Long road from ruin part 4:
Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital:
68. That was how many ceiling tiles there were in the conference room Callie had found herself in. There were 84 carpet tiles, 90 if you counted the halves at the end of the room by the window. She didn't know how long she had been there, but she knew it was too long if she had taken an interest in interior design. The shows her wife watched about decorating and home renovation bored the life out of her. Callie sighed, and allowed herself to spin in her chair, something she had resisted since she arrived.
The spinning was soothing; it wasn't just her life spinning out of control, she was too. It was nice to be at an equilibrium with life, almost made everything easier to deal with, if she ignored the growing feeling of nausea it caused. She just wanted, no, needed Arizona right not to keep things together. That was how it worked, Callie was the emotional wreck in the relationship, while Arizona was the rock. But now Callie was rock-less, and her rock's rock was crumbling before her eyes too.
Callie didn't recognise her life right now. This was the kind of scene she was usually looking in on. Like the doctors outside the window. Who were talking. About her. As irritated as Callie was, she never turned down the opportunity to allow her emotions to run free. Pulling the door open with more force than necessary, Callie gave the doctors just enough notice for them to brace themselves for the whirlwind of words she was bringing.
"Seriously you guys, just because you've been told you're ready for big boy scrubs does not mean I can't, and won't, kick your asses if you stick around to stare and gossip about the freak show."
Karev and Avery glanced at each other, almost as if they were checking the other wasn't going to run. Callie couldn't decide if it was a safety in numbers thing, or if it was an alpha male thing. Either way, in staying they were making a big mistake.
"You guys are pushing your luck right now. I told you to go so go before-"
"Hey!"
People in the hospital claimed Miranda Bailey knew everything that happened in the hospital. Seeing her walking down the corridor, Callie thought the rumours were true and the woman truly was psychic, or this was one of the biggest cases of coincidence going. She put down the coffee she was carrying, before embarking on one of her famous speeches.
"Torres, you are upset, understandibly. Your wife is gone, your best friend is gone, who could only know where. However," Bailey waved a hand in Karev and Avery's direction, "they have also lost their friends. Their mentors. So yes, Torres, you have a right to be upset and angry, but not at them." She turned to the men. "I will make sure you are paged the second any news comes in, but I amsure you have work you could be doing right now."
She waited before turning to Callie, indicating she should go back into the conference room. Callie felt Balieys glare, and a quick glance over her shoulder didn't just confirm that she was there, but also earned Callie a famous stare down from her quickened her walk back to the chair she had not long vacated. After closing the door, Baley set the coffee down on the table in front of Callie.
"I'm not sure if you deserve this after that performance, but need and deserve are two separate matters." Bailey paused to take a sip of her own coffee. "Seriously though, how are you doing?"
Callie stopped to think for a moment. If she was going to be completely honest, she didn't know the answer. She had gone from having a child with two other parents to a single parent overnight, so she hadn't had the chance to really stop and think about how she was doing beyond that. She was just grateful to have Sofia to channel all of her energy into, Arizona and Mark didn't have that. Callie realised any complaining she might do would just sound extremely selfish. She took a deep breath before deciding on how to answer.
"Well, it's hard hearing Sofia asking for her Mama and Dada. And when she gets to bed its… But I have Arizona's parents coming to stay, I don't know if it's going to make anything easier, but I guess we can be feeling lost together. I asked for them to come straight here when they land, have you been able to get Nick to stay long enough?"
Baile shot a look of disbelief at Callie.
"You're doubting my words of persuasion? I believe you have been on the receiving end of them more than once and, might I add, they were successful too. I might have had to delay his discharge paperwork though…"
Callie smiled. She hadn't known her wife's friend long, but she was sure he wouldn't be happy about staying. He had been looking forward to booking his flight since he was told about the cancer spreading. If he was half as stubborn as Callie thought he might be, there was no chance of him just giving in that easily. Callie didn't even know what Nick had been told about anything. She had assumed Barbara and Daniel might have wanted to see the man who had been like a family member his old life, but was it too much to assume they would want to be the ones to break the news to him? He was, afterall, married to Arizona, bike streamer vows and all.
Callie looked up at Bailey, "what does Nick know exactly?..."
"Unless someone else has said something, nothing. He's not my patient or family Callie. It's not my place to kick him whilst hes down."
Callie thought this was typical, now Bailey, Miranda Bailey, the queen of hospital knowledge, was choosing this moment to not get involved.
