With all tests, checks and scans done (you name it, she had it), Bailey wheeled Callie into the ward, her bed for that night (at least). Amelia had reviewed the CT results and was happy there was no internal damage, the relief was palpable. Arizona followed so closely behind that she almost stood on the back of Bailey's heels, and had in fact lightly clipped them, twice.
Get off my damn feet woman.
"We're here, your home for the next 24 hours", quickly adding, "if not more". Callie groaned at the Chief's assertion, "you know the drill Torres, press the button if you need anything, rest, sle- have you eaten anything? Robbins, sort that out."
"Yes ma'am! I mean Bailey, I mean Chief."
"You sure you haven't taken something Robbins?"
"Nope, just happy Calliope's scans are clear."
"What about your date?"
How the hell did she… Pffft, might as well get Carlos to 'take care' of Bailey too for that comment, two birds one stone.
"Thanks guys really", Callie gave them the warmest smile she had manage that day, "but I think you should check in with Sofia before she falls asleep at Mer's. I know she's fine, but after today, I'd just like complete assurance from the person I trust most with her welfare, is that okay?"
Arizona really didn't want to leave her wife's side but agreed. She wasn't going to argue, not tonight, especially because the request revolved around their daughter.
"Okay, I'll go check in on our baby girl and get her to give you a call, is that okay?"
"Sounds perfect, thank you."
Soft smile, "no worries", then turning serious, "Bailey said you need to eat though, I'm guessing you didn't manage dinner earlier?" she cringed at that question, but she was right, "and I'm not letting you have canteen food, I'll go out and grab something, what do you fancy?"
"Something that doesn't require too much chewing."
"Okay, so soup? I'm on it." She had her plan, "I'll check on Sofia, get her to call you, grab some soup, come back and we can watch some trashy TV. Bailey, can you grab a cot?"
"Get your own damn cot."
"No Arizona" Callie was firm, "you need to go home and sleep or, whatever plans you had before all this. I'll be fine, I'm surrounded by friends and doctors, I'm really in the best place for my recovery."
"But I don't want to leave you alone Calliope, what if he comes back?"
"He won't Arizona, honestly", she was grateful for Arizona's care, "please just check on Sofia and give me a call with her there, although I don't know where my phone is."
"I put it in your locker, yo- you had the key on your set of keys. I could have used the back-up combination code though; I still know it."
The date of our first date, she never changed it, I didn't change mine either, our wedding day. Our phone PINS are Sofia's birthday, the password for my lapto- ROBBINS, stay on topic.
"Wish we'd have known that ealier, I had to stop my attendings from breaking in."
Callie and Arizona looked at their Chief, "What?"
A loud noise entered the room, "what up guys, Torres I got us a couple of Chinese soups to try, but I want your fortune cookie, no trades, my one said something about love in my future, I don't want love, I want power." Cristina Yang didn't do knocking. "We've all got shifts Torres, I've got the first one, Kepner is kicking about somewhere now Mer's home with the kids, Owen has been hovering… You're all covered."
"See, now go Arizona, and I want you to stay at home when you get there, or whatever you have planned, no coming back to the hospital like a crazed stalker", Callie laughed, Arizona had always obsessed over caring for her, even if she couldn't let Callie care for her in return.
There was a moment of silence before everyone went their own way. Arizona reluctantly agreed to Callie's request, Bailey covered the bases again and Cristina sat down next to her friend, feet on the bed, food pot in hand, ready to buckle down for the next however long.
"You know everyone is ready right? If we see this guy? It's all planned." Christina sat up, dead serious, voice cold as ice. "I'll cut him with a scalpel, Bailey is going to stare at him, Karev will lay the Smackdown, Owen will tackle him and, from experience, choke him-"
"Cristina!"
"What? I'm serious! Owen will choke him, Avery will hire the finest hitman, Kepner will bore him to death, Mer will probably just stand there and Robbins? After seeing that attending's lounge? Robbins will annihilate him. It's all sorted", concluded, very matter of fact. She reverted to her previous relaxed position, "see, this is why I'm a great friend."
They talked for a bit, mainly about surgeries and crappy canteen food, she didn't want to press Callie for information on what happened, she was sure enough people had done that today. In the meantime, the cardio god (she was taking that name for herself) had retrieved Callie's jacket and grabbed her own charger to make sure her friend's phone had enough juice to take a call from Sofia. She was a great godmother too.
