The First Time Ever chapter fourteen

Hi guys! This chapter is in partially Teddy's POV, which I was super psyched to write. Again, sorry for the long wait between updates, life is crazy right now. But don't worry; I have this story planned out basically to the end!

It was so cold outside. That was all I could think about as Arizona and I sat under the sky, neither of us knowing what to do. During my time in the army I had dealt with being stranded once before, but we were prepared. When I had gotten on this plane I had certainly not been expecting it to crash. And it was so cold, especially now as it approached night time. Although it may be July, I still found myself shivering as the bitter cold rented the air.

"Any change in that pulse?" I asked, looking over at Arizona, whose eyelids were drooping dangerously low. "Hey, eyes on me. No sleeping." We had agreed that both of us were going to stay awake until we were found. However, I was concerned that she might be falling unconscious due to her head wound and not due to fatigue. There was no way that I could tell for sure whether her brain had been affected- although she was walking around initially and her words were clear and her pupils were all good, if there were any delayed effects it might be too late.

"Pulse is good. Headache isn't." She groaned. We hadn't moved positions from where we had sat down hours earlier. We both claimed that moving around would do us no good, but I knew that I was scared. It sounded silly, even to me. I had fought in Iraq for nine years- I had seen much worse. But when I was out there, it was because that was what I was supposed to be doing. I knew, no matter how bad things got, in the back of my mind I knew that I was helping to protect people. We weren't supposed to be out here, though. There were no families at home who could sleep safely due to the fact that we were stranded out here. And that was terrifying. "How's your leg doin?" She asked, lifting her head from my shoulder and turning to look at me.

I looked down to where my leg was securely bandaged by the sleeve of my Seattle Grace Mercy West jacket. It stung like a bitch, but I had poured some water over it to clean it and it didn't show any signs of infection yet, for which I was glad. We had enough on our plates without another infection. "As good as it can be after having being impaled with metal." I shrugged my shoulders.

"D-Do you think they know we're missing yet?" Arizona shivered quietly, and I thought of everyone back home. We had been out here for hours- our plane was meant to land ages ago, so they must have been notified that we hadn't shown up. I thought of Henry, who hated flying. I never understood it, but now I realised with a shocking stab of irony that he was right. He had every right to be worried about cylinders of people flying thousands of feet in the air. I laughed to myself. I missed him.

"They're looking for us. They're trying to find us." I said in what I thought was a confident tone, but I heard the waver in my voice as clearly as I knew Arizona did. We sat still, listening to the dull wind blowing around us, the occasional hoot of an owl or a flutter of bird wings breaking the silence. It was eerily quiet and I could hear both of our breathing and see the gentle white condensation of our breath in the air as we breathed out.

"Callie has this thing. She opens the window right up and stares out of it for, like, five minutes straight, and she does it every night. I never understood it; I just thought it was weird. But now I get it." She said, her eyes focused on something that I couldn't see. "I never stop to realise how small we are. Look how big everything looks." She said, looking around in wonder, and I agreed with her. Sitting under the stars, surrounded by trees taller than houses, our situation did bring a certain feeling of insignificance. "I'm going to marry her." She said suddenly, snapping out of her reverie and turning to face me.

"No shit, Sherlock. If you guys don't end up dancing down the aisle in big poufy dresses and living in a house full of screaming children and driving minivans, then I'll be down in Hell, helping with the defrosting."

"I mean it. I'm going to propose." She said, leaning forward slightly and wincing. "Will you help me pick a ring, when we finally get out of here?"

I smiled widely. "You bet I will."

The next two days were unbearable. Our resolve, which had started out strong and confident, was quickly dissolving before our very eyes. Our weak attempts at sarcastic jokes soon died as hunger and dehydration took a hold of us. Although at night it was freezing cold, the summer weather had definitely arrived and the sun scorched down on us as we sat out by the plane wreckage.

I had been certain that they would have found us now. I had held onto the hope that we wouldn't have to live through another night of hearing animals fight over the dead pilot and co-pilot or forcing Arizona to stay awake and not succumb to the unconsciousness that was ever so welcoming. I was beginning to get worried about her. Her left arm, her broken one, was colder than her right which meant that the break could be affecting her circulation. However, it hadn't turned purple yet so it wasn't a priority. The priority was her head wound. Untreated head wounds could cause any number of terrible consequences and I did not want to be in the middle of nowhere to witness them.

The most frustrating thing was that there was nothing we could do but sit and wait. Aside from making sure that neither one of us fell asleep and taking our vitals regularly, there was nothing we could do to help us get out of here faster. As doctors, it was maddening- we were used to being in control. There was always something that we could do to make a situation better, but out here we weren't doctors. We were just random people in a plane crash.

