AN: Hello everyone! This is a beta-free chapter. I did my best with editing but at times I find it hard to find my own mistakes so my apologies in advance. As always, thank you for the reviews, I appreciate them more than you know. I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Happy reading :)
Chapter Fifty-One
Callie
"Baby, Teddy is here, do you have everything?" Callie called up the stairs early the next morning. She was driving the two surgeons to the airport so Teddy wouldn't have to leave her car there as Henry was out of town at a conference. She received no answer but turned as she heard the front door open.
"I parked in the driveway behind where Arizona parks in the garage, is that ok?" Teddy asked as she walked in the front door using the keys she had been given when the couple moved in. She left the door open behind her, allowing the chilly morning air to come in.
"Yea Teddy that's perfect." Callie said. She unlocked her car from the open front door and followed Teddy outside with Arizona's suitcase so she and Teddy could load them in the back of Callie's jeep.
"Where's Arizona?"
"I'm not sure, she's been very quiet this morning."
"Here, I'll load these, you go find her." Teddy said, taking her friend's pink suitcase from Callie.
Callie made her way up the stairs to the bedroom where she was sure she would find her fiance. Sure enough, the blonde stood at the far side of the room staring out the window into the pitch black back yard. Callie watched her for a moment and she could tell by the way she brushed at her cheeks with her hands and the slight hunch of her shoulders that the blonde was crying.
"Baby, it's ok." Callie said, closing the distance between them and wrapping her arms around Arizona's waist from behind.
"I know I'm the one that agreed to go to Malawi but I never expected it to feel like this, Callie. I don't want to leave you."
"You will be back before you know it and just think of all the kiddos you will get to meet and help. I know it's hard to think about right this moment but I know you are going to be so glad you did this once you're there. And I will be here, in our home, waiting for you."
"You are going to go to Miami next weekend right?"
"Yes, Addie and I have already made arrangements. We're going to stay with mom and dad for the weekend. Abuela, Nonna, Mami, Aria, Addie, and I already have a girls day planned for Saturday. Lunch, mani's, pedi's, massages, and of course wedding dress shopping."
"I'm sad I will miss that." Arizona said truthfully. She and Maria used to talk regularly and she sincerely missed her. The older woman was helping Arizona with her Spanish and cooking but with Aria's wedding and the holidays, they had missed their regular talks.
"We have to get you two to the airport babe." Callie said, pulling blonde hair back to give her access to her fiance's slender neck. She placed a kiss there and held the blonde tighter, neither of them attempted to move.
"Riz, Cal, come on, we have to go!" Teddy called up the stairs.
"Come on babe." Callie said, turning Arizona so they could hug in private one last time. She claimed Arizona's mouth and licked her bottom lip, seeking entrance which the blonde granted immediately. The kiss was full of all of the things neither of them could say in the moment and it ended all too soon before the couple intertwined their fingers and made their way downstairs.
"About time, I thought I was going to have to come upstairs with a blindfold and a garden hose." Teddy said as the two finally joined her in the kitchen.
"Do you have your carry-on, phone, laptop, your gorgeously stunning fiance's picture?" Callie asked with a smile at an attempt to lighten the mood.
"Check, check, check, and double check." Arizona replied, flashing several photos she was taking with her.
"Alright, let's get this show on the road." Callie said, without breaking contact with Arizona.
Teddy chatted constantly from the backseat, only stopping when they pulled into a starbucks to order coffees at the drive through before she started back up again. Callie and Arizona sat up front quietly, their fingers remaining intertwined while they shared stolen glances at each other whenever they were at a stoplight. Callie knew once Arizona had said goodbye, the blonde would be alright but seeing her like this made her heart ache, mainly because she was feeling the exact same way. Thankfully, she and Owen would be busy at work planning the next step in their complicated surgery on the Senator's daughter the following week.
"Here we are." Arizona whispered as the airport came into view. Her stomach did flip-flops at the thought of flying, she never enjoyed it.
"Teddy, I packed some Meclizine, Benadryl, and four Xanax in Arizona's purse if she needs them for the flight." Callie said, knowing Arizona would be reluctant to take anything but might actually need them so she could rest on the flight.
"Calliope, I don't need Xanax."
"Well you don't have to take it if you don't need it honey but I wanted you to have it if you do." Callie said, pulling the jeep up at the doors for the proper airline.
"You're not coming in?" Arizona asked, realizing Callie hadn't gone to the parking lot.
"I can't go past security anyway and I don't want to cry in the airport." Callie replied.
"I thought we would have more time." Arizona said as the three women exited the vehicle.
"I'm going to grab our luggage and head inside, I'll give you two a minute." Teddy said, already making her way to the back of the vehicle.
"Bye Teddy, have a safe flight."
"We will. Thanks for the lift, Cal."
"I'll be right in Teds."
"Take your time."
"I'm going to miss you." Arizona said, breaking the silence as she stepped into Callie's space once they were alone.
"I'm going to miss you too, like crazy. But you are going to do so much for these kids and I'm so proud of you for that. Please be safe."
"I will. I love you so much, Calliope."
"I love you too. Now give me a hug and a kiss and go get in line with Teddy before I change my mind and forbid you from going."
Arizona threw her arms around Callie, taking the brunette by surprise at her strength. The couple shared a kiss that was much too passionate for a public display but Callie didn't care at the moment, she wanted to give Arizona something to hold onto during her first flight to New York where the group would be meeting and then flying on to Africa together.
"Drive safe." Arizona said as the kiss broke and she placed several more kisses on Callie's lips.
"Have a safe flight."
"I will. See you in sixteen days."
"I'll be counting them down." Callie said, placing a last kiss on Arizona's lips before she pulled away and swatted her on the butt, encouraging her to enter the airport. Arizona looked back over her shoulder and Callie waved, she could tell Arizona was crying but she held it together for the blonde until she was out of sight and Callie was back in the car alone driving home.
Arizona
Arizona sighed as the plane touched down in Lilongwe. She and Teddy had been traveling for nearly twenty-eight hours and they still had over a two hour bus trip to the clinic. She had taken Callie's advice and took one of the Xanax on the flight from New York to Nairobi and slept twelve of the fourteen hour flight. She still felt exhausted though and she knew a hot shower was fifteen days and another thirty hour trip away.
"Does everyone have their luggage?" Hal asked as the tired group of surgeons gathered around to catch their luggage as it passed by. Everyone nodded or responded with a yes. With that, they followed Hal and their guide, Kafele to the bus that would transport them to the village where the clinic was located near Salima.
