Chapter Text
The following day, Maya’s fever was still pretty high, hovering around 101. Vic groaned when Maya told her she wasn’t going to be at work again, but told her she hoped she felt better as she headed out the door. Carina had to go into work for the morning, and she was on call in the afternoon, but she promised to spend the afternoon with Maya unless she got called in.
Maya was laying in the fort around noon, just listening to some music when she heard a knock at the door. She got up, figuring that Carina had forgotten her key or something. She opened the door, shocked when she saw her dad standing there instead of her girlfriend.
“Dad,” she said, her eyes wide as he walked into the apartment, “What are you doing here?”
“You didn’t answer any of my texts or calls,” he said, turning and looking at her, “I needed to talk to you. Your mom has been filling your head with lies. And what the hell are you doing at home? I went by the station to talk to you and your “team” told me you were home “sick”. Are you really that lazy and stupid that you had to take a sick day just because I yelled at you a little?”
“No,” Maya said, shaking her head, “No. I really am sick. I have the flu. I think you need to go, Dad.”
“You do not get to talk to me like that,” he said, raising his voice at her, “What the hell happened to embrace the pain? And eyes forward? Did you just abandon everything I spent my entire life trying to teach you because you aren’t feeling well? What is going on with you? Where’s the kid I trained to go to the Olympics? To always push through and win? Where did that girl go?”
“That girl grew up Dad,” Maya said, coughing a little bit, “And became a grown woman who isn’t going to keep winning her medals for you.”
“How dare you speak to me like that?” her dad said, yelling as he pushed a vase off her table, “I am your father. I made you. Everything you have, everything you are, is because of me.”
“No Dad,” Maya said, shaking her head, “I earned everything I did. I worked for it and earned it.”
Just then, the front door opened and in walked Carina.
“Hey Bella, I brought… Who is this?” Carina said, stopping in her tracks when she saw Lane standing in the entry way.
“Carina, this is my dad,” Maya said, trying to take a deep breath and realizing she couldn’t.
“Hello Mr. Bishop,” Carina said, going to Maya’s side and taking her hand, immediately rubbing circles on the back of her hand as she sensed Maya’s panic building.
“Who is this?” Mr. Bishop asked, looking at Maya, “Is this another one of your stupid girlfriends? God, when are you going to grow up and find a man and settle down instead of screwing around with this bimbo?”
“You know I’m bisexual,” Maya said, “Carina and I are in a happy relationship. Better than any I ever had with any man. And now I think it’s time for you to go. You will not come into my house and insult my girlfriend. Now get the hell out before I call the police.”
“Shut up Maya,” her father said, “You will not…”
“Get out,” Carina yelled, “Get out of this house and do not ever come back or I will call the police.”
Maya’s dad looked like he was about to yell again, but Carina took out her phone and he retreated, leaving.
As soon as the door was shut and locked, Maya started hyperventilating, tears running down her cheeks.
“Oh Bella,” Carina said, wrapping her arms around Maya, guiding her into the bedroom, “It’s ok. I’m right here. He is gone.”
Maya struggled to get control over her breathing, coughing quite a bit. After ten minutes of Carina trying to get Maya calmed down, the blonde was still in the throws of a panic attack.
“Ok, we are going to try something else,” Carina said, standing up and guiding Maya to the bathroom.
She turned on the shower, walking in while it was still cold, both of them fully clothes.
“What the hell are we doing?” Maya asked, shock filling her face.
“This is a way to get people out of panic attacks,” Carina said, turning the water warmer and pulling off Maya’s t-shirt, “It was either this or a trip to the ER.”
“No,” Maya said, shaking her head, “No hospitals.”
“That’s what I thought,” Carina said, pulling off her own sopping wet clothes.
Maya looked at Carina, eyes welling up with tears again.
“Come here Bella,” Carina said, pulling her close and holding her under the warm spray as Maya just cried. Carina whispered gently to her, both in English and Italian.
She just held her for a while, letting the warm water was away the tears that were streaming down both their faces. When she felt Maya’s tears calm, she turned off the water, grabbing two towels for them. Maya wrapped the towel around herself as Carina did the same. They walked into the bedroom, dressing in pajamas before settling into bed. Carina knew she needed to go clean up the bathroom and the mess Maya’s father had made, but right now, the only thing she needed was to hold Maya so she felt safe.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Carina asked, rubbing Maya’s back.
The short haired woman shrugged, moving so she was looking at Carina, “He just showed up here and started berating me. It’s happened before, but I don’t know. This was different.”
“How long was he here before I got home?” Carina asked, worried that Maya had been berated by her father for a long while before she had gotten there.
“Only like ten minutes,” Maya said, shrugging, “It’s been worse.”
“Just because it has been worse does not make it better this time,” Carina said, shaking her head.
“I think what made it worse this time is that I don’t know if I deserve it,” Maya said, eyes filling up with tears again, “Before, I always thought I did deserve it, but this time, I don’t know.”
“Bella,” Carina said, feeling her heart break a little, “You never deserve that.”
Maya nodded, more tears spilling over from her tired eyes.
“I just feel like such an idiot,” Maya said, trying not to let her voice break, “How could I have not seen it?”
“Sometimes, when you are so close to a situation, it is impossible to see it for what it truly is,” Carina said, rubbing Maya’s back, “There is nothing wrong with that. It does not make you estupido. It makes you incredibly brave for seeing it now.”
Maya nodded, leaning into Carina’s embrace.
“Try to get some sleep Bella,” Carina said, kissing her forehead, “You feel warm again.”
Maya nodded, closing her eyes. Carina closed her own eyes, groaning when she heard her pager going off less than twenty minutes later. She carefully moved, trying not to jostle Maya as she got up.
