A/N: I know it's just a TV show and I know it's fictional but Grey's Anatomy is just making me madder each episode. Nothing makes sense and Arizona wants to date again and Callie is still with Penny and there's no chemistry between them.
One more update before the week starts. Thank you for the patience.
If anyone is from France, I hope you're safe and unharmed as well as your family and friends.
Arizona was finally ready for her physical therapy. After weeks of laying in the hospital bed she was able to use a wheelchair. Her bionic leg was only taken off when she was sleeping. The stitches were taken out of her abdomen. One thing, however, she still didn't do was take a shower or a bath. But now she was begging for one. She had a private bathroom and she just snuck on her wheelchair to drive herself to the bathroom.
"Where are you going?" Callie asked. Her plan was to simply walk by her room and to check on a different patient but she couldn't miss Arizona moving herself to the chair.
Arizona looked around sheepishly. "I wanted to shower?"
Callie raised her eyebrows. "Alone? Are you okay to do that?"
"Yes," Arizona murmured but then pouted. "No," she corrected herself. "But I feel so gross. I at least want to wash my hair and I obviously can't do that laying in the bed."
"I can understand that," Callie said. "But I don't want you to get hurt and if you slip and fall, no one's going to be there to catch you."
Arizona let out a sigh. "I just wanna shower," she whined.
Callie looked around Arizona's hospital room. "I have a proposition. You can take a quick bath if you let me help you. Not to take a bath with you," Callie corrected herself with wide eyes. "I'll wait outside and if you're having trouble just yell my name."
"Okay," Arizona promised. "You sure you have time for this? Because I don't want to bother you."
Callie shrugged. "I'm not that busy right now." She lied. She actually was quite busy and promised to give a consult to a very high maintenance athlete. But if he wanted the best he was going to have to wait.
Arizona wheeled herself to the bathroom. Her broken arm was released from a cast just a day ago. It still hurt when she made sudden movements but she was glad the restriction was gone. Arizona managed to get undressed just fine and moved to the tub without help as well. She laid down in the warm water and sighed happily. No more disgusting wet wipes when she could do this. The hospital soup wasn't soft or smelled very good but it made nice bubbles and Arizona took every advantage of it. She dipped her head back and let the water soak her hair. Amelia shaved some part of it for the surgery but it was covered by the rest of her hair.
Callie checked the time on her phone. "Are you okay in there?" she called out.
Arizona jumped slightly. "Yes. I'll hurry up, I swear." She quickly shampooed and rinsed her hair. She completely forgot that Callie was waiting for her. She didn't know why but somehow Callie was nicer to her but also nervous around her. Arizona didn't understand it. As far as she knew Callie was still dating Penny. After she finished her bath she realized that getting out was going to be a lot harder. She managed to wrap herself in a towel but there was no way she could get out without a problem. She cursed under her breath. She didn't want to bother Callie. She didn't have the right anymore.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Callie asked after 10 minutes have passed. Arizona was now in the bathroom for quite a while. "You shouldn't be soaking in the water for too long."
Arizona took a deep breath. "I actually need your help."
Callie could barely make out the soft, quiet voice but she did. She cautiously peeked in and saw that Arizona was covered in towel but still sitting in the tub, though the water from it was gone. "What's wrong?"
"I don't think I thought this through," Arizona joked. "I can't get out."
Callie tried to think of a way to help Arizona out without physically lifting her but couldn't think of anything else. "I'm going to pick you up," she warned before almost effortlessly scooping Arizona into her arms.
Arizona's eyes widened and she let out a little squeal. Callie left her no time to process what she said before actually doing it and it surprised her. "Let me down," she said, laughing and holding her towel closed with one hand while holding onto Callie's shoulders with her other. When Callie placed her on a metal chair she used both of her hands to hold onto her and her towel slipped open.
Callie quickly averted her eyes but she wasn't fast enough to not catch a glimpse of her ex wife's naked body. It scared her that it still made her shiver. It shouldn't, right? They were separated. Penny was supposed to be the one making her feel like this. "I'll wait outside," she managed to rasp out.
Arizona was naïve enough to not notice Callie's reaction. She happily changed into fresh clothes and her favorite comfortable pajamas. She moved into her wheelchair and left the bathroom, her wet hair framing her face. She scooted over on the bed and let out a breath. "I'm so tired now."