The two hour bumpy bus ride went quickly. Now that they were back on Malawi soil, a level of excitement had reached the blonde surgeon. It was much too dark to see any of the villages they passed by but she remembered them from her past visits, she only wished Teddy could see them. Arizona looked over at the darker blonde, who currently snored lightly on Arizona's shoulder. With Teddy asleep, Arizona let her mind wander to her Latina, she wondered what the gorgeous woman was up to at the moment. It was late afternoon in Seattle by the time Arizona's bus pulled into the village at one in the morning. She and Teddy had been traveling for thirty one hours at that point and Arizona was ready to be stationary.
"Given the late hour, we will wait until morning to give you a proper tour. This building has six apartments. The foundation has rented them out for us. Blake and Stanley you have apartment number one, Channing and Irving apartment two, I will be in apartment three, Altman and Robbins you're number four, Marshall and Sherry apartment five, and Dr. Lachlan will be in apartment six. There is a common latrine with a shower in the apartment between mine and Dr. Lachlan's apartments and one at the clinic across the street. We can discuss shower schedules in the morning. There is a lantern for each of you and there's one in each apartment on your table. I suggest you get some rest tonight. We hit the ground running at eight in the morning." Hal said as the group of them stood outside the apartment building.
"Wow, I didn't expect this to be so...secluded and scarce on the resources. We had electricity and running water in Afghanistan."
"That's because in Afghanistan we were with the army and staying on an army base. We were there strictly to work. Here we are here to work but we are also here to be part of the community. We do that by living how they do as much as possible. It helps establish trust if we integrate ourselves in their lifestyle plus many of the volunteers are here for far longer than two weeks. There are much more developed areas in Malawi but I wanted the clinic to be somewhere where people have less access to healthcare."
"Come on, let's use the bathroom and get ready for bed." Teddy said.
The friends entered the apartment to find a sitting area with a sofa and a table with two chairs. There was an ice chest to keep any food or beverages they brought home cool on the kitchenette that served as the "kitchen". There was a single bedroom furnished with two twin beds that already had a sheet, blanket, and pillow folded up at the bottom of each bed. A single dresser sat under the glassless window of the small bedroom and a nightstand with a battery operated alarm clock sat against the wall separating the two beds. There was a smaller, doorless room with a tin tub for more private bathing, a commode for emergencies, and what reminded Arizona of a funhouse mirror off to the side of the room.
"Home sweet home." Arizona said with a smile at the look on Teddy's face. The friends changed quickly and made their beds with the provided sheets and blankets. Arizona pulled the teddy bear Callie had given her from her carry-on and climbed into bed. The bear smelled like Callie and that allowed Arizona to fall asleep more quickly than she would have thought.
It had been two days since they had arrived in Malawi and three days since leaving Seattle before Arizona had to interact with Arthur. She had purposefully and skillfully avoided him thus far. He had attempted to seek her out on two previous occasions but the peds surgeon had luckily been needed elsewhere on both occasions. Today they were meeting with the first of three children the pair, along with the other pediatric surgeon, Malcolm Stanley, would be performing surgery on over the next two weeks. They were scheduled to meet with the other two later in the morning and then Arizona, Teddy, Malcolm, and the other cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Isaac Irving, would be meeting with the two children they would be performing cardiothoracic surgeries on. Arizona had been at the clinic less than an hour that morning and already her first week was completely filled with surgeries and consults. Her days would start at seven am and most of them would go well into the night. There were so many children needing care, families were bringing them from local villages, some walking several hours or days to be seen. The doctors who regularly worked the clinic were getting a much needed break while the new group of doctors took over.
"Who are we seeing first?" Arthur asked as he, Malcolm, and Arizona stepped into the hall outside of the waiting room. Arizona looked at her sheet with the list of consults they had for the morning.
"Tau," Arizona replied, "He's a three year old with clubfoot deformity."
"What conditions do the other two children have?" Malcolm asked. He was a little older than Arizona and very eager to learn as well as very intelligent. Arizona had already determined that she liked him and was looking forward to the work they would do together over the next two weeks.
"As far as ortho consults go, we have two more after Tau. There is a nine year old boy, Jafari with an untreated and poorly healed elbow fracture and a two year old girl, Imani with hip dysplasia that is preventing her from walking."
"Jesus, why have the parents let it get this bad? It's neglect, that's what this is." Arthur spat, looking at the charts from their preliminary exams a few weeks ago that got them their surgical recommendations.
"You don't get to do that here. These people love their children but access to healthcare is difficult at best. They have traveled and sacrificed a lot to get their children here. You don't get to judge them for that. Not when you have had a privileged lifestyle with access to all the healthcare you could ever need." Arizona said before she walked away to call Tau back.
The morning passed quickly. Once Arizona, Malcolm, and Arthur had finished with their three consults, Arizona had made her way to sit in on some consults with Naomi and Lucy fields on a few OB cases while Malcolm joined Karsyn and Winston for some general surgery consults. Hal and Joslyn were spending the morning taking inventory of supplies and making sure they had everything they needed for their upcoming surgeries. Their job at the clinic was to run behind the scene things, such as follow up care, supplies, and scheduling. When time allowed, the foundation representatives assisted with surgeries as needed. But most importantly, they educated the villagers who would be assisting in the clinic, as well as providing classes for the general community on CPR, basic first aid, and disease prevention.
At lunch, Arizona met with Teddy and Isaac. The two had been going over their patient's charts and forming a surgical plan for each of the children all morning. They were now filling Arizona in on those plans. The two surgeons were much more organized in their plans and without even seeing the patients, they were confident in their approach. Arizona immediately knew that the two children they would momentarily be consulting on were in the very best capable hands. It made her wish Callie were here. She was sure Arthur was capable but he just didn't have the same bedside manner as her ortho goddess, nor did he have the creativity that she possessed.
"So first up, it looks like we have a six month old little girl named Lulu who was born with atrioventricular canal defect. It looks like your surgical plan is already in place and you could perform your surgery on Lulu as early as tomorrow." Arizona said, impressed with Teddy and Isaac's work as Malcolm joined them.
Lulu and her mother, a sixteen year old girl in the village, joined them a short time later. Lulu instantly won the hearts of the four doctors with her dimpled smile, chubby cheeks, and dark brown eyes. She was a happy baby, giggling and social. Their second cardiothoracic consult was a much more difficult case involving an eleven year old girl with a mediastinal tumor.
"The tumor is much farther advanced than it looked from the scans a few weeks ago." Teddy said, worriedly as the girl and her parents left.
"I'm afraid the machines we have here are outdated and not nearly as detailed as you're used to. Do you think it's malignant?" Arizona asked worriedly. She had seen some impressive tumors on children but Ada Delphina's mediastinal tumor was possibly the most severe she had seen. Given its location, the child's outcome didn't seem like a good one.
