Okay so you guys want Arizona and Penny as a couple I didn't see that coming…..but i guess i could write that
Only joking, I'll aim for Calzona, but looking at my drafts there is likely to be a lot more drama before that happens, after all they are talking about who gets the grant?
Chapter 10
Arizona woke the next morning she'd fallen asleep writing in her diary, 6 full pages of feelings of thoughts. Someone was knocking on her bedroom door. She closed her notebook,
"Come in" she called Amelia opened the door.
"Hey. Sorry to wake you, I've got to go to work but I brought your pain relief, breakfast, coffee and an orange juice."
"Thanks" Amelia placed the tray next to her on the bed,
"How are you feeling?" she asked,
"Achy, tired, I don't know, empty" Arizona confessed, Amelia grabbed her hand giving it a comforting squeeze careful to not hit the bruises around her wrist.
"I can call in" she offered; Arizona shook her head.
"No, I have an appointment with Natasha this morning, you could do one thing for me." Arizona asked shyly,
"Name it" Amelia agreed,
"Can you go to day care and get Sofia to call me, I'd love to hear her voice, even just for a bit. I mean I spoke to her last night but…." Arizona trailed off, this was a lot to ask, and Amelia had already given her so much.
"Of course, I'll grab her before leaving, after she gets dropped off from school" Amelia promised easily, she could tell Arizona felt awkward asking but in reality it was such a little request.
"Thank you"
"If you need anything else text me, I'll bring take out home are you in the mood for anything specific?" Arizona shook her head no, still not really feeling hungry. "Okay call or text me if you need anything" Amelia ordered, Arizonan nodded having no intention of doing so.
"I can drive right?" I need to get to my appointment at 10" Arizona asked slightly panicked, there was no way she could call an uber or get in a taxi with a stranger and she couldn't ask another favour from Amelia or Bailey and there was no way she could call Callie.
"How is your dizziness?" Amelia asked, starting her neuro exam,
"Gone" Arizona lied slightly, in truth it was improved.
Amelia shone the penlight into her eyes, checked her reflexes and facial nerves.
"Headache?"
"Slightly, but better"
"Okay you can drive but not too far" Amelia decided finding no medical reason to stop her. Most of her physical injuries were superficial and her concussion appeared to have eased.
"Thanks" Arizona replied, Amelia left going to work. Arizona took a bite of the doughnut feeling nauseous and putting it down, instead she drank the orange juice and coffee then got dressed.
She made it to her appointment exactly on time hoping to spend as little time as possible in the waiting room. It worked as she was called straight in.
"Hello Arizona, what would you like to talk about today?" Natasha asked Arizona thought about it. Anything but the events of the last few days,
"My brother died, without saying goodbye, we didn't even get a body"
Arizona got home deciding to skip lunch, she really wasn't hungry, instead she lay on the sofa watching home videos, of happier times when her and Tim would play outside for hours and hours. Anything to distract her from her thoughts.
Her phone rang it was a video call she answered audio only.
"Mommy" her beautiful daughter called,
"Hey baby,"
"You have no face" Sofia pouted.
"I know mommy is still poorly and her face has yucky vomit on it,"
"Eww" Sofia agreed
"What have you been up too?"
"Zola and I coloured and then we did racing" Sofia began. "Zola is really fast, but I won, she got distracted by Zack"
"Who is Zack?"
"Well…" After 30 minutes of talking to her daughter Amelia took her phone back
"I'm sorry, I have to scrub in, I can come back tomorrow"
Amelia returned home late to find Arizona sleeping on the sofa, Pocahontas playing on TV.
"Hey," she woke her gently not wanting Arizona's dinner to go cold.
"Hey" a sleepy Arizona opened her eyes sitting up
"I brought soup, I thought it might be easier with your throat" Amelia said handing over the steaming bowl. Arizona sniffed it, it smelt good. She managed the whole bowl.
