Hey everyone, thanks for all the comments and follows. I'm really glad most of you like this story so far.
As you can tell, this is deviating from the show just a bit, so enjoy the ride and as always, leave read and review please!
An early morning rain scrubbed the streets clean and left a sweet smell in the Seattle air. The sun peeked through the clouds, making the colors of the city more vivid. However, Arizona wasn't in a mood for vivid colors. Her hangover had receded to a dull roar, until she stepped outside. Wincing, she dug through her oversized bag for her sunglasses and quickly used them to shield her eyes from the offending orb in the sky.
Even though it was only across the street, she drove her car into the hospital parking lot and parked in her usual space. It was another concession that she had had to make because of the amputation and she hated it. While she could easily walk to work in the mornings, walking back home after a grueling shift was out of the question. Her residual limb simply hurt too much to make the trip most of the time.
Arizona didn't bother removing her sunglasses as she went to the first coffee cart in the courtyard in front of the hospital. She was hoping that drinking coffee would appease her hangover and it would retreat without any need to take an analgesic to wipe away the last vestiges of pain. She hated that slight fog she sometimes got with painkillers, even the mild ones affected her sometimes if she had a headache for they certainly didn't work when her leg was giving her problems.
She walked into the hospital, sunglasses still in place and clutching her coffee like it was a lifeline. She gave those who greeted her a slight nod as she headed for the elevators and the refuge of her office. Pressing the up button, she waited for the elevator car to come whisk her away. She was suddenly jostled from behind and looked over her shoulder in annoyance at the offender.
"Oh, hey, sorry Boss," Alex gave her a weak smile. He glanced at her briefly and lifted a brow. "Too much party last night?"
Her lips formed a tight line as she turned back to the elevator and had a sip of coffee.
"Something like that."
Alex grinned behind her back and leaned over her shoulder.
"Ya know, I don't think I've ever seen you come in with a hangover. It's so unprofessional Dr. Robbins," he playfully teased her, secretly enjoying seeing his boss in this state. He didn't see her at the gala and thought she might have been enjoying herself for once.
Arizona rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses and took another sip of coffee as she tried to will away her headache.
"Keep it up Karev and I will put you on pre and post-ops all week."
"Eh, even if you do I know how to delegate now."
Alex stepped up beside her and started to say something else but was interrupted when the elevator door opened for them. Cristina Yang started to step through the door and stopped dead at the site of Arizona. A slight smile curved her lips as she exchanged a glance with Alex.
"Wow...I don't think I've ever..."
"Shut it Yang," Arizona snapped out quickly and moved to the back of the elevator car.
Alex smirked at Cristina.
"I should take a picture, don'tcha think?"
"I do. It needs to be documented. No one would believe us if you didn't."
Cristina retrieved her iPhone from her pocket and snapped a quick picture of Arizona.
"Cristina Yang!"
"Oh chill Blondie, besides it's evidence. After last night, half the hospital thinks you keeled over." She assumed that Arizona had heard about Callie's sob story that she had made up to garner donations at the gala.
Arizona pulled off her sunglasses and looked at the cardiothoracic surgeon.
"Why would they think that?" she scoffed as she slipped the shades into her purse and sipped from her coffee.
Cristina answered without thinking, chuckling as she looked at the picture she had just taken and text it to Alex's phone.
"Callie used some sob story about how her wife died in the plane crash to get money out of the donors."
Alex stopped looking at his phone and looked at Arizona, then Cristina. He had noticed the blonde's face pale even more than it was and nudged his housemate with his elbow.
"Dude...," he rolled his eyes back towards the blonde doctor as he caught Cristina's gaze.
Cristina blinked and looked at him, then glanced to Arizona. The blonde's face, which had been pale, was now flushed red as anger and embarrassment coursed through her. She didn't say anything else and, when the door finally opened, she scurried out of the elevator. She moved quickly, as if on autopilot toward her office.
"Nice going Yang." Alex shifted his messenger bag on his shoulder and shook his head as he too headed out of the elevator.
"I didn't know...I just thought everyone had overhead it. Shit."
Overnight the anger had brewed and Callie was ready to murder someone as she stormed through the doors of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. She managed to be pleasant with her daughter and the staff at the hospital daycare as she dropped the tiny Latina off for the day. She headed for the pediatrics floor to speak with her wife.
She really didn't want to see her or speak with her, but after last night she decided to confront Arizona about what she had overhead. She was livid and wanted to finally get to the bottom of what had happened. Callie began mumbling to herself in Spanish as she waited impatiently for the elevator to take her to the peds floor.
"¿Ella me estaba dando una salida? ¿Realmente? ¿Quién hace eso? ¿Quién diablos se acuesta con otra mujer y entonces intenta justificarlo diciendo que me estaba dando una salida?" *
The other people in her elevator car sidestepped out of her way as her mumbling grew a bit louder and a bit angrier. Finally the elevator dinged and the doors opened onto the pediatrics floor. Callie stalked out of the elevator, having worked herself up even more and headed for the nurse's desk. She spotted Alex filling out a chart and barked at him.
"Karev! Where is she?"
Alex continued charting, not bothering to look up at Callie.
"Torres. Who?"
This inattention seemed to further perturb her and she huffed a little.
"Who do you think?"
He finally signed his name and looked at her as he pocketed his pen.
"If I knew, I wouldn't have asked?"
Callie glared at him, gestured and began to speak rapidly in Spanish.
"Mi esposa cachonda infiel! ¿Sabes dónde está o no?" **
Alex held up his hand to cut off her rant. There could only be one person who could make her this mad.
"Robbins is in surgery."
Without acknowledging him further, Callie spun and headed back toward the elevators so she could get to the surgical floor. Alex exchanged glances with one of the nurses at the desk.
"Should I warn her?" the nurse asked, reaching for the phone.
Alex shook his head.
"I think it is best if we stay out of it...and duck for cover," he told her as he scooped up a chart and headed to see his patient.
Translations (I used an online translation, so if this isn't accurate, I apologize)
* She was giving me an out? Really? Who does that? Who in the hell sleeps with another woman and then tries to justify it by saying she was giving me an out?
** My cheating slutty wife! Do you know where she is or not?