A/N: I'll admit the premier sort of took the wind out of this story for a minute, but now I've got it back. As usual, I'll just ignore the show and write my own thing.
"Dr Karev, I didn't know that you had a child." Dr James says when she spots him leaving the hospital with Sofia in his arms.
"Oh Dr James, I didn't realize that you were still here." He replies. "Oh and this isn't my kid, this is Sofia, Callie and Arizona's kid."
"Oh really? Well Sofia you are a very pretty girl. Just like your Moms." Tori says speaking to the young girl.
Hiding her face in Alex's neck, Sofia softly says thank you.
"Sorry, she's a little shy and quite tired. I, uh need to get her to bed." He explains.
"Well nice to meet you Sofia and good night Dr Karev." She says as he turns to leave.
Deciding that she's not quite ready to return to her hotel room, Tori turns abruptly and heads up the stairs.
"Hello." Tori says entering the blonde's room carefully checking to make sure she's alone.
"Oh, Tori, hello." Arizona says still a little out of it from the surgery.
"Wow, you've had quite the day. I gather this surgery was pending, it's a part of the Wounded Warrior project, right?" She asks.
"Yeah, Dr Shepherd and Dr Torres had a breakthrough this morning on another case. They've held off on implanting my sensors because they had yet to isolate the neuropathway needed for me to be able to control the prosthetic. Each amputation affects the neuropathways differently and brain mapping for these sensors is still incomplete. In this mornings procedure, they were exploring new pathways and found one that they thought would work for me. So they decided to go ahead and implant the sensors." Arizona explains.
"Fascinating. And you weren't worried about undergoing this experimental procedure on your brain?" Tori asks.
"Are you kidding, I was terrified. But I trust Amelia and Callie completely." She says confidently, wincing a little.
"Does your head hurt? It look like you have a morphine pump, if you're in pain, you should use it, you know?" Tori points out to the blonde. Surgeons are a stubborn bunch, she thinks.
Reaching over to grab the button, Arizona pushes it and closes her eyes to let it take effect.
Watching, Tori decides to continue the conversation to distract her. "Shepherd and Torres are impressive. I've been reading up on this project all day and I observed your implantation." Tori informs her, "I just can't imagine... Let me just say, it was very impressive. Amelia is nothing like her brother, but then she's exactly like him."
"I know what you mean." Arizona says and smiles.
The morphine is taking affect, Tori can tell, so she moves to a safe topic, "Your daughter is beautiful, I just ran into Karev on the way out." Tori explains.
"She's looks so much like Calliope, it, uh, freaks me out sometimes." Arizona admits, probably talking more freely now that the medicine has kicked in.
Laughing softly to herself, Tori smiles. "I never pegged you for one to have a child, Arizona."
"Yeah? Me either. But then maybe you haven't been in love. Tori, have you? Have you been in love really?" Arizona asks. Getting no response, Arizona continues talking, "I thought that I had, I thought that what was her name, Sonya? Sandra? Oh come on, you dated her after me, what was her name?" Arizona asks the other blonde.
"Steph, Stephanie. You know maybe I should leave, you're a little bit..." Tori begins to leave.
"Oh come on, we're friends now right? Any way, I was saying Stephanie, I thought I was in love with her, but when I met Calliope, I realized that I had never been in love. She's fricking amazing. Do you know that she made cartilage in the lab? She single-handedly saved multiple pro athlete's careers." Arizona says completing her little rant.
"Well, it's obvious that you're still in love with her." Tori observes.
"Tori, how could I not be, have you met her?" Arizona counters dreamily.
"Hey, what's going on in here?" Amelia asks entering the room and giving Tori the side eye.
"I'm just visiting an old friend." Tori explains.
"Amelia!" Arizona exclaims when she looks over and sees her friend. "You're beautiful. I mean really beautiful."
"You've been hitting the morphine pump a little hard, we may need to scale that back." Amelia teases.
"Is everything alright?" Callie asks entering the room, concerned when she see both James and Shepherd with Arizona.
"I'm fine Calliope. Come here." Arizona replies patting the bed beside her.
"Okay, so I'm going to head out ladies, good night. Dr Torres, you have a great evening." Tori says as she leaves the room.
"What was that about?" Callie asks sitting down on the bed beside Arizona. Then suddenly she feels the blonde pulling her down, "Arizona what are you doing?"
"Kiss me. I missed you." She says smiling at the brunette.
"Amelia come here, there's something wrong." Callie says freaking out by Arizona's attention.
"Callie, there's nothing wrong. Everyone is affected differently by anesthesia. Apparently, she's affectionate when medicated." Amelia explains, checking her pupils just to be safe. "I'm going to go now." she says as Arizona pulls Callie down so she can kiss her.
"Great." Callie says, then she turns to give the blonde a quick peck.
"I love you." Arizona says pulling Callie in closer.
