Title: Dreaming
Author: gabs88
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Summary: Callie and Arizona are barely a month into their relationship. It's becoming everything they could have ever wanted. What could possibly change that?
Rating: T. Sorry.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to ABC/Shonda Rhimes. The story is mine.
Note: Holy cow. You guys are all freaking awesome. Like, wow.
Um. That's all I've got in reaction to that :). 'Cause wow.
I've had to use Afrikaans as the language spoken, not Chewa, as there is no Chewa translator. Sorry about that!
Time line wise, in the show, they'd be getting married right now. I rained on that parade...instead we get surgeries on sick kids, and some other stuff in between.
Chapter Twenty Four
Moments.
Arizona woke up staring at the springs of a bunk bed over her head. She had no idea where she was and her head was incredibly fuzzy. Her alarm was blaring from her phone under her pillow and she groggily reached under her head and pulled it out, switching it off. Six am Seattle time. This jet lag was going to be a bitch.
Springs. Bunk beds. She'd slept the night in an on call room. She could have gone to a hotel, but she'd wanted to be near the kids if they needed her, and she would have had to be at the hospital early anyway.
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, stretching out her back. She grabbed her bag and wandered to the bathroom. After showering in one of the staff room bathrooms and brushing her teeth, Arizona pulled her hair back into braids and secured them behind her head. She pulled a dark blue scrub shirt on and stood for a moment, looking at her self.
Who would have thought it was two years since she had been wearing this is exact outfit? Despite her skin having a touch of colour, she looked the same: what had really changed?
She blinked.
A lot had changed, in a way.
And in another, here she was, in scrubs, about to go on rounds and plan surgeries on tiny humans.
She grabbed her stethoscope, stashed her bag with her suitcases in the attendings lounge-she needed to sort out living arrangements-and walked her way to the paeds wing. She smiled at the nurses she'd met last night , all who were about to come off the night shift, all new faces, none she recognised from before. They all smiled back, some with expressions that made it look like they were ready to fall asleep, and some with the manic bounce of someone who had hit their second or third wind of a ten hour over night shift.
She wandered through the ward, reacquainting herself and poking her head into the rooms with her kids in them. Some were asleep, others wide awake, jet lag affecting them all differently. Zola was curled in a ball in her crib, bottom up in the air and fists tucked under her. Each room had a cot with a family member or orphanage attendant trying to get some sleep in it.
She eventually made her way to the chiefs office, early like he'd requested, and braced herself at the door to go in and discuss her contract, Starks up in three weeks and she to be overtaking it.
She was really back; there was so much opportunity in front of her.
So why the heavy stomach?
She couldn't think about Callie right now, she had to get through the day.
She took a deep breath and knocked on the door, entering the Chiefs office.
####
There was a small crowd gathered around the nurses station, residents and interns, waiting for their attendings to arrive to round. This was new, to be on a specialty, yet having all those specialties combined with paeds. Two specialties combined in one meant that everyone was getting competitive and wanting in on an assist.
Alex Karev stood watching them all murmuring in excitement. His arms were crossed and his expression neutral as he took it all in.
Arizona sidled up to him and his expression didn't change as she leant against the nurses station, her hands in her pockets. She noticed his shoulders relax slightly but other than that he barely acknowledged her arrival.
"All set?" She asked him.
He looked at her, swallowing, "All set."
She smiled, leaning forward suddenly and giving him a brief hug before pulling back, "You actually did it, Karev."
He shrugged with one shoulder, unable to completely hide a smile, "Yeah yeah. It's all rainbows."
She just kept grinning at him before turning and facing the small crowd. No one had really paid them any attention, but now she was facing them they all quieted down and turned their eyes to her. She widened them and shrugged, turning to face Karev. He looked at her, his eyes wide. She smirked and tilted her head slightly towards the crowd and raised her eyebrows at him.
'Go on' the look said.
He swallowed heavily. He'd thought she would take point.
Which Arizona had no intention of doing. Karev was all over this, this was his baby.
He turned, took a deep breath, and laid out the plan of who they'd round on first, who was with what Attending and reintroducing each case.
Arizona leant back, watching as if she was letting him go solo on a surgery the first time.
They walked into Zola's room first, Shepherd in there already. He was holding Zola, Mekala, her attendant, standing on and smiling at something he'd just said. Shepherd looked up as Arizona, Karev and an intern, Julie, walked in.
