So I, like I once mentioned, I wrote this whole thing in the course of one night during January. I was sleep deprived and possbly drunk- and then I woke up and this baby existed (full of spelling mistakes and plotholes, may I add)
Now I'm not entirely statisfied with the ending you are about to read, and I may add an epilogue at a later date. But for now, this will have to do. I have my other fic and my exams to focus on...
Thank you all so so so so so soooooo much for sticking with me so far. You dont understand what this fic and your support has done for me.
Now, for the last time, I own nothing, and ON WITH THE SHOW!
Chapter 10
Callie ran from into her dressing room. Her first ever theatre performance had gone swimmingly, and now she just needed to get through the entirety of the second act, having had the majority of the intermission to cry.
She entered her dressing room to find a large bouquet of roses. The note that came with them read: 'To My Sparkling Diamond- All My Love, Erica'
Callie felt nauseous, and she knew that it wasn't her fatal illness.
Calllie's door flew open.
"Arizona! You can't be here." The brunette spluttered as Arizona marched into the room and threw money onto the dresser.
"I sold my typewriter."
"What?"
"To pay you." The blonde stormed up to her, "You made me believe you loved me, I should pay you."
Her eyes were bloodshot and she smelt of alcohol.
"But your typewriter, you-"
"DOES IT MATTER?!"Arizona bellowed, "HOW CAN I WRITE NOW? IT IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT FOR ME TO PAY MY WHORE!"
"HEY!" Mark flew into the room "What the hell is- you need to leave." he took Arizona buy her shoulders and began to march her out of the room.
Teddy ran into the room, "We are back on in two, people!"
"LEAVE ME- LET GO OF ME-" Arizona struggled against Mark's strength.
And then Callie was on the floor.
"Calliope? Can you hear me?" an unfamiliar voice asked.
Callie tried to open her eyes, everything was blurred. She heard some other voices mutter "she's opening her eyes".
"Calliope. My Name is Dr Derek Shepherd. If you can hear me, blink twice."
Callie blinked twice.
"Oh thank god!" she heard a shrill voice cry.
"Erica..." Callie breathed.
"Yes, yes I'm here my love." The voice came closer and Callie felt hands on her own, "you are going to be just fine, you fainted, but we are going to make you better, the best doctors money will buy you'll see-"
"You can't." Callie moaned, and she opened her eyes wider this time to take in her surroundings.
They weren't in the Moulin Rouge, they were in a hospital. Erica and her manservant Burke stood to her left. Sloan, April, Alex, Teddy, Owen and Cristina stood to her right. The doctor stood at the foot of her bed, examining her. There were easily ten people in her room but none of them were the person Callie wanted to see. She turned her head to Mark. She remained silent but asked with her eyes. Mark shook his head.
"What do you mean?" Erica demanded, turning to shepherd "You will make her better, right?"
"Calliope has consumption." The doctor explained, "She is dying."
The occupants of the room gasped silently. Callie saw a blonde head appear behind him.
"No she doesn't." and unfamiliar, deep voice mocked. The room turned to Erica, who seemed to be the source of the sound. Burke, Erica's manservant, continued, "She shows some signs of pulmonary tuberculoses- fever, coughing up blood, fainting- but those symptoms could explain any number of ailments, without properly examining her, Dr. Shepherd, you shouldn't write her off as dying."
The room was even more shocked now, as most of them had never even heard Burke's voice. Erica didn't know that he could say more than a few words, let alone a highly detailed speech concerning Callie's medical condition.
"Well," Dr Shepherd seemed highly uncomfortable, "what would you suggest?"
Burke shrugged, "Bed rest, vitamins, plenty of fluids...I mean, the girl hasn't had a decent break for years, no wonder her body is exhausted."
Callie tore her eyes away from the blonde blob and looked at Burke, "So, I might not be dying?"
Burke smiled and clasped his hands together, "We are all dying, Calliope, but you aren't going to die soon. You should have years ahead of you, as long as you take it easy."
"Alright, enough!" Erica shouted, she turned to Sloan, "Why the hell didn't you tell me Calliope was dying?" she turned to Shepherd, "Why the hell didn't you properly examine this girl?" and then she turned to Burke "And howthe helldo you know so much about medicine?!"
Burke shrugged again, "I read."
"Ok... Ok." Derek addressed the whole room, "We need to give Miss Torres some time to rest so get, out, Everybody out, now!" he herded them out of the room. Callie was alone.
"Hey," Arizona peeped out from behind the open door and closed it, "how are you doing?"
Callie was still trying to digest the vast amounts of information that she had just been told.
"Fine, considering."
Arizona sat down on Callie's bed.
"Considering you broke up with me? Or considering you fainted in the middle of your first performance."
"Both" Callie weakly chuckled, "and I'm sorry, about what I said, I was just trying to make you leave me."
Arizona intertwined her hand with Callie's.
"I will never leave you, Calliope. Come what may, you are my muse and Ii am your oh-so-talented, charmingly bohemian, tragically impoverished poet."
"Tell our story, Arizona, let this be your epic romance, our epic romance. Share it with the world. Keep your promise to your brother."
"What about Hahn?"
"I will leave her., we' are going to run away together and leave and the Moulin Rouge and never look back."
"Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know...Amsterdam, America, Argentina..."
"Anywhere beginning with 'A'?"
"Well, your name is a place so they can be that bad."
The women smiled at one another. Arizona placed a soft kiss on Callie's forehead, "Now, get some sleep". Arizona slipped out the door.
All of the others had gone back to the club to update them. Only Hahn and Burke stayed in the hospital. Arizona marched straight up to Erica. They stared at one another for a long time.
They were in the middle of the entrance, waiting for an update from the doctors who were running more tests. They had confirmed that Callie did not have consumption, but a severe flu. Erica had seen to it that Dr. Shepherd had been put on probation.
"I love her." Erica said, "But she loves you, doesn't she?"
Arizona nodded, Erica smiled and sighed.
"I would've given her everything, anything she'd could ever dreamt of. But none of that would've made her happy, not after meeting you."
Arizona nodded again; she felt some sympathy for the woman. If the roles had been reversed, Arizona would've done everything in her power to keep Calliope.
"Then I suppose it's time for me to walk away." Erica turned and gestured for Burke to follow her. The tall man smiled at Arizona and followed his boss out of the front doors. Arizona sat down and took out her black notebook.
She began to write a letter to her father.