Title: Frontlines

Author: captstarbuck

Rating: T

Pairing: Callie/Arizona

Disclaimers: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual. (I don't own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy.

Summary: My take on Callie and Arizona in NYC at the time the pandemic hit

Editor/Beta: pensco_927

Frontlines

Chapter 9 – Here Comes The Sun

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Day 31

For two weeks, Arizona's health kept improving. She felt so much better each day. The respiratory therapist was pleased with her progress and was hopeful she wouldn't need the oxygen again. She no longer experienced the long coughing bouts that had once racked her body. Other than a few small coughing fits here and there, the coughs had almost disappeared. The blonde just wished she didn't feel so weak and tired. It didn't take much to fatigue her, and it was frustrating for her. Despite her frustration, however, she knew she was one of the lucky ones. She survived, and with luck and rehab, would suffer no long-term affects.

But she was starting to get bored – really, really bored. She wondered if her boredom was driving her fatigue. After her daily appointment with the respiratory therapist, she was on her own most of the day. She tried to watch the television, but there was nothing on. Well, there wasn't anything on that didn't put her to sleep.

Arizona found herself looking forward to the nurses' frequent trips into her room to check on her. Sometimes they even stopped by just to say hi and to let her know how happy they were to see her getting better. The first few times the nurses came into her room when on their breaks, Arizona had been moved to tears. She'd been so touched by their concern and support she almost couldn't speak.

Callie's multiple daily visits to her room helped. Sometimes she could only stay for a few minutes, but when her shift was over, she'd spend a few hours with her. Holding hands and an occasional half-hug was all the contact that was permitted and Arizona yearned for more. Her desire to hold Callie and be held was almost desperate. Physically and emotionally, she craved whatever contact they had, and it was never enough.

The absolute highlight of Arizona's day, however, belonged to the times when she could facetime with her daughter. Now that her mommy was better, Sofia had once again become the bubbly girl she'd always been. Arizona didn't have to say much as Sofia could seemingly talk forever, telling Arizona about her day with her grandparents and Dr. Nic. The blonde endlessly watched with delight the short little videos that Sofia and her mom sent. Her heart was filled with pride as she watched Sofia speed up and down the long driveway with her new bike, or when she helped her grandma cook, or her dad with his garden. She laughed out loud when she saw the faces Sofia made when she got a first look at Daniel's feet prior to painting his toenails. The "Eewww, Grandpa, you have hairy toes" that escaped from Sofia's mouth never failed to bring a laugh.

The only thing that made the calls hard were the moments when Sofia would tell her how much she missed her and asked when she could see her again, and today was no exception.

Callie had come into her room earlier than usual, right after rounds. Even though her mask covered her mouth, Arizona could still see the smile.

"Good morning. Happy Mother's Day."

Arizona felt guilty that she'd forgotten what day it was and she apologized. "Oh, Callie, I forgot. I'm so sorry."

"Don't you apologize. There's nothing to apologize for."

"But I –"

"No, Arizona." Before Callie could gently scold Arizona further, her cell phone rang. "Hello? Hang on. Let's get facetime connected."

Arizona's face lit up, knowing that it was probably a call from Sofia.

Callie nudged Arizona over so she could sit beside her on the bed. The facetime call connected and the screen was soon taken over by a beaming Sofia.

"Happy Mother's Day, Mama! Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!"

"Thank you, Sofia." Spying her mother behind Sofia, Arizona quickly wished Barbara a Happy Mother's Day, too, which was echoed by Callie.

"Thank you, girls," Barbara said.

"Did Dad make you breakfast this morning?"

"Yes, with some help from Sofia. I even got it served to me in bed, with a bouquet of fresh cut flowers."

"Way to go, Dad," Arizona commented with a grin as she watched her father squirm in embarrassment.

"How are you feeling, dear?" her mother asked.

"Much better."

"Does that mean I can come home and see you?" Sofia pleaded.

"Not yet," Arizona replied sadly.

"We're still in lockdown, though it is getting better," Callie added.

"I miss you," Sofia said. "I miss you and Mama so much."

"And we miss you, too. It won't be long."

