Callie was settled in the CT machine, Amelia and Arizona stood in pensive silence waiting for the results. There was a momentary calm around Grey Sloan; everyone was concerned of course, but had been somewhat reassured there was no long-lasting damage. They were purely going off Bailey's initial examination, and the fact Callie was awake though.
Meredith was trying to keep herself busy by checking supplies. She was due to go home but had convinced herself that, as a general surgeon, she owed it to medicine to stay. There could be a good teaching opportunity should something happen, it was absolutely nothing to do with it being Callie in that CT machine, certainly didn't contribute to her being a bundle of nerves at all. She had checked in with April, to see how things were and to give an update, and the red head was happy to look after the kids till she got home. She knew she couldn't ask her to hold on forever, and she did want to see her kids, but she was grateful for the brief respite.
I can't believe it, what I saw, Callie Torres struggling to stand, bent over in pain. I've worked with her for over a decade, my friend, beaten up. She's been through it, her relationship with George, the cheating, the relationship with Erica, the bailing, her father abandoning her, the car crash, losing her best friend & father of her child in a plane crash, thinking her wife was dead for four days, then physically and mentally losing that same wife, now this. How could so much happen to one person? I mean jeez Grey, she's giving you a run for your money.
It's true, they weren't friends in the beginning. She did try to remain neutral with the George & Izzie affair (unlike Cristina who was #TeamTorres) but couldn't deny she had slightly favoured her fellow interns. She thought back to the time she happened upon Callie, Sofia & Zola in daycare, playing' Operation' of all games.
The kids couldn't get enough of the buzzing Callie was purposely triggering from the fictious patient. She told them she was a great surgeon and, if she couldn't beat it, no one could. The faces on both kids when they removed the wishbone and spare ribs respectively, without the provoking the buzzer, was ridiculously heartwarming. And Meredith 'Twisted" Grey didn't do heartwarming. Callie inspired confidence and hers was now being tested due to some guy. She finished up in the supply room and decided to take a walk to the CT room.
Meanwhile Cristina was studying a chest x-ray of one of her patients.
Lie, she was studying a chest x-ray of one of Bailey's patients.
Okay okay, she had stolen Callie's x-ray. The raven-haired beauty had jumped the queue, as ordered by their gracious leader, and was seen before she went on to have her CT scan. After a quick review, the odd squint and raised eyebrow (thank goodness they grew back after mamma got hold of them) she determined nothing was broken, but there were a few cracked ribs. She regretfully concluded those injuries could have only been inflicted by the act of kicking. Punches, at rib level at Callie's height, wouldn't crack ribs, the angle wouldn't allow for the force required. She sighed, her former roommate was one of very few who tolerated her in her intern days… and resident days… and attending days… they became friends and she was still someone she considered close. She would even haphazardly park Meredith's car across three bays (no doubt resulting in several parking fines for her twisted sister) just so she could get back quicker, that's how much she thought of Callie. She shook her head.
If I have a scalpel when I see this, this prick, it'll be hand to throat in seconds. The woman saved my life, pulled Owen off me when he went all psycho ceiling fan rage. Callie deserves better than the idiots she's been with, Erica just left and her husband & wife screwed other people. If I ever end up looking after Sofia, I'm going to tell her her mum was a frickin' rock star, and to make her proud she would need to go into cardio. Hey, Callie wouldn't be here, I can tell her what I want, not my fault she let Sofia become an orphan.
If Meredith was twisty, Cristina took it a step further. Happy there didn't appear to be anything too serious considering the circumstances, she slipped the x-ray back into its sleeve and would sneak into Callie's folder like she was never there. She did want to be somewhere though, she started to make her way, hoping for once she wouldn't be paged 911, even a scalpel hungry surgeon had other priorities once in a while.
Owen was proud to work with Callie, the Veterans Project was close to his heart and her dedication was paying dividends to so many wounded service men and women. She was giving herself to help these people live again, not survive, live. Taking a moment to compose himself before heading back to the pit, his thoughts turned to what he saw heading to exam room 2 earlier.
Torres of all people, Torres. I can't believe what Teddy told me when she was running to the Chief's office. It couldn't be, shouldn't be, not Torres. I wanted to go full combat mode, but that wouldn't help anyone. If I see the guy now though, I'm not sure I can promise I'll hold back.