"It's hard to say but my guess is that she has either had this for a number of years, possibly even since birth if it's benign. If it's something that has just developed more recently, I would be concerned for malignancy considering the rapid growth and size." Teddy replied, the other two doctors nodded in agreement.
"I was afraid you were going to say that." Arizona replied.
"You done for the day?" Teddy asked.
"Technically, yes but I still need to come up with a surgical plan with Arthur for Tau's surgery tomorrow."
"Dr. Robbins, if you would like, I can handle Tau's case. You go back with Dr. Altman and work on Ada Delphina's surgical plan." Malcolm offered.
"Anyone who makes that kind of offer gets to call me Arizona. I would greatly appreciate that, Dr. Stanley. I realize Tau may need a second surgery, if you need anything from me, please don't hesitate to knock on our door."
"It's Malcolm and it's no problem. I share an apartment with the guy so we can strategize at home as well. Besides, he doesn't seem like your biggest fan."
"I assure you he's not but that's ok, the feeling is mutual." Arizona said as the three doctors walked back to the rented building that housed their apartments.
"Are you going to try to skype with Callie tonight?" Teddy asked as the three of them entered the building.
"Yea but she's probably in the lab with Owen coming up with a surgical plan and practicing for their surgery on Thursday. We can work on Ada Delphina's case for a while before I call her." Arizona replied, knowing with the ten hour time difference that it was only nine in the morning in Seattle. She would have to wait until at least ten Malawi time to call her in hopes of catching her on a lunch break if she even took one. They hadn't spoken since Arizona had left and the blonde was trying hard to keep her emotions in check over it. Teddy knew her too well to be fooled by her facade though.
"How are you holding up?" Teddy asked knowingly two and a half hours later when Arizona checked the time for the dozenth time in ten minutes. They had come up with a preliminary plan for Ada Delphina and were now sitting at the table playing cards.
"Are you missing Henry?"
"I am actually, very much so. He left for that conference two days before I left." Teddy said, picking at a spot on the table before she started speaking again, "Allison called last week, she's coming out here for a visit next month. Henry and I had a fight about it before he left."
Teddy's voice was so quiet that Arizona barely heard her. The blonde stopped shuffling and looked at her friend carefully. "Is she still married?"
"Yes and I love Henry but there's just something about Allison."
"Do you want my advice or my support?"
"Advice."
"Forget Allison, Teddy. There is nothing but more heartbreak down that road for you. She is not going to leave her wife and you could potentially screw things up with Henry. I've seen you two together and I can tell that you love each other."
"I do. I love Henry more than I ever imagined I could."
"Then saying no to Allison should be easy."
"You're right, I know you are. I'll tell her I don't want her to come and if she decides to, I don't want to see her."
"I think that's a wise choice."
"Yeah well sometimes being a grown up sucks."
"It really does." Arizona laughed. "Are you skyping with Henry tonight?"
"No, we talked last night and he's working today. I'll let you talk with Cal. I'm going to go to bed, I'm beat." Teddy said, standing and squeezing Arizona's shoulder as she passed by.
Arizona looked at the clock and signed into her skype account hoping that her internet would hold out enough for her to make the call. She had been prepared with her previous experience overseas but still, sometimes getting reception was spotty at best. She was relieved when she saw Callie's account was active and the call was going through. A few moments later, Callie's beautiful face lit up the screen and Arizona was so happy she couldn't hold back the tears.
"Oh babe, why are you crying? Please don't cry." Callie's soothing voice was heard which only made the tears come harder and faster.
"I'm sorry. I just miss you so much. I didn't realize how badly I needed to see your face until this moment."
"I miss you too babe. I know why you spent so much time at the hospital now while I was away. Being home without you is just depressing."
"How is it going there? How are plans for your surgery coming?"
"Great, Owen and I made a solid plan this morning and now it's just about rehearsing it and running through possible complications we could encounter. We can go in as prepared as possible but we really won't know what we're dealing with until we're in there which is both exciting and terrifying."
"I know what you mean." Arizona replied, explaining Ada Delphina's case to Callie.
"Have you had any encounters with Arthur?"
"Just professionally. I've managed to avoid him otherwise. I have to say, I'm not impressed."
"Yes I definitely upgraded fiances." Callie teased.
"I don't find that particularly funny at the moment."
"Arizona, I'm sorry, I was just trying to make light of the situation." Callie said, her tone softening.
"When do you leave for Miami?"
"Friday morning. Addie and I are going to fly out there and stay until Monday night."
"I'm glad you're going. No strip clubs though." Arizona replied, giving Callie a stern look.
"Scouts honor." Callie replied with a smile.
The couple spent an hour on the phone. Callie ate her lunch while they talked and laughed before her pager sounded. Arizona reluctantly let her go promising to check in again on Wednesday, this time in the morning. If Arizona called Callie at six am Malawi time, it would be eight pm Tuesday night Seattle time for Callie and she would be able to talk without being paged or interrupted. Arizona sighed as she shut her computer screen and turned off the lantern. She would be home in Seattle two weeks from today she reminded herself but that thought didn't keep her warm the way Callie did and despite the heat, Arizona tossed and turned all night, feeling the chill that came with the absence of Callie's body next to hers. What little sleep she did get was filled with dreams about sick children and Arthur and Callie getting married.
Arizona scrubbed in for Tau's first surgery at eight the next morning. Malcolm would be the lead pediatric surgeon on his case and he and Arthur had come up with a plan for the child's first surgery. The less severe left foot could be fixed with the first surgery but the right foot was going to need more extensive work. They had known going into the surgery that it was probable that the bone on the right foot may have to be broken and reset but Arizona was disappointed when they actually had to follow through with that part of the plan. It was the only way to correct the clubbing on that side at this point. She understood the reason she just hated that it had come to that.
"You've been avoiding me." Arthur said after Tau was safely wheeled to recovery.
"Yes." Arizona replied, scrubbing her hands more harshly than she needed to.
"Concerned that Callie changed her mind after our night together?"
"Stop right there. Implying that Callie slept with you is low. First off, I know Jo Wilson was in the room with both of you that night and in the same bed as Callie. Second, I know Callie would never cheat. She's been hurt too badly in the past by cheaters to ever do that to someone else. So, if you're saying that you slept with Callie, you're admitting to sexual assault and I will have no problem notifying the authorities for you."
"So maybe we didn't actually sleep together but that doesn't mean she didn't want me. Scared of a little competition?"
"Not at all. I already have Callie so there's really no competition. And if Callie actually wanted to be with you or someone else, I would be devastated but I would let her go because her happiness is important to me."
"Wow, don't I wish all of us could sit up on that high horse with you."
