"Grab your school bag Sofia" Arizona yelled from the kitchen as she added the finishing touches to Sofia's lunch.
"Mama can I take my game to school?" Sofia asked as she arrived in the lounge her bag dragging along behind her.
"No" Arizona responded quickly as she packaged the lunch box up and put it into Sofia's bad. "Quick let's go. Mama has to get to work" Arizona reminded the small Latina girl.
The two of them stumbled out of the house late, as usual. Arizona dropped Sofia off at school and watched as she ran to play with her friends. Sofia had become this confident girl that reminded Arizona so much of Callie.
Arizona ran into the staff meeting just in time. It was a board member meeting so there were only a select few doctors who had to attend. I was one of them.
"Sorry I'm late. Had to get Sofia to school" Arizona explained as she sat up to the table. Most of us were parents at the table or at the very least understood what it was like to be a parent so nobody was too worried.
"First order of business" Bailey said as she stood to her feet. "Jillian Cox is in the hospital today. I did the workup myself and I have assigned three doctors to her case. Dr. Karev, Dr. Torres and Dr. Robbins you will work together to keep Miss Cox healthy and away from any media. Essential personal only. I do not want this hospital to be a media frenzy." Bailey explained.
"Secondly, there is a budget meeting scheduled for Friday and I need to know who can make it and who cannot. I need all head of departments there. Delegate if you need to."
"We have med students running through the hospital today. We have our eye on two of them. Josafine Clemintine and Derek Colder."
Just the name Derek made the room feel airy and quiet. I looked up at Meredith but she was either putting on a brave face or she really wasn't bothered.
"Lastly before you all go. I will be doing reviews over the next few months for the residents so any feedback on their overall performance would be great. Thank you doctors. Save some lives today." Bailey finished off by saying.
Everybody stood to their feet. I did too. "Arizona" I said as I followed after the blonde as she exited the room.
Arizona looked behind her shoulder before stopping in the hallway for me to catch up. "Hey" she said quietly so nobody could hear their conversation.
"How's our girl?" I started off by asking.
"She is good. She misses you though."
"Aww, I miss her too" I said as a smile graced my lips. "Hey I was wondering if I could ask you for a favour and you have the right to say no." I explained, preparing Arizona for what I was about to say.
"I know you and Kate are kinda getting serious and at some point you are going to want to introduce her to our daughter."
Arizona nodded in confirmation.
"I don't really know her. In fact, the only thing I know about her is she is an ER nurse. I was wondering if I could maybe meet her properly. Spend some time with her before you do introduce her to Sofia."
Arizona bit down on her lip. The way she did when she was thinking. "You didn't run Penny by me when you introduced her to Sofia" Arizona stated.
"I know and that is why I said you have the right to say no. Ever since you got custody of Sofia I just feel like I don't have a say anymore. Like everything I say has to be okayed by you. I just want to be a part of my daughter's life. I'm not saying don't introduce them. I'm just asking to know the woman that might be my daughters new step mom."
"Callie. Kate and I aren't there yet. She isn't meeting Sofia anytime soon and when she does sure. I'll let you know. As for meeting Kate. You're a surgical attending, she is an ER nurse. I'm sure you can make that happen." Arizona walked off before giving me a chance to say thank you but the smile beaming across my face felt a lot like a thank you.
Arizona and I may be in an awkward space in our relationship, or lack thereof, but it was nice to know that when it came down to it we were able to get along, if not for us, then at least for our daughter.
A three car pileup had been called in and we were expecting five critical patients. All hands were on deck. The first half an hour when the ambulances arrive seem like a blur. There is a lot happening so quickly, everything is touch and go. I was working alongside Grey and Hunt to stabilize a 32-year-old, widowed mother of three that had mass shards of glass throughout her entire body. There were nurses and doctors running in and out of the room fetching new instruments, cleaning old ones and grabbing litres upon litres of blood in attempt to keep this woman alive long enough to get her into surgery.
We lost her twice for short periods of time before finally stabilizing her. "Call an OR, bump a surgery, do something. She needs surgery now or she won't make" I yelled as we pushed the gurney out into the hallway and headed towards the OR.
"I'll gather a team" Grey said as she took her hands off the gurney and headed in the opposite direction. Grey was very particular about who took the OR with her and lucky for her she had the power, respect and no how to get the best of the best with her every time.
I scrubbed thoroughly while Ms Bullock was being prepped for surgery. I was watching as one by one Meredith's choice of nurses rolled in.
