It's No Sacrifice Chapter 14 ( alt. version)
mcstout
September 12th, 14:58
It's No Sacrifice Chapter 14 ( alt. version)
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Author: Mcstout
Rating: PG-13 (for now)
Summary: Arizona is kidnapped and Callie is dealing with the aftermath
A/N Ok, I know this is kind of unusual but I got some feedback telling me the last chapter was way confusing and I got a couple of requests to post the alternative chapter I wrote. Hope it's ok that I post it here. Right now I have ideas for both of the versions and I like them both just the same. I guess they have their own pros and cons. So hopefully with this post you can help me decide which to pick (they are two very different stories, and that was one of the reasons I had for taking so long to post).
All GA characters belong to Shonda Rhimes, no infringement is intended. And all mistakes are mine.
If you have any comments, ideas or advice feel free to write (plus you'd also be helping me out a lot)
Again, hope it's okay to post this version here, I apologize for any inconveniences.
It's No Sacrifice Chapter 14 ( alt. version)
Mark Sloan made his way through the semi crowded halls at Seattle Grace Mercy West fresh out of a very successful surgery. The smile that had been adorning his handsome face grew even wider at the sight of his best friend's exhausted figure slumped against the far wall distractedly reading a patients' chart in her hand. He quickened his pace and leaned against the wall beside her.
"What do you want Mark?" Callie asked dryly without looking up, slightly annoyed at her friends interruption. She was positive Mark was going to ask her for something.
"Pfft…nice to see you too Torres…and what do you mean 'what do you want?', I don't want anything…well actually that's a lie… I want to know if there's anything I can do for my best friend, that's what I want" Was his quick and over the top reply as he shot the ortho surgeon his best puppy dog eyes. Callie took a deep breath, closing the chart soundly before turning to look at her friend, an expectant raised eyebrow already in place.
Mark took one look at that eyebrow and his smile quickly faded, his face taking on a serious expression, although the playful glint behind his eyes was still very much present.
"Okay fine…I actually do want something, but it's not just for me…it's for both our sakes…I propose a night out…some beer, maybe a few hot wings, definitely a game of darts…we've been working none stop for over a week…I want some time to unwind, …and judging from your current mood, Sunshine, I think this is probably something you need" He finished, waiting hopefully for an affirmative answer.
Callie stared at him for a few seconds before resting the back of her head against the wall, closing her eyes and sighing heavily.
"Not tonight Mark, I just want to go home…I'm beat, plus I haven't had any alone time with Arizona in days…I'm hoping tonight I'll get to at least share the same bed with her, our schedules have been out of whack lately…but, rain check?" She offered as she turned to look at the taller man again, her previous mood retreating once she realized her friend just wanted to spend some time with her.
Mark opened his mouth to protest but his gaze shifted to somewhere over Callie's left shoulder and he promptly shut it, the smile he had arrived with making an appearance once again. Before Callie could turn around she heard a high pitched squeal making its way over to them and with it her own broad smile graced her features as well. She quickly turned around just in time to see a small two year old girl, with curly dark brown hair, ocean blue eyes, and outstretched arms clumsily run towards them. Callie instantly crouched down and waited for the excited and very loud toddler to make her way over to her. The small child dove right into Callie's waiting arms and wrapped her short arms around the Latina, her face immediately finding its way to the crook of her neck. The small child would not hold still as she giggled into her mother's neck.
"Mi amor! Qué haces acá? Te he extrañado mucho, . Dale un beso a mamá" Callie cooed, kissing her on the tip of the nose, soliciting another fit of giggles from the girl before she imitated her mother and leaned in to give her a wet kiss on the nose.
The toddler's dimples suddenly disappeared, her face growing serious and thoughtful, as if just remembering something. She unceremoniously proceeded to stick her finger in her nose.
