AN: Hello there guys! The last chapter had over a 1,000 views the day I posted it. I've come pretty close a few times but that's a new record. for me at least. I really have no idea where in the realm of popular fanfiction that falls but I am happy so many of you seem to enjoy this story. I also have quite a few new followers and reader so you guys must be tired of this quarantine. I've had a rough week. My puppy has been with my grandmother for five weeks as I'm working with covid patients, long shifts and I don't want her to be stuck in a kennel or risk exposing my Gramma with drop offs or pick ups. But I went and got her this week and the change in my mood was immediate! I'm so grateful for her. You guys have all been great as well. So this chapter comes so soon after the last one because, as I said it's been a rough week. It's hard not to take things personally when things are being said about nurses and I'm making sacrifices with my own family and my dog and been completely isolated so I can focus on helping others. And I don't mean to complain because I do love what I do but it's just difficult to hear such negative things about nurses right now. Anyway, on to more important things...
I've said it before. I defend my characters and if there's someone you don't like, I apologize but they most likely aren't going anywhere. There are characters I am not crazy about but they serve a purpose whether it's my story, Shonda's tv character, or another fanfiction writer's story. I get it, some things aren't for everyone but I can guarantee, Amelia is here to stay. I have no plans for her to be a major role at this point but she most definitely will be there throughout. Also, I did not mean to imply I would be ending the story soon. I haven't made up my mind what I want to do, I have a few ideas. I went for a walk with a friend who is also a reader and she commented about some grammatical mistakes and other mistakes. I'm considering a beta if anyone is interested. Both to bounce ideas off of and edit and correct errors. You will have the benefit of getting the next chapter first :) It's just an idea, not completely sure about it yet.
I really do appreciate all of your kind words and encouragement. It's always nice to see such wonderful reviews. This chapter was difficult to write. I really enjoyed the Spain writing once I got over the smut shyness. Getting back into the Afghanistan groove was more challenging than I expected. It's pretty rough and probably not one of my best chapter but hopefully you will enjoy it :) Happy reading!
Chapter Twenty
Arizona and Callie ran through the terminals and past the gates of the Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport as the last call for the boarding of their flight was announced. The two had spent every moment they could soaking up being together and a last minute lustful itch had led to a very satisfying orgasm against the door for Arizona and two over the back of the couch for Callie. It had also led them to arrive at the airport very, very late. Arizona sighed in relief as they approached gate 1A, all the way at the end of the terminal. Sweat was gathering at the base of her shirt and she was short of breath. Callie was right behind her, bent over, hands on knees as Arizona placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Callie stood and after one last chaste kiss, Arizona handed over their boarding passes and the two made their way to their first class seats. Callie couldn't help but feel a sense of loss as the plane started taxing and preparing for take off. She could feel Arizona trembling beside her and she wrapped her arm around her tightly and kissed her temple. She would be careful but there was no way she could go back to not touching the blonde. She was her latest addiction and she wasn't interested in finding a cure.
It was late when they landed in Afghanistan, especially given the three hour time change. They found the rest of the doctors who had flown in at various times from various locations at the hotel connected to the airport. Their drivers would be there in the morning to escort them all back to base together. Arizona and Callie were sharing a room with Amelia and April but they were all way too exhausted for anything but sleep. Callie and Arizona climbed into the second bed and fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms one last time.
It was just before noon on Friday when they arrived back at the base. There was an excitement in the air as everyone returned refreshed and with exciting stories to tell their friends about their collective vacations. Amelia, Lexie, Izzie, and April had gone to Paris. Jackson, Alex, George, Matthew, and Charles had gone to Amsterdam. Meredith, Cristina, Maggie, and Megan Hunt had gone to London. Jo, Stephanie, Eliza, Andrew, Shane, and Leah had gone to the Maldives. Ben and Bailey, along with the rest of the attendings, had gone back to Seattle and various other places in the United States.
"I can catch up with Addison and Mark if you want to go find Teddy, Tim, and Nick." Callie said as she saw Arizona searching for her family.
"Are you sure?"
"Totally. Give them their souvenirs."
"Ok. I'll see you for dinner?" Arizona asked.
"Of course you will."
And just like that the spell was broken. After being together nearly 24/7 for the past ten days, Callie felt Arizona's absence like an unexpected boulder straight to the gut. Being back in Afghanistan was going to be much harder than she had expected after their amazing trip to Spain. But she was very grateful for their trip and the time they had spent together. She was going to try to remain positive because she was more determined than ever to make this work.
Callie sought out Addison and Mark and the three of them sat along the fence gossiping about their vacations and Callie telling them all about her sexcapades with Arizona. How could she not share what she had just experienced? It was the most amazing, life altering thing she had ever experienced both sexually and emotionally and she was dying to gossip with her friends about it.
"You mean she was better than me?"
"Mark, honey, I hate to bruise your fragile male ego but it's not even in the same ballpark. It's more than the sex though, it's also the emotional connection we have."
"We have an emotional connection." Mark said, waving his hand between them.
"Yes we do but it's not the same. I've never connected with anyone like I do with Arizona. It's just a completely different league."
"Wow, Callie, I think I may just have to try my luck with the ladies after hearing all about you and Arizona. She is hot, I mean I'm straight but I can still appreciate." Addie laughed.
"Hey don't knock it until you try it but with someone else, Arizona is most definitely off limits. Find your own Montgomery."
"Ugh if Addison is turning too, I'm out of here. I'm gonna go find Lexie, she flirts with me and seems solid on the sausage train." Mark said as he got up and left the two giggling women.
Callie showed Addison her heart necklace and the pandora bracelet. They talked about the museums and the food, the beach and the beautiful sunsets but inevitably it always led back to another sexual adventure that left Addison jealous and Callie aroused. "I'm telling you Addie, I've never had so many orgasms in one week let alone one night in my life. Seriously, eight orgasms in one day. Sometimes four in just one round. Arizona seriously rocked my world."
"I'm super jealous."
"And I am super horny." Callie laughed.
