to mess with her friend, she muttered under her breath, "for now."
"Kayo…" Teddy warned.
"I'm joking, Bear. I know how Arizona feels about Callie. I would never interfere with their reconciliation" She saw the look of doubt on her friend's face. "If it'll make you feel any better, I swear I won't. I promise. I'll be on my best behavior. I will not hit on, pursue, or chase after Arizona Robbins," Kayo said, holding her hand up as if swearing her allegiance. "Unless it's truly over for her and Callie."
"Kayo!"
"I'm only human, Teddy. But you know my word is good."
"Uh huh… we'll see about that."
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After fortifying herself with another cup of coffee, Arizona walked into Seattle Grace-Mercy West Hospital for the first time in over six weeks. She never thought she'd be back this soon, and it still bothered her that she hadn't lasted the three years in Malawi. Then again, Callie Torres wasn't someone she could easily get out of her mind, or her heart. She summoned up all her courage and plastered the perky smile on her face that she knew everyone was accustomed to. If anyone had bothered to look more closely, however, they would've seen that the smile didn't reach her eyes.
She nodded hello to everyone and hoped that by walking with a purpose, no one would stop her to talk. Her only goal at that moment was to find Chief Webber and get her job back.
As she rounded a corner, she spotted the Chief with Owen and Kayo. They were stopped in the hallway and the Chief and Kayo were shaking hands. Once they parted, Arizona decided to make her move. It's now or never, she thought. She shifted her purse to her other arm and approached the Chief of Surgery.
"Chief Webber?"
"Dr. Robbins?" The older man's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you here for a visit?"
"Um, no. That's what I want to talk to you about."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm back from Africa."
"What about the grant?" he queried as they walked together.
"I've got it all worked out."
"How?"
"I'll travel to Malawi every two months for the next three years to oversee everything. And I got a leading pediatric surgeon to oversee the day-to-day operations."
"Dr. Robbins, I signed a contract with a new peds attending. It's a year-long contract. I can't eat that money. I just don't have it."
"I don't understand… so you're saying,,, What? I can't have a job here?"
Alex Karev was stunned to see his mentor standing in the hallway talking to the Chief. He spun in his tracks, his white coat flapping behind him.
"Dr. Robbins, you're back!"
"Now that's the reaction I was hoping for."
The Chief felt his pager vibrating on his hip. "Excuse me, Dr. Robbins," he said, excusing himself.
Alex couldn't wipe the smile from his face. If Dr. Robbins was back, maybe, just maybe, he could get his career back on track.
"So, Karev, tell me about this new peds guy," Arizona said, linking her arm through his.
"Stark's an ass," Karev said bluntly. "He's horrible with the patients. The man doesn't know what bedside manner is. The kids are afraid of him," Alex rambled.
"Bad with kids? Why is he a pediatric surgeon?"
"Tell me about it." Alex turned to Arizona. "Are you back?"
"I'm working on it."
Alex's pager went off, then they heard several other pages beeping around them.
"Big emergency in the pit. I gotta go," he apologized.
"I understand. Go!"
"I'll find you later," he called back to her as he ran down the hall.
Arizona headed for the surgical floor, hoping to find Anne, her favorite scrub nurse. What she found was controlled chaos. One of the scrub nurses was wiping the surgical board clean and people were scurrying down the hall, pushing equipment and supplies toward the OR suites.
Arizona stopped one of the nurses.
"Dr. Robbins! Are you back? We sure can use you."
"What's going on?"
"There's been a shooting. Mass shooting. Some kid took a gun onto campus and opened fire."
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"Dr. Hunt!" the Chief called out.
Kayo and Owen turned around, the tour of the hospital coming to a halt.
"Yes, Chief?"
"We've got mass casualties on the way. A shooting. Dr. Dwyer, can you step in today? We're going to need every pair of hands we can get."
"Sure."
"Let's get you some scrubs and get down to the pit," Owen said, steering her toward the attendings locker room.
