I can't move. I'm stuck in this bed staring at the ceiling forced to think. Think about what Erica is up too, how she found out where I used to lived and still know that I use it. When it comes to killing I don't use credit cards, cash only. That apartment is paid for in cash, and is not listed. It doesn't even have phone number. I admit I'm a monster and I have the tendency to be paranoid, I went through my apartment with a fine tooth comb. Nothing was moved or taken. She was only there to leave me that picture, but why my apartment? Is she trying to scare to me, let me know that my secret isn't really secret? I know for a fact that it is working, she knows that I still have and use my old apartment. One slip of her tongue around the nurses or x-ray technician, and it will be a matter of seconds before I have an angry Calliope on my hands.
Enough about me, I should move on to more important things. Like the pictures she has been sending me. I think it is safe to assume that this woman is either died, or no longer useful to whatever Erica is doing. Now she has moved on this boy, boy is the key word. I don't like when adults target children for their crimes. She knows more about me than I want anyone to know, Calliope included, so this has to be apart of some plan she has. Maybe she is hoping I get too hot headed and make stupid mistakes that expose the real me.
Erica seems to be stepping up her game so it's time for me to do the same, but how? I give out a frustrating sigh, which causes Callie's grip around waist to grow tighter. She has turned me into her own personal body pillow. Her head is resting on my chest with her left arm draped around my waist and her left leg is nuzzled perfectly between my legs. I was joking early when I said I couldn't move. Even if I could move I know I would be sore in muscles that I'm sure I never thought I used. When it comes to sex Callie doesn't play, when she wants it she gets it. Tonight she really wanted it based off the marathon that we just had. I look over to the clock, its 3:30 in the morning. I'm in no rush to get to sleep soon tomorrow is my day off, and I get to spend it all by myself. Callie, Mark, Julie, Addison and Teddy will be at work and Sofia is going on a field trip to the Point Defiance Zoo. This means I will be spending the day doing the thing I love most, killing.
The more I watch the fan on the ceiling rotate the heavier my eyes feel. It only takes me a few minutes before sleep takes over my body.
I have been asleep for a few hours, I open my eyes when I hear the sound the of Callie's alarm going off. I lift myself up, but I'm forced to stop half way through. I look around briefly to see that I'm no longer at home in my bed with my wife. I'm in a poorly lit room, strapped to a table. It's not like how I strap people to my table with plastic wrap, my wrists are tied down at my side using rope.
There is some slack in the rope because I'm able to my arms. I began to lift up my left wrist but stop when my right wrist begins to lower to the point where it is uncomfortable. I look further down my body and see that my ankles are tied up with rope to each leg of the table.
So this is what the other half feels right before I kill them. I lower the top half of body so I'm lying back down to the table. I think this is where I differ from everyone else before me. I'm not afraid about what is going to happen to me. Death is a natural part of our life cycle. I truly don't understand what people are afraid of. I think that people should just accept the fact that at some point in your life you are going to die.
I bite my lower lip and can't help but think that who ever is going to kill isn't very tentative. I have been awake for a while and my killer hasn't shown their face. "Marco?" I say softly.
"Polo," a voice says from my left.
A smile comes to my face because I know instantly who has tied to the table, "Erica."
"Arizona," Erica's face comes into my view. She is hovering over me with a smirk on her face. "Seems like the tables have turned."
"I guess so." I avoid making eye contact with her so I'm just staring at the ceiling with her face in my peripheral vision.
"What's wrong Arizona? This isn't how you pictured yourself dying?" Erica pauses to fake like she pouting at me. "Did you think that you would grow old with Callie?"
"Me growing old with Callie is nothing but a dream for me. I know with my current path a dream is all it will ever be." I slowly move my gaze over to Erica, " I always thought my death would be me strapped to a table where I would receive a fatal dose of barbiturate, paralytic, and potassium in front of a room filled with the family members of people that I have killed."
Erica gives a light chuckle, "I don't think a room is going to cut it for when they have to deal with you. I think a theater or stadium is what you need. Someone who has been killing for 25 years doesn't have a handful kills, how people have killed now?" Erica looks off into the distance trying to think of the number of people I have killed.
"87," I reply back.
Erica just steps back amazed at how high my number is. She remains in my view as she starts to walk around the table. She is clenching her jaw and sighing repeatedly, I'm pissing her off, and I know why.