"What do I do Miranda? I mean, I barely know the guy, but his family is my family. Do I tell him, or do I wait for Barbara and Daniel? Or is that too much for them to take? I mean, they don't even know about Nick yet… Oh, crap."
Callie swore in Spanish, and rested her head in her hands. Apparently she was the worst in law ever. Just when she was beginning to walk taller, she had been brought back down into this emotional mess which had defined some of her worst days around this hospital. She needed perspective. She needed her compass for life. It was just typical that her compass that never let her get lost in her cloud of emotions was lost herself.
It was a moment before Callie felt Bailey's touch on her arm. She looked up apologetically for the mess she had made her friend watch.
"Don't give me that face. You have nothing to apologise for. This is hard, nobody is going to argue with that. You're doing all you can short of personally scouring every inch of the route between here and Boise, as is everyone in this situation. I just think maybe you ought to go and see Nick, give him some warning of what has happened. He has been confused as to why his doctor hasn't dealt with his discharge, as well as asking after your wife. Plus," Bailey glanced at her watch, "I think Arizona's parents should be landing in Seattle pretty soon. At least half of the hard news will be out of the way… I could bring him here?"
Callie nodded, "I have to do it, don't I?..."
Bailey nodded lightly, and stood up, taking both coffee cups to the bin.
"I'll arrange for a nurse to bring him down in a wheelchair. He shouldn't be walking in his condition… Do you want anything else?"
Callie shook her head, "unless you want to find someone else to break the news to everyone, no."
Callie hated the sympathetic smile Bailey gave her before she left. It reminded her of the sympathy she got when George had cheated, when Erica walked out, when Arizona left her over a row about babies. Oh, and in the airport. Now Arizona had left her again. This time not by choice though. Insecurities began rushing through Callie, even though the rational part of her brain told her her wife would never want to leave her. Things had been so… perfect. Arizona loved Callie and Sofia. She'd even grown to like Mark, and that said a lot. Callie shuddered at the thought of having to live across the hall from one of Arizona's exs. She could never have been so big a person.
Arizona had dealt with that in such a way that it proved that love really could surpass all. It was Callie's turn to step up. She was ready to talk to Nick. First, though, it was time to check her phone.
"Just landed, will be at the hospital in 10 minutes. Daniel."
It was only a few moments before Nick arrived, being wheeled in by Karev. In response to Callie's confused look, he offered an explanation of being on his way down here anyway and it would save the time of a nurse. Something like that anyway. Callie was a bit preoccupied with what she was going to say to her patient, her kind-of family. She thanked Karev, and let him shut the door before turning to Nick.
"I'm sorry I haven't been dealing with your paperwork-" she started.
"Sorry?" Nick cut across Callie, "What is all that about? First Arizona hasn't seen me and surely you've told her I'm being discharged. Then my doctor isn't dealing with my discharge papers. THEN I have nurses telling me how sorry they are. I know I'm charming, and even a little hot for a dead guy walking, but I'm pretty sure they don't see me as more of a patient. Especially the hot brunette…"
"Um, I'm pretty sure Tia bats for the other team, especially if her history with my wife has anything to do with it…" Callie had to control the smile that had grown on her face at Nick's frustration with the nurse. Everyone has dealing methods, and hitting on nurses seemed to be his thing. Who was Callie to judge? Straightening out her smile, she continued.
"I know I haven't been around much. And neither has Arizona. There's some stuff going on that you need to know about." Callie paused, and took Nick's hand, "Arizona isn't here at the moment. There's been… well, an accident. She was on the plane, and noone knows where they are. There are search parties out there looking for them. She'll be ok. She has to be ok-"
"Stop. You're rambling. Just stop."
Nick took his hand away from Callie's and looked away. He looked like she had just ripped his heart out and stamped on it, just for good measure. It took him a few minutes to be able to look her in the eyes.
"I wish you would have told me this sooner. I left her a horrible message on her phone. I thought she bailed on me after hearing about me going to Belize. Make sure she doesn't hear it ok?"
Callie nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. Nick gave her a moment before handing her a clipboard.
"I know you're upset, but I can't be here. Not now. I have to get on my flight before I lose more of my family-"
"Wait," Callie stopped him. "You just have to wait. Please."
"It's not like I have much time to wait around these days Call. I'm on borrowed time. Death is calling me, and so is the beach."
He turned himself around in his wheelchair, and stopped in his tracks, seeing the people who practically raised him as a child stood in the doorway, looking heartbroken at what they had just heard.
