Title: All at once I hear your voice (and time just slips away)
Author: captstarbuck
Rating: T
Disclaimers: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual. (I don't own any of the characters from Grey's Anatomy.
Summary: This is a prompt/challenge holiday story that I started a few years ago and dusted off and decided to finish for this year.
The story must contain the following: Snowflake,Rudolph's Nose, A Charlie Brown Christmas, the heart necklaces ,conveniently placed mistletoe, "This is extremely important. Will you please tell Santa that instead of presents this year, I just want my family back", "Everybody likes Denny's, it's an American institution", and "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow"
NOTE: Not part of Widow Robbins Universe. This will be a short story, 6 or 7 chapters.
Prologue
Saturday, December 10, 2016 11:45 AM; Seattle
Nothing could spoil Arizona's mood as she walked down the hall in the pediatric ward. That morning she had set aside her paperwork and joined the staff in the activity room to help with making decorations with patients and their families. She'd lost count at the number of pieces of paper that she'd folded so that the kids could cut out the snowflakes. It was worth it. The halls were decorated with the paper snowflakes, a few handmade construction paper snowmen (and snowwomen she noted), and of course Christmas trees, reindeer and Santa Claus.
But it wasn't just the smiles and joy on the kids in peds as they made their decorations. No, Arizona's own joy came from knowing Sofia would be in Seattle in ten days. Ten days, and she would have Sofia for two weeks. Arizona had planned so many activities for the two of them; getting a Christmas tree and decorating it, making their own holiday decorations and hanging them up, a trip to see Santa Claus, Christmas movies and of course, baking cookies. Arizona almost couldn't wait.
Humming one of the holiday songs that had been playing in the activity room, she made her way toward one of her patient's rooms. Her caseload in maternal-fetal medicine was light at the moment so she'd been working in peds with Alex.
One of these was currently a favorite patient of hers and it was to his room she was currently headed. If she was honest with herself, Arizona would have to admit that the patient was one of her favorites because he reminded her of her brother.
As soon as she stepped into the room, she was greeted with a loud "Hi. Dr. A!" from a freckled, blonde eleven year old boy.
"Good afternoon, Jimmy."
With her entrance, a tall man dressed in army fatigues immediately stood. He and his son were mirror images of each other, right down to the freckles and dimples.
Raised by a Marine colonel, Arizona easily spotted the two bars on his collar. "Captain Rogers, I'm Arizona Robbins, Jimmy's doctor," she introduced herself, sticking out her hand.
"Dr. Robbins." He returned her handshake with a small smile. "I'm Greg Rogers."
"Dr. A has been taking good care of me," Jimmy assured his father. "She's the one who took out my burst appendix."
"That's good. Sorry I haven't been here earlier. I couldn't get off base."
"Don't worry about it. Jimmy has been a model patient," Arizona said, shooting the boy a quick wink as she opened his chart.
After reviewing the chart, she did a quick examination of his incision. She nodded to herself as she entered her own notes into the chart.
"Well, everything is looking good, Jimmy. If you go another twenty-four hours without running a fever, I think we can let you go home."
"I'll be home for Christmas?"
"Mmhmm," Arizona smiled. "I think if your recovery continues to be so excellent, we could maybe look at sending you home on Monday, with some restrictions. That's well before Christmas."
"That's great news, Dr. Robbins," Greg said.
"What time is it, Dad?" Jimmy suddenly asked.
His father glanced at his watch. "Almost game time."
"My dad's here to watch the Army-Navy football game with me today," Jimmy said excitedly. "We watch every year."
"You do? I used to watch it every year with my dad and brother."
"Did you root for Army?"
Arizona shook her head. "No, sorry. Navy all the way. My dad was a Naval Academy grad and a Marine."
"Booo! Go Army!" Jimmy replied.
Captain Rogers affectionately tousled Jimmy's hair. "That's my boy," he grinned.
"Have you ever been to a game, Dr. Robbins? My dad said we could go to one someday."
"Actually, I've been to three."
"Wow! Three?"
Arizona nodded. "My dad was stationed back East and we were able to go to a few games over the years."
She didn't mention that the last game she went to was when her brother was a senior at the Naval Academy and was a receiver on the football team. She didn't want to open herself up to questions about him. Nor did she want to bring up the second game she'd gone to as a fifteen year old with a brother who would be going to Annapolis the next year. Arizona had spent a lot of time that game secretly ogling all the women in uniform. Yeah, no, she didn't need to share that story.
"Would you like to watch it with us, Dr. Robbins?" JImmy's father asked as he turned on the television.
"Much as I appreciate the offer, I have to decline. I'm still working."
"Are you sure?" Jimmy pleaded.
"I'm sure, but I'll try to stop by to get an update on the score," she conceded.
