Let me just start by saying that isn't one of my favorite chapters, but is kind of a filler chapter. Hope that you enjoy.
Chapter 11
That isn't what I said. Arizona texted and put her phone in her coat pocket just before going into the patient's room.
You said not to text you again. That's what you said.
Arizona felt her phone buzz. She smiled at the patient. "I am sorry." She took her iPhone out and looked at it. She huffed and placed it back in her pocket. "Sorry. Teenagers."
The middle aged woman smiled knowingly. "How old?"
"Thirteen."
"Oh rough age." She chuckled.
"She's a good kid. She's just head strong." Arizona smiled.
"I'm sorry. I never realized that you had children."
Arizona froze. "She...um...she belongs to...she's my ex's daughter."
"Oh. Well the teen years only gets worse, so be prepared." The patient laughed.
When Arizona was done with the patient she pulled her phone back out. I said to stop texting me during school. Don't text me again IN SCHOOL
You said to text you when we got homeSofia typed
Yes and that was yesterday.Arizona responded. Besides, Callie text last night that you were home.
What'd she say?
That you were home. Pay attention in school. I am NOT texting back.
Yes you will. There wasn't a response so Sofia text again. She said that you're still pretty. Well the actual word was beautiful.
What?
Told you. Hook, line & Sinker
PAY ATTENTION, SOFIA!
Arizona had a busy day. Mondays were always busy. Everyone that had a bad weekend, or their symptoms had worsened, came in on Monday. Arizona felt like she was running from start to finish on Monday. She went to the front desk to give the girls a chart when her office manager stopped her.
"Good weekend?" She smiled giddy.
"Um, no. Why?" She looked at Diane who had worked for her since the center opened.
"Mhm." The woman walked off.
"What's that mean." Arizona quickly followed her.
"Nothing." The woman smiled and kept walking.
"Now you have to tell me."
The woman stopped and smiled at Arizona. "You haven't been in your office yet have you?"
"My office. Wha-" Arizona quickly walked around her and made a bee line for her office.
She walked in to find the pretties floral arrangement. On her desk was a beautiful pink vase filled with pink and white lilies and pink roses. She walked around the desk and opened the card.
Thank you so much for taking time with Sofia this weekend. Looking forward to our new friendship. Love Callie.
Arizona stared at the 'Love Callie' part and then pulled out her phone and texted So this is why you keep texting. I love them.
Arizona's phone buzzed. I don't know what you are talking about. :)
Pay attention!
You text ME!
Arizona looked at her phone and dialed the number. A familiar voice answered the phone. "Well Dr. Robbins. What do I owe this pleasure?"
"Thank you. They are beautiful and you're very welcome." Arizona lightly bit her bottom lip with nervousness.
"I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you taking the time with Sofia."
"It was my pleasure. Plus I got to see you, which was a defiant perk." Well there it was. Arizona raised her hand to her forehead wondering what the hell she had to say that for.
She couldn't see the blush that came to Callie's cheeks. "I really enjoyed seeing you too. Sort of seems stupid now that we waited this long."
"Yeah." The word fall flat out of Arizona's mouth.
"Well, I'm sure that you are busy today. I know what private practices are on Mondays."
"Swamped actually. Just wanted to tell you thank you."
"You're welcome. Go be awesome."
Arizona's heart broke at how much she loved that. "You too. Bye." Arizona slowly put the phone down as though it was the last thing she wanted to do. She knew that this was a start and that was what was important. A slow start was better than none.
xxxx
Over the next month Arizona and Callie text a couple times and Sofia would text almost daily. If for nothing else to say good morning. It was the highlight of Arizona's day. It would be mid morning for Arizona when she would get the text, but it was always a very special thing to see it come through. Arizona and Callie and only text the 'necessary' stuff. Callie text once to tell Arizona that Alex said hello and once that Yang wanted to know if she was rolling around the halls of her practice. They were trying, but somehow it was harder that Arizona had hoped. So much time had pasted and they were on opposite sides of the country.
Today Callie had been extremely busy during her morning and early afternoon. Three surgeries back to back had wiped her out already and it was only two in the afternoon. She was scrubbing out and walked out into the hall , bumping into Chief Webber.
"Oh, Torres. Just the person I was looking for."
"What's up?"
"I was talking to Karev this morning and there is a patient in the peds unit that is really giving the doctors a fit. She is a..."
"Ortho patient?" Callie questioned.
"Um, no." The chief hesitantly answered. "No. She is a two year old that is having unexplained seizures. They've ran every test they can think of and this morning during the seizure, she coded."
"Dear God. Karev doesn't know what's going on?"
"They have done every test they can think of."
Callie chuckled. "Ok, out with it. Why are you telling me this?"
Richard huffed. "We need some advice and was wondering..."
Callie chuckled. "So call her."
"Well...you know people here talk...and they..."
"Call her." Callie said walking around the chief.
"Don't you talk to her." He followed her. "I mean, that's what I heard. That you...you know...talk to her."
"We text occasionally. Mostly the day I sent the flowers."
"You sent her flowers!" Richard smiled feeling he was being let in on a secret.
Callie regretted the words as soon as they were out. "Yes, ok. I sent her a thank you bouquet when Sofia went to Maryland to see her. Don't make a bigger deal of it than it is." She continued to walk with the chief on her tail.
"That's nice."
