Chapter 15

Arizona slowly opens her eyes, surprised to find Callie gone. She sits up and checks the clock, noticing it is just before seven. She sits up and gives herself time to adjust to the light coming in through the window.

Standing up, Arizona stretches then reaches for the blanket... folding it, and laying it neatly on her pillow. Sliding her shoes on, she heads over to check on Katie. Checking the monitors, she is happy to not see a change in her heart rate after stopping the beta blocker.

She glances over and notices a stack of children's books on a small table in the corner of the room. She walks over and picks up several, then chooses one she remembers well. She makes her way over to the recliner and pulls it a little closer to Katie and gets comfortable.

She opens the book and begins to read Green Eggs and Ham, quietly, to Katie. As she reads, she is unaware that Callie walked in almost at the beginning of the story and has been quietly listening.

Callie can't help but be in awe of this woman. Arizona is a seemingly brilliant doctor and surgeon, who is apparently quite humble about her professional abilities. She could be up in a physician's room, sleeping on a regular bed... and yet, here she is. She slept on what looks to be a quite uncomfortable couch and now she is reading to her daughter... the one Arizona didn't know belonged to her until yesterday.

Finishing the book, Arizona closes it and stands to put it back on the table in the corner. She turns around to see Callie standing there. Her make-up has worn off and her hair is somewhat messed up and yet, Arizona can't help but think she is just… beautiful.

"Hey," Callie says.

"Hey. Everything ok? I was surprised to see that you were gone when I woke up."

"Um, yeah. Everything is fine. I just had to run to the restroom. And Mark called, so I called him back. He said he is on his way."

"Oh, that's good. Good," Arizona says, giving Callie a small smile and nodding.

"I tried to ask if her labs were back but they said I needed to talk to you."

"Yeah… I will run out to the car and get our bags. We have just enough time for us to grab a shower before her test, if you want. I will have them pull up her labs while I am getting our stuff, that way they are ready for me to see when I get back from the car."

Stopping to replay her words, shaking her head, she adds, "I mean… we can take separate showers. We don't have to grab one together. Not at the same time."

" I knew what you meant. And, that would be great, Callie says chuckling. She had to admit, the rambling has become quite endearing.

"Ok. Well, I'll just..." Arizona says, pointing towards the door. Now she can't get the idea of Callie and her in the shower, together, out of her head.

Callie scoots over to block her though and leans in to give her a kiss on the cheek, totally catching Arizona off guard.

Callie lets her lips linger for just a moment, and Arizona takes the opportunity to close her eyes and savor the closeness. Callie pulls away, looking a little sheepish. "I... I just want to say I appreciate you staying last night, and for just.. apparently being you."

"You're welcome," Arizona says with a smile. "I'll be right back."

Callie nods and watches as Arizona walks out the door. She heads to sit down by Katie and starts talking to her. "So... I see that you met Arizona. She is the one I've been telling you about. I really think you will like her, because... well, I'm starting to really, really like her," Callie says, smiling to herself. "Miss Katherine Juliana, I am thinking this might be one of the biggest days of your life. So, I need you to be strong today. You are already the toughest little girl I know. You are my super hero… Do you know that? You are so very brave and no matter what happens today, you need to know that mommy loves you and I'm right here," Callie says, reaching down and kissing Katie's hand.

Arizona walks in and sits their bags down, thankful she thought to pack one yesterday before she left. She tells Callie she will be back and heads out to the nurse's station. She grabs a tablet to check for lab results from last night and heads back to Katie's room.

Callie seems to know what she is doing, and goes to look over her shoulder. "Anything yet?"

"Um... some have come back but others haven't. The ones I really need to see haven't. So... we will keep checking."

Nodding, Callie sighs. She was really hoping something would show up quickly.

"So... do you want to take a shower first or you want me to go?"

"Um, it doesn't matter."

"Then, how about I go ahead and take one. Give me about fifteen minutes and then come down to the lounge we were in last night. There are a couple showers in there. Then, while you are in there, I can come sit with her and look over some stuff before we take her for her test."

Callie agrees and Arizona grabs her bag and heads for the showers. She has to wait a few minutes for an empty shower, then grabs the first one that becomes available. This is a busy time of the day with shift changes and she wasn't thinking about that before she came down. She hurries with her shower and then gets dressed, knowing Callie will be there anytime, if she isn't already.

Walking out of the shower room, her hair is up in a towel and her face is still wet with water droplets still gracing the side of her face, and Callie is just walking in the door.

"Sorry... I had to wait for a shower to open," Arizona smiles as she sits her bag down and pulls out a small toiletry bag. "You can take the one I just came out of. The rest are still occupied."

"Yeah, no problem... I um, I won't be long."

"I'm going to throw some make up on and head back."

