Chapter 20
"I want you to move in here with me, with us." Arizona says the next morning over coffee.
"Arizona, is this a weird reaction to everything that's gone on in the past week?" Amelia asks cautiously.
"No, it's a reaction to what we said to each other yesterday." Arizona replies. "Unless it's too soon for you?"
"Its just that I don't do that. I mean, I haven't done that. Like ever. If I move in here, I'd not have my own place at all. Though technically, I don't have my own place now, so wait..." The brunette pauses to consider it. "How would it work exactly? Amelia asks.
"Wait, you've never cohabitated?" Arizona asks.
"Well, not exactly. I've exchanged keys before, but I've never not also had my own place." She tries to explain. "But I am realizing now, that I actually don't have my own place now, since I'm just staying in Derek's trailer, so now I'm confused by what it means."
"It means you should move in with your girlfriend and enjoy having working plumbing and no bears." Arizona replies.
"I'm not saying no. I'm just saying that I need to think about it." Amelia says leaning across the table and kissing her.
"Okay, but for the record, I've never asked anyone to live with me before." Arizona says, cupping her chin and deepening the kiss.
"Mmmm, duly noted." Amelia says pulling away slowly and looking into her crystal blue eyes.
"I think that I figured out what the problem is with the electrode on the left side," Callie says as Addison and Arizona enter the lab. Looking around, Callie asks, "Wait, where's Shepherd?"
"She's doing rounds, she'll be here soon." Arizona replies.
What's wrong with the electrode, Cal?" Addison asks.
"Oh, I think it has a crossed wire, so I want to see if I can adjust the receiver in the prosthetic to match it up, since this is just temporary anyway. We won't need the electrodes, once we implant the sensors, but we need them now to determine how to implant the sensors." Callie tries to explain.
"If you're sure that won't invalidate the data, then okay, I agree with that." Arizona says.
"Addison do you mind connecting setting up the EEG for me and I'll go ahead and check out my theory with the electrode." Callie says picking up the prosthetic and sitting down beside Arizona's chair.
"Aha! I'm right, let's see if this works." She says getting to her feet as Addie sets the EEG cap onto Arizona's head.
"Okay, Arizona let's start with the first one. Contract your quads." Callie directs her.
"Good. Now release." Callie looks back at the monitor. "Side to side", she calls out next.
"Perfect." Callie says stepping back.
"What's perfect?" Amelia asks entering the room.
"Watch this!" Callie says and Arizona goes through it again for her.
"Okay, that's much better than yesterday, what changed?" Amelia asks.
"The electrode on her left side is crossed, so I adjusted the one on the prosthetic to match up, now its testing properly." Callie explains, moving over to Arizona to fit the prosthetic on the stump, for the next test.
"Wait, Callie. You think she's ready for this?" Amelia asks concerned.
"I was ready for this yesterday." Arizona replies. "Let's do this.
Moving over to the blonde, Amelia takes her hand. "Are you sure, how does it feel so far?" She asks.
Looking up, Callie asks her, "Any pinching? discomfort?"
"It feels weird, tingly, but its not painful, I just haven't had anything touching that sense surgery." Arizona says excitedly.
"Okay, well Addison come over here and we'll help you up. Amelia go back over to the EEG and monitor this." Callie says moving to one side of the chair as Addison goes to the other. "Now on a count of three, we'll raise her up to standing. Arizona, don't put your weight on it fully until we see how it feels."
"One, two, three." Callie says and they get her standing. "Okay, talk to me Zo, how is it feeling?"
"Wow, this feels really different." Arizona says, "I'm read to bear weight on it." She says looking over to Callie.
"Okay, go ahead, but shift your weight slowly." Callie advises, looking over at Amelia to make sure.
The brunette nods and keeps her eyes on Arizona's face, quickly glancing down to the monitor then back up.
"I'm good. I feel good." Arizona says, "Go ahead and let go of me." She says.
"Okay, but Arizona just standing. No walking yet." Callie says sternly.
Nodding at Addison, they both drop their grip on her arms, Addison reaches over to get the walker that Arizona will use to take her first steps and moves it in front of her.
Arizona grabs onto the walker and adjusts her feet.
Callie moves in front of her and holds onto the walker, preventing her from moving yet. "First you need to contract your quads and lift your leg." Callie directs her, smiling in anticipation.
Looking down, they all wait for the leg to move. Finally it lifts slowly.
"Okay, Arizona set it back down and let's try this again." Callie says slowly. "Now close your eyes and just visualize it as you do it," She directs her.
The leg lifts easily this time. Arizona opens her eyes, "Oh my god, Callie!" She screams.
"Wait, now close your eyes again. Now I want you to lift it and wiggle it side to side, then put it back down. Remember to visualize it." Callie says slowly again.
They watch as the blonde lifts the leg and then moves it side to side, then puts it back down.
"Perfect. Amelia, what do you see." Callie calls over to her.
