I hate doing this, but I just have to get something off my chest. I've had very few people be negative this whole story (which is a feat in its own.. So thank you) and I've had a few that have not liked some routes I've took which is totally their prerogative. I respect that 100%. Which brings me to my grievances today! I bust my ass to get this story out! I have a life. I work, have a family to worry about, a personal life that's been a wreck as of late and a social life. All that takes front and center. Yet, I still make time to get this story out to you because I hate when someone starts a story and then only updates once every 2 months. So I make happily that sacrifice for you guys.. and only you!
Sometimes auto correct gets you and you don't catch it! I read every chapter so many times before I post it, the words seem to just blend together, so YEAH, they're mistakes. I know the difference between words. I don't need to be reminded every freaking time I have that mistake! I am well aware of many more mistakes after I post the chapter. To address the issue: To be able to keep my updates coming twice a week regularly, I write this story on my phone. So yes auto correct gets you a lot of times and you don't catch it. Instead of criticizing why don't you just sit back and enjoy the story that comes regularly. It's easy to be on your side and read a story and catch so many mistakes. I've caught myself doing it so many times (oh there's a simple mistake.. Should have been an easy catch) but it's not. I think it's rude to address it especially as a guest. I know they are mistakes, I have never claimed to be perfect. I'm far from it and I know some may think by saying this I'm getting a big "head" (which has been said many chapters ago, which was laughable) and if you know me, it is so far from the truth. I am just a person that always has to speak my mind and I have found some people do not like that, but that's who I am and I can't help that. So it just irks me that someone has the gall to only leave a dick review of through and threw! If you can't handle those mistakes, you can gladly exit THROUGH stage right. I don't think my stories the best or near best out there. I don't think it's no where near as great as others but I do think it's good. You can ask Snooftp on Twitter! Since starting The River, she has talked me down off the cliff with this story so many times it is ridiculous because I am so insecure of the many things I write about. But she's always there to push me back and for that I thank you Tina!
I don't think my story is in a top 10 of stories. But I do take it to heart when the only time some people leave a review is to criticize. I'm proud of my writing, (I've never been a writer until now and have never claimed to be great at grammar) so I take the criticism to heart each and every time because this isn't English class nor is it a writing class. I do this only for fun! So when someone leaves a smartass review it just pisses me off. This person may not have meant for it to be that way, but to me it come off as that.
And with that, I'm through addressing the negativity!
Sorry about the rant guys. This review just caught me at a really bad time and I had to get this off my chest! :)
So on with the story!
Chapter 95
After checking on her last patient of the day, Callie went into her office to change before heading home. Grabbing her phone from the desk after putting on her street clothes, she saw she had a few missed calls and a few texts from her wife.
1:45 p.m. - When will you be home? - Arizona -
2:15 p.m. - Callie? - Arizona -
3:30 p.m. - Talked to Teddy, she said you're in surgery. Hurry home after work. -Arizona -
Seeing it was well after 6 p.m. Callie read the messages again, getting a feeling something was off with her wife. Quickly dialing her number, she heard four rings before the blondes voicemail picked up. 'Hey, it's me, I just got your messages. Is everything alright? Call me back baby, you're worrying me.' Quickly hanging up, she grabbed her purse and rushed out the door and ran downstairs, almost crashing into Teddy.
"Watch it."
"Sorry, Altman."
"Where are you going so fast?" She said, handing Callie a folder.
"Going home to check on, Arizona. I guess she's still not feeling well. What did she say when she talked to you?" Callie asked, signing the papers inside.
"Said she was still feeling like crap."
"I tried calling, but she didn't answer."
"Probably sleeping, she said she felt exhausted. You may want to take her and get her checked out."
"Yeah, I'll give her a little bit and if she's not feeling better after dinner I may get her to go." Callie said, handing the folder back to Teddy. "Need anything of me before I leave?"
"No. We're good."
"Okay, I'm going to head home, see you Teds." Callie said, walking out of the clinic and into the cold streets of Seattle.
