Oh my god, I can't believe I'm doing this. You are going to hate me haha.

So, here is the deal. As I had already told you on BMHA, I have an idea for a kind of "crossover" between Third Watch and Grey's. Until today I only had the ideas written, but today I saw a picture of TW, I had the whole afternoon free and then the inspiration kicked in.

I know that some of you preferred that I continue with the second version of STMF, but as I had told you before too, I write what inspires me. And today I felt inspired to write this. I'd rather give you something that I feel happy and comfortable writing, than give you something that I just wrote for writing something.

I hope you don't mind. I also know that I suck writing several fics at once. But since BMHA is coming to an end, I decided to come with something new. I promise that as soon as inspiration kicks for STMF I will continue it, I swear I will give you the other version!

I want to clarify that it is not necessary to have seen Third Watch to understand this fic. Also if you wish, you can search on google/youtube about the show to give yourself an idea of who are the characters that will be mentioned. Although practically everything will happen at Seattle Grace/Between Teddy and Owen.

Another thing I want to clarify is that I am not a doctor. I know it's wrong, but I stole the medical dialogue for this chapter from an episode of Grey's. And a situation that Teddy will go through, I took from a situation that Kim and Doc went through on Third Watch. That way, any mistake is not entirely mine.

And the last note. This fic tackles a delicate and triggering subject. I swear I do it with all my respect and that I won't be graphic.

Now, really, I'm going to shut up. I hope you enjoy this new fic that I bring with all my love for you who have supported me so much. xoxo

Let me know your thoughts!

LOVE IN THE DARK

Seattle, WA, September 2004

TEDDY

I'm late, as usual, as usual since I arrived in this city a year ago. It has become a habit, a bad habit that I must change immediately if I want to keep my job, I had enough with the change of station, I cannot lose my job. I can't give a bad impression on my first day at this new station, the 55th. I can't afford to lose my job right now, I have too many debts to pay, my last tour left me completely in bankrupt and I didn't even have to pay for it. But returning was difficult. Rebuild my life my life that fell apart along with those towers.

I go around all my tiny loft trying to find my keys. I'm so broke that I don't even have money to pay for my ORCA pass, so I have to move by bicycle. It doesn't bother me at all, I'm used to exercising. But damn it, with the change of station it will take me longer than if I simply take the bus or the subway. The change of station ruined me, but I must arrive on time if I don't want the next measure of reprimand to be dismissal.

"Damn it, where are they?!" I cry to myself as I throw my sofa pillows through the air.

Bang. Bang. Bang. A loud knock on the door.

"Now what?!" I grumble.

"Open the door, Altman. I know you're there, your crap of a bike is still in the lobby!"

Damn it, my landlady. Mrs. Evans is a complete pain in the ass. I know, I know I owe her 4 months of rent, but I already asked for an extension, she knows about my difficult situation. I can't miss this place, it was the cheapest thing I could find in all of Seattle, and for the price I have a small two-story loft, open spaces, high ceilings, ceiling to floor window and a spectacular view of the city at night, I can't lose this place.

Finally, under one of the pillows I find my keys. I take my backpack and my jacket. I know I will have to face Mrs. Evans, but I'm so late that I hope I can get rid of her.

I open the door and she is on the other side with crossed arms and looking at me with fire in her eyes.

"Mrs. Evans, what a pleasure!" I express with a fake smile. "Can we walk while we talk? I'm late for work." I close the door behind me and start walking toward the elevator. Mrs. Evans following me close behind, I can almost feel her sour breath on my nape.

"My money, Altman. You owe me four months of rent. I need the money or I want your trash out of my place!"

"Look, Mrs. Evans, I already told you about my situation—"

"I don't care about your situation, we all have problems!"

I press the elevator button frantically waiting for it to open soon. Finally the doors open and we enter. "I know, I know we all have problems and I know you need the money. And I know it is not an excuse, but I haven't yet been able to recover economically from Baghdad, but I'm already working on it, I'm working two shifts, you have seen me arrive late at night, but they won't pay me until the end of the month. Please, Mrs. Evans, you had given me an extension." I beg her and put my best puppy eyes.