"You can sigh, pout and stomp around, but I won't give you what you."
"And what is that?" Erica hisses as she slams her hands on the table. When she does this I notice the table wobble a little. The table leg that is by my right ankle is shorter than then others.
"Fear, I'm not like everyone else. I won't sit here and start begging and crying for my life. Your going to kill me, so kill me." I hiss back in her face.
"Are you sure about that?" Erica leans in closer to me.
"I'm a psychopath with multiple personalities, forgive if I don't behave like the others, but-"
"Calliope and Sofia." Erica cuts me off, and I instantly stop talking. My heart starts to race, and palms become sweaty. My breathing starts to pick up and I can't keep a coherent thought for more than two seconds.
This was how I felt when Tim died, and when Callie and Sofia were in the hospital. My emotions for these people were what turned me into the thumbprint killer, an angry, violent person. I guess Teddy and my subconscious were right. I truly do have feelings for Callie. I can't just leave them. They need me as much as I need them.
Erica chuckles, "Callie Torres, your kryptonite." Erica brings a knife that she has been holding into view. "Maybe I should go get Callie and kill her right in front of you."
It's my turn to clench my jaw in anger. "She'll beg for life, I bet she will even scream your name hoping that you will save her." My hands curl up into a fist, and the more she talks about Callie the tighter my grip becomes. She is still talking but I can't hear her because I'm too furious.
"You know what as much as I would love to kill Callie in front of you I won't. Mainly because I have the urge to kill, and I have you right here right now." Erica's voices breaks through my haze.
Erica's face is hovering over me, and all I do is offer her a light smile before I whisper to her. "I don't think so."
She doesn't get the chance to question my statement, before I lift my head, head butting her. She drops her knife and grabs her face. All her body is suddenly by the right leg of table. When I see this I add as much pressure as I can and soon the table leg snaps and we both fall to the floor. I don't know how it happened but I somehow get my wrists out of their restraints. My legs are still tangled in the rope but if I have my hands I know I hold on long enough until I get them untangled.
I mange to sit up, but its only long enough to see Erica grab the knife and lunge at me. I can't move that quickly because my legs are still tangled in the rope. I put my hands out and grab Erica's wrists, which stops her from stabbing me immediately. The knife is right in front if my face and together we push against each other at a stalemate.
"What's the matter Arizona you don't want to welcome death anymore? You don't have to worry about Callie, I will be there to pick up the mess you left behind." Erica says a little winded as she pushes down against the knife with more force.
"There won't be a mess to pick up because you're the one whose going to die." I say back as I push up against the knife with more force as well.
The little extra push I put on the knife causes it to slip out of Erica's hands. I give her a questioning look when she doesn't go for knife but instead proceeds to pin my hands above my head.
"Arizona, stop."
I ignore her and fight to move my wrist out of her grip, but the more I fight the tighter her grip becomes. It takes me a few minutes to realize that all of her attention is focused on my upper body and not my lower body. I use this to my advantage by kneeing Erica in the stomach. This works because she backs up off me as I make a reach for the knife.
"Arizona!"
Since I was so focused on making sure that Erica didn't stab me in the face, my legs are still tangled. So yet again Erica bets me to the knife, but this time she elbows me in the head and stabs me in the stomach. I feel a quick pinch and my warm blood flow out onto my stomach and then onto the floor.
My eyes snap open and I'm back in my apartment. I'm stark naked tangled up in the sheets drenched in sweat on the floor. My alarm clock is on shoulder and the glass of water that Callie got last night before we went to sleep is all over my stomach.
Callie is sitting up against the bed holding her stomach and biting her lips. "Calliope, I hurt you." I scramble to her side.
"No, my fine." She says through her teeth.
"That's not what your face says. I hit you. Let me see." I say as I try to move her hands away from her stomach.
"Actually you kneed me, and I swear Arizona I'm fine." Callie moves her hands to grab mine. I stop what I'm doing and look at her. "You want to make it to me?"
I eagerly shake my head. She stands up and together we get back in bed where I spend the rest of the morning showing her how sorry I really am.
It's 11:30 when we make our way downstairs. "Your mother called me last night as I was leaving the hospital. She will be here for Sofia's birthday party but she's not sure about The Colonel. He is working on one last case before his retirement." Callie pauses for a moment and starts playing her necklace something she only does when she is nervous. "So I was thinking."
