Hadley's Home

Chapter 5 - The Monster's Back

Callie was in the ER finishing looking at victims of a car crash. Luckily the worst of it was a broken wrist and a concussion. She was finishing wrapping up the boy's wrist when a little girl stumbled into the ER. She looked homeless. Her hair was matted and frizzy, her clothes were dirty, and it looked like she hadn't showered in weeks. On top of that Callie could see beads of sweat on the girl's forehead and she was shivering. An intern and nurse went up to her first, but they looked over at Callie, the only attending in the ER.

"Wilson. Finish this for me." She said and turned her full attention to the girl who was standing quietly at the door.

"Hi. I'm Dr. Torres. Do you need help?" Callie asked kneeling down to the girl's level.

"Dr. Alex...and Dr. Zona." The girl choked out in between breaths.

Callie froze at the name of her wife. Why did she feel she knew who this child was.

"What's your name sweetie?" Callie asked hesitantly as she motioned for a nurse to page Karev and Robbins.

"Hadley."

"Oh my god." Callie whispered under her breath as she let her head fall.

"Hadley where are your parents?" She asked bringing her eyes back to Hadley's.

"They said they were dropping me off...and then coming in...it really hurts." Hadley whispered as tears started to form in her eyes.

"I'm going to pick you up and put you on a bed okay."

Hadley nodded as Callie picked her up. She was light. To light.

"Ouch." Hadley whimpered as Callie sat her down on the bed.

"Does your back hurt?"

Hadley nodded again.

"Okay, sweetie Dr. Alex and Dr. Zona are gonna be here really soon." She said trying to calm the girl down as she started to get Hadley's vitals.

"Edwards!"

"Yes, Dr. Torres."

Edwards came running over to the bed. Callie finished taking the girls temperature then turned around away from Hadley.

"Go call child services." Callie stated in a hushed tone.

Edwards left with a stone cold face then she faced someone in light blue scrubs who looked like they didn't know what they were doing.

"You." She pointed at an intern.

"Get them discharged." As she pointed to the boy Wilson was finishing up with.

All the intern did was blink, but Callie didn't care as she turned her attention back to the little girl lying in front of her.

"Hadley?!"

Alex ran up to the girl, but Callie took him aside.

"She has a fever of 102.5, a heart rate of 125, and she complained of back pain."

"Damn it. We need to get her to CT now to see if her Kidney's are starting to shut down."

Alex started getting Hadley ready for transport when she cried out.

"I want Zona!"

A few tears trickled down her face until her face went pale and she leaned over the side of the bed throwing up all over Callie.

"Sorwey." Hadley whispered as she curled up into a ball on the bed as tears continued to come down.

"It's okay sweetie. I'm going to go find Arizona while Dr. Alex takes care of you." Callie said as she softly rubbed circles on Hadley's back.

Arizona had been in surgery and first heard Hadley was back in the hospital when she checked her phone and had six messages from her wife. She ran up to peds to finally see Mr. and Mrs. Christi with Alex. Before she confronted the Christi's she read over Hadley's chart.

The infection had come back or really never gone away. She had a fever spike at 103.1. She had thrown up multiple times and there was a side note that said social services were called and when Hadley showed up at the hospital the Christi's were not present and Hadley looked disheveled.

Arizona couldn't take it anymore.

"What the hell! First, you didn't pick up her prescription on time and then don't give her the medication at all the second time around. She is still in great pain and now her kidneys are failing because the infection has spread." Arizona shouted at Jake.

"Dr. Robbins we are very busy-"

"I don't care how busy you are, but when you have a child that is having a medical emergency I would think you would make them your top priority."

"My wife and I are extremely busy people who are raising seven children. I'm sorry if we made a few mistakes!"

"You didn't just make a few mistakes. You may have cost this little girl her kidney unless antibiotics work again."

Arizona left the man in the hall to think about his feelings and she went off to go think about everything. Alex found her sitting on a bench.

"Hey..." Alex said trying to initiate the conversation.

"Her foster father is a piece of shit. How do you let a child get that sick and then forget to give them treatment? He doesn't care about her at all! If she was my daughter I never would of let her get past peeing more often and wetting the bed. Alex...I feel...I don't know...she feels different. I feel like I need to protect her. When I found out she was here and I was in surgery and Callie left me six messages and told me she was asking for me...It made my heart sink."

"Go sit by her. It will make you feel better."

"Alex-"

"I'm not kidding. She needs someone right now. And she looks up to you so much Arizona. I'm pretty sure your one of the only people who has shown an interest in her. She called you her fairy princess."

Arizona smiled.

"And you were the monster."

"Yes, and I was the monster. Why does everyone keep reminding me that."

"Because you are."

"Hey, kids love me!" Alex argued fake punching Arizona.

The pair laughed for a minute until realization hit them again as they heard a woman at the nurses station.

"Excuse me I'm looking for Hadley William's and Mr. and Mrs. Christi. I am Hadley's social worker."

Please leave a comment and vote! I'd love to get some feedback on the story! If you live in the states Happy Thanksgiving!
-me_you_and_the_world