The elevator doors open and I hurry to take my bike. Mrs. Evans crosses her arms over her chest and looks at me analytically, then sighs deeply. "Only until the end of the month. And I only do this because I'm a good Cristian and you served our country."

"Thank you very much, I swear, I swear that at the end of the month you will have your money. I swear. Now I have to go, I'm really late, they changed me from my previous station and now it will take me twice the time to get there."

I turn to leave the building when Mrs. Evans again stops me. "Altman, wait!" I roll my eyes and turn to her, putting my best smile. "Take here." She gives me a $10 bill. "You won't get on time by bicycle. Run, you still can catch the 6:40 train."

I'm speechless. Mrs. Evans had never done anything like that for me in the year I've lived here. "I... Mrs. Evans, this—"

"Don't make me beg, just take it!" The old woman shouts.

I smile at her and take the bill. "Thanks!" I say while I run out of the building to the subway station that luckily is only one block away.

I get to the station just in time. I introduce myself to my supervisor and he introduces me to the rest of the paramedics and firefighters team, with whom we share the station. They seem like good people, they all receive me with a smile and make me feel welcome among them, even though they are a very united team.

I dress in record time and get ready to start my first day at station 55. Not even 15 minutes after arriving, we are called to our first emergency. That is followed by another, and another, and another. By 8pm I have attended about 6 emergencies, some bigger than others, but luckily they all made it alive to the hospital.

I've also been assigned a new hospital. The Seattle Presbyterian and the Seattle Grace Hospital. My ambulance partner, Mount Parker, or "Doc", as he prefers to be called, told me about the history of that hospital, and how the tragedy seems to haunt it. Bombs, floods, elevator surgeries, etc.

"Wow, there seems to be a curse or something!" I chuckle.

Doc and I are looking for a street to park and take a short break before returning to the station or being called again.

"Well, the evil tongues say that whoever works there or gets involved with someone who works there, tragedy will haunt them."

I can't help laughing out loud. "What?! Don't tell me you believe in that stuff!"

"Of course not!" He answers pretending offended. "I only say what everyone says. I don't believe in that stuff."

"Sure." I mock him.

My first day with Doc has been amazing. He is the paramedic supervisor, but it doesn't seem like, he doesn't treat me as a subordinate, but as an equal. When they told me I would ride with the supervisor I froze, I thought he would treat me like a rookie, imposing his rank. Maybe my predisposition from the army made me expect that, but it was quite the opposite, he has been more than incredible, I think I already love my job at station 55.

"Do you know anyone in that hospital?" I ask, curiously.

"Not many, until recently the Seattle Grace had no certification of level 1 trauma center, so we took most of the patients to the Seattle Presbyterian. But I know Dr. Shepherd, neurosurgeon, very good person. Also Dr. Sloan, plastic surgeon, quite the opposite, to Dr. Shepherd, a bit cocky, but nice with the staff. But without a doubt, who I like the most is Doctor Webber, the Chief of Surgery, he's an extraordinary man!"

"Wow. It seems that you know a lot of people. I've watched you during the day and all the doctors and nurses respect you."

He smiles a little ashamed. "Well, I just do my job."

"And you are very good at it."

"You are also quite good! I'm serious. To be honest I waited for a rookie, but you've shown me otherwise, you're very good, Altman."

Now I am the one who smiles ashamed. "I have some experience." I answer with a shrug.

"Oh, yeah. Iraq."

I hear the name and freeze. All the memories come to my mind and it makes me want to run away.

"How was it over there?" Doc asks me.

"Do you mind if we talk about that on another time?" I tell him as nice as possible. "It's just... it's still difficult."

"It's okay. You don't have to talk if you don't want to, I understand. But know that if one day you want to talk to someone, I will always be here to listen to you."

I wipe a tear quickly before it gets out of my eyes and I give him a shy smile, whispering a soft "Thank you."

"By the way, you still need to meet a surgeon, he is the head of trauma, thanks to him the Seattle Grace obtained the level 1 certification." Doc says to change the subject so gloomy. "What's more, maybe you know him, he also served in Iraq. Doctor Hunt."

"Doctor Hunt?" I think for a moment. I briefly met a Hunt, but it was a she, Megan Hunt.