"Well, you had physical therapy and took a bath. Both are very exhausting after not moving for so long. Get some rest before Sofia arrives and talks your ears off," Callie said.
Arizona nodded. She pulled a blanket up to her chest and smiled bashfully at Callie. "Thank you for helping me with the bath even if it will cause you some problems with the nurses."
"I don't want you to stink," Callie said and laughed at the glare she received as a reply. "You're welcome." Her pager let out a loud beep and Callie looked down at it. "It's 911," she apologized and rushed to the ambulance bay. Meredith was there with Penny being her shadow. "What do we got?" Callie asked as she tied the gown around herself.
"Man drove over a bridge with his car," Meredith briefly explained. "As far as I know his spine is in trouble as well as his pelvis and leg with massive internal injuries. I paged Amelia but she's already in surgery."
Callie nodded. "I saw her schedule. She's booked for most of the day."
Meredith made a face. "I don't want to page Shadow Shepherd."
A loud laugh escaped Callie's mouth. "Look, he might be strange but he is a great surgeon. Might be missing the hair but he seemed alright. But I'd prefer Amelia too."
"Hey, can you take Zola later tonight? She's been begging for more time with Sofia," Meredith suddenly said.
"I'm on call tonight but I don't think Arizona's parents would mind. Sofia has been getting bored of them as well and I think hanging out with Zola will make her less cranky," Callie said and laughed.
"How is Arizona?"
"Better. She started PT so she should be able to go home soon," Callie said proudly. Mostly because it meant that her bionic super leg, as she liked to call it, was working.
Meredith nodded. "That's great. We need her back. Alex's been going crazy and we can't keep flying Addison in for every fetal case we get."
Callie chuckled. "She might be going to LA," she blurted out.
"What?" Meredith asked, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. "Why would she be going to LA? Are you okay with that?"
Callie glanced at Penny who stood silently and her eyes moved away from Meredith and her. "I'm not allowed to have an opinion, you know that. And she got a job offer from the private practice Addison works at. It's a great job. Pays more, less routine work, better schedule."
"And suddenly she will find herself working for the president," Meredith teased.
Callie laughed. "Who knows." The sound of ambulance came closer and they wheeled the man inside and took a quick scan in Lodox before giving him the first care that would keep him together until they would get into the operating room. Meredith was reciting his injuries and Penny was writing down everything. Callie didn't know why Penny was letting herself be bossed around but she didn't say anything. They scrubbed in and went inside of the operating room.
"Doctor Torres, would you like your playlist to be played?" one of the nurses politely asked.
Callie nodded. "Yes, please."
Meredith expected a loud, rock song but instead a gentle sound of piano and emotional voice of a female came through the speakers. "This isn't very badass music," she pointed out.
"It's very badass," Callie said and shrugged. "I like it."
"It sounds like something you'd cry over, not operate to," Meredith joked.
Callie smirked and sang along.
Stone cold, stone cold
You're dancing with her,
while I'm staring at my phone
Stone cold, stone cold
I was your amber,
but now she's your shade of gold
Meredith suspiciously eyed Callie. It sounded like a break up song. A break up song that would fit perfectly into what Callie and Arizona were going through. She looked at Penny who was staring at the ground, quietly. She needed to talk to Callie.
Callie could feel Meredith's staring and it made her uncomfortable. "Can we change the song please?" she yelled out so she was heard over the music. The nurse pressed a button on the remote for speakers and the next song started. Little Pieces by Gomez started playing.
"Now that's more of how I imagine your playlists," Meredith said.
Callie rolled her eyes. "One can like more types of music."
"I'm sure Sofia accidentally downloaded it on your phone too," Meredith teased. Callie sent her a surprised look. "You think I don't know that Arizona has the song as well? It's all she listens to."
"It was Sofia," Callie lied after the song ended and she requested to stop the music. "She watched that Disney musical movie and when she was playing with my phone she might have bought the album. I don't know how she does it."
Meredith laughed. "Impressive child. Can't say that Zola has never bought anything accidentally but I learned not to have my credit card information saved."
Callie shrugged. "It's not a bad song." Meredith didn't reply and Callie didn't say anything else. She stole a quick glance at Penny but her girlfriend was still just staring at the ground.
"Crap," Meredith said as a spray of blood hit her gown. "I need more hands in here. Go scrub in," she ordered in a strict tone.