Her usual five to ten minute drive home turned into a thirty minute commute across town. Finally pulling into her driveway, she got out and headed inside the house. "Arizona?" Callie called, throwing her keys and purse onto the table. "Honey, I'm home." She walked to the kitchen and saw her wife had been in the process of trying to make dinner. "Babe?" She yelled out, looking into the container where the blonde had some Italian chicken marinating. Not getting a response, Callie decided to check their bedroom. Arizona was around thirty weeks pregnant now and was in the stage where she wanted to sleep any chance she could get. Walking into the bedroom, Callie saw the blonde laying on the bed asleep with the dogs curled up beside her.
Walking closer to her wife, River raised his head and growled at the brunette, causing Charlie to do the same. "Hey.. hey." Callie whispered to them, holding her hands up to show she meant no harm. "I just want to check on her." The dogs were now super protective of the blonde and when she was hurting they wouldn't let anyone near her, even Callie. "It's me guys." She walked slowly towards them and held out her hand for the dogs to sniff. "It's just me." She said, slowly moving to pet their heads before she placed her hand on her wife's leg. "I'm just going to check on your mama okay." She slowly rubbed her wife's leg to let the dogs know that she was only trying to help.
Callie had to be cautious around the dogs for a few weeks now. Arizona's back was hurting her one day and she couldn't get comfortable except on the couch and when Callie walked over to massage her back to give her relief, River had snapped at her when the blonde had let out a whimper. So now, she made sure to let the dogs know she meant no harm to the blonde.
"Arizona." Callie said, rubbing her wife's leg. "Baby?" She sat down on the edge of the bed and woke the blonde up. "Hey, how are you feeling?" She asked when Arizona opened her eyes.
Shaking her head, "I don't feel well at all Callie. My back still hurts and I just.. I don't feel well." She sleepily rolled over.
"Do you feel like it's a virus or something?" Callie stroked her back.
"Not really. I just feel icky, drained and I can't keep my eyes open and every time I fall asleep I have to wake right back up and go pee."
"I'd say it's normal this far along in your pregnancy, sweetie." She said, feeling her wife's forehead to see if she felt warm. "You want to get in a hot tub of water and let me message your back? It might help."
"No. When I get up to go to the bathroom the walk looks like Mount Everest. I'm so tired."
"I can get the heating pad?"
"No, that's okay. Can you just rub it for a few minutes?" Arizona asked, rolling over the best she could.
"Yeah." Callie replied, moving over in the middle of the bed to get to her wife's back. "Around your hips?"
"Yeah, the small of my back too." She said as she felt her wife's hands on her. "Easy." She whined, Causing the dogs to let out a bark at the brunette. "Boys." She snapped her fingers at them to get them to quieten down. "Did they try to bite you this time?"
Kneading her wife's lower back, trying to bring her some relief. "No. They growled, but I've learned to let them smell me first to see that I'm not going to hurt you. I figured they'd be protective but I didn't know they'd think I would hurt you." She said, continuing to massage her wife.
"Can you.. can you stop." The blonde whispered. She thought that a massage might help but she was hurting too bad.
"You okay?" She leaned over and saw her wife had tears in her eyes.
"It hurts." She sniffed.
"Awe, baby. I'd take your pain away if I could." Callie sadly looked at her. "I wish you'd let me take you to the ER. I know Addie's in LA this week, but Seattle Grace has the best ER doctors. What if I get Bailey to check you out?"
Arizona knew she needed to go, but she didn't know if she could make it without collapsing to the ground in exhaustion because she was literally that tired. "I don't know if I have the strength and I've not even bathed today." She said, rolling on her back. "Will you help me shower?"
"Yes, of course." Callie stood from the bed. "I'm going to go warm the shower and grab you something to wear."
"Can I wear your old college sweats?"
"If I can wear yours." She winked.
The blonde not so gracefully sat up on the bed, feeling the baby kick her in the back. "Oww... she knows your home." She said, placing her hand on her back.
"How so?" Callie asked walking back into the room and digging threw the dresser to find some fresh clothes.
"She hasn't hardly moved at all today, but now that your home she's flipping and flopping around. I guess she heard your voice."
Walking up to her wife who was sitting on the bed still, Callie knelt down. "Hey little girl. I'm going to take care of you and mama okay?" She said, kissing the blondes stomach before standing and helping her wife up. "Come on, babe, let me get you cleaned up." She said, leading her into the bathroom.
