Annie was standing on the catwalk with some other fellows watching the sub interns being shown around by Meghan.
"Don't you people have lives to save," Bailey scolded.
"Watching the sub I's," Annie said.
"You were one of them," Bailey smiled.
"Eight years ago," Annie said, "I was 24."
"So you're 32 now and almost an attending," Bailey said.
"Six months," Annie agreed, "it's time."
"We have a Canadian this year," Richard commented, "first one of those."
"Hey," Annie said, "I have dual and grew up in BC I'm still more Canadian. But the Canadian is my cousin."
"Name," Bailey asked.
"Kaitlyn McKellar, her dad and Dan are brothers," Annie said, "she's staying with me."
"Where did you stay when you did yours," Richard asked, "you weren't in the hotel with the others. You stayed out of that mess thank god, that was a nightmare. You and Josh are the only people from your Sub I group we took because of what happened in the hotel."
"I lived with nana," Annie replied, "I had originally wanted to stay with uncle Owen but he didn't have space and nana had two spare rooms so it made sense. Josh stayed with Nathan. I've always avoided mess and drama."
"You were involved in the mono outbreak," Bailey reminded.
"Not by choice," Annie laughed, "I got a lot of good wedding planning done. That was Jenna that gave us all mono."
"You were the first identified," Richard said.
"Because I collapsed in the OR," Annie groaned.
"On the catwalk above us are some of our attendings and surgical fellows. You can identify them by their navy blue scrubs," Meghan said.
"Dr Hunt," a young man asked, "is it true some of us may leave with residency offers?"
"This is a three week interview," Meghan said, "impress me as the deputy chief, dr Webber who is in charge of all residents and the chief herself."
"Any hints for making the chief like you," a girl called, "I heard she's tough."
"She's my sister in law and best friend," Meghan said, "work hard and show us you're here to learn. You'll each be assigned to a resident. They will be submitting daily evaluations of your progress."
Josh leaned on the railing by Annie, "it feels like a million years ago that was us."
He was standing behind her with his chin on the top of her head and his arms on either side of her.
"I know," Annie sighed, "eight years. We still told everyone we were best friends."
"We should have realized it sooner," Josh agreed.
"You're an attending, I'm six months out of finishing my fellowship," Annie said.
"Married four years," Josh said.
"Almost five, Ellie is almost three," Annie smiled.
"Still happy," Josh asked.
"Very," Annie replied.
"Who's that couple on the bridge," a sub I asked.
"Grace Altman and Josh Riggs," Katie answered.
"How do you know that," a man asked.
"Grace is my cousin," Katie replied, "our dads are brothers but she uses her mom's last name professionally."
"Why would she use her mom's name," a woman asked.
"Her mom is the chief of surgery Teddy Altman," Katie replied.
"That's Grace Altman like Theodora Altman and Grace Altman from the Altman method," a man asked.
"It is," Meghan confirmed, " both Altmans like to teach hopefully you'll scrub in with both over the next month."
"So suck up to the daughter so she tells her mom good things," a woman said.
"Grace doesn't fall for that," Katie countered.
"Dr Riggs is cute," a woman observed.
"Married," Katie said, "to Grace. Their daughter is almost three. Ellie is adorable."
"How do you know all this," a woman asked.
"Like I said Grace is my cousin, I've known her my whole life," Katie said, "and I'm living with them right now. I'd rather be with family to do this."
"Living with attendings was an option," another woman asked.
"She offered," Katie said, "she did her sub internship here and lived with her nana."
"Her nana not yours," a man asked.
"We share grandmere, her nana is the Dr. Hunt's mom, Dr. Owen Hunt , head of trauma is Grace's step dad," Katie explained.
"So you know the Altman's and the Hunts," a man asked.
"Katie is family," Meghan said, "like I said, Altman, Hunt and Riggs are one family and we've added a couple McKellar's in the last couple years."
Meghan finished the tour and took the Sub Is back to the lecture theater to have the rules explained to them and to be paired with their residents.
Annie walked passed the daycare on her way to peds and was beckoned by a little voice ,"mommy, mommy."
"Hi Ellie bug," Annie said, turning into day care for a quick hug.
"Play with me," Ellie demanded.
"I have to go do a surgery baby bug," Annie said, "as soon as I'm done I'm going to come get you and we'll go home. Do you want a tea party?"
"Yes," Ellie smiled, "daddy?"
"Not tonight," Annie siad, "daddy is here overnight so you'll come home with me and we'll play."
"Walk please," Ellie asked.
Annie checked her watch," we have time for a quick walk."
Annie signed her daughter out and took her for a walk out to the balcony, she loved having Ellie at the daycare in the hospital. It let her steal time like this, yes she only had 20 minutes but it was time together. She couldn't believe her daughter was already two and a half.
