Title: Frontlines
Author: captstarbuck
Rating: T
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Disclaimers: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual. (I don't own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy.
Summary: My take on Callie and Arizona in NYC at the time the pandemic hit
Editor/Beta: pensco_927
Frontlines
Chapter 5 – Day After Day
Friday, April 10, 2020
Day 1
Callie burst into the room to see Arizona devoid of her PPE, propped up atop a hospital bed, nasal cannula in place. Callie felt a wave of fear wash over her.
"What the hell happened?" Callie demanded.
"Callie, calm down," Arizona wheezed.
"She passed out," a nurse offered.
"You passed out!"
"I didn't pass out," Arizona protested. "I just… it was only a minute or two."
Callie picked up the chart. She quickly spotted that Arizona was running a fever of 101 and that they'd already drawn blood for ABG. Her oxygen sat levels initially were too low for her liking but the monitors showed that it had improved somewhat once she'd been hooked up to the pulse ox.
She set the chart back down and moved to Arizona's side. She reached out her hand, instinctively wanting to place it on Arizona's cheek, but stopped. She inwardly cursed to herself, finding one more reason to add to her growing list of why she hated COVD.
"How are you feeling, honey?"
"I'm good. I'm okay, Calliope."
The brunette noticed that Arizona was still in her scrubs and laying on top of the bed and not under the sheets. Callie immediately knew that Arizona was uncomfortable and why.
"Everybody out," Callie ordered.
"Dr. Torres, you are not her doctor," another doctor objected.
Callie quickly identified the doctor as a senior attending that had been working alongside Arizona for the past three weeks.
"Dr. Martin, may I speak to you privately?" Callie said, trying to fight back her irritation.
"Of course," he agreed.
The two doctors stepped out into the hallway leaving two nurses with Arizona.
"Dr. Martin, I'm not trying to be her doctor. I just want a little privacy so that I can help Arizona with her leg. She doesn't like to admit it, but she's sensitive sometimes about it and I'm trying to let her retain a little dignity."
"What about her leg?" Dr. Martin looked totally baffled by Callie's request.
Callie couldn't believe the other doctor had no clue about Arizona. "She has a prosthetic. It should come off if she's going to be in a bed for God only knows how long."
"A prosthetic? I'm sorry. I didn't know. She never told me."
"Just give us a few minutes so I can help her get changed."
"Certainly."
Moments later the room had been cleared, the door shut and the curtains drawn.
"Okay, let's get you changed," Callie said with fake cheerfulness. "You know how I'm always up to take your clothes off."
Arizona put her hand on Callie's arm to stop her. "Thank you, Callie. You knew just what I needed."
"We'll see if you're still thanking me later. You're not off the hook with me, Arizona."
"What do you mean?"
"Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well?" she asked as she helped Arizona remove her prosthetic.
"It happened so fast, Callie. I started to get a really bad headache, then I felt winded. I was walking down the hall with Big John." She stopped when she saw Callie's look of confusion. "We have two nurses named John on our ward. Big John is the taller one," she explained. "Anyways, we were heading for a patient's room and the next thing I know, Big John is carrying me."
"What?"
"I guess I fainted and he caught me before I hit the floor. He picked me up and carried me to a gurney." She handed Callie her scrubs and then put on the dreaded hospital gown.
"I guess your superpower failed you this time," Callie teased in an effort to lighten the mood.
"What do you mean?"
"You know, that awesome superpower you have of knowing that you're going to get sick."
The blonde ignored Callie's comment. "How did you find out so quickly?" she asked, changing the topic.
"Um, Penny came to get me." Callie helped Arizona get settled back onto the bed, pulling the sheet and blanket up. "How do you feel?" she asked as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"I'm really tired and my chest hurts. I just want to sleep."
"Then sleep. I'm not going anywhere."
"No, Callie. You should go back to the hotel and get a good night's sleep and a good dinner."
"Maybe later."
Callie hated that she had to continue to wear her gloves, mask and visor. The barriers created by the PPE prevented the needed contact between the two.
"Do you want me to call your parents?" Callie asked.
