Chapter 3

"Here's where we stand." Derek now had everyone's attention. "The frontal lobe of Doctor Torres' brain has suffered significant injury. We were able to stop the bleed, but she is by no means out of the woods yet. The frontal lobe controls a lot of who you are. For example, it controls concentration, thought, expression of thoughts, judgment, memory loss, understanding and creation of individual personality."

"So what are you saying?" Aria asked. "Are you saying….."

"I am saying we will need to wait and see just how much damage there is. There is no way of knowing until Callie wakes up. I am sorry, but now we wait again." Derek said his goodbyes and said that he would be back to check on Callie later.

As Derek left, Jackson came over to talk to Arizona. "Dr. Robbins?"

Arizona wiped the tear from her face and answered. "Yes?"

"I was here. I was in the ER when they brought Dr. Torres in. When they first brought her in, she woke up for just a minute. She was mumbling things, obviously in shock. I couldn't understand most of it, but there is something that was very clear."

"What's that?"

"Twice, she clearly said your name." Arizona sighed. "She was asking for you. I just thought….I don't know, that you may want to know."

Arizona smiled. "Thank you, Jackson." He returned the smile and walked away.

Mark put his arm around Arizona. "Robbins, why don't you and I go get some fresh air."

Mark and Arizona went to the cafeteria to grab Arizona some food and then they talked around the grounds of the hospital talking about life in general, neither one wanting to talk about the real problem at hand. Lexie and Mark had somehow worked out all their problems and were talking about marriage. Arizona told Mark about Africa and all the really good work that was being done there.

Mark stopped walking and turned to Arizona. "So are we going to talk about what happened?"

"I love her, Mark"

"I know you do, I just am not sure she does anymore."

"Do you know what I remember?"

"What?"

"Every time I thought of Callie I didn't see that heartbroken person in the airport or even the rock star that she worked so hard to become. I saw her like I found her." Arizona's tears began to start again. She sat down on the bench in front of the hospital and Mark followed her. "The day I met Callie, in that bar bathroom, she was broken. When I came in she was wiping tears and the evidence of running mascara from her face. That's the way I see her. We were so much more than her and Hahn. They were together months and we were together years. We loved each other more than anything. We survived a gunman together, so I knew it was worse. That's what I see when I see Callie. I left her like that."

"I think that Callie, along with a lot of other people, just don't understand you just leaving her there."

"She didn't want to go, Mark. How fair was that? She has a life and friends here. Here she's a rock star. She deserves that."

"She was really upset. I think anger took hold for the most part. I think she thought you would have called or emailed or something."

"I tried, once. I realized when the voicemail picked up, I really didn't know what to say."

"I honestly don't know what would have worked either."

"You think she is out of surgery?"

Mark looked at his watch. "Well it's fifteen til six, I would think so." They both stood and walked back to Callie's room.

Arizona's POV

When we got there Callie was indeed back in her room. Before entering the room I paused. The last thing I didn't wanted to do was go in there and make a scene and further worry Callie's family.

Mark rubbed my shoulder. "It looks bad I am not going to lie, but we need to be strong for them. They will panic if they see us panic."

I nodded in agreement. "Ok, I'm ready." Those words seemed so true when I stood outside that room, hearing them come from my mouth. I am a Doctor for God's sake. I see this everyday. I could have never imagined the stabbing pain I felt when my eyes first saw her. I lost my breathe for a moment and I don't know that anyone picked up on my tension other than Mark, who was next to me.

I stood in front of the bed and looked at her. That wasn't an everyday patient. This wasn't an everyday thing. This was Callie. My Callie. Teddy had told me about Cristina cutting Callie's hair, but I couldn't tell. I stood there looking at her with her head in bandages and a tube coming from her mouth. The volume on the heart monitor had to be set on high because they weren't normally that loud; were they?

Julia looked at me. "Arizona, we'll give a minute."

I smiled and told them "Thank you" as they walked by.

Once they were out of the room, Mark decided that he would leave too. "Let me know if you need me."

I nodded and walked around the bed. I gently brushed Callie's hand with my own. I took her hand in mine and stood beside her, still not knowing what to say. She was unconscious and couldn't talk back, yet I still didn't know what to say. Before I realized it tears were running down my face again. I kissed Callie on the head and gently place my head to hers. I whispered into her ear the one thing I knew to say. "Callie, please, wake up. Please. I'm sorry. Scream at me, ignore me or whatever you want to do, just wake up." I kissed her again on the head and took a seat beside her.

It had been well over twenty-four hours since I had slept, but I didn't know it. All I could think of was Callie. The entire flight to Seattle, I replayed everything over and over again. I still wasn't sure what happened that night. What brought us, or me, to that place inside the airport. All I knew was it consumed every thought I had during my time in Africa.

I held her hand. That was all I knew to do. I thought maybe speaking to her would help. "Calliope, you have to wake up honey. I have so many things to tell you. So much that I need to say. That I need you to hear. Damn it, Callie please open those gorgeous brown eyes. I would give anything to see them."

