The Aftermath of Callie and Arizona - Volume II

With A Little Help From My Friends

Arizona's POV:

It was some time around 6 am when a phlebotomist came in to take yet another blood sample from Callie. She said it already felt like the hundredth time a sample had been taken during her stay, but like Sophia, they are prone to hyperbole when it comes to things they dislike. I did feel bad for my wife though because it was the 7th or 8th time they had taken blood since her checking in yesterday, late afternoon, and I understood why she was feeling like a pin-cushion.

Callie's sodium level hadn't moved much by that point, but at least it had gone up from 118, to 120 since her check-in at Grey Sloan. It was not exactly where I'd want it to be, but I was also conscious of not wanting it to move too quickly either. It's a fine balance that needs to happen for patients with Hyponatremia in order to get their levels up to an acceptable range. So, the old adage of, "Slow, but steady wins the race," was fine with me. Calliope on the other hand...

"It's still 120, Arizona? That's it? At this rate, I'll be here another week!"

"Callie, you know better than most people that is not a bad thing. You don't want that climbing too fast and, so what if it takes a few more days, right? I'd rather have it go slow than too fast."

"That's easy for you to say, Dr. Robbins! You're not the one that's going to be stuck here, attached to an IV bag and being poked with large gage needles every 3 seconds." 

Oh, her and Sophia when it comes to them garnering sympathy! I had to shake my head at her over exaggerations.

I had been sitting upright in the hospital recliner as we talked. I gave up on trying to sleep around 4 am when they took her last blood sample. Neither one of us slept much that night but I wasn't expecting to. All I cared about was being by Callie's side as she got better.

"Sweetheart, I know this sucks and I know that you're miserable for many reasons. But soon enough, you'll be doing better and you'll be able to come home. I already sent out some emails this morning to a few staff members so we can take off next week. I want you home resting for a number of days before you go back and I want to look after you while you do so."

"That was very sweet of you to do that for me, thanks, Arizona. Since I'll be missing the last part of our vacation at home, having some days to rest will help. Besides, I've been so out-of-it these last few weeks, it hasn't felt like much of a vacation." 

"I know you've been exhausted my love, and it's no wonder!" I kissed the back of Callie's hand after conversing.

"What about Sophia though? She's going to be so disappointed that her vacation will be ruined. I feel bad that we didn't get to take her to Bainbridge Island today or the other things we won't be able to do since I'm stuck in here. I know she was looking forward to riding the ferry and shopping at the toy store."

"Callie, she'll be fine and she'll understand. Like myself, we both just want you to be okay. So be it if we'll have to postpone our plans for the rest of the vacation. It will give us something to look forward to when you're feeling better, okay?"

Callie complacently nodded and said, "But, I'm going to miss New Year's Eve with how slow things are moving! It's Madelyn's first New Year's Eve and I've been looking forward to spending it with her. I know that sounds silly, but you know what a sentimental fool I am when it comes to our family."

"I know Callie, and it's one of many things I love about you. At this point, we don't know where you'll be with your recovery by then. We just need to wait and see, okay?"

About that time, one of the nursing staff we knew, Kelly, came in to check Callie's vitals. I decided to excuse myself so I could grab coffee and a breakfast sandwich from the good coffee shop on the first floor.