"I'm sorry, Calliope." She said walking into the bathroom. "You shouldn't have to do this."
"Honey, no." Callie said, helping her with her shirt. "I married you in sickness and in health. You would be helping me if the roles were reversed." She said, helping her wife take her shorts off and pulling her own clothes off in the process. "I want to do this, I'm suppose to take care of you and you're suppose to take care of me." Helping her wife into the shower. "Besides giving you a bath is always a highlight of my day." She wiggled her eyebrows trying to get her wife to smile before stepping in the shower.
"Thank you." She said as the brunette started to wash her back.
Washing her wife off, Callie quickly did the same to herself before getting out of the shower and helping Arizona get ready. The blonde hated that she needed help, but right now she had no choice because she was scared she'd fall.
After getting her ready and the dogs put up, the brunette made a phone call to Bailey to see if she would come in and run some tests on the blonde. Agreeing to meet the general surgeon in the pit, Callie helped her wife into the jeep and headed to the hospital. Keeping in contact with her Arizona, whether it was a soft caress on the knee or holding her hand to sooth the blonde the whole way across town.
Pulling up to the ER doors, Callie met Bailey waiting outside with a wheel chair. Helping her wife into it, she then quickly parked their car and went to find the private room Miranda had got for them.
"Sorry, it took me so long." She said, peeking her head in the room where her wife was lying on the bed. "I walked into the wrong room." She said, closing the door behind her. "I just hope they sanitize these rooms as good as they used too." She said, thinking about what she had just walked into. "What do you think is wrong Bailey?" She asked, walking up to the bed.
"Girl." Miranda looked at her. "We've been in this room for five minutes. I've barely had time to get a urine sample out of her, let alone blood drawn and the results back." She said, injecting the needle to drawl the blondes blood. "So sit down by her side and hush, this will take a little bit until we find out what's going on." She said as an intern came into the room.
"No." Callie watched him walk in. "No baby surgeons."
"Calliope." Arizona whispered, looking over to her wife. "Leave him alone."
"I love you and I just want the best for you." She leaned close and whispered as the intern idled closely to the door.
"I know." She said, brushing stray brown hair behind her wife's ear. "But you were the one telling me they have the best doctors, so let him work."
"Okay." Callie sighed, grabbing her wife's hand and kissing her knuckle. "Close your eyes and get some rest, babe." She said, caressing her wife's head.
"Dr. Pruitt, I need you to take these to the lab and put a rush on it." Bailey said handing him the blood and urine specimen.
"Yes, doctor." He fumbled the objects when he saw the brunettes eyes on him before quickly exiting the room.
"Give him a break Torres. I recall you weren't much different in your first year as an intern."
"Please. I was amazing." She rolled her eyes.
"You weren't so amazing when you were chief resident."
"We're here to check on my wife, not talk about old times." Callie turned her head away from the doctor. She had no come back for that because she knew she was a terrible chief resident.
"Can't take the heat can you Torres." Bailey laughed.
"It's Robbins."
"Please, excuse me. I forgot I can only call you Torres with doctor in front." She insisted, taking her gloves off. "Can't take the heat can you Dr. Torres."
"What's wrong with my wife?" Callie ignored the whole subject.
"She's cute isn't she Dr. Bailey?" Arizona gave her a small smile and patted her wife's cheek. Arizona loved that her wife had her ways of avoiding answering questions.
"Yeah.. cute as my ass." She mumbled under her breath.
"Hey, I heard that."
"It wasn't a secret." The short woman shrugged. "What's been going on with you, Arizona?" She asked, leaning against the counter,
"I've just not been feeling well the past few days. My backs killing me."
"She was dizzy this morning when she woke up, I made her stay home from work and rest. She's been super tired lately, which I'm sure is part of the pregnancy. But lately all she wants to do is sleep."
"Have you been dizzy any more?" Bailey asked, putting the blood pressure cuff on the blonde.
"No." She replied, getting a glare from the petite woman. "When I was getting dinner ready." She rolled her eyes. "So I figured I'd go upstairs and rest a while and before I knew it, Callie was home."