He took a deep breath and started to head towards the pit. Noticing it was still fairly quiet (don't jinx it, Hunt), he told a nurse if anything urgent comes in, page him, but for now he needed to be elsewhere. He gave a weak smile and headed upstairs.
Teddy was caught in two minds, go home or stay, at least until they had the results of the CT scan. She was on call but could easily make the trip back if needed. Yes, she was closer to Arizona, but both had supported her when Henry died. She looked at the clock, maybe she would pop to the CT room and check in on Arizona, everyone had been fully focused on the ortho surgeon, the perky peds one had somewhat been neglected. Decision made, she walked towards her destination.
Anger was the theme, and no one had it like Miranda Bailey. As Callie was her patient, she was next to, but not in, the viewing room. She'd normally go in but on this occasion would leave the head of neuro and the crazed ex-wife overseeing things, the expert and the devotee.
The damn fool will wish he'd never been born, he went after the wrong village. If Torres doesn't get revenge herself, I know what Robbins is capable of, that attending's lounge is coming out of her salary. At least go to the resident's lounge, blame them instead.
Then, like an invisible magnetic pull, the village had congregated around the CT room. They were all stuck on the same thought.
Owen "Does anyone know his surname?"
Teddy "Maybe he's a friend of Callie's on Facebook?"
Meredith "Callie's not on Facebook."
Cristina "Arizona's?"
Teddy "Why would Arizona be his friend on Facebook?"
Cristina realised her error.
Meredith "What about LinkedIn?"
Bailey "Yeah type 'Simon' into LinkedIn see what comes up, good thinking Grey."
She was just saying. Jeez.
Teddy "Do we know what he looks like? Race? Height? Weight?"
Cristina "Mer, you knew about Simon, did she say anything to you?"
Meredith "No, just that they had a second date, and she was cooking."
Teddy "What about Instagram?"
Bailey "Seriously Altman? Do you hear yourself?"
Yeah, Teddy wasn't sure where that suggestion came from either.
Meredith "Maybe someone should go in there and ask?"
Bailey "So what, you're gonna go in there and ask her about the guy who beat her up whilst in the middle of having a brain scan?"
Cristina "…I mean."
Owen "No Cristina."
Cristina "You come up with a better plan then, I want his ass."
Alex approached, seemingly taking a detour from the peds unit.
Alex "Any word on Torres?"
Owen "She's having her CT scan now; Amelia and Robbins are keeping an eye on her."
Cristina "Bailey won't let us ask for the guy's surname."
Alex "Well when you find him, let me know, the dude's toast."
Cristina "I'll grab a scalpel and we can carpool."
Bailey "I will pretend I'm not hearing my attendings threaten to go attack a guy."
Meredith "Her phone! She'll have his details on her phone."
Alex "Right, who has it?"
Meredith "I grabbed it and put it in her coat pocket when we left."
Cristina "Well who has her coat?"
Owen "Probably Robbins."
Teddy "She doesn't have it on her, might be in her locker?"
Owen "Right, Grey, Cristina, check their lockers."
Cristina "How? We don't have keys."
Alex "I can pick the locks. Did it to O'Malley once, left some rotten food in there."
Cristina "Cool, let's go."
Teddy "I'll come with you."
Highly skilled surgeons, top-of-their-fields medical professionals Doctors Grey, Yang, Karev & Altman left to break into some lockers, but were abruptly frozen in their tracks.
"HOLD ON JUST A MINUTE!"
Oop, it was like a game of musical statues. Frozen solid, the Chief had spoken.
"No one is breaking into Torres' or Robbins' lockers. You're all gonna get back to your jobs, review some charts, catch up on paperwork, do your surgeries and be doctors, not thugs. Going round breaking into lockers, threatening to beat up a man, what's wrong with you people?"
They grumbled but admitted they had been a bit trigger happy; they had gone village mob mentality. Remember Beauty and the Beast? When they stormed the castle? Yeah, that. They dispersed, except Bailey, who was muttering something under her breath when Cristina spoke.
"Err, aren't you coming Dr Bailey?"
"No", Bailey scoffed, "I'm the Chief of surgery, I'll do what I want. Now beat it, Yang."