"Yeah," I say in a long dry tone.
"How cool would it be if we picked up your mom from the airport and took her to our new house. You know the very last one we saw yesterday."
I close my eyes and groan lightly, "Callie."
Callie stops and faces me. She does a small bounce and bits on both her top and bottom lips while giving me the sad puppy dog eyes. "Please, I know you liked that house just as much as me."
"I did, but still we have to worry about the owners getting crazy about the price and the after that we have to pass inspections which takes weeks not days. Then we have painting, finding new carpets and furniture for the other rooms. Not to mention that was the first day, you could find something else when we go again."
Callie's eyes grow wider with defeat and I instantly feel like an asshole. "You're right, it was just wishful thinking on my part. Enjoy your day off on your boat." Callie leans in and gives me kiss before she goes over to the hospital.
I watch as she enters the hospital and sigh to myself. So happy I don't have to work today because I know Mark and Addison would make day a living hell. Scratch that it's Taco Tuesday and family game night, so Addison and Mark will be at our apartment along with Teddy and Julie. Well at least I only have to put up with them for a few hours, plus I can hide around Teddy.
I get into my car and start to drive to downtown Seattle for one last item that I will use on Adriana tonight.
I have spent the past two driving all around downtown Seattle for my last prop that I want to use on Adriana tonight, but I can't seem to find it anywhere. Either the shop doesn't sell it or they are all sold out, who knew that people took great interest in cutting people in half.
I really wanted to spend some time on my boat before I met up with Adriana, but it looks like I won't get that chance. When it comes to killing I can't just rush through it because that is when mistakes are made, and I can't afford to make any mistakes.
Seattle's Market's Magic Shop is the last magic store on my list. If they don't have what I'm looking for, Adriana will find herself strapped to a table in plastic wrap inside of a large box.
Like all the other magic shops I have been too this afternoon the room is painted black and has very little lighting. I look around briefly before a man with long red hair and a beard greet me. He is about the same height as me, but is a little on heavy side.
"Afternoon, can I help you look for something?" he says with a soft smile.
I smile back and look around briefly before I met his gaze, "my sister is getting into the whole magic thing after spending sometime in Las Vegas, and for a birthday present I want to get her The Goldin's Box."
The man, Andrew, according to his nametag shakes his head and smiles some more as he turns around and walks towards the back of store. "Good trick, next to the card tricks that has to be my next favorite trick." I follow him until he goes through an open door that is for employee only. I wait outside the door for a few minutes before Andrew comes back with a large box that I can only assume is The Goldin's Box.
"Anything else you think she might need? Some cards or coins maybe?" Andrew asks as we make our way to the cash register.
I pretend to think for a moment before I shake my head no. "She is really good with cards and coins, she's looking to up her game a little bit."
"This will sure up her game." Andrew pauses of a minute and smiles to himself. "I wish I had a sister like you. Accepting about that fact that your sibling wants to be a magician."
"Everybody has dreams, she was there to help fulfill mine so I can at least be there to help with hers."
Andrew looks down briefly before he looks up to me again, "can I take you out to dinner sometime. I mean someone as pretty and accepting like you hardly ever come around, and I will kick myself later if I didn't ask you out."
"Sorry, but you are about 5 years too late." I hold up hand to show him my wedding ring.
He just shakes his head and starts to ring up order with a look of defeat in his eyes. "Your total is $235.34, are your going to paying with cash or credit?"
"Cash," I hand him $250, and not soon after he gives me my change.
It takes me a few minutes of trial and error before I fit the box in back of my Range Rover. With my box I go set up it in the kill room with takes me another hour. It's two thirty when I look at my watch. That allows me about 2 hours on my boat before I met up with Adriana. After I leave the marquee I head over to the marina, but stop at Chipotle and pick lunch. I know it's Taco Tuesday and Callie makes good tacos but I love Chipotle just as much.
My two hours on my boat in the middle of the Puget Sound fly by because before I know it, I'm changing on my boat in my traditional 'kill' outfit. It's nothing special really, I have a tight black long sleeve shirt so if my victim decides to fight back there is nothing baggy or loose for them to grab on to or rip off. Then I have a black pair of straight-legged jeans. I tried the slim fit jeans, and they don't work right when it comes to killing. They limit my maneuverability, a lot. Black high top converses for shoes and you can't forget latex gloves.
