Wishing and Hoping
Title: Wishing and Hoping
Author: silver222
Pairing: Callie/Arizona
Rating: PG
Summary: Missing scene from 7x19 It’s a Long Way Back. Arizona visits Callie in her hospital room and brings a few surprises.
Disclaimer: All characters, events, settings and situations mentioned in this work are sole property of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for profit, it constitutes fair use.
A/N: I’m on a missing scenes writing kick lately. I love how everything worked out for Callie and Arizona but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to overlook all the little things that happened ‘off-screen’ along the way (which I warn you tend to be all sweet and fluff filled).
Arizona bounced through the open door to the hospital room that had become a second home over the last six days.
“Hi,” she greeted with a bright smile before turning and sliding the door closed behind her.
Callie brightened a bit at the sight of her fianceé, returning the greeting before shuffling to sit up a bit. Arizona was quick to be by her side helping to shift the pillows. Callie had been making tremendous strides in her recovery over the last few days but she was still in quite a bit of pain and had started to work with her physical therapists on regaining her full motions.
Once Callie had settled, Arizona leaned forward to give her a kiss. “Hi,” Arizona repeated. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m bored,” Callie moaned falling back into her disgruntled state that had befallen her for much of day. “I’m so tired of being in this bed. In this hospital. I’m tired of sleeping. I read all the magazines you brought me and I don’t want to watch any more tv.”
“Well what do you want to do? Do you want me to get you something else? I can run home or to the store,” Arizona offered trying to keep her voice positive and upbeat. She knew Callie was getting more restless every day and had been trying to find anything to keep her busy while Arizona couldn’t be there. The Chief had been more than accommodating to Arizona and she had just started back with her work shifts the day before after taking time off after the accident to be with Callie and the baby, not to mention to heal her own body.
“What I want is to see our baby. Be able to hold her and rock her,” Callie bemoaned unable to hold her tongue, even though she had this same discussion with Arizona just a few short hours ago when she stopped by in the few spare moments she had between surgeries.
“Callie…,” Arizona sighed, a mix of sadness and frustration in her voice. This had been an ongoing demand from Callie ever since she had regained consciousness and was alert enough to comprehend all that had happened. It was true that doctors made the worst patients. Callie understood her injuries and the subsequent recovery time, but her stubborn nature really made Arizona nervous at times with how hard she was pushing herself.
“I know. Arghh I know,” Callie groaned. “But in all fairness you asked,” she muttered knowing Arizona was having just as hard a time having to deny Callie. But no matter how upset or frustrated or scared she had been these last few days, Arizona had always been there. For those few times when she wasn’t in Callie’s room, Arizona was running down to the NICU to see their daughter and get an update to bring back to Callie.
“I did,” Arizona responded moving her hand to Callie’s cheek. Arizona had lost count on how many times Callie would ask to go down to the NICU each day. Not that she blamed her, she couldn’t imagine how difficult it was not to be able to see the baby you gave birth to. But Arizona was stuck in the middle of wanting to do anything for Callie while also making sure nothing happened to cause any setbacks in her recovery.
Callie softened as she leaned in to Arizona’s touch. “Can you stay awhile? Keep me company?” she asked a hopeful tint to her voice.
Arizona nodded her head. “Yes, I’m pretty much yours for the night. I have to sign off on a few charts but one of the interns should be bringing them by for me later.”
“Mmm good,” Callie sighed closing her eyes as Arizona began to calm her frustrations with her touches and sheer presence alone. Callie had visitors in and out of her room all day; it was a mix of friends and co-workers stopping by to wish her a quick recovery or her own doctors checking on her health and running a myriad of labs and tests. She knew that they all meant well, but Callie had really wanted to be left alone today. Arizona was the one exception. She had been looking forward all day to Arizona’s shift ending.
Arizona continued to run her hand along Callie’s brow, stopping to push back a few wisps of hair that had escaped from her head bandage. “I made a few stops before I came down here. I have a few surprises for you to help keep you occupied when I can’t be here.”
“It’s not more reading material is it?” Callie asked skeptically.
“No it’s not. Which one do you want first? One is shiny and pretty. The other is cute and pretty,” Arizona ended with a smile and a slight glint in her eye.
Callie arched an eyebrow at Arizona, “Seriously?”
“Yes seriously,” Arizona mocked, glaring right back at Callie. “So come on. Which one do you want to see first?” she urged.
“I guess I’ll go with cute and pretty. Get it over with,” Callie said with an air of indifference.
Arizona laughed, happy to see Callie was feeling well enough to tease her, before pulling out surprise number one from her pocket.
“That’s supposed to be cute and pretty?” Callie asked eyeing the iPhone that Arizona was holding up in front of her.
“Well maybe to some people. But it’s what I’m going to show you on here that’s cute and pretty.” Arizona took a few seconds as she played around with a few buttons on the phone and then turned to lean over Callie’s shoulder. “I took some video this afternoon. If you can’t go see our daughter, I figure you can at least watch her on video as much as you want,” Arizona said holding the phone out in front of them as the video started.
Arizona rested her head next to Callie’s as they watched the video play on the screen. Callie held her breath, so happy to see her little girl’s chest moving in time with the respirator. At one point, she started wiggling her tiny little feet and hands, causing Arizona to turn her head and speak softly into her ear, “She’s doing that for you. She’s trying to say hi to her mama,” before pressing a soft, lingering kiss to Callie’s head.