"It looks good her, the neural interface matches up and the peripheral nerve mapping is underway. I think we can move to the next phase." Amelia says smiling.
"Okay, Arizona sit back down in the chair and we'll move over to the bars." Callie says nodding to Addison to grab a hold of her.
"Can't I just walk over to the bars." Arizona asks, eager to walk.
"No. Besides, this time you'll stand up by yourself and walk." Callie points out to her.
"How long until you get the new prosthetic?" Alex asks over lunch.
"Callie says two weeks, then they implant the sensors." Arizona replies.
"Hey, so come upstairs and do a consult." He says. "Don't look at me like that. Your brain works, just because you're in a wheelchair doesn't mean you can't practice medicine."
"Oh. That's true. But..." She starts to say.
"No, just come upstairs and consult on this case with me." He repeats.
In the elevator on the way up to Peds, she tells him that they need to get her lab coat out of her locker. So they detour to the locker room, where he grabs her stethoscope and lab coat and hands them to her.
"What if the patient needs surgery?" She asks.
"Then we do surgery or rather I do it and you observe. Nothing different than what we've done before." Alex says casually.
"Oh. Well, lets go see the patient then." She says as he helps her put on her lab coat.
The two weeks fly by as Alex keeps her busy doing consults and Addison insists that they work on two Journal articles. Arizona forgets how much she enjoys this part of the job and it really beats sitting at home watching TV all day.
"How does it feel?" Callie asks watching Arizona's face as she stands at the bars waiting to take her first steps with the new sensors and leg.
Tears slipping down her face, the blonde smiles and nods, "It's good. Real good. C-can I go ahead now?" She asks.
Amelia stands on one side of the bar while Callie is on the other side and Dave, the Physical Therapist, is behind her with his hands on her waist.
"Okay, on two Arizona you're going to lift your leg and take one step forward." Dave says in her ear.
"One. Two." He says, leaning forward as she lifts her leg easily and takes a step forward.
"Oh my god, that felt s-s-so normal." Arizona says looking at Callie. "It works, it really works!" She screams.
"Dave, I want to walk to the end. Okay?" She asks over her shoulder.
"Okay, but slow and steady." He says behind her.
She easily makes it down to the end of the bars, then steps off and over to Callie. "This feels amazing, it's nothing like the other prosthetics. I can't really explain the difference, but oh my god, you did it Cal, we did it." She says throwing her arms around her. Then turning around to face Amelia, the blonde says, "I love you so much, look what we did!" Then she wraps her arms around the brunette and kisses her.
Turning back around, Arizona is happy to see Dave and Callie embrace and kiss.
"Hey, let's go celebrate!" Amelia says turning around to the other couple.
"Wait, we're not done here. Tell you what, you guys go wrap up for the day and Arizona and I will finish up here. Then we'll all meet in the lobby in an hour." Dave says moving over to stand beside the blonde.
"Okay, Dave. Let's do this!" Arizona says watching the the two brunettes leave the room.
"Is it true?" Addison asks entering the PT room with April, Alex and Meredith.
Eyes shining, Arizona looks over at her friends, "watch this" she says walking over to Dave, then easily turning around and walking back to Addison.
"Oh my god, Arizona! That's amazing." Meredith says, "This is with Derek's sensors?"
"Yes!" Arizona replies, "All I have to do is think about walking and I'm walking. The difference was with the other leg, I had to physically think about moving and move the leg. It was so tiring." She tries to explain.
"Well, you look amazing," April says walking over to her and giving her a hug.
"I hope we're going to celebrate soon." Alex says plopping down into the wheelchair.
"We are meeting in the lobby in an hour and going out to dinner, then we'll come by Joe's." Arizona explains.
Joe's is packed as usual but Alex, Addison and Meredith have saved them a table. Amy and Arizona walk in first and they all stand and toast her as she approaches the table. Alex hands Arizona a glass of wine and Addison hands Amelia a soda water with lime. Next, Callie and Dave walk in and they all stand and clap, then Meredith presents tequila shots and she and Callie down them quickly.
"Its a shame that Derek couldn't be here to see this," Meredith says hugging Callie. "But you did awesome and so did you." She says moving around the Latina to embrace her sister-in-law. The group looks over at the door and Meredith feels them shift their gaze so she turns around to see her husband standing behind her.
"You're here." She says turning around.
"I wouldn't miss it." He says turning around to Callie and Arizona. "Show me the magic." He says.
Callie turns to the blonde and grabs her hand and they go out on the dance floor, quickly getting into a dance groove, as Addison grabs Dave and heads out to join them. Laughing, Meredith grabs Derek and Amelia grabs Alex and they all join in dancing around the blonde.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this story. I appreciate all the comments and criticisms (unless of course you were just bitching because it wasn't Calzona, those comments are tiring).
I am not planning a sequel to this one, but I am writing a pre-Calzona story based on S8 E18 The Lion Sleeps Tonight, this will be original back story to AZ dating all those women at Seattle Grace before she was on our radar. Stay tuned!