I pull up to Doctor Jose Rizal Park and put the Range Rover in park, and wait a few minutes for Adriana. I see her round the corner in yoga pants and a green tank top. A smile comes to my face when I realize how easy she is making this for me. She is looking around the parking lot for me so I flash my high beams to get her attention.
"Wow, Allison nice car." She says as she looks around and starts to play with my navigation system. "What do you do?"
"I'm the head of neurosurgery at Seattle Presbyterian."
"Smart, beautiful, and rich." Adriana leans in and I feel her hands start to draw random shapes all over my thighs. She leans in closer and kisses my neck for a few seconds before she moves upwards to nibble and suck on my ear.
Along with sex in general I never understood what people find so fascinating about the ear. I mean Callie likes it, but mean come on its an ear. What is so sexually arousing about an ear? Maybe you have to be a sexual person to really understand it, and I am definitely not a sexual person. I'm saying that Callie was my first girlfriend because she's not, but when it came to dating I had the tendency to choose women who were emotionally scarred or damaged. That way I didn't have to worry about the whole sex thing in a relationship because they didn't want it and neither did I. I only dated them so I could appear normal. Since I have been Callie, my perspective on sex has changed a little bit. I find it more enjoyable than I once did, and I find myself every now and then being the one who initiates the sex between us.
Adriana's hands undoing my pants is what snaps me out of my thoughts. "You know Adriana, you are beautiful too." I grab her hands and hold on to them. "But I'm not too sure about you being smart."
"Oh come on, Allison. We know each other, and if you are so worried about getting caught don't be. Nobody knows I'm here with you. I mean it's not like your going kill me or anything." Adriana chuckles a little before she passes out with her head on my chest.
I push her over to the passenger side on car, while grinning at her. I start the car and drive over to the marquee, and place Adriana body in The Goldin Box. Since it's Taco Tuesday I don't use the normal amount of M99 on Adriana. I'm only sitting on the edge of the stage for an hour reading the obituaries of her spouses when I hear Adriana go from groaning to screaming.
I stand up and turn around to face her, to see her looking at me pleading with her eyes. "Good you finally woke up, I was just about to start the show." I walk over to her and grab her big toe and wiggle it slightly. Can you move your toes?"
Adriana lets out a scream the best she can since she has duct tape over her mouth. "I didn't think you could. The tranquilizer is slowly wearing off. I think you'll be paralyzed for another hour, which is good for me not so much for you though."
I walk up to the top half of her body, "I think you are somewhat familiar with my next trick, but I should tell you that I changed it a little bit. I took away your secret compartment, this next trick is going to be for real." I take my scalpel and cut into her cheek and take a few drops of her blood.
I hold my new slide up in the light and take a few seconds to enjoy my new trophy before I look back down at Adriana. "I guess you could say my next trick is simple, what you see is what you get." I grip the table below Adriana and move it so she can see the table that I set up while she was passed out. There are three different pictures each from her wedding along with the obituaries of each spouse. "Unlike you," I whisper in her ear before I pull the duct tape off her mouth.
"You used them and then you threw them away." I turn around and walk over to the table where my knife set is and put trophy next to my set.
"Whatever, they were going to retire early and blow through all that money anyway! So what if they died early in life, it happens to the best of us" Adriana yells.
I pick up a chainsaw from the floor and turn back around to face Adriana. "And now you're going to die at an early age too."
Adriana's eyes grow wide, and soon she starts to plea and beg for me to let her go. "Please. Please don't this. I'll fuck you if you let me go."
"But this is so much more fun." I counter back with a smile on my face.
"Please, Allison. I won't tell anyone, not even your husband."
I shake my head no, "I don't have a husband. Technically I'm not really married. I don't let people get too close to me, I can be dangerous."
"You know what? Fuck you Allison, you have no right to judge me. You lied to me, you brought me here, and you're the one holding the fucking chainsaw while I'm strapped inside this box."
"You've right I am the one holding the chainsaw." I sit the chainsaw down next to me while I grab a large cotton ball and some duct tape. "And now it is time for my trick." I put the cotton ball in her mouth and then put the tape over her mouth. "I'm going to make you disappear." I say to her before I pick up the chainsaw and cut her in half.
