Chapter 6
Callie was exhausted, her day off hadn't been relaxing at all. She had spent the whole afternoon in the City Hall with her lawyer.
At least she could leave that weird O'Malley phase behind her. She was Callie Torres again.
She had been married to George. Sometimes thinking about it she felt like laughing, other times she felt like crying.
Now, she couldn't even explain why she made that impulsive gesture. Was she so miserable to get married in Vegas with an intern who wasn't even in love with her? Bailey would have told her that she also had a daughter, and you're not supposed to do this kind of things when you are a parent.
But no.. The loss of the chief resident job, the loneliness and tequila had led her in Nevada, in a sad Elvis chapel for her 31st birthday.
Those four months with George have been strange. To say the had spent them in a hotel room, which was luxurious, but it wasn't her home. And, in the company of a 'man' who hadn't even had the decency to break up with her before sleeping with his best friend.
Also, Mark didn't want his one-year-old daughter sleeping in a hotel room, and he disapproved that relationship. That's why she often slept at Mark's to stay with Sofia.
Now, two years later, with the divorce papers in hand, she felt like she was a new person. You could also tell it from how she had spent her 33rd birthday: ice-cream at the park with her daughter and a home dinner party with some friends. She felt much more mature.
The new Callie Torres didn't get scolded by Bailey anymore. Hardly ever.
Sighing, she shut the door with her foot and she threw her bag on the couch. Heading for her bedroom, she met Alex rushing down the stairs "Hey, are you coming to Joe's? It's me, Yang and both Greys!"
"Both of them? How can I pass on that?" She asked ironically.
"Cmon! I'll give you a ride! You don't have Sofia, do you?"
She shook her head "Mmh, she's with Mark tonight!"
"So?!" He shrugged his shirt on.
"You know what? Give me 10!"
Entering the bar they went straight to their usual place, the corner of the counter. And shortly after the Grey sisters made their way through the crowds followed by Derek and Mark.
"What are you doing here? Where's Sofia?" Callie asked anxious addressing Mark.
"What? This was your night with her! I thought she was with you!"
She was suddenly feeling sick "What the fuck Mark!? Where's my daughter?" She got up from her stool and started picking up her things.
He didn't think she would have take it so badly "Hey hey, breath, I'm kidding!" He put his hands on her arms. "Calm down, I'm just messing with you!"
She slapped him on his arm "You scared the hell out of me!"
"Cal, I told you this morning, Derek's mom has her... She always asks if she can have her for a while.." He sat on the nearest stool.
"You didn't, I would remember!"
"Actually yes, I did. You also replied that it was fine and to walk away... But maybe you were absent.. Again!"
She didn't answer, she just glared at him. He was right.
Lexie tried to change the subject "So, Callie? I heard congratulations are in order, right?"
"We need to celebrate, TORRES!" Derek commented nicely, while Mark said "Yes, please! Callie O'Malley sounded so bad…"
Cristina laughed out loud along with Alex who received a smack from Lexie.
Mark rose his hand and called out "Joe? A shot for everyone, it's on me!"
The offer received a round of applause and some "uuooh", but still, Callie's smile didn't reach her ears.
He knew her too well. He whispered "Will you tell me what's the matter? What's wrong, huh?" He gave her a little nudge with his shoulder "You should be happy, Callie! You were overjoyed when you got the call from the lawyer!"
Meanwhile in the SGMW lobby, sitting with her legs to her chest, there was Arizona, who was waiting for Amelia's shift to end to go eat something together. It had been a particularly tiring day and the emptiness in her stomach was making itself felt.
Reaching her friend at a brisk pace, Amelia Sheperd raised her hand "Hey! I'm sorry! I had to.."
"Don't worry, I get it! I'm just starving! What's good around here?" she said rising from the seat.
"We usually go to the pub across the street cause it's always open, and Joe, the barman, is very friendly.." and she pointed behind her, towards the direction of the bar.
"Oh, yes Joe, I met him some days ago!" going out and looking at the sky she continued "It's fine with me, since it's probably going to rain soon!"
They entered the bar accompanied by the familiar ring of the bell and they went sitting at a side table.
Joe walked to them "Amelia! Look at you! I haven't seen you here for a while!" Then turning to the other "Arizona, right?"
She nodded "Great memory!"
"It's a very unusual name! I'm happy to see you've already settled in!"
Arizona smiled to him, already wondering what they could order.
"If I'm not wrong, for Dr. Sheperd hamburger number two and fries with ketchup" he looked up for confirmation from his regular customer.
