A/N: This chapter… this chapter has no additional information because… I have a flair for the drama, but then honestly, Grey's Anatomy is one of the most dramatic shows ever.

Disclaimer: I do not have much knowledge about medicine. So, please don't take the medical stuff here at face value.

Chapter 8: Callie

Present Day

My insides aren't inside of me anymore. I don't think I can vomit anymore even if I tried. Today is the day of my experimental surgery. Don't get me wrong. I love surgeries, I love operating, hell I'm a wizard with a scalpel. It feels like an extension of my own freaking hand. But… these surgeries… are going to be… telecasted… to the whole freaking world.

Yup that did it, I leaned forward and hurled into the toilet bowl.

"Callie, honey are you okay?" I looked up from my toilet bowl at Mama O'Malley. She quietly approached me and pulled my hair back and ran her hand through it. That feels so good.

"Yeah, just about" I answer but I can still feel food at the back of my throat. How is there food still in my body?

I look at Mama O'Malley from the corner of my eyes as she grabs a towel and runs it through the water. I lean back and rest on the corner of the bathtub. This hotel room that I'm living in is quite small and crammed. She offered her house to me to come stay with her, but her house is too far from the hospital and I would have to make my commute by a cab or a bus and I still have a grudge against busses.

Mama O'Malley crouched next to me and gently wiped the sweat from my face and what I'm assuming a little bit of vomit too.

"You got this honey. You're going to rock this surgery"

"I know that. It's the cameras that I'm worried about"

"You'll be fine. Now come on, let's get you into another outfit"

"It doesn't matter what I wear, I'm going to have to change into scrubs"

"Callie honey, the only way I'll let you go to the hospital covered in vomit will be over my dead body" I looked at her with a serious expression on my face. Mama O'Malley was never rough with me, so this is new to me. "Besides, you've come back to Seattle after so long, I'm sure your friends wouldn't want to hug your puke covered self"

I looked up and nodded at her as she gave me a hand. I'm going to have to redo my makeup and hair. I didn't even think about hair! I was going to get my haircut in New York but I literally have no time to get anything done. My hair is so long now, I have never had hair this long. I wonder if anyone noticed that about me,if she… Nope, nevermind.

Mama O'Malley helped me get myself together before she stuffed my face with way too much food, which I'm sure will probably come back out. She didn't take no for an answer and literally filled me with all of her baked goods.

She drove me to the hospital before she took off on her own way. Mama O'Malley invited me over to her house for dinner but I'm not sure I can eat anything after all the huge breakfast she fed and re-fed me but again, you can't really say no to her, no matter how hard you try. All I have to do is get through with my surgery and then get to her place for dinner. If I just concentrate on that and nothing else, I don't think I'll puke.

I think Mama O'Malley still thinks of me as her daughter, even though she knows George cheated on me, she still continues to look after me as if I was her own. I love her just as much, rather she has been more of a mother to me than my own mother. I feel like I can trust her with my kids, but not my own mother.

Okay, I need to get my thoughts together before I enter the hospital. I cannot think about my family especially before a major surgery. And great I feel like puking now.

I take a deep breath. Before I take a few steps forward and enter the hospital, making my way towards the changing room. I need to calm down.

"Hey Callie, Link told me you have your surgery today" I turned around to find Amelia holding a tiny little baby.

"Oh my god! Who is this?!" I asked as I rubbed the baby's foot as he giggled in her arms.

"We are still deciding on a name for him" oh but he's such a cute baby.

"You mind if I hold him?" I asked as I stretched out my arms. "I miss them when they are so small, oh he's so adorable. Do I know who this little guy belongs to?"

"You met Link, right? Yesterday?" Oh, that's where the baby boy gets his blonde hair from.

"So, you and Link huh?"

"Yup, one day we were going at it at a conference and then the next day I found out I was pregnant. We went from zero to one hundred pretty fast"

"That sounds like something like I'd do, but if the outcome was this cute, why not!"

"He didn't feel this cute shooting out of me!"

"Oh yeah, I can relate"

"Weren't you in a car crash and had to get operated on for Sofia's delivery?" Damn it!

"Umm, yeah. But you know, I'm a woman I can sympathize with your vagina" I replied and hoped that she bought it.

"Anyway, I'll take this guy back and let you get to your surgery. We'll be watching from the balcony" she says as she takes the baby back in her arms and kisses him on his cheek.

"Yup, I'm going to puke"

"Oh yeah, you get nervous right… talking in front of a lot of people"

"Yup!"

"Do you need something?"

"Nope… Maybe a bucket!" I said as I took the support of one of the cabinets.

"Hey! You got this! Isn't that right baby? Huh?"

