Widow Robbins II
August 2007 - Part 1
Arizona felt harried, frazzled even. She needed to get home to take care of Callie, but she had an emergency surgery. Spotting the younger Dr. Grey, she called out to her.
"Did you need something, Dr. Robbins?" Lexie asked politely as she walked over to her.
"Are you working right now?" she asked in a rush.
"No, my shift just ended, but I can stay if you need me," she answered, eyeing the OR board to see what surgeries were pending. Peds wasn't really her thing, but surgery was surgery, and Dr. Robbins was a good teacher.
"Have you had chickenpox?"
The question startled the younger woman, but she still managed to eke out a "No, but I'm fully vaccinated. Why?" She wracked her encyclopedic brain for any instance where surgery was needed for chickenpox. "Does one of your patients have chickenpox?"
Arizona was not the type of doctor to abuse interns and residents with personal tasks. That was one of the things that the less experienced doctors liked about being on her service. But this was an emergency, and Lexie was a friend to Callie. Well, maybe not quite a friend, but a friend by association she reasoned. "No, Callie does."
Lexie's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Callie does? Really?"
Arizona nodded. "I was supposed to go home now and change her gauze paws and check her fever," she explained. "My mom isn't able to go over this afternoon."
"And you want me to," Lexie said, understanding what Arizona was asking.
Arizona almost sighed in relief. "Yes."
Lexie considered her lack of plans for the evening and decided that what Arizona was asking of her was much better than the stifling August heat of her attic room at Meredith's. She nodded her acceptance. "I can do that."
Arizona visibly relaxed, as though a huge weight had been lifted from her. "Thank you. I owe you one, Dr. Grey."
"Any special instructions?"
"Take off her gauze paws for maybe fifteen to twenty minutes, but don't let her scratch. Put them back on before you leave. The supplies are in the downstairs bathroom. Oh, and check her temperature. Hopefully her fever is down."
"Anything else?"
"Yes. Make sure Callie eats. My mom dropped some food off last night. And tell her I'll be home in a few hours, as soon as I get out of surgery." she rambled on. "Oh, and tell her I hope she's feeling better and I love her." Her pager blared impatiently from her waistband and she took off at a run without another thought.
Lexie smiled at Arizona's last words. Maybe one day, I'll find a love like that, she hoped.
# # # # # # # # # #
Callie was miserable. She couldn't remember ever feeling so physically uncomfortable in her life. The itching seemed to be non-stop and her head hadn't stopped throbbing since the day before their abandoned trip. It didn't help matters that Arizona made her wear these freaking gauze paws whenever she was alone. She was tempted to tear them off with her teeth but then she'd have to face Arizona. She can be scary when she's in doctor mode, she thought.
She stretched out on the couch and stared at the ceiling. She was lonely and with Cam and Vivvy staying with their grandparents, the house was too quiet. Arizona had gone all super efficient Robbins when she realized Callie had chickenpox. Before they even left the gas station parking lot to drive home, she had called Barbara and made arrangements for the girls to stay there, while also moving Nick to Teddy's. Then she'd called the coach of Cam's soccer team to let him know that the players had been exposed to chickenpox. Callie could still recall the little mini rant Arizona went on after the call about parents not vaccinating their kids.
She really missed Cam and Vivvy. She missed the noise and the chaos that sometimes came with them. She missed going to the park with the girls, mealtimes and bath times. She did appreciate the cards they'd made her, even the ones where they'd drawn pictures of her with dots all over her face. But only getting to see them through the door while they played on the porch or in the backyard just wasn't cutting it.
"I am so bored," she said out loud. "I am sick of Disney movies, and daytime TV sucks," she whined. "I can't even read or surf the web or play any games with these stupid gauze paws." She waved her hands and once again contemplated finding a way to take them off.
A knock at the front door interrupted any further complaining. She got up from the couch, grumbling to herself. "Who is it?" she asked as she tried to open the door.
"Lexie."
With her hands wrapped, Callie was unable to get a good grip on the doorknob or even turn the deadbolt. "I can't open the door and it's locked. Come around to the back. I think I can get the sliding door unlocked." Callie made her way to the back of the house. She managed to somehow flip the lock to the sliding door. "What are you doing here?" she asked Lexie when the younger woman slid the door open.
"Dr. Robbins sent me. She got pulled into an emergency surgery so she'll be late. Since my shift ended, she asked if I could come over and help you out."
"Fine."
"She said I could take the wrappings off your hands for -"
"Yes!" Callie interrupted excitedly. "For the love of God, please get them off!"
"But only long enough for you to take your meds, eat something and use the bathroom," Lexie continued.
"Oh, come on. That's it?" she whined petulantly.
"She doesn't want you scratching. Scratching leads to scars. You don't want scars do you?"
"Why not? Scars are cool. Scars are…badass, right?" She said with uncertain cockiness. Lexie remained silent, merely staring at her with disdain. "Fine, take them off. I really need to use the bathroom, anyway."