"I'll be sure to give you one of my extra special magical hugs when we see you," Arizona said, trying not to get too emotional.

"Yay! And I'll give you one of my most awesomest hugs, too!" Sofia said.

"I can't wait."

"Love you, Mama. Love you Mommy."

"Love you, too, Sofia."

The call ended and Arizona choked back a sob. "It's so hard to be away from her. I miss her."

"I know, honey. I miss her, too."

"I'm so tired of being sick and I'm tired of being in this damned hospital bed."

Callie rubbed Arizona's back, then gave her a one-armed hug. "You're getting so much better, Arizona."

"I know, I know," she sighed.

"I have to get back to work," Callie said after a few minutes. "Are you going to be okay? Do you need me to stay?"

"No, I'm fine."

"I'll be back later." Arizona nodded.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Callie said, looking around furtively as she got up from the bed.

"What?"

"I brought you something, but don't tell anyone." She reached into her pocked and pulled out a donut inside a ziploc baggie. "I know it's not on your diet, but I thought today could be an exception."

"A donut? You snuck in a donut?"

"Is that okay?"

"Of course, it's okay!" Arizona smiled. "You are the best, Calliope Torres! I love you."

And then Callie said something she'd found herself saying and thinking many times over the past two months. "When this is all over…"

"We're going to celebrate properly, with our daughter."

Five hours later

Arizona was in the process of showing Latoya yet another video of Sofia riding her bike and preventing the nurse from checking her vitals when the door to the room opened. Dr. Desa-Clark, Chief of Medicine stepped in with Callie, followed by Dr. Ford, Dr. Martin and Penny. Arizona quickly set her phone down and Latoya moved to the side of the room. This was another one of the times when she hated that everyone wore masks. Without seeing the expressions on their faces, she had no idea what to think. The fact that it wasn't just one or two doctors like usual had her feeling a little uneasy.

"Wow, there are a lot of doctors in here," Arizona joked nervously. "Should I be worried?"

Callie edged around the others so she could be standing beside Arizona's bed. She felt Arizona reach for her hand and she quickly squeezed it reassuringly.

"How are you feeling, Arizona?" Dr. Desa-Clark asked.

"Great, well, not great, but good, much better."

"We are very pleased with your progress. Your SAT has remained normal for a week now, even without the oxygen. Your scan yesterday was good, and you've been afebrile for almost two weeks," Dr. Martin recited.

"That's all good, right?"

"It's very good, Arizona," Dr. Desa-Clark answered.

"How would you like to get out of here?" Dr. Martin asked.

"Seriously? You're going to release me?"

"All we need to do is get the paperwork done."

"I've already started it, Dr. Robbins," Penny said.

"Wow! I cannot wait to leave." She quickly added, "no offense."

The doctors in the room laughed. They were happy to have a "win" after so many deaths.

"None taken."

"Thank you all so much, all of you."

"We'll let you get ready."

"Thank you again."

After wishing Arizona well, the team of doctors exiting the room, leaving Callie and Arizona alone.

"So, I've made some arrangements," Callie said. "They told me this morning they were thinking of releasing you so I went back to the hotel to get you a change of clothes. No more hospital gown for you."

"Thank you, Callie."

"And…"

"What did you do?" Arizona asked, noting that Callie was no longer looking directly at her, a sure sign that she'd done something that Arizona might not approve.

"I moved us into one of the Ambassador Suites at the Archfield. We can stay there until you're more mobile and feeling stronger."

"We can't go home?"

"I think it's best we stay there, unless you hate the idea. I just thought it might be nice to not have to worry about meals and having to go out all the time for food or any other supplies." Callie sat on the side of the bed. "It's got a small kitchen, too, should we want to cook something. And," she added, "the beds are really comfortable. They're like sleeping on a cloud."

"Are you sure about this, Callie?"

"Absolutely. Let me, let my Dad, do this for us."

"Okay, for now."

"Good. I'm going to get your clothes. I left them in my office."

"Callie, can I put my leg on?"

"Arizona, you've lost so much weight, it's not going to fit properly."