"It is lonely up here but I'll manage." Arizona replied, attempting to leave the room only to be stopped by Arthur placing his hand on the wall in front of the door.
"You're wound up a little tight, maybe someone needs to STRAIGHT-en you out."
"Make a threat like that again and you will be on a flight back to the U.S. in a matter of minutes and when you get there, you'll be fighting to keep your license. And if you send any more pictures of yourself to myself or Callie, I will forward them to Mr. Torres and let him deal with you from there."
"Think I'm scared of that old man?"
"I guess we will find out."
"Is everything ok in here?" Teddy asked, opening the door to scrub into her own surgery.
"Everything is perfect." Arthur said before leaving the room.
"What was that about?" Teddy asked. Arizona stood by her side while she scrubbed and recounted the story for her. With it being so fresh she was able to recall the conversation nearly word for word.
"He's such a creep. I can't believe Callie was ever with someone like that."
"Joann." Teddy deadpanned.
"Ok, ok, touche." Arizona said, rolling her eyes at the mention of her ex.
"So, what are you going to do about that? I'm not crazy about the kind of threats he's making or that he even feels comfortable to strut around here making them."
"What can I do?"
"I would at least give Hal a heads up about the situation."
"You're right. I'll do that. What kind of surgery are you going in on?"
"Just an appy but the woman has a cardiac history so Karsyn asked if I could assist just as a precaution."
"Come find me when you're done." Arizona said. She pushed herself off the wall she had been leaning against and left Teddy to do her surgery.
Arizona found Hal doing inventory on their supplies and assisted him while she filled him in on the situation that was unfolding with Arthur. Arizona had never been in the closet with her lifestyle but she also didn't flaunt it around her superiors, especially once she had won the Carter Madison Grant. Hal knew her well though and was one of the few people that knew of her sexual orientation. He didn't care, all he cared about was that she would become the fantastic surgeon he knew she could be, and she had.
"I'll keep an eye on the situation and I will have a talk with him as well."
"You don't have to do that. I just wanted you to know the situation."
"I take threats seriously, Arizona. And threats against you I take personally. It will be handled, don't fret."
"Thank you Hal."
"No problem."
"Is there anything I can help you with?
"I'm running late to the school. Malcolm and I were going to go talk to the class about doctors and immunizations, bring some equipment for them to check out. Would you be willing to go in my place?"
"Sure, I'd love to."
"Great, Kafele has the equipment already at the school. Malcolm should be here any minute if you want to wait and walk over together."
"Thanks again, Hal."
"No problem Robbins." Hal said.
Malcolm and Arizona spent the afternoon at the school with the children. They were very interested in the types of equipment they brought but also cautious of the foreign and scary objects. Arizona spent time letting them practice listening to her heart beat, something that always fascinated children. They used the reflex hammer on her, some getting a bit overzealous as they laughed when her knees would jerk. Malcolm showed off his skills at quickly naming the bones via a made up song on an old medical school poster of a skeleton Hal had sent with them. By the time the pediatric surgeons left the school, Arizona was feeling both rejuvenated and exhausted. It was exactly what she needed after the stressful run in with Arthur that morning.
"You know, I respect you and I like you as a person." Malcolm said as the two walked back toward the clinic together.
"I like you two Malcolm. You were fantastic with the kids."
"You were two. I would like to think we are friends of sorts."
"We are."
"Well as your new friend, I want to tell you, Arthur is obsessed with your fiance. I don't think he's used to hearing no. I'm his roommate so I've heard all about it this week. I think you should watch your back."
"Thanks for the heads up."
"What are friends for?"
"Do you think you can handle the ortho surgeries with him? I mean I will still assist if you need me to. I normally love to learn about ortho cases because of Callie but I think it's best for Arthur and I to keep our distance. Between the cardiothoracic surgeries, general surgeries, and OB consults, I have enough to keep me busy if you can handle ortho."
"Say no more, I've got it covered. I'd still like to assist on the mediastinal tumor though if that's ok."
"Of course, I think we are going to need all hands on deck for that one."
"Me too."
The two finished out their day working at the vaccine clinic with Joslyn and Naomi. Arizona liked both women, they were smart and good with children which was always important to a peds surgeon. After the clinic, the four doctors had dinner together with the rest of the group and some of the villagers. Meal times were important for them, they got to know the villagers and it helped gain their trust. Arizona and Teddy headed back to their room that night exhausted.
"I feel like I will need a two hour shower just to get all of this grime off of me when we get back home." Teddy complained. The two had hauled some buckets of water into their makeshift bathroom so they could clean up in the tin tub. They were allotted only two showers a week so in the interim, they made due with this method.
"You go ahead and wash up first." Arizona said.
"Ok, thanks, I won't be long. Even if it's hot as heck outside, I still don't enjoy cleaning up in cold water."
"Let me know if you don't want to wash your hair with cold water. I did bring dry shampoo."
"You're telling me this on day five?"
"It may have slipped my mind. Callie packed a lot of my things for me. Are you skyping with Henry tonight?"
"Yea as soon as I clean up a bit."
Arizona waited patiently while Teddy took her turn in the bathroom. Once it was finally her turn, she stood naked in the tin tub and used a cloth to wash her body and wet her hair. She had a system down, she washed her hair twice a week with real soap and water during her showers, the rest of the time she used dry shampoo. No amount of wet wipes was enough to make her feel clean though so every night she washed up in the tin tub as best as possible.
Teddy was already skyping with Henry when Arizona emerged in her pajamas. She said a quick hello to Henry and then went to bed. She hadn't been sleeping and she was getting up extra early in the morning in order to skype Callie. She couldn't wait and the sooner she went to sleep, the quicker she would get to speak with her.
The next several days passed much the same way. Arizona got up early and spent her days in surgeries or planning surgeries. Lulu's surgery was on Friday, along with Imani's. Malcolm was doing surgery with Arthur while Arizona went into surgery with Teddy and Isaac. They were just closing Lulu up when Malcolm came into their OR asking Arizona to come to the other OR where they were working on Imani quickly. Arizona ripped her soiled gown and gloves off and saturated her hands in sanitizer as she ran after Malcolm.
"What's going on in here?" Arizona asked as she came through the doors to find a screaming toddler open on the table. "Oh my God is she not anesthetized?"
"I'm not that cruel Dr. Robbins. The pediatric anesthesiologist was running late and rather than push the surgery until later, we decided we could…"
"You, you decided, I was against this from the start." Malcolm shouted back.
"As I previously pointed out Dr. Stanley, I am the lead surgeon on this case which means it's my call."
"He used a spinal block." Malcolm explained.
"Which is used for small surgeries that are completed in less than two hours. Not major surgeries on hips." Arizona fired. "What sedative did you give her?"