They walked to the downstairs bathroom together and the younger woman picked up the scissors sitting on the counter. "I'll know if you've been scratching," Lexie said as she cut the gauze off. "Don't make me leave the door open," she added.
"It's not a drug test!" Callie protested.
"I have to report to Dr. Robbins."
Callie rolled her eyes. "So it may as well be one."
"Dr. Robbins said - " Lexie began while she looked through the refrigerator.
"Just call her Arizona, okay?" Callie snapped when she joined her in the kitchen.
"She said her mom had left some food for you. Oh, I should check your temperature before you eat," Lexie reminded herself. "And give you your meds."
"I can do that myself. And she brought over pasta salad with chicken last night. Help yourself if you're hungry. There's plenty."
"I'll fix us both a bowl while you check your temp and take your meds. And don't scratch!" she said, noticing Callie reaching behind her shoulder to scratch.
"I'm not."
"You were going to."
Callie stomped back to the bathroom to get her meds and the thermometer. She waited the required three minutes before checking it, pleased to see her fever was still down. She joined Lexie in the bathroom. "99.1." she announced as she sat at one of the chairs next to the kitchen island.
"Good." Lexie slid a bowl of the heated pasta salad and chicken in front of her. Once the microwave beeped that her own bowl of food was ready, she grabbed it and sat next to her friend.
"How are things at the hospital? I feel so out of the loop since I left."
"Chaotic. Everyone is worried about cuts being made. The Mercy Westers are jerks. The residents are cutthroat and don't believe in working together. They don't share when labs are in or their ideas towards a diagnosis. They just take notes in their stupid pink pocket notebook." She stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork.
"Sounds like someone specific."
Lexie groaned. "Her name's Kepner. April Kepner. And I really, really want to like her but she makes it so difficult all the time."
"Are you sure you're not just projecting?"
Lexie rolled her eyes. "The new Ortho guy isn't letting residents do any cutting on his patients. We're not even allowed to stand at the table. It doesn't help matters that he doesn't explain what he's doing until he's four steps past it."
"Can't get people into the specialty that way."
"Right! Like last week, we had this lady with a closed trimalleolar ankle fracture. Slip and fall. You would have loved it. Her ankle was dangling at such a gnarly angle. He reset the fibula before taking any scans."
"You can't do that! You don't know the extent of the injury yet."
"That's what I said! During the surgery as he was placing the plate on the fibula, he said that the shard coming off it would reattach itself over time. Then he did a direct approach with the tibial pieces to screw them back in place. Only one stitch needed."
Callie stared at her in horror. "Oh no. You can't do that as a direct approach. You need open visualization, otherwise the screws back out of the bone. Does he like addicting patients to pain meds?" she asked rhetorically.
Lexie shrugged. "I was lucky I got to even watch the surgery. He refused to discuss his reasons for that approach afterwards. He merely said 'Who's the attending here? Me or you?'"
"That's a lawsuit waiting to happen."
Lexie said nothing as she agreed with the opinion. They continued to eat in silence, while Callie struggled not to scratch. Once done, Lexie picked up the bowls and rinsed them. "Do you want to watch a movie?" Lexie asked when they went into the living room.
"Maybe. They're in the cabinet under the TV."
Lexie began rummaging through it. "Wow She's got A LOT of Disney movies."
"If I watch one more Disney movie, I swear I'll scream, or murder somebody."
Lexie rummaged a bit more. "Hey, she's got Fried Green Tomatoes. And Dirty Dancing. And Beaches. I love these movies. Have you seen any of them? It would keep your mind off the itching." She pulled out the DVDs and placed them next to the dvd player.
"Scratching will take my mind off of itching. Please don't put my gauze paws back on," she whined, noticing Lexie had already placed the gauze and tape on the coffee table.
"She said that you'd say that, and that I should say no."
"Then let me scratch, Just for five minutes, just for…"
"No. It'll scar."
"I don't care. I don't care. Scars are hot. Scars are badass. Scars are poetic. I'm begging you, Little Grey."
"No, and please don't call me Little Grey."
"I'm in pain ... down to the core of my being pain, 'I'm going crazy' pain, scary, will this ever go away' pain. Do ... do you get that? Do ... do ... do you know what I ... Do you know what I mean when I ... when I say that? Because this pain is to scratch an itch That I ... I can't scratch, the pain of a thousand itches and it's making me crazy. Not funny crazy. This is bad crazy, okay? It's dark crazy. It's make a suit out of someone else's skin crazy, okay? Pain, little Grey. Pain."
"I'm in pain, too," Lexie blurted. "Mark and I broke up and now he's getting serious with some stupid dermatology resident from Mercy West."
Callie glared at her incredulously. "I have pox between my butt cheeks. Your pain does not begin to compare to mine. Okay, out. Just out! Out! Out! Out! Out! Out!"
"Not until I rewrap your hands. Dr. Robbins, Arizona, will kill me if I don't."
"Would you rather I kill you or her?" Callie asked menacingly.
Lexie gulped. "Dr. Robbins. I think she'd be more humane about it."
Callie snorted sarcastically. "Don't let all that perkiness fool you. She was raised by a Marine and they know all about torture techniques. And she'd do it with one of those dimpled smiles."