"Looks cold, Dad. Do you think it will snow?" Jimmy asked.
Arizona glanced at the television and saw the cadets and midshipmen marching into the stadium. Memories suddenly flooded her mind of Army-Navy games of the past and she needed to leave the room.
"Enjoy the game," she said, giving them a polite smile.
Jimmy's words "Do you think it will snow, Dad?" kept echoing in her mind. They sounded the same now as they had more than thirty years ago. Distracted, she wandered down the halls until she found herself back at her office.
Saturday, December 7, 1985 Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia
Arizona held on tightly to her brother's hand and moved closer to him as they followed their father through the crowd streaming into Veterans Stadium. Timmy was almost bouncing with his excitement to be there. She didn't care about some stupid football game. She didn't even care that they were moving to Germany after New Year's. All she cared about was that her Daddy was home for Christmas, like he'd promised. He'd called to wish her a happy birthday and promised he'd be home this year. And he was. He was home for the whole month and Arizona couldn't be happier. He hadn't been home for the last two and this year was going to be their best.
"Do you think it will snow, Dad?" an eleven year old Tim Robbins asked as they made the long climb up the stadium stairs to their seats.
Daniel looked up at the cloudy sky. "Maybe a few flakes, but nothing to worry about."
Arizona shivered. She and Tim were wearing matching red sweatshirts with a gold Marine Corps Globe and Anchor emblazoned on the front and navy blue beanies with NAVY embroidered across the front. Her sweatshirt was at least two sizes too big and sleeves had been rolled up, but she didn't mind. It hung down almost to her knees and she was glad for the extra warmth it provided. She and Tim had both protested at their mother's insistence on wearing long underwear but now she was happy she had worn them.
"You warm enough, Shortcake?" Daniel asked Arizona as they finally sat down, Arizona sitting between her father and her brother. "Your nose is as red as Rudolph's," he teased.
"I'm okay, Daddy," she answered with a giggle. She didn't want her father to think she wasn't happy to be there. Even though she thought football was kind of stupid and she didn't understand it half the time, she was still happy to be included in their outing. She was also happy not to be home and helping her mother with packing for their move.
"We'll get some hot cocoa in a little while," he said as he wrapped his arm around her.
"And hotdogs?" Tim asked.
"And hotdogs," Daniel agreed.
Tim suddenly jumped up from his seat. "Look! Here they come!" he said, his excitement spilling over at seeing the Naval Academy midshipmen march into the stadium.
Mimicking her brother, Arizona also stood up and grinned. It was hard not to get swept up in Tim's enthusiasm for all of the pre-game ceremonies and events. Her father patiently explained what everything meant, and Arizona and Tim clapped and cheered. The only thing that Arizona didn't like was the flyover by the Apache helicopters and the Navy's Blue Angels. She covered her ears because it was so loud while Tim laughed in delight.
"I'm gonna go to Navy," Tim declared. "You'll see me out on the field someday."
Arizona didn't doubt him. Already at the age of eleven, Tim was single-minded in his desire to go to the same college his father had.
Daniel swelled with pride when his son and daughter, without any prompting, removed their hats and placed their hands over their hearts when the Star Spangled Banner was sung by a combined chorus of Midshipmen and Cadets.
And he was almost as proud when the song was over and Arizona and Tim both screamed "Go Navy! Beat Army!"
By the end of the game, Arizona understood enough of the basics of football to follow what was happening on the field. Tim and her father had explained the rules and the plays so she was able to enjoy it. Well, maybe not enjoy it, but she was able to cheer along with them.
After a nearly three hour drive home to Virginia, Daniel tucked Arizona into bed.
"Did you have a good time, Shortcake?"
Arizona nodded sleepily. "I did."
"Do you know what today is?"
"December seventh, Pearl Harbor Day." she replied.
"Yes. Do you know why it's important?"
"Your daddy died that day."
"He did. Do you know how?"
Arizona shrugged her shoulders, not really sure of the whole story.
"The USS Arizona was one of many ships attacked at Pearl Harbor. My father was on that ship, and he saved nineteen of his fellow soldiers and sailors before he drowned."
"Which is how I got my name," Arizona replied proudly.
"Your name honors his sacrifice."
"Just like Tim being named after him."
"You're right."
Sensing that he needed to end the night on a less grim and sad note, he changed the topic.
"What was your favorite part?" he asked, thinking it would be the cocoa or maybe the parachute teams during the pre-game ceremonies.
"Spending the day with you, Daddy." She pulled the covers up further. "I'm glad you're home."
"I'm glad to be home, too," he agreed. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Daddy."
Her cell phone buzzed, interrupting Arizona's reminiscing. She glanced at it before picking it up.
"Callie?"