"I know, I just… I want it on when I leave, even if I'm in a wheelchair."

"Okay," Callie agreed, understanding at once Arizona's request. "And just so you know, you'll be in a wheelchair for awhile." Seeing the blonde about to protest, Callie continued, "just until you're strong enough to use crutches and then we'll transition you to your leg when you've put some weight back on and it fits properly."

Arizona frowned in disappointment, but nodded.

"Good. Give me about fifteen minutes, and I'll be back with your clothes. Penny will probably have your discharge papers ready by then."

True to her word, Callie returned as promised. She'd brought a change of underwear, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants. It had been colder earlier in the day, and even though it was now sunny and quite a bit warmer, she didn't want Arizona to catch a chill.

She carefully helped Arizona get out of the hospital gown, both women trying hard not to remember the last time Callie had had to help Arizona dress. Callie summoned up all her acting ability to hide her shock at how much weight the blonde had lost. Her ribs were visible and she'd lost so much muscle tone.

"We need to fatten you up, honey," Callie said as she assisted Arizona with her leg. "Lots of protein drinks for sure, and definitely some good hearty meals."

"Donuts would help," Arizona said with a grin.

"Not just donuts, but… I will allow one donut or pastry a day." When a fake pout crossed Arizona's face, Callie mock sighed. "You're as bad as Sofia with your sweet tooth. No doubt who she got it from."

There was a knock at the door, then Latoya came in, pushing a wheelchair.

"Ready to leave?" she asked. "Dr. Blake has your discharge papers."

"More than ready." Arizona reached out and took Latoya's hand. "Thank you for everything, Latoya. Callie told me how great you and Marisol were with me."

"Just doing our jobs," Latoya said with a both pleased and embarrassed smile behind her mask.

"Are you ready?" Callie asked.

"More than ready."

Latoya and Callie helped Arizona from the bed and into the wheelchair as Penny joined them, paperwork in hand.

"Do we need to review the instructions?" Penny asked.

"We're good," Callie answered. "I've said them enough times and if we have any questions, we've got them in writing."

After getting the signatures, and handing them a copy, Penny awkwardly waited by the door. "Good luck, Dr. Robbins – "

"Please, call me Arizona," she interrupted. "You've earned the right."

"Okay, then. Arizona. Good luck and may the next time I see you, you'll be on the surgical floor with one of your patients."

"Thanks, Penny."

As Callie pushed the wheelchair out of the room, they almost immediately stopped. The hall was lined with all the staff on the floor that weren't currently with a patient. They were clapping and cheering, which was something they normally did when a long-term COVID patient left. This time, their cheers were a little louder and their applause a little more enthusiastic. This time it was because one of their own, a much beloved one of their own, had survived and was leaving.

Arizona murmured her thanks to everyone, embarrassed and deeply moved by the outpouring. Even through their masks, she could tell they were smiling. Once in the elevator and facing her colleagues, Arizona waved before the door could close.

The scene was repeated as Callie wheeled Arizona through the main lobby and out the front entrance. The sun was shining brightly and somehow "Here Comes the Sun" was playing over a set of loudspeakers. Arizona thought they were making too much fuss, but Callie explained that the hospital had started doing it when patients who'd been critically ill were discharged.

As Callie pushed the wheelchair toward her waiting SUV, Arizona put her hand up.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked the blonde.

Arizona tilted her head back, the warm rays from the sun on her face. "I just wanted to… it feels good to feel the sun again."

As Callie wheeled Arizona into their suite, she suddenly was struck with a sense of de ja vu, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. It made her anxious and filled with a sense of dread. She tried to brush it aside, but she couldn't help but think about the last time she'd pushed Arizona in a wheelchair into their home.

Unable to make eye contact, she pushed the wheelchair over to the large sofa and helped Arizona out of it and onto the couch.

"So," she said nervously, "we've got the Gold Ambassador Suite. The hotel has several of them, but this is the nicest. I would've preferred the Presidential Suite or the Penthouse Suite, but those are really big and they're already occupied. I think there's a bunch of out-of-state nurses sharing the Presidential Suite as it has three bedrooms," she rambled on. "Our suite only has two with really comfortable king sized beds. I know we don't need two bedrooms, but it's nice having two bathrooms, and the master suite bathroom is, um…" Her voice dropped and she mumbled, "wheelchair accessible."