"Why can't everyone be as cute as you?" I said as I took the baby's arm in my hand and gently shook it.

Just then the door opened it.

"Dr. Torres, OR 2 is waiting for you" Dr. Bailey said as she entered the room "Dr. Shepherd, you weren't supposed to come here for another month!"

"I couldn't miss this surgery and Link was so excited. So, I had to see it for myself"

"Dr. Shepherd, does Dr. Lincoln know that you are here?"

"Ummm"

"That's what I thought!" Dr. Bailey said as she walked towards the door. "Dr. Torres, you coming or do you want to puke some more?"

I swallowed as I held Dr. Bailey's eyes. She is one scary woman. I kid you not.

"Yeah, I'm right behind you" I replied as I dumped my white coat and followed her out.

Alright! It's time to be Dr. Torres, badass Ortho surgeon and the original Ortho goddess of this hospital who ran an entire department as a resident. I politely nod at the people who pass by me on my way to the scrub room.

This is not nerve racking, I can do this.

Even though the person I want to see most isn't here right now. Does she not care? Anyway, I take out my cap from my pocket and quickly tie it on my head before putting my hand on the OR door.

"You ready, Dr. Torres?" Bailey asks me.

"Just about"

Wow, I have a full gallery up there. A full freaking gallery for an Ortho procedure. As I start scrubbing, I take a look at the patient who's being preped by Dr. Kim. It's the kid who I treated for necrotizing fasciitis three days ago. Honestly, I thought it would derail my experiment and I would have to fly back to New York for good with no leads on my surgery with my hopes and dreams crushed. But the board of medicine appreciated my efforts and gave me the green signal.

Things are good. I even got to speak to my daughter over the weekend. Sofia sounded so happy.

I didn't realize what a good friend Meredith was until I got divorced. Well, actually she and I connected when I found out about the cheating. She's been so helpful ever since.

Five Years Ago

I cradle my phone in my hands, using my will power to make it ring. So far, it hasn't been working but I figured doing that was much better than pacing back and forth in my apartment. It's been about three weeks since I last spoke to Arizona and it's been much longer since I spoke to Sofia.

I got mad and said some nasty things to Arizona and then I made it much worse by saying that I was done.

I'm not done! I would never abandon my daughter! Never! Oh my god! Sofia is going to think that I abandoned her.

I was just… I was hurting and sad and lonely and took it all out on Arizona, but hey that's what our relationship has been. Ever since the plane crash, Arizona unloaded on me whenever she felt like it and I let her. After she cheated on me I started giving her the same crap.

When did we become so bitter and hateful?

Just then my phone starts buzzing in my hand. I almost dropped the phone on the ground by the sheer happiness of it ringing. I quickly hit the accept button before it goes to voicemail.

"Callie?"

"Mer! You know you could have called sooner! I'm literally dying here" I replied.

"Well Arizona just went to the bathroom and I have Amelia standing as look out, you should have about a minute or two"

"What are you doing then! Hand the phone to Sofia! Fast!" I almost yelled.

Don't judge me, it's been too long and I miss my daughter.

"Alright" Mer says as I hear some rustling in the background "Sofia, it's Mommy, don't you want to talk to Mommy?"

"Hi Momma" I hear the sweetest voice greeting me.

"Hey Sweetie, I'm so sorry Momma couldn't talk to you, but I'm here now okay? How have you been?"

God! I missed her, I missed her so much! Was I being too selfish before? Maybe. But I really want a baby. I got my last dose of injections today and I have to say, I'm a huge mess.

Sofia starts telling me about her entire month. Today is Zola's birthday, which means that there's a party at Meredith's house where all the kids and their parents were invited. I knew that today I could speak to my daughter if I managed to convince Meredith to distract Arizona so that I could get a moment with my daughter.

I'm still pissed at Arizona. She was being irrational and way too overprotective of our daughter. I know she still works in Peds and she sees kids around Sofia's age being all cheerful and playful one second and then coding on the other. I get why she's being so protective of our daughter, I do. But I'm not going to harm Sofia in any way.

I appealed to Meredith's motherly emotions and when that failed, I straight away blackmailed her by telling her how I helped her when Bailey was a newborn and now it's payback time.

But yeah she agreed and we hatched this plan together.

"I love you Momma"

"I love you too sweetie, but can you keep a secret for me?"

"What secret?" she asks. Sofia loved playing games like this.

"Can you not tell Mommy that you spoke to me?" I asked. I know it's wrong for me to ask my daughter to do this. But if Arizona found out about this… I just… I'm done, I don't want to fight anymore.

"But why?" Sofia asked.

"Because… umm it could be our secret that-that only the two of us know about" I replied.

"Okay, I won't tell Mommy" oh thank god! Just then I heard some rustling in the background.

