The Aftermath of Callie and Arizona

It's Just Another Day

Arizona POV:

Turns out I was summoned into work for a five year old girl that broke her arm after sleep walking and falling down a flight of stairs. It's just after 5 am at this point in the morning.  I'm already beat from my Insomnia, but need to rally through with her surgery, so I can run my rounds with residents by 7:30 am.

Thank goodness I live in the Pacific Northwest, the land of coffee, rain and lots of fir trees. Especially the coffee part. I'm not sure how I would survive my sleepless lifestyle without caffeine and at least it's easy to find this legal stimulate every block and a half in Seattle. 

It always gives my heart a pause when I'm working on a child close to the same age as mine. Especially when it's a little girl.  It's hard not to worry about your own kiddo when they are not with you consistently and when you are treating another child almost the same age that is sick, broken or hurt on a gurney.  

I had a slight complication during the procedure, but children have more resilience than adults, and she came through unscathed.  I was able to reset her right wrist, radius and ulna bones, successfully.  I'm not an Ortho god, but I can manage general surgeries in the end, especially on the smallest of individuals given my background and experience at this point in my career.

Even during sleepwalking, it does amaze me this little one, still used her dominant arm to try and brace her fall.  Guess that speaks volumes about the unconsciousness minds we all rely on.  Both good and bad... Maybe we are just hardwired as human beings, devoid of having true freewill despite what actions we take.

As I scrub-out of the OR, I realize I have a few minutes to run to the bathroom, but not to grab coffee.  UGH.  Nonetheless, Karev has somehow heard about my early morning procedure and has procured a large cup of java for me at the start of rounds.  So thrilled to have him as my Pediatric Fellow this year.  I do feel like I've helped him become and realize (despite his rough edges) his potential and how compassionate he is.  Kinda hard not to smile about my role in his education when I see his successes throughout his later years, especially.

"Hey Chief, heard you got called in super early!  You should have called me," he said back, as Karev handed me a dose of lukewarm caffeine.  

As I thanked my Pediatric Surgeon Fellow, I said, "I didn't want to wake you too.  I knew this was a procedure you could do in your sleep and figured one of us should get some sleep.  I was having a sleepless night anyway, so, no biggie.  Besides, when I finally crash at some point today, I'm going to need you to, 'Mind the Store.'"

"I'm on it!" Karev said, as he grinned back at me. When I took him on as a resident, I had no idea what an incredible Peds Surgeon and doc he'd become.  I've trained a lot of residents, but he's always been one of the best I've worked with.  After learning his back story, I'm entirely sure his care for his siblings and his compromised family situation, led to his compassion. 

Karev then inquired, "By the way, do you want me to run rounds this morning so you can have your coffee or crash in an On-Call Room for a bit before our surgery at 9 am this morning?"

Normally I wouldn't have taken him up on this offer, as I always try to be tough, stoic and push through everything that comes before me.  My mentality completely comes from my Father, The Colonel, and my deceased brother, Timothy.  Both Marines.  However, since I hadn't slept much in 2 weeks, I heard myself utter, "That would be amazing."  

"I will see you in the OR at 9am for the hernia repair on the newborn," I said. 

In the meantime, I couldn't find an On-Call room fast enough to fall asleep within...