A/N: Complete AU started around S1/S2 *Character stories and background have been altered (Callie and Bailey have been close friends for years*
"Numb. All I feel right now is numb and I can't be numb right now." The older woman pursed her lips and stretched her arms out. Tears made their way down her face as she tried to console her best friend. "Callie, you are allowed to feel. You can feel whatever you want." Callie's pager went off and she sat up to wipe her face. "I have a feeling that this will be a long day. Thank you Addie." Addison gave a sympathetic smile, "Never thank me. I'll catch you later on?" Callie shook her head yes and headed to the pit. Upon reaching the pit, she immediately saw Izzie vomiting, which was something she'd stop doing only a couple of hours earlier. For a moment, she felt bad for her, then immediately felt anger towards her. She turned to the nurse, who handed her a file, before going into the first exam room.
She fought hard to hold back the tears when she saw the battered child crying on the gurney. She looked to her intern for the day, Cristina Yang, and asked what happened. Yang replied, "From what I overheard the cops saying, her mother acted like she was a pint-size boxing bag before a pin cushion. Look, I don't do kids and she won't let me examine her. Even I can see that she has some broken ribs and probably an ankle. I don't know what to do because she could have internal injuries and won't stop fidgeting." Callie took pity on Cristina, "Number 1, she's a child. 2, she's scared. And 3, she's in pain."
Callie studied the pretty hazel-eyed little girl for a moment. She watched as the little girl stared at her before reaching behind her ear and rubbing furiously. She made motions with her hands and Callie immediately recognized them. "See what I mean?" Yang exclaimed suddenly—making Callie jump. She turned completely to face Yang, "She's deaf. She's speaking in sign language." "And you know this how?" Callie rolled her eyes, "I have a deaf uncle. He taught me how to sign when I was a kid." Yang scoffed, "Oh, how sweet"
"Do you want in on this surgery or not?" Callie snapped. Yang looked bewildered and excited at the same time. "Surgery? So, I was right? Yes!" She stopped her victory dance upon looked at Callie's unimpressed face. "Oh come on Torres. When have you ever seen an intern guess injuries without doing any tests?" With a roll of the eyes, Callie said, "Gold star for Yang." Callie turned back to the little girl and started signing. Although she was a toddler, she knew how to sign better than Callie predicted. She tried to make explaining tests and scans as simply as she could. The little girl seemed to trust Callie and allowed the doctor to pick her up. Her lip started to tremble as Callie touched her tiny body as gently as she could. Although she was hurting, she never let her grip on Callie waiver. Yang listened to her breathing as Callie held her; it was then that she noticed her inability to focus her vision. Callie looked to the side and saw dried blood in her ear. She looked to Yang and tried to keep herself from startling her patient, "Page neuro and Peds right now." Yang rushed off to do as she was told while Callie felt the small girl tense and shake in her arms. She looked to see hazel eyes frozen in fear. Callie turned around and saw a young woman standing there. The little girl vomited all over Callie, right before she started seizing. Everyone in the room rushed to stabilize the girl as Shepard and Robbins took over. Callie looked over her shoulder only to notice that the woman had vanished.
Robbins demanded her attention, "Dr. Torres, what do we have?" Callie snapped out of her trance and rattled off "Female between the age of 1 and 3. Possible incomplete tibia fracture to the left leg, broken right ankle. At least 3 broken ribs and maybe another two that are fractured, possible internal injuries, and dried blood in the ear canal that could be some sort of delayed brain injury. She only seized once and that was right before you came in." Shepard tried in vain to not get angry over the little girl's injuries. Callie added, "Yang said that breath sounds were decreased on both sides. Oh, and she's deaf. I know because I speak sign language. I don't know if she's completely deaf or not…but at least partially."
Robbins nodded, "We need to get her into the OR now. Let's go people." They all rushed towards the elevators, including Yang, and prepped for trauma surgery on a toddler. Addison would've scrubbed in, if she hadn't been already operating on a newborn in the next OR. Callie glanced up once to see Bailey looking down on her with compassionate eyes. She also saw her ex-husband and got angry all over again. "Listen up everybody. I know that we don't often have trauma surgeries on children, but Robbins does. Robbins will take point on internal injuries while I work on her bone breaks. Yang will be active in this surgery" she paused to look at Yang, "now is your time to shine Cardio God in training."