Arizona added "Make it two then, but no sauces for me, please. Oh, and a draught beer!"
"Perfect, I'll be back soon!"
"You don't have anything to drink?"
"I was an alcoholic." She simply admitted. The other woman was speechless, as usually happens when you confess this sort of things. "Well, don't worry! We haven't seen each other for quite some time! It's been a while since I've stopped drinking and everything else... Joe knows what I'm taking anyway!"
"Amelia, I'm sorry! If you want to talk, you know, I'm.." but as she was talking she realized she had ordered a beer "Oh shit! I'm an idiot, wait for me, I'll go get something else!"
She got up and took a step towards the bartender but Amelia stopped her "No problem, really, or I wouldn't have brought you to a bar, don't you think?"
Arizona returned to her chair nodding, but in that brief moment in which she had looked for Joe, her eyes had landed on her. She had seen Callie Torres with some other colleagues, right in front of Joe.
"Doctors! Hello! You here too?" It had been at least an hour, and Arizona had almost forgotten that Callie was in there. Almost. Until their conversation was interrupted by a tipsy Lexie Grey who wanted to say hi.
"Grey.." Greeted Arizona, tilting her glass towards Lexie and letting her friend talk.
"Hi Lexie! Are you alone?"
"No, I'm with Meredith and the others" she turned, pointing to the group "Come, have a shot with us!"
"Well.." Amelia Sheperd grinned, obviously she couldn't.
Her face was probably espressive because the intern immediately brought her hands to her mouth while cursing "Oh God! What did I say, I'm so stupid!" trying to make up for the gaffe "A non-alcoholic drink maybe, what do you think? Or, if you prefer, there is Coca cola, coffee, or... Juices! I tried them once, they are delicious! Like the pineapple one is like drinking a real drink! Not that drinking a soft drink is.."
"Grey! Grey... It's fine, really!" The neurosurgeon reassured her by placing a hand on her arm and putting an end to that painful show.
Arizona decided to take matters into her own hands, she certainly didn't want to go and drink with Callie. She didn't want any drama "Lexie, see, we would like to chat and update each other a bit.. Next time we'll drink juice very gladly, very!"
"Somebody take her away from alcohol before it's too late!" Amelia commented jokingly as the young girl walked way.
"I recall that you weren't bad!"
"Yep! I always win!"
"Obviously!" Amelia laughed "Wanna lose?"
Arizona thought about it. She thought about Callie, that would have been a few meters away from her, and she thought that after all she was not to blame. There wasn't any real reason to avoid each other and hold a grudge. So, she finally answered, smirking "What shall we bet?"
The two took a refill and as they were settling in front of the board, they both felt an arm on their shoulders.
"Robbins! Amelia! Two of the most beautiful surgeons our hospital has ever seen!"
As if the situation weren't odd enough, Mark Sloan was now hugging her. No, that was too much. She took her wrist and wriggled out.
"Mark, I see that you too, as Grey, need some water!"
"I'm sober."
"Yeah right.." Amelia commented.
"Do you want to play darts?" he asked.
"Actually we were starting a one on one" Arizona answered picking the darts.
"Uhh nice! Come on, if I win, Robbins I'll take Karev for two weeks!"
"Not gonna happen!" the blonde objected.
"That's a yes!"
"Hey guys, there's a game to win against Robbins and Little Sheperd, who's with me?"
Everyone looked towards the dartboard and then at each other, no one was with him. Nobody wanted to play drunk darts. Callie above all, as soon as she heard that name, got a really dark face.
Mark begged "Little Grey, at least you! Come on, you're good, I can feel it! "
Meredith glared at him "Little Grey, my sister, is pretty drunk!"
"No Meredith, he's right, I'm crazy good at darts!". She jumped off the tool "Lead the way!" she took Mark by the hand they both headed towards their opponents in front of the eyes of all those presents and a skeptical Meredith Grey.
Amelia whispered in Mark's ear "Really? She's wasted, you're lucky if she can stand!". The blonde laughed and Mark ignored them.
"Come on Grey, you can do it!". He put a hand on her shoulder encouraging her.
It's unknown how and for what strange reason, but after some rounds Lexie placed the dart in the bull's-eye. "Oh God! I did it Mark! I did it!" She threw herself at him and the man spun her around.
The other team watched the two with wide eyes. They were both incredulous at the big shot and weirded out by their celebration.
"Ok, ok, time out!" Sheperd exclaimed. "I need some water!"
"You tired already?!" Mark commented.
"Well, in the meantime I'll use the toilet!" The blonde took advantage of the break.