"How? You just spent a week getting your world rocked by a perky blonde bombshell."
"I know but I can't get enough. She's like crack to me. Very sexy crack. And the things she can do with her tongue, Addie."
"Ohhh? Really? Tell me more. Maybe I can give Sam some pointers next time." Addie laughed but was also completely serious. One thing she loved about Callie was she was not afraid to discuss sex in detail. Neither of them were shy about it and they had discussed sex many times in the past. Addison wasn't going to shy away now just because it was a woman. She liked men and was pretty solid with that but she also wasn't afraid to hide her attraction to certain women or the curiosity she felt about girl on girl sex. She was definitely ready for all the dirty, dirty details.
"I will tell you but you can't go spreading it around or tell Arizona I told you. She's pretty private about these things and I'm not sure she would be happy with the amount of details you and I share."
"My lips are sealed." Addie said as she pretended to zip her lips and throw the key over her shoulder like some pre teen at a slumber party.
The best friends spent the next hour going over details of the sexscapades that had taken place over the last ten days since they had seen each other. By the end Addie was flushed with slight embarrassment but also a bit of arousal she realized. She and Sam had spent their vacation in LA and spent a ton of time doing extra curricular activities but while in Afghanistan, it just wasn't possible. Callie was ready to go find Arizona and drag her to the shed. She wouldn't though, she would wait for dinner and be patient so the blonde could catch up with her brother, Nick, and Teddy. She knew they both needed that, even if she was finding the space from each other harder than she expected. She was however, going to grab a cold shower, or a steamy one and fly maybe solo, she thought with a shrug of her shoulders.
Arizona found Teddy, Nick, and Tim in the entertainment center where the boys were in the middle of a pool game while Teddy sat with her legs propped on a table harassing the two of them. She walked in unnoticed at first and smirked as Teddy barked a snarky remark causing Nick to nearly drop his pool stick. "It's good to see Teddy is keeping you boys in line."
"Phoenix!" "Squirt, you're back." "Arizonaaa!" the three hollored as they noticed the blonde's presence. Tim reached her first and locked her in a headlock, rubbing his fist in her curls.
"Uggghhh. Timothy Daniel, get off of me." Arizona squealed as she broke free only to be picked up and spun around by Nick who planted a slobbery kiss right on her lips as she landed on her feet again. Arizona used the back of her forearm to wipe her lips as she exclaimed, "Nick, gross!"
"I missed my wife, what can I say?"
"I missed my best friend." Teddy said as she pulled Arizona into a warm embrace and rubbed her back affectionately.
"Thank goodness for you Teds, this is the welcoming I expected, boys are so dumb. And I missed you too, so much."
"Did you have fun?" Tim asked.
"I did and I got you all presents though I think I'm reconsidering you and Nick's." Arizona replied with an eye roll before she rounded on Nick, "And Nicholas Gilbert if you want to live much longer, I suggest you never plant your lips anywhere near mine again. Brotherly or not, Callie breaks bones for a living and not only is she brilliant at it, she absolutely loves doing it."
"Sorry, Tempe, I just got a bit carried away."
"I know we've never had to have boundaries before but we do now. Don't let it happen again, ok?"
"You got it."
"And you can't call me your wife anymore, Callie hasn't said but I'm pretty sure it infuriates her."
"Oh, I know it does, that's why I do it."
"You've been warned, your funeral then." Arizona said with a shrug.
"What do you say you give these yahoos their gifts and then you and I go for a little walk and talk." Teddy said.
"Sounds like a great plan, Teds."
Arizona handed the boys and Teddy their souvenirs and chatted with them about Spain. She raved about the food and the beauty of the beaches and the city. She told them about the fountain and the hot air balloon ride before Nick asked, "So did you seal the deal, Phoenix?"
"A lady never kisses and tells Gilbert. And even if she did, I am so not giving you details about my super hot, sexy girlfriend to drool over when you're alone at night. So keep dreaming." Arizona replied with a not so playful slug to his shoulder.
"But I'm your husband. And Tim is the one who drools over Callie, I'm into blondes if you remember."
"Ugh, how many times do I have to tell you that it does not count. And stop saying that. It was fun when we were kids and as we got older to scare off clingy women at the bars but it has lost its charm now. And you're going to have to look for a blonde somewhere else, Nick. I'm gay and very much taken."
"Seriously though, Arizona, did you have a good time?" Tim asked, breaking the awkwardness between his sister and best friend.
"The best, it was amazing."
"Well, your skin looks amazing, Arizona. I'm so jealous of your tan." Teddy said as she looked at the newly tanned face of her friend.
"I'm sorry you guys didn't get a vacation."
"We had a bit of a break. It wasn't bad." Tim shrugged, "Besides, we have two weeks off with you between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And then Teds is done and going back stateside in February and Nick and I are done in May."
"I think it's time for girl talk. You boys go back to playing with your sticks and balls."
"Ugh, Teddy, thanks for the visual." Arizona groaned as she shook her head to try to get the picture out of her head.
"You like it." Nick shouted to which Tim hit him upside the back of his head.
"Watch it, that's my sister. Besides, Callie could so take you."
"Could not." "Could too." Could be heard between the two "men" as they continued their argument, Arizona and Teddy quickly made their exit out into the sun before the boys could detain them further. They walked for a bit in silence until Teddy started leading them to the back wall where no one went and the dilapidated shed was forgotten.
"So, how was Spain?" Teddy asked with a raised eyebrow once she was sure they were far away from any one who could possibly overhear their conversation.
Arizona's cheeks flushed as she replied, "Oh my God, Teddy."
"That good, huh?"
"You have no idea. But it's more than the sex. I connected with Callie in a way that I never have with anyone before. Not even Andi. It's like a whole new level for me."
"I can tell just by looking at you." Teddy smiled at her friend and then as she got a really good look at her, she squinted her eyes and cocked her head to the side slightly, "You're in love with her."
"What?" Arizona asked.
"It wasn't a question. I can see it all over your face and in your eyes. It's a good thing, Arizona."