They were 2 hours into the surgery when her leg suddenly jerked. They all stopped moving right as the intercom boomed to life, "She has a partial cochlear implant. It's given her headaches before but never a seizure. It's the damn implant!" Callie stopped what she was doing on the ribs and allowed Shepard to assess her. She couldn't stop herself from asking, "How do you know that?" Callie heard a broken voice and looked up to see Alex Karev nearly in tears. It was a long moment before he responded, "She's my niece." All heads in the observation deck turned on a swivel to stare at him but he was stuck staring into Callie's compassionate eyes. Once the surgery was finished, Alex walked with them all the way to the PICU. He spoke to Callie softly as if he was trying not to wake his niece, "Where's my sister?" Callie looked at him, "About 5'5, slim, dirty blonde?" he nodded yes. "She was here and then she vanished." She watched his jaw tightened and decided to change the subject. "What's her name?"
Alex looked down at the biggest part of his heart, "Avril. Avril Calleigh Karev. I named her and delivered her almost 2 years ago." Callie simply smiled at him and Robbins cut in saying "that's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl" as she hooked up the various machines. When she was finished, she turned to Alex. "We have to wait until the swelling in her brain decreases before anyone can attempt to take the implant out. She'll stay here. Is there anyone you want us to call?" she asked gently. He balled his fists up, "Hell no. it's just me. Nicole did this to my—God, she's like my kid. I've done everything since the day I found out about her. The dad has never been there and we don't have any family that is worth calling." Robbins and Shepard nodded before leaving the room. Callie remained and stood quietly as Alex rubbed a gentle hand on Avril's cheek. "Why are you still here Torres?" "Post-op for my patient." She was pleased with his small smirk. He turned to her with red eyes, "Why are you really still here?" She dropped the façade, "Because I'm human and you need a friend."
Alex couldn't hold it in anymore and let his knees buckle. Callie was right by his side offering moral support. He suddenly started laughing and said, "Avril, is my kid. I'm an instant dad now. I went from single to single dad in a day. Guess my life is sucky." Callie swatted his arm and chuckled, "It's not sucky because you love her. You adore her and I can tell. Now sucky is my life." He gave her a look that egged her on to keep talking. "My life sucks. Last year, I was so ecstatic about giving birth to my little girl even though my relationship with George was rocky. She made us better or at least I thought she did. I wanted to name her after the daughter his mom lost. Teagan. The day that she died was the worst day of my life. No one knew what it felt like to lose your baby at 7 ½ months and have to push her out of you…already dead."
Callie took a moment to try and hide the tears, but Alex pulled her into a comforting hug, "I didn't think we'd survive that and we practically didn't, until George's dad. I only knew him for a year, but I loved that man to death. George was in a bad place—I don't know if I was convenient or if he really wanted me, but I was his comfort. I fooled myself into believing that we were good and I agreed to marry him. That crashed and burned a month ago when I found out that he got me pregnant after he cheated on me with Izzie and got her pregnant." The look he gave her would've been comical if she were in a different state of mind.
He started, "So, you—" "Are pregnant by a man who shattered my heart. A man who I hate right now. A man who I let make a fool of me personally and professionally. A man who cost me one child, only to give me another one when I wasn't finished grieving her. The soon-to-be ex-wife and the mistress are pregnant by an asshole and that asshole is George O'Malley. So I win, my life sucks more." He waited for a few minutes before speaking, "Your life is shit right now" making her laugh "Tell me about it." So, you going to keep it?" Callie looked at her hands, "Yeah I am. I wanted my daughter so badly, I can't just abort. I can raise my child with or without George."
Alex rubbed a hand over his neck as he took a glance at Avril lying in the bed. "So…you said that he cost you one child." Callie sniffled and shook her head, "I don't want to tell you because you'll just attack him like Mark did." "Sloan? When and how?" "The day that you found me in the stairwell, when I lost Teagan. We got into an argument over him not wanting to move out of Meredith's house after she was born. He wanted me to move in, which was stupid because I have a home, a very big home. Anyways, he gripped my arm tight" "The bruise you said happened when you fell?" Alex asked skeptically—Callie wouldn't meet his eyes, so he gently turned her face towards him—"George…he was angry that I said no. He grabbed my arm after I begged him to let me go. When he finally did, I fell down the last 6 steps. I never told you guys, but I blacked out. I was more worried about my baby than me." Alex let her face go, "You're right. I want to attack him." "Please don't" she looked over at Avril "you have somebody waiting for you now. So, can I ask you a question?" Alex braced himself for a question about his sister and Avril but was surprised when she asked, "Where are you guys going to live when she gets released?"