Keeping the story moving along. I've read the reviews back on the last chapter and the majority of you seem to be enjoying the lack of drama. I took this on board when I wrote this chapter.
Spurs were playing their arch rivals Arsenal away and as they made the short distance to the ground the team were buzzing. They had had some good results recently and there was a belief that they could at least hold out for a point against the league leaders.
Callie would be seeing Jess at the game and the two Americans had spoken over FaceTime the night before, joking over how many goals they were each going to score. Callie was pleased that their friendship seemed to have survived the recent difficulties and things were getting back to how things were before Jess had told Callie she had feelings for her.
20 minutes before the game both teams were on the pitch going through their warm up drills.
Out of nowhere a ball came flying through the air and nearly whacked Callie in the head. When she turned to see who had kicked the ball Jess was holding her hand up down the other end of the pitch and shouted "sorry Cal" the American yelled smiling at her friend
"Glad to see you left your shooting boots at home!" Callie yelled back down the pitch making the Arsenal player laugh.
Once the warm up was finished, both sets of players started making their way off the pitch to strip off into their kits, Jess and Callie grabbed a few moment to say hi.
"So this is going to be weird" Jess said "playing against you for the first time"
"Ha, well feel free to give me the ball whenever you want!" Callie laughed
"No chance." Jess replied confidently
"We'll see. I'm feeling super sharp" Callie bragged. She felt great. Her fitness levels were returning and things were going well with Arizona. Really well and she had their date tonight which she was super excited about.
"You look great" Jess said softly "you look...happy!" She added "anything I should know about?" Her friend teased giving Callie a friendly elbow in the ribs.
Callie couldn't say anything about Arizona to anyone and whilst she felt bad not telling Jess the truth, it was also too soon after what had happened with them.
"nope! Just enjoying my game. Think I'm finally settling in, although I will never get use to the cold weather!" She laughed
"You are such a Miami princess" Jess teased her friend and she gave her a quick hug before they joined their respective teams.
Over on the touch line Arizona watched Callie and Jess laugh and couldn't stop the small pang of jealousy that popped into her head as she watched the two Americans walk off the pitch and hug. Their closeness was obvious and Arizona hoped that she would have that same feeling one day with Callie.
The game was tight with both teams defending well, giving the attacking strikers very little opportunity to test the goal keepers. On paper Arsenal were the far superior team, but Spurs enjoyed being the under dogs and they now had the added threat of Callie Torres.
15 minutes in and Callie was involved in a nice one-two move with one of the wingers and as she received the ball back she hit it on the volley and the ball sailed into the top corner of the goal, leaving the keeper no chance.
It was a beauty of a goal and had everyone up off the Spurs bench celebrating including Arizona who looked on proudly.
"Fluke" Jess shouted as she jogged past Callie as the teams took their positions to restart the game.
"Jealous Woody?" Callie called back
20 minutes later and Arsenal were getting close to scoring an equaliser. Callie was back helping defend when she stuck her foot out to block a shot from Jess who whacked her ankle rather than the ball.
Callie dropped to the ground grabbing her ankle as the ref blew for a free kick for the foul.
Arizona grabbed her kit bag but waited to see if Callie was getting up or if she needed treatment.
Jess lent over to check on her friend
"OK Torres?" She asked
Callie grimaced in pain as she rubbed her ankle "what the fuck was that Woody?" Callie responded pissed off at the bad tackle but also the pain.
"Well I wasn't expecting you to stick your foot in front of my boot!" Jess replied as she stuck out a hand to help the brunette up.
Callie tried putting some weight on it and scrunched her face up in pain, but she looked over to the side lines where Arizona was looking over with concern and stuck her thumb up to indicated she was OK and didn't need any treatment.
Arizona sat back down next to Becky "fingers crossed she can run it off" Arizona said to the fellow physio.
"She's up for this game that's for sure" Becky replied
Ten minutes before half-time Callie was tackled again on the same ankle and went down with a scream. This time Arizona didn't wait, she could see the brunette was in pain so sprinted onto the pitch.
"Show me" Arizona said as she reached into her bag and pulled out the pain relief spray. As Callie pulled down her sock Arizona could see the large red lump and bruise that was already forming and knew the American needed to come off.
"OKay, that's not good Callie." Arizona said as she felt the ankle to make sure nothing was broken
"It's fine." Callie responded shortly "just put some of the spray on and I'll run it off again." She told the physio
"Callie this isn't a discussion. You need to come off before you do more damage" Arizona said forcefully
"I said I'm FINE" Callie replied determined to stay on the pitch as she tried to get up, but winced in pain "fuuuuck" the American groaned
"Torres you can't go on" Arizona confirmed as she used her mic to report back from bench the situation.
