Chapter 2
It was early when her bed began rocking, and a wet kiss was placed on her forehead.
"Mommy its morning and we are going to the park" Sofia bounced on the bed. Arizona groaned her stomach felt worse, overnight the pain had radiated to the right. She felt sweaty and feverish, checking the clock it was 5am.
"Sofia it's too early" she moaned grabbing the bouncing girl for cuddles. Sofia was operating on New York time still.
"But mommy I'm awake," she wiggled catching Arizona stomach,
"Ouch" Arizona cried curling into a ball, taking deep breaths.
"Mommy" Sofia cried,
"It's okay" Arizona whimpered, "I'm okay baby, help me up" she instructed Sofia, Sofia pulled her to sitting. Arizona used her crutches to get to the bathroom taking her temperature, it was raised 100.4F. Stubbornly she refused to go in, she just had to last 3 more days, not even 72 hours. It was Sunday Sofia was being collected at 1800 on Tuesday, 61 hours left with Sofia, she could hold it at bay for that long. Since Callie had won custody Arizona hadn't been allowed visits this was the first time in months, it could be another 4-6 months before Callie gifted her time with her daughter again, plenty of time to recover. Callie had already told her she wasn't getting Thanksgiving or Christmas, maybe a few days after, maybe not. She took paracetamol, and flucloxacillin 2g orally left over from her amputation telling herself that it's what they'd do at the hospital anyway, antibiotics and pain relief.
"Mommy?" Sofia asked uncertainly from the door tears running down her face. Arizona put on her biggest smile
"Hey what's going on," Arizona wiped the tears feeling awful she had made her daughter cry "mommy was just needing the loo and you hit my bladder you're like a wiggly worm." Balancing on crutches she tickled her daughter smiling as the tears turned to laughter. "Breakfast then what do you want?"
"Pancakes mommy you make the best pancakes" Sofia laughed.
"Okay I'll put my leg on then get cooking" Arizona used the crutches back to bed slipping her sock on.
"Mommy, are you a pirate?" Sofia asked curiously sitting on the bed next to her. In her head it made sense pirates only had one leg as did her mom.
"No baby, I lost my leg in a plane crash, I'm still a doctor" Arizona stroked her daughter's hair.
"But you only have one leg!" Sofia exclaimed,
"I can still be a doctor"
"And a pirate, like I'm a princess and a doctor and maybe a zookeeper" Sofia said. "Pirates have one leg, and so do you, and pirates are cool" Sofia decided. Arizona laughed,
"Come on Dr Princess Tiger keeper, let's go make pancakes mee matey" Arizona tried to do a pirate accent but failed.
"Mommy we have to find the treasure" Sofia decided,
"Well then, lets scavenge the ingredients. Let's find the treasure map go wash up in the bathroom I'll search the office" Arizona decided needing to make a treasure hunt, luckily working in Peds she was well equipped treasure maps, gold coins and a pirate hat. Callie had always made fun of her in comparison she had drills and joint replacements lying around her office.
"I'm done Mommy
"That's okay because I did, firstly you need a pirate hat" Arizona placed the paper hat onto her daughter and the other one on herself. "Now I have the map,"
"Kitchen Mommy" Sofia squealed looking at the quick drawing. Arizona pocketed the coins planning to hide them on the way. She managed to hide the first one in the fruit bowl and another in the sink before Sofia noticed, Arizona managed to hide all 5 coins without her daughter seeing.
Sofia squealed "Mommy chocolate treasure" she held up the gold coin,
"Wow is there anymore" Arizona asked, Sofia held the coin tightly searching for others. Squealing again as she found another, and another. Arizona watched starting to get the pancake pan out and the ingredients.
"I got another Mommy" Sofia called,
"Good job baby" Arizona praised, "How many have you got now?"
"5 Mommy" Sofia counted carefully. "Can I eat them now?"
"After pancakes you may have 1" Arizona bargained, "The rest we can save until later" Sofia nodded,
"Can I help stir, I'm really good now" Sofia bragged,
"Sure, you can break the eggs too" Arizona offered.
With the pancakes made Sofia drizzled them in strawberries bananas and syrup, Arizona poked at her own pancake, taking a bite, and feeling the nausea roll over her she forced herself to have another 2 mouthfuls before stopping, anymore and she really was going to spend the morning vomiting.
Once Sofia had finished, they washed up, both the dishes and the syrup monster who had overtaken her daughter spreading sticky handprints over the whole kitchen. Once everything was clean Arizona and Sofia settled on the sofa, Sofia picking the movie today's choice was Frozen. They had seen this movie hundreds of times, and happily sang along to the tunes. Cuddling her daughter was one of Arizona favourite things.
Frozen finished in time for them to get out of their pyjamas and get dressed. Sofia carried on the pirate frozen theme wearing a stripy top with a pirate on it and blue skirt, she also put on her Elsa cape combined with her flashing trainers.
They then drove to the park, Meredith was already there, her kids playing on the equipment. On seeing Sofia, they all ran over hugging her tightly, before introducing her to their game.
Meredith was sitting on a nearby bench. Arizona joined her
"You look tired" Meredith greeted her, Arizona nodded not denying it,
"Sofia is on New York time she woke up at 5am" Meredith smiled,
"That's a lie in compared to Ellis"
"Yeah, but you have Ellis 365 days, I have Sofia for 4, well 3 now" Arizona sighed watching her daughter, just 3 days left.