"Vistaril." Malcolm replied, his tone was steely as he glared at Arthur.
"Vistaril is used all the time…"
"In dentistry and maybe, maybe for a small procedure." Arizona shouted.
Arizona made her way to the two year old who was screeching and writhing against the restraints that currently held her down. She kneeled by the child's head and began stroking her hair, speaking to her softly. The girl continued to cry but her screams turned into whimpers. Arizona offered the child a small smile and turned to one of the nurses.
"Gaya please go get Dr. Sullivan, he is finishing up in the other OR with Dr. Altman, he shouldn't be needed with that case anymore. After you have gotten Dr Sullivan, please go find Dr. Jenson and bring him here as well."
"Yes Dr. Arizona."
"Are you tattling on me?" Arthur shouted, his face beet red with beads of sweat rolling down it and dripping onto his sterile gown.
"Now is not the time, she can feel your emotions Dr. Blake. If you want her to remain calm, you need to remain calm." Arizona replied, the smile never falling from her face and her tone never harshening as she continued soothing the toddler.
"What can I help with Dr. Robbins, Gaya said it was urgent." Dr. Sullivan asked, coming through the door. With the voice of a new person, Imani began screeching and crying again. "She's awake?"
"Yes, I need you to put her under please. She had received a spinal block and vistaril." Arizona replied calmly as she began singing to the young girl.
Dr. Sullivan set to work immediately, putting the child safely under anesthesia within minutes. Arizona stood and practiced some deep breathing to control the anger that was coursing through her body at the moment. Dr. Jensen entered the OR a few moments later but it was not the time or place for this conversation. First and foremost, they had a surgery to complete on this child before addressing the issue.
"What can I help with?" Dr. Jensen asked.
"May I speak with you for a moment, sir?" Arizona asked.
Following Dr. Jensen out into the hall, Arizona took some deep breaths all the while keeping a watchful eye through the small window at the top of the door leading to the OR. Jensen looked at her with a puzzled look and Arizona looked toward the ceiling to keep the tears at bay. Damn her stupid authority issues.
"I have concerns about Dr. Blake's judgement and ability to perform surgery on children. I have another surgery that I am needed in but I need someone to supervise him. Are you able to do that?"
"Of course but those are serious accusations."
"I know that Hal. He put the safety, well-being, and frankly the life of a child at risk because he's cocky and full of himself. Dr. Stanley can give you details after the surgery and I will find you after mine to give you an official complaint."
"I trust your judgement after working with you for so many years."
"Thank you Hal." Arizona replied. She patted his shoulder before heading the next OR to scrub in on a bowel obstruction with Karsyn.
Three hours later, Arizona had written up an official complaint and was heading to Jensen's office for a meeting with him, Joslyn, Malcolm, Sullivan, Gaya, and Arthur. Arizona knew this wasn't going to go well, Arthur wasn't one to take criticism well and he definitely wasn't going to want to ruin his squeaky clean record. Fortunately for Arizona, American money meant nothing to the people in charge of the Carter Madison Foundation and he would be unable to buy his way out of this.
"She's on a witch hunt!" Arizona heard Arthur scream through the door as she knocked.
"Come in Dr. Robbins." Hal called, knowing she was the last one to arrive at the meeting.
"Dr. Blake, please keep your voice down. You have had a chance to explain your decision and have adequately and generously been allowed to defend yourself but I do not accept this type of behavior, is that understood?" Joslyn reprimanded him. He was using his full height to try to intimidate the smaller woman but she was not backing down.
"Please return to your seat Dr. Blake." Hal said. Arizona took a seat at the last remaining chair between Malcolm and Arthur.
"Dr. Robbins, could you please explain what happened this afternoon and why you filed a formal complaint against Dr. Blake?" Joslyn asked.
Arizona recounted the entire story in as much detail as she could remember. Malcolm, Gaya, and Sullivan nodded their heads in agreement that her recount of the story matched their own. Joslyn and Hal took the written statements from each doctor, including Arthur with solemn expressions.
"I do not take these accusations lightly Dr. Blake, but I assure you, I want you to be treated fairly. Dr. Lachlan and I will read over everyone's statements and consult with the other board members of the foundation. In the meantime, you are not to perform any surgeries that are not supervised by myself or Dr. Lachlan, is that understood?"
"This is horseshit! She's only complaining about me because her fiance is leaving her for me." Arthur said, standing up so suddenly and forcefully that his chair tipped over as he pointed his finger at Arizona.
"That's enough, Dr. Blake." Josyln said. "The rest of you may leave, Dr. Blake, Dr. Jensen and I need to speak with you and remind you of the professional conduct form that you signed as a requirement to join this mission trip."
Arizona left the room and followed the group back to the main part of the clinic, spotting Teddy, Arizona waved and she and Malcolm walked over to the blonde cardio surgeon. The three of them made their way back to the apartment building in silence, neither Arizona nor Malcolm wanting to discuss what just happened at the moment. When they reached their apartment, Arizona stopped Malcolm.
"Thank you for standing up for Imani today. If Arthur gives you a hard time, you are welcome to sleep on our couch."
"Dr. Jensen and I already discussed it. Dr. Channing is going to switch with me, he volunteered since he's an older doctor and Arthur will have a hard time trying to bully him."
"Good, I'm glad to hear it. See you tomorrow, ya?"
"Of course." Malcolm replied, slugging Arizona lightly in the shoulder.
"So, I'm dying to know, what happened?" Teddy asked excitedly as the two of them sat down on their couch together after a long day of surgeries for both of them.
After a short while of gossiping, Arizona could barely keep her eyes open so they finished their nightly routines and made their way to bed. Saturday there were no scheduled surgeries so Arizona hoped it would be an easier day for her. Knowing it was likely going to be a slower day and that she would get to skype with Callie first thing Sunday morning (Saturday night for Callie) with no work to interrupt either of them, she fell asleep quickly, cuddling the red bear Callie had sent with her. It was still dark when a pounding on the door woke her from her sleep only a few hours later.
"Teddy, did you hear that?" Arizona asked. She could hear voices in the hallway and her heart rate automatically increased. The battery operated alarm clock read 01:22, she had only been asleep for three hours.
Teddy was sitting upright in bed and nodded her head but did not remove her gaze from the direction of the doorway leading to their living room. The pounding came again and Arizona heard doors opening and more voices. She realized the pounding was on their apartment door. The blondes looked at each other, both thinking the same thing, it must be Arthur.
"Stay here." Teddy instructed, throwing on a sweatshirt over her t-shirt and going to the door. "Who is it?"
"Police."
"Police?" Arizona mouthed to Teddy, joining her with her own hoodie in place. Teddy shrugged and opened the door.