"So, what did I miss?" she asked desperate for hospital gossip. Amelia grinned,
"Well Owen and Nathan are fighting; April and Jackson are rowing they're both still mad at you." Amelia smirked, Arizona groaned, that seemed like a lifetime ago. "People are saying you don't have gastro you're just to chicken to face them"
"I wish" Arizona muttered "I should text April, or should I give her space"
"Space, definitely you are in no position for more pain, and neither is she" Amelia pointed out. "I had an interesting consult" Amelia continuing detailing her patient with a brain tumour a wife and 2 girlfriends in a quad relationship. The speculation over the relationship kept them entertained through supper.
"Want to watch a film in your room?" Amelia asked, Arizona nodded. "I asked Sophia for recommendations she suggested Frozen"
"Frozen she loves that film" Arizona smiled, she missed her daughter so much,
"Yeah, well now I have to watch it because when I get to day care tomorrow, I have to know about Anna and Esme when Zola and Sofia quiz me."
"Esme?" Arizona raised her eyebrows, grinning, "You really do need help." She grabbed her crutches hopping to the bedroom collecting the frozen DVD on the way.
Amelia grinned if course she knew who Anna and Elsa was didn't everyone? She knew Arizona needed distraction and another night of Disney films was just what the Doctor ordered. Amelia paused Frozen 2 as Arizona had fallen asleep. She switched off the TV and left the room once again covering up her friend.
Screams woke Amelia at 0300 she dashed out of bed running down the hall to Arizona's room, this time there was no words just screams of pain and fear. She met DeLuca outside.
"Go back to bed, let me deal" She ordered him, half asleep he didn't argue, he'd been on a 24 hour shift and had 8 hours at home before starting a 12 hour shift.
"Arizona" Amelia yelled trying to wake her friend, "Arizona your safe, wake up" she called shaking her slightly,
"No, please no," Arizona cried her screams stopping but the nightmare continuing. "Graham stop,"
"Arizona its Amelia, you're safe, you're home"
"Never safe" Arizona muttered, Amelia tried again hoping her words were penetrating the nightmare.
"Arizona you're home, with me Amelia, you're safe" Amelia pulled the hair out of her face.
"Safe" Arizona opened her eyes, confused. Taking a few moments to recognise her own bedroom, the memories of the nightmare hit her. Amelia grabbed the bin recognising the signs, getting it just in time to catch the vomit. Next, she got a flannel wiping the sweat and vomit off Arizona's face.
"Sorry" Arizona cried worried about burdening her friend, "I didn't mean to wake you"
"Don't worry about it, I'm glad I'm here for you" Amelia patted her friends' hands. "So do you want to watch the rest of frozen 2?" Amelia asked sensing her friend didn't want to go back to sleep.
"Sure" Arizona agreed she was soon asleep again, Amelia curled next to her.
Amelia woke up in the morning hearing the shower go. The bed was empty, Frozen 2 was playing on repeat. She stopped the DVD getting up herself and grabbing breakfast. Getting Arizona, a doughnut out and making coffee. As she left for work the shower was still running. She debated waiting but knew Arizona wanted privacy. Plus, she had a whole day of surgery that really couldn't be delayed.
Arizona finished the shower her skin red raw both from the heat and the scrubbing. The house was empty, in the kitchen a doughnut sat next to a cup of coffee that was still warm.
She drank the coffee managing half of the doughnut before feeling sick. Getting dressed she made her way to therapy again getting to her session exactly on time.
"Good morning, Arizona, hope your well, what would you like to talk about today?" Natasha asked. Arizona took a breath, her mind searching for a topic safe enough to talk about.
"I cry when I talk to authority figures, I mean I'm better than I used to be, but I still get anxious, I think it stems from my dad. I call him the Colonel" Arizona revealed, this isn't what she wanted to talk about but it's what she could talk about everything else felt too fresh to raw. Natasha nodded allowing her to speak.
After therapy Arizona returned home jumping back into the shower trying to feel clean. Bored and unable to watch another movie she logged into her work email doing consults and reviewing tests by email. After all it was only 12 days until she returned to work and those moms who couldn't wait that long deserved to see someone else. Those that could she scheduled all the tests she would need ready for day 1.
Each day she'd drive to Natasha's office each day she'd find a topic to talk about.
Wednesday: "I proposed to my wife and then a truck came out of nowhere"
Thursday: "I was in a plane crash. I watched as a man I called a brother die, while wild animals fought of the body of a friend."
