Chapter 8
Amelia checked in after her shift carrying a bag of clothes and toiletries with a few magazines she had stolen from the attendings lounge.
"Hey,"
Arizona was lying on the bed, her bruises turning a deeper shade of purple. Her eyes were red rimmed and swollen. If anything, she looked worse this time than before the bruises darkening really sticking out against her pale skin.
"Hey,"
"How are you doing?" Amelia asked deciding to forgo the neuro exam to be a friend first.
"Had my first counselling session"
"Brutal" Amelia recalled her first few sessions. Arizona nodded,
"We didn't even make it to the plane crash," Arizona muttered, "We were talking about the most screwed-up moments in my life, and we didn't even make it to the plane crash." She wiped her eyes again, "Sorry," she apologised, "You're here to do a neuro check, I haven't vomited again I've eaten, my head hurts but so does everything else."
"I'm here for you too," Amelia defended still holding Arizona's hand. Arizona pulled her hand away, tears in her eyes,
"Nobody is here for me, I don't have a person, I don't need a person" tears welled up in her eyes. She'd had people Tim, Nick, Mark, Teddy, Callie, April, her people always died, left, or she destroyed them, she couldn't do that to anyone else.
"Arizona you need a person, I'm going to be that person, I'll be there for you, trust me nothing you can say or do will hurt me as much as I have hurt myself. I'm a mess to" Amelia promised retaking Arizona's hand. "Us messes need to stick together" she vowed,
"Thanks, so what's going on in the hospital please I need to think of anything else" Arizona begged.
"Well, all of the residents are going nuts for the Preminger grant" Amelia said opening the chocolate that she had brought.
"I forgot about that, who are you nominating?" Arizona asked eating a chocolate.
"I thought Steph, but then there is Penny. Her proposal is interesting, and I am tempted to send her to New York" Amelia joked, "Have you read them yet?" Arizona shook her head no. The reports had been finalised during her abduction, and since reading them was low on her priorities.
"I will, Bailey needs the names tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, so you have time?" Amelia joked. Arizona gave her a tired smile, "Okay I can see your exhausted I'll do a quick check then I will let you sleep."
Arizona nodded gratefully,
"Do you want me to leave a sleeping tablet for you?" Amelia asked finishing her check-up.
"No, I, he, no drugs," Arizona stuttered. "He gave me stuff and I" She paused her hands shaking, her voice wobbling, as she thought about that spacy feeling, about the lack of control and gap in memories,
"It's okay I get it, trust me I get it" Amelia said, "No drugs. Get some sleep I'll be back in the morning"
Arizona gave a half smile feeling exhausted. She really wanted to go home and wallow in peace. Instead, she closed her eyes, waking up with someone stroking her hand. Panicking she quickly withdrew her hand expecting a slap or punch from Graham.
"Sorry" the voice was female, Arizona opened her eyes confused, it was daylight, Bailey was sat next to her. "I didn't mean, I didn't think," she paused taking a breath, "I came early, I have to get to the hospital" she explained,
"It's okay, I'm okay, did Amelia say when she'd be by?" Arizona asked anxiously, twisted the sheets.
"Soon before rounds, are you sure you don't want to tell anyone, not even Callie?" Bailey asked, Arizona shook her head,
"No" she was resolute, "Not Callie, nobody can know, I don't want anyone to know. Everyone at the hospital they stare, it was bad enough being in the plane crash losing a leg, having everyone stare working out where the amputation was, which leg, then the cheating. I'm the scarlet women. I cheated on the beloved Callie Torres, and everyone hates me, those that don't hate me are the ones trying to get into my pants. And I deserve to be hated. I took the best thing I ever had and wrecked them, Callie said I was suffocating, I was a burden to the both of them, and now finally she is happy, and so is Sofia. They don't need this trauma in their life's. I don't want to bring them down and ruin their happiness again"
"You are not a burden" Bailey insisted, debating on whether to push it, she looked at her bruised pale face, maybe now wasn't the best time, "And I won't tell anyone, not if you don't want them to know"
"Thank you. If Callie asks just tell her I have gastro and to keep Sofia away."
"There is one person who I think we should tell and it only because I expect this to get press and she is the only one I know who may be able to prevent it"
"Katherine?" Arizona guessed; Bailey nodded
"Katherine, the Avery foundation has a huge press team who can potentially help both you and the hospital"
"Okay you can tell Katherine but nobody else" Arizona agreed. Bailey's phone began buzzing
"The vultures are after me already" Bailey muttered opening it.
"Bailey…..yes….okay 20 minutes…..bye" she hung up. "I have to go, Amelia offered to drive you home I'll pop by tonight."
"You don't have to do that I'm fine"
"About 7pm I'll bring groceries," Bailey ignored Arizona's protests walking out the room. Stubborn girl might not tell anyone but that didn't mean she didn't need support.
As Bailey left Amelia came in, escorted by Dr Michaels.
"Hey, how are you feeling today?" Amelia asked checking her chart then her wound and pupils
"Fine, my head feels a lot better I'm ready to go home" Arizona answered smiling, Amelia raised an eyebrow clearly not buying that lie. Not when her friend was black and blue.
"Great so I've ordered a repeat CT head, and Natasha wanted to come by again if those both check out, we should be able to discharge you just after lunch." Amelia ordered gently, "As long as you manage to eat and keep things down,"
As if by magic the nurse brought in a tray of food. Arizona grimaced at the lumpy porridge, as it congealed on the spoon. She took a bite wincing as she did so.
"All of this?" Arizona asked slightly green chewing the same mouthful over and over as her salvia worked to loosen the porridge enough to swallow.
"I'll go get you a decent breakfast" Amelia agreed, "Donuts?"
"Yes please" Arizona pushed the porridge away spitting out the mouthful. Amelia laughed
"I think you spent too much time in Peds" she commented, Arizona stuck her tongue out
"You try the porridge then" she offered the bowl,
"I'll go get the doughnuts" Amelia swiftly leaving, a nurse gathered the porridge taking it out of the room. It was only a few minutes later a porter came in,
"I'm here to take you to CT" he asked, Arizona nodded her consent trying not to freak out at being alone with a man in the lift. Thankfully outside Amelia met them
"CT?" she asked, Arizona nodded
"Cool I'll come as you are my VIP consult it's my job to make sure that brain is intact" she dropped the doughnuts on the bed. Arizona greedily grabbing one eating it on the way up. After scan Amelia escorted her back. Natasha was waiting.
"Hello Arizona, how are you feeling today?" she asked, Arizona sighed she hated therapy if Bailey hadn't mandated it there is no way she would have agreed but she was desperate to return to work, and if that meant sitting with Natasha for an hour a day that's what she would do.
"I'm okay thanks" Arizona lied; Natasha raised her eyebrows not buying the lie. "Okay everything hurts, my ribs, my head, my wrists, my stomach, I don't like taking the pain relief because they make me feel dizzy and nauseous and my concussion is doing that enough already" Arizona said rubbing her head.
"I appreciate your honesty. How did you find the last session? Did you want to continue with myself?" Natasha asked, giving her client the choice. Arizona nodded, despite her misgivings Natasha was easy to talk to.
"Okay, so tell me about yourself in your own words" Natasha asked. Arizona took a breath it was going to be a long story. She chose to start with something less painful that what had just happened.
"I was a military brat, our family we moved every 3-6 months, so I was always the new kid"
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