Lexie took a step back and held up her hands in a non-threatening gesture. "I'll make a deal with you. I'll stay and we'll leave the gauze paws off - as long as you don't scratch, and we'll watch a movie. If you start to scratch, or make me leave, the gauze paws go back on." She held up the three DVDs. "What'll it be?"
Defeated, Callie sank back down onto the sofa. "Dirty Dancing, I guess. At least the music's good and Patrick Swayze is sexy."
"You think he's sexy?" Lexie asked, surprised.
"Why wouldn't I?" she scoffed'
"Well, you're getting married to Arizona, who is a woman," Lexie stuttered.
"So? I'm not blind, Lexie."
Lexie put the movie in and sat down next to Callie.
"For all of Mark's bluster about me being his best friend," Callie said while the opening scenes of the movie played across the screen. "I haven't heard from him since the picnic we had here on the fourth, so I don't know any of the hospital gossip."
"That was like a month ago!" Callie shrugged. "We had such a good time that night," Lexie explained with a sigh. "But then when we were at the fireworks, he was gushing about the twins and how wonderful it would be to have a kid together and he won't listen that I'm not ready for that. When I tried to explain that I want that future too but NOT RIGHT NOW, he got all 'if you won't have my babies, I'll find someone who will.'"
Callie groaned. "God, he's such a woman sometimes." They both laughed. "I honestly don't know what to tell you other than to live your truth, whatever it is."
"I appreciate that."
"I'm surprised you haven't dyed your hair yet."
Lexie's expression conveyed puzzled emotions. "Why would I do that?"
Callie shrugged once more, though this time it was more to subtly scratch an itch than to add a nonverbal cue to the conversation. "It's what women do after a breakup. Either cut their hair or dye it. A dramatic style change to highlight starting over."
While Lexie silently considered the advice, the two of them watched the movie, each mimicking snippets of dialogue from the movie. The movie and the antihistamines had helped keep Callie's itching to a minimum. The few times she'd reached to scratch, Lexie had smacked Callie's hand earning a glare.
When the movie ended, they both said, "Nobody puts Baby in the corner."
"And don't let Mark put you in a corner," Callie said. "Be strong, Lexie."
"What'll we watch next?" she asked, not really wanting to discuss Mark any further.
"I've never seen Fried Green Tomatoes."
"You haven't?"
"No. Arizona and her mom were talking about it a couple of months ago. It seemed like a family favorite."
"Oh, it's really good. I think you'll like it."
When the little girl in her brother's suit first appeared on the screen, Callie grabbed the remote and paused the movie. "Idgie Threadgoode. Now I get it," she said.
"What?"
"A few weeks ago, Arizona said we've got our own Idgie in Cam."
Lexie recalled seeing one of the twins running around with a baseball shirt on at the picnic."Cam, she's the little tomboy?"
Callie nodded. "She's gonna be our ring bearer. She's got a little vest and tie."
"That's so cute."
"Arizona showed me a pic of her trying it on. She was adorable." She unpaused the movie and they watched the remainder in companionable silence.
Callie had to admit she really enjoyed the movie. "What is it about blondes and dimples that just makes me melt?" she pondered as they watched Idgie charming the bees.
"Who needs her," Lexie said, gesturing to the screen,"when you have your own personal bee charmer here?"
"She is," Callie answered with a grin. "Arizona is most definitely my bee charmer."
# # # # # # # # # #
Teddy spotted her best friend heading for the elevator and quickened her pace so she could fall into step beside her.
"Hey," Arizona said, her tone of voice letting Teddy know she was not her usual perky self.
"Long day?"
"Aren't they all?"
"Fair point." Teddy pressed the down button. "What's got you so down?"
They stepped into the elevator. "I never really thought about how much Callie and I got to see each other at work until she was no longer here," Arizona lamented. "It's not like we saw each other all the time, but I miss being able to see her during the day." It was not an uncommon complaint from Arizona. She'd been saying something similar for the past six weeks.
"I'm sure it's hard to give that up," Teddy agreed.
"It feels like I never get to see her or the girls for more than a few minutes every day. I'm always running between the two houses. First to my parents' house to see Cam and Vivvy, and then back home to take care of Callie. They're all getting the short end of the stick."
"I'm sure your girls understand. They like staying with your parents and since Nick's been there, they haven't spent an overnight."
"True. And our sitter has been really helpful giving my parents a break. And this week they're attending an improvised day camp at the playground being put on by some of the soccer moms. Sports, arts and crafts. Those kinds of things. Basically it's just an excuse to take the kids to the park with familiar people while still teaching them something. Too bad there isn't one for adults with chicken pox for Callie."
"Speaking of Callie, how's the outbreak monkey?"
"No outbreaks in the rest of the family, thank God," Arizona breathed a sigh of relief. "But she is absolutely miserable. I think we might be turning a corner. At least I hope so. I think getting her Zovirax right away is helping, too."
"I can't imagine having chickenpox as an adult."
"Did you have them?"