She couldn't help the question slipping out once though, "so really, no memory at all? Nothing flooding back?"
People are only asking because they care Torres, they want you to remember, no one is pressuring you, they just care. It's humbling, these people are here for you.
"I keep thinking maybe I remember a few bits, but then I wonder if it was a dream, or from another time. I can see the bruises are nearly formed and I can't remember taking hits to the face, not even the first one. I don't know how long I was out for; I don't know if there was an argument… I'm stuck in this unknown purgatory, and I just want to remember…"
For the first time that day, the tears trickled, then flowed. Cristina did the unthinkable and hugged her friend, but there was only one person she really wanted comforting her, and for all she knew she would be enjoying a date later. The image increased Callie's sobs.
"What the hell did you say to her Yang?" Kepner appeared.
"Nothing! And watch your language Kepner, God won't like that."
"Bite me"
"Better!"
"Guys", Callie pulled back from Cristina, wiping her eyes, "if you don't mind, I'm tired and just want to get some sleep. Yang, I really appreciate the last 30 minutes or so, and Kepner, thank you for your support but honestly, go home to bed. You've already helped so much tonight by taking care of Sofia. I'm sure it won't be long till Arizona calls so I can speak to my baby direct, so once that's done, I'll be heading off to sleep."
"Err, Dr Torres, ordinarily I would, but we're under strict instructions not to leave your side."
"Strict?", Cristina shook her head, "some would say threatening."
Callie smiled, she knew the Chief well, "honestly, leave Bailey to me-"
"The order isn't from Bailey", the cardio god (yeah, she liked it, she's keeping it) affirmed, "it came from Roller Girl."
Speaking of Roller Girl, Callie's phone rang.
She beamed, knowing Arizona would let her daughter talk first, she was confident in her opening, "hello mija, how are you? Are you enjoying your sleep over at Zola's?"
"Ask her if Kepner was a better babysitter than me."
"Really Yang? Just let her talk to her daughter. And we had a great time tonight, so yes, I am."
With some light bickering in the background, Callie had a brief conversation with her daughter. Listened about her day at school, what she had been up to with Meredith, Amelia & April and made up an ad-hoc bedtime story to tell her before she went to bed. They said their goodnights & I love you's, and the phone was passed to Arizona.
"Thank you for doing that", Callie started to tear up, "I-I- really needed to hear her voice."
"It's okay Callie, I know I'd want to too", she smiled, watching her daughter head upstairs with Zola, "she's gone up to reestablish her fort with Zola, we're long gone from her mind."
"She'll be a teenager soon."
"Calliope!"
Callie laughed, they had spoken for less than 20 seconds and again, it was so easy, comfortable. They ended the call soon after and Arizona made her way home ('home' is a funny word, we'll say she went back to the 'place she slept'), knowing she had to recharge and finish up couple of bits before she headed back to the hospital the next day.
Once in, she locked up, pecked at some leftovers, removed her prosthetic, showered and dressed for bed. She laid herself down and took out her phone, she had some apologising to do.
Arizona: Hey Michelle, I'm so, so sorry about earlier. Callie is my ex-wife and she had been attacked. I was shocked but shouldn't have spoken to you like that. Take care of yourself.
No 'x' at the end like previous texts, there would be no further dates.
Now she'd made some sort of amends, albeit maybe not in the best way, she at least felt some relief. She would go into the coffee shop and personally apologise tomorrow.
Now to sleep.
Sod it.
She clicked on the name that would always make her smile; she selected the FaceTime icon.
It was picked up almost instantly.
"Hey, what are you doing FaceTiming me? Arizona! I look a mess."
Arizona playfully rolled her eyes "no you don't, you could never," you flirt, "anyway, I wanted to see your face, make sure you had eaten, and you were erm, being monitored by doctors."
"You mean if the attendings you threatened are actually here?"
Busted. "I don't threaten Calliope, I instruct."
Callie scoffed, "because you're a department head?"
"And double-board certified."
"So am I!"
"Yes well I'm also a board memb-"
"So am I! How come they won't listen to me but will listen to you?"
Standard Arizona response incoming - "because I'm awesome."
She flashed her award-winning dimpled smile for the first time that day, truth be told, maybe for the first time in a long time. Two years? They were only truly reserved for her Calliope.