Callie looked at the blonde and then at the bench and saw the sub stripping off
"What a fucking joke!" The American scoffed "you don't know what you are doing! Your job is fix me so I can play, but you can't seem to do that!" She shouted angrily for all to hear as she limped off the side line and started the walk around the pitch.
Arizona went over to offer Callie support so she didn't have to put any weight on the ankle
"I'm FINE" she said as she shrugged Arizona away, still fuming at having to come off
Jess jogged past to make sure she was OK which irritated Arizona a little. The blonde was just doing her job and she got that Callie was upset at being injured, but she had been out of order.
Callie headed straight down th tunnel and into the dressing room. Once in the changing room Callie lent down at pulled out her shin pads and threw them against the wall "FUUUCK" she yelled in frustration at another injury and being subbed. She just couldn't catch a break.
Arizona rejoined Becky on the physio bench and dropped the medic bag on the floor.
"How is it?" Becky asked a fuming Arizona
"She'll live... from the injury." Arizona responded "but maybe not from the bollocking I'm about to give her."
"Yeah I heard what she said. It was out of order"
Arizona looked at her younger colleague "Thanks. Bloody players. Always think they know best. You OK here if I go and get her sorted with Ice?" Arizona asked
"Yeap all fine here. I'll radio if anything happens" Becky smiled before turning her attention back to the game.
Arizona jogged down the tunnel and slammed opened the door to the changing room causing Callie to jump out of her skin.
"Don't you ever, EVER speak to me like that again on the pitch" Arizona yelled at the American who froze to the spot. She had never seen Arizona this angry before, not even when they had argued at her house.
Arizona marched right up to Callie and stood face to face "on the pitch I am the head physio and if I say you have to come off, you fucking well come off do you hear me?" Arizona was still yelling and wasn't finished yet. "How DARE you disrespect me in front of the other players." the blonde was almost shaking with rage
Callie realised she had fucked up
"I'm sorry. It just didn't feel THAT bad" the American responded defensively as she had definitely played through worst but looking at the Brit she realised she had really upset Arizona.
Arizona took some deep breaths to gain control of her emotions and looked down at the brunette's ankle
"For fucks sake look at it Callie" the blonde replied as she tried to calm herself down "If I'd allowed you to stay on the pitch it would have only gotten worse and you would be looking at missing three, maybe four games" Arizona explained "You might not want to except this, but your body isn't as young as it was and just doesn't heal as quickly. I would have done the same for any player your age. Despite what you think... I know what I'm doing!" The physio shot back
Callie who was standing there in just her shorts and sports bra closed her eyes as she absorbed and accepted what Arizona had said and let out a loud groan "Arghhhhh I was JUST fucking getting back on form"
Arizona who was feeling more in control of her emotions again spoke "I pulled you off because at the moment we still have a chance of you playing next Sunday. We've got a week and we'll start straight away by icing it to bring down the swelling." Arizona explained
Callie looked at the physio in the eyes and felt awful at how rude she had been. She was super competitive and hated the fact she couldn't finish the game, but she should never have spoken to Arizona in that way.
"Shit Arizona... I'm sorry for what I said on the pitch. I didn't mean it. Not one word of it. You are a great physio and I should never have said what I said. I was just so fucking frustrated. I HATE not being able to play." Callie said apologetically
"I'm still mad, but I understand. I remember what it feels like." Arizona did understand where Callie had been coming from. "We need you to be fit for the Chelsea game next week" Arizona paused and looked directly into those brown eyes before adding "I need you to be fit so we beat them. So YOU beat them and you beat...Alex"
Callie was shocked that the physio had mentioned her ex-wife's name.
The blonde took another deep breath as brown eyes searched blue before admitting "I need you to be fit so you can show her how good you are...show her how much better you are than her"
As Callie looked at Arizona she was hit by an overwhelming urge to kiss her. Stepping forward she pushed the blonde physio up against the wall as her lips hit the blondes, forcing her tongue into Arizona's mouth who despite being taken by surprise responded by grabbing Callie's head and pulling her closer.
Callie's heart was racing and it was the most intense kiss she had ever experienced. There was so much more than just desire in that kiss as Callie got the meaning behind what Arizona had said. She had opened up to her about being vulnerable about seeing her ex wife next week and how she needed Callie. That thought made Callie want the Brit all the more and she was lost in the moment. They both were.
