Arizona Robbins solemnly yet professionally prepared her equipment. She reluctantly scheduled her best friend, Teddy Altman, for termination of her pregnancy two days after she shared the news and asked for her to perform the abortion.
The room was silent. All that could be heard was Teddy nervously clearing her throat as Arizona placed her tools here and there and then, the moment she and Teddy had been dreading the most came.
"Okay, lie back, there ya go." Arizona said as she helped Teddy get as comfortable as possible.
It looked like Teddy was mustering up all the strength of the world not to cry. Her lips were pursed and she stared straight to the ceiling. Arizona's heart was breaking, she didn't want to do this. She respected Teddy's choice, but something told her that this isn't what Teddy truly wanted either.
She tried to talk her out of it, she did. But Teddy was adamant. She missed her husband, her grief was excruciating and she couldn't deal with going through pregnancy, let alone without him by her side. And seeing his face in their child when he or she was born? She just couldn't bear it.
Once Teddy was settled, Arizona took a deep breath.
"Now, Teddy. You know what I have to do before we begin..." she said gently.
Teddy just nodded, without taking her eyes off the ceiling.
Arizona prepared for the mandatory ultrasound, to see how far along Teddy actually was and to decide which termination route to take.
"You'll feel some slight pressure and cold-" Arizona started.
"Just do it." Teddy said coldly.
Arizona inserted the probe slightly and flipped on the monitor.
Teddy flinched at the sensation, she didn't want to see the baby.
Arizona moved the probe around for a minute or so and then, there it was. The heartbeat.
Arizona couldn't keep her professionalism any longer, she started crying. And when she looked over, she discovered Teddy was as well. She kept her eyes to the ceiling but the tears streamed faster and faster down the sides of her face.
Arizona wiped away a few stray tears and cleared her throat.
"It looks like the fetus is about 6 or 7 weeks along and-" Arizona paused and squinted at the screen. She moved the probe around a little more and couldn't help herself from gasping.
Teddy couldn't help but turn her gaze slightly after hearing Arizona's reaction to whatever she discovered. When Teddy saw what Arizona saw, she too was in shock.
Two throbbing heartbeats now echoed the exam room. Teddy was carrying fraternal twins.
Arizona turned with wide blue eyes filled with tears and met Teddy's green ones.
"Oh my god..." Teddy whimpered, and sat up slightly.
Arizona just smiled gently and took Teddy's hand.
"Teddy, I'm going to ask you one more time. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"They...there's two of them, Arizona. There's two babies inside of me." Teddy was still in shock.
"Yes, honey. There are. You and Henry made two healthy babies." Arizona replied.
Teddy shook her head, closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.
"I don't know how to do this without him." Teddy said.
"I know sweetie, and no matter what you decide I'm here to do and support you in whatever you need." Arizona responded.
Teddy continued to stare at the monitor. Then without warning, she got up from the exam table and began to dress.
"Teddy?" Arizona asked.
"I just need some time..." Teddy said quietly as her eyes darted around the room.
"Okay," Arizona said slightly concerned, "but you know after a certain point I-"
"I know," Teddy said sharply and took a deep breath, "I-I'm not going to terminate Arizona. I won't be having an abortion."
"Oh honey!" Arizona threw her hands in the air and ran over to her friend and embraced her.
Teddy stood still, showing no emotion.
"It's going to be okay, I promise. We're all here for you!" Arizona said cheerfully.
Teddy pulled away and gave her friend a half hearted smile.
"I'll see you later." And she left.
Several weeks went by after Teddy discovered she was carrying twins, Henry's twins. On the outside, she was very subdued and professional, focusing solely on work and not talking to anyone about her pregnancy. Not even Arizona, who simply just wanted to be there for her in support.
Teddy decided she would continue with the pregnancy but she was in denial because she didn't want to acknowledge it. Arizona had printed Teddy some ultrasound images of her twins and tried to give them to her a couple of days after her appointment. She took them but ended up placing them in the back of her cubby where no one, especially her, could see them.
A few more weeks went by and Teddy still hadn't told anyone but Arizona that she was pregnant, not even Owen who she was slowly but surely making peace with. She didn't know if it was subconscious, but she knew she was going to need him in her life again.
One morning as Teddy got out of the shower and began dressing for work, she noticed it. The small but very much there curve to her lower belly that was starting to emerge. She stared at it in the mirror and placed her hand gently to it, covering the whole protrusion.
She spent several minutes gingerly caressing her tiny bump, and that's when it hit her. As painful as it was, she was having Henry's babies. She loved them, god did she love them. She loved them the second she saw them on the screen. But she didn't know how to love them without their daddy there. She felt guilty and sad that he would be missing out on this experience with her and watching their children grow up. He had wanted a family so badly and now he had one.
Teddy started crying, hard. Continuing to rub her belly she decided she needed to do what she had to do to keep her and Henry's babies healthy and thriving.
First, she prepared a healthy, big breakfast for herself. She then stopped at the pharmacy and picked up some prenatal's before heading to the hospital. And then, once she was there, she texted Arizona and asked her to meet her back in exam room A.
"Hey! What's up, are you okay?" Arizona asked cheerfully as she entered the room.
Teddy just smiled softly and pulled up her shirt, exposing her newly founded tiny belly.
"Awww," she replied making a sweet pouted face, "look at you!"
"Arizona, I'd like to have a 12-week ultrasound, if you have time?" Teddy asked.
"Sure!" Arizona replied happily. "Just lie back and get comfortable. I'll have my equipment ready in a few minutes."
Teddy nodded and did as she was told.
As promised within minutes everything was ready to go and Arizona was squeezing cold, blue gel all over Teddy's little bump.
"Okay, everything is looking good," Arizona said as she moved the transducer around, showing off the now practically formed pair of babies, "how are you feeling?"
Teddy scoffed.
"Well, that depends. Emotionally or physically?" She replied.
"Both." Arizona said seriously.
"Well, the nausea started to get bad right after the last appointment but, it's eased up in the last few days actually. I'm feeling hungrier than ever and nothing's made me vomit. I'm eating constantly! And my lower backs been sore but with some stretching routines and Tylenol it hasn't been so bad."
"Okay." Arizona nodded for her to continue.
Teddy paused.
"And emotionally...I'm trying, Arizona, I'm really trying. I miss Henry every day, some days I can't even bare it and I cry myself to sleep at night or in an on call room between surgeries. I want him here, I want him to see these babies when they're born. I still don't know how I'm going to do this without him." Teddy said sadly.
Arizona nodded sympathetically.
"Well, like I told you before and like I'll continue to tell you, we're all going to be here for you and help you with whatever you need during the pregnancy and after these nuggets are born."
"Yeah, I know. Thank you." Teddy smiled and stared at the screen in awe.
"I can't believe how big they've gotten." She said in amazement.
"They're growing fast, it explains that belly that appeared overnight!" Arizona said with a giggle.
"Yeah." Teddy smiled and rubbed it once more, tears pooled in her eyes.
"Congratulations Teddy, you're a mama." Arizona smiled and the two friends embraced tightly.
Suddenly there was a slight knock at the door, Owen.