CALLIE'S POV

Two days and fourteen hours. That's how long it had been since I last saw Arizona. Two days and seven hours. That's how long it had been since I heard that their plane didn't land. Two days, three hours. That's how long it had been since it had been concluded that the plane had most likely crashed.

I wasn't allowed to be part of the search and rescue team that were currently searching for them. My father, who had flown in as soon as he heard the news, was out with them instead. I was at the hospital with Barbara and Daniel, who had also flown in. They were staying at our apartment, but they were rarely there, and either was I. We spent most of the time, which seemed to drag on, in empty conference rooms or making futile attempts to sleep in on call rooms.

I couldn't bear the thought of Arizona, or Teddy for that matter, being anything but fine. However, I knew that after two days of search and rescue, if they still couldn't find them then they weren't coming out of this unscathed.

"I brought you coffee."

I looked up to see Mark standing over me, holding out a large cup of coffee. I accepted it with a grateful smile, taking a large sip and allowing myself to smile at the warmth it brought. He sat down beside me on an unused gurney in the hallway, his own coffee in his hands. He looked at me sceptically. "You need to sleep." He stated.

I scoffed. "Tried and failed. There's no way that I could possibly sleep right now." I sighed, tilting my head back to rest against the wall. Further down the hall I could see Henry, Teddy's boyfriend, talking with Owen, a look of sheer fatigue on his face. Barb and Daniel were in the cafeteria. Both of them were terrified at the prospect of losing yet another child. "How's Lexie?" I asked him, desperate for a change of subject. Although I couldn't force myself to stop thinking about them sitting God knows where alone and injured, I couldn't bear to talk about it.

"She's great. Kicking ass amongst the residents, as usual." He replied with a proud smile. I had to admit, I'd had some doubts about Lexie Grey being so young, but she had done wonders for Mark's maturity.

Suddenly, the high pitched beeping of a pager sounded in the air and we both jumped up, each of us checking our hips where our pagers lay. My heartrate increased dramatically when I saw that it was mine that was lit up, with the code for the chief's office flashing over the screen. I looked up at Mark, nodding my head and then running to the chief's office as fast as I could, Henry, Owen and Mark hot on my heels.

When I got to Webber's office I saw that Barbara and Daniel were already there, Barbara with tears staining her face and Daniel interrogating a member of the board.

"They found them."

Those three words were all it took for me to collapse to my knees in relief. I looked up at everyone in the room, all of them wearing small smiles on their face. "Where are they?" I asked, taking Mark's offered hand and standing up shakily.

"They found them in a forest on the flightpath to Boise. Pilot and co-pilot are dead. Looks like the back of the plane flew off."

I felt my heart sink to my stomach as soon as I heard the severity of the crash. I gulped. "Are they okay?" I asked through my tears.

"They're both stable, one more injured than the other. We don't know who that is though."

They're both stable. Relief rushed through me in tidal force, and a smile broke out on my face. Although injured, they were both okay.

"They're bringing them back to the hospital right now, so we need to set up two trauma rooms and a team of surgeons if needed. Torres, you know you can't be a doctor here." Richard said, much to my objection. I was a doctor and I was capable of helping them. "No objections." He added to stop me protesting, and his tone told me that it wasn't worth arguing with him on this one.

Instead of helping to set up the trauma rooms like I wanted to do, I waited at the doors of the ER. They were being flown in via helicopter, and as much as I wanted to be up on the roof waiting for them to arrive, I knew the scene would be chaotic so it was best just to wait until they got down here. I was waiting with Henry, Barbara and Daniel. Mark had gone up to the helicopter pad, promising that he would assess both of their states personally.

The tension that weighed in the air could be cut by a knife as we all waited. The trauma rooms had been set up at an exceptionally fast rate, and all we could do now was wait. It was driving me crazy, knowing that Arizona could very well be in the hospital at this very moment and I didn't know about it.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, I heard the noise of shouting voices rushing towards the ER. I bounced to my feet in anticipation.

First through the door was Meredith, who was pushing a gurney in which Teddy lay. She was conscious, and had an IV in her arm as well as EKG wires attached to her chest. As soon as she saw me she smiled. She looked like hell. She was two times skinnier than the last time I had seen her and there were prominent bags under her eyes. A thin sheen of sweat covered her face, but she was smiling. I glanced down at her leg which was tightly bandaged although I could see some blood.