"Robbins?" A voice called from outside the locker room seconds before the door was pushed opened and one of the coaching team walked through.
In that split second they had had enough time to pull apart from their kiss.
"Hey" Arizona replied quickly in a slightly flustered and higher pitched voice than normal as she bent down and pretended to be looking at Callie's foot, hiding her flushed cheeks.
"Boss wants to know how it's looking?"
Shit that had been close. They had so very nearly gotten caught and Arizona's breathing was erratic. "Ummm we're going to ice it and maybe get it in a boot, but the main thing is it's not broken and there doesn't appear to be any ligament damage." The blonde replied without looking away from Callie's foot.
"Great. How you feeling?" the coach asked Callie
"Dr Robbins will sort me out" Callie added trying to seem relaxed to the coaching crew who nodded and left the room again.
Arizona slowly stood up and made eye contact with the American "That was too close" she whispered but acknowledged a buzz inside her that she hadn't felt before as the adrenaline flowed through her body at nearly getting caught. The kiss had been electric and Arizona knew they were getting closer.
"I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you, but I couldn't help myself. I can't seem to control myself around you." Callie paused she was almost out of breath from the excitement of that kiss" she reached out and held Arizona's hand "I...I want you so fucking much Arizona...it's driving me crazy." Callie whispered
Arizona swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat at Callie's words "I want you too" she whispered.
"Callie...I'm so sorry for what I said. I feel awful. I know you were just trying to do the right thing for me. Are we OK? Please say we're OK."
Arizona gave Callie's hand a squeeze and nodded "we're OK. I just need to think up some ways to remind you who is the boss here." she smiled
They were interrupted by the sound of half time and soon the dressing room was buzzing with activity as players grabbed energy drinks and changed out of sweaty tops into clean ones.
After the coaching team had given their instructions for the tactics of the second half Callie hobbled over to the manager and asked if she could say something.
"Listen up everyone. Torres has something to say" the manager yelled and the room immediately silenced
Callie hobbled into the middle of the room as the players and the management team including Arizona, looked on, waiting to hear with the American had to say.
"Listen I just want to formally apologise to Dr Robbins for how I reacted at being subbed. As one of the oldest here I really should be setting a better example to you and what I said out there on the pitch...was not acceptable."
Callie held the blondes gaze for a moment "I hate not playing, but that isn't an excuse to be disrespectful to anyone and so I'm sorry Dr Robbins." Callie said looking over at Arizona who nodded her head in recognition of the apology.
Callie wasn't finished "I know I'm new here, but you have all made me feel so welcome and I'm a Spurs player so I get the rivalry against Arsenal. We can do this. We can win the game and the next and the next. We've got this. Let's show them things are changing, lets show them our team spirit. Let's go do it for Becky."
The players cheered and stood up excitedly ready to head out for the second half.
Callie stayed behind, showered, changed into her tracksuit and and put on the protective boot Arizona had left along with a pair of crutches. Once wrapped up she made her way slowly back out to the stands so she could watch the rest of the match.
Arizona watched as she saw Callie hobble out on her crutches and take a seat in the stands near the other subs.
"Be right back" Arizona said to Becky as she jogged over to the American
"How's it feeling?" She asked kneeling down at the foot.
"Sore!" Callie admitted realising how bad it could have got if Arizona hadn't taken her off. She watched as Arizona took off the protective boot and found something to elevate the foot before wrapping an ice wrap around the ankle.
"This needs rest Ok?" She said seriously as she grabbed a blanket and wrapped it over Callie's foot before smiling at the American who she could barely see underneath the big training coat, hat, snood, gloves.
"Thanks" Callie smiled back at the blonde
"I mean it Torres. No weight on it" Arizona added
"Are you recommending bed rest Dr Robbins" Callie said back. Arizona couldn't see more than Callie's eyes, but she knew the American was raising an eyebrow in that sexy way of hers.
Arizona chuckled at the comment "I'm recommending you have someone take care of you tonight...and tomorrow and we'll reassess on Monday."
"Sounds good to me" Callie responded "know any good doctors?"
"Hmmm funny you should ask!"
—
The old me would have totally finished the chapter at the point the person walks into the room to leave it unknown if they got caught or not, but I'm writing this in a new happy spirit. That doesn't mean it will be completely drama free as I have to come up with something to get you guessing, but for the time being we're going flirty.