As the video ended, Callie reluctantly turned to hand the phone back to Arizona.
“No no that’s your phone now. I bought you a new one since…well you know,” Arizona trailed off not wanting to bring up the reason Callie needed a new phone. “So now you can text me when I’m up on Peds or call your family or play games or whatever,” she offered.
“This is great, thank you,” Callie said turning her head to place an affectionate kiss to Arizona’s cheek.
“So do you want surprise number two?” Arizona asked.
Callie shrugged not wanting Arizona to feel like she had to go on an endless search to keep her entertained. Or mask the guilt that Callie could sense Arizona was struggling with by overcompensating. “This is pretty much perfect, baby. You don’t need to do so much for me. I just like having you here with me.”
“Mmhmm that was a pretty awesome present but I want you to have my other surprise. And I really hope you’ll like it.” Arizona reached into the other pocket of her white lab coat pulling out a small square jewelry box.
“I figure there might be times when you manage to tear your eyes away from the video. Or you know when the phone needs to charge,” she joked covering the nervous tint to her voice. “And since you don’t want to read or watch tv or anything else, maybe you can stare at this,” Arizona said opening the cover to the ring box.
“Oh my…uhh wow,” Callie whispered stuttering in shock as she stared at the gorgeous platinum engagement ring in front of her.
“I know the proposal didn’t go as planned. Far from it,” Arizona scoffed thinking of her sudden blurted proposal and the subsequent car accident. “It wasn’t the romantic or over the top proposal like I had always thought I would do for you. But I am so in love with you Calliope. So in love. And when you and our little girl get out of the hospital, I promise you we’ll do this up big time. It’ll be the wedding you always dreamed of, ok?”
Callie shook her head, her eyes still trained on the ring Arizona was holding. “Ok,” she spoke softly raising her tear glistened eyes to Arizona’s. “It’s gorgeous. Will you put it on me? Although my hands are still swollen, it probably won’t fit,” Callie warned, a bit discouraged.
Arizona took the ring out of the box, lifting Callie’s hand and starting to slip the ring on before speaking. “I didn’t get it sized yet. It’s perfect,” she said with a sigh, partly in amazement that this was really happening.
“Come lay here and cuddle with me,” Callie requested shifting over as best she could and patting the small space beside her.
Arizona hesitated, wanting nothing more than to curl into Callie and hold her close, but fearful of interfering with the many IVs still connected to Callie not to mention her heavily bruised and battered body. She shook her head not wanting to chance any further harm or pain to Callie just because of her own emotional needs. “I don’t want to hurt you,” she responded.
“You won’t,” Callie assured knowing she would take on the pain right now if it meant she could finally hold more than Arizona’s hand.
Arizona looked towards the far wall catching sight of the chair she had taken up a second residence in over the last week, and moved to step away from Callie, “Let me pull up the chair, I’ll sit right here by you.”
Callie caught her hand before she could get too far. “Arizona,” she sulked with a huff and a slight tilt of her head.
“Calliope,” Arizona countered her voice just as stern.
“Please,” Callie pouted. “We got engaged and you got me a gorgeous ring. I’m not even going to venture your reaction if I tell you what I really want to do to you,” she smirked squeezing Arizona’s hand. “So please at least lay here with me and let me put my arms around you.”
“You promise you’ll tell me if I’m hurting you?” Arizona asked knowing she was going to give in.
“Yes, I promise,” Callie nodded eagerly already shifting over a bit more and patting the spot beside her once again.
“Bailey’s going to kill me if she sees me,” Arizona grumbled as she ever so gingerly lay on the bed. “Probably Derek too.”
Callie scoffed, “No they won’t. Fiancées are allowed on the bed,” she said sinking into the warm body next to her as Arizona wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
Arizona giggled at that logic, her sight drifting towards Callie’s ring finger and the new diamond accompanying it. It really did look perfect on her. She moved her left hand down to take Callie’s in her own, and ran her thumb absently against the ring.
They lay there wrapped in each other as best they could, Callie perfectly content to lay in bed for the first time all day. After awhile, Callie asked about Arizona’s day wanting to hear her soothing voice as she spoke about her latest cases and surgeries. At Callie’s request, Arizona had also stopped by the Ortho wing and had a few of the nurses give her updates on Callie’s patients that she had been concerned about.
About an hour later, Arizona noticed Callie’s responses begin to shorten and she was fighting to keep her eyes open. “It’s ok. Close your eyes. Get some rest. We’ll talk more in the morning,” she promised.
“Mmm…ok,” Callie murmured finally losing the battle and letting her eyes shut. Arizona smiled wrapping both arms around Callie again. Once she saw Callie had drifted off to sleep, she moved to quietly get off the bed. Callie emitted a groan, halfway between the waking and sleeping world, “Don’t leave,” she begged grasping Arizona’s hand and arm tighter.
“I’m not, Calliope. I just want to grab our blanket from the chair. I’ll be right back,” she assured, dropping a kiss to Callie’s head when she felt Callie loosen her grip slightly in response. Arizona carefully extracted herself from Callie’s grip and slid off the bed, grabbing the blanket and toeing off her shoes before re-joining Callie.
Before she could settle in and get a few minutes of shut eye herself, she noticed the dark brown eyes that were no longer closed and instead staring up at her.
“Can you play the video of our baby girl again?” she asked looking at Arizona with a sleepy grin. Arizona nodded giving Callie a knowing grin of her own and reached to the other side of the bed for the phone.