Penny's eyes widened. This was the first time she was allowed to scrub in and actually be a surgeon. And maybe that was sad, because she worked here for a while now and was still not treated as an equal.
"What happened?" Callie asked as she worked around the pelvis and the leg.
"I think it's the spleen or kidneys, or maybe both. There's so much blood in here that I just can't see anything," Meredith explained. "I need Bailey in here."
Penny emerged from the scrub room. "I'm here," she said excitedly.
Meredith shook her head. "Can you page Doctor Bailey? Or even better, go find her. She was supposed to be in the operating room down the hall. Just walk in and say that I need her help."
Penny sighed.
Callie looked at Penny leaving the operating room. "Maybe you should let her scrub in."
"I was going to," Meredith admitted. "But right now she's more help to me getting Bailey than running a suction around here. It's too dangerous and he's already losing too much blood."
"Do you need me to close?" Callie asked.
Meredith shook her head no. "What is going on between you and Arizona?" she asked carefully.
Callie arched her eyebrows. "Nothing. Why?"
"You're lying," Meredith said. "I know you, or at least I'd like to believe that I know you and I know Arizona. We were in the woods together for 4 days and I learned a lot about her. And I know she's not someone that just quits and I know you like fight to get what you want. A break up might be something I understand but you can't deny nothing's happening right now." She used the opportunity where Penny's not around and Callie was trapped in an operating room with her.
Callie chewed on the inside of her cheek for a moment. "Nothing's happening. Because I am with Penny and I don't cheat. We're friends. We can be friends right?"
"Friends don't listen to same break up songs," Meredith pointed out.
Callie sighed and decided to go with the truth. "I was so happy with Penny. She wasn't from here, she didn't know my friends, my work or how my relationship with Arizona was. She was new and refreshing and I needed that. But when Arizona said she's coming to work with us, I freaked out. And Maggie told me that the story of me and Arizona might be intimidating to her and she only heard rumors and pointed out all the good memories I had with her and it made me miss Arizona. When it clearly shouldn't because I have a girlfriend. But there's nothing going on," Callie rambled and finished with a deep breath. Most of her sentences stuck together as she told them, scared that Penny was going to return any minute now.
"Do you want something to be going on between you and Callie?" Meredith asked sincerely.
Callie never got the chance to answer because Penny returned with Miranda and the surgery continued. She kept stealing glances at Penny, trying to figure out her own thoughts. She liked Penny. She enjoyed her company. But could she love her? Could she make a family with her? Because Callie still wanted more children. But did she want Penny's children? Callie was so unfocused that she accidentally cut her palm on a bone saw. "Fuck," she suddenly hissed.
Meredith, Miranda and Penny all looked at Callie. "What happened?" Miranda asked.
"I was thinking about something," Callie said. "Page someone else to finish this for me please." She stepped back from the patient. She wasn't even sure if all that blood on the glove was from her or the patient. She could only hope the man didn't have any diseases that could transfer through blood. She took her glove off and looked at her cut flesh.
Miranda made sure there was no uncontrolled bleeding so she could move away from the operating table. "Can I stitch you up?"
"Sure," Callie mumbled. She tried to clench her hand into a fist but it hurt too much. "I should have paid more attention," she scolded herself.
"These things happen," Miranda said calmly and pushed Callie in a sitting position on a metal chair. She sanitized the wound and applied a local anesthetic to numb the area. "Was he clean?" she asked.
Callie shrugged and closed her eyes as the needle slid in. "Nothing that would state otherwise in medical records."
Miranda carefully stitched her hand up. "I'm going to draw some blood and test it for everything. You should take a few days off. You can't operate like this."
"I have a busy schedule," Callie said. As a surgeon she has seen horrible things but somehow seeing her own flesh getting stitched up made her nauseous. Afterwards, Miranda quickly took a sample of her blood. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Miranda replied. "Go, get out of this OR. Get some rest and I'll see you when the test results are back."
Callie nodded. "Okay." She needed to get some food in her system. She could go and see Arizona but she already went once and it seemed strange. But she didn't want to just walk around. Her bandaged hand was out of sensation and Callie was grateful for that for now because it was sure going to hurt later. She couldn't believe she was so unfocused. Not even as a resident did she cut open her own hand on surgical tools. She got a sandwich and cookies from the cafeteria and decided to share them with Arizona. Callie felt terrible. She should be saving these cookies for Penny but instead she wanted to eat them with Arizona instead. She walked to her room and knocked on the door.
