Sorry I am a little late with this update. It's been a long day and this was actually pretty hard to write.
Thanks for the reviews.
This chapter takes place the day after the last chapter and you'll note some similarities to episode 7x19. As always, any mistakes are mine. Please enjoy.
Walking into the cafeteria Callie heard the familiar giggle before she saw its owner. The bubbly pediatric surgeon sat at her usual corner table with Teddy, absentmindedly stabbing at her salad, laughing as the cardio surgeon talked animatedly. Arizona was still laughing as Callie walked over and slid into the empty seat beside the her. "What's so funny?" A smile tugged at her lips as she watched the pair interact.
"Oh!" Arizona exclaimed excitedly, having just noticed the brunette's arrival. "Hi Calliope," she grinned. "Teddy is in love with this guy she met at the bar the other night. His name is Henry and he is a baseball player. But because she's been single and pathetic for so long she can't remember how you ask someone on a date." The cheeky smile remained plastered on the blonde's face as she turned back to look at the bushing cardio surgeon.
Making a childish face at the peds surgeon who was slurping her drink noisily through a straw, Teddy retorted, "Oh sure Arizona. Just go air all my dirty laundry for the hospital to see. I'm sure everyone needs to know all the details of my failed love life." The words were spoken with mock frustration and Teddy couldn't help but smile as the other blonde giggled around her straw.
The blonde swallowed her soda as Callie chuckled quietly beside her. "It's not the whole hospital Teddy. It's Callie. So just ask him. Besides, bar hottie Henry has to say yes. You're awesome." She shrugged her shoulders matter-of-factly before sticking her straw back in the corner of her mouth.
Callie, who was keeping an eye on both blonde surgeons, watched the exchange in amusement. She grinned as she observed the smaller woman looking at her friend, her eyebrows raised in anticipation as she chewed on her straw. After a moment the brunette saw Teddy's eyes brighten as she came to a realization. The cardio surgeon leapt to her feet, "You're right Arizona. I'm a badass chick. I can ask him out !" She started to walk away from the table, her face a picture of determination.
The other blonde quickly swallowed the drink in her mouth before shouting after her. "Wait, it's one in the afternoon. You're going to the bar now?"
Teddy spun around to respond. "No. Oh God no." She laughed. "I have surgery. I'll ask him tonight." With a grin she turned back around and walked off, leaving the other two women still seated at the table.
After a moment's silence, filled only by the slurping of soda and the crunching of carrots, Callie spoke up as she grabbed a slice of cucumber off the blonde's plate. "How did your fundoplication go?" Arizona had never gotten back to her after their conversation the night before. "Did you get it back from Stark? What did the parents say when you talked to them?"
"Well…Once I explained the risks of the Stark's open procedure versus my laparoscopic technique, they were more than happy to let me do the surgery. So yeah, I did it this morning. And it was flawless." There was that cute grin again.
Callie could see that the blonde was proud of herself. "Well your surgeries usually are. But still, that shouldn't have happened. Any word from the Chief what's going to happen with Stark? Because he can't keep doing that to you. It's discrimination." Callie seemed to be angrier about the situation than the woman who was actually involved. "Can't Webber do something about it?" She took a bite out of the stolen vegetable as she waited for Arizona to respond.
Arizona shrugged, turning in her seat to better face the brunette. She propped her elbow up on the table and dropped her head into her hand. "I mean, Stark didn't like me before he found out I didn't have a leg. So I don't so much know if it is discrimination so much as it is him just being an ass and a crotchety old man."
The Latina shook her head. "No, he's being an ass if he challenges you in front of patients. He's being an ass if he takes all the good surgeries and leaves you with the appys and bowel resections. It's discrimination as soon as he brings up your leg as a justification for doing what he's doing. You've got a plastic leg. Big deal. That doesn't change the types of surgeries you should or should not get to do." She paused as she saw the blonde's brow furrow and she thought back on what she had just said. "I-I mean it is a big deal. I'm not trying to minimize your loss. But I…"
Arizona raised her head and placed her hand on the stuttering brunette's arm. "Callie. Callie its okay. I know what you're trying to say. And you're right. It's not right. I've gone to the Chief. I've done what I can for right now. I'll continue to fight him if he pulls more stunts like he did last night. But there will always be people like Stark." She paused, studying the woman sitting in front of her. "Besides. You shouldn't be worrying about this right now. You're supposed to be happy. Didn't Bailey discharge you?" Arizona stood to dump her tray, Callie rising in suit.
"She did." Callie shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans to keep from reflexively grabbing the blonde's delicate hand as they walked. "But I don't really want to leave if Sofia can't come home too…"
Arizona led them to the elevator, just outside the cafeteria. After pushing the button she slid her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. "Who said Sofia couldn't leave?"
