Pre Christmas bonus chapter,
Merry Christmas
Chapter 4
Meredith drove home still kicking herself not listening to her intuition last night, she was a surgeon and she knew something was off, hopefully they had done enough damage control their friend would make it through, it was a matter of watching, waiting and praying. Pulling up at the house she climbed out of the car noticing as she did so a phone in the passenger side. It had to be Arizona's the phone case had Sofia's face on in and a rainbow. Pocketing it planning to return it charged to the Doctor tomorrow Meredith walked inside where all 3 of her kids were waiting as she walked in they jumped on her giving her tight cuddles. Even Ellis who crawled to her ankles. Laughing she picked up her youngest,
"Have you been good?" she asked her kids both nodding, Sofia was stood by the stairs waiting for her mommy to come home
"Arizona got stuck at the hospital, she said you and Zola can have a special sleep over tonight" Meredith told her. Sofia nodded not looking happy, luckily Zola was
"Awesome can we have ice cream, and stay up late?"
"Sure" Meredith said, as Arizona's phone began to ring, checking the ID it was Callie
"Hey Callie" Meredith answered
"Meredith? Why do you have Arizona's phone?" Callie asked suspiciously
"She had to go to surgery and left it in my car" Meredith told her not lying, but not explaining Arizona was the patient,
"Where is Sofia?"
"With me and Zola were having a sleepover tonight" Meredith said watching the 2 girls excitedly making plans,
"Has Arizona spent anytime with her?" Callie asked Meredith frowned in confusion, "I mean I practically had to beg her to take her for the weekend"
"Yes, she took all 4 kids to the zoo Saturday and spent most the day with Sofia at the park today" Meredith defended puzzled. From what Arizona and Richard said Callie was the one not letting Arizona see Sofia, but Callie definitely felt differently. Something strange was going on,
"Good" Callie sounded relieved, "Can I talk to Sofia?"
"Sure" Meredith handed over the phone to Sofia who'd been waiting impatiently next to her as soon as she heard Meredith say Mama's name.
"Mama, hola" Sofia began speaking half in Spanish half in English, Meredith could make out some words like Elephant and tiger before she babbled in Spanish again.
After 45 minutes Sofia returned with Arizona's phone and Zola in tow.
"Can we have ice cream now por favour" Sofia asked, Meredith nodded, watching both girls race into the kitchen where Zola knew exactly where it was kept. Knowing the kids were distracted Meredith held Arizona's phone debating whether to check the records or not. Finally, temptation took over, if there was nothing there nobody would know but neither Callie nor Arizona had lied before so something was strange. Without thinking too much more Meredith typed in Sofia's birthday unsurprised when the phone unlocked straight away. Clicking under texts, the Callie Meredith began to read.
Hey, my dad has invited us all down for thanksgiving, and you know that's a huge deal, so maybe you can have Soph over Christmas, C
Can I have Soph anytime, before then? Even for a weekend, I can fly to you if it easier, please A.
Sofia has a pretty full schedule maybe after thanksgiving. C
Callie, can I call Sofia? I tried but she's not answering please I need to see her A.
Soph can't answer phone now she is at dance class, I sent you the schedule please call when she is free, C
Okay can I try later before bed, I just need to speak to her it's been a bad day. A
Sorry she is already asleep, C
Okay tomorrow before school? A
I'll see, depends on what time Soph wakes up. C
Sorry Gymnastics ran over, call tomorrow. C
Hey Sofia, can't do Christmas Penny's family do a massive thing, maybe a few days between but Soph should in NY for NYE as its intense. C
The texts continued like that 4 months' worth of Arizona begging to speak to her daughter and Callie refusing. Meredith was beginning to understand the pain Arizona had been in the desperation she had to spend all 4 days with her daughter even if it killed her. Until last week's texts.
I have a conference this weekend I can drop Sofia off Saturday and pick her up Tuesday C.
Yes, let me know the flight times, thank you Callie, thank you so much, A
Meredith was impressed that with 5 days noticed Arizona had rearranged her whole schedule to get 4 days off, it was hard with weeks of notice. She must have called in every favour she was ever owed.
Sofia misses you, which surprises me as you never wanted children. This is your final chance I bet you don't last 2 days without palming my child onto someone in your village. There is a reason the judge picked me because I'm Sofia's mom and you're nothing!
Meredith almost dropped the phone, the spite in the last text, the hatred. She knew Callie was fiery and passionate but that was hate filled. Did Callie hate Arizona that much, one thing Callie had always said is how good a parent Arizona was, what had changed that. No wonder Arizona had refused to go to the hospital.
Sipping her wine Meredith considered her options she needed to talk to Arizona or Callie whoever she came across first.
For now, though she was going to finish her wine, have a shower and try to sleep. Tomorrow would be another stressful day with 4 kids in the house and only 1 having school. Still Amelia had just finished nights so had the day off maybe she could watch Sofia?