"Ouchy" she said as her finger disappeared into her left nostril
"Hey, don't do that sweetie...let mamá see the Ouchy" Callie whispered as she gently took her daughters finger out of her nose and looked inside. She felt Mark crouch down next to her and examine the toddler over her shoulder.
"Is that…purple play doh?" he asked, his face scrunching up with an incredulous expression as he leaned in closer to get a better look, smiling when he realized his god daughter had noticed his presence and in her excitement had started to babble incoherently as she jumped up and down.
"God I hope so" Callie replied, as she lightly held her daughters hands in her own
"Sweetheart, look at mamá" She said as she tilted her head to the side making eye contact with the wound up toddler, propelling her to calm down.
"Baby, how many times am I going to have tell you to stop putting things up there?" she chided in as soothing a tone as she could muster despite her frustration. Sensing her mother's disapproval, the two year old immediately pouted, and dramatically stared up at the ceiling, placing her hands over her eyes while making inconsequential noises. After a few seconds she turned back to her mother and leaned in to give her another kiss on the nose. With that simple gesture, Callie's frustration at her daughter quickly faded. She smiled at the small brunette, knowing full well that she had picked up that little trick from Arizona. Callie stood with the fidgeting child in her arms, looking around for her other favorite pair of blue eyes.
"Where's mommy?" She asked the dark haired girl."Mommy!" Her daughter quickly pointed excitedly over to the elevators. Callie took a moment to catch her breath; Arizona was standing a few feet away, arms folded over her chest, clearly enjoying the scene taking place. A small, contented smile adorned her features. Her hair flowed in long, beautiful waves past her shoulders, looking even more stunning against the sky blue blouse she was wearing. When she met Callie's loving gaze, she moved from her spot and made her way over to her. When she reached the ortho surgeon, Arizona lightly captured the younger woman's mouth with her own.
"She has purple play doh up her nose" Arizona said matter-of-factly, as she leaned in to give her wife another soft kiss on the lips, chuckling when she felt their daughter, still in Callie's arms, move in and eagerly plant a sloppy kiss on her cheek.
"She has purple play doh up her nose" Callie repeated in the same matter-of.-fact tone when she finally pulled away, shaking her head at her beautiful, albeit overly curious and energetic daughter.
"Mamá, ouchy in here" their daughter whined, as she slowly lifted a finger to her nose again, never taking her eyes off of Callie as she slowly traced the contours of it, but not picking at it under the warning look her mother was giving her.
Arizona chuckled and stepped back, rubbing her daughters back
"They called me from day care…aren't you supposed to be in surgery?" Arizona questioned.
Callie mentally kicked herself for her carelessness; she roughly raked her fingers through her long hair with her free hand and let out a frustrated sigh before answering her patiently awaiting wife.
"They postponed it for later this afternoon…I'm so sorry baby, I completely forgot to call and let them know, I could've picked her up… Did you get any rest?" Callie was truly sorry. Despite having a grueling schedule, she knew her wife was having an even harder time, what with the expansion of the ped's wing and the increasing demand for her services, Arizona was presently clocking in thirty hour work shifts, getting home at around five in the morning and sleeping only a few hours before picking up their daughter from day care at the hospital, wanting to spend as much time with her as possible. Callie gently grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers as she took in Arizona's tired face; the brunettes' guilt was clearly evident in her worried eyes.
"It's fine Calliope, I couldn't get to sleep anyway…I miss you" She softly confessed, closing her eyes when she felt Callie lightly tug at her hand and lean in for another kiss. But, before they could make any contact, Mark interrupted them taking the opportunity to grab a hold of the toddler who had been playfully tugging on Callie's dark hair.
"Come here, Junior" He said as he hoisted her over his head, soliciting a delighted shriek from his god daughter. The tiny child looked even smaller now that she was in the tall man's arms.
Arizona leaned into Callie, resting her head on her strong shoulder, her tired eyes taking in the sight of her friend as if just seeing him for the first time "Hi Uncle Mark" She greeted in her usual chirpy tone despite her fatigue; an easy smile gracing her features as a hopeful thought entered her mind. As soon as he saw the ped's surgeons grin, Mark immediately stopped bouncing the giggling child in his arms and gave her a knowing look.