"Dr Altman," a woman greeted.
"Mrs. Johnson, what brings you in," Annie asked, "Jonah isn't on my schedule today."
"My sister is in for a quadruple bypass," Mrs. Johnson replied.
"Who's doing it," Annie asked.
"The other Dr. Altman," Mrs. Johnson replied.
"My mother," Annie said, "your sister in law is in good hands."
"Mommy who that," Ellie asked.
"This is Mrs. Johnson, her little boy is one of my patients," Annie said, "Ellie not in the puddles."
"How old is she now," Mrs. Johnson asked.
"Two and a half," Annie smiled.
"You started treating Jonah when you were pregnant with her," Mrs Johnson said.
"Right at the end two," Annie agreed, "then Ellie was about 7 months when he got his transplant. How is he doing?"
"He doesn't stop moving," Mrs. Johnson smiled, "he's a different boy."
"He should be," Annie smiled, "if he's here I'm up in peds where I always am please bring him to say hi."
"He's here," Mrs. Johnson said, "his older cousins took a few of them for lunch. Jonah eats like a horse."
"11 year old boys do that," Annie smiled, "he's on my schedule for a full work up next week."
"The inpatient one," Mrs. Johnson confirmed.
"Yes," Annie replied, "he gets to be one of the first kids in our trial project of having a peds cardio ward. It's been my project for a while now it's not fully finished being decorated but the equipment is in."
"That would have been nice to have other heart moms," Mrs. Johnson said.
"That's what we're thinking and for the kids to be together, a dedicated peds cardio staff," Annie smiled.
"That would have really helped," Mrs. Johnson said.
"Mommy birds," Ellie pointed.
Annie picked Ellie up, settling the little girl on her hip, "there's lots of birds today."
"Play now," Ellie asked.
"No baby bug," Annie said, "you have to go back to daycare and I have a short surgery. Two hours Ellie. I'll come get you after nap time."
"Promise," Ellie asked.
"I promise," Annie replied, "I will be there after nap and before outside time."
"Tea party," Ellie asked.
"With cookies when we get home," Annie promised, "let's go back. I'll carry you."
Annie carried Ellie back to the day care and signed her back in with a hug and a kiss. She walked to the OR and scrubbed in.
"Need more hands," Teddy asked.
"Just a pace maker but bring the sub Is," Annie smiled.
"Just me," Teddy said, "I haven't seen you in weeks."
"You've seen me, we haven't been alone," Annie replied.
"True," Teddy agreed, "everything okay?"
"Getting frustrated with the lack of progress on Josh and my home project," Annie said.
"What did Corinna say," Teddy asked.
"With my thyroid it could take up to a year," Annie replied, "it was just disappointing to get my period this morning. I'm just going to focus on Ellie."
"Good plan," Teddy said, "it will happen when it happens. You and your sister were not planned."
"Ellie was our first try," Annie said, "I guess I thought it would be that easy again."
"Don't stress about it," Teddy said, "you're only 32."
"I know," Annie said, "grandmere wants to know if you're coming fishing this summer?"
"We want to," Teddy said.
"I like when you come," Annie said, "it's easier."
"Owen and Leo love it," Teddy said, "I love all the family time and having everyone relaxed and hanging out on the docks. I'm not sold on those little boats."
"The boats are the best part," Annie said, "you don't have to be out on the boats every time we are."
"I thought you needed me," Teddy said.
"I like you and the first trip I needed you," Annie said, "I'm better with them now."
"As long as your not with Leslie," Teddy said.
"I haven't heard from her in 2 years," Annie said, "not since the divorce."
"Is that okay," Teddy asked.
"It is what it is," Annie replied, "mama I've come to terms with it. I can't change it and dwelling on it only makes me feel bad."
"Just moving forward," Teddy said.
"Only way to go," Annie replied, "we can't change it. I can't change Leslie. It won't help me, Josh or Ellie. We have you and dad, nana and david, Dan, Meg and Nate, Chris and Jenna. We're good."
"You have a good family," Teddy said.
"13 years ago woud you have pictured this," Annie asked.
"You and I scrubbing in together yes," Teddy said, "our family not at all. What about you?"
"Us working together maybe," Annie agreed.
"Once you went to med school I knew this part would happen," Teddy smiled.
"The day you came to teach and you pushed me harder than anyone else," Annie said, "my classmates dropped sutures, misidentified vessels and you let them slide. But I made one too tight suture you made me fix it."
"You weren't the only one I was hard on," Teddy said, "I had a list from your prof to push."
"That was a good day," Annie said
"It was a good trip," Teddy smiled, "we felt like a family."
"It was my family," Annie agreed, "we had fun. "
"Until we got the brownies with cashew butter," Teddy groaned.