"I, uh, I love you too." Callie says a little uncomfortably. What the hell is going on? She wonders. Is this really just the anesthesia?
"Why don't you come here, I want you closer." Arizona says pulling on the brunette's arm.
Acquiescing, Callie lays down beside her and Arizona puts her head on her shoulder. "Much better." She says happily.
Turning her head, Callie looks at the blonde in repose. She's so beautiful, reaching up, she moves a strand of hair away from her face and the blonde reaches up and captures her hand. Resting it on her stomach, intertwining their fingers.
The closeness makes Callie tremble nervously. The two of them haven't been this close in over a year, and now she feels so much as Arizona pulls her closer and curls up into her, kissing her neck in her sleep. Closing her eyes, Callie tries to calm her breathing and just relax. Obviously, Arizona needs this comfort, so she decides to just go with it. As soon as she's asleep, I'll slip out and she'll never know. She won't have to know. Callie tells herself.
It's the light that wakes her up, then it's the realization that someone is staring at her. Opening an eye, Callie realizes that Arizona is awake and it's morning.
"Oh god, Arizona. I'm sorry. I fell asleep." Callie says sitting up.
"I thought that I was dreaming," Arizona says softly, tucking an arm behind her head, then realizing that she still has bandages on her head.
"You, ah, you asked me to lay down with you. Last night, you..." Callie says hoping to explain.
"I remember. Calliope, thank you for being here. I guess, the anesthesia removed my filter." Arizona admits embarrassed. "I, uh, I just... oh god, Tori was here. I said some things to her too."
Smiling at the blonde, Callie starts to laugh.
"It's not funny. Oh god, this is embarrassing." Arizona says quietly. "What did I say to Amelia?" She asks a little panicked.
"You told her she was beautiful, that's all I heard." Callie says still a little amused by the unusually reserved Arizona suddenly without a filter. "I was worried, I thought you were having a stroke or something."
"No one else was here, right. I don't remember anyone else. Oh wait, Alex and Sofia were here." Arizona remembers.
"Yes, but you were fine when they were here. I think maybe you hit the morphine pump and it interacted with the anesthesia that was still in your system. I've never seen you react to anesthesia or morphine like that before." Callie reminds her.
"Oh right, that must be it." Arizona replies considering what Callie has said. "Thank you again for staying. I hope you weren't too uncomfortable."
"Actually, I had expected to leave once you were asleep." Callie admits, standing up and stretching. "But I slept right through the night. Can I get you anything?"
"No, I should be released this morning right? Then when can I get fitted with the prosthetic?" Arizona asks.
"Whoa, hold up." Callie says. Then glancing out the door, she spots Amelia and Dr James talking. "Oh crap."
"What? What's wrong?" Arizona asks worried.
"Nothing, it's just that Amelia and Dr James are on their way in and I obviously just spent the night here." Callie says embarrassed.
"Hey, good morning Callie, Arizona." Amelia says smiling broadly at the two women. "How was your night?" She pauses as she looks at Callie, then turns like she was asking Arizona the question.
"It was good. I slept great. Can I be released now?" Arizona asks impatiently.
"Well, I need to consult with your ortho doc. Oh, Dr Torres, I didn't see you there. What do you think? Is our patient ready to be released?" Amelia asks trying not to laugh at her own joke.
Behind her Tori has to smile, Amelia Shepherd is hilarious and handling this quite well. The two women are obviously embarrassed, so she's teasing them but still being professional.
Hearing Tori's soft laughter, Amelia turns around, "Oh Dr James, Arizona, Dr James asked to observe your exam this morning, is that okay with you?"
"It's fine." Arizona says scooting to the side of the bed.
"Hey wait, where are you going." Callie says moving in front of the blonde. "You're not cleared to stand yet. Shepherd, get over here and do the neuro exam."
Amelia puts a hand on the blonde's shoulder and begins the exam. Carefully observing her and noting each response.
"Lay down, Arizona." Amelia says seriously, then over her shoulder to Dr James, she says. "Dr James, would you please step out in the hall and tell the nurse at the desk to bring in an EEg." Then moving back to Arizona's side, Amelia says, "I need you to relax and stay calm. You're blood pressure is a little high, so let's practice some biofeedback and get that down, you can do that for me right?" Amelia asks the blonde.
"What the hell is going on?" Callie asks worriedly.
"Amelia, what's going on?" Meredith asks pushing the EEg machine into the room.
"I think one of the sensors has slipped and is pressing on her optic nerve." Amelia says as Meredith moves over to examine the blonde. "See?" she says pointing the light in so the other doctor can see what she's seeing.
"How is the EEg going to help?" Callie asks.
"If the sensors are where they are supposed to be, then it won't be much help, if one has slipped, then it will show us which one. I'm pretty sure I know which one, but I want to check them all before we move her." Amelia explains.
Meredith has the machine all set up and Amelia begins to check each sensor. Two of them have slipped.