"Umm, hey kiddo, how 'bout you and me go take care of that Ouchy…then we can get some chocolate pudding" He offered the little girl in an almost sing song voice reserved solely for the beaming child in his arms as he lightly kissed her on the cheek and then blew playfully on it, sending the small brunette into a fit of laughter at the sound. When he finished, the toddler nodded emphatically, her beaming smile never leaving her porcelain face.
"Puddy,puddy,puddy…" The excited toddler said as she bounced up and down, completely forgetting about her nose.
Mark chuckled and looked intently at Arizona and Callie, mouthing 'You owe me' before turning his attention over to the little girl again. "Say bye-bye to your mommy" He coaxed her lightly, bobbing her up and down as he put her on the ground.
"Puddy,puddy,puddy,puddy.." as soon as her feet touched the floor, she abruptly stopped her eager repetition and beamed at the two women, running over to Arizona who bent down and kissed her on the head.
"Bye baby, I'll see you in a bit" She whispered against her dark curls.
"Bye-bye mommy" The little girls' voice boomed as she made her way over to Callie and collided against her left leg, hugging it with all the strength she had in her small body. Callie chuckled and crouched down again, giving her a series of kisses all over her now scrunched up face.
"Chau mi amor" She murmured while hugging her one more time.
"Chau mamá" The toddler said, waving at the two women, before placing her hand over her mouth and blowing a kiss their way. Without taking her eyes off of them, the smiling girl confidently held out her hand for her uncle to take.
"I'll call you if I get paged" the plastic surgeon said over his shoulder as he awkwardly made his way through the familiar halls, his frame bent as the tiny girl led the way.
"Poor bastard…he's totally whipped" Callie mused almost to herself as her gaze followed the surgeon's retreating form. When he turned the corner, Callie looked over at Arizona catching her gazing intently at her.
"What?" Callie asked quietly, giving the shorter woman a lopsided grin.
Arizona grabbed the brunettes hand and simply guided her to a nearby on-call room. Opening the door, she quickly checked it was empty and then led her inside. As soon as the door closed, Callie felt herself being roughly pushed against it, soft lips immediately capturing her own.
"I've missed you so much" Arizona whispered almost desperately into the kiss, refusing to let go of the other woman's mouth despite her need to breathe. Caught off guard, Callie allowed herself to indulge in the contact for a few seconds, running her tongue softly over the blonde's lower lip as her hands roamed over the smaller woman's back and hips, stopping suddenly when they reached the swell of her backside. The ortho surgeon took a deep, shuddering breath in an attempt to control her over heated body.
"Ari, baby, wait" Callie held Arizona's arms, lightly pinning them to her sides. This, however, seemed to go unnoticed by the blonde, who slowly trailed butterfly kisses along the taller woman's neck.
"mmm…what?" Arizona moaned in semi annoyance, her lips still attached to Callie's neck.
"You need to rest." Callie stated breathlessly.
"mmm..no…I don't think so….You" Arizona corrected, punctuating each word between slow sensual kisses down the Latina's collarbone.
Callie felt her resolve waning as she released the smaller woman's hands. Arizona wasted no time in burying them in long, dark tresses, seeking out the brunette's lips once again. This time Callie reciprocated without hesitation, guiding the blonde back to one of the cots. As soon as the back of her legs hit the bed, Arizona sat down on it and leaned back, taking Callie by the scruff of her scrub shirt and positioning the younger woman so she was now almost entirely sprawled on top of her. Callie's weight on her felt wonderful, this felt wonderful. Both of them had been working non stop for a couple of weeks now, their schedules had not coincided in the least, so as one was getting ready to go to work, the other one would usually be arriving from it. The few times they had actually managed to see each other, they had been too busy spending time with their 2 year old daughter, so this was the first time in what felt like forever they had the pleasure of enjoying each others company, alone.