Setting her alarm Meredith lay down. It felt like she had only blinked when the alarm was going off. Sometime in the night Bailey had snuggled into her providing a source of warmth. Letting him sleep for a minute Meredith snuck out of the bed going to the shower. As she finished, she could hear Ellis stir. No rest for the wicked.
With Zola at school and Sofia, Bailey and Ellis at day care Meredith was free to visit her friend. Arriving at the ITU Meredith saw Bailey still doing paperwork by Arizona's bedside.
"How is she?"
"We took the bloods already I put a rush on the results," Bailey announced, Meredith took in the monitors they hadn't changed much since last night. Next, she looked at Arizona, she'd lost weight and seemed a lot smaller and thinner than before. This whole custody case had taken it's toll and she had been fighting everything alone.
"Grey, I can hear you thinking from here" Bailey complained,
"I did a thing" Meredith confessed. Bailey put down her notes,
"I don't want to hear about your thing" Bailey insisted. Knowing Meredith very well she knew most of her things were complex, and slightly on the illegal side.
"I read her texts" Meredith ignored her colleague,
"You read her texts!" Bailey shouted
"Sssh do you want everyone to know" Meredith said, "Here" she passed the phone
"Grey I'm not going to read her texts" Bailey said as she took the phone, unable to help herself as she read the last text. "Your nothing, that's what Mark said to her" Bailey muttered. "I didn't think Callie knew that."
"When?" Meredith asked having not heard that before.
"After the crash," Meredith still looked confused, Bailey reviewed her words, realising how many crashes Grey Sloan had been through. "The car crash, they were arguing between saving Sofia and giving her a better chance or Callie. Mark chose Callie, Arizona chose Sofia."
"Callie would choose Sofia" Meredith stated, as she would if she was in the same position.
"Yeah" Bailey agreed.
"Dr Bailey I have the test results back" Jo ran into the room. Bailey snatched the folder,
"Infection markers have improved, drain output is still up, I think we need to keep her sedated today, check tomorrow, Wilson can you pass an NG and set up a feeding schedule." Bailey ordered.
"An NG?" Meredith questioned; Bailey sighed
"She is already underweight, and you know an NG can speed up healing. I was hoping to avoid it, but we aren't waking her up today, so we need to make sure the bowel keeps moving"
Meredith sighed, Bailey was right, and Arizona was going to hate it when she woke up.
"Fine, but I'll pass the NG tube" Meredith insisted. If anyone was going to put an NG tube in it wasn't going to be an intern.
Bailey's bleep sounded, "I'll leave you to it" she excused herself, Meredith passed the NG watching carefully as the nurse began the feed.
"My turn" April bounded into the room "I have the 10-12 shift next to Arizona"
"We are taking shifts?" Meredith asked,
"I have a sign-up chart at the nurse's station, Richard is next, then Alex, I think there was a space overnight if you wanted."
"I have kids April" Meredith protested. Still, she got up leaving the room she was late for rounds. It was a busy shift, back-to-back surgeries, and consults. She checked back on Arizona before picking the kids up, she was the same, no improvement.
Amelia had picked up Zola from school, so Meredith just had the 3 from day care.
"Meredith, where's mommy is she still saving babies?" Sofia asked sadly, Meredith nodded she hated to lie to Sofia but thought it was better than telling her that her mother was in ICU hanging onto life.
"Mama says Mommy is important, that she saves lots of tiny humans and their mama's but I miss her" Sofia whispered.
"I know she misses you too" Meredith paused remembering the last time she'd been in Arizona's office, "Come with me I want to show you something"
She took Sofia by the hand leaving her youngest two at day care. Arriving at Arizona's office Meredith let herself in being one of the few people who had access, the code was easy to remember Sofia's birthday.
"That's me" Sofia pointed to the photo on the wall, Arizona, Callie and Sofia were laughing Arizona kissing her daughter on the cheek as Callie smiled into the camera,
"Yep" Meredith agreed lifting the small girl so she could see the desk.
"That's me too" she pointed again at the 4 photos spread out,
"And you drew that picture" Meredith pointed at the other frames picture on the wall, a blonde blob and 2 brown blobs holding hands on an A3 paper with red dots around, an adult had written on the top Sofia's family. Sofia seemed impressed,
"Hey, oh it's you" Alex poked his head in relaxing when he saw Meredith and Sofia.
"Uncle Alex" Sofia jumped off the chair running over and hugging him,
"Sofia, how is New York? Are you dancing up a storm?" he asked, "your mom was telling me you're in ballet and tap now" he continued,
"Mom told you" Sofia asked
"She never shuts up, every time I ask her anything its Sofia does dance, Sofia ate broccoli, Sofia is brilliant and beautiful" he did a high pitch mock-up of Arizona making Sofia giggle. Meredith gave him a grateful smile glad she had shot him a text to come and tell Sofia about her mom. "Then she found out you were coming to visit, and I swear it was like someone put jumping beans in her coffee she was so excited. I thought we were going to have give her a helmet she was bouncing off the ceiling" he continued Sofia now laughing at her mom on jumping beans with a helmet.