"Ok," Callie says, heading towards the small shower room. Stopping, she turns around and clears her throat before she shuts the door. "Just for the record, you don't really need the make-up. You look fine without it." With that, she gives a shy smile and closes the door.

Arizona can't help the slow smile that forms. Callie has obviously been through a lot the past couple of years. Overhearing a little bit of her conversation with Katie, it sounds like Callie is more than ready for things to turn around. Hopefully, she can help do that for them today if her theory is correct.

Once her hair is combed and makeup is on, she heads back to Katie's room to wait on Callie. They now have about an hour before her test and Arizona grabs a tablet from the nurse's station as she heads into Katie's room.

She walks into the room and makes her way to the same recliner she read from earlier. She has a seat and takes a moment to really think about what's going on… about the woman down the hall who is turning her world upside down. She now ponders how she feels about this little girl in front of her. She knew from talking to Callie last week at Jax, that she had been married. So that part wasn't news. And although she didn't know that Callie had a daughter before last night, she can see the love she has for the little girl.

Realization hits Arizona... The night she saw Callie in Jax, seemingly upset over something... that was the very same day she and Dr. Tanner had a conversation about Katie that was not very promising. And suddenly... the night makes sense. Callie had been upset about her daughter. As she scours her mind for other clues, she remembers the weekends away and they make sense now. Suddenly she feels ashamed for implying that Callie had been sleeping with Mark all weekend, when more than likely, they were here with Katie. Now she wonders... why didn't Callie just tell her? Was it easier to let someone believe she was sleeping around than to talk about her daughter. And she realizes right then, that yes... it was probably a lot easier. Especially if it hurt to talk about it. So, that's why she didn't correct Arizona when she assumed she was sleeping with him. Shaking her head at herself, she feels so ashamed.

Focusing back on Katie, Arizona begins thinking back to different women she has been with. Only one has had a child and it didn't last more than a couple of weeks. It was different though. No coming and going as they wanted. Everything had to be planned out. Sex was definitely not as frequent as with other partners. Then Arizona thinks back to her talk with her mom yesterday morning. She can't wait to just kiss Callie. Something so little seems so fulfilling to her and the rest isn't as important. And she realizes, she is more than ok with this relationship being different. She wants it to be different. For the first time, she wants this to be about more than sex because she finds Callie so absolutely amazing. Not that she doesn't want sex with Callie, because she is confident it would be amazing. But, the more she finds out about her, the more amazing Callie becomes to her. And finding out about this little girl... As she sits and watches her, she realizes she has had a connection with this little girl since she held the file in her hand, even when she didn't know who she was. And she realizes, everything in her life has led her right here... and she is perfectly content with these two ladies being in her life.

Pulling herself from her thoughts, she smiles and then brings up Katie's chart, more anxious than ever to help this little brunette get better. Arizona once again checks on her labs to find some have finally posted. As she is sorting through the results, she gasps, just as Callie is walking back in.

"What's wrong?" Callie asks, rushing over. "Is Katie ok? What happened?"

Callie makes her way over to check on Katie but Arizona was so stunned she hadn't processed Callie's questions. Seeing Callie checking Katie, she quickly stands, setting the tablet down in her chair. She reaches for Callie's arm to turn her around. "Callie... I just got the updated lab reports. She has the antibodies... It's... It's Juvenile MG."

"What?" Callie gasps.

"It's for sure MG... we can skip the nine o'clock test! She has it. This antibody test can confirm diagnosis. We can... we can talk with neuro and start discussing treatments... We can start treating her!"

Callie breaks down into full on sobs as she falls into Arizona. Arizona embraces her and lets her cry. For the first time in two years, they know for sure how to possibly help her little girl, and she is so overcome with emotions. She has been trying so hard not to get her hopes up since they arrived here last night. But now… now she is able to really hope. Now she knows with the right treatment, she might really get her daughter back. She might be able to open her eyes and breathe on her own, maybe get back to a normal life.

When Callie finally releases Arizona from the embrace, she reaches for the box of tissues on the bedside table to wipe of her face. She can't help but start laughing, overcome with such a profound joy at the new prospect of hope that is now surrounding them. She laughs and cries all at the same time, as Arizona can't help but be enveloped in the joy. Being a part of this… of being able to give a parent this hope, is why she does what she does for a living. But right here with Callie, the feelings she is experiencing right now, is more than she could have ever expected to feel at delivering news to a parent. Because, Callie is more than just a parent. She is more than that to Arizona.

Callie sits down and begins to talk to Katie. "Did you hear that? We know what's going on. We know you are there and that you can probably hear me right now. We are going to do everything humanly possible to get you better. It won't be easy and we have a long way to go still, but we think we can help you feel better. I love you so much!" Callie stands and reaches down to hug her daughter, the best way she can. Being hooked up to the vent and with all the wires, she hasn't been able to hold her daughter in a very long time.

