Chapter 12

Today was the day, the key day. Arizona had been discharged a week ago, not that anyone would know since she spent as much time at Tim's bedside as Bailey would let her. Even though discharged from her care the small doctor had put herself in charge of the ICU visiting hours, ordering her home or to the canteen to eat, often at the same time as Callie. Arizona liked to think even though she put on an uncaring grouchy persona, there was a caring, romantic underneath.

Today was the day Derek and Meredith would wake Tim up. In the 2 weeks since he'd been put into the medically induced coma she run through every single possibility. From him not waking up at all, to him waking up magically healed. Although she knew in truth it would be somewhere in between.

"Okay, we are lightening the sedation" Derek said calmly, aware he had an audience, Barbara and Arizona sat in chairs while Nick and Daniel stood behind. "He might not wake up straight away, it might take a few minutes or even hours, when the brain has been through a huge trauma."

"Sedation is off" Meredith reported.

"We will give you some time" Derek offered, "Call us if there is any sign of him waking" he said to the group but mainly Arizona, knowing she would recognize the signs.

"What now?" Daniel asked,

"We wait" Arizona replied patiently, focusing only on Tim and nothing else.

After an hour of sitting in silent, Arizona noticed a finger twitch,

"Nick, get Dr Shepard" she ordered, standing up holding her chest, "Tim, it's me Zona, can you open your eyes?" Arizona begged. "Please Tim,"

"Urrgghhh" Tim replied groggily, "Zozo".

"I'm here Tim, I'm here" Arizona said crying, that was a great sign, he could recognize her voice and put a name to it.

"Zozo hurt's" he moaned,

"Okay Tim, relax, I'll get you something for the pain".

"I'll go" Nick offered.

"Tim, do you know where you are?" Arizona pressed,

"With you Zo" he replied, "safe".

Arizona smiled feeling her heart fill with love. "And mom and dad and Nick are here too".

"Mom, dad?" Tim confirmed.

"We are here baby," Barbara sobbed,

"I'm here too son" Daniel added, his military mask firmly in place, but anyone looking at him would see the tears in his eyes.

"Hello Timothy Robbins, it's nice to see you" Derek said lightly as he entered the room, "I just need to do a few checks, if that is okay".

Tim nodded, remaining still when Derek shone a light in his eyes, and calm throughout the process.

"Well done, it all looks good, we will have to monitor behavior's over the next few weeks to be sure" Derek suggested, "We'll keep him in the ICU for the next week, then it's up to you, you can take him home or I can recommend a neuro rehab centre. They specialize in long term neuro injuries especially ex-military. They are different, it's in the countryside, with amazing results. I brought a brochure, but no pressure" Derek offered.

"No thank you, we'd like to have Tim at home" Daniel said, looking at Barbara and Arizona, "Family sticks with family no matter what." He insisted gaining a warm smile from his wife and daughter. Arizona nodded, carefully folding the leaflet, and placing it into her pocket. She had a lot to think about,

She would never admit it to anyone, but sensed they could tell but this episode had scared her. She had genuinely thought he was going to kill her, and while that didn't matter as much, the thought it could be Callie visiting her, or her mom made her feel sick. Still, it was too early for that thought, they still didn't know if he would be aggressive or quick to anger. Only time would tell. A quick flash of brown hair at the door alerted her to activity outside.

Smiling and heart fluttering, Arizona stood meeting Callie outside.

"Calliope" she greeted, giving her friend a careful hug,

"Hey, how are you doing?" Callie questioned gently,

"Good," at Callie's disbelieving look she expanded. "I mean I'm still bruised, and sore, but Tim is awake" Arizona explained,

"Okay, and what's the plan?" Callie asked, "I mean, you took a job here, are your parents staying with him or Nick?"

Arizona shrugged, "I honestly don't know" she confessed wearily. "I want him at home, those institutions, they're terrifying, but he nearly killed me, Callie. One lucky strike and I'd be dead." She fingered the leaflet in her pocket wondering if this was an option.

"Derek gave me a leaflet" she confessed, "For a rehab place, for Tim, he said it's not like other places, I want to see it. I need to know if it's an option".

"Do you need company?" Callie offered, Arizona nodded, she'd been desperate to have company but to terrified to ask. "Okay, I'm off tomorrow, does that work?" Callie suggested. Arizona nodded again, hugging Callie tightly,

"Thank you,"

"I'll pick you up at 11?" Callie suggested. "Now, go back in there" she ordered gently, "and don't worry, I'm with you, I'm here".

