Chapter 10: The Mysterious Case of Arizona's Injury
Arizona woke the next morning to find that her wrist had gotten slightly better. She'd iced it the night before then wrapped it with a compression wrap and slept with it elevated on a pillow. The bruising was still pronounced but the swelling had gone down and most of the pain had subsided. She took some ibuprofen for what little pain she had left and exercised her wrist to prevent more pain from stiffness. She had the day off with Sofia and she'd promised to take her skating with some of her friends from her dance class. She let her sleep in while she made pancakes and eggs for breakfast. Sofia woke up at the smell of breakfast and joined her in the kitchen on her own. They ate together then got dressed and went out to pick up Sofia's friends and go to the skating rink.
Joey spent the day with her friend, Aida, who was visiting from Kansas City. She'd been stationed there four years ago and done her second deployment with her unit there. They went for a run together in the morning then lounged around Joey's apartment into the afternoon, talking over coffee and cinnamon buns they had baked fresh themselves. Early in the evening, they got dressed and went out for an early dinner then went to ride the ferry. It was a beautiful day out and the ferry departed just as the sun was setting. She closed her eyes as she breathed in the smell of the harbor and felt the wind through her hair. The warmth of the fading sun washed over her. It was the most relaxed she'd felt in a long time. She thought she'd have to make this a regular outing for herself. They enjoyed the ferry ride then disembarked and found a bar to have a drink before returning to Joey's place for the rest of the night.
The next morning, Aida drove Joey to the hospital before heading to the airport. She wished she could stay longer but her leave had only been for the weekend. It was still really early so Joey slept on the couch in the lounge for an hour and a half before getting up, changing into jogging clothes and going out for a run. By seven thirty she'd finished her run, showered, gotten into scrubs, checked on her patients and was back in the attending's lounge having the breakfast she'd packed from home. A tall, seasoned looking black man walked into the lounge and said good morning.
"Good morning" she politely replied.
"I haven't seen you before" he said taking a seat at the table with her.
"I just started last week. Johana Rajah" she extended her hand. "Trauma surgery".
"Richard Webber" he said accepting her hand shake. "General".
"You're Arizona's regular trivia companion" she said recognizing his name.
"She told you about that, huh?" She nodded.
"She told me you ditched her for your wife". He laughed.
"Guilty" he said unashamed. "My wife, Catherine, is working in Chicago so I took a week off to go visit her".
"That's nice".
"So where you coming from?" he asked as he stirred the oatmeal in his bowl.
"Germany". He looked up surprised. "I'm in the army" she explained. "I was stationed there. Now I'm stationed here. I train at Fort Lewis".
"Well, welcome" he said nicely.
"Thanks". Jackson walked in followed by Meredith, Maggie and Amelia. They all exchanged good mornings and welcomed Richard back to work. A few minutes later, Alex and Jo walked in behind them. April, Arizona and Callie came in together. Owen and Teddy made it a full house. They all talked back and forth and over one another as they got ready for their shift. Richard told everyone about his vacation and Meredith filled him in on the patients he'd left in her care. While they were all talking, and Joey mostly listened, there was a knock on the door. They looked over to see Helm standing in the doorway.
"Morning" she said with a wave. "Sorry to interrupt. I just have this" she said pulling a badge from her pocket. She walked over and held it out to Joey. "Aida left it with me to give to you. She said you forgot it in her car this morning" she explained. Joey took the badge which, sure enough, belonged to her. "I guess she called you after she dropped you off but you didn't answer and she had to get to the airport" she said rambling on, "so I told her I'd get it back to you".
"Thanks" she said as she clipped it onto her scrub top.
"No problem" Helm said enthusiastically. "I'm gonna go now. Have a good day".
"You too". She turned and left the attendings to resume their conversations. For some reason, no one said anything. The awkward silence lingered for a bit longer than she was comfortable with. "What?" she finally said, looking around.
"Ok, I'll ask" Maggie said breaking the silence. "Who's Aida?" It was the question on everyone's mind.
"A friend" she answered. She got up from the table and cleared her place, rinsing her bowl and cup at the sink before going over to put them in her bag. When she turned around, everyone was still staring at her. "What?" she asked again, this time with some annoyance in her voice. There were some shrugs and a few murmured nothings as conversation resumed. She made her way over to Arizona who was having her own private conversation with April. "Hi" she said interrupting them.