Both women were unhurriedly reacquainting themselves with each other, moving their hands over soft, treasured skin, knowing exactly what the other wanted and needed. The sounds of their kissing, the sheets beneath them rustling and their increasingly labored breathing were the only sounds that could be heard in the small room. Suddenly, the door burst open. Both women pried themselves apart and looked over at the entrance, wanting to put a face to the unwelcomed interruption.
"Great" Cristina murmured sarcastically under her breath as she rolled her eyes and looked pleadingly at the ceiling.
"Cristina, we're kinda busy here, so if you don't mind..." Callie stated in annoyance, wanting to get rid of her ex-roommate and get back to what she'd been doing.
Ignoring the ortho-surgeon, Cristina walked over to the cot opposite them and plopped herself carelessly on it, a heavy and exhausted sigh escaping her lips.
"Look, sorry about barging in on your girl on girl make out session but I just got out of a five hour surgery, I have rounds in an hour, and I don't plan on wasting precious sleep time searching for an on-call room where people aren't doing the nasty cause in this hospital that's not gonna happen so, if you don't mind…" She dryly informed the two attendings' as she turned and gave her back to them.
Both Callie and Arizona looked incredulously at their friend,
"That's it…I'm dragging her out by the hair" Arizona grumbled under her breath after a few moments of surprised silence, sitting up and moving to stand.
Callie lightly chuckled at her wife's irritated and tightly wound state, encircling her small waist with her arm and guiding her back down onto the bed.
"Whoa, as much as I'd love to see that…why don't you take a deep breath and lie here with me for a sec" Callie proposed gently as she started to rake her fingers through the soft, blonde curls, making sure to massage Arizona's scalp every so often, causing the ped's surgeon to close her eyes in delight despite herself.
"mmm…okay, but just for a sec" Was the exhausted reply. With her eyes still closed, Arizona snuggled in closer to Callie and turned her face so that her forehead rested against the brunette's chest.
Callie shook her head and sniggered when she felt Arizona's breathing even out, she had fallen asleep in a matter of seconds. The ortho surgeon adoringly traced her wife's face with the tips of her fingers, starting with her forehead, which had been creased with stress and anxiety for the last couple of weeks but was now completely relaxed and worry free. Then she made her way over to her nose and lightly traced her profile, smiling when the blonde quietly muttered in her sleep and scrunched her nose. Undeterred, Callie now made her way over to the ped's surgeon's beautiful pink lips which were slightly opened in sleep. She couldn't help but lean in and gently kiss them, making sure not to linger too long so as not to wake her. Callie quickly checked her watch and sighed in relief when she realized she still had about an hour before her surgery. She rested her head on the pillow and closed her eyes, opening them in surprise when she felt the smaller woman move closer, placing her head on her shoulder and wrapping a possessive arm around her waist. The ortho surgeon placed a light kiss on the blonde's forehead and stared at the ceiling thanking whoever was out there for the woman resting beside her, like she did everyday since Arizona had come back to her.
Her thoughts immediately strayed to the other most important person in her life, her two year old daughter. She remembered how close she had been to losing her as well and shuddered. It had been almost exactly two years ago that Arizona had given birth to the person that had changed both their lives forever.
-
"Relax baby, I know it hurts, take a deep breath for me" A worried voice instructed the woman sitting on the bed.
"This is stupid, you're the one that's supposed to be sitting here, freaking out on me and I'm the one who's supposed to be all-all calm and supportive" Callie complained before moaning in pain.
"Ow! Watch it!" She yelped as she angrily glared at the plastic surgeon who was currently finishing up suturing his friends' bottom lip…for the third time.
Mark gave her an exasperated look before ignoring her completely and continuing the task at hand.