"Morning."
They all echoed his greeting.
"Karev, care to present? I hear I've got you on this case."
Karev nodded, "This is Zola, six months old, Spinda Bifida. Post an MRI early this morning, it's shown she has developed a Chiari malformation and hydrocephalus."
"And what does that mean?"
"She has fluid built up in the brain."
Shepherd nodded, shining his pen torch for Zola to play with. Arizona tried to hide her smile-he was clearly more happy playing with Zola then focussing on what Alex was saying. Arizona looked at Karev, "Mode of treatment?"
"Insertion of a shunt to help drain the fluid."
Shepherd spoke to Zola, "That's right, Zola. Make your head feel all better." He looked up at Mekala, "It'll postpone her spinal treatment, but it will be worth it in the long run."
Mekala nodded gratefully, holding out her arms to take Zola back. Arizona cocked her head as she watched Shepherd hand her back over almost regretfully.
Arizona followed quietly on the rounds for some of the other patients, Karev staying behind to prep Zola. She liased with Hunt for Asha's abdominal injuries and found herself impressed with a resident she'd not met before, Kepner, who had attempted to learn Afrikaans to talk to Asha.
Arizona slipped next to the two and whispered a pronunciation correction to Kepner, then spoke quietly to Asha, who had settled as soon as Arizona walked over.
"Sy is 'n dokter, soos ek sy is hier om jou maag te help. Nou waar is daardie mooi glimlag?" She's a doctor, like me, she's going to help. Now where is that beautiful smile gone?
A slow smile came over Asha's face.
"Daar is dit. Mooi." There it is. Beautiful.
Kepner smiled gratefully at Arizona as she went back to trying to communicate with Asha.
Arizona turned to Hunt and the x-rays he had up.
"Good to see you, Hunt."
He smiled at her, "Great having you back, Robbins. Africa agreed with you."
She smiled, "I heard congratulations are in order."
He grinned, glancing down at his wedding band, "Thanks."
"Now, what do we have."
He watched her as she studied the xrays, her face looking grim.
"The ascites are already worse than what we saw in the clinic."
Hunt nodded, pointing, "And here? The enterotomies and strictures."
She crossed her arms as she looked at the images, "I thought Stark was on this case, too? Where is he?"
Hunt looked awkward, "He, uh, said that obviously you had it and he'd focus on more important things."
Arizona pursed her lips. Subtle.
"So it's me and you on this one, then?"
He nodded, "If you have the time?"
She grinned, "It's only been three days since my last and I'm itching to get in there. Too many world class surgeons here, I was hoping I'd get to get my hands dirty."
"Missing your clinic already?"
She shrugged, "Not too much yet."
"Five minutes with Stark and you will be."
She laughed, "People are making me think that's true."
Hunt grinned, "I have the feeling you'll hold your own."
They wound up with Asha, surgery booked for the next day, and Arizona wandered down the hall to the nurses station where she was meeting the next team for the final round of the African kids.
Arizona braced herself. She had managed, since waking up, to keep Callie and their first meeting after eighteen months completely out of her mind. She had had the meeting with the chief and rounds with her kids to think of. She had Karev and nudging him to lead the parts he could to do. She had getting through her first day back in a hospital she'd spent a few months being a part of years ago to manage. Plenty to try and occupy her thoughts.
But now, she was walking up to meet Callie and Merideth to take them to meet Sekou, the boy who had been left crippled post polio.
She found her heart hammering again; this was seriously not healthy.
She walked up to the desk, Callie standing with her back to her, chatting to Merideth and a woman Arizona didn't recognise, an intern hovering nervously a few paces away, awaiting instruction.
She caught the last part of their conversation.
The woman she didn't recognise was smirking at Callie, "It's your own fault. You didn't have to drink at Jaime's party after surgery. Mel would've understood."
"Teddy, shut up. My head hurts." There was a playfullness to Callie's tone.
"Again, your own fault."
"You've met Jaime-and Mel. You don't say no to them when there's alcohol involved."
Teddy winced, "Yeah, I learnt that the hard way."
Arizona put a smile on her face. Callie had spent the night with Mel even after being called in to surgery.
Which she can do if she wants.
"You guys ready?"