"I love her, yes but I'm not sure if I'm in love with her." Arizona attempted to deny because the two were completely different things and she was terrified of being in love. Loving someone, she could handle that but being in love, that was a life altering, soul defying, change your life kind of thing. The kind of thing that could leave her crushed and heart-broken.
"Arizona, just because you haven't admitted it to yourself doesn't make it untrue. I can see it. It's written all over your face. And I am so happy for you."
"I think you're right." Arizona whispered and despite the terror that was gripping her chest like a vice grip, she couldn't help the smile that came to her face as she imagined Callie's smile and her big brown eyes. Yea, she was hooked.
"I'm still not happy with Callie, you know. About the whole Amelia thing that happened before you left. Amelia is a good person and she's been a good friend to you for a long time. She doesn't deserve to be frozen out over a misunderstanding or because of Callie's insecurities. I like Callie a lot and I am so glad she makes you happy. Is she giving up Mark for you?"
"What? No, of course not. I'd never ask her to do that."
"Exactly. So why have you been giving Amelia the cold shoulder lately?"
"I wasn't trying to, Teds. I just was worried about upsetting Callie, true. I told her I didn't want to have to choose between them and she apologized to me, I think she finally saw my point. She never asked me to choose or not hang out with Amelia. I think subconsciously I just did it to keep the peace. But I will talk to Amelia, I promise. She's important to me as a friend and Callie wouldn't want me to give her up. Just like I wouldn't want her to give up Mark even though it drives me crazy and I get jealous sometimes. We just have to keep each other's feelings in mind."
"Well, Paris didn't go as Amelia had hoped so I think she needs her friend right now but she's afraid to reach out."
"What happened?"
"I'm not exactly sure, she won't talk to me. She told me a little bit in confidence so if you
want to know, you will have to talk to her yourself.""
"I'll talk to her. And please, don't be upset with Callie. This is my fault, I'll fix it."
"Good because I really like Callie. Now, back to Spain." Teddy said, a new glint in her eyes letting Arizona know that she had moved on from any hard feelings she had towards Callie and was ready for all the lust filled details. That was the good thing about Teddy, she was fiercely protective but she didn't hold a grudge. The two sat and talked until dinner time, giggling over pictures and Arizona turning all different shades of pink and red as she described the extracurricular activities she and Callie had enjoyed.
"Oh my God, Arizona. Callie is hot." Teddy said as she saw a candid photo of Callie in the gold bikini.
"Oh, I know."
"Wow. Gold is a good color on her."
"I know. It's also a good color off of her." Arizona smirked as her finger traced the photo on her phone.
"Ok, I might want to hear about some of your activities but I draw the line." Teddy replied. With a giggle.
"Since when have you become a prude?"
"Not a prude at all, just some things are best left in the bedroom."
"Agreed." Arizona said with a smile, though she loves to razz Teddy.
"What's with the necklace?" Teddy asked as she noted the same necklace around Arizona's neck as the one Callie had on in the picture.
As the two friends walked to the mess hall for dinner, Arizona explained how the two had bought each other the same necklaces by chance and they opened them on Callie's birthday. Teddy was a very captive audience with "awes" and "ohs" in all the right places. She laughed loudly as Arizona explained how Callie's birthday had ended with a very awkward card from her parents inviting Callie to Boston for their next scheduled time off.
"So Callie agreed to come?"
"She did but we haven't talked in detail. I know she also misses her family very much so I thought I'd suggest she spend half her time in Boston and half her time in Miami." Arizona explained as they made it to the mess hall.
"That sounds more than fair. Well, I lost a bet with Owen so I have to sit with him for dinner every night until Monday night. See you later."
Arizona looked around and spotted Callie sitting at a table with Meredith, Cristina, Alex, April, Amelia, Lexie, George, and Jackson. The seat next to Callie was open and Arizona made her way over to her with a smile on her face. It had been less than five hours since they had parted but still, Arizona had missed her. Callie's face lit up as she saw Arizona walk to her and she stood and pulled the blonde into a warm embrace, kissing her temple affectionately as she reached their table.
"Hi everyone? How were your vacations?" Arizona asked with a genuine smile. Everyone spoke at once but Arizona noticed that Amelia's smile although genuine, was not her usual happy go lucky smile when she was really happy. Arizona reached out and grabbed her friend's hand across the table. "How about a run together in the morning to catch up?"
Amelia looked at Arizona and cocked her head slightly before she glanced at Callie and said, "How about a raincheck. I kind of just want to enjoy the next few days before our normal routine starts back up. I mean, I know technically we had to be back by today but we don't officially start at the hospital again until Monday so I'm still on vacation."
"Oh, ok. Well, maybe Monday then?" Arizona asked, feeling slightly deflated.
"Sure, I'll let you know."
The first two weeks back to base had everyone struggling to get back into a normal rhythm once again. Their vacations seemed far off and reality had set back in. Callie and Arizona had found a few moments alone together on base here and there but hadn't had any real time alone and the lack of contact was noticeably wearing on Callie. She was short with her friends and her patience was worn thin, her Latina temper flaring easily. It had been hard to go from spending every moment with the blonde to having to share her with everyone and steal moments with her. She knew Arizona was frustrated as well but she kept it internalized better. Thankfully, Callie had concocted the perfect scenario for alone time with Arizona for the next evening.
Arizona would be joining her group of attendings in the villages as she had been at least every other Saturday since August. While she was gone, Callie would be setting up a romantic evening in their shed with her. She had made some purchases at some shops that she knew the blonde would appreciate and she had, at the last moment, packed one of them in her suitcase for Afghanistan instead of shipping them to Seattle with the rest of her purchases. She pulled the sexy black brassiere and crotchless underwear from her suitcase and smiled. Yep, Arizona was going to be all over her in seconds and she couldn't wait. They had a couple of hot make out sessions and some serious kissing over the past two weeks but had not had the time or privacy to go further than that and Callie was literally aching for the smaller woman's touch. Thankfully it was Friday night and she wouldn't have to wait much longer.