"Barely, but I got vaccinated years ago to be certain I was protected. You?"
"I had them when I was a kid. Tim brought them home from school in the second grade. The girls are vaccinated, too, but we still don't want to take any chances."
"Smart."
Arizona sighed. "I was supposed to leave early today so I could spend some time with her and take care of her, but got called into an emergency surgery. I hate leaving her alone so long" The elevator door opened. "I sent Lexie over in my place earlier."
"Really?" Teddy questioned skeptically.
"Yeah. Callie needed a break from her gauze paws and she can't eat while she's wearing them. My mom and dad couldn't go over this afternoon."
"Sure that was wise?" Teddy half-joked. "Callie can be very intimidating."
"I suppose, but I gave Lexie strict instructions. Besides, Callie could use the company."
"Maybe you should've sent Yang. Lexie's too… you know, perky?"
"Well, I guess I'll find out when I get home. I figured at the very least they have Mark in common." They walked in silence to the employee parking lot. "So, how's it been living with a boy?" Arizona teased.
"It's not so bad. You forget I spent all that time in Iraq with mostly men. It's not that much different except Nick is neater than those men. Probably your mother's influence," she mused.
"Seems kind of soon to be shacking up, don't you think?" Arizona asked with a smile and a nudge of her elbow to her friend's ribs.
"We are not shacking up! You know that!"
"Sure about that?"
"Arizona, you know it's only temporary. We're just helping out while Callie is quarantined."
Arizona nodded but her coy smile showed she didn't believe her friend's words. "Sure you are. Does he have a drawer?"
"What?"
"Did you make space in a drawer for him?"
"Well, yes. He shouldn't have to live out of his duffel bag."
"Shacking up," she said smugly.
"Arizona! We are not shacking up."
"Need I remind you how Callie helped out last year when my parents were out of town and you gave us the same song and dance that we were shacking up?"
"No," Teddy grumbled. Their conversation did have a feeling of deja vu about it.
Finally, Arizona laughed. "You know I'm just teasing you, right?"
"Ha ha," Teddy replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.
"We really do appreciate you stepping up to help out." Arizona's smile went from sincere to a smirk. "And I'm sure you appreciate Nick being there."
Teddy stopped at her car and opened the door. "Oh, I do," she laughed. "At least one of us is getting some."
Arizona frowned. "Don't remind me. All I get is a fidgety Callie tossing and turning all night, complaining about how she itches. And it's not the kind of itch I can scratch, if you know what I mean."
"It'll be over soon," Teddy said, patting Arizona on the arm. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Teddy."
Arizona continued through the rows of cars until she got to her own. Once inside, she took out her phone to check for messages. Hmm,no calls or texts from Callie or Lexie, she thought. Well, with her hands wrapped I doubt Callie is able to text or even call. Still, I'm surprised Lexie hasn't called. I hope Callie hasn't killed her. She started her car and drove home. As she pulled in her driveway, she noticed some chalk art on the sidewalk which ran along the street. Looks like Cam and Vivvy made an outdoor get well card. I'll have to remember to show Callie later, she thought with a smile.
She was surprised to find Lexie and Callie sitting on the sofa together, completely engrossed in a movie. Neither of the women looked up or paid her any attention. Both were clutching a wad of tissues and tears flooded their eyes. It was then Arizona heard the dialogue from a movie near and dear to her. She recognized the voice as belonging to Idgie Threadgoode. She also knew not to interrupt them as it was a sad moment near the end of the movie.
"One time there was this lake, and it was right outside of town. We used to go fishing and swimming and canoeing in it. And see one November this big flock of ducks… came in and landed on that lake and then and then the temperature dropped so fast right there. The ducks.. They just flew off and took that lake with them. Now they say that lake is somewhere over in Georgia."
Both Callie and Lexie sniffled and wiped their eyes.
"Fried Green Tomatoes, huh?" Arizona asked, breaking the silence.
Lexie nodded, paused the movie and got up from the couch. "I'll get going," she said, picking up her purse.
"You don't have to leave. You can finish the movie."
"I've already seen it."
"Are you sure?"
Lexie nodded. "I'm meeting my sister Molly for dinner soon."
"Well, if you're sure. Thank you so much."
Once Lexie had left, Arizona sat down next to a still sniffling Callie.
"Why didn't you tell me it was such a sad movie?" Callie almost wailed as she leaned her head against Arizona's shoulder.
"It isn't, not all of it. You haven't even seen the ending." Arizona put her arm around Callie.
Callie buried her face against Arizona's neck and shook her head stubbornly. "I don't want to. Not if Ruth's…" She couldn't bring herself to say the words of the character's fate aloud. "They went through so much together."
Arizona rubbed over Callie's back soothingly. "I know, sweetie." She noticed Callie's hands were free of the wrappings. "No gauze paws?"
"No. Lexie made a deal. I could keep them off as long as I didn't scratch." She scowled. "And trust me, any time I even made a move to scratch, she stopped me."
"Good." She brushed Callie's hair back from her face. "How are you feeling? Any fever?"