"How long was that?"
"About three hours or so. I didn't rest much because the baby likes to lay against my bladder and I have to use the bathroom every fifteen minutes or so it seems."
"Well your blood pressure is a little low, but nothing to worry about. That could cause the dizziness you're feeling." Miranda said, taking the device back off the blonde. "How about we check the girl and make sure she's doing alright. When was the last time you saw Addison?"
"About a three weeks ago." Callie answered when the blonde looked at her.
"Okay." The doctor said, bringing the ultrasound machine forth. "We'll check and make sure the baby and your amniotic fluid is okay." She said, raising the blondes gown she had put her in when she brought her into the room.
Both Callie and Arizona remained silent as Bailey continued to check her out. After doing some tests, she gave the blonde the all clear with the baby and left the couple after she told them to relax until the labs are ready.
"Are you still feeling bad baby?" Callie said after the blonde rolled on her side after the doctor left.
"Yeah."
"I can rub your back if you want?"
"No, she's moved, so it doesn't hurt as much right now. Will you just lay and hold me?"
"Of course, love." Callie stood from her seat and moved to lay behind her wife on the bed. "Love you." She whispered, wrapping her arm around her.
"Me too." She turned in her arms to hug her wife. "I just want to sleep." She yawned before snuggling close as she could to the brunette.
"I know." She kissed her on the top of the head. "As soon as we're done here, I'll take you home and put you to bed and love you and hold you until you are well rested."
"Can we skip the loving?" Arizona mumbled into her chest.
"You really are tired huh?" Callie chuckled. "I wasn't talking about that though. I just want to cuddle you until you start feeling better. I hate that your feeling bad baby."
"Me too, but you are here and that makes me a little better." Arizona said as they began to lay there is silence. The brunette just wanted the blonde to rest as much as she could while they waited on Bailey to come back in with the lab result.
Around thirty minutes later the shorter doctor came into the room and woke the couple up. Callie was beyond tired herself from all her surgeries durning the day, but she had pushed it to the side when she knew her wife still wasn't feeling well.
"Okay, it seems your dizziness could be from two different things." Bailey said, waking the couple up. "It looks like it could be from your low blood pressure but it's more than likely because you are dehydrated."
"Dehydrated?" Callie asked, sitting up in the bed.
"Yeah. Arizona is dehydrated and I'm glad we caught it now because it could eventually lead to preterm labor."
"How? I drink water all the time?"
"Well, the baby is growing like a weed and she's taking in everything you can give her right now, which leaves you dehydrated. The baby's perfectly fine though." She said, when she saw their faces drop. "Being dehydrated can lead to the exhaustion, weakness and dizziness and as you know the back pain is merely from the baby."
"So what does she do?" Callie asked, standing from the bed. "She's already taking in water. What else can she do?"
"Well right now, I'm going to give her an IV to get her back on track for a few hours but she's just going to have to stay more hydrated. I know you don't want to hear it." She said, directing her comments to the blonde now. "Because you're having to use the restroom every time you blink, but you need to start pushing more fluids."
"So that's it? That's why she's feeling so bad?" Callie asked, taking a seat on the stool by the bed.
"Yeah." Bailey said hooking the blonde up to the IV drip. "She's perfectly fine except for that. I'm going to give her this IV to get some fluids into her body and then you'll be free to take her home. But I'd like her to stay home for a day or so until she feels well rested. I don't want her going and standing on her feet when she still feels weak. It won't be good for her or the baby."
"Thank you, Bailey."
"You're welcome. Now there was a trauma that came in and I'm going to have to go into surgery, but a nurse will come and tell you when you can go." She said, finishing the blondes chart. "I'll call you in a day or two to see how your feeling." She said opening the door. "And I mean it.. No work tomorrow." And with that the general surgeon left the room to leave the couple alone to rest until they were free to go home.
The next morning, Arizona had began to feel a lot better. She wasn't a hundred percent yet, but even with being thirty weeks pregnant, she was feeling darn near close to it. And luckily for Callie, it was her free day of surgery so she had took her wife's morning patients for the day as the other pediatricians at the clinic took her afternoon clients to cover for their boss.