“What’s going on?” Maya asked, eyes cracking open.
“I got paged,” Carina said, pulling on clothes, “I need to go in. I’m so sorry Bella.”
“It’s ok,” Maya said, pulling her blanket up around her body, “Go deliver that baby or whatever you need to do. I’m going to sleep.”
Carina nodded, kissing Maya gently before running out the door. Carina hated the thought of leaving Maya, especially after everything that happened with her dad. It took four hours in an OR, but Carina managed to save both the baby and mom before heading back to Maya’s. She found Maya back in the blanket fort, sound asleep.
She went and made some minestrone, hoping it wouldn’t bother Maya’s touchy stomach. Once the soup was simmering, she went and took a shower, feeling gross after having operated all afternoon.
She then went back into the kitchen, adding some more spices to the soup before giving it a stir. She tasted it, deciding it needed a little more salt. As she stirred the pot again, she heard footsteps behind her.
“Smells good,” Maya said, eyes heavy and swollen.
“Just some minestrone,” Carina said, shrugging, “It needs to simmer for about a half an hour. How are you feeling?”
Maya shrugged, sitting down at the counter.
“Is there anything I can do?” Carina asked, wiping her hands on a towel before going to Maya.
Maya just shrugged again, leaning against Carina’s shoulder. Carina just held her, kissing her forehead gently.
“I hate that he can make me feel like this,” Maya said so quietly, Carina almost didn’t hear her.
“I hate it too Bella,” Carina said, feeling the tears on her shoulder, “If I could make it all go away, I would in a heartbeat. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”
“This is,” Maya said, “Just being with you is helping. And some food. I’m starving. I don’t think I’ve had anything to eat all day.”
“That is not healthy Bella,” Carina said.
“I know,” Maya said, “But my stomach felt blah when I woke up this morning and then after everything, I just didn’t feel like eating, but now I’m hungry.”
“Well, food will be ready soon,” Carina said, “But can I get you something to drink?”
“Water,” Maya said, nodding. Carina got her a glass of water before checking on the soup.
“It’s ready,” Carina said, grabbing two bowls.
Maya got up, grabbing saltines from the cupboard before looking at Carina.
“Fort?” Carina asked knowingly.
“Yeah,” Maya said, nodding as they headed to the fort.
Maya Carina climbed in first and Maya followed.
“How was your day?” Maya asked, taking a bowl from Carina. “Good,” Carina said, “I had a four-hour surgery, but both the mama and baby did great and hopefully the baby will be ready for a healthy delivery in about a month and a half.”
“So you did surgery and left the baby inside?” Maya asked, taking a bite.
“Yes,” Carina said, nodding, “There was a tear in the amniotic sac, but I was able to repare it so the baby can finish developing inside her mama where it is safest.”
“That is amazing,” Maya said, grabbing a cracker.
They ate their dinner just chatting about nothing in particular. When they finished, Maya only having eaten about half her bowl, the sick woman curled up on Carina’s chest.
“Can I read to you?” Carina asked, grabbing a book she had left in the fort last night.
“Please,” Maya said, nodding.
Carina read to her in Italian, enjoying getting to speak in her native tongue. Maya drifted between awake and asleep for a while before she finally drifted off. Carina put down the book, looking down at Maya. The woman she loved so much had been through so much in the past few days.
Carina had never been so angry as when she came home and Maya’s dad was there, berating her and degrading her. Seeing Maya after that was so sad. She was glad that tomorrow, her girlfriend was going to start therapy. She was hoping that Maya would stick with it because she knew how beneficial it was. Carina kissed the top of Maya’s head, frowning at how warm she still was.
She grabbed her phone, texting Meredith and asking if she had been to see Andrea today. Meredith said she had and that he still hadn’t shown any signs of improvement. Carina sighed. She knew it was slow going with bipolar, but she had hoped that he would be getting better at least a little by now. She knew it would happen; it was just going to be a while longer. She set down her phone, closing her own eyes, the emotional toll of that day having wiped her out.
She woke up some amount of time later to a strange feeling on her chest. She moved slightly, realizing she was soaking wet. She was confused until she reached her hand down and touched Maya’s hair, realizing the blonde was drenched in sweat and cool to the touch.
“Maya,” Carina said, rubbing her back gently, “Hey, Bella, it’s time to wake up.”
“What’s going on?” Maya asked, rubbing her eyes, “Why am I all wet?”
“I think your fever snapped,” Carina said, looking at her with a smile.
“Broke,” Maya said, laughing a little, “My fever broke. I’m so sorry. I sweated all over you. This is gross. It literally happens every time I get a fever. We need a shower.”
Carina nodded as Maya rolled out of the fort. They went into the bathroom, taking a nice, long, hot shower. It was a little sexy, but they were both still pretty worn out from the day’s events so they didn’t do much.
“I have my first day of therapy tomorrow,” Maya said, sighing as she pulled on her pajamas, “Am I still contagious?”
“You should be fine,” Carina said, climbing into bed next to Maya.
“Are you working tomorrow?” Maya asked as Carina pulled her close.
“I am on call tomorrow,” Carina said, “Why?”
“I was wondering if you would come to therapy with me?” Maya asked, “Like not in with me, but just to make sure I go. If your busy, it’s fine. You know what, it’s stupid. I’m a big girl. I can go by myself.”
“No,” Carina said, shaking her head, “I would be happy to take you. Where is it?”
“Well, tomorrow, it’s at Dr. Lewis office,” Maya said, looking down at her hands, “After that, I’m going to try to do it before or after shift at the station.”
Carina nodded, leaning over and kissing Maya’s forehead which was still a touch warm, but nothing like it had been.
As Maya drifted off, she couldn’t help but feel grateful that her girlfriend had made her take her first ever sick day.