"Dr. Robbins?" The taller of the two men asked. Arizona could see the other doctors gathered in the hallway, all in their sleepwear and looking as confused as she felt.
"That's me." Arizona said, stepping forward.
"You are under arrest." The shorter officer said, stepping forward and grabbing her by the arm.
"What? What for?" Teddy demanded, trying to get between Arizona and the men.
"She has been accused of partaking in homosexual conduct."
"By who?" Teddy asked but Arizona knew, she made eye contact with Arthur and the cocky smirk on his face gave him away.
"Are you together? Are you a lesbian too?" The officer asked Teddy.
"What if I am?" Teddy asked.
"Teddy, don't. She's my sister, she's not a lesbian." Arizona replied.
"Where are you taking her?" Hal asked, stepping forward. "She's an American, here with the Carter Madison Foundation, she founded this clinic. She's a surgeon, she is not here for personal reasons. She has barely even left the clinic and when she has she has been here with us. We can all vouch for her, these claims are false."
"Are you not a lesbian, Dr. Robbins because we have some pretty interesting photos to prove you are." The officer said, showing her some printed photos from Callie's own facebook page.
"I am but I have not partaken in any homosexual conduct here." Arizona replied.
"She's an American, it's not illegal there." Teddy said.
"That may be so but even Americans must abide by our rules. If she has not partaken in homosexual activity while in Malawi then she has nothing to fear." The taller man said, turning to Hal. "She is being taken to the police station in Salima. An investigation will be conducted."
"I'm coming with her." Teddy said.
"No." The man simply replied. "No visitors."
"Then arrest me too because you are not taking my sister anywhere without me."
"Have it your way." The taller man said, pointing to another officer outside in the village to come take Teddy. "She is the family of the accused, we should interrogate her too."
"I am going too." Hal replied. "I am responsible for these women and I will not have them disappear on my watch."
"Take all three. Anyone else want to go to jail tonight?" The man asked. No one else stepped forward.
Callie
"So, you're off to Miami in the morning?" Owen asked as he and Callie scrubbed out of a successful surgery Thursday afternoon. They had run into several complications but because of their meticulous preparation they had overcome them fairly easily. And now Callie had one more reason to be considered an Ortho Goddess she thought with pride as she looked up at the full gallery. She just wished her fiance was there to see it.
"Yes. Addie and I leave first thing in the morning. I could use the distraction."
"Missing Robbins?"
"Oh don't say her name, it makes it worse." Callie replied dramatically.
"So how did it go when you told her about what happened in New York anyway?"
"She took it better than I would have to be honest. She had an altercation with Joann while I was in New York and if it hadn't been for the fact that I was so thankful she wasn't more upset than she was about Arthur, I would have found Joann and given her a piece of my mind."
"I can only imagine."
"How did Cristina take it?"
"She was more amused than upset."
"Well I'm glad we both managed to avoid the doghouse."
"Me too. You have a safe trip to Miami."
"I will. Have a good weekend, Owen."
Callie made it home with an hour to spare. Addie was supposed to be coming over for the evening so they could go to the airport together in the morning. She had just enough time to shower and pack before the redhead was scheduled to arrive with dinner. Callie checked her emails after completing her tasks but was pulled away by Addie's knocking before she could read any of them.
"Why do you have so much, we're only going to be gone for four days and two of them are only half days." Callie said as she saw Addie standing there with her giant suitcase.
"Oh this is empty, I haven't had the pleasure of shopping in Miami in years." Addie replied with a smile as she handed Callie the bags of Thai food and pulled her suitcase inside.
"You are hopeless." Callie laughed.
Callie smiled up at her sister as she made a grand entrance the next afternoon while Callie and Addie relaxed by the pool. It had been an uneventful flight and a peaceful afternoon relaxing by the pool with Nonna and Abuela while Lucia, Carlos, Jared, and Aria finished up their work days. Jared was working a sixteen hour shift at the fire department so Callie wouldn't have the chance to see her brother-in-law until Sunday at brunch.
"How's married life, Aria?" Addie asked as the younger Torres helped herself to a margarita.
"Blissful. We've only had one fight."
"About?" Callie asked.
"Kids."
"Oh yea that topic seems to always end up in a long conversation between Arizona and I."
"Well he thought we were going to get married and start having kids right away. I told him I wanted to wait five years. We've compromised on three for now."
"Five years?"
"Well yea. I have a five year plan with the business but Jared made a point that I'm already two years into it so we agreed on three years for now but he reserved the right to bring it up again in two years."
"Wow, seems like a long time." Callie replied.
"Well how long do you and Arizona plan on waiting before you start your family?" Aria asked.
"Oh I think this conversation requires more alcohol." Addie replied, getting up from her lounge chair.
"Abuela and Nonna went to make another pitcher of margaritas." Callie replied before turning back to her sister, "I'm not sure. I would kind of like to just enjoy married life for a while before we start our family. I think a year is ideal for me but I told Arizona that I wouldn't push her. If she's planning five years though that might be a problem for me."
"How's she holding up with Arthur being in Malawi with her?" Aria asked, her voice revealing her concern for her sister-in-law.
"She says she's doing ok but I can tell she's tense. I don't think she would tell me even if there were issues. Henry told me that there was an altercation that Teddy told him about. I'm waiting patiently for Arizona to tell me about it. He's been texting me all afternoon, he skyped with Teddy not long ago."
"She's a better person than me. I would have removed his appendage if he had sent me a picture of it." Addie said, pulling her sunglasses up to throw Callie a pointed look.
"I wanted to, trust me but Arizona was much calmer than I was. She begged me not to make a scene. I did try to call him and give him a piece of my mind but the bastard sent the pictures using a burner cell."
"Wait, Arthur sent Arizona dick pics?" Aria asked, not having heard that part of the story from her sister.
"Aria Pilar, just because you are a married woman does not mean I won't get the soap." Lucia said, walking in on the conversation.
"Lo siento Mami."
"Callita, I'm so glad to see you. I got out of work as soon as I was able. Addison dear, how are you?" Lucia said, greeting her oldest child and her friend.
"I'm great now that we're here enjoying the Miami sun." Addison replied with a smile.
The group of women spent the rest of the evening lounging on the patio lazily. Carlos joined them a few hours later and they had a late dinner together before having drinks and going to bed. Callie climbed into her childhood bed and sighed. The last time she had been there, Arizona had been with her and they had done much more than sleep. It seemed like she couldn't escape missing her no matter where she went. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep but visions of her blonde floated in her head. Eventually sleep came and morning followed much too quickly.
"Callita, you have to get up. Everyone is waiting for you honey." Lucia said, shaking her daughter awake.
"Ok, I'm coming." Callie groaned, climbing out of bed.