I'm able to shave a few minutes off the time it takes to deconstruct my kill room because I have a chainsaw. Instead of taking me two hours it takes me an hour and thirty minutes. Adriana in her watery grave, kill tools and trophy properly put away, I take a quick shower and change before I head home to Taco Tuesday and family game night.
A smile comes to face when I'm halfway down the hall heading towards our apartment. The closer I get to the door the stronger the smell of tacos. When I open the door I have a light smile on my face, whether I like it or not this is my family. Callie is in the kitchen making what looks like her infamous taco ring with Julia right next to her taking notes while Mark rinses off a dish in the sink.
"Look who finally decided to join us," Mark says with a smile.
"Good evening to you too Mark, did you have a nice day at work?" I shoot back with a playful smile, and he does the same.
I walk over Callie and wrap my arms around her and kiss her lightly on the neck. "Hey you."
Callie smiles and wipes her hands before she turns around to face me, "Hey hun." Callie leans in for kiss. "How was your day off?"
"It was very nice, but I missed you."
"Mmm, I missed you too." Callie kisses me again, but then stops and backs away as grabs and pinches my stomach. My face contorts in pain as I look her in the eye. Her facial expression has changed from sweet and loving to stern. "I didn't say that dinner was ready, so put the nacho back on plate."
"Or else what?" I say challenging her.
"Or she'll cut you." Addison says as Teddy and her come out from the guest bathroom and join us in the kitchen. I look over to Addison to see her hold up her hand. "Dinner is in twenty minutes so I would just put the chip down."
I give Addison a few more minutes to come up with a sly remark but it doesn't come. I know Sofia is somewhere around us but that stop Addison from making fun of me she's just more secretive about it in front of her.
I smile at her and Callie before I put the chip back on the plate and slowly walk away, and go over to living room with Teddy. We sit on the couch when Sofia comes running out of her room. "MOMMY!"
"Baby girl," Sofia climbs up into my lap and kisses me on the cheek and I do the same. "How was your day at the zoo?"
"Awsome!"
I smile at her mispronunciation of the word. "Well let me hear all about it."
"Not yet mommy. I'm saving the story for the dinner."
For twenty minutes Teddy and I play with Sofia and her Barbie dolls until Callie calls us to the dinner table. Callie and I sit at the heads of the table while Julia and Mark sit on one side and Addison and Teddy sit on the other. Sofia as much as she hates it sits next to Callie.
Dinner goes by fast, Sofia tells us all about her trip and there is some small hospital talk as well. The food was delicious like always plus Callie made our favorite dessert, funfetti cake. Like every time Callie cooks there are no leftovers, we all help clean the table and kitchen before she sit down and play Sorry! It's Callie's turn this week to be by herself. Julia and Mark were the green players, Addison and Teddy were the red players, Sofia and I were blue players and Callie was yellow.
We played until it is was time to put Sofia to bed, after that slowly one by one everyone left. I enjoy nights like this one. Spending time with my 'family' having a nice dinner and then playing a board game, I find it quite relaxing.
Once everyone has gone home, we clean up the coffee mugs and extra cake plates before we go to our room. The moment my head hits the pillow I fall into a dreamless sleep.
When I wake up the next morning it is just Sofia and I in the apartment. Callie got paged in the middle of the night and hasn't come home since, which means she will be at the hospital till the end of her shift at 5.
A typical morning with just Sofia and I is pretty much Callie's worst nightmare. Sofia and I lounge around the house in our underwear, I drink my coffee reading the paper while Sofia drinks her chocolate milk flipping through the pages of one of her Disney books. After that I make breakfast, scrambled eggs with some toast and fruit. We always eat it on the floor in the living room watching a few episodes of Scooby Doo. Once breakfast is done I give Sofia a bath and let her play in her playpen while I take a shower and get ready.
Sofia's not really a morning person like Callie, so I have to carry her to the hospital daycare. I say goodbye before I go upstairs to the attending's lounge. I just finish putting on my scrubs when my phone goes off. I don't even look at the caller ID and just answer the phone. "Hello."
"Hi, Mrs. Robbins, its Jeremy your real estate agent."
"Hey Jeremy, what's up?"