"Are you okay you looked a bit peaky yesterday?" Meredith asked concerned, Arizona hesitated wondering if she should confide in the general surgeon about her abdo pain. Meredith would understand she had kids, she had limited time to spend with them, she'd help, wouldn't she? Or would she forced her into admission, tell Callie that she was unsafe to look after Sofia.
She remembered the trial Meredith had made it clear she wasn't a good mom; she was a slut, that Callie was a better person. She couldn't take the risk; it wasn't that long until Sofia went home. She could hold on until then.
"I'm okay" Arizona lied, "Just tired long week trying to catch up on everything so I can take 2 days off" Meredith furrowed her brow not sure whether to believe her friend or not.
"Mommy, push me" Bailey cried from the swings, Meredith stood up walking to the swings, Arizona sat on the bench feeling wiped, the pain relief wasn't helping the pain as much as she wanted. The sharp pain worsened on movement and had settled on her right side; it was definitely her appendix. With Meredith by the swings Arizona took another 2 oral antibiotics and 2 painkillers hoping they'd get her though the visit. The pain was getting worse, but Arizona was stubborn she could hold on. Only 2 days 6 hours left with her daughter, then she could be sick.
"Mommy push me on the swings" Sofia demanded joining Bailey, Arizona stood trying not to cry out at the pain on straightening.
"And me" Zola jumped on next to Bailey, laughing Meredith added Ellis to the baby swing next to Sofia.
At the swings Arizona pushed Sofia higher and higher, trying not to show how much pain she was in, luckily Meredith was distracted by pushing both Zola and Bailey. Ellis was an easy push and giggled every time she came close. Arizona split her time between the girls.
"Are you sure your, okay?" Meredith asked, Arizona had gone paler and had a light sheen of sweat covering her face, her face was grimacing in pain and occasionally there were low moans or groans coming from the peds surgeon.
"Cramps" Arizona lied, now struggling to even stand straight.
"No, it's not that" Meredith left the swings, walking over putting her hand on Arizona's forehead,
"Your hot"
"Thanks" Arizona tried to deflect, Meredith didn't buy it at all, this wasn't cramps, she had ignored her intuition last night and now it was screaming at her loudly. She knew what sick looked like and Arizona looked sick.
"No, what's going on? And don't lie" Meredith lifted Ellis out of the swing, placing her in her buggy next to the bench pulling Arizona away from the swings. "Tell me" She insisted, Arizona sighed, she knew Meredith was like a dog with a bone, she wouldn't let it go.
"You can't tell anyone" Arizona insisted, "And you can't make me do anything, not until Tuesday evening, I only have 54 hours left with Sofia, and then I don't know when I'll see her again it might be in a few months, it might be in a year or 2" Arizona babbled nervously. "I might not get to even talk to her one the phone, I mean I get to sometimes, I can't be sick now"
"I'm not making any promises" Meredith replied suspiciously but softening, she couldn't imagine not seeing her kids for months at a time and not knowing when the next time she'd be able to cuddle her daughter.
Arizona sighed, now she had to say something, Meredith's suspicions had been confirmed, and truthfully, she was feeling worse with each passing moment. Still there was no way she was going to the hospital but maybe Meredith could find a way to keep the pain at bay.
"I think it's my appendix" Arizona revealed, Meredith leant across pressing her stomach, Arizona yelped as the hand palpated her lower right side.
"We need to go to the hospital I think your right,"
"No, I've been taking antibiotics, and pain relief and I just need a few more hours" Arizona begged tears escaping from her eyes at the thought of losing those hours. Meredith sighed, she hated to do this but with Arizona looking like crap she was quite sure if it hadn't ruptured it was going to soon.
"We can take the kids, just bloods and a scan, maybe a dose of IV's, if it's not ruptured you both stay with me, I'll monitor you," Meredith bartered, small steps get her into the hospital, get reinforcements aka Bailey and Webber, Arizona shook her head, no,
"I can't I have Sofia, and its fine, Tuesday I'll go in on Tuesday evening" Arizona promised, she could tell Meredith had serious doubts, to her credit she didn't argue
"Fine but I'm taking you home, I'll put a movie on for the kids and I'm going to examine you" Meredith stated, Arizona nodded going home sounded good, as did lying down.
Meredith rounded up the children including Sofia, one hand was on the pushchair pushing Ellis the other was supporting Arizona who was looking even worse and swaying slightly. Meredith didn't want to push it but was 100% sure that Arizona needed surgery sooner rather than later.
Getting to the car Arizona went to get into her car, Meredith quickly swooped in taking the keys.
"There is no way you are driving you can barely stand"
"I'm fine" Arizona replied, Meredith poked her stomach lightly Arizona screamed in pain nearly collapsing on the floor instead bracing herself against the car taking deep breaths.
"Fine" Meredith mocked as she began lifting the kids into the car one by one doing up their seatbelts. After all, 4 kids were in Arizona was still leaning on the car where Meredith had left her. White as a sheet and shaking slightly, her cheeks red from fever. Meredith helped her into the car next belting her up. Before leaving she sent a quick text to Bailey and April to prep a trolley in the ER. She had no intention of driving Arizona home and just wondered how far into the journey she would get before the peds doctor woke up.
Driving into the hospital Bailey, Sofia and Zola sang Disney songs loudly, while Arizona was still asleep. Meredith tried to shake her awake, at the traffic lights but she didn't stir. She debated pulling over but decided it was quicker to drive the 3 minutes to Grey Sloan where her friends and colleagues would be waiting.