"It was down both times I checked. I'm still tired."
"Did you eat something?"
"Yes."
"How about this? I'll wash your hair for you, then you can have a cool bath with baking soda. It'll help with the itching."
"Do I have to put those stupid gauze paws back on?"
"Only when you're sleeping and if no one's here with you." A pout formed on Callie's face. "I'm sorry sweetie, but you don't want scars for the wedding, do you?"
Despite what she'd said to Lexie about scars being badass and sexy, Callie had to agree with Arizona. She definitely did not want scars for her wedding. There was nothing sexy about that.
"You're right," she said.
"Of course I am," Arizona said brightly. "I'm always right."
"And awesome," Callie said with a roll of her eyes. "Don't forget awesome."
"That too." She stood up and reached out her hand. "C'mon you. Let's get your hair washed and into the tub."
"Are you joining me?" Callie asked as they headed up the stairs together.
"No. It's a bath for one tonight." They entered the master bath and Arizona got out some fresh towels. "I guess it really is true," she commented.
"What?"
"Doctors do make the worst patients," she teased.
"Are you implying something, Arizona?" Callie arched one of her eyebrows daringly.
"Well, you have been pretty cantankerous."
"I am in pain and I'm miserable. I'd like to see you as a patient," she rebutted.
"Oh, I'm a delight," Arizona smirked. "Good thing I'm rarely sick."
"How are you never sick? You're a pediatrician."
"No, I am a pediatric surgeon. I don't do little diseases on little people. I do big surgeries on little people. Unless, of course, it's my own family." She patted the chair she'd placed in front of the sink. "Come sit so I can wash your hair."
Callie did as she was told with only some minor grumbling. She sat in the chair and leaned back so her head was over the sink. The warm water felt good and she nearly purred when she felt Arizona's fingers massaging her scalp. "That feels soooo good," she moaned softly.
"You have such beautiful hair." Arizona commented with admiration as she worked the shampoo into the dark tresses. "Have I ever told you how much I love it?"
"Maybe?" Callie smirked. "I do know that you like to tug on it sometimes." Her hand slid up Arizona's thigh.
"Don't distract me," Arizona said as she paused the hair washing for a moment to remove Callie's wandering hand. "Someone's feeling better."
"I am, a little bit, actually. I haven't had a headache at all this afternoon. It's just the freaking itching."
"The bath will help, really."
"When can I see the girls?"
"When you're no longer contagious. You know that."
"But it's been days," she whined.
"You've still got a few pox that haven't crusted over on your arms, and I haven't even checked the rest of your body. Once they've all got to that point, you won't be contagious."
Once she'd finished washing Callie's hair, Arizona she started a cool bath. While Callie stripped, she added the baking soda. "I know how much you like a hot shower or bath, but that'll just make you itch more."
Callie couldn't suppress a yelp when she sat in the cool water, but it didn't take long for the mixture of cool water and baking soda to ease some of the itching. While she soaked, Arizona changed out of her clothes. Then, she took out the bottle of calamine lotion and some cotton balls.
"Mom said she'd bring Cam and Vivvy over to say goodnight."
"I get to see them?" Callie asked excitedly when she stepped out of the tub.
"Through the door."
"I miss them."
Arizona began to dab calamine lotion on the many spots on Callie's body. "They miss you, too. Maybe this weekend we can have them come back home."
"Really?"
"I'm not promising anything. We'll see." She handed Callie a change of clothes. "C'mon, get dressed. I'll call Mom and have her bring the girls over."
Arizona turned to leave the bedroom, but was stopped by the ringing of the doorbell. She frowned slightly. "Are you expecting anyone?"
Callie rolled her eyes. "Seriously? I'm poxy and gross. The only people I want to see are you and the girls and I'm too contagious to see them."
Arizona mentally smacked her head. It should have been obvious that neither were expecting company with Callie's current condition. Her brows drew together as the doorbell rang again.
"Aren't you going to go answer it?"
"Oh! Right." Callie's statement seemed to bring Arizona from her reverie. She hurried down the stairs and opened the front door just as a third chime rang out. "Just a…MOM!" she quickly stepped out onto the front porch.
Before Barbara could say anything, the twins chimed in with "Mommy!" and rushed towards the porch steps to hug her tightly. She crouched to their level and hugged them tightly. She looked up at her mother. "I was just about to call you."
"Great minds think alike," Barbara commented with a wise smile.
"We made cards for Callie," Cam said. Barbara waved the cards in her hands.
"And drawed on the sidewalk," said Vivvy pointing towards the street. "We miss Callie."
"And you, too, Mommy."
Arizona chuckled and teased them. "I see where I rank now."
"When can we see Callie?"
Before she could answer, Callie appeared in the doorway behind the screen door. "CALLIE!" the twins yelled in excited unison. Arizona held them firmly in place when they tried to lunge for the door.
"Remember what I said before we walked over, girls?" Barbara reminded them.
"Stay on the grass and don't go near the door." Vivvy's lower lip protruded with a pout.
"But Callie gives the bestest hugs and I miss Callie hugs," Cam protested.