"Again who does that," Annie said, "and not to label that they may contain nuts."
"I was so scared when you had a reaction and couldn't breath," Teddy said.
"Dad would have given me a trach if the epi pen didn't work," Annie said.
"Your second epi pen first," Teddy said, "at least we were at your apartment and had three?"
"Probably," Annie said, "I should get Ellie tested as a precaution."
"You haven't yet," Teddy said.
"No we've just been avoiding mine and Josh's with her," Annie said, "strawberrys, cashews, clams and mussels."
"Just do the test," Teddy said.
"I need someone from peds or our pediatrician to order them," Annie said, "the pediatrician isn't impressing me."
"Why," Teddy asked.
"Not as thorough as I woud like," Annie said, "the allergy tests get brushed off, we asked about all of her ear infections and he say's it's just her age. Theres no break between the infections."
"Ask Jackson," Teddy said, "he'll take a look. Trust your instincts with your daughter. You're a doctor and her mom go with your gut."
"I'll talk to Jackson but after this I am picking up Ellie and we're going home to make cookies and have a tea party," Annie said, "Ellie needs mom time."
"Allison needs some two," Teddy replied.
"How's Leo," Annie asked.
"Good," Teddy said, "I need to talk to Dan though. They want to do a psychoeducational assessment."
"Did they say why," Annie asked.
"His school thinks he might have a learning disability or dyslexia," Teddy said, "we don't know enough about his bio family to help."
"Do the tests," Annie said, "then you have the info and it is what it is. If he was sixk you would do the tests."
"We're doing the test I just want Dan to walk me though the process," Teddy said, "it's the first time we've been though school with them."
"He's almost 8," Annie smiled.
"Don't tell me," Teddy said, "Allison is 7."
"Ellie turns 3," Annie said, "why does my baby grow so fast."
"32 and almost an attending," Teddy said.
"Not like we haven't been working for this since I was 19," Annie replied.
"Are you staying," Teddy asked.
"Yes," Annie replied, "only because you built the peds cardio ward."
"We needed it," Teddy said, "you still answer to Karev and Pierce."
"I know," Annie said.
"Dr Altmans," Meghan called from the door, "may I bring the sub I s in to see your pace maker?"
"Grace is lead I just came to say hi," Teddy said.
"Come on in," Annie smiled.
Meghan turned to the Sub Is, "you're going to scrub and follow me into the OR. This is a pediatric pacemaker on a 6 year old male. Dr. Grace Altman, one of our peds cardio fellows is the lead surgeon. Dr. Theodora Altman our chief of surgery is observing and doing an evaluation on Grace."
"Who do we ask our questions," a woman yelled.
"Either will be happy to answer," Meghan smiled.
Meghan led the team in and Annie directed them to the other side of the table from herself and Teddy. She explained her surgery and answered questions as she went.
Scrubbing out Teddy asked, "did any stand out?"
"Katie obviously," Annie said, "I liked Radbourne and Lenton."
"Lenton stood out," Teddy agreed, "I'm really watching Katie. I've got a good feeling about her."
"No special treatment," Annie said.
"No special treatment," Teddy agreed, "but you're helping her study and prepare."
"So did dad," Annie replied.
"I would have if I was here," Teddy said.
"It's my turn to help someone," Annie said.
"It is," Teddy said.
"I remember my first day as a sub I," Annie said, "nana dropped me off because I didn't have a car here. I got lost finding the locker room and dad showed me where to go. He checked in like 12 times that first day. He had me scrub in on a shampoo bottle in a rectum."
"That was your first surgery as a sub I," Teddy said.
"Second," Annie replied, "pacemaker Josh and I with Nathan."
"Owen must have hated that," Teddy laughed.
"We scrubbed out of on and into the next," Annie smiled, "I have three weeks and I will have Katie with me a few times."
"Be fair," Teddy said, "I'm watching her. If this and her formal interview goes well I'll try to get her here for her residency."
"No special treatment," Annie reiterated.
"I'm watching them all," Teddy said.
"How many spots for the next group," Annie asked.
"30," Teddy replied, "we have 60 sub I s between the two groups. My goal is 15 from each set."
"That's do able," Annie replied, "do Fellows get to weigh in?"
"You will," Teddy said, "and senior residents. Fellows and senior residents will spend a lot of time teaching them."
"I have a skills lab with them tomorrow," Annie said, "I'll take notes. I'm picky."
"You're my daughter," Teddy smiled.
"Exactly," Annie replied, "mama we need a cup of tea soon. I promised Ellie I would make cookies and have a tea party. I need time with my daughter."
"Go enjoy Ellie," Teddy smiled, "I'm going to head home and hang out with your siblings."
"See you tomorrow," Annie replied.
"Have a good night sweetheart," Teddy said walking away.