"Hey you, I was just looking for you." Arizona said as she entered the barracks on Friday night to find Callie seated at the bench where her clothes were kept beside her bunk.
"Oh hey." Callie turned with a bright smile, "I thought you were having a run with Amelia tonight."
"I was supposed to but she blew me off again." Arizona replied with a little huff as she sat beside Callie and placed her head on Callie's shoulder, the two facing opposite directions. Callie leaned over and kissed the top of Arizona's head before she laid her cheek on Arizona's head.
"Just give it some time, I'm sure she will come to you when she's ready."
"I know. I can just tell she's hurting and I want to be there for her. I just wish I knew what was happening with her."
Callie wrapped her arms around Arizona and hugged her tightly against her. "What can I do?"
"What you're doing is nice." Arizona replied as she kissed Callie's forearm. "Can we just cuddle up in your bunk and watch a movie?"
"That sounds amazing, pick anything you want."
"Anything?" Arizona asked with a smile.
"We're watching Grease 2 again, aren't we?"
"I know it's terrible but that's what makes it so great!" Arizona giggled.
"You're lucky I love you."
"And since you do love me, I'm choosing Mr. & Mrs. Smith. I know you like action movies and I've never seen it but I heard Andrew and George talking about it today and I thought, why not?"
"I've actually never seen it either but I'm up for some Brad Pitt." Callie said with a wink. Arizona pinched her side with a, "hey". "I'm only teasing, I only have eyes for you now. You've ruined me. Now get your cute ass up in my bunk and I'll grab the laptop."
Arizona woke the next morning to a kink in her neck. She was laying with her head on the left side of Callie's chest where she had apparently laid all night. She sat up and stretched her neck from side to side as she reached for her phone to see the time. 6:45. Crap, she had to shower and be ready to go by 7:30. She considered waking her sleeping Goddess but instead she just placed a tender kiss on slightly parted red lips and hopped down to the floor. She showered quickly and scribbled a note to Callie letting her know she should be back by 4pm and she couldn't wait to spend time with her tonight for whatever she had planned. Then she ran out the door to grab a quick breakfast and meet her newly assigned Saturday group now that she was on the every other Saturday schedule like everyone else.
Amelia was waiting by the mess hall for her as she approached and Arizona gave her a timid smile as she approached, "Hey, I know you have to go but can we talk for a moment?"
"Of course, I've been wanting to talk with you." Arizona replied, then added regretfully, "I only have five minutes though."
"That's ok, we can talk more later, this won't take long." Amelia said and Arizona could tell she was fighting off tears. Placing a gentle hand on her arm, she asked, "What's wrong, Amelia?"
"I've just been working up the courage to tell you this because you matter to me and I know you won't be happy about this but I just didn't want you to judge me."
"Amelia, even if I don't agree with something, I'm still your friend and I still care. Please tell me, whatever it is."
"I was going to meet Ryan in Paris. I paid for his ticket and everything but he never showed. I spent the entire first 24 hours calling around. He relapsed and no one has heard from him in weeks. He lost his medical license. He told me he was clean and I believed him, Arizona." Amelia sobbed.
"Oh, Amelia, I'm so sorry." Arizona hugged her tightly and rubbed her arms, "I would never judge you. I know how hard it's been for you to let Ryan go. What can I do?"
"I don't really want to talk about it anymore. Can we just go back to our morning runs? That would help."
"Of course. And if you do want to talk I'm here and if you want to hit something, I can wrangle up a childhood husband of mine that's asking for it."
"Trouble in Nick paradise?"
"Just typical Nick."
"Ok, well, you go get some breakfast before you leave. And thank you, Arizona."
"You're welcome. So, Monday, bright and early?"
"I'm so gonna kick your ass, Robbins."
"Probably." Arizona laughed. She hadn't gotten back to her regular running routine since before she and Callie had left for Spain and she knew it was going to be brutal at first.
Arizona sighed as she gathered around the vehicle with her new group fifteen minutes later. Although she had Owen, whom she was familiar with because of Teddy and had served with on her last mission trip, the rest of the group included people she wouldn't normally socialize with. Derek Shepherd was friendly toward her and they were familiar because of her friendship with his sister. Richard Webber had praised her and hand picked her for his group but she couldn't say he was actually a friend. Ben Warren was the anesthesiologist that was assigned to their Saturdays while Denny Duquette was assigned to the other group. As far as friendship went, it didn't matter either way to Arizona which of them were in her group, they were both nice enough and she enjoyed them in the OR but she knew neither of them outside of their taste in music during surgeries, although Ben did have great taste in music. And then there were the more troublesome members of her group, Addison Montgomery, who admittedly had never been anything but nice to her but she still made Arizona nervous. She felt like she was constantly under a microscope with Addie just waiting for her to mess up and prove she wasn't good enough for Callie. Then, as if karma was laughing in her face, Mark Sloan was assigned to their group. Which left two people making her feel like she was under a microscope and completely unworthy of Callie. And Mark was possibly the trigger that could make her do or say something stupid, especially in her current state of frustration and tension. And then the real kicker, the thing that had her nails digging into her thigh, was Erica Hahn sitting right next to her. They had all seven been loaded in the truck and ready to go when Erica entered and plopped down in the only empty seat, right next to Arizona.
"I had to switch Saturdays with Preston." she heaved an explanation as seven sets of surprised eyes landed on her. So here she was in the hot desert heat sixteen days after returning from a magnificent trip to Spain, with a group of misfit doctors treating illnesses, providing vaccines, and even providing some first aid to the locals. The only thing that was keeping her mood from turning completely sour was that tonight she was going to have some alone time with Callie. Finally. Ok two things were keeping her mood at bay because, tomorrow was Sunday and Sundays had become dates with Callie days. Ok so one thing, common denominator, alone time with Callie. They still had lunch together at the hospital three days a week and worked cases together. After work, they sometimes went for walks, other times they lounged around with a movie, but most times they hung out in a group with their friends; But Sunday afternoons and evenings had become strictly Arizona and Callie time.