"I know, honey. I miss Cam and Vivvy hugs, too, but this is to keep you safe." Callie's eyes filled with happy but longing tears. She held a hand palm outward against the screen.
Cam crossed her arms irritably. "Stupid Jeremy Hendrix. We had to forfeit two games cuz he gave everyone pox and I can't hug my Callie."
"What have you two been doing with Grandma and Grandpop?" Callie asked in an attempt to change the conversation.
Barbara handed the homemade cards through the door. "They made you these."
Vivvy tugged on Barbara's shirt. "And the sidewalk!"
"Yeah we came and drawed on the sidewalk today," Cam said pointing towards the street similar to how her sister had done just moments ago.
Callie looked at the drawings in her hands. On pink construction paper was drawn three people, one large and two small, next to a person in a bed with dark hair and the words get well soon love Vivvy. On purple construction paper was written feel better Callie, love Cam, with a big face with lots of red spots on it and a thermometer in its mouth. Her heart filled with joy, but also with sadness that she couldn't hold them. "Thank you, Cam and Vivvy. I love you so much. I'll walk down and look at your chalk art in a little bit."
"Love you, Callie."
"How are you feeling?" Barbara asked.
"Tired mostly, and itchy. Going stir crazy with boredom."
Arizona looked around and noticed the street lights flickering on, one by one. "I know it's been a short visit but it's getting late, girls."
"Awwwww," the twins and Callie groaned. Barbara and Arizona shared matching looks of amusement.
Arizona gave each girl a tight hug and kiss on the cheek as she told them she loved them before doing the same with her mom. "Thank you so much for all your help. I really don't know how I could handle everything without you."
Barbara pinched her daughter's cheek lovingly. "You don't have to worry about that for a long time, dear," she said. "All right, girls, forward. March!"
Arizona and Callie waved and blew kisses at the girls as they walked down the driveway. Callie waited until they were in front of the neighbor's house before she joined Arizona on the porch. Arizona grabbed her hand and together they walked across the yard to gaze at the chalk art the twins had made that day. In one square were the words GET WELL in blue and green, the next square had four stick people with their names and a rainbow connecting two clouds above them, and the final square said CALLIE in pink and purple.
"They're so sweet. I can't wait til they can come back home."
Arizona hugged her tightly and Callie shifted slightly to create some friction to itch her lower back. "I know. Me too." She released a deep breath. "It's bedtime for us, too."
Callie nodded begrudgingly. They walked back into the house hand in hand. Once inside, Arizona busied herself with making sure everything was tidied and locked while Callie went upstairs to their bedroom.
Eventually, Arizona came upstairs to shower and change for bed. She slipped into bed beside Callie who was trying to relieve a particularly obnoxious itch on her upper right arm. "No scratching." she said, covering Callie's gauze covered hand with her own.
"Arizonaaaaaa," Callie whined.
Arizona lifted the sheet wordlessly so it covered Callie's arm, then lightly began to rub the area.
Callie turned her head to look at her girlfriend quizzically. "I thought you said not to scratch."
"I'm not scratching. I'm rubbing."
"But I'll scar."
"Not this way. I thought of it while I was hugging you in the yard." She pressed a soft kiss to the side of Callie's neck. "Good idea?"
"Mmmmm, BEST idea."
# # # # # # # # # #
Richard Webber was a man who didn't like to be proven wrong or admit defeat. However, as he stood in front of the front door to the Robbins-Torres household, he realized that his purpose here was more than the combination of those things. He would need to grovel if he were to convince Callie Torres to return to Seattle Grace Mercy West. He grimaced as he tried to gather the courage to knock. He truly hated to admit he was wrong, but the orthopedic staff who joined their ranks from the merger were truly abysmal. He needed someone who was innovative and ambitious, not someone who just stapled and prescribed pain meds. He needed a rockstar in the field and that was Callie Torres.
With a steadying breath, he reached forward, pressed the doorbell and waited with a smile. His smile faltered as he was forced to wait for the door to open. He shifted uneasily. What was taking so long? Just as he was about to press the doorbell again, he noticed Callie look through the glass of the inner door and he gave a small wave.
Callie's eyebrows drew together in confusion. Why was Chief Webber on her doorstep? She struggled a bit with the doorknob but was eventually able to open the door with her wrapped hands. "Chief? What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk. Can I come in?"
Callie shifted uncomfortably. "Uh…no. Sorry. I'm still a bit contagious according to Arizona."
"Contagious?"
Callie held up her hands. "Chicken pox."
Richard's shoulders slumped slightly as some of his resolve left him. He really didn't want to have this conversation through a door. "Oh, I see." He shifted uneasily. "I guess I could come back another time. Once you're well, that is."
"You still haven't said why you're here, though."
"You're sick."
Callie rolled her eyes. "I'm on day ten of having chicken pox. Fever free for two days. My hands may be gauze paws right now, because Arizona insisted on it, but my brain works just fine." She had an inkling, based on his demeanor, that he may be here to grovel, but she wasn't going to make it easy for him.