I ran up to her and hugged her carefully. "Thank God you're okay." I breathed in her ear before letting her go.

"Arizona's right behind me." She said before they wheeled her away. I smiled briefly at Henry who followed her but quickly refocused my attention on the ER doors.

Not even seconds later a second gurney was pushed in, and this time instead of smiling, I burst out into tears. Although I could hear the steady beeping of her heart monitor, Arizona was unconscious and clearly in a worse state than Teddy. Her arm was held in a makeshift sling and there was a big wound on her head that looked like it was getting infected. There was dry blood around her mouth. She looked so small and vulnerable lying on that gurney, all I wanted to do was hold her.

"Oh, Arizona." I cried as they stopped the gurney to give us all a minute to look at her. I leant down and took her good hand in mine, gasping at how cold it was. I felt my tears falling as I took I her battered face and her haggard appearance. I looked up to see Derek, Owen and Bailey looking at us. "Fix her." Was all I said to them in a pleading tone. They all nodded and wheeled her away and I watched them go without protest. Barbara was crying in Daniel's arms and I was overwhelmed by all of the emotions.

I made my way to the waiting room with Barbara and Daniel, the only place in the hospital that seemed quiet. I sat quietly in the corner, clasping my hands together and praying quietly, begging for Arizona to be okay. My dad had gone back to the hotel he was staying in, ordering me to give him updates whenever I could.

After what seemed like forever, Owen came bursting through the doors and immediately made a beeline for us. "She's stable." He started off with, however I could sense a 'but' coming up.

"But?" I prompted him.

"She has some nasty brain swelling due to her head wound. Shepherd's taking her to 0R 2 to perform a craniotomy- to reduce the swelling." He added for Barb and Daniel's sake. "She also has some internal bleeding in her stomach; Teddy said that she'd been coughing up blood. We've examined it and it doesn't look too severe, but Bailey and Grey are going to go in and repair it anyway. Her arm is broken and we were concerned that it was affecting her circulation, but the ultrasound looks clear so Morris is going to go ahead and set it and cast it."

I sat for a few moments and let the news sink in. I was relieved- none of her injuries seemed to be life-threatening. I was concerned about her brain, since it had gone untreated, but Derek was the best neurosurgeon that she could have working on her case. I nodded, wiping the tears from my face. "That's… okay." I spoke out loud and I heard Barbara and Daniel sigh in relief. "What about Teddy?" I asked.

He smiled. "She's hanging in there. Her leg was impaled by some metal, but she managed to remove it and tourniquet it herself in the field. It doesn't appear to have hit any major arteries so some stitches and bandages should do the job. Like Arizona, she's extremely dehydrated so she's being treated with IV fluids and supplemental oxygen while they do a further workup just to be sure. She's asking for you guys."

I nodded again, happy to hear that she was okay. I rose to my feet shakily. "Can I see her?"

"Follow me." He smiled. I waved to Arizona's parents and promised that I would be back soon. I wanted to see Teddy and thank her for keeping Arizona alive.

"Hey, soldier." I greeted with a smile as I walked into Teddy's room a few minutes later. She looked tired beyond belief and her face was as white as a sheet. Henry was standing loyally at her bedside holding her hand. I leaned over her bed and gave her a gentle hug, being careful not to tug any wires. "How are you doing?"

She smiled weakly. "I have the world's worst headache and hospital gowns are itchy and more unflattering than I ever thought, but other than that, I'm okay. How's Arizona?"

"She had some brain swelling so Shepherd has her in OR 2 right now while Bailey and Grey fix her internal bleeding. Her arm has been set and it turns out it wasn't affecting her circulation. Her parents are in the waiting room right now but I wanted to come and see how you were doing."

She nodded. "I knew she would have brain swelling. Her words were getting jumbled and she kept slipping away. I kept her awake, though. And she was coughing up blood. I tried to clean her head wound with water but there wasn't much else I could do." She told me.

"You did a great job. She's alive, and probably thanks to you. Now, you should get some sleep." I smiled at her and Henry scoffed softly from where he stood.

"I've been telling her that ever since we got here, but she won't listen." He said gently, looking down at Teddy with love. I smiled- they were great together.

"I can't sleep until I know that she's okay. Update me when she gets out of surgery, okay?" Teddy told me.

"I will." I promised her. "Now rest, and I'll come back to check on you and update you."

The next few hours were painful. Derek came out to update me when her surgery was done, and he reported that it went relatively smoothly. Her blood pressure had dropped for a few minutes but they managed to stabilise it quickly enough. The only concern that he had, that we all had for that matter, was the fact that it had gone untreated for nearly three days. We couldn't rule out any deficits until she woke up.

