Episode 5
"It has now been 6 months since we started filming here, we have gone from a small brick building with tin roof to a 3-story hospital. Here today for its official opening is Dr Joseph Mabito" the camera pans across the white shiny hospital to Joseph who is standing on the steps, Brenda, Mary and the rest of the nurses, doctors, cleaners, and other staff with him. Noticeably absent is Arizona,
"I will show you around, we have an emergency clinic with dedicated paediatric area," Joseph showed them the ER 10 empty beds, ready to go all with monitors on the wall.
"Then our scanning area, we have CT, MRI and ultrasound, then we have the OR, 3 theatres, ready to go each one has a ventilator, and we have a spare for the ward, all with separate scrub rooms, all negative pressure and our own cleaning room so we can sterilise all the equipment. We have 6 wards in the hospital, 1 for children 1 for men, 1 for women in labour, 1 for their babies, 1 for other women and 1 for infections. Joseph showed them the ward, the beds were now in rooms the maximum in a room was 4, a far cry from the 40 beds in one room of their last hospital. Lastly, we have a clinic, for minor problems, pre-natal and vaccinations." He said proudly,
"We have gone from 2 doctor when Dr Arizona joined us to 20, and we have links with Hopkins, Oxford and Sydney University, for medicine, and Nottingham, Brisbane and North-western for nursing. They are sending lecturers to help us set up our own education programme, we have 45 nurses, we started with only 5. We hope by the end of the year to double that again, we are currently using our own building as the school for students interested in school and medicine, but Dr Arizona has secured more funding for a bigger building, so one day it will be accommodation for the workers here. They have also sent equipment that is old but useable from their hospitals, like beds, ventilators and drip monitors and several staff from around the world are fundraising for us for NICU equipment."
"Wow" Lucy said genuinely impressed. The stepped out into the sun, a crowd had gathered, Joseph steps up onto the steps.
"A year ago, we were told, a doctor from America was going to come and change healthcare for Malawi. I laughed, nothing good has ever come from America, not to Malawi. Then Dr Arizona arrived, with her smiles, her knowledge, her skills, and I knew, I was wrong. Something good could come from Malawi. Together, as a community we began to build, we built the clinic but more than that we built a family, and we saved a lot of lives, we can continue to save a lot of lives, because of the clinic we have built with the money Dr Robbins brought. More than that she brought security, we have wind power, solar power, and oil. We have our own water from our own well pumped in. we have our own garden and our own food, we can use to support our community. So, it is my honour, and privilege to reveal the name of the hospital," he reaches forwards pulling a sheet off the plaque, "The Arizona Robbins clinical hospital, or ARCH for short" the sign has a rainbow over the top, the crowd clap.
"There is only 1 doctor per 84,000 people in Malawi, Dr Robbins is changing that, the training school will train over 10 doctors this year, 30 nurses and 20 midwives, in 5 years that will go up to 100 doctors and 200 nurses and over 100 midwifes per year. We have also signed up to offer foreign healthcare students' placements, and qualified staff as volunteer electives," He finishes proudly.
"Wow," Lucy replies impressed. "Do we know any more about Arizona and Zola?"
…
In Seattle everyone tenses, this is what they were waiting for,
….
"No, just that they made it J'burg safely, but as you know, their conditions were grave" Joseph said,
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"Grave, what does that mean?" Callie asked distressed, fidgeting, she knew she still loved Arizona, Arizona wasn't someone you just got over, and her words on the screen why she had let Callie go was heart-breaking. Watching the person, you loved get shot, was worse, especially not knowing if they were okay.
…
Back on-screen Andy is now doing a c-section, delivering an adorable baby girl. Joseph is watching the ventilator carefully, Janet is opposite, "Arizona taught me to do buried stitches to close, they take more time, but the scar is neater, it closes better and reduces the chances of infection. She said she learnt it from the best plastic surgeon in America".
With the woman and baby on the ward, the program turns to an ORIF. While normally fascinated by any orthopaedic surgery all Callie wanted was an update on Arizona but none was forthcoming. The program ended with the sunsetting on the Arch.
…..
"What about Arizona? Teddy, has she replied to you yet?" Callie asked desperately, Teddy's face said it all,
"What about her parents?" Derek suggested, Callie nodded getting out her phone and dialling their number,
"No answer, why isn't anyone picking up their phone" she raged,
"Hey, there is a flight to Johannesburg that leaves in 3 hours" Cristina said,
"Book it," Callie ordered, "I'm going to find my girlfriend," She decided, daring anyone to disagree,
"Book me a ticket too" Cristina said, she wanted to support her friend and if another cool cardio procedure happened when she was there who was she to say no.