Not even the time to push the door, that someone pulled it from the inside. That someone being exactly Callie.
They looked at each other. And she couldn't hold back anymore. Before she was out of reach, she gently grabbed her wrist and asked "How are you, Calliope?"
The other, though, snapped "You are incredible! Your nerve is..! You come here, take my spots, my friends and... How easily you ask me that!"
Arizona knew that the woman hadn't heard from her or anything, but she didn't think there was still all this resentment on Callie's part.
The last time they saw each other they had a fight, she remembered that stupid argument very well. It was the day after Callie's 17th birthday.
But after all, they had spent three wonderful years, she didn't deserved that treatment.
They had argued for a stupid reason. Or rather, Arizona had started a stupid, futile argument, because she didn't want Callie to remember the previous night and the drunk kiss they shared.
So, instead of talking about it and trying to figure out what her friend remembered or didn't, she had simply started criticizing the stupid attitude of that 'stupid Kevin' she liked to flirt with so much.
Well, that was Arizona's truth. Callie, on the other hand, would have told a whole different version of the story.
She was angry at her best friend who hadn't even said goodbye. The girl had gone to the other side of the world, without bothering to hug her.
And then, there was that last period in which things had begun to change, when everything was so confuse and she hadn't understood anything anymore.
She only knew that, that last night, the night of her birthday, she didn't want to go home with that stupid guy. Everything was unclear, but the emptiness she had felt seeing Arizona running away was immeasurable.
Callie kept all things locked up inside her. For years. She had never talked about them. But, as soon as she set foot in that trauma room, they all reemerged with such a strength that she couldn't think about anything else.
Maybe, all the work and therapy done the previous years hadn't been enough.
Because the one person who hurt her the most, was now a colleague of hers. And sooner or later they would have to confront each other. She knew it, but she didn't know if she was ready.
Callie was still the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She was standing there in that dirty, darkish corridor, without knowing what to do. She looked at her and she was disarmed, she couldn't utter a word.
"You got anything to say?"
Arizona was lost. She looked into her eyes, then she moved her gaze down, at her own sweaty hands.
"Great! Good night Arizona!"
As soon as she registered her name coming out of that mouth, she recovered. She moved fast gathering her things, motioning Amelia to excuse her and she went after her through the crowds and towards the exit.
No shadow of Callie.
It wasn't like she knew where she would go or where to find the woman, but she decided to look around anyway. She just didn't want to go home yet. Also, she wouldn't been able to get the brunette out of her mind.
"I didn't know you smoke!"
"I wish I didn't" She replied to Mark without giving too many explanations.
After a long, unsuccessful walk around the blocks, she had decided to stop and sit on the brickwork outside her new condo, for the last cigarette of the day. And Mark coming home interrupted her thinking.
Arizona, amazed that he hadn't brought someone home, asked him "Are you alone tonight?"
"Mm yeah, I'm not in the mood tonight..." he replied vaguely.
She looked at him catching some disappointment in his voice "I thought Little Grey would be your prey tonight..."
"Well, no, she's off limits for me. She's Meredith's sister!" Arizona continued to look at him unconvinced, nodding and waiting for him to continue "Anyway, I practically won Karev by default!"
"Hey, that's not true! I had to go! And besides, you were losing!"
"Then we have to do it again and we'll up the ante!"
"You're on!" She smiled taking a puff.
"I saw you running out fast.. I mean, you seemed a little upset, do you want to talk about it?"
"Oh, thanks Mark, but it's just a very long day!"
They looked at each other, with a hint of a smile, an understanding one.
She put out the cigarette, jumped off the wall and she threw the stub into the basket next to her. Turning to her neighbor, she asked "Are you coming up too?"
"I should have it! I'm the one who has been in this house since... Ever! You don't even live here!" He said while he finished spoon-feeding Sofia in the high-chair. "And we are too many already!" He added wiping her mouth.
"I've practically lived here for months, Alex! If I'm not at the hospital, I'm here! Who cooks for you every time, huh?" She put a tray of peas in Alex's hand. "Here, bring this to the table!"
"You can't always play the cooking card, we can eat even without you!" He replied.
Taking the little child in her arms, Cristina mumbled "Speak for yourself!"
"Ok, then I play the sister card. Sister beats roommate! I have lots of cards!" She smiled confidently.
Cristina shrugged "I don't want the big room. It takes a lot more time to clean. I just need a bed!" She swung the little child "Are you sure that Callie doesn't want it? Having her.. You know"
"Mer, did you talk to Callie?" Lexie asked her sister as she continued to cut the roasted chicken.
