Teddy stormed away from the locked door of Annie's lab. She was the chief of surgery, she should have access.
"What's up your ass," Bailey asked.
"My daughter locked me out of her lab," Teddy snapped.
"Altman," Bailey said, "let her be. She's what 32 now?"
"31," Teddy corrected.
"She's a 31 year old fellow. Let her research," Bailey said.
"How can she not tell her chief of surgery," Teddy asked.
"She's not telling her mother," Bailey replied, "you're too hard on her. You're hard on all your kids but Grace you don't give her an inch."
"I have to," Teddy said.
"No," Bailey declared, "Altman you have to let her do it. We raise surgeons just like you raise kids. You did both with one. Step back and look at it without being a mother."
"Did you ever go 19 years without your child," Teddy asked, "to have to wonder everyday if she was okay?"
"You chose that," Bailey said, "you chose adoption."
"I damn well know I chose it and chose the people that traumatized her," Teddy barked.
"Just give her space," Bailey said, "Teddy I'm saying this as a friend. Let Grace grow up. She's a smart capable woman. Let her grow up and show you."
"I have to protect her," Teddy replied.
"No," Bailey said, "she's not the kid you and Hunt went to that hospital to care for. Teddy she's grown up you have to see that. She's a good mother and a great surgeon. She has her priorities straight."
"I don't want to lose her again," Teddy replied.
"You won't," Bailey said, "you'll always be her mama. We got to move away from our families for residency and fellowships. She's been with you the whole time. You've been there. You've been her cheerleader and advocate, you've taught her to stand up for herself. She's learned from you, you taught her well. Let her do this. You don't think it was hard to step back and let Grey, Karev and Yang do things. I raised them, I made them. You've taken Grace as far as you can. Now your job is to stand back and watch how far she'll go."
"What if," Teddy began.
"She won't," Bailey said, "she is talking to two attendings outside of cardio about her project. Webber has been helping her bounce ideas and so is Grey. She's consulting with Yang who you trained. She will do it her way. Teddy watch your daughter soar, stop being mama bear and watch."
Annie was sitting in a peds department meeting when she had an idea. They were discussing how difficult it could be to have so many different needs in peds.
"What if we reorganized the peds floor," Annie suggested, "right now we group by age, what if outside of the NICU and ICU we organize by speciality. They do it down stairs with adults why not apply it in peds. Keep similar needs together, allow nurses to get familiar with say cardio, neuro or ortho."
"Grace has a point," Jenna agreed, "my neuro patients are spread out, not all of the nurses know how to support neuro care."
"Let's do a trial," Annie suggested, "pull neuro and cardio kids together for six months and see what our results are."
"Where," Alex asked.
"That we have to figure out," Annie agreed, "close to the ICU and CCU. neuro and cardio kids are usually higher needs and often are stepping down from ICU and CCU. It's further from the play room but they're not typically as active."
"What about equipment size," Arizona asked.
"We need to set up to be flexible." Annie said, "beds are on wheels and can be moved, most equipment is also on wheels. It's a trial, we'll be flexible. Give it six months."
"Something on this scale has to go to the chief," Alex said.
"I'll do the research if someone else presents it to her," Annie said.
Dr. Edgar, a new peds surgeon, asked, "why don't you do it the two of you look alike and have the same last name. Are you related?"
"Asking my mother is not my strong suit," Annie admitted, "and I'm annoyed with her at the moment."
"You work for your mother as an attending," Dr. Edgar asked.
"I'm a fellow," Annie replied, "and yes. I worked with her as a resident two."
"You're close," Dr. Edgar questioned.
"They are," Arizona asked.
"Grace put together a proposal of how we could reorganize the peds floor into smaller sub departments and give it to me," Alex said, "you and I will present it to the board. I like this idea and it makes sense."
"We're getting more cardio and neuro cases," Annie said, "that's an increasing percentage of our peds load. If we want to try it could we try having one hallway for cardio and another for neuro?"
"Everyone go do your research and come back with ideas next week," Alex said, "I want pros and cons to Grace's approach."
Walking out of the meeting Jenna grabbed Annie, "you okay?"
"Just annoyed with mama but I'm good," Annie said.
"What's going on," Jenna asked.
"Not here," Annie replied, "I just get frustrated working with her sometimes."
"I can imagine," Jenna said, "you and her have a complicated relationship."
Annie opened the door to her lab, "only mama free zone, are you coming?"
"Sure," Jenna replied.
Annie closed the door making sure it locked.
