Thank you all for the feedback. keep it coming. I will post an update to this twice a week as long as you guys are still interested in reading. I think I will post chapter 3 tomorrow. Let me know your thoughts!
AN: I don't own the characters they all belong to Shondaland and I'm just having some fun with them!
Chapter 2
Before Callie had realized it two weeks had flew by and for a hospital that was currently ranked 12 they had seen their fair share of chaotic events. First there was a roof collapse on a construction crew, everyone was saved but it made for a very busy day in Ortho. Then just a few days later there was a huge fire in an apartment complex. To say it was all hands-on deck would be an understatement. And from what Callie could tell this hospital was just way too close from the attending's to the interns. Callie had stayed away from personal relationships for most of her adult life, she couldn't risk getting to close to someone and had a really hard time of trusting others.
She was walking into the hospital and getting ready to work her second night shift in a row. She was feeling pretty good, she got to sleep in till about 4pm, ordered herself some Chinese and took a long relaxing bath before her shift. She had just finished getting changed into her scrubs when her pager beeped 911, to the pit and she took off running.
"Alright guys incoming we have a school bus crash in about two minutes, we need beds and let's make as much space as we can" Hunt says as he is making space around the E.R
"Do we know what happened?" asks Christina as she puts on her trauma gown.
Shaking his head, no "all I do know is that it's bad, there are some fatalities." sighing "we just need to save as many lives as we can" looking around "Stevens I need you to man the lobby. We will be swarmed by parents that will want information."
"On it" she says and walks towards the nurse's station grabbing her iPad and taking off through the double doors.
They all hear the sirens approach, quickly followed by EMT's rushing in small children most under the age of 12.
"Alright Trauma room three" Hunt shouts at the medic and follows behind the first patient.
"let's move quickly people, I'll take her into trauma 4" walking up to the gurney and looking down "hey sweetie, I'm Doctor Robbins" looking into the eyes of a scared little girl. "can you tell me if anything hurts sweetie?" pulling out her stethoscope she starts to listen to the girl's chest and back and her breathing sounds a little muffled.
"my my tummy hurts" the little child answers as tears slip from her eyes.
"ok sweetie, what's your name?"
"Lilly" she answers, "is my mommy here yet?"
"I'm not sure yet but as soon as she gets here, I will send her back here with you. Now tell me if any of this hurt" I firmly start to press around her abdomen and I find something truly worrying.
"you" pointing at the first intern she sees. "I need her upstairs in CT right now" pushing her toward the elevator "bump all non-emergencies. I also need an x-ray of her pelvis, something doesn't feel right. As soon as they are done get them to Dr. Torres". As soon as the elevator doors close she goes right back into the pit to help with all the chaos.
Callie is already knee deep in a seven-year-old patient in trauma room 3 with a group of interns. "Guys we have to be able to control her bleeding if we have a shot at saving her life" she takes another look at the monitor and continue to see her blood pressure dropping. "Karev set up another bag of blood and fluids," still struggling to get her patient stabilized. "She has a big tear in her abdominal wall as well as in her right kidney" they hear a flatline on the monitor. "Grey..Paddles and charge to 200, everybody CLEAR" they all watch as the monitor continue to flatline. "Karev start compressions" looking at the monitor "dammit still nothing, charge to 300…CLEAR" still nothing. This is the worst part of her job, knowing when she lost a patient especially a child. It always reminded her of her sister.
"Call it Karev"
"time of death 8:23pm." He says exiting the room
"guys go see who could use your help" As the interns and nurses walk out of the room, I take a moment to try and center herself. Every time I have a kid case it takes me back to the moment I decided to be a doctor. I can still hear the gun shots, still see the fear in my sister's eyes. I pull off my trauma gown and gloves and take a seat on the empty stool in the corner. I can't help but look over at the child who is gone far too soon. "life is just not fair sometimes" she sighs. I can't keep the past images from coming into my mind. The look on my sister's face when she took her last breath, is burned into my mind. "I still wish it was me" a single tear rolls down her face. She places her head in her hands trying to smother the hurt and loss she is feeling right now.
Running into trauma room three "Dr. Torres I need you to" she stops suddenly as she takes in the weeping woman. Walking over to woman and kneeling in front of her. "Hey, are you ok" Dr. Robbins asks, while she looks up into teary brown eyes. She can't help but see all the pain in them at this moment.