"You have fifteen minutes to shower and get dressed before we have to leave." Lucia said.
Callie showered quickly and tossed her still wet hair up in a messy bun. Knowing she would be changing into dresses and getting the spa treatment, she decided to go for comfort rather than style and dressed in a pair of linen capris and a designer tank top. Sliding her feet into a pair of comfortable sandals, Callie looked in the mirror and deemed herself ready for the day.
The group of women went to the same spa they had gone to for Aria's bridal shower. Having her toes and nails done, a massage, facial, and even her hair done, Callie was ready to try on dresses. She was feeling much more confident about finding a dress today for some reason. She loved having Maria and Nonna there and hearing their commentary but they went to shop after shop with no luck finding THE dress. Feeling her daughter's disappointment, Lucia suggested calling it an early night and trying a few more places out the next day.
"Callie, can I come in?" Lucia asked, knocking on her daughter's door later that night.
"Si, come in, Mami." Callie said. She removed her reading glasses and put her book aside. She was waiting for Arizona's skype so she had gone up to her room early. She looked at the clock, it was already ten after eight but it was early Sunday morning for Arizona, her only day off, maybe she had just wanted to sleep in. Still, Callie couldn't escape the nagging feeling that something more sinister was keeping her blonde from her.
"Abuela found this out in the guest house a few weeks ago. I'm not sure how it got out there but it gave me an idea." Lucia said, handing Callie the worn album she had put together as a child.
Callie laughed as she opened it and saw the scrawl of her ten year old handwriting that read Callie Torres, someday your prince will come. She flipped through the pages and saw clippings she had carefully cut out and pasted of men she found attractive, Catholic churches she found stunning, wedding cliches that she fell in love with, and finally, the wedding dress she had always dreamed of. Callie ran her fingers over the crinkly paper that was weathered by time and her glue stick and smiled.
"I took a photo of the dress and sent it out to different stores a few weeks ago to see if anyone has one like it. I was losing hope in finding a store but I just got an email from a woman at a privately owned shop. They are normally closed on Sundays but she let me schedule an appointment for late tomorrow morning. I don't want you to get your hopes up but she says she has several dresses that are very similar to this one."
"Thank you, Mami." Callie said, a giant smile on her face.
"You're welcome. So, what kind of plans have you made for the wedding?"
"We just made our guest lists and oddly enough, even with all of our families, we only have around one hundred or less guests so we can pretty much have our choice of venues."
"Is there a Catholic church out there that is what you imagined?"
"There is but Arizona isn't religious, Mami."
"So she doesn't want to get married in a church?"
"No, I didn't say that, she would actually. I think she would let me have just about anything I want for our wedding. She's more excited about the marriage part than the wedding part. The point is, Arizona would agree to a Catholic service if I asked her but she would be uncomfortable. I haven't attended church regularly in years, Mami and it's Arizona's wedding too. I want her to be comfortable and feel free to express herself and her affection. I don't think a Catholic wedding is going to work for us. This book, the things in it, it was a dream and reality is so much better but it's different than I imagined. It doesn't fit me anymore."
"I'm a bit disappointed to hear that you won't be married in a church but I understand, Callita. Will you at least have a minister or pastor perform the ceremony?"
"I don't think Arizona would object to that." Callie replied with a smile. She had thought this conversation would be much more difficult to have with her mother. And in all honesty, she hadn't even discussed it with Arizona yet but she knew her fiance well. If Callie asked her, Arizona would agree to a Catholic wedding in a Catholic church but she knew that wasn't what Arizona would choose and she definitely wouldn't feel comfortable.
"Try to get some rest." Lucia said, patting Callie's leg and pressing a kiss to her head.
"I'm waiting for Arizona to call and then I will."
"Ok, goodnight Mija."
"Night Mami and thanks again."
"Anything for you mi amor."
Callie fell asleep that night with her laptop open, waiting for a call from Arizona that never came. She woke the next morning feeling a mixture of disappointment, annoyance, and concern. She knew Arizona would never intentionally miss a call with her nor would she pass up an opportunity to speak with her so whatever kept the blonde from calling the night before was unavoidable on the blonde's part. Callie made her way down for brunch an hour later feeling grumpy and fatigued. She wasn't in the mood to try on wedding gowns today but as she had flown out to Miami specifically for that task, she gave herself a mild pep talk.
"Are you ok, you don't look so good." Addie commented as Callie sat beside her at the table. Her family had just returned from church and Sunday brunch was a tradition in the Torres family.
"I wish you had joined us for church, mija." Carlos commented. He usually didn't comment on Callie's lack of interest in church services but when she was home it was an unspoken agreement that she would attend with the Torres family.
"Sorry Papi, I haven't been sleeping well." Callie replied.
"Are you ill?" Lucia asked worriedly. She noted that Callie did look slightly pale.
"I don't think so, just a lot on my mind."
"How did your talk with Arizona go last night?" Aria asked
"She didn't call, something must have come up." Callie replied, peeling her homemade cinnamon roll apart but not actually eating it.
"Is that usual for her?" Carlos inquired.
"No, she's never missed one. It's hard to find time to schedule a skype call." Callie replied, unable to keep the tears at bay.
"Oh honey, I'm sure everything is just fine. There was probably an emergency that came into the clinic. I'm sure she's fine." Lucia said, reaching her hand across the table to pat Callie's hand. Carlos was already standing.
"Where are you going, Papi?"
"I have some connections. We will make sure Arizona is doing just fine, mija. Don't you worry. By the time you come back from dress shopping, I will have answers for you."
"I'm sure I'm overreacting and everything is fine."
"Well, I am concerned now too so for my own piece of mind, I would like to check anyway. I've kind of grown fond of your Arizona." Carlos said with a wink in his daughter's direction.
"Thank you Papi."
The truth was as soon as Carlos had heard that Arthur Blake was going to Malawi he had called some of his associates in South Africa and paid for them to travel to Malawi to keep an eye on the situation there. He had spent some time researching Albert Arthur Blake after Callie ended their engagement. On the surface, he was from a nice family; they had what you would consider "old" money and a lot of clout in their social circle. They also had a track record of womanizing behavior. He had been relieved that Callie had broken off the engagement so hearing that Arthur had resurfaced made the Torres patriarch nervous to say the least. Upon hearing that the blonde peds surgeon was part of the situation in Malawi, Frank had offered to leave his post in South Africa to oversee the situation in Malawi. Carlos intended to start with the trusted bodyguard to get some answers for himself and more importantly, for his daughter as he made his way to his home office.