The bleeding had stopped, but the swelling had just begun. Callie's face looked like it had been trampled on by a stampede of wild horses, or at least that's what she thought she looked like, it definitely felt that way. Arizona was currently keeping herself busy by disinfecting the wounds on her girlfriends' arms. The reappearance of Seger and his assault on Callie had brought about an enormous amount of stress and worry on her and she had started to go into early labor, and although her contractions were still too far apart to start preparing for delivery, Callie was of course going ballistic, reason why her lip had to be sutured for the third time today since she was constantly gnawing at it with worry.
"Don't you dare look at me that way Torres, you're the one who keeps ripping open her stitches, now hold still and stop whining" Mark berated the ortho surgeon who was presently giving him yet another heated stare.
"You know I chew my lip when I'm nervous, it's a force of habit, I can't help it Mark… just hurry up so we can get Arizona up to the maternity ward" The ortho surgeon rebuked with annoyance, hissing when Arizona dabbed some alcohol on a particularly deep cut.
"I'm fine Calliope, Mark's right, you're the one with open wounds here, so just hold still" Arizona tried to reason with the younger attending, taking a deep breath when she lifted her girlfriends scrub shirt, seeing her back for the first time.
"What is it?" Callie questioned a little anxiously, sensing the blonde tense up behind her.
"Mark, will you come here for minute?" Ignoring her girlfriends' question, Arizona called over the plastic surgeon with as calm a voice as she could muster.
Mark made his way over to where Arizona stood behind Callie and examined her back carefully.
"I'll get Derek" Mark stated immediately after assessing the wound.
"Whoa, Waitwaitwait, hold up… I'm a doctor, remember? I can handle it, so will you just tell me what's going on?" Callie pleaded, as she grabbed Mark by the forearm to stop him from leaving.
The ped's surgeon made her way over to face the brunette, her face trying to exude as much confidence as possible but her eyes were brimming with worry. She looked over at the plastic surgeon who nodded in encouragement.
"I'll go get Derek" He repeated before giving Callie a warm, reassuring smile as he exited the room in order to give the two women some privacy.
"There's a shard of glass protruding from your lower back, it's probably nothing to worry about but due to its position it's best we call Derek in for a consult" Arizona went over the facts without preamble, as if reading them from a patients chart, her voice detached and her eyes lowered while she concentrated on placing the tweezers on the surgical tray beside the bed and starting to methodically attach a needle to a needle holder in order to stitch up a few of the smaller wounds on her back. Calliope studied her girlfriend closely; her previous worry at whatever Arizona had seen on her back had dissipated somewhat after hearing the news; after all, despite feeling a little worse for wear, she was fine and she just had a few pieces of glass removed from her face, so she didn't think it could get any worse than that. But her worry for the ped's doctor and the baby she was going to give birth to in a matter of hours was something that had increased exponentially.
"Ari, stop for a second" Callie murmured soothingly, trying to get the ped's surgeon to stop what she was doing and look at her. Heedless, Arizona finished her task and started to walk around the bed to get to Callie's injuries.
"The-There's a lot of blood, I'm gonna clean out the wounds and stitch up the smaller ones so Derek can get a better look" She informed Callie, stopping and finally looking up at the brunette when she felt a firm hand on her forearm.
"Arizona, I said stop…please" Callie pleaded, a desperate tinge coloring the last word. She didn't like it when Arizona buried her feelings, something she did more often than not. She knew all too well how good her lover was at compartmentalizing and right now Arizona was trying to push back all the emotions that had been brought to the forefront today. She needed Arizona to open up to her, they couldn't go back to the way things were.
The ped's surgeon couldn't take the weight of the brunette's deep, unwavering gaze. A flood gate of emotions came rushing at her, anger being the most predominant. She roughly weaved her fingers through her unruly hair and then violently dropped the needle holder and scissors she had been holding on to the surgical tray,
"God damn it!" She yelled in frustration
The loud clang that resonated through out the room did nothing to appease her rage so she proceeded to tip over the tray onto the floor. Callie stood from her spot on the bed and carefully made her way over to Arizona.
