miscommunications 18/42
Title:Miscommunications 18/42
Author: xxlostitxx
Pairing: callie/erica
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or settings.
Authors Note: Thank you to my wonderful beta Rachel. You have been fantastic : )
Chapter Eighteen
(Callie’s POV)
I saw my father tense and then stand up. He pulled Erica by the arm and away from me. “You did this.” He yelled at her. “You turned her into this.”
“Mr. Torres I can…”
In movies, when the climax approaches, everything seems to slow down just as it speeds up, and yet there’s not enough time to stop time. The opposite happens before my eyes; it happens so fast, I’m standing in shock. One minute my father is yelling and in the next, Erica is cowering in the corner.
She’s shaking and she appears to be in shock, I can tell that she isn’t really here, something is happening but I’m not sure what. She keeps repeating something over and over again but it’s in German and I can’t understand. I yell at my father, telling him to leave.
“Get Out!” I turn back towards Erica and rush towards her. I’ve never seen Erica like this and I don’t know what to do. I kneel down and wrap my arms around her. My brother has called the ambulance. I know that my father has broken Erica’s nose. He knows how to throw a punch.
Right now though, Erica’s broken nose is the least of my problems. I don’t know what is going on, but Erica is in shock and she’s cowering away and I’ve never seen her like this. She looks so small and vulnerable, the opposite to her Dr. Hahn persona.
I hold onto Erica but she doesn’t register what is happening around her. She doesn’t fall into my embrace or even acknowledge that I am here. She’s trembling in my arms and I look at her with concern, I don’t understand what is happening.
She is placed on the gurney. “Don’t touch me. Please, don’t touch me.” She cries out, lashing about if anyone comes near her. I rush to her side but she doesn’t appear to recognize me. “Get away.” She yells. Recoiling as I try to comfort her through my touch.
“Get a sedative.” One of the paramedics yells as we climb into the ambulance.
“No, don’t. I’ll calm her down.” I look Erica straight in the eyes. Her pupils are dilated and it’s clear that she is terrified. She’s looking into my eyes but she’s not seeing me.
“Erica, baby. Look at me.” She’s looking at me but she still looks terrified and won’t let me touch.
“Please, don’t hurt me.” I move closer to her.
“Erica, try really hard. Look at me. It’s me. Callie. You’re safe.” I grab onto her hand and squeeze, she stretches her arms out and I hold her in my arms as best I can in the back of a small ambulance and before I know it we are at the hospital.
She has been given a private room and another Orthopedist is fixing her nose while I hold her hand. She isn’t looking at me, she’s staring out of the window.
The nurse told her it would hurt but she doesn’t react while the doctor fixes her nose. Once the doctors leave she lays on the bed, facing away from me. “Erica…” I call out to her but she doesn’t respond. I stand up and walk around the bed. “Erica, please.” She turns away from me again.
“Please, Callie. I just want to be by myself.” I feel my heart breaking, knowing that she is pushing me away but I know that for right now I don’t know what to do so I slowly walk from the room in a daze.
It’s then that I see my family sitting in the waiting room. They stand up and my mom rushes to me. “How is she?” She asks concerned. I feel the tears fall from my eyes and my Mama hugs me. “It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay.”
“No it’s not Mama.” It’s then that I notice my father and I feel my anger burning up. “This, this is your fault.” I yell at him. “You, you hit her and now…” I break down into sobs and my mama catches me. “She’s not okay and I, I don’t know why. I don’t know what to do.”
Eventually my tears subside and I decide to go back to Erica’s room.
(Erica’s POV)
I’m embarrassed, scared, upset, vulnerable, helpless and so many other things that I can’t begin to explain. I never wanted Callie to know about my past, let alone see me relive it.
I don’t want anyone to touch me, I don’t feel like I deserve it. I’m scared of being hurt, my broken nose is a painful reminder of just how weak I am. I can’t even take a hit anymore.
I ask for the nurse to not allow anyone into my room for the rest of the night. I know that Callie is going to want to be here but I don’t want anyone to see me. I don’t want anyone to know.
(Callie’s POV)
When I head towards Erica’s room, a nurse tells me that I’m not allowed in. “Get out of my fucking way.” I yell at her.
“I’m sorry, Dr. Torres but Dr. Hahn has requested that no one be let into her room tonight.” She stands grounded in front of Erica’s room.
“Get out of my way.” I know that I can be very intimidating at times but I refuse to back down. Whether Erica wants to accept it or not she needs me.
“It’s against hospital protocol.” She says weakly.
“I don’t care.” She moves hesitantly out of the way. Erica is wide awake when I walk in and I hear her sigh when she notices that it’s me. “Erica, I love you. Please don’t shut me out. You can’t shut me out.” I go to her but she moves away from me.
“I think we need to break up.” I hear her say and I stop shocked.
“No, we don’t. I am so sorry that my father hit you and that, that it triggered…. But I love you and you don’t get to leave me when things get hard. I am here baby. I will always be here.” Tears are falling from her eyes, but I know that she believes what she is saying is true.
“I’m not good for you. I’m no good for our babies. It’s over, Cal.”
“No, Erica this is not over. I love you too damn much to let you go because you’re vulnerable. You can shut me out but I won’t leave you. I am going to be here because I love you and need you as much as you need me.”
She’s crying gut wrenching sobs and she reaches for me. I climb into bed next to her. Holding her, I don’t know what’s wrong with her but whatever it is I’m sure it has to do with her being abused in the past. I don’t know if touching her is the right thing to do but I wrap my arms around her and she cries into my chest. “I was so young.” She tells me. She’s calmed down and she looks into my eye briefly before looking back down and snuggling in closer to me.
(Erica’s POV)
My past was exactly that, my past. Something I had always wanted to keep there, in the past. I know that I need Callie and as much as I want to run and hide I know that telling Callie about my past is the only way to move forward. I believe in her and I hope that she will still be here when my story finishes.