Arizona was in the kitchen making them some lunch when the brunette walked through the door after her morning full of patients. "Baby, I'm home." She heard her wife drop her keys on the table and walk through the foyer.
"Hey honey, I'm in the kitchen." She called out.
"Hey." Callie smiled at her barefoot and pregnant wife.
"Hi you." She kissed her wife when she came up beside her. "I hope you're hungry." Arizona said, taking the bowl from the fridge and placing it on the island.
"I'm starving, I woke up late and didn't get a chance to grab anything for breakfast." The brunette said.
"I'm sorry." She knew her wife kept waking up throughout the night to check on her.
"No worries. I'm good." She winked. "I thought about taking a nap with my girl later." She said, rubbing the small of her wife's back.
"Mmm. I like naps."
"You feeling any better today?" She asked, standing behind her wife and wrapping her arms around her and rubbing her stomach.
"I do, surprisingly so." Arizona rested her head against her wife's. "And before you ask, the answer is yes. I have been drinking plenty of water this morning."
"Good girl." Callie giggled and kissed her neck. "What did you make for lunch?" She asked, swaying them side to side.
"Chicken salad." Arizona said, stirring it up one last time. "Do you want crackers or toast?"
"Toast."
"Will you get the bread from the pantry for me?"
"Yep. I can even toast it for you if you like." Callie whispered before kissing her shoulder.
"Please." She smiled.
After getting lunch ready, they sat down at the island to enjoy their meal. "Today marks two years since I proposed." Arizona said, taking a drink of some milk.
"I know." Callie said, placing her hand on her wife's thigh and taking a bite of her chicken salad. "Seems like yesterday, but yet it also seems like forever ago too." She squeezed her leg.
"It does." She agreed, placing her hand on top of her wife's. "It also marks four years since Tim's been gone."
"Yeah." She whispered, moving her hand from her wife's thigh and placing it around her waist. "I know." She said, kissing the blondes temple.
"You know, I've not been to the cemetery since before we got together. I have always felt closer to him at the river, but I feel the need to go today and I was wondering if you'd go with me? If you don't want to that's okay too. I just wanted to ask."
"Uhh.. Yeah." Callie said, taking a drink of her water. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but I've never been to one before."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. I've never really experienced death except with my patients."
"No aunts, uncles or friends?" Arizona asked.
"No. Everyone that died in my family died when I was just a baby or before I was born. It's not like my family hasn't had some close calls though." She said, taking a bite of her food. "I had an acquaintance in Med school who passed and I went to a memorial with some of my friends, but we only stayed at the church for a few minutes just to pay our respects. It wasn't even really a funeral or anything."
"Oh." She said, finishing her meal. "Well, you don't have to go if you're uncomfortable. I just thought you might want too."
"No. I want too." Callie said, grabbing her wife's hand. "He's my brother-in-law and I think it's about time I go visit him."
"Okay."
"When do you want to go?"
"After you're finished eating, or are you too tired?" Arizona asked, standing from the stool.
"No. I'm fine." Callie wiped her mouth before standing and taking her plate to the sink. "I'll wash the dishes up and we can go, okay?"
"First I want my proper good morning kiss and hug. You left without telling me goodbye this morning." Arizona said, holding her arms out for her wife.
"I kissed you goodbye, you just didn't know it." Callie turned and hugged her wife. "I didn't have the heart to wake you, I know you still had to be tired."
"I was." She said, capturing her wife's lips in a slow kiss. "Good morning."
"Morning." Callie smiled, brushing her nose against the blondes before kissing her again.
After lunch Callie cleaned up the kitchen, the couple headed off to spend a little time at the graveyard where Timothy was laid to rest. To say Callie was a little nervous was an understatement. She had witnessed her wife upset over her brother numerous times, but this time she thought it would be different and she didn't know what to expect. Pulling up to the gate, she put the jeep in park and grabbed the flowers they had picked up from the florist shop downtown and handed them to her wife. "Can you give me a few minutes first?" Arizona asked, taking the flowers.
"Sure."