"Don't..." Arizona warned the brunette when she felt a soft hand on the small of her back. The blonde moved back, a warning finger pointed at Callie as her eyes looked down at the floor. She didn't want to feel this way and she was doing everything possible to push down her anger and fear. The ped's surgeon knew that if she let Callie touch her, she would lose that fight.
Ignoring her lover's warning, Callie purposely made her way over to her. She slowly held her wrist, and when Arizona tried to break free, she tightened her hold on it.
"It's ok Ari, it's ok…" She soothed quietly over and over as she closed in on the blonde who was still trying to break free from her grasp.
"Let me go, Callie!" Arizona barked furiously as unexpected tears started to stream down her face.
Callie enveloped the smaller woman in her arms, trying to sooth her with her voice.
"It's ok, it's ok ,it's ok…." She repeated over and over again, her voice barely above a whisper.
After a few moments, Arizona stopped struggling, her face buried in her lover's neck. A gut wrenching cry escaped her lips, as tear after tear made its way down her face.
"I hate him, I hate him" She cried furiously into Callie's neck, the ortho surgeon held the blonde a little tighter and kissed her temple, her own tears quietly running down her face.
They stood like that for what felt like hours, each enveloped in the protective and caring arms of the other. Arizona slowly but surely calmed down and Callie felt the blonde take a deep, shuddering breath and worried when the smaller woman suddenly tensed against her. But before she could say anything, Arizona's head shot up, her eyes raking over her girlfriend with concern.
"Oh my god, Callie, your back…you shouldn't be standing right now…I'm sorry, I-I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that…what is wrong with me?" Arizona questioned in frustration as she cupped Callie's face with her right hand, her eyes were still releasing a few errant tears, and her body was still shaking some but as the anger seeped out of her, worry and common sense started to take over. She had already lashed out at Sergeant Mckee earlier that day, and now Callie was the one dealing with the brunt of her wayward emotions, and that to Arizona was inexcusable.
"Stop apologizing Ari, I understand, I do…and I'm perfectly fine" Callie eased the other woman's doubts with a warm smile as she closed the space between them, letting her lips linger a hairs breath away from the blonde's but then backing up once Arizona's face inched towards hers. The raven haired woman gave her lover an impish grin, knowing full well she was teasing her, but wanting to lighten the mood for both their sakes. Arizona's eyes and mouth opened in mock indignation.
"That was mean" She informed the taller woman through her quiet sniffling as she led her over to the bed, relieved that some of the tension had been dissipated. When they reached the tray she had tipped over, she began to bend down to pick it up along with the other objects that were now strewn all over the floor but a gentle hand on her shoulder halted her motions.
"I am fine… you, on the other hand, have a tiny human inside of you who is on her way…out" She stated, her face expressing how much the idea of that happening was freaking her out. She helped Arizona up as the blonde sniggered lightly at her girlfriend's expression and choice of words.
"I need to clean those cuts Calliope" Arizona informed the brunette as she let the younger woman guide her over to the bed.
"You just want to see me with my shirt off" Callie quipped, helping Arizona position herself on the bed before leaning into the blonde to steal a quick kiss. She smirked at Arizona's lopsided grin and then made her way over to the tray, bending over to pick it up.
Arizona felt the change in Callie before she actually saw her lover's body stiffen. Callie let the tray fall from her hands as she clumsily stood up and swayed back, unconsciously trying to find support behind her with her left hand.
"Callie!" Arizona cried out as she quickly stood.
Derek opened the door just in time to see the young woman's limp form fall. He quickly lunged forward and cradled her body in his arms before she hit the ground.
"Callie, look at me" He ordered the ortho-surgeon as he gently placed her on the cold floor. Mark burst into the room with Cristina and Izzie in toe while Arizona knelt down next to the Chief and her deathly pale girlfriend.