So, I sat at Arizona's beside. Between me and her parents, she was never alone. I left only to shower and round quickly on my patients, but Morris had diligently stepped in and everything seemed to be running smoothly, although he was under strict instructions to page me if there was any changes. Knowing that she was stable and had made it through her surgery had finally given me an appetite, and not eating for twenty four hour had started to have an effect on me, so Barb, Daniel and I had been trading off to allow ourselves to eat.

Members of the hospital constantly filtered through the room. The endless flow of interns, residents and Attendings alike never seemed to stop. There were a couple of news reporters loitering around, but Owen was seeing to it that no photos were taken. I knew they'd have questions, and so would the public- this was big news. However I refused to say anything until Arizona had woken up and both she and Teddy had given consent.

"Still not awake?" Daniel asked me as he walked into the room. I knew it was hard for him not to be in control of something so unsure. He was a military man through and through- he liked control and order, just like Arizona did.

"It takes longer after neurosurgical procedures. We don't need to worry yet." I reassured him, turning back to Arizona, who looked a lot healthier now that she was hydrated and receiving sufficient oxygen, although there were still bags under her eyes and she still looked dangerously thin. Her face was still pale and her hands were still cold, but she looked a hell of a lot better than when she first got here.

It gave me chills just thinking about what their experience must have been like. Arizona hated camping, and she had just spent three days stranded in the middle of nowhere. I had caught a brief glimpse of the pilot and co-pilot as they were brought in- they couldn't bring them in to the morgue until a doctor pronounced them dead. I didn't see much, but I knew it had been a mess. There was a lot of blood from what I saw- it mustn't have been nice. And nights were cold in Seattle; I could only imagine what it must have been like to be outside in the cold all night.

Barbara entered the room with a giant balloon that read 'get well soon'. Her eyes were tearful but there was more hope in her expression than there was before. "This room's a bit dull." She said, referring to the plain white wall of the ICU rooms. I nodded in agreement, glad to bring some colour into it. Arizona liked colour. "I called the rest of the family. They all want updates."

"That reminds me!" I said, suddenly sitting up, startling them both. "I need to call my dad. I promised that I would update him." I said, before rushing out of the room. My dad was currently staying at once of his hotels a few blocks away, insisting that he would give us space and come to visit once Arizona woke up.

"Calliope." He answered the phone after it haven't even rung twice.

"She hasn't woken up yet. But it's not something to worry about. The surgery went smoothly and her brain swelling is well down. Tengo la esperanza, papá (I'm hopeful, daddy)." I said with a smile.

"I'm glad, hija." He said, and suddenly I heard raised voices from behind me. I whipped my head around to see Barbara and Daniel leaning over Arizona's bedside, and between them I could see a barely stirring Arizona. My heartrate increased and I felt excitement build up inside me.

"Ella está despertando (she's waking up)!" I quickly hung up, satisfied that my rushed statement had been enough explanation before running into her room. I stepped in beside Barbara and Daniel and look one of her hands in mine. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her eyelids were fluttering slowly, and a small groan escaped her lips.

"M..mm…n…" She groaned quietly, and I stroked her forehead softly.

"Wake up, baby. Come on." I encouraged her, waiting patiently as she opened her eyes. After a few second, those sparkling blue eyes that I had missed so much came into view, and I was glad to make the side note that both of her pupils were reacting normally to the sudden light.

"S-s'too bright." She groaned, screwing her eyes shut tightly to block out the light. Her statement made me laugh out loud, causing her to flinch again.

"Sorry! I'm sorry." I apologized in a whisper. "I've missed your voice." I told her, an uncontrollably big smile spreading over my face. They joy that was swelling up in my heart was like a balloon- she was okay.

She opened her eyes again, and I heard a nurse in the background say something about paging Derek. "Calliope." She croaked, a weak smile spreading on her face. She looked towards her mom and dad and smiled wider. "Mom, dad." She greeted them. "How long have I been out?"

"You were unconscious when you arrived, and it's been about eight hours since your surgery." I told her, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"We were so worried about you, sweetie." Barbara said tearfully, still clasping Arizona's hand tightly.

Arizona smiled weakly again. "Don't cry, mom." She said, before coughing and wincing. "Can I have some water?" She requested, and I gladly helped her take a drink from the plastic cup that stood on the tray beside her bed. Once she was done I leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. She smiled up at me. "I love you." She said with a smile.

"I love you too."

"Oh, and Calliope?"

"Yeah?"

"We're never, ever going camping."