"You hanging in there?" Owen asked as he stood beside her, holding the leg of a little boy while Arizona injected his thigh with a vaccine. They had been at it all morning and now into the early afternoon, it seemed the surrounding villages were in desperate need of vaccines and general healthcare.
"Brave boy, you didn't even cry." Arizona smiled at the child as she covered the spot with a colorful bandaid and plopped him on the ground. "Yea, why?"
"You just don't seem like your perky self is all."
"I'm good, Owen, really." Arizona smiled as the next child clamored onto her makeshift table. They had set up a little portable medic tent with a few cots and there was a line of villagers waiting to be seen. Arizona and Owen were providing vaccines while the other six doctors ran a makeshift urgent care to handle the bumps, bruises, and illnesses of the villagers.
Arizona sat against a slanted tree with her head back and eyes closed as the group took a much needed lunch break later that afternoon. Most of the villagers had been tended to and they most likely would be heading back to base in just a couple of hours, at least Arizona hoped that was the case. She was daydreaming about Callie, who was currently playing pool, and how she got a perfect view of her round bottom and her cleavage when she bent over the pool table when her thoughts were rudely interrupted by an unwelcome voice, "Hey blondie, what are you smiling about?"
"Hi Mark." Arizona replied without opening her eyes.
"I think it's time that we became friends." Mark declared. This caused Arizona to open one eye and squint up at him. The sun was intense and she had been enjoying her daydreaming with the sun on her face so her voice that was normally perky was unable to disguise her annoyance.
"Why?"
"Because, Callie is my best friend and you're dating her now. I just think, for Callie's benefit, we should be friendly."
"I'm not having a threesome with you." Arizona replied with both eyes closed again, a teasing smile now lacing her face. Maybe he was right, he had done nothing but be nice to her, if somewhat oblivious to the things that came out of his mouth. "And we're not dating, she's my girlfriend."
"We'll see about that threesome." Mark replied with a laugh and a wink that Arizona caught as her eyes flew open.
"Are you being a pest?" Addie asked as she walked toward the duo and plopped down next to Mark. And just like that, Arizona's lunch time relaxation was over.
"Here, eat this, they're good for you." Mark said, tossing her an apple. Addie handed her a granola bar and a bottle of water. Arizona looked at them with a questioning look.
"Callie made us promise to be nice to you and make sure you eat." Addie replied. She never was one to mince words or sugar coat anything. "Plus I kind of like you and I think Erica Hahn is plotting your death. I thought maybe we should come sit with you so she knows who she's dealing with."
"So, you guys are going to be my friends now? Because Callie told you to?" Arizona asked cautiously.
"And because I like you." Addie added.
"And you're hot."
"Plus, we are great friends." Addie smiled as she took a large drink of her water. Despite the ridiculousness of the situation, Arizona found herself smiling at Addie's candor and Mark's shameless flirting.
"I'll be your friend on one condition." Arizona negotiated.
"Oh, I didn't know you weren't going to just agree to get in with the popular kids." Addie teased but she liked Arizona even more for her bargaining.
"Name your price blondie."
"Ok, two things. One, stop calling me blondie. And second, I need the dirt on Callie. Tim has been telling her stories about me since his birthday and I thought after vacation he would have forgotten and stopped but, this week he told her one and she has teased me all week long about how I cried for two days when I was three because I didn't have a penis."
Addie put on a great impression of Arizona as water spewed from her mouth and nose as a laugh escaped her at the same time she was trying to swallow a gulp of water. Mark patted her on the back absently as though this happened every day at lunch without blinking an eye.
"I'd cry too." Mark replied.
"Ok that is oddly adorable and disturbing." Addie replied as she regained her composure.
"So, what's it gonna be, mean kids?" Arizona asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Mean kids?" Mark asked.
"You said you were the popular kids, doesn't mean go with that?"
"Weren't you popular Miss perfect blonde curls, brilliant blue eyes, dimpled smile, and perky breasts?" Addie asked.
"Me? Popular? Never. That's funny though."
"Ok, what kind of dirt are you looking for because I'm pretty sure this is against best friend slash girl code."
"Callie's perfect and I'm so awkward and rambly. I just need one embarrassing thing on her to make her seem a little more human and a little less goddess."
"Wow, you've got it bad." Addie laughed.
"Have you seen her?"
"I have." Mark replied with a smile and a wiggling of his eyebrows.
"There might not be bricks around but there is plenty of rubble. I will hit you with a makeshift brick." Arizona replied with narrowed eyes and tight lips.
"Think before you speak, Mark." Addie replied.
"Sorry." Mark apologized, "She's a hair chewer."
"What?"
"Callie, she chews her hair sometimes, when she's studying or thinking. It's kind of adorable actually."
"Oh and she does that pee pee dance thing when she's nervous."
"And she literally vomits at the thought of public speaking." Mark added, "That one isn't adorable."
"Ok, I guess we can be friends but I'm adding a third condition for Mark, no more talking about seeing or touching any parts of Callie. That way I don't have to search for a brick, deal?"
"Deal." Mark said, sticking out his hand to shake on it, "But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop staring at your boobs."
Arizona rolled her eyes and shook his hand as she said, "I guess I can't fault you for liking boobs."
"So, in the interest of our new friendship, I think you should know that Erica Hahn is not happy that you and Callie are a couple. She's gotten quite chummy with Eliza Minnick and I think they could be trouble." Addie said, her demeanor changing to a more serious one.
"What has she said?" Arizona asked, sitting up straight. She wasn't truly worried, she and Callie were solid but she hadn't been privy to the hospital gossip since returning.
"Nothing directly to me, I've just heard things and seen them together. Callie said Eliza had a crush on you and made a pass at you."
"She did but I handled it. And Erica has already tried making trouble for us. What else have you heard?"
"That they are plotting for ways to break you up. We heard about the photos Erica took and apparently that's child's play to the things she and Eliza have been plotting." Mark replied.
"Does Callie know?"