"You can put your stuff in my locker for now," Owen said, tossing Kayo a pair of scrubs.
Kayo stripped down to her t-shirt and underwear, handed her clothes to Owen, then put on the dark blue scrubs. Owen stuffed her fatigues into his locker.
"What do you need me to do?" Kayo asked as they sprinted down the stairs together.
"Can you help me run triage until we have a better idea of what's coming in?"
"Sure."
"Anything level one, take it to the OR. The staff will help you. They're good people, they know what they're doing."
They arrived at the pit, just as the Chief was explaining the situation. They put on gowns and stood beside Teddy as they waited for the ambulances.
"First day for you and it's a battle zone," Owen commented.
"Well, at least it'll be familiar to me."
Owen turned to the waiting doctors and nurses.
"Everybody, this is Dr. Dwyer. She's new here and she'll help run the triage."
Everyone was too tense to do more than nod at her. Teddy leaned closer to Kayo.
"FYI, Kayo. The dark haired woman at the end?"
"Yeah?"
"That's Callie Torres."
"Pretty," was all Kayo said.
The next thirty minutes were a blur for Kayo as she assessed injuries. When it seemed to slow down, she went through the hall and the exam rooms, trying to get a feel for the staff and their competence. From what she saw, she was pleased and impressed.
"Dr. Dwyer!" one of nurses called out.
"Yes?"
"We've got more ambulances arriving."
"On my way," she said hurrying outside with the few staff that was available.
The doors of the ambulance opened and the EMT rattled off the vitals of a patient with a chest wound.
"Pneumothorax," she said as an initial diagnosis, then quickly continued with her evaluation.
"We've got to get him stabilized and into an OR, stat." She turned to a red-haired woman. "You – what year are you?"
"Fourth."
"Can you put in a chest tube? He's got a right tension pneumothorax and cardiac tampenade. I need you to take care of the chest tube while I take care of the heart."
"I… I can…"
"Do it." Kayo turned to a nearby nurse. "Is Dr. Altman available?"
"She's still in surgery, and will be for a few more hours."
"How about Hunt?"
"Him, too."
"Okay. Get me an OR and a scrub nurse with thoracic experience, if possible." She turned to the resident who was putting in a chest tube. "Looks like you'll be assisting me," Kayo said. "I'm Dr. Dwyer."
"Kepner. April Kepner."
"They're holding an OR for you."
"Let's go people."
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Standing in the hallway outside the OR suites dressed in her street clothes instead of usual dark blue scrubs, without anything to do felt surreal to Arizona. She was back in familiar surroundings, but she was an outsider. She tried to stay out of the way as one patient after another was brought onto the floor.
She caught a glimpse of Teddy and Cristina rushing from an elevator beside a gurney. Cristina? I didn't know she was back. I got the impression last night that she hadn't returned to the hospital.
She watched as the names "Altman" and "Yang" were written on the board next to OR1. No other information was added to it, nor to any other names that were going up on the board. It was just a quick note to let everyone know which operating rooms were occupied and who was performing the surgery. A short time later, after hanging up the phone, a nurse added "Dwyer" and "Kepner" next to OR5. Dwyer? Is that Kayo? Is that why the Chief was shaking her hand? Does she work here now?
The elevator door opened again, but this time there was yelling and the group moved in an even bigger hurry. Arizona looked up and saw Kayo on the stretcher, straddling the patient, her hand in his chest. Her gown was covered in bright red crimson spots. April Kepner ran beside the gurney. Her gown was also splattered with blood.
"Go… go… " Kayo urged the staff as they disappeared into the OR.
As much as she wanted to operate, to help, Arizona knew she no longer had privileges. She didn't work there anymore. Not yet, anyway, she thought determinedly. She watched as Alex entered OR2 with a patient. It wasn't until she saw the name "Stark" and "Karev" written on the board that she decided to go into the gallery and watch. Might as well check out the competition, she argued with herself, not knowing that she'd soon be operating with one Calliope Torres.