At first Arizona couldn't understand why Callie standing in the kitchen and rambling on about the suite, then it dawned on her. Callie was nervous and scared.

"Callie," she said firmly.

The brunette ignored Arizona, or didn't hear her. "And I upgraded Penny and Rita to our old suite from a regular room. It's the least I can do for them. They were so great while you were, um, on the ventilator." It almost pained her to say the word. "And the nurses were great, too. I'd like to do something for the staff on the ward you were on. Not sure what, but maybe send them all some really good food, or something," she prattled on. "Maybe gift cards or gift certificates to a spa that they can use when this damned COVID is gone, or at least under control."

"Callie," Arizona repeated more forcefully, causing Callie to fall silent and stop pacing. "Come here."

"What? Do you need something? Are you feeling okay?" she asked, her nerves still showing as she cautiously approached the blonde.

Arizona smiled and patted the sofa. "Come sit."

Callie stiffly sank down on the sofa beside her. Arizona immediately took Callie's hand. "Look at me, Calliope."

The brunette slowly turned her head and met the blonde's gaze, then looked down. Arizona saw the anxiety that Callie was trying to hold back and it saddened her. She let go of Callie's hand and placed on her cheek.

"It's not like before, okay?" She dipped her head, trying to get Callie to look at her again. "It's different this time. I want your help. I need your help so I can get better."

Relief filled Callie's face, and Arizona could almost see the weight of the stress lift from Callie's shoulders.

"You do?"

"I do. I absolutely do. I won't be able to do it on my own, and you're the only one I want beside me to help."

Callie smiled, her fears quickly fading.

"And there's the smile I've missed so much," Arizona said as she brushed a few stray hairs back from Callie's face, grateful that she could finally savor a look at a maskless Callie.

Callie's eyes teared up as she thought about the past few weeks, her fears that Arizona wouldn't survive. She turned and fell into Arizona's open arms, the blonde already sensing Callie's need.

"I was so afraid, Arizona," Callie wept quietly, her head against the blonde's chest. "I didn't want to think about the possibility that you wouldn't make it, but every day… It was so hard."

Arizona gently stroked Callie's back, holding her close as she tried to soothe her anguish.

"It's going to be okay, Callie. I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere."

They sat together for several minutes, Callie's tears finally ceasing.

"Better now?" Arizona asked. Callie nodded, wiping her cheeks. "Good. There's something I need you to help me with."

"Anything."

"I really, really need a bath. I stink. I smell like hospital."

Callie laughed. "You bet. And while you're in the tub, I'll call down for some dinner."

"Nothing heavy, please."

"How about grilled cheese and some vegetable soup?"

"Sounds fantastic."

After Arizona had a long soak in the tub, followed by Callie washing her hair, the two women sat down to eat their light dinner. As she was still recovering, Arizona found herself getting fatigued. She was irritated that the simple acts of bathing and eating dinner could tire her out so quickly. She took a deep breath to calm herself. She had to give herself time to recover. It would happen. She would get better.

"Callie, would you help me get to bed? I think I'm ready to call it a night."

"Sure."

Once Arizona was tucked into bed, Callie took some time for herself to shower and change into her pajamas. She sighed heavily once she slipped in beside Arizona.

"You were right, Callie."

"About what?" Callie asked as she shut off the light on the nightstand.

"This bed is super comfy. I thought our bed was good, but this is amazing."

"Told you so," she smirked in the darkness. "The higher end suites have the best beds."

Arizona moved closer to Callie, her head on her shoulder and her arm around her waist. Callie quickly put her arms around the blonde. For so many weeks she'd feared she'd never hold Arizona again.

"But this right here, with you in my arms? That's the best."

Wrapped in each other's arms, the couple drifted off to sleep. For the first time since COVID and the pandemic entered their lives, they were finally able to sleep peacefully.

Author's Note: So, one more chapter (the epilogue).