"Come in," Arizona said perkily.
Callie entered. "Hi. I got cookies from the cafeteria. I figured you would like some as well."
Arizona smiled. "Thank you." When Callie passed her the bag she noticed her other hand covered in a bandage. "What happened?"
"Uh, I was clumsy and sliced my palm on a bone saw. It's no big deal, Miranda stitched me up," Callie quickly explained.
Arizona nodded. "And why is there a little bandage over your veins?"
"She also drew my blood for tests because I was operating and we don't know if he was clean. Just for safety," Callie admitted. The man looked clean. Nothing that would indicate he had any diseases that Callie could get. But it didn't mean she was not afraid.
"Oh," Arizona whispered, her focus on the television in the corner of the room.
Callie swallowed hard. Suddenly the tension between them grew awkward. "What are you watching?"
"Ellen," Arizona replied and giggled at one of the silly jokes. "She's funny and I never catch her episodes when I'm working."
Callie nodded. "I know. I usually just watch her episodes on Sunday when I have some time." Callie didn't know why they were suddenly talking about Ellen and her show, especially since they rarely watched the show together when they were still a couple.
"When Sofia's playing and there's some time to spare," Arizona joked.
"Exactly," Callie said with a smile. "I just wanted to drop by to see how you're doing. I'm heading home soon because I'm forced to take a few days off," she explained. "Sofia is still coming by later with your parents. She's a total grandpa girl."
"I know," Arizona said and laughed. "The other day she didn't even want to sit with me because dad was feeding her gummy bears and she stayed with him the whole time."
Callie smiled. "She's going to be grumpy when they leave."
"Which is in two days," Arizona said. "Dad's excited to go home and mom is worried that the neighbor didn't do a good enough job on watering her plants," she said which made Callie laugh and Arizona smile. Callie looked beautiful when she laughed. Not that Arizona was allowed to think that way now.
Callie smiled nervously. "I'm gonna go now," she murmured and made a step back.
"Okay," Arizona said with a wide smile.
"Okay," Callie repeated and left Arizona's room. She couldn't believe she was feeling like this. She wasn't supposed to be feeling like this. She was moving on from Arizona. She was happy without her. Or at least she thought so. Callie made her way to the changing room but was stopped.
"Callie, can I talk to you?" Penny asked. She seemed nervous.
Callie looked around them. "Uh, sure. What's going on?"
Penny took Callie's hand and led her inside of the changing room so they wouldn't be in front of prying eyes. "I'm transferring to Seattle Pres," she said.
"What? Why?"
"Doctor Grey refuses to teach me. And I want to become a great surgeon," Penny explained. "And I'm not respected here, nobody likes me and I'm tired of all the glares and mean looks."
Callie didn't know what to say. Was she supposed to convince Penny to stay or to let her leave? "What about us?" she asked instead.
"Is there still an us?" Penny asked seriously. "Because I know you've been busy but you seemed to be giving me a lot of cold shoulders and when I suggested if I could spend some time with Sofia you started pulling away. We haven't hang out or been on a date since the dinner."
Callie gulped. She didn't think Penny noticed what she was doing. "It's not you, I swear."
Penny laughed. "You don't have to give me the "it's not you, it's me" speech. I get it. Just one question. Are you getting back together with your ex?"
"What? No," Callie said, her voice higher than usually.
"Really?"
Callie shrugged. "Look, we broke up a long time ago. We're not getting back together."
"It's okay, if you are. Because I've been getting these signals from you that you don't want to be with me because you want to be with her. From what I heard your relationship with her had a lot of downs but also a lot of ups."
Callie frowned. "So you're breaking up with me?"
Penny nodded. "I'm sorry, I really am because you're wonderful and you're a great person and you have such great heart but if I don't do this now, you'll do it sometime along the road and we'll only get hurt more."
"Oh," Callie breathed out. "So that's it? We're just done?"
"I'm sorry Callie," Penny apologized quietly. "I don't want to get in between you and your friends and family."
Callie sighed and before she could ask Penny for one final hug the other woman was gone. Great, Callie was single again. She sat down on the bench and took a deep breath. She was alone again.
