"Please, Please I'm begging you, just, please try and sleep!" Callie Torres paces Sofia's nursery for the umpteenth time that night. Sofia is a trainwreck, and one of her moms is this side of losing her mind.
Callie glances at the clock on the Ipod dock. 3:15 a.m.
"Sofia, mommy loves you, she loves you so much, but it's really, really hard to do a hip replacement surgery on no sleep sweetie. Please, I'm begging you."
But Sofia continues to scream at the top of her now well developed lungs.
Suddenly, the ghost of Arizona Robbins appears in the nursery doorway. "My turn." she grunts.
Callie looks up, and half smiles at her wife, bleary eyed, her blonde hair fixed in a messy ponytail.
"You did it last night" Callie reminds her.
Arizona shakes her head, "Don't care. Can't take both of you crying." she mumbles walking into the room.
Callie wipes the frustrated, hormonal, exhausted tears from her eyes. "I'll stay with you guys."
Arizona throws her a glance that reads "Go to bed or my offer to take our screaming newborn is off the table" and Callie kisses her forehead gratefully.
"Wow, Dr. Robbins are you alright?" April Kepner greets her attending with a concerned look.
"Newborn." Arizona yawns. "Sofia's not sleeping. And by not sleeping I mean, it's been days since any of us got any sleep. Mark's out of town til Sunday, he went to see his father in New York."
April hands her her charts "Can I at least get you a cup of coffee?"
Arizona smiles gratefully, "Thanks April. Though I feel like an IV drip might be in order to get me through the day."
"Dr. Torres, How are you holding up?" Chief Webber bustles into the attending's lounge
"Shhh!" Callie hisses.
Richard is taken aback, but then nods understandingly as Callie motions to Sofia sleeping snuggly against her in the baby sling.
"Rough night?"
Callie nods exhaustedly "and to make matters worse, the 16 year old Mark hired to babysit her never showed this morning. I'm just waiting for Arizona to finish in the O.R. So she can take her to daycare upstairs when it opens, because I... have a hip replacement scheduled at 10."
Richard leans in for a closer look "She's beautiful Callie. Really really beautiful. Even if she's giving you hell, trust me, you'll be grateful for it one day."
"Thanks Chief."
A moment later, Arizona hurries into the lounge, "I'm sorry, I'm here. I hope you're not late." she says apologetically.
Callie smiles exhaustedly, "Nope. You're good. Look angel, guess who's here to snuggle you for a while!"
Arizona lovingly takes the baby "Daycare at 10, right?"
"Right. And then by the time my replacement is headed to PACU, I'll be able to take her home."
they share a brief kiss, and Callie breathes Sofia in one final time. "Love you baby." she whispers
"Get a coffee on your way up!" Arizona calls after her, before hoisting her baby girl over her shoulder.
What the hell is she doing?" Alex Karev peers into the lounge watching Arizona pace back and forth.
"It looks like some kind of tribal...dance." Cristina Yang snorts.
"It's almost 10 a.m." Arizona reminds herself. Almost there, and then she can focus on the other tiny humans with whatever energy she has left to give them after 2 nights of no sleep.
"Leave her alone." April comes up behind them. "Sofia's not sleeping. Desperate parents do desperate things."
"This is the only thing that keeps her quiet." Arizona explains turning around and motioning to the sleeping baby strapped to her chest.
She looks expectantly at Alex, Cristina and April. "Is there something I can do for you?" She asks with a cranky snap in her voice.
Immediately, Alex and Cristina shake their heads, and take off, but April makes no motion to go.
"Kepner?" Arizona asks.
"Can I...hold her?" April asks tentatively, and smiles as she sees the relief wash over Arizona's face.
"Of course you can." Arizona is more than happy for the break, and smiles as April lovingly, carefully plucks her from the sling.
"I haven't seen much of you since the NICU little one." she coos. "You've gotten so big since then."
April looks up at Arizona "She's really amazing Dr. Robbins."
"Thank you, April."
"You know, I'd never tell anyone else this Sofia. But, here's a little secret. She murmurs to the baby. You were always my favorite patient."
Arizona smiles watching the sweet resident loving her little girl, and forgets about her exhaustion momentarily.
"You should eat" Arizona prods Callie at lunch that afternoon. They had just come from visiting the baby at daycare, and were equal parts amazed and jealous to find that their baby had been snoozing most of the day.
"Coffee." Callie mumbles, "That's all I want. No food. Just coffee."
"Come on. You need to keep your energy up."
"You know what would help me get my energy up?" Callie whines with her head in her hands, "Sleep. Just... sleep. She's been sleeping all day, which means party in the nursery, both moms invited, at 4 a.m."
Arizona chuckles, and squeezes Callie's hand. "One day it's payback time. I promise." she winks.
"Dr. Robbins? Dr Torres?" April approaches the lunch table quietly.
"I was supposed to go on a date tonight." she starts.
Callie and Arizona share a very confused glance.
"And this is important because?" Callie asks.
"I think I can help you... with Sofia." April says, looking from Arizona to Callie and back again.
"Oh?" Callie asks skeptically. "Try me."
April raises her eyebrow "Well. Since my "date" just cancelled on me, I have no plans tonight. So, I am offering, this one time, to babysit... for you. Tonight."
Callie's eyes go wide, "You can't joke with us like that Kepner."
"I'm not... I'm serious." April says nodding.
"Like, tonight tonight?" Arizona stares at her, "Callie I think she's serious."
"Kepner, thank you. Thank you so much." Callie throws her arms around April, taking her off guard.
"Callie... Callie, we have a whole night off" Arizona squeals excitedly, suddenly feeling re energized.
"I know. I know. Callie kisses her quickly, "I don't even know what to do with myself, with us. It's been months."
"Oh don't worry about that." Arizona smiles, returning her kiss, "I'll take care of everything."