"We haven't told her yet." Addie replied as she wiggled her finger between herself and Mark, indicating that they were the "we" she was referring to.
"Cal is a bit hot tempered, we thought we would tell you first." Mark added.
"Well, thank you for telling me, I appreciate it. And please, don't tell Callie just yet."
"I won't tell her yet, only because I'm trusting you to tell her but you do realize it will be all of our funerals if she finds out we knew and didn't tell her." Addie replied.
"Thank you. I will tell her, I just don't want it to ruin our night." Arizona said, she stood and dusted off her butt before she said, "We should probably head back."
The trio walked back down the small hill to the tent together and were just about there when they heard shouting followed by the sound of gunfire. The three froze and looked at each other, not knowing if they should stay where they were or run toward the tent. Before they could decide, two men with rifles came over the hill, shouting at them, forcing the three of them to put their hands up and walk toward the tent.
"Is everyone ok? We thought we heard gunfire." Richard asked as the three doctors walked into the tent followed by the two men with rifles. Richard looked surprised but stood his ground. Slowly the other four doctors, who had been talking about the gunfire, noticed the tension filled silence and turned their attention to them. The two soldiers who had driven them to the village and provided security for the group pulled their weapons and were in a standoff with the three men behind Arizona.
"Yes." Arizona replied quietly to Richard's question.
"What's going on?" Owen asked the men but three more entered the tent with guns trained on them. Arizona heard commotion behind her and as she turned to look, a rifle went off. The all dropped to the floor as reflex so it took a moment in the chaos to see what happened.
"Jenkins." the other officer, Perkins shouted. He lowered his own weapon as the men surrounded him. They used the butt of their gun against the side of his head and knocked him to the ground before they took his gun as well. Jenkins was on the floor moaning and holding his leg in pain.
Richard and Derek who were closest to Jenkins went to provide him aid but the men with the guns shouted and then pointed to one of the men weilding a gun. He yelled but Arizona couldn't understand him. He was covered in blood and she wondered how he got it and feared what they planned to do.
"This man's son was shot and they are hiding out here from some rebels who attacked them. This boy needs medical attention." Owen replied. For the first time Arizona's eyes landed on the bed where a boy of about ten lay bleeding from his abdomen. In the initial chaos and shock, Arizona hadn't noticed the men carrying him in or heard his cries but now she could tell he was in pain and bleeding badly.
"English?" Arizona asked the armed men. One man came forward, responding "yes" with a thick accent. "Can I look at his wound? I'm a surgeon for children."
"Yes, yes." The man replied.
"Hi, I'm Arizona. Can I look at your belly?" Arizona said as she approached the boy on the table. She doubted he spoke English but it was a habit for her to do this with children. The English speaking man in the group translated to the boy and he cautiously nodded his head.
Arizona grabbed a pair of gloves and some trauma shears as she carefully cut the boy's shirt. She tried not to let her face show her concern as she saw the gaping wound in the child's abdomen. "He needs surgery."
The guy that Arizona now referred to as the "interpreter" translated to the man that she assumed to be the child's father, the one covered in blood. The man looked up suddenly and raked his eyes over Arizona slowly, a steely glare on his face as he said something to the interpreter.
"He does not believe a woman can fix his son." the interpreter said. Arizona opened her mouth to reply but Owen beat her.
"Dr. Robbins is a bright and caring doctor and you won't find a better surgeon for your son. She is not only qualified, but she is the best there is. He will die if we don't help him." Owen said, keeping eye contact with the father as the interpreter translated. The father stepped closer and trained his weapon on Arizona as he spoke, he pressed the barrel of his gun directly over the taunt flesh covering her heart, digging it into the tender skin painfully. Her heart rate increased and her palms became clammy as she held her breath but Arizona didn't move or make any indication that she was uncomfortable. She maintained eye contact with the father for what felt like hours but was probably less than thirty seconds, when he spoke.
"He says if his son dies, she dies too." The interpreter said as the father withdrew his gun from Arizona's flesh and nodded his head in confirmation. Arizona took a deep breath and turned to Ben. "What do we have for anesthesia?"
"Not much, some local anesthetic and some sedatives." Ben replied as he searched through their kits. "I could sedate him better if I could monitor his vitals and secure his airway but I'm worried we will lose him. I could do a spinal block, it's kind of risky but we can't do surgery without something.."
"That will have to do. We need to clear everyone out and make this as sterile as possible. Do we have any masks or gowns or sterile gloves? What about drapes?" Owen asked. Ben set to work helping Arizona position the child while everyone scrambled to help get supplies.
"Here, I can put these sheets up to block the winds and try to keep it cleaner in here, that's the best we can do for drapes." Mark offered as he and Addie started tying the sheets up.
Richard and Derek fumbled through the supply kits, pulling out everything they could find. Derek surveyed their supplies and said, "Let's set up a second table. We have enough here to get Private Jenkins fixed up too, he's losing a lot of blood, we need to take care of his leg."
Derek, Mark, and Addie set up the second table for the injured officer while Arizona, Richard, Ben, and Owen prepped for surgery on the little boy. Erica tended to the now awake and alert Private Perkins. Arizona knew that time was not on their side, nor was their surroundings or the fact that they didn't have cautery or blood should the child require it. Noting where the bullet entry was, Arizona feared that the descending aorta could be involved, in which case, they were in real trouble. "Dr. Hahn, I think we could use your hands here."
"I'm not operating on terrorists." She replied as she stood and crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.
"He's not a terrorist, he's a child. He was shot by rebels. These men here were probably protecting their village from the rebels who come in and gather children for their armies and rape women. He's not a terrorist, he's a child who got caught in the crossfire and he's going to die if we don't help him." Arizona yelled, while her hands quickly worked. She checked that he was properly sedated and numb when she felt the barrel of a gun push painfully into her back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, holding in the gasp of pain, she wouldn't give them that satisfaction.
"He wants to know what you are doing." the interpreter said.