"Ok, this is definitely not normal" Callie groaned, as she pressed her hand to her forehead trying to ward off the splitting headache that had started to assault her. She made to sit up but a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Dr. Torres, I need you to hold still for a minute" Derek instructed the young attending as he grabbed a small penlight from his white coat and examined her pupils carefully.
Arizona gently placed her right hand on Callie's neck and proceeded to check her pulse.
"She's tachycardic" she informed Derek keeping her hand on her lovers neck "-heart rate is about 115 bpm" She concluded after a few seconds, her voice calm although Derek was sure he heard a soft strangled sob.
The ped surgeons' worry had increased ten fold. She gulped down her panic, replacing it with self loathing. How could she have been so selfish? Callie had been the one who had gotten hurt today and she had let her emotions get in the way. If she'd been more focused on Callie's pain instead of her own she might have been able to prevent this from happening.
"Ok let's get her to the bed so I can examine her back" Derek ordered. Mark immediately kneeled down and placed his strong arms under his friend.
"Mark, what are you doing?" Callie asked in mild surprise, her words coming out somewhat slurred.
"I'm ordering us some Thai food…what does it look like I'm doing Torres?" He deadpanned, his voice straining a little as he lifted her from the ground. He knew the ortho surgeon was scared and needed him to reassure her in his own unorthodox way.
Despite her disorientation Callie managed a small smile. She opened her mouth to protest but Mark shot her a warning look so she silently acquiesced resting her head on his shoulder and closing her heavy eyelids with a painful sigh.
"Open your eyes for me... Baby?...Calliope" She heard a soft, worried voice calling her.
With the little energy she had left, Callie did as she was told, surprised to find herself already lying on the bed. She had drifted off in Marks arms and was now on her side facing a very frazzled looking Arizona.
She felt Derek's gentle and professional hands prod her lower back, eliciting a painful moan from her. Arizona leaned closer to her lover and ran her slightly trembling fingers through the younger woman's dark hair. She gently kissed her forehead before looking at her with steadfast determination.
"You're going to be ok" She whispered with conviction, looking up at Derek as she uttered the words. He met her gaze but couldn't hold it for long, quickly averting his eyes as he proceeded to clean the cuts on Callie's back with Cristina's help.
Callie saw the crestfallen look on Arizona's face, one she was quick to hide before turning her attention back to her. The brunette cupped her girlfriends' cheek and then placed her hand on the blonde's stomach, asking a silent question with her eyes.
"It's not time yet …we have to get you better first because I won't be able to do this without you. You're the one who's supposed to be all calm and supportive while I completely freak out, remember?" Arizona joked half heartedly
Callie let out a light chuckle and held the blonde's hand lightly.
"Talk to me Chief" The Ortho surgeon stated calmly without taking her eyes off of her lover.
After a brief pause, Derek walked over to the other side of the bed in order to face both women and began to diagnose the injuries his attending had sustained.
"There are potential injuries to the spinal cord but we won't know for sure until we evaluate theretroperitoneal structures. We're also probably going to have to remove the shard surgically but I want to do a thoroughphysical examination before we decide on anything…for now we'll just clean you up and get a CT of your lower back-" Upon seeing the grave look on the ped's surgeon face, Derek paused for a moment, giving them time to absorb the news. He put a comforting hand on Arizona's shoulder as he met Callie's steady gaze.
"—I'm betting that with a pretty simple procedure, you'll be as good as new so let's not worry until we have to" He tried to console both women.
Arizona stared dejectedly into space but quickly turned to Callie with a somewhat forced smile when she felt her girlfriend lightly tug on her hand. A sharp contraction surged through her body and try as she might she was unable to hide it from Callie's watchful gaze.
"Fine, you do what you have to but only after Arizona has the baby" Callie directed her answer at Derek but kept her eyes on Arizona.
A shocked, incredulous laugh escaped Arizona's lips; she couldn't believe what she had just heard come out of her girlfriend's mouth.