"Well I wanted to call and apologize for taking so long about telling you what the owner said about your offer. The owner was out of town on vacation, but he accepted your offer. Kind of makes me think we could have gone lower on the price with how fast they accepted."
I just give a heavy sigh. Of course I could have gotten it for cheaper. "Yeah that would have been nice, but at least we got the house."
"True. I'm about to set up times for the inspections is there a time frame we are looking at here?" Jeremy asks.
"Actually I had one in mind, and I think you're might hate me for it."
"Try me."
"Do you think you can get everything done by next Friday, I have a surprise in mind but I need the house to be ready first" I say biting my lower lip as I move more slowly now.
There is a long pause before Jeremy talks again. "I can see what I can do. I won't promise anything just yet because I know the main issue will be getting the water turned on in time for the inspection." There is another pause with a small sigh before he continues. "Let me work my magic and if something comes up I'll let you know."
"Thanks Jeremy, you're the best." I say as I hang up the phone.
I grab my lab coat and walk out of the lounge. As I walk back downstairs and go to the coffee cart, I groan inwardly when I see Addison and Mark the only two people by the cart. I start to walk up to the cart when I sense someone to my right. I look over to see Teddy right next to me. "Based off the gossip I heard yesterday you're going to need some moral support."
"Great," I say under my breath.
Together Teddy and I walk up to the coffee cart, "guys," we say in unison with a small head nod, and they greet us back the same way.
"Morning Dr. Robbins and Dr. Altman, the usual?" Kathryn says.
"Yes, and a vanilla latte too." I respond.
The four of us stand in silence, which is a little awkward, but leave it to Mark to be the first to break the silence between us. "So Arizona, why did you want to be a pediatric surgeon? I know it can't be because you love kids because you stomp on people's dreams in a heartbeat."
Here we go. I drop my head and let out a sigh. I'm about to say something, but then out of nowhere Addison actually comes to my defense. "Give it a rest Mark, they are house hunting and Arizona is right. Your not going to find your dream house on the first day."
Addison's niceness doesn't go unnoticed because Mark, Teddy, and myself are staring at her intently. Who is this and what has she done with Addison?
"That's not what you yesterday." Mark counters with a complex look wonder too why Addison changed.
Addison looked over to Teddy and I and blushed a little bit before answering. "Well I didn't really get the chance to say anything yesterday because Callie spent the whole day venting to us."
We enter into another round of awkward silence. "Aright one vanilla latte and chi tea latte for you Dr. Robbins. A caramel macchiato for Dr. Altman and Dr. Montgomery, and a vanilla latte for Dr. Sloan." Kathryn comes and saves the day.
We say our goodbyes and together Teddy and I walk upstairs. Teddy leaves me behind when I get off on the third floor for ortho looking for Callie. I spend several minutes looking for her with no luck. "Hey Colleen have you seen Callie anywhere?"
"Yeah you just miss her. She went upstairs to Cardio for a consult."
I flash Colleen a bright smile and wink before I go upstairs. As I walk the hallways of Cardio I look into each room hoping to find Callie and after the fifth room I find her. The nurse's station is right outside of the room she is in so I set her latte on table and lean against it while drinking mine.
Out of habit I put my right hand in my pocket and feel something sharp poke my fingers. I grab the object to see that it is another picture. It's the same kid as the night before. This time it is of him playing soccer. I take a closer look at the picture to see that it is clearer than her other pictures and looks like there was some editing done to it.
I am so engrossed in the picture I don't even realize that Callie is by my side until it is too late. "Oh please tell me that is for me." Callie reaches for coffee next to me.
My head snaps up and it takes me second to form a smile. "Of course it's for you who else would I get coffee for?"
Callie take sip and closes her eyes for a brief second, "mmm, I needed this." She takes another sip, "whose that in the picture."
I look down at the picture for a moment before I look back up to Callie. "A patient I had a few mouths ago, John. He had cancer, but Alex and I were able to find it and move it just in time. And now he is on the soccer team, I was going to put on our success wall later on this afternoon."
Callie takes the picture out of my hand looks at it more closely, "What sport do think Sofia will want to play when she gets older? Probably softball like her Mama."
I tilt my head to side and squint my eyes for a second. "Or she could play soccer like her mommy." I smile at Callie, who smiles back.
"Your both wrong, she's going to play volleyball like her aunt Teddy."