"I heard…I mean, I was wondering…" he shook his head, knowing that wasn't how he wanted to broach the subject, but eventually decided to attack the matter straightforwardly. "How's the job search?"
"I'm waiting for call backs from Swedish and UDub."
"Oh, I see."
"And Cleveland and Rush have made offers," she added, not completely lying. They had made offers. He didn't need to know that she'd already turned them down.
"Oh," he said again, then pondered that. If Torres was going to take an out of town offer, then that would mean Robbins would go, too. Robbins, even without a completed fellowship, was getting noticed. It wouldn't take long for her to land a job if she were to follow Torres across the country. That wouldn't do. He couldn't afford to lose both of them. "Would you consider returning to Seattle Grace Mercy West?"
Callie crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow. "It's barely been a month since my residency ended and, if I remember correctly, you couldn't be rid of me fast enough."
"Now, Torres, that's unfair."
"In fact, I had to practically accost you in a dark parking lot to even get you to tell me I didn't have a job. I begged you for a position and your words were you were going to have an…" She paused for effect. "Overabundance of doctors." She snorted sarcastically. "Yet here you are begging me to come back."
"Do we really need to rehash that unpleasantness? Can I count on you?" He pleaded.
"I dunno, Chief."
"Anything you want, within reason, it's yours."
Callie pondered this for a long moment. Did she really want to go back to that hospital? All her friends were there. She'd see Arizona more often. But she wouldn't see the kids as much. She frowned slightly. She had truly enjoyed spending this summer with them and learning more about them. However, she longed for adult conversations and she didn't know what she would do with her time once the kids went back to school. On impulse, she blurted, "My own office."
"Done."
"I assume a hefty pay raise is part of this."
"Very substantial." He nodded rapidly, knowing he was in no position to negotiate.
"I also assume, based on our last conversation, that Chang is still head of Ortho, but until he does retire, I'm not doing his job for him anymore. None of his surgeries or post-ops or paperwork."
Richard furrowed his brow. "I thought you wanted to be head of Ortho."
"Oh, I do. Very much so. However, since it was explicitly told to me that he would remain in his position until his retirement, if I come back, I will no longer be covering for his shortcomings."
He nodded curtly. "Fine."
"And I will need time off for the wedding. A few days before and after."
"The wedding?"
Callie stared at him incredulously. "Me and Arizona at the end of September. This can't be news to you. You RSVP'd for it."
"Oh yes, yes of course you and Arizona both can have that time off. Does this mean you'll be back?" He questioned hopefully.
"I need to discuss it with my fiance but I'm considering your offer." Her expression remained impassive.
Realizing that was the best he could hope for at the moment, he nodded slowly. "Okay then. Let me know within the next few days." He turned and started walking towards his car.
Lexie's comments about the new Ortho attending a few days ago suddenly pushed to the forefront of her mind. "One more thing?"
He stopped to face her. "Yes?"
She stepped onto the porch so he could hear her better. "I want you to fire the new Ortho attending from Mercy. I'm not sure his name, but I've heard enough HIPPA friendly information about his cases to know he is a liability to the hospital and a lawsuit waiting to happen. I'll personally take over his patients' care." She paused. "If I come back, that is."
Richard struggled to suppress the smile from his lips, knowing she was going to accept. "That's an awfully big request."
"You said I could ask for anything I wanted."
"That I did." He opened his car door. "I hope to hear from you soon, Torres." As he settled in the driver's seat and turned the ignition switch, he knew without a doubt that Callie would be calling his office in the morning.
# # # # # # # # # # #
After turning off the main road and heading for the street she lived on, Arizona came to a stop at an intersection the same time as another car. She waved to the car to go first. As the dark sedan approached her, Arizona did a double-take. She thought it was Chief Webber, but before she could get a good look, the car was past.
"Huh," she said to herself. "If that was him, why is he in my neighborhood? It couldn't be him, could it?" she mused, shaking her head. By the time she pulled into the garage, she'd convinced herself that it couldn't possibly have been Chief Webber, just someone who looked like him
"Hi, honey, I'm home," Arizona called out as she hung up her purse in her cubby.
"Upstairs!" Callie answered.
Arizona trotted up the stairs. "Hey."
"Hey yourself. You're home early," Callie commented when she greeted her.
"Griffin gave me the afternoon off because I worked so many hours this weekend." She kissed Callie's cheek. "How do you feel?"
"Much, much better. Still no fever and no itching." She held up her hands. "Can you please take these off?"
"Take off your clothes."
"Um, what?"
"I need to inspect your body," Arizona said with a small smirk.
"Inspect my body, huh?" She lifted her hands. "You either need to take these off or take my clothes off for me."
Arizona grinned. "I think both can be arranged." She went into the bathroom to get a pair of scissors. "First, let's get these off."
"Oh, thank God," Callie said. She gave Arizona a smirk of her own as Arizona carefully cut the gauze. "So, why do you want to 'inspect' my body?" she asked.
"I need to check your pox."
"That's all?" Callie was disappointed.