"Not yet. Let's wait and see. I could be fine in a day or two."
Callie didn't know if Arizona was just trying to be optimistic or if she really believed she was going to be better that soon.
"Well, I think we should call them, but I'll wait a day."
"Callie, I don't want them needlessly worrying about me."
"They're your parents. They'll always worry about you."
"Exactly. And right now, they don't need to worry. And I don't want Sofia to worry or be scared. I'm not that sick. I'm just tired and I have a fever."
Callie's gaze flicked up to the monitors. Arizona's oxygen sat was still borderline. She'd seen enough patients to know that it wasn't a good sign.
"I'll get the nurses so they can get you hooked up to an IV. We both know you don't want to get dehydrated."
Callie got up and left the room. She was surprised, and touched, by the number of hospital staff that were hovering by the door.
"How is she?" one of the nurses asked.
"Tired. You can finish the exam and start her IV," she said.
Dr. Martin and one of the nurses entered the room. Penny cautiously approached her former girlfriend.
"How's she feeling?" Penny asked.
"Okay, I guess," Callie answered. She moved her hand to run it through her hair as she often did when she was nervous or stressed. She quickly dropped it when she remembered she was still in her full PPE gear. "As well as can be expected, I suppose," she added.
"Good, good," Penny murmured.
"Thanks for coming to get me," Callie said, her voice filled with sincere gratitude.
"No problem. You'd have done the same for me if it had been Rita."
"I would," Callie agreed, looking up when the door to Arizona's room opened.
"You can go back in, Dr. Torres. We've got her IV in and the monitors are all hooked up."
"Thanks."
Once again, Callie found herself seated at Arizona's bedside.
Sunday, April 13, 2020 Easter
Day 3
Callie had spent Friday night and Saturday night sleeping on the couch in her office. She couldn't make herself leave the hospital. As she was scheduled to have the weekend off, she spent most of Saturday in Arizona's room. She had been persuaded not to stay in the room overnight by the many nurses who were volunteering an hour or two of their time to sit with Arizona. It warmed her heart knowing that there were so many nurses and doctors that liked and respected the blonde.
Unfortunately, there was also an incredible amount of guilt hanging over Callie. She knew that she had this opportunity that other patients' families did not. The only thought that helped ease her guilt was that she had been working all along to help those same patients. Still, it was hard to reconcile the guilt and at times it seemed to overwhelm her when she was alone in her office.
It wasn't like she could do much for and with Arizona. The blonde spent most of the day sleeping or having tests. The protocols currently in place kept their physical contact to almost zero. Sometimes Callie would take Arizona's hand in her own gloved hand when Arizona seemed to be feeling discomfort or was in pain. But Callie was always careful not to touch anything (the face shield kept her from touching her face) and she obsessively washed her hands frequently as well as changed her gloves often.
Saturday afternoon, while Arizona slept, Callie summoned up some courage and made the call to Arizona's parents. She downplayed it as much as she could, but she knew they were worried. She promised to keep them updated and also promised that she would call again on Easter, before the family sat down for dinner.
After a long shower in the attendings locker room, Callie put on a clean pair of scrubs and a new set of all the PPE gear that was required. When she returned to her office, her cell phone began ringing. For a brief moment, she was afraid to see who was calling, then remembered that she'd be paged if Arizona's condition changed. It came as no real surprise to see that Nicole Herman was calling.
"Nicole."
"Torres. Tell me what's going on."
"Nicole, I don't… Arizona's parents… It's not that I don't want to tell you, I just…"
"You don't want her parents to overhear us. Look, the kid's outside with her grandfather and Barbara's making dinner. I'm sitting here in my room with the door closed. And let me tell you, Torres, the specter of your past fornications is still hanging around."
"What? We never… not in her parents' house…" Callie protested before realizing that Nicole was teasing her.
"Whatever. How's Robbins? And don't give me that bullshit you served up yesterday to her parents."
Callie took a deep breath. "She's stable, for now."
"I need more than that, Torres."