"Yes. If I'm not mistaken, he is a Major, Major Owen Hunt."

"Hmm no, not that I remember, I met a Hunt, but it was a woman. Megan Hunt, Lieutenant."

"Well, maybe you will meet him tomorrow. Apparently today was his day off, I didn't see him today in the ER."

"Maybe."

We fall into a comfortable and casual talk until we are called again. It is a car accident. We managed to get one of the people out of the car and he is taken to the hospital by Carlos and Bobby. Doc and I stayed treating a man who is trapped in the twisted parts of the car. We work until we finally get him out.

"Doc, I can't intubate. He needs a tracheotomy. He needs it now or he will die!"

"Teddy, we can't do a tracheotomy, you know that."

"But he needs it! I can do it, I did dozens of tracheotomies in Iraq."

"It's not about whether you have the skill or not, I can do it too, but we don't have the authorization, that's a doctor's job."

"Doc, please, we can't let him die like this, not when we can help him! I will take full responsibility."

Doc considers it for a few seconds and then sighs sharply. "We will both take it!"

I do the tracheotomy and as soon as we intubated, we got the patient into the ambulance and hurry out to the Seattle Grace.

When we arrive, two doctors that I hadn't seen on the previous occasions we had come during the day are waiting for us. An Asian doctor, resident. And an attending surgeon.

I can't help noticing how the doctor and I make eye contact longer than normal. Or maybe I'm making movies in my head, I don't know. But his eyes shake everything inside me, those light blue eyes and that penetrating look that I feel can read my soul.

"What do we have?!" The resident asks, breaking the spell, my spell.

"25-year-old man, MVC, TACHY 160, B.P 80 palp, decreased bilateral and breath sounds" Doc informs the doctors.

"You did a tracheotomy?!" Exclaims the resident. "You are not authorized to perform such procedure!"

"Dr. Yang, now is not the time. Let's take this patient immediately to trauma 1. And you two." He points to Doc and me. "Wait here." The doctor in charge says.

"That's Dr. Hunt." Doc whispers in my ear and enters the hospital. I follow him behind.

"Hey, Doc, we're in trouble, right?"

"You know we are. But nothing we can't handle."

I nod nervous. Dr. Hunt seems to have quite the temper. I wouldn't want to be a victim of his fury.

"Hey, I'll go to the toilet, anything, call me." Doc informs me before walking through one of the corridors of the ER leaving me alone among of a bunch of people I don't know.

"Great!" I mutter to myself.

I can see through the open blind curtains how the surgeons work on the man. They do it for several minutes until only one of them stays with him and Dr. Hunt and the other doctor, the resident, leave the trauma room, she immediately heads toward me.

"Hey you, girl! Who do you think you are to perform a tracheotomy without authorization?!" She yells at me not caring we are in the middle of the ER.

"Excuse me?! Who are you?!" I ask quite irked.

"I'm Dr. Yang, which means that I am your superior here, so I'm going to report to you and your other partner for having performed a medical procedure without authorization."

"He needed it, he was dying! He couldn't breathe, he had the tracks blocked, I had to do it, I know how to do it! I'm a nurse too!" I defend myself by not letting her diminish me. I know what I did is wrong, but the man needed the tracheotomy. Also, who should be asking the questions is the surgeon in charge, Dr. Hunt, not her.

She laughs at my answer. "Oh, a nurse! Forgive your eminence... it's the same, you're a simple paramedic or nurse, whatever you want to call yourself. Stay in your lane and let us doctors do the real job!"

Everyone around look at us openmouthed and the nurses, very upset.

"Dr. Yang, that's enough!" Dr. Hunt intervenes. "You're crossing a line, now get out of here!"

It takes a look from him and Dr. Yang turns around and fuming and muttering words between her teeth.

"Look, if you want to report me, do it, I don't care! The man needed a tracheotomy or he would die so I did it, I'm not going to apologize for saving a life!" I unapologetically yell at the redhead trauma surgeon

And with that I turn to leave the place. What a first day of work at this station. Fuck this hospital and its people, I'm done with this day.

"Hey, wait!" Dr. Hunt yells at me before I can reach the doors to the ambulance bay.