Callie and, apparently Teddy, turned around and Merideth looked up from the chart she was reading, closing it and swinging it out for the intern to take.
Callie faltered for a second then smiled back, "Hey." She nodded, "We're ready."
They looked at each other for a moment. Teddy looked from one to the other, amusement on her face. When neither broke eye contact she smirked and took matters in her own hands.
She stepped forward, her hand help up, "Hi, I'm Teddy Altman. I believe we'll be working on a heart defect case together?"
Arizona blinked and looked towards her, shaking Teddy's hand, "Hi, Arizona Robbins. I'm looking forward to it, I've heard good things about your work."
"Just good?" Teddy grinned.
Arizona laughed, "Amazing even."
"Good to know."
"Shall we?" Arizona smiled and stepped back as the others led the way. She tried not to breath in as Callie walked past and instead focussed on greeting Merideth Grey.
Callie, Merideth and the intern walked in before her and Arizona followed behind. Sekou, all of eight, was sitting up in the bed, looking terrified.
Callie noticed relief wash over his face as Arizona walked in last.
"Hallo, Sekou."
He gave Arizona a small smile, "Hallo."
"Het jy goed slaap?" Have a good sleep?
Callie looked to Arizona in surprise.
The little boy gave a shrug of his shoulders, "My liggaam sê dit is nie die nag, selfs al is dit heeltemal donker was!" My body says it's not time to sleep, even though it's dark!
Arizona laughed, "Dit sal beter raak, gou." That'll get better, soon.
She looked at the surprised faces around her. She smiled and raised her eyebrows, "I was there two years, guys."
Callie blinked, "True. You're just-you're good at it."
Arizona shrugged, "Why would you live in another country and not learn the language? It's fun."
Callie turned to the little boy, upping the wattage of her smile, "How is he?"
Arizona smiled, "He's not slept." She turned to Callie, her arms crossed, "I tried to explain jet lag to them before we left, but I think they're only just getting the concept."
Callie smiled and turned to Grey, "Want to start?"
"This is Sekou, polio survivor. He's crippled in both left and right legs. We're going to be looking at heel cord and iliotibial band lengthening, tendon and muscle transfers and fusions of the foot which may possibly include fusions of his spine."
Callie nodded, "Further scans?"
"We'll get fresh Xrays and a CT."
"Great, Grey. Full work up."
Grey nodded, turning to look at her intern who scampered away, smiling at the little boy herself before following the intern to make sure he did it properly.
Callie looked at Arizona, "Can you tell him he's in good hands?"
Arizona smiled, arms still crossed and turned back to Sekou who was looking at them with wide eyes, "Alles wat ons oor gepraat het by die kliniek? Jou chirurgie? Hierdie dame is magic. Sy 's die beste-ons sal jy staan, klein man." Everything we talked about at the clinic? Your surgery? This lady is magic at. She's the best-we'll have you standing, little man.
Sekou smiled.
Callie watched the exchange and tried to ignore how the other language falling from Arizona's lips made her pulse speed up.
####
Callie poured coffee into her cup in the Attendings lounge, flopping on to the couch and putting her feet up. She proceeded to guzzle it. She eyeballed the suitcases that were slid near the fridge in the corner, out of the way. She recognised them. She'd helped Arizona wheel them to the check in area at the airport.
She sighed and took another long sip.
She looked up as Mark walked in, his own coffee in his hand. He tipped it to her in greeting and fell in to the couch opposite her.
"How have people ever functioned without coffee?"
Mark shrugs, "Beats me." He smirked, "Regretting going out after your emergency surgery last night?"
Callie nodded, "Slightly."
"So, Blondie's back. How ya doing?"
Callie raised her eyebrows at him, "Wow, Sloan. Don't ask subtly."
"Since when have I ever done subtle?"
"Fair point."
Mark just looked at her, waiting for her to answer.
"I'm fine."
He raised his eyebrows.
"What, I am."
He sipped his coffee, eyes never leaving her.
She sipped hers, a staring stand off commenced and neither willing to blink first.
She lost when her phone beeped in her pocket and she looked down at it.
Mark grinned, "Ha! Talk. I won."
She rolled her eyes, glancing at her phone to see it had just been warning her of a low battery, "I really am fine."
Mark groaned and glared at her.
"Okay!" She caved, "It's weird!"
He nodded at her, encouraging her.
