After the Storm

Chapter 4: Trying

"She's the woman Arizona slept with last night."

The room fell absolutely silent after Callie spoke, and each occupant was left wide-eyed and shocked. Arizona's face quickly turned a bright shade of red, and her breathing stopped all together. Oh, how she knew Callie would say that.

"Calliope," Arizona whispered as the Latina stormed past her. The door shut behind her with a slam, and Arizona sighed heavily, letting her head fall into her hands. Though they tried not to, the rest of the doctors couldn't help but stare, still processing Callie's words. Suddenly, Arizona wasn't the friendly pediatric surgeon they knew anymore. She was an alien- something foreign... something dangerous.

The pressure quickly got to her, and Arizona couldn't bear the judgmental stares anymore. She turned on her heel, and began sprinting down the hall in Callie's direction.

"Callie!" Arizona called, running as fast as her leg allowed her to. For a brief second, Callie stopped, and Arizona almost thought that she would listen to her for once. But as soon as the orthopedic surgeon had stopped, she began walking faster away.

"Callie!" Arizona yelled again, picking up her pace and sprinting further down the hallway. It was like a game of cat and mouse, the way Arizona chased Callie around the hospital. It was preposterous.

"Callie, stop!" Arizona said, stopping in her tracks once her leg grew sore. "This is childish. Can we please talk?"

Callie stood in front of Arizona, averting her gaze so she was staring at the floor. "There's nothing to talk about, Arizona," Callie muttered, folding her arms tightly across her chest.

"Calliope, please just let me explain myself," Arizona sighed. She knew that as long as they argued, they wouldn't make any process.

"You've already explained to me how I tied you down, Arizona- how Sofia and I tied you down, and how all the things that you never wanted in life came to be when you married me."

Arizona felt anger rise inside her chest. "Callie, I don't want to get angry, but I have told you this before, and I'll tell you as many times as you need to hear it. Don't you for one second say that I regret my child or that I regret marrying you, because I don't. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. I'll admit that I didn't want to get married or have kids, because I thought I would be on my own my whole life. That's how I used to want it to be. You changed that. You me want to get married, and you made me believe in love. You made me want to have a million kids, and you made me want that life. The only regret I have was cheating on you."

Callie stood still, tapping her foot impatiently on the ground. She kept her eyes downcast, afraid that if she met those blue eyes she adored so much, she'd lose herself. However, Callie couldn't help but take Arizona's words into consideration. Arizona could tell Callie was in deep thought because she was biting her lip, and whenever she was concentrating on something, she would do this. It was one of the many things Arizona loved about her.

When Callie didn't respond, Arizona grew wary. "Calliope," she breathed.

"Don't 'Calliope' me," Callie hissed.

"Please, just give me one more chance. I will never hurt you again," Arizona pleaded, knowing her attempt was weak, but being unable to stop herself.

"Arizona, I can't look at you right not.  When I look at you, I feel sick. I can't do this," Callie sighed. With that, she left the room. And Arizona let her go.