Friday: "My wife promised me she would save my leg, then she cut it off"
Monday "They both left me, Nick and Mark, they died they were like brothers. They died within a month of each other, and my best friend flew to Germany. I lost my leg and my family"
Tuesday: "I slept with someone other than my wife"
Wednesday: "Callie asked me for one thing after the affair, to carry her child I couldn't even do that right."
Thursday: "She called me suffocating said breaking up with me felt free. I was a burden to her."
Friday: "He raped me, I didn't want him to, I tried to fight him, every time I close my eyes his there waiting. He forced me to operate on my patients. I wake up screaming, I never feel clean I can't get him off"
After each session Arizona would return home exhausted. Despite it being lunchtime, she rarely ate instead throwing herself into the one thing she knew she was good at work. She'd reviewed every case that came her way writing detailed surgical plans, she'd written 4 papers for publication something she'd meant to do since completing her fellowship. One was from Wallace a long-term study of patients with short gut syndrome, her proforma had increased survival rates from 40% to 95% in over 3,000 children internationally. The cure was a transplant the trick trying to identify when the risk of transplant outweighed the risk of complications and maximising the patient's nutrient and hydration before surgery. She'd also decided to use adult donors and if possible split intestines between recipients. After all, once in the child the organs grew with the patient. She written the paper and was now ready to submit it to as many journals internationally that would publish it.
The next email was far more important, sending the article to Wallace's parents who still rang her every year on her birthday, 7 years on from his death Arizona wanted them to know they had invested wisely that Wallace hadn't died in vain. The Wallace short bowl proforma was going to save lives.
Over the days Arizona formed a routine every morning she'd wake screaming, shower, eat a doughnut and drive to therapy returning home and reviewing consults or watching Disney films. Eventually Amelia would come home normally with take out. They'd eat and watch movies until Arizona fell asleep. Every night Arizona would wake up from a nightmare. It had happened since the plane crash but now it was every time, she closed her eyes. Sometimes Amelia would be their other times she'd be alone. Each time she'd wake in a pool of sweat her breath catching, the nausea would overtake her often she'd vomit, then make her way into the shower. Trying desperately to get clean.
Over the last few days Amelia had been absent more, something to do with Meredith cleaning. Arizona didn't mind, she really didn't want to burden anyone else. If Amelia had family things to deal with then she should be there. Andrew also had been absent, when he did pop home, he muttered something about Bailey's service and a girlfriend before leaving again. He may as well had moved out for the amount of time he spent there.
She did pass her 10-day assessment with Amelia with flying colours getting all of her stitches out, the advantages of living with a neurosurgeon were the home consults.
With her stitches out and therapy reduced to twice a week Arizona felt ready to have her daughter come to stay. She spent most the day waiting, doing her make up to hide any evidence of the assault covering the bruises and cuts as best as she could. Amelia offered to help picking Sofia up from day care Friday night, the little girl was ecstatic to see her mommy, hugging her tightly.
"I missed you" she cried; Arizona sobbed too hugging her daughter.
"You're hugging to hard" Sofia complained after a few minutes,
"I'm sorry baby I missed you so much"
"Are you better now?" Sofia asked worriedly perching on her Mommy's knee. She felt less cuddly harder than before.
"Nearly baby but you make me feel better with the awesome cuddles." Arizona promised.
"And kisses Mommy" Sofia peppered her face with kisses.
"And lots of kisses, hey Sofia, Amelia has never seen Finding Nemo" Arizona grinned watching the horror overcome her Disney obsessed daughter's face. Bringing in her friend who was standing the in the kitchen watching the family reunite with a glass or OJ.
"Auntie Melia, you've never seen Nemo!" Sofia scrambled off her mommy running to where the DVD's were kept,
"Hey Sofia, we can watch it do you want pizza while we do so?" Amelia asked,
"Yes pizza" Sofia fist pumped. "Can we share mommy, with the sausage?"
"Course baby, Pepperoni with peppers and onion" Arizona ordered, at least with 2 veggies on the pizza it was slightly healthier. Amelia placed the order joining them on the sofa.