Callie scoffed again, "pfft, yeah okay."
"Who's there now? I haven't got the rota in front of me."
"You did a rota?! Arizona!"
"What? I'm type A, we know this."
"It's Karev, he's sat in the chair reading some charts, bored out his skull", she turned her phone towards him, "say hi Karev, Dr Robbins is checking in on me, making sure you're here."
"Yeah I'm here", he gruffed, "ready to kick the guys face in if he comes."
Callie snatched the phone back, "Karev!"
"That's ma'boy!"
"Arizona!"
"What?"
They both laughed, it's been said before, but neither could quite believe how comfortable their banter and back & forth was. It's like nothing after the crash happened. That damn crash. No point in dwelling on it, they had both moved on, both were dating, both were excelling in their careers and co-parenting, life was good.
Was good, maybe not too much now after today's events. And it wasn't great, let's be clear, just good.
Karev's pager went off, he checked, 911, he had to go.
"Sorry boss I gotta go, sick kid needs me, I'll go tag in Hunt. Laters Torres."
He left the room; it was now just the two of them on their impromptu FaceTime call.
"How are you feeling? Or is that still a stupid question?"
"I'm tired, hoping I regain some memory tomorrow. Amelia couldn't give timeframes, when it will come back, how much of it would, if it would at all, so I just gotta hope it comes soon," topic change, "what time's your date?"
"Oh that, I err, I cancelled, I couldn't think about anything else tonight except you, it wouldn't have been fair."
"I'm sorry Arizona, you shouldn't have cancelled because of me, did you at least rain check?"
Arizona winced, "I kinda told her you were my wife and needed to be with you tonight." Then pretty much insinuated she wasn't important.
"Bet that killed the mood."
"I did text her apologising, but I'll go over to the coffee shop first thing and do it face-to-face, it wasn't a nice thing to do, well how I worded it was a bit disrespectful, but I was distracted, by you."
"Oh so you're blaming me for ditching a girl so harshly?"
"Sing it!"
It was light-hearted, the flirting still there, lingering tantalisingly. They spoke about Sofia, how everyone at Grey Sloan had pulled together and what Callie wanted from the coffee shop for breakfast.
"Banana nut muffin."
"Not chocolate?"
"No, too sickly, and I definitely need coffee."
"I'm not sure you can have that much stimulation, what did Shepherd say?"
"She said I was perfect, good to go."
Eyebrow raised, "Calliope…"
"Fine, check with her and then you can go back if she's happy, deal?"
"You have yourself a deal Dr Torres."
Silence.
"Arizona?"
"Mmm hmm?"
"Can you- can- are you okay- you can say no- I mean- it's weird, I'm weird- no it's okay- I'm fine, never mind-"
"Callie", Arizona gave her a reassuring laugh, "what is it? What do you need me to do?"
"Will you erm, stay on FaceTime until I fall asleep?"
Do the thing I've wanted to do for the past two years?! Watch you sleep next to me? Heck yeah!
Arizona couldn't help but smile at her cute wife, "of course, get comfortable, lay your phone down and try to get some sleep, I'll stay here till you start snoring."
"I do not snore."
There goes that eyebrow, "Calliope."
"Maybe a little, at least I don't star fish."
"You have no evidence."
"You kicked me out the bed!"
"You fell."
"Because you pushed me with your ridiculously strong girl arms."
"Well you were snoring!"
Sigh, yet more laughter. Callie got herself settled with some discomfort but managed to lay her phone down and watched as Arizona did the same. It was intimate, tender, thoughtful and what you did for the person you loved. It couldn't have been lost on either of them. This event, this awful event, may be the catalyst to something, dare we say a reconciliation? It's what they both wanted, but neither would say, not tonight anyway.
"Good night Arizona."
"Good night Calliope."
"Arizona?"
"Mmm-hmm?"
"Do you think we should stop meeting people at the coffee shop?"
"It doesn't seem to bring us much luck, does it?"
"I like their coffee though."
"Tell you what, we'll go in, order and won't make eye contact with anyone, sound good?"
Callie smiled, "sounds a plan."
It's debatable who fell asleep first, but it certainly didn't take either of them long. Owen approached the door shortly after and decided he could complete his shift from outside, knowing Arizona would fume if he interrupted them. He may be army, but she was a marine.