"She's still running a fever. It's been low-grade but spiking up from time to time. We've got her on O2 but her SAT has remained borderline at best. It's dipped into the low 90s a few times."
"Any other symptoms?"
"Bad headache, extreme fatigue and her lungs don't sound good. The pulmonologist is stopping by again later today. They've been running ABG several times a day, and she's due for another chest scan today or tomorrow."
The silence on the other end of the call let Callie know that Nicole understood the severity of it.
"What do you think, Torres?"
"I don't know what to think. I've seen so many COVID patients the past month…"
"I want you to call me regularly," Nicole ordered. "I will make sure that we talk when I'm alone."
"Okay," Callie replied simply.
"Take care of her, Torres."
"I am. I will."
"Good. I'll talk to you again, when you call us later today."
Nicole abruptly ended the call.
After the conversation with Nicole, Callie decided to grab a quick breakfast, knowing that they'd be rounding on Arizona and she didn't want to interfere. She hated the sympathetic looks she got as she walked through the halls of the hospital. It just made it all that more real, and it kept reminding her of when Arizona was in the hospital after the plane crash. People meant well. She knew their concern and compassion was real and was a show of support, but right now, Callie just wanted Arizona to be well and out of the hospital.
As she headed down the hall to Arizona's room, she was stopped by the Chief of Medicine. Dr. Roja Desa-Clark was a small woman who exuded strength and confidence in everything she did. Callie liked her, even if they had very little interactions. She thought the Chief was firm, even strict, but she was also kind and compassionate. She actually reminded Callie of Bailey.
"Dr. Torres."
"Yes, Chief."
"How's Arizona?"
"I'm on my way to see her now," Callie replied, not really answering the question.
"Walk with me," Dr. Desa-Clark suggested.
Callie nodded and fell in step beside her.
"We will take care of Arizona," the Chief said after a few minutes. "She will get the best care we can provide. We take care of our own."
"I know that and I – we – appreciate it."
"Dr. Torres, I hate to ask this of you."
"What?"
"We need you to keep on working your shifts. We can't be down two doctors right now."
"I promised Arizona I wasn't going anywhere. She needs me and I need to be with her."
"I understand, but we're even more short-staffed than before. We had another doctor and two more nurses hospitalized last night."
"Chief, I don't know if I can."
"Callie, you'll still be here and you'll still be able to see her. Our patients now don't even get that." The Chief stopped walking. "I can't force you to work, Callie. But at least if you're working, you can still see her. If you leave, you can't come back into the hospital."
"That makes no sense. That's… blackmail."
"No, it's a fact. I'll reduce your hours as much as I can until we get reinforcements. We've got some volunteers from out of state coming in this week, and some retired doctors are returning to help." The chief softened her tone even more. "She's not alone, Callie. There are so many doctors and nurses who are stepping up to take care of her."
"Okay, okay, I'll try."
"Thank you. I know this is difficult for you, and I really hated to ask you to keep working. You know I wouldn't have asked if I didn't need you."
Callie nodded. She believed the Chief. The pandemic was making everything crazy. "I know, Chief," Callie acquiesced.
The two women walked the rest of the way to Arizona's room in silence.
"How's the patient feeling today?" Dr. Desa-Clark asked as they entered the room.
"Chief," Arizona said simply, trying to sit up a little straighter.
Callie immediately went to Arizona's side to help her. She was worried that Arizona wouldn't want her assistance, but the look on the blonde's face was full of love.
"Thank you, Callie."
"How are you, Arizona?" the Chief asked again. "Do you need anything? Is there anything we can do for you?"
"Make me feel better," she answered.
"We're trying, honey," Callie said. "The Chief said they're going to do everything they can do get you better."
"Thank you, Chief."
"Arizona, I'm going to have Dr. Ford come by this afternoon."
Callie and Arizona were both impressed and pleased. Dr. Ford was the head pulmonologist in the hospital and was probably the best in the city. They both knew how busy he was and knew that the Chief had probably ordered him to come in on his day off to examine Arizona.
"Chief, that's not necessary," Arizona said. "He's so busy and it's Easter."