"Mommy is Aunt Melia your girlfriend now?" Sofia asked causing Amelia to spit out the juice she'd been drinking.
"No baby, Amelia is a friend she is staying here like Uncle Andrew"
"Mama has a girlfriend; she is pretty but not as pretty as you" Sofia said. Arizona closed her eyes if Callie was introducing Penny to Sofia it had to be serious. Callie had officially moved on with her life without her. They hadn't even spoken in 2 weeks instead communicating only via text or messenger with both Bailey and Amelia playing that role. Arizona knew Penny had won the grant and had wondered how that affected their relationship, were they going to do long distance or would Penny be smarter than Arizona and turn it down to stay with Callie.
"Is she nice?" Arizona asked
"Uh huh we got ice cream" Sofia smiled, "I had strawberry with sprinkles"
"Sprinkles too, it must have been a special occasion."
"Uh huh Mama said its cus I was brave when I hit my head"
"You hit your head?" Arizona asked panicked wondering why nobody had bothered to tell her.
"I was playing and tripped but Penny put a bandage on it and Mama said I was really brave" Sofia lifted her hair up to show a tiny scar. Arizona wiped away tears her baby had gone to hospital, and nobody had told her. She glared accusingly at Amelia,
"What day was this, Sofia?" Amelia asked,
"After dance"
"I was with Mer and Maggie, all day cleaning" Amelia defended, she examined the wound, it looked superficial, and was closing nicely. "She did a good job"
"Why did nobody tell me?" She's my daughter too" Arizona cried, feeling like she was losing her daughter as well as everything else. She quickly got her phone out sending Callie a text
When were you going to tell me Sofia hit her head?
"Mommy don't cry" Sofia wiped her tears away. Arizona nodded willing the tears to disappear at least until Sofia was asleep.
"Sorry baby, let's start Nemo while we wait for the pizza"
"Yay nemo" Sofia clapped her hands together focusing on the movie. The pizza was delivered halfway though, this once Arizona allowing Sofia to eat whilst watching the movie. After Nemo had finished Sofia insisted on questioning Amelia about her favourite bits before agreeing to bath time. Arizona had prepared getting the finding nemo bath toys out.
"Cool Mommy" Sofia cried trying to jump in the bathtub with her clothes on in her desperation to play with her new bath toys.
"Hang on munchkin," Arizona wrestled her daughter out of her clothes, getting the trousers off crying with pain as her excited daughter's sharp elbow caught her broken rib wrong.
"Mommy?" Sofia cried, as her mommy took a few shallow breaths.
"I'm okay Sofia I got a boo boo too and your Aunt Amelia has been taking care of me," Arizona explained,
"I kiss it better Mommy" Sofia insisted,
"You make it all better baby" Arizona told her truthfully, since Sofia had come over, she'd barely had chance to think about anything else other than her whirlwind daughter. "Okay jump in," Arizona ordered checking the water temperature.
After bath time was story time, Arizona reading most of the story, but with Sofia reading parts. It made Arizona proud to see her daughter growing up. With her daughter asleep Arizona checked her phone
Sorry I didn't find out until after, and with you home sick it slipped my mind. I'm really sorry, Callie,
It wasn't the explanation she wanted but the apology helped. Amelia was waiting in the kitchen.
"Why did you have to tell Sofia I haven't seen half the Disney films, Zola and her and going to make me watch everything now?" Amelia moaned, having failed Sofia's quiz. Mostly because she'd been on her phone for nearly the whole movie. Sofia had kindly agreed they could watch it again Saturday with Finding Dory following. As fish was the theme Arizona planned her first public outing in over 2 weeks other than therapy, taking Sofia to the aquarium. Amelia had offered to come but Arizona declined she could take her daughter out for the day by herself.
She was acutely aware Amelia had been with her nearly every night since she'd been discharged and every morning. She'd pushed Callie away by suffocating her, until her wife had broken and didn't even know who she was anymore, she was determined to not lean on anyone else so much. She'd had 2 weeks of healing and moping it was time to put on her best game face. Graham wasn't going to ruin her life, he wasn't going to take anything more from her, she was fine.