The blonde nodded her head "She doesn't care!" She sipped her wine from the glass. "I didn't want to create all this mess by leaving the house guys. It's just a room after all!"
"It's THE room, Meredith!" Lexie corrected her with wide eyes.
Alex mocked her mimicking her face. "Duhh!"
After a while Alex, whose hunger was growing, asked "Dude, how much longer before dinner?"
The younger girl placed the last dish on the table "It's ready... I'm just waiting for Callie to come back!"
In that exact moment they heard the front door open "I'm home!". She apologized for being late "What smells so good? Lexie, do you need a hand?"
"Don't worry, we're ready, but you are an excellent roommate! These three here have been watching me for an hour without lifting a finger!"
She laughed with her housemates "By the way, where's my baby?"
"We're here! We were waiting for you!" Cristina said passing the little child who was eager to be in her mother's arms.
"Hi babyyy! Mama missed you so much!" She smooched her "Have you been good this afternoon?"
While Sofia nodded and clapped her hands, Alex answered "She's been very good! We've played in the backyard with the ball!". He tickled her belly, then he looked at Callie "And no fever today, so I think it's safe to take her back to daycare!"
"Thank you guys, seriously, I really don't know what I'd do without your help! Lexie, you too!"
She brought up her hands "See, that's why I need to move in and take that room!" she joked sitting at the dinner table.
Alex threw her a piece of bread, they all laughed and started eating.
"How's it at the hospital? I have to go in for the night shift... Something interesting?" Cristina started.
Callie took a bite while keeping Sofia balanced on one leg. "There was a big accident. I think truck against car... So, yeah, lots of trauma and bones... But no heart surgeries, sorry!"
"What about the father? He was the one driving I think" Arizona asked for updates about her patient's family.
"Yeah, Webber and Hunt are still working on him." Derek answered.
"Poor kid... Let's pray that at least his dad survives!" Bailey exclaimed suctioning.
Arizona was performing surgery on a 10 year old boy, the most injured in the accident. There were four surgeons in that OR, and they had yet to finish. She was being assisted by Bailey in the abdominal cavity. Beside her, Mark Sloan was cleaning up some burns while Derek was dealing with the head trauma.
"O'Malley, go and ask what's the father's status!"
"But Dr. Sloan, I'm holding..."
"Anyone else can do it.."He looked around and, with his eyes, he silently asked the nurse in front of him to chime in.
"Lindsey!" She timidly whispered.
"Lindsey can hold it! Go! And don't forget to update those charts..."
George was annoyed. It was the first time that he was in an OR that week. But he decided to let go, so he stood at attention and left the room.
As soon as the resident was out, Sheperd, as Sloan's best friend, warned him "Mark, what you are doing it's not right!"
"I don't want him... He can't even stitch a wound! I can't handle him for the whole week!"
Arizona pricked up her ears, maybe that was an opportunity to find out more about this O'Malley.
"We all know you're lying! And your personal business shouldn't affect your job. Leave that stuff out of the OR, that's not professional!" Bailey reprimanded her colleague.
"I don't care about being professional! I can't stand him... Callie was too wretched!"
"Well, whether you like it or not you're his teacher, and it's been a while... She got over it, you should too!"
So they really were related. Married even. And probably, they weren't anymore, cause Callie had told around to call her Torres again. She wondered what she saw in him.
"What's the big deal?" Arizona asked nonchalantly, trying not to sound too curious.
Bailey replied vaguely "You're still new." She paused extending her hand. "Gauze. But in this hospital people have a tendency to share. They talk more about their personal lives than medicine! Other gauze, please. Let's say there is a thick net of relationships between coworkers!"
"O'Malley is an idiot! Luckily he is leaving..."
"Dr. Sloan!"
Derek decided to said something, and he spoke seriously "Yes, he's leaving. And certainly not to have fun, but to protect all of us, including you! George will be at the front so that we can sleep safe. We just have to honor his brave gesture!"
At that, Arizona gasped. Bailey and nurse Lindsey looked at her suspiciously. It was a topic that she didn't like and she didn't expect it, so she stretched her neck, cleared her throat and saying "Sorry, I'm sorry..." she went back to her work.
After the operation, Bailey went to the other OR, the one where there was the father. Instead, after having brought the little patient in intensive care, Robbins accepted to take a coffee with her male colleagues.
"How much sugar are you putting in it?"
"I like my coffee sweet!" The blonde explained continuing to sweeten her cup.
"You'll get diabetes!" Mark replied. That had been their first surgery together "By the way, Robbins, I have to say that you're not that bad for being in pediatrics! You could have even joined the 'plastics posse'!"