"Hi" April said nicely.
"Morning" Arizona said with a smile.
"How's, uh, how's your wrist?" she asked concerned.
"Oh, it's fine" she said casually. "It doesn't hurt at all". She saw the concern on Joey's face at the bruising that was still very noticeable. "Really" she assured her, "it's ok. It looks worse than it is".
"I looked at it this morning" April interjected. "She took good care of it all on her own".
"Can't go wrong with the RICE treatment" Arizona said jokingly.
"I'm really sorry" she apologized again. "I didn…"
"Stop apologizing" Arizona interrupted her. "I told you it's ok".
"But it's not" she argued. "It's not ok. I hurt you" she said ashamed. Arizona wasn't sure what to say.
"I don't mean to overstep but have you… have you talked to Owen?" April inquired. Arizona had told her the story of how her wrist got hurt when she saw the bruises on their way inside. "It's just he… he had some struggles and he worked through them" she explained. "Maybe he has some helpful advice". Joey looked over her shoulder at Owen who was talking to Teddy and Maggie.
"I haven't" she admitted. "Not really but I- I will" she said slightly questioning her own truthfulness as the statement left her mouth. "Well, I'm gonna head to the ER". She turned and left the lounge quickly to avoid any more awkwardness or embarrassment.
"Think she'll talk to him?" Arizona shrugged.
"I have no idea". She walked over and reached for the coffee pot to refill her cup.
"Whoa" Jackson said noticing the bruising on her wrist. "What happened there?" he asked with concern.
"Oh, it's nothing" she said indifferently as she poured her coffee.
"It doesn't look like nothing". He took her wrist after she returned the coffee pot to the warmer. "This is serious bruising Arizona" he said as he examined her wrist. He could see the impression someone's hand had left. "Who did this to you?"
"Jackson" she said pulling her hand away. She looked around to see if anyone's attention had been drawn to her. Everyone was still involved in their own conversations. "I'm fine".
"Arizona…" he started to argue but she stopped him.
"Just leave it, Jackson. Please". She took her coffee and left to go start her rounds. Jackson locked eyes with April. He could tell from the look on her face that she knew something about Arizona's injury. Before he could go over to ask her about it, she made her escape and headed downstairs to the ER. Over the next few minutes, everyone cleared out of the lounge to round on their patients. Later, Jackson was paged down to the ER to consult on April's patient, a woman who'd been bitten by a dog. It had chased her and, eventually, caught her when she fell down some stairs trying to get away. Callie had also been paged for the break to her arm which she'd sustained trying to break her fall. Jackson cleared his throat.
"So" he said glancing up from the woman's dog bite, "you know what happened to Arizona's wrist?" He continued taking quick glances at April so she knew the question was directed towards her.
"What happened to Arizona's wrist?" Callie asked interestedly.
"You haven't seen it?" he asked, this time keeping his focus on the patient as he applied anesthetic to ensure that she would feel no pain.
"No. What's wrong with it?" she asked as she reviewed the patient's x-rays.
"There's nothing wrong with it" April said as she finished cleaning the last of the patient's lacerations. "It's just a sprain and it's already gotten better. She's fine".
"Did she fall or something?" They paid no mind to the patient they were working on as they carried on their personal conversation. The woman had been hysterical so they gave her a mild sedative to calm her down. She was dazed and confused, murmuring incoherently as they worked on her injuries. She wouldn't remember a word they said.
"It looked like a hand print to me" Jackson said still focused on his stitching. "Like someone grabbed her wrist hard enough to bruise".
"She's fine" April repeated.
"Ok, she's fine" Callie acknowledged, "but what happened to her?" she asked more forcefully.
"I… I- I" April stammered, "I think you should just talk to her about it" she said not wanting to be in the middle of anything. "I'm done here. I'm gonna see what other consults are out there". She quickly made her exit, removing her gloves as she went. Jackson and Callie continued to discuss the possibilities of what happened to Arizona. They agreed that if either of them found out, they'd tell the other. They finished with the patient then moved her from the trauma room upstairs to be casted and monitored until her sedative wore off. At lunch, Arizona's injury was the topic of conversation. April was still being closemouthed about what happened. Arizona was walking over with her tray to join the table and April tried to subtly warn her to eat elsewhere. She didn't get the message. She set her tray down in the space between Alex and Jackson.