Arizona quietly makes her way out of the room. Seeing Callie try to hug her daughter just gave her an idea. "Nurse Cathy… can you grab another nurse for me and both of you come to room 905? I need some help for a minute.

"Sure thing, Dr. Robbins."

Arizona walks back in the room and Callie is still peppering her daughter with kisses. "Callie…" Arizona says. "I need you to move over for a second," Arizona says.

"Am I hurting her?"

"No," Arizona says, as the nurses walk in. "But I know something you will both like better."

Confused, Callie does as Arizona asks and scoots over. Arizona motions for the nurses to come closer and begins giving instructions. With both nurses holding tubes and maneuvering wires around, Arizona is able to move Katie over just a little. As she turns around, Callie has tears rolling down her face as she realizes what Arizona is doing.

"There. Now you can curl up there and lay with her for a little bit."

Arizona thanks the nurses and sends them away. Making sure they are gone, she turns around to face Callie. I'm going to go and let you have some privacy. I need to go get ahold of Dr. Shepherd and get her in here. She is one of the best they have in neuro. She was a good friend of mine and I know she won't care to come in on the weekend. We will look at the labs and then figure out how to proceed. I know what I would prefer but she has a little more experience with this than I do."

"Arizona, I can't even begin to thank you. I just…," Callie shakes her head, then wipes the tears that seem to be persistent today. "I know… I know we are a long way from being out of the woods. I know that. But, you have given us hope. So, thank you."

"No need to thank me. I'll give you some time and I'll be back, hopefully with Dr. Shepherd in tow. Here…" Arizona says, holding out her hand. "Let me help you get situated."

Callie takes her hand and starts to climb into bed with Katie. Once she is situated, Arizona leans over and grabs the blanket from the recliner and covers Callie up. She reaches over and squeezes Callie's shoulder.

"I'll see you in a little bit."

Callie smiles, then scoots closer to her daughter, wrapping her arm around her. Arizona makes her way out of the room and to the nurse's station, pulling her cel phone out to call Amelia Shepherd. She agrees to come in and Arizona texts Beth to give her the good news, also asking her to come in and discuss Katie's treatment. She doesn't want to waste any time and is anxious to see what the other two doctors think.

Arizona decides to go grab some coffee and take some to Callie while she is waiting for the other two doctors. Walking back into Katie's room, she sees Callie still curled up beside Katie. She sets the coffee on the table beside her bed along with a muffin she grabbed. She heads back out to the nurse's station and runs into Julie, who is leaving for the day.

"So... you take breakfast to all the patients now?"

"Let it go, Julie."

"Oh, come on. Just making small talk. But, I guess if I remember right, you like pillow talk a lot better. So, if you prefer the pillow talk, I know an open on-call room right now," Julie says, laying her hand on Arizona's arm.

Just as Arizona goes to pull her arm away and put Julie in her place, Arizona hears a throat clear behind her.

"Excuse me ladies, hate to um, interrupt... but do you happen to know what room Katherine O'Malley is in?"

"You're Mark, right?" Arizona asks, not believing the timing of this.

"That's me."

"Follow me, I'll take you to her." Arizona steps around Julie and looks at Mark as she leads him to Katie's room. "That wasn't what it looked like."

"Wait... aren't you the one I hit on at Jax a few months ago."

Arizona just looks at him, and nods.

"Then, from what I hear, that's exactly what it looked like."

Arizona stops and looks at him. "You and I don't know each other. I don't need to explain myself to you, but I am going to, just this once, because I don't want any misunderstandings. What you saw there, was an old hookup that I haven't seen in two years, try to hit on me. It was one-sided. End of story. I would appreciate it if we can leave it at that."

"Ok... but I don't know why you need to explain it to me?"

"Because, you are a friend of Callie's and I want no misunderstandings." Arizona isn't sure what Callie has told Mark, but she isn't about to let a stupid misunderstanding mess things up. She also isn't about to tell Mark what is going on between her and Callie if Callie hasn't done it yet, so she doesn't elaborate.

"I still don't understand. But, ok..." Mark says, wondering why Arizona felt the need to get that out in the open.

"Good. Here we are. There is some coffee for her on the table when she wakes up. Callie will have some news to share when she does."

"Good or bad?"

"Definitely good. But, I'm sure she will want to tell you what it is."

"Thanks," Mark says, as he makes his way into Katie's room.

Arizona nods, then heads back to see Julie before she can leave. She makes her way back and Julie is grabbing her things about to leave.

"You sure you don't want to head to that on-call room?" Julie asks, seductively.

"Julie, I swear, if you ever... and I mean ever, pull a stunt like that again, I will report you for harassment. I told you, I'm here to work. This..." Arizona says pointing between them, "Isn't going to happen. So, don't ever try talk to me about it again." With that, she grabs her tablet and makes her way to the meeting room to for wait for Beth and Amelia.