"Trying to save his son's life and I can't do that with a gun on me. I need space and we need this area as clean as possible so tell these men, they need to wait outside if they want me to save their little boy." Arizona replied through gritted teeth. She waited for the interpreter to translate and a minor argument ensued that she didn't understand. After a few moments, the men left the tent, leaving only the interpreter to stand guard, a gun trained on them as they worked.
"Don't try anything funny or I will put a bullet in someone's skull." the interpreter said.
Addison, Derek, and Mark had operated on Jenkins and were now just anxiously waiting and hoping for the child to have an equally successful outcome. It took several hours and the skilled hands of four surgeons, Erica decided reluctantly to assist, and an anesthesiologist but the boy was still breathing as they stitched him up just as the sun was setting. Arizona wanted to transfer the child to the hospital but the men refused. They held them at gunpoint as they waited for the sedation to wear off. A fight ensued as the men prepared to leave. The interpreter turned and spoke, pointing to Arizona, "They want to take the woman who operated. In case he needs further care or he doesn't make it."
"No." Owen said, standing in front of Arizona.
"She will not be harmed, we will let her go once the boy is stable."
"I said, no." Owen replied. Several guns were raised and trained on them.
"Owen…" Arizona started. She did not want to go with these men but they had already shot one of Owen's men, she didn't want them to shoot anyone else.
"They could just shoot you all and take her anyway." the interpreter threatened.
"Oh, let them take her. It's one life compared to all of ours." Erica said as she pointed around the room at the herself, the other seven doctors, and the two other servicemen.
"You're crazy." Mark said, "No way, Blondie isn't going anywhere."
"I'm with Mark and Owen." Addie said as she and Mark pulled Arizona to stand between them.
"Yea, Robbins is one of mine, she stays with us. If you want to take her, you have to take us all." Richard said as he, Derek, and Ben stood beside Owen.
"You guys are fools." Erica said, shaking her head in disbelief but she ultimately stood with her group, behind Arizona, Mark, and Addie.
"If you shoot all of us. Three American soldiers and six American surgeons and then kidnap another American surgeon who just saved the life of your child, you will be hunted. I can guarantee you the Army will come after you with full force and then it will not be the rebels you have to fear." Owen said without flinching.
"We don't want more trouble. We will go." the interpreter said.
"Wait", Arizona said as she rummaged through the medication bag and grabbed two bottles, stepping forward to place them both in the father's hand while she addressed the interpreter, "The big bottle is antibiotics to prevent infection, he will take them two times a day, in the morning and at night. The smaller bottle is a pain medicine. It will make him sleepy. He can have one pill every eight hours, three times a day, understand?"
"Yes, thank you." The father said, then before Arizona knew what had happened, they scooped the boy from the table and left as quickly as they came. There was a collective sigh of relief as the surgeons felt the tension leave their bodies. They were now stranded as the men had commandeered their vehicle and all of their supplies while also destroying their radios to call for help. All they could do was sit and wait for help.
"How's Jenkins?" Arizona asked, gesturing toward the officer lying asleep on the second cot.
"Lost a lot of blood but we got him stable." Mark replied.
"Arizona, how are you holding up?" Owen asked.
"I'm ok, Owen, I'm good. How are you?"
"Good. Ok then." Owen said, rubbing his face before addressing the group, "We need to figure out what to do. If we stay here and wait to be rescued, we're sitting ducks if we get ambushed. If we start back toward camp in the dark, we could stray off the path and end up in a landmine field or get ambushed anyway."
"I don't like either of those options, Hunt." Derek said.
"Me neither." Webber said grumpily.
"Perkins, what do you think?" Owen consulted the other soldier who, other than probably a mild concussion and a small cut to his temple, seemed relatively unarmed.
"If Jenkins wasn't injured I'd say we move Captain, but we can't leave him behind and I'm not sure we can move him safely. Not to mention, it's a long way to carry him."
"Shepherd, Montgomery, Sloan, you guys operated on him, what do you think?"
"It would be better to have ortho consulted but the femur is broken. When the spinal wears off, he's going to be in a lot of pain. We stemmed the bleeding but he isn't out of the woods yet. He needs Torres or Riggs to get in there and do an internal fixation and soon." Sloan replied.
"Can we move him?" Owen asked.
"No, I don't think that's a good idea. He would probably bleed out." Addison replied.
"Not to mention there's nerve damage that I couldn't repair, not out here." Derek added.
"Well, we're staying then. We aren't splitting up. Our best odds are if we stay together. Gather up some scalpels and sticks, rocks, anything that can be used as a weapon. It's going to get cold. Let's take these sheets down so we can use them as blankets and not get blind-sighted by someone approaching. We will take shifts sleeping." Owen ordered as he thought out loud.
Arizona set about gathering needles and syringes along with the scalpel she had used. Then she set off to find some of the larger but still throwable boulders she had seen with the help of Addison, Derek, and Mark. The four worked in silence and carried back armfuls of what could be weapons. Owen skillfully made three sling shots with some of the sticks, suture kits, and tourniquets. Ben and Perkins attached scalpels to the sticks while Erica and Richard seemed to be tying the syringes together with sutures.
"Anyone know how to use one of these?" Owen asked, holding up the third slingshot after he took one and tossed one to Perkins. Arizona raised her hand and everyone looked at her.
"Right?" Erica said with an eyeroll. Arizona marched over and took the slingshot from Owen, grabbed a handful of large pebbles and took aim at one of three water bottles sitting on the table next to the bed where she and Owen had been vaccinating children earlier that day. She took a deep breath and as she let her breath go, she let the pebble fly, knocking the first water bottle to the ground. She repeated the process twice more.
"Look at Blondie go." Marke shouted with a little whistle.
"Shhh." Perkins hissed.
"Right, sorry."
"I had an older brother and I wasn't exactly popular with the girl crowd so I was sort of a tomboy." Arizona explained with a shrug.
"Ok, so looks like Arizona, Perkins, and I get to be the slingshot wielders. We will split up into three watches." Owen replied.
"I'll take the first watch." Arizona offered.
