The next morning Erica woke up with a splitting headache. She picked up the phone beside her bed and ordered eggs, toast and coffee from room service. While she waited for her food to arrive she popped in the shower and washed the acidic smell of liquor from her aching body.
As the water streamed down her body, her mind flipped back to the feel of Yang's thumb rubbing against her tender wrist the night before. She reached down and stroked her wrist with her own thumb and closed her eyes reliving the moment from last night. Her hand moved almost of its own volition from her wrist to her belly and up to her breasts. Her wet fingers found her nipples as she remembered the soft heat of Yang's breasts sliding across her shoulders. She felt a hot incessant pulse building at the apex of her thighs as her hard nipples became almost too sensitive to touch. She slid her hand down her body and along her hip bones and as she slid her fingers inside her wet hot centre, she heard a knock on the door. She groaned in frustration, opened her eyes and reached for the robe that hung on the back of the bathroom door.
After breakfast Erica hopped in a taxi and headed over to Seattle Grace for her first shift. She could feel the tension building in her body as she stepped out of the cab. She let out a deep sigh as she realized that she was going to have to face both Callie and Yang today. Her hands were shaking as she entered the emergency room doors and walked towards upstairs to Chief Hunt's office. About ten feet away from the Chief's office Erica heard footsteps behind her.
"Erica?" Callie Torres asked with obvious discomfort.
Erica took a deep breath, plastered a smile on her face and turned around to face Callie.
"Hi Callie, how have you been?" Erica asked without a hint of emotion.
"Um, fine. What are you doing here?" Callie asked obviously taken aback.
"I am doing a locum at Seattle Grace…replacing Dr. Altman for the next year or so."
"Right, um, Hunt didn't mention it, so I wasn't expecting to see you."
"I don't see why he would have mentioned it. No one ever knew that we were together, if you can call it that, and he didn't work here when I was here." Erica studied the increasing discomfort in Callie's face. "I should go. I have a meeting this morning. But, I'm sure I'll see you around." Erica said, and began to turn around.
Callie laughed uncomfortably. "Right, we'll I guess I'll see you around then."
Erica paused and watched Callie begin to walk away. "How does Yang know about us?"
Callie stopped in her tracks, turned around and walked back towards Erica, "I didn't tell her. But I don't imagine it would have been difficult to put together given that she was my roommate when we were together. Honestly, I think everyone probably knows." Callie reached out to touch Erica's hand but Erica pulled it away from her grasp.
"Great." Erica said with dry sarcasm. "Just what I need, as if it wasn't uncomfortable enough to come back here."
"Then why are you here Erica? I heard that you were the Chief of Cardiothoracic surgery at Mayo, why would you give that up?" Callie's voice was laced with hostility.
"Why do you care Callie? Look I have to go."
"Right. We'll I guess I'll see you around."
As Callie walked away Erica felt her heart tighten and begin to ache as her thundering pulse returned to normal. She swore quietly beneath her breath. Why had she decided to come back? How could she answer Callie, when she didn't know herself. She felt bruised and like she had just ripped open an old wound.
As she walked forwards towards Hunt's office she began to second guess coming to Seattle Grace in the first place, she had absolutely nothing to gain from this. She didn't need the money and it did nothing for her resume but on some level she knew that she had to get over this. Callie was her first love and she couldn't spend the rest of her life pining for someone who didn't want her. Being away from Callie hadn't healed her, so maybe facing her everyday would numb her to the ache.