"Arizona, you are a priority patient, and you will get the best care and doctors we have."
Arizona nodded. She didn't have the energy to protest any further. She leaned back on the pillows, letting her visitors know she was tired. Dr. Desa-Clark quietly excused herself and left the room.
"How are you, Arizona?"
"Tired, and I can't seem to get rid of this headache and I ache all over."
"That's the fever, you know that," Callie said in a gentle, teasing tone. Her gaze quickly flicked up once to the monitors. Arizona's stats were still borderline, but she hadn't gotten any worse. "Do you want to rest a little longer before we call Sofia?"
"Yes, please. Just a little bit."
"Okay. I'll just sit here with you and you let me know when you're ready to call."
Two hours later
"Happy Easter!" Sofia's voice rang out from the cell phone sitting on the table beside Arizona's bed.
"Happy Easter, Sofia!" the mothers chorused.
"Are you feeling better, Mommy?"
"A little bit," Arizona lied.
"I miss you."
"We miss you, too," Callie replied for them both, seeing the tears form in the corners of blue eyes.
Arizona cleared her throat. "Tell us about your Easter," she said with forced cheerfulness.
"Grandpa and Grandma gave me and Dr. Nic both a big Easter basket, and I found all the eggs this morning in the backyard."
"Good for you."
"Way to go, Sofia."
"And Abuelo and Abeula sent me a bike."
"They did?"
"It's a combination present for her birthday and Easter," Barbara explained.
"I got it yesterday. It's silver and black and red," Sofia said excitedly. "Grandpa put it together for me yesterday so now I can ride it while he runs."
"Sounds like fun. Will you send us a picture?"
"You bet!" Sofia replied.
Callie and Arizona both smiled at their daughter's enthusiasm.
"When will you be having dinner? We're sorry we're not there for it."
"In another hour."
"You're in for a real treat, Nicole," Callie commented. "Barbara's Easter dinner is something you don't want to miss."
"If it's anything like the meals I've been getting, I know I won't be disappointed."
"I'm going to go take a picture of my bike. I'll be right back," Sofia interrupted.
"How are you feeling, Arizona?" Daniel asked once Sofia had left the room.
"I'm okay," she answered. "I'm really tired all the time."
"Callie taking good care of you?"
"Yes, the best," she said immediately as she looked at Callie with loving eyes.
"How are things there?" Callie asked. "Are you being careful?"
"Very careful. We always wear our masks when we're out of the house, and we've limited the trips to the grocery store for just the staples, you know, milk, eggs, bread and the like."
"Should have got yourselves some chickens," Arizona teased.
"Maybe next year. I'm hoping to start baking bread regularly."
"Biscuits before bread," Nicole suggested. "Your biscuits are the best."
Arizona and Callie both knew Barbara was beaming at the compliment.
Arizona leaned back, already feeling exhausted by the conversation. Callie eyed her carefully. As per usual, she looked up at the monitors.
"I'm back!" Sofia said. "I sent you two pictures. One is of my bike and I took a selfie."
Callie's phone beeped, letting her know. She opened the files and held her phone so Arizona could see them. They could understand why Sofia loved her new bike, even though they thought it looked a little big for her.
"Sofia, what are you wearing?" Arizona asked. "Are those camo pants?"
"Yes. And a Grandpa gave me a Marine Corps t-shirt, too."
The young girl was wearing a pair of camouflage pants that looked to be at least one, maybe two sizes too big and a red t-shirt with a gold USMC across the front.
"We found them in a box in the basement," Barbara explained. "They used to be Tim's, then yours. When she found out they were once yours, Arizona, she claimed them. We have to roll them up and she needs a belt, but she wears them all the time."
"Well, you need to change into something nicer for Easter dinner," Arizona said.
"I will."
"Good."
"And send more pictures, please."
"I promise."
"Yay."
"Mommy needs her rest now, and you'll be having dinner soon, so we need to hang up," Callie said. She saw that the last few minutes seemed to have tired Arizona out even more.
"Okay. Happy Easter! I love you!"
"We love you, too! Have a good day."