"What's she doing here?" I asked turning to Meredith who was slipping into her OR gown.
"She is a ER nurse. Quick on her feet, good under pressure and knows what I want before I want it." Meredith explained before gloving up.
"Kate right. Kate Bristow" I asked semi rhetorically.
"Wait. That's Kate. Kate from the bar?" Meredith asked curiously. "She looks so different with her hair pulled back."
"Is it a problem?" Meredith followed up by asking. I shook my head as I pulled my gloves on and followed Meredith into the OR prepared for what was going to be a long, tedious surgery.
I stepped up to the table and I looked at the patient who was already out. I liked to humanize the patients unlike many other surgeons. Sure it made the loss harder but it certainly made fighting for their lives more important. "Scalpel" I said finally as I prepared to cut into the femur while Meredith prepared to cut into the abdomen.
Time passed quickly in the OR. It had already been 8 hours. We had come across a few problems in the abdomen but Meredith was quick on her feet and had solved every one of the problems. I repaired the femur pretty quickly but I had stuck around as a sounding board for Meredith and an extra set of hands. I'm sure she didn't need me but I had zero doubt in my mind that she would have done the same for me if roles were reversed.
"Forceps" Meredith called as she held her hand out and Kate placed a pair of forceps into her hands within a second. "Suction" she called again and I too followed instructions and suctions furiously. I wanted to say something to Kate but how did I go about it without sounding like a jealous ex-wife trying to stake a claim to her child? So instead I stayed relatively silent the entire surgery. Now I think about it. So did she.
The surgery went well. Ms Bullock made it out with a few scars and bruises but with a few months' recovery would be back to normal. For the most part mine and Meredith's jobs were done. It was up to the residents and interns to keep the patient alive now. I had faith but Meredith didn't.
I walked down the hall scrub cap in hand and a dreary, 'I'm ready for bed' look plastered on my face. I was so tired I contemplated staying at the hospital but that was never a good idea. I headed for the attendings lounge to gather up my stuff when I heard Arizona's voice. I stopped just around the corner as I noticed who she was talking too.
"Did she say something to you?" Arizona asked curiously as the tips of her fingers grabbed the tips of Kates.
"No. That's the thing. I don't have a problem with her and as far as I know she doesn't have a problem with me. She is such a bad ass Arizona. Like seriously great. You should have seen her in there."
"You wana start dating my ex-wife now?" Arizona asked in a playful tone.
"No" Kate responded. "It's not like that. I just…. I guess what I want to know is why didn't you two work out?"
I couldn't see what was happening, I could only hear but I could tell she was taken back from the question.
"Honestly?" Arizona paused almost like she wasn't sure she should continue. "Callie was a great wife. Fantastic mother. I think everything that went wrong in our marriage stemmed from me and my insecurities. I never wanted marriage or kids or the happily ever after. Callie fell into my life and it just happened. I don't regret it. I'm glad it happened but maybe despite how much I wanted it all in the end, maybe I wasn't ready to be what she needed" Arizona admitted.
"Would you get married again?" Kate asked.
I felt bad listening in on the conversation but quite honestly I couldn't tear myself away.
"I don't think so. But then again I never thought I'd get married once so ya never know" Arizona said as a smile graced her lips.
"So how was surgery anyway? Besides having to spent 14 hours in a room with Callie?" Arizona asked as she leant forward and kissed Kate on her jaw line.
Kate smiled before planting a kiss on Arizona's lips. "Was awesome. I'm tired now though. Could we give tonight a miss?" Kate pleaded.
"Are you upset?" Arizona asked.
Kate shook her head and pecked Arizona's lips "No. Just tired. I'll see you tomorrow" she said before taking off down the hall.
It didn't take a genius to work out what Arizona had said hurt Kate a little.
I waited a split second before finally plucking up the courage to walk around the corner. Arizona smiled when she spotted me. Hadn't seen her smile at me for a while.
"Hey" Arizona said in a chipper tone. "How is your patient?" she asked me.
"She's fine. Thanks to Meredith. I just fixed a femur" I reminded her.
"I should probably go home before I get raked into another surgery" I explained to Arizona and I walked past her.
"Callie" Arizona called after me.
I turned to face her and I watched her. She had something to say. Whether she plucked up the courage to say it was another story.
"I was thinking about you today. Just because we aren't married anymore doesn't mean I forgot." Arizona said in a light tone.
I smiled briefly, a soft, sad smile. The type of smile that makes you remember the happiness you once had. "Happy anniversary Arizona" I concluded before walking away.