"Don't make a big deal." Callie stopped and the man bumped into her back. "Look, we are all professionals. Have Alex call her. She is his friend too."
"Friend?"
"Yes. Friend. We are..." Callie huffed again. "Friends."
"Oh."
"Hey, friends are better than enemies...right?"
"Yeah...yeah. That's great, Torres."
Callie huffed and started to walk off. "Right."
"Hey, Torres." Richard yelled and the woman turned. "Flowers or Roses?"
"Is there a difference?" When the chief raised his eyebrow, she continued. "Roses and Lilies."
Richard chuckled. "Friends? Let me know what her answer is." Then he walked away.
Callie huffed, throwing her hands out and them dropping them to her legs. "Chief!"
"Saving a baby, Torres." He said never turning around.
She huffed again and pulled out her phone.
xxxx
Arizona was sitting at her desk going over the next day's charts. At 5:45 in the afternoon, this was her normal routine. The office was quiet as doctors were finishing up their days and office staff was heading home, with no patients in the building at all. She jumped as a voice came over her intercom on the desk. "Doctor, Robbins?"
"Yes."
"We have a call for you. Do you want to take it or should I just take a message?"
"Um..."
"It's a doctor Callie Torres from Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital."
Arizona smiled. "Put her through, thanks." Arizona picked up the receiver. "Hey. Everything ok?"
Callie smiled like a stupid little girl, not knowing that the person on the other end was doing the same. "Hey. Richard asked me to call you."
Arizona couldn't help but feel disappointed. "Oh. Ok."
"I mean, I am glad to talk to...anyway. We have a toddler here that Alex is having trouble with. They wanted to know if you would mind looking over chart and seeing what you think?"
"Um, sure." Arizona hated that this was a 'business' call. "Yeah, just tell Alex to send me the chart over email and I will take a look."
"I know that it's late there."
"Callie, it's fine. I don't mind, just have the chart sent."
"Thanks. You are really helping us out."
"No problem." There was suddenly an awkward silence.
"Well ok then. I will get with Alex and have him send the stuff shortly."
"I'll be waiting." Again, silence. Like neither knew what it say, but the last thing they wanted was to end that call. "Callie?"
"Yeah."
"Is it always gonna be this...weird."
"I hope not." Callie sighed.
"Well ok. I will wait on Alex." Arizona quickly said.
"Ok. I will..." Arizona heard Callie sigh again. "Yeah, I'll tell him. Thanks."
"You're welcome."
Silence agian.
"Ok." Callie said again. She then chuckled into the phone.
Arizona smiled against the receiver. "I know. I don't want to hang up either, but..."
"There's a kid." Callie finished.
"There's a kid." Arizona confirmed. "Go tell Alex. You know that you can call, Callie?"
"I know."
"Bye." Arizona said and waited. After a moment of silence a "Bye" was replied and Arizona heard the phone go dead. She lay the phone down in place and kept her hand on the receiver longer than she realized. It seemed like she missed Callie more in the past month than she had in 14 years. How was that even possible.
xxxx
When Arizona arrived home she checked her email. It had been almost an hour since she had talked to Callie. She saw the confidential file on her email and opened it. She sat with a glass of wine and looked over its contents. She was at a lose. It looked as if Alex had done everything right. There was nowhere else to do with the patient. That was the problem. Arizona did her best brain storming with someone else.
She picked up the phone and called Seattle Grace and was transferred to Alex. "This is Karev."
"Hey, Alex. It's Arizona."
"Robbins!" Alex was genially glad to even hear her voice. "How are you?"
"I am fine thanks. Seems you have a problem child."
"Oh my God you have no freakin idea. This case is driving me crazy."
"From what I can see, you have done everything I would. I hate to say it, but I honestly don't know where to go from here. The MRIs are clean, the blood work is normal. The seizures aren't from any triggers, so I mean...I just don't see anything here that sways me one way or another."
"Robbins, she's a baby. A 22 month old beautiful little girl. There has to be something I can do. Something that I am missing."
"Without being there, I just don't know."
Alex knew what he was about to ask was huge. "Look, I have to do something. I can't be this useless." There was a pause and Arizona saw what was coming next. "Robbins, I need your help."
"Alex..."
"I know. I know that coming here is like walking through a graveyard of memories, but this kid...Arizona, we can't be this useless."
"Alex..."
"Please." There was nothing. "I am saying please, Robbins."
"I am booked solid tomorrow, but on Friday I can have my PA Jen cover my patients. I can fly out tomorrow night, but that is the best I can do, Alex."
He was so excited. "That's fine. That's good."
"Ok."
"Thanks Robbins."
"You're welcome. I will get with you on a arrival time. It will be late evening, but I expect you to be there."
"I will be here with coffee and ready to go." He chuckled.
"Ok, see you then."
"Robbins?" Alex said unsure.
"Yeah."
"I...I am really sorry..."
"It's ok, Alex, but thank you." She wondered how many times in the next couple of days that she would hear that. "I hear that you are happily married man now."
"I am, yes."
"Well, I can't wait to meet..."
"Jo. Her name is Jo."
"Ok then I can't wait to meet this Jo. I will see you tomorrow night."
"See ya."
Arizona hung up the phone quickly and drank the remained of her wine. "Dear God what am I gonna do." She said out loud. She then picked up her phone and sent a text.
Will be in Seattle tomorrow night. Would love to see you.
An immediate text came back. OMG! Does Mom know?