Solo Act

Chapter 14

"You... you're a doctor?" Callie has to blink a couple of times to make sure she is really seeing what she thinks she is seeing.

"Yes, well if you want to get technical I'm a Pediatric surgeon."

"Wow," Is all she can breathe out, she was not prepared for this.

After processing this for a while she reaches into the box and pulls out a photograph, it's a photo of Arizona she is smiling and looks really happy at her college graduation. Callie can't help but smile at her beautiful girlfriend. Next to her is a tall man in an army uniform, she recognizes him as her brother Tim. On her other side is a younger woman she is shorter and smaller than Arizona and she has shoulder-length blonde hair.

"My little sister Emma was born with Cystic Fibrosis. It is a life-threatening genetic disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system. CF causes the body to produce unusually thick and sticky mucus that clogs the lungs blocking the airways and leads to dangerous lung infections that damages the lungs, it also obstructs the body from breaking down food to absorb vital nutrients." Arizona takes the photo of Callie looking at her smiling family. "There is no cure." She whispers tracing her finger across her sister's face.

Callie swallows hard at the lump that has formed in her throat. "Were you guys close?"

"Very, all three of us. Between all the moving around and hospital stays, we didn't have a lot of time to go out and make other friends. We were each other's best friends." Arizona reaches into the box and pulls out a pink butterfly scrub cap. "She is the reason I went to med school. She spent a lot of time in hospitals. Doctors were like superheroes to me, whenever she got really sick they would swoop in and make her feel better. I become a doctor to help kids like Emma. But even superheroes have their limits."

Callie takes a deep breath not liking where this story is going. Arizona takes a shaky breath preparing for the next part. Callie sees Arizona's hands start to shake, not really having any words she takes it on her own giving her silent support. Arizona feels like she is reliving that day.

It's a normal day at Seattle Grace Hospital, the hallways are buzzing with doctors and nurses each nose deep in a patient's chart. Dr. Robbins is rolling down the hall to her next patient, today has been a quiet day. No big accidents or disasters, but every doctor knows never to say it's 'quiet,' that's just asking for trouble.

"Dr. Robbins?" The nurse behind the desk calls as she rolls by.

"Can it wait Nicole I'm late for..." Pointing to the chart in her hands.

"Dr. Robbins it's Emma." It's like someone poured a bucket of ice water over her head.

The run to the ER feels like it is in slow motion, a million possibilities running through her mind. She had just seen her sister this morning before leaving for her shift. The benefit of having a doctor for a sister is getting daily checkups. Every morning Arizona would check her oxygen levels and refill her medication. That morning she looked a little pale but she still joked about Arizona's crazy wheelie shoes.

Arizona bursts into the trauma room, her heart almost beats right out of her chest when she sees her little sister in the bed with her shirt covered in blood. Doctors are running around her yelling out orders. Turning her head to the side she sees her mom and dad holding onto each other for dear life.

"What happened?" Her voice comes out a little shaky.

"I went to her room and... and..." Barbara tries to explain in between sobs.

"She was coughing up blood so we rushed her here as quick as possible." Daniel states without taking his eyes off Emma.

The sound of the monitor flat-lining makes Arizona spin around. As a doctor, she knows the procedure but when they shock her sister, her lifeless body jerking, Arizona feels her stomach contents rising. The doctors are giving Emma as many drugs as her tiny body can handle, doing everything medically possible to bring her back but still, that line stays flat.