"What are you doing?" Arizona asked as she sat down.
"Nothing" April shrugged.
"So, you gonna just tell us or do we have to ask?" Alex asked looking at the bruising just visible beyond the edge of her lab coat sleeve.
"Tell you what?" she asked confused. She twisted the top off her bottle of tea and took a drink.
"That bruising does look pretty bad" Teddy said from her view on her side of the table.
"Oh god" Arizona said with an eye roll. "Did you start this?" she asked looking at Jackson. "I am fine. My wrist is fine" she said categorically.
"Ok. You're fine. Your wrist is fine" Callie said repeating her assertions. "We would still like to know what happened".
"Yeah, who did that to you?" Alex asked seriously. "Tell me. I'll kick their ass" he said only halfway joking.
"I am not talking about this" she said as she twisted the cap back onto her tea. She stood up and took her tray in her hands. When she turned around, Meredith was standing behind her. "You can have my seat" she asserted as she walked past her to leave and find somewhere else to eat. Meredith set her tray down in the spot previously occupied by Arizona's and took her seat.
"What's wrong with her?" she asked confused.
The rest of the day was full of speculation among her friends. Everyone wanted to know who was responsible for hurting Arizona's wrist. The gossip had even gotten back to Bailey who'd made it her business to ask Arizona if there was anything or anyone she should be worried about. It was hospital policy to report all injuries. If she'd been hurt by a patient, she needed to know. Arizona assured her the same as she had assured everyone else. She was fine. Her wrist was fine. She felt like a broken record. The end of day came and the attending's lounge was full of everyone getting ready to go home for the day. Joey came out of the bathroom in jeans and a sweater, tossed her soiled scrubs into the laundry bin and went to retrieve her bag. As she packed up, she contemplated the decision she'd made earlier about talking to Arizona and clarifying their relationship. She wanted to get it over with now before she lost her nerve. She zipped her pack, put it on her shoulder then turned to look around for Arizona. She saw her in the corner talking to April and Teddy. Taking a deep breath, she made her approach.
"Excuse me" she said interrupting their conversation, "Hi. Sorry to interrupt".
"That's ok" April said nicely. "I'm heading out. Night Joey".
"Good night" she said as she walked away. She was left standing with just Arizona and Teddy now.
"I was hoping to talk to you before you left" Teddy said hoping she sounded casual. Arizona and April had filled her in on the situation with Arizona's wrist and she hoped she could present herself as an asset to Joey going forward.
"Oh, ok" she nodded. "Can I… could I talk to Arizona for a minute first?"
"Uh, sure?" Teddy said looking to Arizona.
"Yes" Arizona said definitively. "Of course".
"Um, privately" she said softly.
"Yeah, definitely". Arizona looked around for somewhere they could talk without others eavesdropping but the lounge was full. She saw the bathroom door open. "Come on". She took Joey's hand and led her into the bathroom, shutting the door behind them. "So, what's up?" Joey thought the bathroom was an interesting choice but it was the privacy she'd asked for.
"Ok. I, uh, I just wanted to tell you that I know that everyone is wondering about what happened to your wrist" she started explaining her desire for them to talk. "I just wanted you to know that you don't have to hide it or lie for me. You can tell people what I did".
"I'm not hiding it" she assured her. "And I haven't lied to anyone. I've told who I wanted to tell and it's nobody else's business".
"Ok. Well, I just didn't want you to feel like you had to protect me. I mean, I did hurt you".
"It's ok" she said with a shrug, again waving it off.
"I- I…." she sighed. "Please stop saying that. It's… it's really not ok" she said firmly. "I hurt you" she repeated. "I know…" she stopped Arizona before she could interrupt her, "I know I didn't mean to do it. It was an accident but that doesn't mean that it's insignificant".
"Ok" Arizona accepted. "Well, I forgive you" she said changing her response. Joey laughed lightly.
"Thank you" she said gratefully. "Um, another thing I wanted to talk to you about, um" she scratched her head and took a breath. "I like you, Arizona" she said confidently. "I like you a lot. I liked talking to you when we met at the bar…." Arizona laughed.