We both turn around and see Teddy grinning at us from behind the nurse's station. She just shrugs at us, "I'm just sayin.'"
"She could be a cheerleader like Addison." Callie says.
"Really?" Teddy and I say in unison to Callie.
"I get that reaction every time people find out that Addison was a cheerleader in high school and college."
"No offense but nothing about Addison says cheery." I say, and I can see out of the corner of my eye Teddy is shaking her head agreeing with me.
Callie just rolls her eyes at us.
"Or maybe she play football like her daddy." My voice drops an octave and I do fake macho pose, which gets a laugh from both Callie and Teddy.
"Dr. Altman," a nurse says handing Teddy a chart.
Teddy shakes her and starts to walk away from us. "See you later Callie, and see you at lunch Ari."
We both say goodbye to Teddy, and then Callie turns around to face me with a sigh. "First of all thank you, I really needed this. Second your going to hate me, but I don't care at the moment." Callie leans in and kisses me on the cheek. "I Love You." She whispers in my ear before she backs away. "I have to go prep for surgery," she hands the photo back to me and starts to walk down the hall.
I stay were I am and just watch Callie as she leaves the cardio wing. Correction I stare at Callie's ass until it is completely out of sight. When Callie is gone I look back down at the picture and think to myself briefly. For some reason I think that Erica is a creature of habit, so I put the picture back in pocket and turn in the opposite direction as Callie and walk further into the cardio wing.
I turn the corner to see the room that my mystery girl was staying in. The door is open and it looks empty, which could be bad as well as good. When I walk into the room I see that it occupied by the boy in my last two pictures.
I smile at him and walk over to his bed and pick up his chart. The boy sits up and looks at me, "Morning, are you another one of my doctors?" he asks.
I don't say anything for a few moments as I read his chart. 'William E. Ladd, 19, date of birth July 4 1880' Seriously, Erica's not even trying right now. This not only a slap to my face, but the hospital's as well. Using hospital time and money to do what ever it is that she is doing, makes me wonder how she hasn't gotten caught. I mean the nurse's gossip around here like it's a full time job.
"I wish I could answer that question," I give a sigh and shake my head lightly as I grab my pen from my pocket. "The intern that wrote this chart has chicken scratch for handwriting. You want to give me your name so the wrong doctor doesn't come in here and start making things worse for you."
"Yeah, that would be nice." He sits up some more. "My first name is Christopher." I pretend to write down his first name.
"And your last name?"
"Per-" Chris is cut off when Erica walks into the room.
"Alright Mr.-" Erica stops in her tracks. By the shocked look on her face I would say that I won this round.
"May I help you Dr. Robbins?" Erica steps further into the room and takes the chart from my hands.
"Well I was just about to ask you that?" she's not the only who has mastered the faked the smile. "Looks like you have peds case, and seeing how I'm the head of pediatric surgery in this hospital I just wanted to make sure Chris here get the proper medical care he needs."
"Well that is comforting to know that you care about your patients, but Chris here is not a peds case so you don't have to worry. It's that right Chris?"
"I guess." Chris looks over to Erica and then to me, "I don't really know the age cut off for pediatric care but I just turned 18 last week."
I meet Chris's eyes and give him smile, "happy birthday."
"Thanks," he says back.
"Well it's a good think that I do know the cut off limit, it's 21. So this concerns me." I'm back to looking at Erica now.
Erica leans in close to me, and for some reason I just want to punch her in the face. I manage to contain my anger, just barely through. "Well it's good think that I don't care about what you have to say." Erica pauses and smirks at me. "If you have a problem with me try and report me. See what happens."
Erica is throwing me another challenge. I know I shouldn't expect because I'm having a hard enough time with this one, but I can't resist. We just stare at each, until my pager goes off and I'm forced to go downstairs to the ER.
My patient for the morning is a 14-year-old girl who has a diaphragmatic hernia. Her surgery takes up most of my morning. Originally I only had to do an ear tube placement, but I gave it Karev when this surgery started to get longer than it's supposed to.
It's 11:30 when I finish the surgery. I'm having lunch with Teddy and Sofia downstairs in the cafeteria at noon, so I have thirty minutes to kill. I'm in my office looking at Chris's photos; maybe there is something in there that I missed. Upon closer inspection I see that I'm right. In both lower right hand corners of the pictures I see watermarks, but Erica was smart enough to cut that part out of the picture. It isn't until I start looking at the picture of him playing soccer when I notice the crest over his left chest.