She opened her arms allowing Arizona to have another hug, "we have time, you will make the right decision" Callie promised, "you are awesome".

Arizona nodded feeling safe in Callie's arms which was strange because she barely knew her but somehow, she just felt like she fit together. Reluctantly she let Callie go,

"Tomorrow" Callie said,

"Tomorrow" Arizona promised, "And Calliope, can we not tell people, I don't want to get my parents hopes up, either way".

"Okay," Callie said, patting Arizona's arm as she forced herself to walk away back in to sit with her brother and her family.

All the time she sat next to Tim's bedside she felt guilty. Guilty she had separated Tim from his family, guilty that she didn't want to look after him anymore, being in the hospital even as a patient had made her realize, she wanted to come back, she missed medicine, missed operating, missed feeling safe and not being beaten. She also knew she couldn't put the pressure of looking after Tim onto anyone else, her parents were both getting on, both more elderly, and Nick, he had his own life, it wasn't fair. None of this was fair.

Briefly the thought passed through her mind, would it have been better if Tim died, before she cursed herself, that was an evil thought, Tim was here, he was alive and still her brother.

"You alright sport?" Daniel asked, seeing his daughter lost in thought,

"Yeah" Arizona lied, "Did he seem better to you?" she questioned, wondering if it had been her imagination.

"Maybe" Barbara said trying to keep the hope out of her voice as they waited for Tim to open his eyes again. "We can hope sweetie. All we can do it hope and pray".

Over the day Tim woke up a few more times, each was very similar to before, he always asked for Zona first, then mom and dad, then Nick, and asked where he was and what happened before going back to sleep. After the third time Arizona had paged Derek concerned about short term memory loss. Derek had come back and examined him but said it was too early to know whether this was permeant or not.

"Hey, you guys should go home, Phoenix you're still recovering, and Mrs R, someone needs to check she eats. I'll take watch tonight" Nick offered. Gratefully the Robbin's stood,

"Thank you, Nick, you are a good man" Daniel praised, standing up, truthfully the hospital seats weren't comfy and it was killing his back.

"Are you sure?" Arizona asked, she was aching, and tired, but worried about Tim,

"I'm sure, I'll call if anything changes." Nick promised, "Go Yuma" he ordered gently pushing her out of the room, "We'll be fine".

Reluctantly Arizona left, going with her parents to her home hoping Tim would be okay. At home Barbara began cooking, her go to stress relief, while Arizona excused herself for a lie down.

"Arizona, sweetie, dinner" Barbara said waking her daughter gently, Arizona stood rubbing her eyes.

"Thanks mom" she followed Barbara into the kitchen, "I made your favorite, I have to say, this is the most well stocked kitchen of your I have ever seen" she praised.

"There is research to show that eating well can help with brain injury, or at least stopping it from getting worse." Arizona explained, "and I was trying anything to help".

"You did everything sport," Daniel reassured, exchanging an awkward glace with Barbara, "we don't want to intrude, have you thought about what you're going to do when Timmy gets discharged." He asked, Arizona tensed.

"I've thought, and I don't know" she confessed, "I mean I want him home, I want him back, my Tim, my brother, but I'm scared" she said tears running down her face at the realization, these weren't the enemies, these were her parents. they understood better than anyone what she was going through, the tear she felt in her soul. "I don't want to get hurt anymore" she sobbed. Feeling her mom hug her first then her dad, feeling safe in their embrace, "but he is Tim, my Tim, I promised him I'd look after him, I promised,"

"I know sport" Daniel soothed, "And I know I brought you up right, so whichever decision you make it will be right, but we want you to know, this time, we are involved, we will support you".

"We love you baby" Barbara added kissing Arizona's hair.

"There is a place, Callie and I are going to check it tomorrow, Derek recommended it, but if I don't like it, I'm bringing him home".

"Either way, we are here" Daniel promised, "I know I tried to take over last time, but I was wrong" he said, hugging his daughter, hoping she knew he was proud of her, that he would follow her lead.

Arizona nodded eating her supper as her dad noted all the jobs that needed doing, offering to spend the weekend doing them for her. Arizona just nodded along, everything he mentioned had been on her list, she just had had no time to start it and even the simple jobs, like adding a picture in the wall was risky, it meant hammering, which meant banging, which meant triggering Tim.