Hearing that she almost spat her coffee "The plastic what? Ahahahah! Thanks, I'm flattered, but all those butt surgeries aren't for me!"
Derek burst out loud and gave her a high five. Arizona felt sincerely happy that she was being involved, that she was part of something bigger. She was really liking her job at Seattle.
Returning in her big office, she went to check the little boy she operated on. He would have woken up without a parent. The other one was still fighting between life and death. That case hit close to home. Her thoughts went to little Tommy from Hopkins, whom she had grown fond of, even though she didn't mean to.
If she got attached to all her tiny humans, everything would have been more complicated. She, therefore, tried not to be affected by all of them, but this one, her last pediatric case in Baltimore, was special. She looked at her watch, it wasn't too late to call his grandmother.
Arizona learned from the woman that also her daughter-in-law was deceased. That news broke her heart.
"So, yeah, he's staying with me, but he's always so upset.."
She tried to cover the lump in her throat "There's no one there who can help you, ma'am?"
"I've been getting some help from my two nieces. They live far away, but they've been precious!"
The doctor felt the need to do something more for them. "Well, if you need something please, do not hesitate to call me or ask me for any help! And Mrs. Parker, if you want I can get some informations about some social workers near you, just to be assisted a little.."
"Please! That would be wonderful, dear! You are a godsend!"
She was in the cafeteria, having a light lunch with some colleagues, when she heard the intercom calling her.
"Doctor Robbins in geriatrics, Doctor Robbins in geriatrics"
"Uh, that's me!" She got up from her seat sipping from her straw.
Amelia asked "Geriatrics? Why would they want you?"
She shrugged her shoulders and made a 'No idea' face.
"It was nice meeting you Dr. Lin! I'll see you later for that consult!"
Arizona had been called from a nurse cause she had a visit from Pauleen. An old man of the center she volunteered at, had slipped during a walk and she was there to accompany him.
"He's fine though?" The blonde doctor asked concerned.
"Yeah, yeah just some bruises, I think. I'm waiting for the x-rays result".
She nodded understanding. "Do you want a coffee while you wait? I didn't get the chance to take it!"
"Yeah, Mr. Geller has my phone number, if necessary... But not the one from the vending machine Doc!"
She started to move towards the cafeteria "Not only you interrupt my lunch, you're even picky!"
"So, tell me about this new job... Do you like the hospital?"
"Yeah.. I really like it here. Colleagues seems nice and the weather is not as terrible as people always say!"
"You don't seem so enthusiastic though.. No pretty girls?" Pauleen joked receiving a little slap on her arm "Ouch! Come on, you wanna tell me you haven't 'tested the waters' yet?"
They were one beside the other in the elevator when a group of extremely beautiful nurses joined them chatting and laughing with each other, and they pushed the two friends against the wall.
Agape, Pauleen tried not to touch any parts of their very attractive, very sexy bodies and turned toward the blonde frowning and mouthed "Is that legal?"
Arizona giggled lightly shaking her head and as soon as they were out of there Pauleen yanked her down the corridor "Which one of them did you set your eyes on?"
Shaking her head she said "I just got here, come on! I didn't even have the time!"
"Bullshit! That's not you speaking!"
She laughed ignoring her comment and proceeding in the queue. Although Pauleen was right... Usually, she wasn't one who needed to settle down before finding someone.
"You can't be serious! Did you see them?" Her gaze then moved past the blonde "Come on, look at that!"
There were another pair of young women at the entrance of the room and one of them was bent down to collect something from the ground. You could see a bit of her black thong.
Pauleen continued to stare at her ass and Arizona slapped her again. "Stop being a pervert in my workplace!"
"Stop slapping me!" She answered massaging her own arm. "How do you even concentrate to work?"
Arizona laughed "They're not that gorgeous!"
Her friend looked at her in disbelief. "You're crazy... I think I might come and see you at work more often!"
Reaching the cashier Pauleen ordered for both of them, while Arizona turned back to watch the group of nurses.
They really were beautiful, and that wasn't the first time she saw them. She just.. didn't notice their beauty. Totally immune to their charms. She also knew why: between surgeries, consults, the restructure plan and Callie's issue, she still hadn't gotten to know the staff thoroughly, she hadn't known if they had nice boobs, and she hadn't checked if they had blue or brown eyes.
And then, every time she thought about eyes she had the image of Callie's. Especially Callie's eyes staring at her after sixteen years.
There was so much behind them. They seemed so full, and tired. She wanted to know everything they had seen.