Callie made her way to the dress shop with Addie, Aria, Lucia, Abuela, and Nonna in tow. The group of women sat in the viewing area while Callie was led back to a dressing room where half a dozen dresses that very much resembled the dress in her childhood wedding album were hung. The owner of the shop personally went through them with Callie and as Callie pulled the third dress from the rack, her heart rate increased, it was her dress. Callie smiled brightly as she handed the dress to the woman and she helped her step into it. The dress fit her like a glove, she doubted very much that alterations would even be needed and her eyes welled with tears in relief and excitement at finding the dress. It was like it had been made for her she thought as she did a little twirl in the dressing room and took in the sight of how the dress hugged her curves.
She stepped out into the viewing area and onto the circle platform that was surrounded by mirrors on three quarters of the room. She met her mother's eyes in the mirror and could see that the older woman was having difficulty keeping her emotions in check. But it was Maria who spoke first.
"Callita...tu eres muy bonita." The older woman was unable to keep the tears at bay as she spoke to her granddaughter.
"Gracias abuela."
"She's right, Callie, you look absolutely beautiful." Aria replied with a giant smile.
"I feel beautiful. Do you think Arizona will like it?"
"She won't be able to keep her eyes off of you, mija." Lucia replied through her tears.
"Or her hands." Nonna whispered to Aria and Addie causing the two to erupt into giggles.
"Hey what are you three giggling about over there?" Lucia asked.
"Oh just how much Arizona is going to love this dress." Nonna replied with a wink at the two younger women.
"Is this the one, Callita?" Maria asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to confirm it.
"Yes Abuela, it is exactly what I always imagined."
"Then I will buy it for you. No arguing it is my wedding gift to you. I bought Aria's and I will buy yours too." Maria said.
"Thank you Abuela." Callie said, throwing her arms around the shorter woman.
"Let's pay for this and get you home so we can see what Carlos discovered about your Arizona."
Callie got back home and headed straight to her father's home office only to be stopped by his voice in the den, "Calliope, come in here please."
She followed his voice into the den to find him in his wingback chair with his lawyer, Larry, seated in the matching chair next to his as they shared cigars. Both men had solemn looks on their faces and Carlos was dreading telling his daughter this news. Callie's heart rate increased and she began to pace as she waited for her father to tell her whatever he was clearly dreading saying.
"Just tell me. How badly is she hurt?"
"She's not hurt." Carlos reassured.
"Then what is it?"
"Calm down mija, sit, have a drink." Carlos said, handing his daughter a healthy portion of brandy.
"Please, Papi, just tell me. She wouldn't miss a call without a good reason and I can't shake this feeling."
"She's been arrested, Calliope."
"Arrested, for what?" The Latina exclaimed unable to imagine Arizona doing anything serious enough to be arrested. She was startled enough to drop her full cup of brandy on the rug that probably cost more than a year's salary for her. She cursed and dropped down to soak it up with some napkins.
"Mija, leave it." Carlos said, bringing his daughter up off the floor and sitting her back on the couch. Martina appeared as if out of nowhere and cleaned up the mess, allowing the other three people to collect their thoughts. Once the maid Callie had grown up knowing left the room, Carlos nodded to Larry to continue.
"She was turned in by someone in the village for homosexual conduct." Larry replied.
"No." Callie said, her face falling into her hands. Arizona had warned her about it being illegal but she never really considered that it would ever become an issue for them. "Who would do that? Besides, I'm not there and I know Arizona, she would never cheat, especially in Malawi when she knows the risks and she is very serious about the work she does there. Who would report her for something like that?"
"I don't think it would be too far-fetched to suggest Arthur." Carlos replied. According to the men he had overseeing the situation in Malawi, Arizona and Arthur had a pretty heated argument in the OR the day before she was arrested.
"What's going to happen? How are we getting her out of there?"
"Larry is already working on it, mija. Just trust him, ok. He is negotiating with the authorities through Frank."
"Frank as in Spain Frank?"
"Yes, mija. I've never been much of a fan of Arthur but after finding out he was traveling to Malawi I wanted to protect my daughter-in-law. I told you, I've grown quite fond of her. Not to mention, I know how devastated you would be should something happen to her. I had some associates in South Africa travel to Malawi to keep an eye on the situation, Frank was one of the associates that volunteered once he knew Arizona was involved."
"So I'm just supposed to sit and wait?"
"For now." Carlos replied, knowing his daughter was not one to be told to sit and wait.
"No, I'm not doing that. Get the jet ready, we should go get her." Callie said, standing and pacing frantically as she tried to process.
"Mija, calm down. I have people there looking out for her. Dr. Hal Jensen seems to be at the jail fighting for her from the outside and Teddy is at the jail as well. Seems she got herself arrested trying to stick up for Arizona but they released her within twenty-four hours."
"Teddy got arrested too? This is bad, this is so bad. We need to do something."
"Calliope, I know you hate this but there's nothing more we can do."
"I can't just do nothing. What do you expect me to do?"
"Join us. Sit, have a drink, enjoy a cigar." Larry offered, though it was more than a request. Callie arched an eyebrow at him and shrugged, why the hell not. Her fiance was in jail in Malawi just for loving her. She poured herself a new healthy cup of brandy and sat on the sofa. Carlos handed her a cigar and lit the end of it for her. She took one puff and headed straight to the bathroom where she immediately vomited.
"What's wrong with Callie?" Aria asked as she walked into the room. Lucia was tending to Callie in the bathroom.
"I'll let Callie fill you in." Carlos replied. "Larry, shall we take this to my office? I need to conduct some business in private."
The Torres family, Addie, and Jared sat around the living room that night waiting by the phone together. Callie urged them to get some sleep but everyone wanted to be there in case there was news from Arizona. Maria disappeared into the kitchen for several hours and returned later with enough treats to feed a small army. Despite her love of Abuela's cooking, Callie couldn't bring herself to eat. She was literally sick with worry for Arizona. Carlos and Larry had disappeared into Carlos's office and had yet to emerge, having dinner delivered there.
Callie paced, she wrung her hands together, she prayed, and then she repeated the process over and over. Sometimes it was interrupted by tears or small bits of conversation with different family members but eventually, she would start the cycle again. She didn't know how many hours had passed or how many times she had continued the process before Carlos and Larry emerged from the office. Callie looked at the clock, it was nearly two am in Miami. Callie quickly did the math, it would be nearly nine in the morning in Malawi, meaning it was already Monday.
"Dad, please tell me you have something." Callie said, breaking her pacing to race to her dad's side.
"We have news, mija." Carlos said.
AN2: My apologies, I did not intend to leave it on a cliffhanger. I wrote chapters 50, 51, and 52 together and after reading and editing I had to revamp some things and this was just the best place to stop this chapter. I will try to update again sometime in the next ten days. Until then, don't hate me too much...