"There's nine of us. Well ten but I don't think Jenkins will be conscious enough to take a watch. I propose we split up into groups of three and each take a three hour watch. That should get us to daylight. Then maybe we can travel."
"Callie will know we're missing, Owen. Everyone will. They will come for us." Arizona replied as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I know, I'm just preparing for the worst case scenario." Owen replied.
"Mark and I will take first watch with Arizona." Addie offered.
"Ok, we have our first group. I'll take the second watch with Hahn and Warren. Perkins, you take the last watch with Webber and Shepherd." Owen ordered.
"Sure thing boss."
"Alright, let's get some more weapons made and flip these tables, then we will all try to get some sleep."
When they were done, Addison, Richard, and Erica each yielded a stick with a scalpel attached to each side held in place with sutures used like string so it resembled a two pronged fork. Mark, Derek, and Ben each had ten syringes with needles on the end taped tightly together as a sort of needle knife. Owen, Arizona, and Greg Perkins each had a slingshot and a slew of boulders and pebbles beside them. Owen and Greg also each had a flare gun with a single flare that the men hadn't found in Jenkins and Perkins gear.
"I really hope we don't have to use these, but these are pretty cool." Mark said as he checked out his homemade weapon.
"Let's pray we don't." Webber replied.
"Alright, let's try to get some sleep. The six of us and Jenkins will sleep in the center of the tent. Arizona, you sit by the table over there and watch the view from the village, we are most likely to be ambushed from there, take my flare gun. Addison, you sit over by the vaccine table and watch the hill. Mark, you take the table over here and watch the field. The road is left uncovered but we will hear vehicles and footsteps on the gravel coming from that direction. Here, there's some binoculars for each of you." Owen said, handing Mark all three pairs. The tables, which included six all together plus the vaccine table, had all been flipped on their sides in an attempt to protect them should they get ambushed with gun fire. Arizona shivered as she sat on the ground and watched carefully for any sign of movement. Mark was between her and Addie. He was facing North while Addie faced West and Arizona faced East, the South was left uncovered.
"You ok, Blondie?" Mark whispered.
"Yes, just cold." she replied. Her scrubs were still semi wet with blood, though most of the spots had dried. She could feel it caked under her fingernails and on the skin of her chest, abdomen, and arms. She shivered again for a whole different reason this time.
"You want a sheet?" Mark asked as he stood to grab one of the three sheets Owen had left for them.
"No, I need to stay cold so I can be alert."
"Come here." Mark said, opening his arms for her. He waved Addie over as well.
"I need to stay at my post." Arizona replied, she was never one to break orders.
"So we will still sit facing the way Owen asked us to but I'm still kind of freaked out and I don't want to sit alone." Mark replied. He handed Arizona and Addie each one of the three pairs of binoculars the group had. Thankfully Owen and each of the other two soldiers always carried their gear into the fields. Paired with their helmets and bulletproof vests, the lookout trio was armed as best as they could be. Arizona and Addison sat back to back, leaning on each other while Mark sat leaning against Arizona's left arm and Addie's right.
"This is better, thanks Mark." Addie whispered.
"How are you holding up, Ads?" Mark asked with sincerity in his voice.
"I could use a bubble bath and a big bottle of wine." She joked.
"I second that." Mark replied.
"Motion granted, only I want Callie in my tub." Arizona smiled then as she realized Callie must be frantic she suddenly felt nauseated, "Oh my God, Callie. She's going to freak out. She's already freaking out."
"Yep." Mark and Addison replied in unison. If Arizona wasn't intently watching for commotion towards the village, she would have placed her head in her hands.
It was 23:00 when Arizona woke Owen, who then woke Erica and Ben. Once their positions were replaced by the second group, the three found a spot on the ground near the rest of the group and they laid down next to each other. Mark was in the middle of the two women and he opened his arms up for each of them. Arizona curled into his right side without hesitation as Addie curled into his left, each laying their head on his chest. She was too cold and scared to worry about her ego at the moment and Mark had been great all day. Try as she might, Arizona couldn't sleep though. She kept thinking of Callie and wished she was curled up into her side as she shivered. The latina was a human furnace and she missed the comfort of her heat and her smell. Mark noticed the blonde's shivering and wrapped a sheet around her and then stroked her hair making shushing noises as if he were rocking a baby. At last, Arizona's eyes felt heavy and she fell into a dreamless sleep.
She was disoriented as she was startled awake. The ground beneath her was shaking and she couldn't remember where she was for a moment. She opened her eyes slowly to feel a body spooning her and she smiled for a second before she realized the frame was far too large to be Callie's and the hand around her waist was far too masculine. She turned over to see what would have been a comical sight at any other moment in time. Erica Hahn was spooning Addison Montgomery who was spooning Mark Sloan who was spooning Arizona. The smile quickly faded from her face though as she realized the shaking ground beneath her was vehicles approaching. Her fight or flight response kicked in as her pulse quickened and she felt the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She shoved Mark quietly and picked up her weapon. Owen was already awake and alert as were Perkins, Derek, and Richard who had just started their watch. Owen motioned for the other men to hold their posts as he and Mark crawled over to the table where Arizona was crouched behind. The headlights appeared a moment later and they all three ducked down. Everyone was now awake and taking cover with their weapons securely in their hands. Ben, who guarded Jenkins was the least covered and Arizona was fearful for his safety but her attention was brought back to the road. The vehicles stopped and she heard heavy boots crunching on the gravel coming closer to them. She closed her eyes and counted to three to slow her heart rate, then she opened them and looked at Owen. He signaled the count to her and Mark and then the three popped their heads over the table they were hiding behind to view their enemy.
Owen held up a hand to his lips to signal them to remain silent. Arizona's breath hitched as she took in the sight before her, her heart rate increased rapidly once again. She tried to swallow but her throat was thick with fear. The headlights were blinding her and all she could tell was that they were outnumbered. She could see at least a dozen pairs of boots walking through the headlights. Someone cut the headlights and as Arizona's eyes adjusted, she gasped. The man nearest to her heard the sound and turned to make eye contact with her, their location was revealed.