Shooting Stars

CHAPTER 59

Aria adjusted the settings on the incubator, making sure the temperature was right for Sofia. The quiet hum of the monitors was a familiar sound, but today it felt oddly calming. Alex stood next to her, checking Sofia's IV drip.

"She's doing better than expected," Aria said quietly, glancing at Alex as she spoke. "Vitals are stable, oxygen's improving."

Alex nodded, his hands working as he adjusted a line. "Yeah, she's hanging in there. For a preemie, she's doing pretty well."

The door to the NICU opened, and Arizona walked in. She paused for a moment, her eyes immediately going to the incubator where Sofia lay. Her face was a mix of relief and anxiety.

"Hey," Arizona greeted, her voice soft as she moved toward them. "How's she doing?"

Aria stepped aside so Arizona could see Sofia more clearly. "She's stable. Her heart rate's solid, blood pressure's improving. We're keeping an eye on her, but she's showing some good signs."

Alex straightened, offering Arizona a small but reassuring smile. "She's strong, Arizona. She's doing better than we thought she would."

Arizona's hand hovered near the glass of the incubator, as if she could touch her daughter through it. "I... I can't believe she's this strong." She looked at Aria and Alex, her eyes full of gratitude and exhaustion. "You two are—thank you. I don't know what we'd do without you."

Aria gave her a quick nod. "She's a tough kid. She's lucky she's got you."

Alex crossed his arms, glancing at the baby and then back to Arizona. "Yeah, she's gonna pull through. You've got this."

Arizona finally let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She didn't say anything at first, just looked at Sofia, taking in the sight of her. Then she spoke, her voice quieter. "I don't know what I'd do without you two. Seriously."

Aria's expression softened. "We're not going anywhere."

"Yeah," Alex added, glancing at the monitors. "She's in good hands."

Arizona exhaled slowly, her eyes on Sofia. "I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much, but... she's really strong."

"She is," Aria said, giving her a small smile. "She's got this."

Aria sat at the nurse's station, flicking through patient files when she saw Alex walk over, looking like he was carrying something heavy in his head.

"Hey," she greeted him, noticing the seriousness in his expression. "What's up?"

Alex sat down next to her, not wasting time with pleasantries. "I've been thinking about something for a while," he said, his tone flat but with a sense of purpose behind it. "I want to bring some kids over from Africa for surgeries."

Aria raised an eyebrow, immediately sensing the weight behind his words. "Like a medical mission?"

"Yeah, but more specific. We've got kids with issues—things like cleft palates, club feet, heart defects. Stuff we can fix here. But over there? They don't have the resources. So I've been looking into it—getting some kids here to get them the treatment they need."

"Sounds like a huge task," Aria said, leaning back in her chair. "You've got a plan for how to make that happen?"

Alex rubbed his face, a mix of frustration and determination showing. "It's not all figured out, but I'm working on it. I've been talking to some groups. There's a lot of red tape, a lot of logistics, a lot of money. But the point is, these kids need help, and I can't just sit here knowing we could fix them if they had the chance."