"Thank you." She leaned over and kissed her wife before getting out of the jeep and walking to her brothers grave. Coming upon the sight, she took a deep calm breath before laying the flowers down in front of his headstone. Cleaning the dried mud off and away from the piece, she carefully sat down in front of it.
Callie watched as the blonde walked to her brothers grave and placed the flowers they had bought. Just watching the scene caused a lump to form in her throat. She couldn't imagine how she would feel if the roles were switched and it was hers visiting her sisters grave. Getting out of the jeep, Callie leaned on the front of the cars grill, never taking her eyes off the blonde in case she needed her. Arizona had been a little more emotional since her pregnancy and she was sure she'd be upset before they left there today.
"Hey Tim." Arizona said, brushing the dirt off her brothers picture that was engraved on his headstone. "I'm sorry I've not visited in a long time." She sat back and looked up to the partly sunny sky, wondering if her brother could really hear her. It was late February with a nice winter chill in the air, but you could feel spring was just around the corner. "A lot has happened since I was last here. I don't know if you know, but I opened the clinic back up. It's doing beyond amazing, Timothy, I even opened up a surgical ward. I wish you could see it. So much has happened in my career since opening it up that you couldn't even imagine, but I won't get into that because that's not the most important news." She wiped a tear that fell from her eye. "Teddy met an amazing man and is getting married. You'd like him, he's so good to her. He reminds me of you by the way he treats her. You really knew how to treat a lady, which you and dad taught me fairly well or so my wife thinks." She smiled. "That's right I said wife." She chuckled. "I finally found her and you'd be surprised who it is." Arizona continued to talk to her brother about how her and Callie had met.
Callie stayed behind for over ten minutes as she let her wife have some private time alone. Deciding she had gave the blonde enough space, she started making her way closer.
"And now, we've been married for a year and a half." Arizona said, hoping her brother was listening. "And I have even better news. We're having a baby. That's right." She smiled. She could imagine her brothers surprised face. "I said a baby, but I can still do you one better. I am the one that's seven months pregnant. And if you were here, right now is the time I would try to help you pick your jaw up off the ground" She said, getting lost in thought about how things would be if he were here to see her life. "I'm sorry about that day, Tim. I wish things happened differently, but I guess everything happens a for a reason." She said, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "I miss you... ever single day." She let out a whimper before hearing footsteps come up behind her.
"Hey." Callie whispered, coming up behind her wife, not knowing she was crying until she heard her sniff. "Oh baby." She quickly sat beside her wife and pulled her into her arms. "It's okay." She whispered as she cradled her crying wife in her arms and rocked her. She felt kind of awkward, like she should say something to Tim or about him but she didn't know. "Hey, Timothy." She said, just deciding to go with it. "It's me, Callie." She said, as she rock her wife in her arms. "It's been a very long time." She kissed her wife on her head. "I'm.." She sighed. "I'm not good at this.. but I want you to know you don't have to worry about your sister." She said, running her hands through her wife's hair, trying to sooth her. "I promise.. she's in good hands."
"Don't get jealous that I got the girl Tim." Arizona hugged her wife.
They sat there for a little while longer as they reminisced about the first time Callie had met her brother and then Arizona told her wife a few stories of when they were younger. They hadn't noticed that more than thirty minutes had passed until Callie saw the blonde let out a loud yawn.
"You getting tired?" Callie asked her.
"No. You know how crying can get you." Arizona sat up out of her wife's embrace.
"Yeah."
"You ready to go?" She asked her, trying to stand.
"Yeah." Callie stood up and brushed the back of her pants off as her wife huffed. "Let me help you." She laughed, watching her wife try to stand.
"I'm as big as a house." She grumbled.
"Yeah, but at least you're cute." Callie said, helping her up.
"You're so mean."
"Yeah, but I'm good to you." She kissed her on the cheek. "I know it's a chilly day, but how about we have some frozen yogurt on the pier before we head home?"
"You are." Arizona agreed. "And that sounds good." She said, takin her wife's hand. Running her free hand over her brothers headstone.
"Bye Timothy." Callie shyly said.
"Bye Timbo. I promise I'll be back soon and I'll even bring your niece, so you can see her." Arizona kissed her hand and then placed it back on the headstone before walking back to the car with her wife.