"Hey yea I'm alright" she says quickly trying to wipe away the tears. "just every time I lose a kid it never gets easier you know" taking another look at the child on the table.
"I know how tough that is and all we can do is keep pushing forward and try and save the next tiny human in front of us" staring at the woman in front of her and scrunching her brows "is there anything else bother you, I'm a great listener".
Looking into blue eyes, I see nothing but warmth and understanding in them. I almost feel compelled to share my story with the blonde. "that's too long of a story to share at the moment Dr. Robbins but maybe one day I will take you up on your offer"
"I'm going to hold you to that" she says reaching out and giving a supportive squeeze to the doctor in front of her arm, she can't help but just stare at the woman in front of her.
It's in that moment as she's looking at me so intently that I feel like she is looking straight into my soul and before I realize my mouth is speaking before my brain can even catch up. "I lost my sister when I was nine and she was 13" I feel the tears starting to build back up. "she was trying to protect me and it just haunts me every day" crying freely now.
"shh…shh hey it's ok, it's ok" I wrap my arms around the broken woman in front of me and try to do what I can to give her some comfort, but what can you really say to something like this. So, I just hold her while she cries. I pull back and begin to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I can't imagine what you are feeling but if your sister was anything as remarkable as you, she would want you to embrace her memory and know that she does not blame you"
Sniffling "thank you, I'm sorry you. I know you didn't come in here to deal with my emotional breakdown"
Smiling slightly "no need to thank me. I am an awesome friend and I am deciding now that you and I will be friends." she says as a small smile comes to the Ortho's face.
"It has been awhile since I had a friend…. I think I would like that Dr. Robbins" says Callie.
"good the first thing you can do is stop being so formal all the time and call me Arizona." I say as I start to stand up.
standing up and pulling herself together "right well Arizona it sounded like you had something serious you were gonna ask me".
Smiling brightly "yes I need your help on my 11-year-old girl with a broken femur and three broken ribs" holding up the x-ray and CT results "see here look at these, the fracture here is puncturing her abdominal wall and she's got some internal bleeding".
"we need to get her prepped and ready now" Callie says
"Already taken care of Calliope, she's waiting on us" she starts heading for the door.
Having a look of surprise on her face, she doesn't correct the blonde as they both exit the trauma room.
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To say that I was exhausted and completely starved would be an understatement. It's been about 11 hours since I had something to eat. After spending eight hours in the O.R. I am feeling a mix of excitement and starvation. Scrubbing out I see the Pead's surgeon coming through the door.
"I totally get why they call you a Rockstar with a scalpel," blue eyes shine brightly "you are totally freaking awesome".
Laughing "Me…you are one to talk I can't believe what I just seen in there. When she started to crash the first time, I was almost certain that we were gonna lose her" looking at her in disbelief "where did you learn to do that?"
"When I was in Malawi, I had this girl who was impaled by a piece of wood from the side of a truck. I did not have the luxury of being in an O.R or having equipment" thinking back "it was all I could do to save her life."
"see total badass, I never thought anyone won those awards, but I just got to see Arizona Robbins in action and it was everything I thought it would be"
Blushing slightly "thanks but last time I checked you were the one getting published in all of the medical journals, hey we should totally have a celebratory breakfast in the morning, you in?"
"sure, I haven't eaten anything besides takeout since I've been here, so it will do me some good to put something different in my stomach, meet you in the front at 8." a beeping interrupts them.
"Gotta go 911 pit" Arizona says walking out of the scrub room.
I also exit the scrub room to check on my patients and start my rounds. Once I make my way to my office and check my phone I see I have a couple of missed calls from Chief Clark. I take a seat and prepare myself to give him a call. I have known the chief of Chicago for over ten years now and I don't think we have ever had a pleasant conversation.
"hey chief"
"I hope you are doing well Callie, but I wish I could call with better news"
"figured lay it on me chief"
"well for starters I really wish you would consider going back into the witness protection program"
"they FOUND ME though, it's not much protection if I have to keep dodging bullets every other week."
"I understand but it is still so much safer than being out in the open, your completely unguarded".