"I don't need to hear that you are the surgeon and I'm a simple paramedic again, I understand, I'm not stupid. So better save your words, put the damn report and leave me alone!" I really am on fire.

He follows me to the ambulance bay and grabs me by the arm. "I won't put the report."

I look at him perplex. "You won't?" I ask tentatively.

"I won't. Yes, what you did was out of place, but it was the right thing, so tell your partner that you don't have to worry, I won't report you."

I feel a little bit ashamed that after the way I yelled at him he won't report me, but also I can't help smiling. He makes me smile and I must say, I am scared. For years no man had made me smile, on the contrary. Now seeing him without all the adrenaline and the rage of the moment I realize how handsome he is, he really is very attractive. Redhead, perfectly outlined beard, light blue eyes and very kissable lips, not counting his very worked body. I shudder, it has been years since I took the time to appreciate a man in that way, it has been years since a man had caused that reaction on me, not since that hellish night.

I look at the floor feeling embarrassed for my own thoughts. I cross my arms over my chest and then look at the sky. The sky is grayish, there isn't a single visible star, on the contrary, the flashes of lightning announce that the rain is very close.

"How is the man?" I ask, still looking at the sky.

"He died, brain death."

"WHAT?!" I'm stunned "But you just said that—"

"He died, but he was a donor."

I can't believe it, all the hard work and yells from that crazy intern for this. I sit on a bench and I lay my forehead on my hands sighing deeply. Seconds later I feel the warmth of Dr. Hunt's body next to me.

"I know it's hard, but think that we lost a life, but we helped save 8 more. Think of all the people who in a few hours will receive the call that there is an organ available."

I chuckle ironically. "All this is so... bittersweet."

"Occupational hazards."

"Yeah." I whisper quietly.

We both remain silent looking at the sky. Moments later he breaks the silence with his deep, manly voice. "So… are you new? I hadn't seen you with Doc or the other paramedics coming from the 55."

I smile again and slap myself internally. But it's so easy to smile at him. "Yes, I'm new. My first day at station 55."

He quirks his eyebrows in surprise. "Wow... what first day!"

"My exact thought."

"Where were you before?"

"Station 3, before that Iraq and before that Colum—"

"Wait." It interrupts me. "Did you say Iraq?"

"Yes, Iraq."

"I was in Iraq too!" He tells me with a huge smile.

"Really?!" I answer pretending I don't know he was there too. "Where were you?"

"Fallujah, red zone. And you?"

"Baghdad."

"Lucky you."

I laugh humorlessly when I remember everything I saw and lived in Baghdad. "Well, if your entire troop dies in a bombing and you are the only survivor is to be lucky, so yes, I'm the luckiest of all."

"I-I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"It's okay."

The silence again. And again he breaks it. "I lost all my troop too, only I survived."

I look at him sympathetically. We both hold our look without saying a single word, but in his eyes I can read all the words that his mouth keeps silent. He is in pain, he is sad, frustrated and I can also see in his tense jaw that he is upset and I can say that I feel everything he is feeling. I feel that way every day, the pain and sadness of losing your friends, your family. The frustration of not having been able to do anything to save them. The rage of injustice.

"Altman, where were you?!" Doc comes out the hospital looking for me.

"Oh, I'm just—"

"Come on! Another emergency, you drive." Without saying another word, he throws me keys and I catch them in the air and hurry behind him.

"Hey!" Doctor Hunt calls me. "I'm Owen, by the way. Owen Hunt." He offers me his hand and I take it without hesitation.

"Theodora Altman, but everyone calls me Teddy."

"It was nice meeting you, Teddy."

"Altman, come on!" Doc yells me from the ambulance.

"Go, go! And bring me patients." Owen smiles.

I smile at him one last time and run to the ambulance. "See you around, Owen." I yell at him before closing the door.

"Hmmm, Dr. Hunt, huh?" Doc looks at me mischievously and I know where he is going.

"Oh, shut up!" I answer pretending that I am upset but I can't help smiling.

I can't stop thinking about Dr. Hunt from that moment. And something, something inside me tells me that he will change my life... and not only that, I also fear that he will destroy it, or, on the contrary, that I will destroy his life…

TO BE CONTINUED...

So, thoughts?!