"And me" Derek added, everyone looked at him surprised, "The baby that Arizona was operating on had complications, I'd like to offer my assistance". He offered looking at Meredith, who rolled her eyes,
"No, Torres and one other can go. Find Dr Robbins and the baby, if they are stable enough fly them here, you can look then" Webber ordered, the last thing he wanted was all his staff flying off on a rescue mission to Africa.
"Me" Cristina demanded,
"No way Robbins doesn't even like you" Alex contended, "I'll go" he offered,
"Well, she doesn't like you either Karev, I'm going for Callie" Cristina defended,
"I'm Arizona's best friend, I should go" Teddy joined in the fight,
"Callie should pick" Webber interrupted.
"It should be Teddy or Bailey," Callie decided, while she was closest with Bailey, she knew the shorter woman had been good friends with Arizona too, while Teddy had been Arizona's best friend at Grey Sloan, hence why she was the only one the blonde had kept in touch with. Both women were strong and could hold their own, and both were skilled surgeons.
Cristina looked heartbroken.
"Arizona needs a person more than me" Callie followed up honestly, trying to comfort her friend.
"Teddy should go, I have Tuck" Bailey offered, Teddy nodded,
"Here, use my card Cristina" Callie offered, before reality hit, "wait it leaves in 3 hours, I need to pack".
"Me too, mines on the way to the airport so if you come to mine, we will go from there," Teddy planned,
"I'll drive Teddy, Cristina you drive Torres" Owen planned, as they all darted out of Meredith and Derek's house. They had a mission find Arizona Robbins, which was hard as they didn't even know if she was still in South Africa. Watching everyone leave Derek frowned, the credits were paused, Lucy Michaels the director's name was paused, maybe there was a different way of finding out what happened to Arizona. A quick google lead to a linkin, which had an email, figuring it wouldn't hurt Derek sent off an email. They needed to know where Arizona last was, and hopefully Lucy could at least give them a hospital to start their search.
Callie and Cristina raced to Callie's apartment block, Callie's mind racing,
"How long ago was that filmed?" Callie asked, "and where did the bullet hit, she said it hadn't come out, do you think it got lodged in her femur" she fretted.
"Callie, we don't know, it was filmed 2 months ago, Robbins is strong, she'll be fine" Cristina promised, hoping he was right,
"We don't even know where she is, she could be anywhere in the world" Callie sighed.
"And what happens when you find her, she left you, she dumped you in an airport remember" Cristin reminded her, gently,
"She loves me" Callie said simply, "She's right, I didn't want to go, she was trying to protect me in her stubborn good man in a storm way. If I wanted to go there was nothing stopping me getting the next flight, I could have met her there, but I was really negative." Callie reflected, "I love her, even now after all that time,"
"Let's get you your person" Cristina ordered pulling up at the apartment, Callie ran in, going to get her suitcase throwing random things inside, Cristina helping, passport in hand they raced downstairs getting into the car racing to meet Teddy at the airport.
Callie arrived first checking the flight board pacing impatiently for Teddy, as soon as the blonde arrived the hugged Cristina and Owen goodbye checking in racing through security.
The plane boarded and they were on their way, Amsterdam and then Johannesburg.
They arrived at Amsterdam having 4 hours layover. Callie switched her phone on the moment they disembarked hoping for more news, she noticed Derek had text,
Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, was the hospital she was transferred to, I spoke to the producer. She lost contact after that. Can you check on Zola for me, the little girl.
Callie replied,
Of course, will keep you all updated,
Callie promised,
"Let's eat, I need proper food before we board" Teddy ordered, directing Callie to the burger joint.
Before they knew it they were back on the plane flying, both women were exhausted, the flights to Joburg meant they'd be awake for over 24 hours, and while used to long shifts that was being busy, sitting on a plane was boring. Teddy was the first to go to sleep, years as a solider had helped her be able to sleep anywhere. Callie closed her eyes jealous of her friend, with her soft snores, drifting off herself.
They landed with a bump startling both woman awake, the doors opened and they were off, Teddy reminding Callie they needed their bags. Exiting security they were surprised to see a man holding a board,
Calliope Torres and Theodora Altman the board said, Callie smiled pleased one of her friends had made another part of their journey easier.
"Dr Torres, Dr Altman I am under instruction to drive you straight to the hospital, with the message, 5th floor room 206"
"Let's go" Callie ordered jumping in the car, Teddy right behind her.
Arriving at the hospital they were pleased to see from the outside it was freshly painted and inside it appeared clean, both of them had worked in Africa before, Callie in Botswana Teddy in Kenya. So, both had been expecting the worst. Callie lead the way, searching for the lifts then the room numbers.
Finding 206 Callie opened the door, not sure she was ready for what she would see inside.
So Callie and Teddy are in South Africa, is Arizona still there? Is she okay?
Let me know what you think