"For starters. Getting to see you naked is a bonus," she winked.
Callie whipped off her top, then stepped out of her shorts "Inspect away," she said, holding her arms out.
Arizona swallowed hard, then licked her lips. Callie in all her naked glory was a sight that she would always be in awe of. God, please let her be over the chickenpox, she thought, offering up a rare prayer. "So, um, turn around," she stammered.
When Callie turned her back to her, Arizona was not as distracted and she began to check Callie's neck, back and shoulders. It wasn't until she looked lower that she had to take a deep breath. That magnificent ass, she thought, and she almost shuddered. She struggled to keep her hands off it. It had been far too long for her liking since she'd looked at or touched Callie's body in a non-clinical way. "Looks good," she croaked, as she straightened up from looking at the back of Callie's legs.
"Ready for the front?" Callie asked over her shoulder, a big smile on her face.
"Always."
Be a doctor, be a doctor, Arizona kept telling herself. Callie is a patient, not your fiancee. Your naked, HOT fiancee. She shook her head to clear her lustful thoughts.
"You okay there, Doctor Robbins?" Callie asked with a laugh, as if she knew exactly what thoughts were running through Arizona's mind.
"I'm good. I'm…" She paused dramatically. "Great." She carefully checked the pox on the front of Callie's body. There were no new pox anywhere on any part of her body. All of the pox that she did have were healed. "You can get dressed now."
"What's the verdict, Dr. Robbins?" Callie's voice dropped slightly as she addressed her lover by her professional moniker.
"You're good to go."
"No more gauze paws?"
"Nope."
"Halle-fucking-lujah," Callie exclaimed.
Arizona picked up the discarded clothes. "Here. Get dressed." Callie made a face at her. "Don't give me that look. I know what you're thinking and no."
"Why not?" Callie whined. A part of her wanted to stamp her foot in protest. "We have the house to ourselves."
"You just got over the chickenpox. Extracurricular activities are a no for a few more days." Arizona tried to remain firm in her resolve but if Callie pushed much harder, she knew she'd give in to her carnal desires.
"Fine," Callie grumbled as she took a bra out of her dresser. She'd been braless for ten days and decided to put one on since she no longer itched.
"You know, I would have sworn I passed Webber today." Arizona mused as she sat on the end of the bed.
"You probably did," Callie answered, pulling on the rest of her clothes. "He just left shortly before you came home."
"Chief Webber was here?" Arizona's eyes widened in surprise.
"Yup."
"Why?"
A broad smile crossed Callie's face. "He offered me a job."
"He did? That's great, Calliope!"
"I haven't said yes. Yet."
"Why not?"
"I need to discuss it with you first," Callie said as though it were obvious.
"Do you not want to go back to work?" Arizona couldn't understand why Callie wouldn't accept and offer on the spot.
"I do," Callie quickly assured. I do. Just maybe not right away," she added. "I want to spend a little more time with the girls since I haven't seen much of them since I got sick. And…"
"And what?"
"I'm thinking of maybe going back the week after school starts."
"Okay. Why would that be an issue?"
"See, I never got to see their first steps, or hear their first words, and I wasn't here for the first day of kindergarten. I want to be here for the day they start first grade," she said in a rush.
Arizona felt her heart fill with even more love for the woman in front of her. "I love you," she said simply. "That is just about the sweetest thing I've heard."
Callie blushed. "I thought I'd go back to work doing consults and maybe some simple surgeries for a few weeks. And then we get married."
"And then we get married," Arizona repeated, a smile gracing her lips.
"Plus, I negotiated for a few days off before and after the wedding, for both of us."
"Really?"
"Really. I thought maybe we could use that getaway weekend that we didn't get to use."
"That would be wonderful. A few days alone for a honeymoon would be wonderful." Arizona pictured the two of them lying on a beach in Spain sipping sangria. Spain would have to wait for a few more years, but the Sangria, they could still have that.
Callie held out her hands and pulled Arizona to her feet. "We've got a lot of catching up to do," she said with a wink.
"We do, we do," Arizona agreed, looping her arms around Callie's neck. "I can't wait to be married to you."
"I can't wait either."
"Still want to elope?"
"No," she said with a shake of her head. "I want to stand in front of all our family and friends so they know how much I love you." She grinned.
"I feel the same." Arizona stepped back with a little reluctance. "I'm going to go check on the girls. They should be home from day camp by now."
"Okay."
"I won't be gone long. I promise."
True to her word, Arizona wasn't gone long. She walked down the street to her parents' house and returned with two very excited girls.
"Callie? I have something for you," she called out as she opened the door.
"What?" Callie walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.
"Callie! Callie!" Cam and Vivvy shouted as they pushed past their mommy.
Callie was nearly knocked over by the girls as they ran into her arms. "I've missed your hugs so, so much," she said as she knelt down to hug them more tightly.
"We missed you, too!"
"We really really missed you."
Callie hugged them close. "No more gauze paws. Cam and Vivvy are back home. And I got my job back. This is the best day ever!" She looked up at Arizona, who smiled back at them. Life couldn't get any better.