"This doesn't make any sense, Callie she slept through the night. Didn't get up or anything right?" Amelia confirms.
"No, she was in bed the whole time. It's a small bed, we didn't move. Basically, we woke up in the same position that we fell asleep in." Callie explains, no longer concerned that anyone knows.
"Okay, well we need to take you back to the OR, Arizona you'll be awake the whole time, so I can talk to you, okay?" Amelia explains to her.
"Yes, but Amelia do you know why they moved?" Arizona asks her.
"It has happened before, but it doesn't happen often. I'm not sure. This is new technology and I don't have to tell you what that means. But you know that if there was a real problem, I would tell you. Right?" Amelia says looking her right in the eyes.
As Meredith and Amelia take Arizona back to the OR, Dr James walks over to Callie and says, "Dr Torres why don't we go get you some coffee while they are prepping her for the procedure." She can only imagine that the brunette is confused and worried.
"Uh, okay. Yeah, if you don't mind. I'd like to go freshen up and I'll meet you there." Callie says backing down the hall.
"Hey, I tried to call you. I just dropped Sofia off at daycare." Alex says when he sees Callie enter the locker room. Then looking up he stares at her a moment, "Dude what's going on? You look like crap."
"I, uh, stayed here last night and Amelia is taking Arizona back into surgery, the sensors shifted. I just need to... " her voice trails off and she sits down stunned. "I can't lose her Alex. Fuck, why did I talk her into doing this?" Callie says putting her head in her hands.
"You didn't talk her into anything Torres. You, of all people know that she is stubborn as hell and doesn't let anyone talk her into things. She made this decision on her own. What did Amelia say? Has this happened before? You've done this procedure, what like four or five times? It's new technology, this stuff happens." He says calmly. "Now what do you need in here? Fresh scrubs?" He says going over and picking out a pair and tossing them to her. "Change, brush your hair and your teeth. I'll be right back."
In the hall he takes his phone out of his pocket and calls Jo. "Hey can you do rounds for me? Arizona's going back into surgery, there's a problem with her sensors and I've got to be with Torres, she's a freaking mess." He explains.
"Hey, hey can I see your tablet a moment." He asks flagging done one of the new interns, that he hasn't bothered to learn his name yet. Handing it back to the nameless intern, he turns back around and goes into the locker room. "You decent Torres?" He calls out.
"Yes, let's go. What OR is she in." Callie asks leading the way.
"She's in four." Alex says as they get in the elevator.
Callie nods, then pulls out her scrub cap and puts up her hair and ties it on.
"Oh no you don't Torres. You're not scrubbing in on this one. It's not Ortho, it's neuro. Meredith is in there with her." He says stepping in front of her as the elevator doors open.
"MOVE Karev!" She says loudly. "You don't want to piss me off right now." She adds firmly.
"Callie, listen to me. Amelia has this and Meredith is in there with Arizona, she's not alone. I know she's scared, but dude you'll freak her out if you're in there, she'll worry about you and that is not what she needs to be doing in there." Alex speaks rapidly trying to get her to listen.
"Dr Torres, I was waiting for you." Dr James says joining Alex at the elevator. She overheard everything and understands that they need to keep her out of that OR. "I got your coffee, black like you asked." Tori continues to act like nothing is wrong. "Why don't you come out of the elevator?" She says reaching out to the brunette and taking her hand. Glancing at Alex, she nods at him to go ahead.
He finally understands and rushes ahead to stand in front of the door to the OR.
Tori continues to ask Callie questions as they walk and Callie begins to relax as she talks about the project. She even takes a sip of her coffee. As she calms down, she glances over at Alex still blocking the door and says, "It's okay Alex, I get it. I'm not going in, but can we at least go into the gallery so we know what's going on?"
As they enter the gallery, they are surprised to hear the three women chatting about the kids as Amelia makes the adjustments. Ever so often they do a check with Arizona, but otherwise they are just calm and chatting. Callie sits with her mouth open slightly, amazed that everything is okay.
After a few more minutes, Amelia looks up to the gallery and waves at them and gives them a thumbs up.
Still in shock that nothing bad happened, Callie looks over at Alex. "Thanks Alex, I kind of lost it there for a minute. You're right everything is fine. Go ahead, you're missing your rounds." She adds.
Looking over at Dr James, he shrugs and asks, "You got her?"
"Yes, I've got her." Tori replies to him.
"I guess I owe you thanks as well. You don't even know me, so I really appreciate your assistance today." Callie says a little embarrassed.
"Dr Torres, every surgeon can relate to this situation. No one wants to see their loved ones going under the knife, even if they'd trust the surgeon with their own life." Tori says softly.
"Arizona and I, we, uh aren't together." Callie says trying to explain.
"From what I've seen, you're not exactly not together either." She replies, "I get it Torres, it's complicated. Women are complicated, relationships are complicated, so put that together and it's as complicated as it can get."