"Callie, you're kidding, right? Did you not listen to Derek? The delivery is going to take hours, I could have the baby tomorrow, and you have a piece of glass wedged into your spinal cord, so no, we're getting that thing out of you now, that's it, period, there's no room for discussion" Arizona anxiously declared as she carefully tried to get Callie, who was trying to sit up, to lie back down.
"Yeah you're right, there is no room for discussion because it's my spinal cord so it's my call so...is born" She punctuated the last words with exasperation, her girlfriends stubbornness and her splitting headache getting the best of her.
"Dr. Torres, I understand you're worried about Dr. Robbins but the longer we wait to run the tests and see exactly how deep the wound is, the more likely there will be serious or permanent damage. So I recommend that we go up and get a CT now, then we'll see exactly where we're at" Derek tried to calmly explain the situation to the irritated attending.
Callie knew perfectly well that the longer they waited to remove the shard the more likely her spinal cord would sustain irreparable damage but she did not want to leave Arizona alone, she knew perfectly well that today was the day they had been waiting for, the day they had secretly dreaded. Everything Arizona had gone through when she had gone missing was about to come barrelling down on them again.
She looked over at Arizona and saw the pleading look in her eyes. She sighed heavily, knowing there was no way she was going to say no to her. She turned to Mark with a stern gaze.
"Mark, I need you to get a hold of Addison, if I can't be here for Arizona, then I need her to be" The brunette requested from her best friend. Mark simply nodded, took out his cell phone and dialled Addie's number.
Callie turned to say something to her girlfriend, but quickly looked over at Mark again as if just remembering something.
"Oh, and don't tell her anything about what happened here with Seger just yet, I don't want her to worry on the trip over" She said calmly.
Mark stared tight lipped at his friend as he walked over to the door. "Hey Addie…" He began as he opened it and headed out.
"Thank you" Arizona whispered as she leaned down and rested her lips on Callie's temple.
"Ok, Yang, get Dr. Torres upstairs and page me as soon as the CT scans are ready" Derek ordered the young attending.
"-and Stevens you get Dr. Robbins to the maternity ward, I don't want her undergoing any more unnecessary stress". He finished, looking over at Izzie who was keeping herself busy filling out Callie's chart in the far corner of the room.
Arizona opened her mouth to protest, but Callie saw the defiant look in her eyes and quickly stopped her before she could say anything.
"Ari, go, please, I need you taken care of right now or I'm going to gnaw off my own lip" She said, pouting a little so Arizona could see her recently re-sutured lip.
Arizona obliged, slightly nodding her head. She didn't want Calliope to stress out or worry anymore than she already had. "Okay…but you'll let me know as soon as you get the results" She directed her last words at the Chief.
"Of course" He agreed "Yang, Stevens" He motioned over the residents. Once they were out of earshot he spoke softly
"Dr. Robbins has undergone a considerable amount of stress today and I'm worried about the infants physical state, so Stevens you're going to stay with her and keep her posted on Dr. Torres …and-and try not to aggravate her" Derek instructed the tall blonde.
"Do not stress out the very irritated and very pregnant woman, great…got it" Izzie replied with an evident strain to her voice despite her beaming smile.
"Baby duty" Cristina coughed while mumbling under her breath, eliciting a spiteful glare from the taller resident.
"…Dr. Torres has also been through hell today so keep her happy, anything she wants within reason, she gets, understood?" Derek ordered, a small lopsided smile crossing his features.
"Keep the very irritated and very bitchy woman happy…got it" Cristina stated dryly, not looking forward to babysitting her moody friend.
"Baby duty" Izzie mumbled under her breath as she handed over Callie's chart to the shorter resident; Izzie couldn't quite control the satisfied smile that graced her features at seeing her friend's murderous stare.
Okay, I decided to stop here cause there are some things I still need to figure out for the next part. I would love to know what you think. And I'll be updating soon I promise.
thnx again for reading!