"Callie, I think you have about ten seconds before Arizona comes out, I can hear Amelia trying to stall her"

"Oh! Okay, Sofia honey, I miss you so much and please take care of yourself and don't cause too much trouble okay? I'll talk to you soon and I'll come meet you too, I just don't know when but Momma will be there okay? Don't worry about anything Sofia and don't forget, Momma loves you sooo-" and the line went silent as Meredith probably cut the call.

I dropped my phone in my lap as I cradled my head and broke down. What did I get myself into? Is it really worth it to have another child when my daughter is in another state far away from me that I have to sneakily call her behind my ex-wife's back and ask her to keep secrets from me?

I'm being a horrible mother to Sofia, she doesn't deserve this, any of this.

Present Day

Three days ago, I had to go back to New York to sort out a few loose ends before my surgery. Sofia was chatty and spoke to me all day long. Arizona told me that Sofia wants to see me, but she still hasn't made up her mind. Now I'm not sure if this is the right call, but I'm perfectly content in talking to Sofia over the phone for the entire day, at least for now.

I'm supposed to stay in Seattle for a month to manage post-ops for all of the patients. So, I really hope that I can see Sofia in the meantime.

Okay. It's showtime! I push open the door with my back and I'm greeted with a round of applause. Damn it! I just got over the fact that I was going to barf and now that feeling is back again. Keep it together Callie! You got this!

"Alright… people, I think… I think… we can cut that" I barely managed to whisper and I'm pretty sure no one heard me over the clapping. "Umm, let's start… um the surgery?"

I need to puke. I need to puke. I cannot do this. Just then I see a huge camera pointing straight at me. I should get out. I can't… I just cannot not.

My eyes dart to the gallery and land on her. Her deep blue eyes draw me in and make me forget about my little anxiety or panic attack or whatever that's happening. She came, she came to watch my surgery.

Arizona's eyes drift towards me and I see the most amazing smile on her mouth.

'You… are amazing' she mouths to me.

I'm not a lip reader but she has told me that so many times over the years that I know what those words look like, especially on her mouth.

I smiled at her, but I'm not sure she got that with my mask covering my face. Just then the OR doors burst open. Well, that was great while it lasted.

"Dr. Heron?" Bailey acknowledges as she turns towards me "You got, Dr. Sydney Heron for this case? What is wrong with you! We have an excellent collection of pediatric surgeons at this hospital!"

"Dr. Bailey! She's an excellent pediatric surgeon at Hopkins! Of course I picked her, plus didn't you say that you're lonely and you missed your class? Well here you go! I got you Sydney! Maybe you can get her to leave Hopkins"

"Good morning Dr. Bailey, if I wasn't scrubbed and we weren't here in the OR I would come running to hug you, but I guess a nod should suffice for now? But don't you dare leave the OR without hugging me"

Wow, Sydney hasn't changed. She walks towards me and stands right behind me.

"You must be so excited Callie. If I were you, I would jump around and throw my arms in the air from all the excitement, yay! You are so awesome" I'm trapped with that in my OR? Is it too late to ask Arizona to scrub in? I could even ask Alex, but I'd rather not handle his cocky attitude in my OR.

"Do I sound like that?" I heard someone say, up in the gallery. My eyes darted up, I know that voice very well "Like I know I say 'yay' from time to time and use words such as 'hurray', 'amazing' and 'awesome' but do I actually sound so… Umm upbeat?"

Dr. Bailey and I lock eyes before she looks up at the gallery.

"Will someone let Dr. Robbins know that we keep the intercoms open for questions related to the surgery. If she or anyone else wants to gossip, well I'm pretty sure there are other places in the hospital to do so"

Arizona's face suddenly grows redder as she uses her hand to cover it.

"Oh, Dr. Robbins as in Dr. Arizona Robbins? I'm Dr. Sydney Heron, huge fan" Sydney says as she starts fan-girling over my ex-wife's career. "Dr. Torres, if you don't mind me asking. If Grey Sloan has the amazing pediatric and fetal surgeon Dr. Robbins, then why did you fly me out from Hopkins to help you with your surgery?"

I… I don't know how to answer that. Of course, the answer is simple, but I'm currently being watched worldwide, I'd rather not disclose my personal life to everyone

"Dr. Heron, the same rules apply here as well! Let's reserve our questions to the surgery!" Dr. Bailey for the win! That or she really wants me to stay in Seattle, but you know what, I'll take it.

"Alright, let's begin then, shall we?" I asked as I turned towards one of the nurses.

"Ten blade"

A/N: I loved the ending! Especially with Arizona and how she blurts things and of course, Mama O'Malley! Well, let me know what you think of this chapter.