"It's-it's strange. She's back. I spoke to her last night."
"You talked?"
"Yeah, I ran into her right after I left you."
Mark sipped his coffee, "And how'd that mess go?"
"Why would it be a mess?"
He raised his voice, "'Oh, hi, I've not seen you since you stopped by eighteen months ago for a night of hot, hot sex after we broke up six months previously because you had to run off and be a super hero!'"
Callie narrowed her eyes, "You have really got to stop mimicking me."
"I'm an excellent mimicker."
She rolled her eyes, "It wasn't that bad. It was-I don't know. Short. Awkward. Really nice to see her." She leant back heavily on the couch, "She's back for good, you know? Why wouldn't she have told me that. She could have emailed me."
Mark shrugged, "She should have."
Callie ran her finger around the rim of her coffee cup, "I could have asked her."
"You could have."
She looked up at him, "Stop being annoying."
He shrugged again, "I'm agreeing with you."
"A rare occurence."
"You tell her about Mel?"
"She brought her up."
Mark looked confused.
"She saw us in the lobby on her way in."
"Ah. How'd that go?"
"My pager went off before we could say a lot. It was fine."
"So she's back."
Callie nodded mutely, staring at a spot on the wall, "She's back."
"And you were with Mel last night?
Callie looked at him, "Where else would I have been?"
He held his hand up in surrender, "Just a question."
"I met them out after surgery."
"And you two are good?"
She was staring distractedly at the wall again, "Yeah. We're good."
"All happy, and stuff?"
"Yeah. We're comfortable. It's nice. I like her."
Mark nodded slowly. Comfortable at two months? He watched her for a minute, knowing she'd talk again eventually.
"Arizona and I could be friends, right?"
Mark looked dubious, "Ah..."
"What? Ex's can be friends. We were only together for four weeks?"
"What does four weeks have to do with anything?"
"Well, it's been two years since then. We could be friends."
Mark still looked dubious, "Friends?"
She looked at him, "Yeah. Friends."
"Maybe, Torres."
####
Arizona flipped her fifth shot glass up side down on the bar top and watched the small amount of liquid inside slowly slide down the glass.
She was drunk.
She was okay with that, because that was her plan. She would be drunk one night, then she really would get her shit together and tomorrow, in the bright light of a hangover, would figure out her plans for her department, and for Africa and for how to be Callie's friend. Maybe she'd do a trip to Africa sooner than intended and get some space.
She laughed out loud as she downed a sixth shot.
Because after two years of being in another country and only twenty four hours back in Seattle, she needed space.
She slammed the glass down and flipped it over to join the line of others.
What was she thinking about?
Oh, yeah. So tomorrow, tomorrow she'd face all of that.
Tonight though, she was damn well going to be drunk in a bar on her own, head to the hotel she'd booked into and try to sleep before she acted like a rational adult tomorrow.
She felt entitled to do that.
Mark Sloan entered the near empty bar at ten thirty pm on a Monday and looked around. He'd finished up late on a burn victim and figured he'd grab a beer, his and Callie's fridge being empty, and have a chat to Joe, before heading home to the warmth of his bed and Lexie. His eyebrows shot up as he saw Arizona at the bar, a line of upside down shot glasses in front of her and a glass of half drunk white in her hand.
She looked ploughed.
He sidled up and slid on to the bar stool next to her, elbow leant on the bar top as he appraised her. She didn't look at him.
Joe walked up, "Beer, Sloan?"
Mark glanced at him, "A beer and three shots thanks, Joe."
Arizona finally looked blurrily at him.
He shrugged at her, "No one should be this drunk alone. It's just sad."
She nodded her agreement and went back to contemplating her wine glass.
Marks drinks arrived and he took two shots in succession and then had a long sip of his beer. He saved the third, sipping on his beer as he sat looking at Arizona.
She finally spoke, "I've missed good white."
He just continued to look at her.
She glanced sideways at him, "The wine here is good. I don't know why people bag out American wines. I haven't had a good white in two years. Though I've kind of burnt my tastebuds and can't enjoy it properly now."
"Six shots will do that."
She sighed heavily and gave the shot glasses a filthy look, "Yeah. I'm going to regret those."
"Don't you have surgery with Derek in the morning?"
She shook her head and almost fell off her bar stool, "Nope. Well, yes. But not until the afternoon. And I'm just more observing. I perk up by the afternoon, anyway."