"You mean listening?" she asked. Joey laughed too.
"Yeah, listening and talking… a little" she added. "I would love to go out with you at some point but… I, um, I just don't think it's a good idea right now" she admitted. "I'm just…. I'm- I'm" she stuttered as she searched for the right words. "I'm just not… in the best place right now to be…. pursuing anything with- with anyone" she said making sure she understood that she wasn't blowing her off for someone else. "I just need to work on…. myself and feeling normal and living outside a military bubble and having normal responses to people tapping me on the shoulder" she said with a laugh receiving a laugh in return.
"Ok" Arizona said with an understanding nod. "That makes sense".
"But I hope that we can, you know, be friends" she added quickly. "I need to work on that too".
"Friends sounds good".
"Ok. Good" she said with some relief. "Good". She was happy with how this conversation had gone and was hopeful that eventually she would be ready for something real with Arizona. "So, um, I better not keep Teddy waiting…. any longer". She reached for the door handle then hesitated. "Everyone's gonna be staring at us when we go out there aren't they?" she asked. Arizona laughed and nodded.
"Yeah, probably" she answered honestly.
"I thought so" she said with a sigh. Joey had learned very quickly that this hospital was a hotbed of gossip. Everyone seemed to be in everyone else's business. "Ok" she said reaching for the knob again, this time turning it and opening the door. She stepped out into the lounge and sure enough all eyes were on her and Arizona as the exited the bathroom. She pretended it didn't bother her as she walked over to Teddy who was still waiting. "You wanna walk out with me?" she asked.
"Yeah" she said grabbing her jacket from the table. They both said good night to everyone as they left the lounge.
"Hey, Joey" she heard from behind her just as they were about to turn the corner. She stopped to see Arizona approaching. "Do you want to have dinner sometime?" she asked. Joey turned the idea over in her mind for a moment. "Friends have dinner, right?" she asked, interrupting her thoughts.
"Y..yeah" she answered hesitantly. "Yeah, friends have dinner" she answered more confidently. "Dinner sounds good".
"Good" Arizona said happily with the big smile that Joey was growing accustomed to. "How about tonight?" she quickly suggested.
"Uh, I, um" Joey stuttered clearly thrown by the last minute invitation.
"It's ok if you already have plans" she assured her. "I just, I don't have Sofia tonight so I thought…. why not ask".
"No, I… I don't have any plans" Joey said after some thought. "Tonight's…. tonight works".
"Ok great" she exclaimed. "I'll just change and grab my things then I'll meet you across the street?" she asked with raised eyebrows.
"Sounds good". She and Teddy continued on to the elevator as Arizona went back to change and get her purse.
"So, I wanted to talk to you about Arizona" she said as the waited for the elevator. "She told me about what happened".
"Yeah, I figured that's why you wanted to talk". The elevator doors opened and they stepped on. Teddy pressed the button for their floor, the doors closed and they started their ride down. "I've apologized an…"
"I- I know" she said stopping her. "She told me that too". They stopped at their floor and exited the elevator together. "You're not in trouble, Joey. I just wanted to let you know that I understand how hard it is, you know, transitioning back into civilian life".
"Yeah, of- of course you do" Joey said remembering that Teddy had been active duty for a long time before coming to Grey Sloan.
"So, I- I… I guess I just wanted to let you know that if you ever need anyone to talk to about things, I'm here" she said offering her support. They walked out the doors of the hospital out to the parking lot. It was a nice night with a light breeze. She looked over and saw Owen waiting by the car for her. "And I know Owen would be too" she said offering his support as well.
"Yeah, um, April suggested that I talk to him".
"You should" she said definitively. Joey stopped and turned to stand in front of Teddy, blocking her from moving forward.
"I want you to know that I didn't tell Arizona not to tell people what I did or to cover for me…"
"I didn't think you did" she waved it off. "This place is full of gossip". Joey laughed and nodded. "I'm sure she just didn't want half the story getting around and people treating you differently".
"Yeah, well maybe they should".
"Don't do that to yourself" she said firmly. "Don't keep punishing yourself for one mistake".
"One mistake" she nodded, "until it happens again".