"What's going on," Jenna asked.
"So Ellie turns two in a couple months," Annie said, "Josh and I want another baby. So we thought we would get through the summer because I'm not doing the fishing trip pregnant, then when we get back we start trying. I mentioned it to mama the other day and she asked if I wanted to finish my fellowship the same way I finished my residency."
"You were pretty stressed with Ellie," Jenna said.
"Yes, the first few weeks totally sucked," Annie said, "but this time we know what helps. The stress was Jessica and Leslie related, not Ellie. It's not like we have a big exam to worry about. I'll just move into an attending spot here or somewhere else."
"You would leave," Jenna asked.
"I would," Annie admitted, "mama puts a ton of pressure on me and it's not good for my mental health. I know I still have some trauma reactions to some things that will never go away but she's making it worse. I know my trauma with Leslie and Jessica is tied up in hers with what happened with my sperm donor."
"What happened," Jenna asked, "I know you know nothing about him but why? Your mama has to have said why."
"He was violent," Annie stated, "he tried to hurt her to kill me. She didn't want to give me up, she was scared. She thought she was protecting me. She blames herself for what happened with Leslie so she tries to over protect me. She forgets I'm 31."
"Tell her," Jenna said.
"I can't it hurts her too much," Annie said.
"You have to," Jenna said, "it's eating you alive."
"I can't," Annie said, "I can't hurt her. And then she brings up my research and I'm totally blowing it."
"What's going on," Jenna asked.
"I had security lock her out of my lab because she wants to know every move I make on my study," Annie said, "it's not going great these tumors are smart and medications don't seem to be working. There's got to be something less invasive than what we've been doing. I can't go tell her i've wasted all this time and money."
"Think of everything you know doesn't work," Jenna said.
"Webber is going to look with me tomorrow to help me find what I've missed," Annie said.
Leaving Bailey, Teddy walked to Owen's office. She didn't want to be chief for a minute, she just needed to be her.
"What's wrong," Owen asked when Teddy sat on the edge of his desk.
"Bailey, Annie," Teddy said.
"What's going on with Annie," Owen said, "you said you talked about a couple things the day of the interview."
"Bailey told me I need to let Annie grow up," Teddy said.
"You do," Owen argued, "Teddy she turns 32 this year, she's a fellow, she's been married 4 years and she has a child herself. You have to cut the cord."
"You two," Teddy snapped.
"Only you and Annie don't see it," Owen said, "it could be really healthy for her to move on as an attending."
"Leave us," Teddy asked.
"The two of you need some separation," Owen said, "you're both equally guilty. Annie hides behind you and you over mother her."
"I have to make up for it," Teddy said, "Owen I messed up so badly when I picked Leslie and Dan. I thought I was doing the right thing. I got her, I got us away from Steven. But I put her in a situation where she was abused. I got us away from the physical abuse but I put her in harm's way mentally."
"Teddy," Owen sighed, wrapping her in a hug, "you have to stop beating yourself up over this. You couldn't have known. No one could have. Teddy you have to let her soar. She's ready."
"She locked me out of her lab," Teddy said, "she's not talking to me about her patients."
"Teddy you need to step back," Owen said, "Annie isn't the type to say it. She shows us when she's ready. Locking her lab, treating patients on her own, that's her showing you. Teddy you've raised an amazing daughter. Watch her soar. Annie is going to be amazing. Now we get to watch."
"Maybe her and I need another talk," Teddy said.
"I think you do," Owen agreed
"It's hard to see her grow up and pull away," Teddy said.
"It's maturing," Owen said, "she's 32 what were you doing at 32?"
"Enlisting," Teddy said.
"You enlisted at 32 Annie wants to be here and work, raise her family," Owen said.
"She's okay," Teddy asked.
"She is," Owen said, "Teddy I know the McKellars are all tangled in what happened with Steven and your trauma. When Annie brings up the McKellars you go back to that place."
"I do," Teddy said, "I'm working on it."
"What do you need," Owen asked.
"Annie and I need a huge talk just us," Teddy said, "but I might need to go back to a counselor. This is hard Owen."
"I have a hard time seeing her grow up sometimes," Owen said, "but we've gotten to be part of her daily life in ways no one else does with their med student or resident."
"I know," Teddy said.
"What did Bailey say," Owen asked.
"She said I've taught Annie everything and it's time for me to step back and watch her fly," Teddy said.
"What if you did that," Owen said, "wait for Annie to come to you about her work. Let Annie be."
"I'll try," Teddy said.