"Look mommy a bug" Sofia said innocently picking up the small wiggly white maggot, walking towards mommy to show her. Callie sipped her drink watching amused, Arizona could handle that, bugs were much more of a Peds thing. It was a rare sunny day in Seattle, and they had agreed to meet up to take Sofia to the park with Meredith and her kids as a buffer, both wanting to enjoy the time in the park and their precious time together. They had got there early with no sign of Meredith arriving yet. Still with 3 children to wrangle it was amazing Meredith managed to leave the house, one child was hard enough some days.
The last few months had been hard, Callie reflected, the plane crash, Mark dying, Arizona's leg, Arizona cheating, the miscarriage, now the fellowship, time together was precious and rare.
"Mommy, look" Sofia's agitated voice drew Callie out of her thoughts, Arizona was pale, shaking, and backing away from her daughter, "Mommy you're not looking" she protested.
Sensing a tantrum from her daughter and clueless why Arizona was reacting so badly Callie ran to intervene,
"Can I see Sof?" Callie asked, dutifully Sofia showed her,
"A white worm!" Sofia announced proudly, showing Callie the maggot. Callie hide her disgust hearing a strangled cry from behind, but Callie couldn't look away not wanting a public tantrum, not that she could blame Sofia, the child had lost just as much if not more than anyone in the last few months a few tantrums, was nothing compared to losing her dad, and having a disabled mom who despite trying wasn't herself.
"It's very cool, we should put it somewhere safe, so it can go back to his friends and family" Callie encouraged wondering what dead animal the maggot had fallen off, Sofia pouted, but the thought of the maggot missing its family was all the encouragement she needed taking it over to the bushes nearby gently placing it onto a leaf.
"Okay bub, hands" Callie demanded, gently taking Sofia's wrist leading her to the nearby toilets. As she turned, she found no sign of her wife, frowning she decided to focus on one problem at a time, clean hands then absent wife's.
"Callie" Someone calling her name distracted her for a second. Just outside the toilets was Meredith and Zola, waving her over "Sofia, nice to see you" Meredith said, as Zola waved, Callie smiled,
"Hey, we are just going to be a sec" she apologised, wanting to get all traces of the maggot off her daughter then she could properly greet her friend, hands clean she met Meredith outside,
"Hey Mer, Hey Zola, have you seen Arizona?" she asked worriedly still searching the park, Meredith shook her head,
"We just got here" she explained, "I promised ice cream,"
"Aunt Mere, I found a white worm" Sofia gushed, "but I had to put it back cus his mommies missed him,"
"A maggot" Callie explained. Meredith frowned, "what?" Callie asked,
"Did Arizona, see?" She asked, confused Callie nodded, did her wife had a deep-seated fear of maggots and if so why was she only finding out now, "the crash, you need to find her, I'll take Sofia for ice cream" Meredith said, before Callie could even protest Meredith had Sofia on her hip, Zola's hand and they were leaving.
Callie stood still processing, what had just happened, where was her wife, and why had her child been abducted for ice cream and what did a maggot have to do with the crash? Searching the crowds for any signs of her wife Callie sighed getting out her phone, ringing Arizona's mobile, instantly she heard ringing, coming from behind her, the disabled toilet.
"Arizona?" Callie questioned knocking the door, "Arizona is that you?" from inside she could hear soft whimpering, trying the door she was surprised to find it unlocked, "Arizona I am coming in" Callie shouted praying that it was Arizona was inside and that she wasn't about to walk in on a stranger.
Inside the dim bathroom Callie took a breath in as she took in the sight, wincing at the potent smell of vomit. Arizona was lying on the floor, tears running down her face, the raspy breaths, the unfocused eyes, the car keys were in her hand digging them deep and repeatedly into her leg drawing blood each time as she pulled them out only to re hit herself again. Alarmed at the blood on the floor Callie ran over taking the keys off her, quickly pocketing them, that didn't stop the hand still stabbing her leg over and over, whimpering as she did so. Callie grabbed her hand gently bringing it to a standstill.
"Arizona, hun," Callie begged, "Arizona, it's okay, you're safe, come back" she ordered gently her other hand stroking her wife's sweat, tear-stained face hoping for a reaction. Anything. Getting nothing but a blank face in return.
First chapter done, please let me know what you thought,