"Well, that's up to you. There's help available to you…. if you want it" she added. Joey nodded her understanding as she turned and retook her position beside Teddy. They approached Owen who was leaning against the car looking at his phone. "Hey" Teddy said getting his attention.
"Hey" he said, standing up straight and shoving his phone in his pocket. She walked up and gave him a quick kiss. "Hey" he said to Joey with a smile, "how's it going?"
"Good" she said with a nod. "Yeah, good, um… definitely better than yesterday" she said with a soft chuckle.
"I was just telling Joey that she should lean on us a little" Teddy explained, "because we know what she's going through".
"Yeah, definitely" he agreed. "Any time you wanna talk or just grab a beer…. anything" he said leaving the possibilities open.
"That sounds good. Thank you" she said appreciatively. "Well, um, I'm meeting Arizona for dinner so… thanks again".
"Good night Joey" Teddy said kindly.
"Night" Owen said simultaneously.
"Good night". She turned around and headed over to the bar to meet Arizona. Her nerves were on ten. She hadn't expected Arizona to take her up on her offer of friendship so soon. She walked into the bar and spotted Arizona sitting at the end of the bar. At the usual table in the back, Alex, Jo, Amelia, and Maggie were sitting together for a drink. She waved at them as she went to join Arizona at the bar. "Hi" she said as shrugged out of her jacket and hung it on the back of her chair.
"Hey".
"Have you ordered?"
"No, I was waiting for you". Joey got the attention of the bartender. They ordered drinks and two orders of burgers and fries.
"So how did Sofia like camping?"
"She loved it". The bartender set their drinks in front of them. "She just went on and on about how fun it was and I just smiled and nodded because I can't relate". Joey laughed.
"Not a fan of camping?"
"Not at all". Alex, Jo, Amelia and Maggie were watching them from their table. Jo was especially happy.
"I told you guys" she said happily. "She called and now they're on a date. Optimism wins the day".
"How do you know it's a date?" Maggie asked.
"Because they're at the bar, just the two of them" she replied. "If it weren't a date don't you think they would've sat over here with us?"
"That's true" Amelia said observing the pair as they conversed at the bar. "What do you think they were talking about in the bathroom?"
"She was asking her out" Jo said as if it were obvious.
"They were in there for longer than it takes to ask someone out" she argued. "And why would they go in the bathroom just so she could ask her out?"
"I think she was apologizing" Alex said as he cracked open a peanut. "I think she's the one who hurt Arizona's wrist and she was apologizing in the bathroom and asked her to dinner".
"Oh my god" Maggie said in disbelief.
"What?" Jo said simultaneously. "Who said that?"
"No one said" he shrugged, "it's just…. obvious".
"Do you really think Arizona would still go out with her after she hurt her?" Maggie asked.
"I'm sure it was an accident" Jo said still hanging on to her optimism. Meanwhile at the bar, they had gotten their food and the conversation had moved from Sofia's camping trip to Joey's visitor.
"Aida is… one of my best friends" she admitted. "We served together when I was stationed in Kansas City. We were two of three female surgeons in the unit so we spent a lot of time together. We deployed together and we lost friends together…. and we made it home together" she explained. "It's been harder to stay in touch since I was transferred. We talked on the phone and emailed but this weekend was my first time seeing her in…. almost three years" she said after adding up the time.
"How was it seeing her again?"
"It was… it was great" she confessed. "It was like no time had passed at all". She happened to glance down and see the bruising on her wrist. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Arizona noticed but it wasn't like she could cover it up. She was wearing short sleeves.
"You don't have to keep feeling bad about this" she said, lightly rubbing the bruises.
"Yeah" she said softly. "I can't really help it".
"Who did you think I was?" she asked curiously.
"Um" Joey scratched her head, "I- I don't think I thought you were anyone in particular. I just… reacted. Overreacted" she corrected. "I'm sorry I'm so bad at this" she apologized.
"Bad at what?" Arizona asked confused.
"Normal conversation" she shrugged. "I just… I never feel like I have anything to say".
"How'd you learn French?" she asked abruptly. Joey raised her eyebrows. "I'm helping you…. make normal conversation" she clarified. "Jo mentioned that you got a call from your mom and you spoke French on the phone with her".