The door opened and Carlos entered the room. Carlos hated to interrupt, it was obvious to him that Arizona was begging Callie to wake up. He lowered his head trying to hold back the tears. "Julia and Aria are going to get some food. Would you like anything?"

"No, thank you. I am fine."

"Ok, then." Carlos started to walk out of the room.

"Mr. Torres?"

"Yes?"

"The funniest thing happened."

"What's that, dear?"

"When I got to the airport to buy my ticket home, they wouldn't sell me a ticket. They showed me to another part of the airport saying my arrangements were already made. That if I was to show up, that I was to be taken to a waiting Jet. I got here two hours earlier than I would have." I looked at Callie then back to him. "Carlos, do you know anything about that?"

Carlos smiled. "You said that you protect the things you love. So do I, Arizona. She needs you here." He smiled one last time and walked out the door.

I turned my attention back to Callie. "Remind me to thank him." Seeing her lay there was killing me. This was my fault. If I hadn't left her in that airport she wouldn't be here. If I was here, she wouldn't have been with Cristina. This was my fault.

There was a knock at the door and I turned to see Lexie. "Hey."

"Hi."

"I was wondering, it's getting late and you haven't slept, if maybe you wanted us to bring a bed in. Or maybe a cot?"

"Thank you. Yeah that would be nice."

Lexie smiled and walked over to me. "Jackson said he told you she was asking for you." I nodded and smiled. "She loves you. She never stopped. She was angry and hurt, but we all knew she still loved you."

"Thank you."

"Anytime." Lexie said. "I will have someone come back with somewhere for you to sleep."

That night Arizona slept for the first time in months. No matter what condition, Callie being in the room made her comfortable. She just wanted to be with her, near her.

Callie's condition over the next three days was the same. Arizona knew that with every passing day, things could be worse. She refused to let herself think what could happen. It was the what ifs that Arizona stayed away from. All she knew was that Callie would wake up, she had to. Arizona had sat with her and read to her on occasion. If an article in a magazine had been something Arizona thought she would enjoy.

Arizona had taken turns with Callie's family of sleeping and getting out of the hospital. Arizona had gone to the apartment to shower and change clothes. She looked around to see nothing but boxes. Callie had never even unpacked. She had just gone through the boxes and removed what she needed at the time. Nothing else. Arizona was sad every time she walked into that apartment and saw the commotion that Callie had lived through. Arizona decided that while she was there, and she knew how things went, she wound just unpack a few things.

She was almost half way through when her pager sounded. It was 911 to Callie's room. Arizona ran out the door, down the stairs and across the street to the hospital. She ran down the hall of the hospital and saw Teddy standing outside Callie's room.

Teddy held out her hand to stop Arizona. "Wait."

"What? What is happening? Tell me."

"Arizona, she's…."

"She's what?" Arizona was trying to look into the room, but Teddy continued to block her view.

Arizona saw Julia and Carlos come from the room. Julia was crying and Carlos had a arm tightly around her. Arizona panic. "Callie!" She got around Teddy and looked into Callie's room. Arizona lost her breathe at the sight. "Callie." Arizona said as she saw Callie sitting up in the bed.

Teddy grabbed Arizona as she started in the room. "Arizona, wait."

"I need to tell her that I'm here."

Teddy whispered. "Derek has been with her since she woke up and Arizona….."

"What? Stop saying Arizona and tell me what the hell is going on."

"She doesn't remember."

"The accident?"

"She doesn't remember anything. The accident, Derek, Mark, her family. Nothing."

"What?" Panic swept over Arizona again. "I need….she needs me to…." Arizona started to cry. Teddy tried to comfort her friend. "I need to see her, please."

"Ok. Just remember she is scared and doesn't know what is happening. Just try and be calm."

Arizona walked into the room. Derek greeted her with a smile. He then turned his attention to Callie who was starring at her new guest. "Do you know who that is?" Callie didn't respond just continuing to look at Arizona. Derek took her face in his hand. He turned her head, but Callie's eyes never left Arizona until she could no longer see her. "Look at me." Derek asked. "Do you know who that is?"

Callie dropped her head. Arizona walked over to the bed. "Don't be ashamed. If you don't remember who I am, just tell me. I am just glad you're awake."

Callie looked into those blue eyes she had been dreaming about, but saw nothing. She shock her head. Arizona tried desperately to hold on to the tears that were burning her eyes. She blinked several times and focused on Callie again.

Derek spoke. "Callie, this is Doctor Robbins. She is a… a friend of yours. She is the Pediatric surgeon here."

Callie smiled at her. "Hi."

"Hi, Callie." was the only thing Arizona could get to come out. Her heart was broken. Callie looked at her as a stranger. The love she use to see in Callie's eyes were no more. It was blank.

"Callie, Doctor Robbins and I are going to leave you alone for a few minutes." He handed her the call button. "We will be just outside the door. If you need anything, you ring that button."

Callie nodded that she understood. She watched them walk from the room and again she never took her eyes off of Arizona. There was something about the blonde that had just left the room. Only Callie had no idea what that something was.