"I know I know" I say sighing "I have the feeling that that's about to change"
"we lost track of your father we had eyes on him on the south side of Florida, up until three days. He seems to have vanished. We don't know how he slipped our surveillance." Chief Clark says
"uuggg…fan-fucking tastic, if I know my father he is already three steps ahead of you and the Fed's." putting her head on her desk "he knew you were watching and he is probably right now working on a way to get my mother out of prison."
"that's not possible Callie. Your mother is still locked up she is getting no contact from the outside world and is under constant surveillance, he won't be able to get to her"
"that's what I have heard you say for years he was able to get to me, HE WAS ABLE TO TAKE AWAY MY SISTER" I'm shouting now but I'm so over this.
"calm down, we need to keep our heads about this. You know your parents better than anyone, and we know sooner or later they will come after you"
Getting up and starting to pace the floor "look Chief I know that I am crucial to taking my parents down and the need pay for all of the years of pain they have brought to so many families, but I can't go back into witness protection" He starts to protest but is cut off "just let me finish… for all of my life I have been a part of the family business of smuggling drugs, covering up murders, lying for so many people. Before I could ride a bike, I was smuggling drugs through airport security." I stop to take a breath; my parents have taken so much from me.
"I won't give them any more of my life, for the first time ever I am doing what I love. I am free to be Callie Torres not Sara Ramirez who I have been for most of my life. Yes, I could attend schooling but I never had any friends I couldn't go anywhere without being heavily guarded. Do you know how lonely of a life that is Chief? I was losing more and more of myself every day. And now I'm just starting to figure out who I really am, please don't take that away from me."
"yea I figured you would say something like that, but please understand that if something was to happen to you that we would not be liable, but we are not just letting you go at it alone. That being said, I have been working with FBI and Seattle PD and they are very aware of your case and we are all on the same page. There are now two agents living in the apartment next to you: one will be waiting for you when you arrive home and the other will shadow you to and from work, and to any other places you may need to go too. You also have an agent who is undercover as hospital security he should be there to introduce himself to you in a few minutes. He will be working all your shifts and will be your shadow for the time being. If you are in surgery he will be waiting outside of the door."
"Ok I get it; thanks chief I can deal with the new escorts as long I still get to be me"
"I'm sorry it has come to this again Callie, but you know I won't rest until this is all over"
"I know Chief, and thanks for everything" I say as I hang up the phone. So, my parents are out. I know he thinks that my mother won't get out but I have seen the things that my father has been able to do. So, I consider them to both be on the loose. I try to gauge my feelings and its truly a mix of fear, anger, hurt and confusion. There's a knock on my door.
"It's open" a tall husky guy comes walking in. He is built like an NFL linebacker.
"Dr. Torres it's a pleasure to meet you I am special Agent Drew Benson" he says putting out his hand
Shaking his hand "so I guess you get to be my shadow here while I work".
"it's my job to keep you safe ma'am and I will"
"great glad to hear that you are ready for whatever comes our way, I'm sure you are aware that my parents will stop at nothing"
"I've been briefed on your case and I must say I think you are very brave"
I laugh a little "I'm not brave, all I did was be born and have someone telling me what to do for the last 27 years." We get further acquainted with each other and I think he is a good guy someone who clearly loves his job, I just hope it doesn't cost him his life. I make my rounds and before I know it, it's almost 8 and I am rushing to meet the Pead's surgeon for breakfast. I finally make my way down to the front of the building and spot the blonde.
"Hey, I thought you forgot about me" Arizona says as I approach.
"don't be silly, so where do you want to go" I look around and spot a guy approaching us and I immediately know that he is the other detective who's going to be a part of my life for God knows how long" I release a frustrated sigh
"Dr. Torres I'm detective Jacobs"
"Yes, detective Jacobs, pleasure" I say as I shake his hand. I chance a glance at Arizona and she looks thoroughly confused. I look back at Jacobs "can you give us a minute" he shakes his head and gives us a little space.
"So, Arizona seeing as how we have just started our new-found friendship, I'm asking as your friend if you can give me a little time before I share what detective Jacobs is doing here" I already have shared too much and I don't want to say anything that could scare her off. I was not lying when I said I have not had a friend since my sister died. "is that ok?" please be ok.
"it's fine Calliope, maybe you and your boyfriend just play weird sex games" laughing hysterically.
"funny, funny come on let's grab some food I'm starved". We head off with our escort never far away.