"Yeah" she nodded. "I, um, I learned it at home. It's my father's first language so we spoke a lot of French at home. And we speak Pashto which is my mother's first language and I guess, technically, it's my first language too. And English of course which we started learning in school".
"What kind of language is Pashto?" she asked curiously.
"Afghani" she answered. "My mother's side of the family is from there. And since she always stayed home with us until we started school, we all spoke Pashto first".
"I wish I spoke a second and third language but I… I only speak English".
"Well, I can teach you…. if you want" she offered.
"I don't know what kind of student I'd be".
"Have you taken a language before?" Arizona nodded.
"I took the required years of Spanish but I don't really remember any of it" she admitted. "I should probably learn though. I need to keep up with Sofia".
"She's fluent in Spanish?"
"Nearly" she said with a nod. "She learned from Callie".
"But you didn't?"
"No" she laughed, "Sometimes she would vent to me in Spanish, usually about arguments with her father. I would just listen".
"Without understanding a word she said?"
"Umhum" she mumbled. Joey laughed.
"You know, I was in a plane crash once" she confessed abruptly. For some reason, being in a plane crash popped into her head as something they had in common. "Well, not really a plane crash. It was a black hawk but I…." she paused and looked at Arizona's inquisitive stare. "That's not really…. normal conversation, is it?"
"No, not really" she chuckled.
"Sorry" she said rolling her eyes at herself. "I, um, I'm….. I don't know what else to talk about" she said honestly. "How did Sofia's cam…. no" she stopped herself, "I already asked you that". Arizona laughed.
"Ok. I have a question". Joey swallowed down the last of her drink.
"Yes" she said as she set her glass down and cleared her throat. "Ask away".
"What were you and Callie talking about?" Joey got a confused look on her face. "You were sitting on the couch in the lounge together and you were laughing and….". Joey realized what she was talking about before she finished.
"Oh yeah" she interrupted her. "We had this… crazy patient" she said laughing as she remembered him. "He was pretty nuts. He went on and on about his trees being his babies or something. It's a parent's job to take care of their babies. He fell out of one of them trying to trim the branches. He could've killed himself but he didn't seem to care about that prospect. All he cared about was how his baby, meaning his tree, was doing. It was weird. Anyway, I um…. I kind of bailed on her and left her alone with him so…" she said with another laugh. "She was giving me a hard time about that. She's very funny" she admitted.
"Yeah, she is" Arizona agreed.
"Is Sophia more like you or her?" she asked. Arizona could tell that she was genuinely interested in hearing about her daughter. That made her happy.
"I… I think she's an even split of both of us" she said after some thought. "She's smart and kind and funny" she said with a big smile. "which I think she gets from both of us. She's very bubbly and, that part, I think she gets from me" she added. "And then there's the attitude" she said with a laugh, "the sass, that's all Callie".
"She sounds like a really sweet girl".
"She is" Arizona said happily. "She really is". The waiter came over and asked if they'd like another drink or if they were ready for the check.
"Um, uh, the check please" Joey answered for them. Arizona was hoping they'd stay and talk more but once the bill was paid, Joey was ready to leave. They both put on their jackets and walked out together. The walk back to the parking lot was awkwardly quiet. They both wondered what the other was thinking but neither said anything to the other. They reached Arizona's car. She turned to say good night only to be met with Joey's lips on hers. It was unexpected but very welcomed. Her lips were soft and gentle. Her hands tangled in her hair. Just as abruptly as their kiss had begun, it ended. "Uh, shit" she said in a harsh whisper as she backed away. "Arizona, I'm sorry" she quickly apologized.
"It's okay". She was more than okay with Joey kissing her any time she wanted.
"No, it's… it's not" she argued. "It's not. It's not okay". She was clearly bothered by her loss of control. "I'm sorry. I can't um… I ne… I have to go". Arizona wanted to stop her but she could tell her efforts would be futile. Joey quickly made it to her car, got inside and started the engine. Arizona watched as she put on her seatbelt, pulled out of her parking spot then screeched out of the parking lot. She stood there a moment, tracing her lips with her fingers as she relived, in her mind, the short but very sweet kiss she'd just enjoyed. She let out a huff of air before getting in her own car and heading home for the night