CHAPTER 7

About 14 hours into Karev's flight, otherwise noted as around 8 PM, Arizona was in the middle of a surgery, removing a tumor from a child's abdomen. Everything was going smoothly, just as planned, and another skilled Peds resident was scrubbed in beside her. As Arizona closed the incision, she was thinking about the delicious dinner she had planned with Callie after work, and she couldn't stop smiling from underneath her surgical mask.

After informing the patient's family that the surgery was a success, she headed to change into her normal clothes, and headed off to meet Callie at Joe's bar. As she walked in, she spotted her wife sitting at a table, facing away from her. She snuck up behind the brunette, and kissed her cheek. Callie gasped slightly and turned her head, "Oh hey there. Fancy seeing you here!" Arizona grinned and sat down on the opposite end of the table. Callie passed her drink over to Arizona, "Here, take mine. I'll order another." Arizona smiled, "Thanks," and took a sip of the alcohol.

Before either of them could say another word, Joe had turned up the TV from behind the bar, and the news was now on full blast throughout the place. Arizona and Callie couldn't help but turn to listen, as the newscaster announced, "Tonight at approximately 8:37 PM, an airplane departing from Seattle had internal engine failure and began to fall out of the sky, resulting in emergency measures to be taken. Despite the best efforts of the plane's crew, the engine could not be saved, and the airplane crashed into the ocean. A search and rescue team has been sent to look for survivors, and identify bodies, however it is feared that no one has or will survive due to the threat of hypothermia, unfortunately."

Arizona was immediately wide-eyed at hearing that the plane had departed from Seattle. Callie looked at Arizona with alarm, and sat there thinking for several moments before finally speaking, "Look…a lot of planes leave Seattle every day. It could be any plane, going anywhere." She reached over to hold Arizona's hand on the table. Arizona swallowed hard and looked up at her wife, "Yeah, which includes the plane that Karev is on! His flight….it was…Flight 18. We need to find out what flight it was, Calliope." Callie nodded, and they both looked up at the TV again, hoping for more information.

The longer they listened to the television, the sicker Arizona felt. There was seemingly a hole in the pit of her stomach, and she couldn't shake the feeling no matter how hard she tried. Callie had moved over behind Arizona, rubbing her back affectionately, and continually kissing her temple, providing support in any way she could. Suddenly, they heard the newscaster again. "It has been reported that 87 of the 120 passengers aboard Flight 18 have been found and pronounced dead at the scene. They are still identifying and searching for bodies."

There were tears streaming down Arizona's face, and Callie could say nothing. Their jaws were dropped, and a tearing sensation ripped through their hearts and stomachs. They both attempted to swallow the giant lump in their throat, but they could only choke out sobs and pound their fists in anger. They sat there holding each other for what must have been at least an hour before they even got the strength to stand up. They said nothing. Callie drove her wife home, and called the hospital to talk to Chief Webber. She had a difficult conversation ahead of her. She had a difficult couple of months ahead of her.

After speaking with Richard on the phone, her head pounded from crying. She had just realized she would have to tell Sofia that her "Uncle Alex" wouldn't be coming home, or seeing her school play. But then it dawned on her…Arizona. If she had boarded that plane, she would have been dead right now. Callie collapsed on the couch near her, and buried her face in her hands. She sobbed to the point of coughing. She couldn't breathe…she couldn't think. There was nothing but confusion, anger, and pain…yet some kind of strange relief. There was a window of happiness that she couldn't explain amongst all of this emotion. Maybe it was because she knew that her wife was safe and sound in the other room, though she was heartbroken and crying, and probably blaming herself for Alex's death. It was going to be okay, because Arizona was okay.

Callie somehow found the strength to stand up and walk towards the bedroom, where Arizona was, though she felt numb. To be honest, she couldn't even be sure she was walking…it felt more like floating. She sat down next to Arizona, who had her face buried in her pillow and was just laying there, crying, staring at the wall. Callie ran her hand softly down her wife's back, then curled up next to her. She knew that Arizona wouldn't be able to talk about this loss for a while. Right now, she just needed to be held, and that's what Callie could do. She couldn't bring Alex Karev back, but she could hold her wife. So she did. All the while contemplating different approaches to breaking the news to Sofia, who would be utterly devastated.