The crest is too small for me to make out, lean back in chair for a moment before I realize I should still have a magnifying glass in my top drawer. I have been helping Alex with his research paper on Gastroschisis and some of the charts and graph are too small to read so we need a magnifying glass. I smile to myself and pull it out and take another close look at the picture. 'Ballard Youth Soccer Club' is written on his crest.
I do a quick Google search and spend the next fifteen minutes playing on the Ballard Youth Soccer Club website. It takes me a while but I'm finally able to find team and individual pictures. I luck out when I see that there is only one kid by the name of Chris on the team. I click the name and I see the picture of kid that is downstairs with Erica.
Christopher Perinea. Well now I know his name and that he from Seattle and plays soccer, but that still leaves me clueless as to what she is up too.
It's 12:55 now, which means that my research time is up. I close my Internet tab and lock my computer before I go downstairs to the cafeteria. I'm on the first floor, waiting for Teddy and Sofia when I'm greeted by Chris. "Hello again Dr. Robbins."
"Hello to you too Chris, looks like your getting ready to go to surgery."
"Yeah, I'm getting a little nervous too. I have never had surgery before, but if I don't get this surgery done on my ankle right now. I run the risk of never playing soccer again, and I don't want that. My life's dream has always been to play for the Real Madrid Football Club."
I try my best to keep a straight face as Chris continues to talk. An 18 year old that needs surgery on his ankle is something for Callie and myself not Erica. "I'm sure you'll be okay." I'm lying to him and I feel bad about it. I get the feeling like this is the last time I'm going see Chris.
A nurse comes over and begins to wheel Chris's bed down the hall. We make eye contact for a quick second. She immediately jumps and looks down as she walks away. Almost is if she is not supposed to be seen. Right as she passes me I get a good look at her ID badge, Amanda Harkness orthopedics nurse.
I watch as Amanda takes a Chris away. It isn't until they turn the corner when I realize that they are heading to the north side of hospital. There are no operating rooms on that side of hospital. I'm about to follow them, but Sofia stops me from doing it.
"MOMMY!"
I turn around with smile on face, but it quickly goes away when I see what's going on. Sofia is running towards me with Teddy hot on her trail with panic in her eyes.
"Sofia Robbin Sloan Torres! How many times do I have to tell you not run away like that?" I scold, as I watch Teddy come up to us.
"Sorry," Sofia pouts.
"You're lucky I'm nicer than mama, because she would make sure you didn't get a chocolate shake from downstairs."
Sofia's eyes get wide as I threaten to take away her chocolate shake. "I won't do it again." She shakes her head vigorously.
"Promise."
"Pinky swear," She holds up her pinky and I lock my pinky in hers and we shake on it.
Together the three of us go downstairs to the cafeteria. With our trays of food we begin to look for a place to sit down and eat. Sofia starts jumping and points over to Mark and Addison.
"Guess its settled lunch with Mark and Addison." Teddy says with a smile.
"Guess so," I say as we walk over to them. "Has Addison been acting weird to you lately?" I can't help but ask. She was nice to me at dinner and then again this morning. That is something she never does.
Teddy just shrugs, "I really don't hang around her as much as you do. So really can't answer that question."
I just give a weak smile as we pull up three chairs next to Addison and Mark. "Do you mind if we join you?" I ask with a smile on my face.
"Not at all," Addison says as her and Mark move their stuff out of the way to make room for us.
Most of the lunch is spent with Mark, Addison and Teddy playing and talking with Sofia while I zone out every now and then. I really want to know what Erica is doing to Chris.
It's Sofia's loud squeal that breaks me from my thoughts. Standing at the other end of the table down by Addison and Mark are four people. On the far left is our chief of surgery Owen Hunt, next to him is Sadie Harris the hospital's attorney. Standing on her right side is a man a little taller than her in a black slacks a dark but light blue button up shirt that is tucked in, with a black tie. He has short brown hair, a round face but a defined jaw line with really pretty hazel eyes.
"Corn-nel," Sofia points to the last person standing on the far right.
She is pointing to her grandfather and my dad, The Colonel.