"Her due date wasn't for another two weeks." The elevator chimed and the doors slid open. "I mean that's how long you keep preemies." The pair stepped into the elevator car and Callie watched as Arizona selected the floor for the NICU.
"Sofia can go home."
Callie spun on the spot, turning to face the blonde. "What?"
Arizona smiled and repeated herself. "Sofia can go home. She just needs to pass the infant carrier test. Mark was supposed to bring the carrier by at…" She paused to look at her watch. "Well in a few minutes. We were going to surprise you but I guess since you found me in the cafeteria…" She trailed off as the doors slid open and they stepped out of the elevator.
"Arizona are you serious!" Callie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She stopped in the middle of the hallway and pulled the petite woman into a tight hug. Arizona wobbled slightly as Callie released her, pulled off balance by the brunette's quick embrace. Automatically Callie's hands shot out to stabilize the blonde. "Sorry. Sorry." She said sheepishly as Arizona straightened her lab coat, having regained her footing.
The diminutive blonde laughed. "It's alright. You're excited. Come on." She started walking again, gesturing for Callie to follow her.
Walking into the NICU Callie immediately gravitated to her daughter's cradle. Sofia, who now weighed five pounds and ten ounces was the picture of health. She squirmed as Callie picked her up, before settling contentedly in her mother's arms.
Arizona grinned as she watched the two interact. "She looks just like you Calliope." The blonde spoke to the mother before stepping closer and taking one of Sofia's little hands in her own, bending down so her face was in front of the child's. "Don't you. You look just like your mommy pretty girl. A-ha!" She grinned as Sofia made an excited noise at her. "Yes you do!" When she looked up she saw Callie grinning at her. The blonde let go of the baby's tiny hand, stepping black as a blush reddened her cheeks. She cleared her throat. "Sorry."
Callie laughed. "Don't be. It's cute. You're good with kids Arizona and Sofia really seems to like you."
A smile lit up Arizona's face as well. "I…" Anything she was about to say was interrupted as Mark walked into the NICU with the car seat.
"As promised." He announced loudly. "One infant carrier. We're ready to take our baby girl home Robbins! So how does this work?"
Mark's noisy entrance wiped the grin off the blonde's face and she quickly slipped out of buddy mode and into doctor mode as she explained. "She needs to sit in the carrier for one hour with no apnea or bradycardia. If she can do that, then she is ready to go home."
Mark scoffed. "Please, she'll ace it."
The peds surgeon gave him a tight smile before approaching mother and daughter. "May I?" She reached for the infant. When Callie handed the baby to her, Arizona gently laid her back in her cradle. "Hey little one. If you do good you get to go home with your mommy and daddy today." She smiled at the infant before putting her stethoscope in her ears and listening to Sofia's chest and abdomen.
Watching the peds surgeon interact with her daughter, Callie felt her heart flutter. This is how it should have been. Her and Arizona and their child. The brunette sighed as she saw Arizona gently stroke Sofia's dark hair, a goofy smile plastered on her face while she spoke gibberish to the infant. She looked up to see Mark waiting expectantly while Arizona finished her exam. Her frown deepened as she remembered how quickly the joy was sucked out of the blonde when they were interrupted by Mark.
Once she was done, the peds surgeon pulled her stethoscope out of her ears, slinging it back around her neck before addressing the parents. "She sounds great. If she passes the test then you're good to go. Why don't you put her in the carrier and I'll start the clock."
As Mark buckled Sofia into her car seat, Callie's attention was immediately pulled back to her daughter.
Once the baby was situated, Arizona pushed start on the stop watch and looked at the parents who stood in front of her. They happily chattered at their baby who continued to look around curiously as minutes ticked on. After about fifteen minutes, Bailey joined the trio of doctors and after a few more minutes they'd drawn a crowd. As everyone talked happily about the baby, Arizona approached the new mom. Gently laying a hand on a tanned arm, she looked up at the brunette. "Callie?"
"Hmm?" Came the automatic response before Callie turned her head, affixing Arizona with a smile. "Yeah?"
"I've signed the discharge paperwork pending she does well with this. Bailey has it and will give it to you after the hour is up. I need to go up to my office. But I just wanted to say again, congratulations. She is beautiful." Arizona gave the new mom a true smile, squeezing her arm affectionately before letting go and walking to the door. The pair shared one more brief glance and a smile before Arizona gestured with her head towards the baby, causing Callie to look back towards her daughter as the blonde ducked into the hall.
Mark's in the way :-( Many of you predicted that would be one of the main problems of this section and you were right.
But. Henry. Yay!
So please let me know if you have any ideas. Like I've said before. The skeleton of this story is worked out but some of the meat of the story is up for grabs. If there's something you want to see, or some shenanigans for our surgeons to get into, let me know and I'll try to make it happen.
Please take a brief moment and let me know what you think!