"Can I see Mommy please?" Sofia asked missing her more now, Alex and Meredith exchanged looks Alex shrugging. To him it made no sense hiding Arizona's illness from her daughter. Meredith sighed, she agreed with him. She didn't want to scare her but if it was Zola thinking she was too busy to see her when in fact she was fighting for life she'd be devastated.
"Okay Sofia, your mom isn't working, she got sick" Meredith started kneeling next to the 6-year-old who began tearing up.
"But she has Auntie Mer, and Bailey looking after her, so we know she is going to be okay" Alex reassured,
"I want my mommy" Sofia sobbed.
"Mer, I got this, you take Bailey and Ellis home I'll drop Sofia over later" he offered. Meredith nodded kissing Sofia on the hair. Alex reached into Arizona's desk pulling out a leaflet it was designed for siblings to understand what critical care was.
"Okay so mommy" Alex paused it still seemed strange calling Robbins that. "Was feeling poorly, and so she came to the hospital and Auntie Mer and Auntie Bailey had to operate." Alex paused, "There is a thing we all have in our tummies called Appendix and sometimes they grumble, and your mom's was grumbling really loudly and she wasn't listening because she was so happy you were here and her heart was singing loudly" Alex was glad nobody was listening, this was far from his normal gruff standing but this was Sofia. "So, it burst like a balloon, and the little pieces went and hide all over you mom's tummy, so Auntie Mer and Bailey played hide and seek with the pieces, now we think we found them all. So, we are giving her special meds to help if any of those pieces are hiding, and we have kept her sleeping. It will look scary, but I know you are brave, you are a rockstar and I'll be with you the whole time" Alex promised, Sofia nodded looking older and wiser than her years but reaching up taking Alex's hand holding it tightly.
"Are you ready?" he asked, Sofia nodded. He led her through the hospital up to the Intensive care.
"Right we have to protect mom from any germs, so we have to dress up, and I know you like dressing up because your mom shows me hundreds of photos, so today we are going to play Doctor," he instructed, "So we have a cap, so you don't get hair everywhere" he put a hat on Sofia then himself, "Then the gown, so we don't get Jell-O over her, I see what you had for lunch" he poked the stain, dressing them both in the yellow gowns, "Next gloves," he put on the large passing her the extra small they were massive but did the job. Lastly was the face mask.
"Ok Doctor Robbins Sloan Torres are you ready for rounds" he said giving Sofia his stethoscope.
Webber was sat there next to Arizona reading a paper,
"Karev?" he questioned seeing Sofia,
"She wants her mom" Alex defended, he knew Richard would understand that mother daughter time was limited, that Arizona was desperate to spend time with Sofia and would be devastated if Sofia left thinking her mother didn't love her. While they had been talking Sofia had let go of Alex's hand going over to her mommy carefully climbing onto the bed holding her hand.
"Mommy, you gots to get better cus we need to colour together and go to the zoo again and I still need ice cream" Sofia spoke softly kissing her mom on the cheek even wearing a mask. She continued to talk to Arizona despite her sleeping,
"Uncle Alex can we watch frozen, mommy loves frozen it's her favourite Disney film"
"Sure, we can get frozen on" Alex decided, "After we have tea," he ordered, "Come on Dr TJ" Sofia looked confused, "Torres junior" he explained.
"Can we have ice cream?" Sofia asked, Alex shrugged,
"Maybe if not, I know where they keep the chocolate pudding. Just don't tell you mom when she wakes up" Sofia gave a conspiratorial grin.
"Deal smeal" she replied. Alex grinned remembering when he had taught her that before she left for New York.
They went to the cafeteria eating burger, fries and ice cream, Alex knew if Arizona had seen them, she'd pretend to be mad but one look at Torres junior and she'd melt too. After Alex stole one of the iPads meant for the Peds floor and loaded up frozen. Again, Sofia cuddled into Arizona's side watching frozen until she fell asleep. Once asleep Alex picked her up carrying her to his car, ordering an intern to carry and install a car seat before driving to Meredith's and tucking her into bed. Meredith had a beer ready.
"This is crap" He complained, "Arizona doesn't deserve this, she doesn't deserve any of this"
"You don't know the half of it" Meredith commented.
"Tell me" Alex ordered strictly. Arizona was his person she backed him when nobody else did. He had let her down in the custody case, Callie had won and taken Sofia it had been months and Arizona had been dying inside he hated to see it. He wasn't going to let her down again.
It was late when Alex finally crashed in the guest room ready to help Meredith with the kids in the morning.
Please review, i'll count it as my Christmas present,