He looked at her confused. She rolled her eyes and turned so she was sitting side on to the bar, facing him, wine glass resting on her knee.
"I wake up wanting to die, experience a four hour hangover and then I'm fine."
He looked dubious, "You don't get all day hangovers?"
She grinned, "Nope. Never have. I'm awesome like that."
"I kind of hate you."
"Most people do when they hear that."
He laughed, "It kind of fits, though, with the whole 'perky' thing."
She shrugged, "What you gonna do?"
He reached forward and took his third shot, chasing it with his beer and smiling gratefully when Joe put a second beer in front of him and wandered away.
Arizona suddenly looked at him suspiciously, swaying slightly in her seat, "Why are you talking to me?"
She raised his eyebrows as he took another sip, "Uh-because you're the only one in here."
She looked surprised and looked around the bar, seeing it was pretty much empty, "Oh. When did that happen?"
"Probably around your fourth shot."
"Probably." She eyeballed him again. The blonde was kind of funny when she was drunk, "But why are you talking to me?"
He didn't pretend to not know what she meant, "You're alone at a bar. I felt kind of bad for you."
"You're Callie's best friend."
"Doesn't mean I can't talk to you."
She nodded, "Okay." Arizona put her elbow on the bar and rested the side of her head on her hand, looking at Mark, "I had to leave."
"Huh?"
"For Africa."
He nodded, "Yeah?"
"I couldn't not go and change tiny human lives in a third would country because of a four week long relationship."
"No one thinks you shouldn't have gone. Not even Calle could make an argument for you to stay."
She nodded, "It was a crap situation."
He echoed her nod, "It was." He had genuinely felt for both of them. "But now your back?"
"Now I'm back."
He studied her face, "And Callie's seeing someone."
Her face barely changed, but he saw a tick go off near her eye and watched as she took in a long breath and let it out slowly, a practiced movement.
She nodded, "And Callie's seeing someone."
"And it bothers you."
She looked at him sharply, "Does not."
He just raised his eyebrows at her, looking at her skeptically.
"I didn't want her to wait, I wanted her to move on."
"So why are you sitting drunk in a bar and moping about it?"
"I, Mark Sloan, do not mope. I'm not moping. I'm...contemplating." Mark raised his eyebrows, impressed she could get out a word so big. She grinned at him, "Right? That had alot of sylalabals."
"You just gave syllables more syllables then it should."
"Shh."
"So why are you moping?"
She glared at him, "Contemplating."
"Fine, what are you contemplating?"
"I'm processing the stupidity of my reaction to Callie's girlfriend lady."
"You expected her to wait."
Arizona shook her head adamantly, "No. I didn't."
Mark raised his eyebrows at her.
"I didn't!"
"So you're angry she moved on?"
Arizona shook her head again, "No. Not at all. That's one thing I am definitely not. I'm not angry at her or annoyed at her or even hurt by her-she had every right to date."
"But you kind of expected her to wait?"
"I didn't expect her to wait. I-I ended it, straight away, to be kind. We were together four weeks, we couldn't carry a long distance relationship across countries when neither of us would be able to make it to see each other."
Mark nodded, "They were good reasons to end it."
"I know that." She looked at her wine glass, "So I know I have no right to feel like this."
"No, you don't."
Arizona nodded her agreement.
"So whats the problem?"
"In my head, I still kinda wanted to see were we could go when I got back. But I couldnt say that, then. And now she has McHotty-I have no right. At all. Which is why I'm sitting drunk in a bar with you having a moment, rather then storming around being angry." She took a sip of her wine, "Because I wasn't allowed to think that,, even in the back of my head. So I have no right to go storming."
Mark was silent.
"But I don't want her back, because I'm not allowed to. But I do. But I didn't want her to wait. But I wanted to see where we could go when I got back...ya know?"
"You are one giant ball of contradiction, Robbins."
Arizona groaned and dropped her head on the bar top, "I know. Trying being me right now."
"So you're just having a moment?"
Arizona nodded her head against the bar top.
"And tomorrow, you'll do your dimples thing and pretend to be okay?"
She nodded again, still face planted on the bar top.
Mark rested a heavy hand on her shoulder, "Everyone's entitled to a moment, Robbins."
"That's good. 'Cause I'm having one."
####