Once tired she left her parents watching tele, going to shower, careful not to get her wounds wet before going to bed intending to rest for just a minute.

"Hun, Callie is here" Barbara said gently shaking Arizona awake. Arizona opened her eyes to find daylight streaming into the room.

"What time is it?" Arizona asked, struggling to understand why Callie was here so early.

"11am" Barbara said checking her clock amused, as Arizona jumped out of bed crying as she caught her ribs,

"I'm late, I slept through, oh no, she is going to think I don't care," Arizona panicked,

"Breathe baby, she is going to think you are still recovering after major surgery, why don't you get dressed and I'll make Callie a coffee" she offered, Arizona nodded ignoring her mom, instead searching for her bra, and pants, and a cute top and jeans, that she could wear with her bruises, instead settling on a skirt and soft jumper. Quickly brushing her hair, and a spray of perfume and she was ready.

As she approached the kitchen, she could smell pancakes and hear laughter. Curiously she approached, Callie was flipping the pancake, doing an impressive job with height and number of turns.

"Wow, a woman of many talents" Arizona praised, Callie grinned, placing the cooked pancake on a plate.

"I thought you might want something to eat before we go" Callie said,

"They smell awesome," Arizona complimented as Callie placed the plate on the table,

"I made enough for all of us," Callie offered, "Your mom was kind enough to let me use the kitchen".

"It's nice you can cook dear, at least one of you can. Arizona is a terrible cook, we used to say she could burn water" Barbara joked, ignoring her daughter's blush while glaring at her.

"I'm better now" Arizona replied defensively, her mom's face dropped as she recalled the reason why she was a much better cook, she took a bite of her pancake, "wow, these are amazing" she moaned with her mouthful, getting a frown from her mom,

"thanks" Callie said blushing, Arizona's moan was intoxicating.

"I'm going to get ready, your dad is picking me up in a bit, we'll be visiting Tim today, so you can spend all day with your friend." Barbara encouraged. "Dr Bailey told me that you are banned today".

Arizona pouted, before realizing that she got to spend the whole day with Callie as soon as she finished her pancakes.

"Sorry I overslept" Arizona said as soon as her mom had left the room, Callie's face fell, as she shook her head,

"No, please don't worry, you've been pushing yourself hard since you got discharged, I've been worried that you're going to hurt yourself" Callie fretted. Arizona frowned.

"I'm sorry" she apologized again,

"Stop apologizing" Callie insisted, "you have a little…" she gestured at the syrup that was resting just under Arizona's lip, Arizona went to get it but missed, leaning forwards Callie carefully wiped it away, her heart fluttering, Arizona's lip were as soft as they felt. She groaned slightly, wishing she could lean in and taste them, wondering if it was too soon. Arizona as if reading her thoughts, leant forwards capturing Callie's lips. As their lips met both women felt a strange tingling, and sense of love wash over them, without even thinking Arizona ran her fingers of her non casted arm through Callie's hair pulling her closer, Callie reaching down gently gripping Arizona butt given it a squeeze, enjoying the moan that followed as their tongues tussled for dominance.

"Oh, sorry", they broke up hearing someone walk in. Arizona blushed as Barbara walked past, while Callie kept her eyes on the floor. "Arizona, you have a room" Barbara lectured, grabbing her bag and walking out before she burst into laughter.

"We should go" Callie suggested, holding out her hand, Arizona took it, her hand tingling, it felt good that Callie wanted as much contact as she did. Going outside Arizona gasped,

"Wow is this yours?" She asked, letting go of Callie's hand to stroke the bonnet of the red thunderbird.

"Yeah, she is my baby" Callie replied proudly, "I don't get to take her out often but today the weather was good," she watched as Arizona walked round reverently stroking the car, almost drooling, "do you like cars?" she asked.

"I like this one" Arizona whispered, remembering her pin up poster, a super-hot brunette, in very little clothing standing next to this car. Now she had the super-hot brunette and the sexy car it was like her dreams coming true.

"Wanna ride?" Callie asked, grinning, eyebrows raised, Arizona nodded not hiding her excitement. Eagerly she climbed in, wincing slightly as she bent down, it had been 3 weeks since her 'accident' and although much better they still hurt at times.

Back from holiday rested and ready to write,

will the rehab work out, will their first outing go drama free

let me know your thoughts

Once she was in Callie started it revving the engine, driving to the 'rehab' place Derek had recommended praying this would solve her friends' problems.