A month after the conference in Vancouver Teddy rifled through a supply bin marked 'feminine supplies' this time she wasn't looking for tampons like she should have been. She was a week late and she was never late. For the last couple days she had been dizzy and her stomach had felt off. She heard footsteps behind her and looked over her shoulder.
"Hey you," Owen smiled, "what are you looking for."
"A test," Teddy replied.
"We have lots of tests but in that bin," Owen asked, "do you have one of the local women they just brought in."
"For me," she whispered, "I need two. One for me and one for a patient."
"Teddy," Owen asked, "are you?"
"I don't know," she choked out, "that first night in Vancouver we and there was no protection."
"Okay," he said, seeing her panic, "it's okay. We'll figure this out. Do you want me to look?"
She nodded.
"I'll check the other bin," he replied.
He opened the lid and found a pregnancy test almost instantly.
"Altman," he said, "you should take this to the patient in 12. She'll take it better coming from another woman."
Teddy took the tests from him and slid one into her pocket; she took the other to where a group of local women were being treated. Teddy gave the test to the young girl, she couldn't have been more than 15 and explained how to use it.
She was paged into the OR and scrubbed in. She worked for hours forgetting about the test in her pocket but the nagging feeling wasn't going away.
He met her back at the trailer that contained both of their small bedrooms to get cleaned up before dinner.
"Have you," he asked following her down the empty hall.
"I've been in the OR," Teddy said, "Owen I'm scared."
She looked ready to cry so he took her in his arms and kissed the top of her head while rubbing her back.
"I'm here," Owen promised, "I'm here, we will be together."
"We have three months left," Teddy whispered.
"If you are, you have to go home now," Owen said.
"Twelve weeks," she whispered.
"You go home and go to my moms or to your sisters then I'll come when the tour is over," Owen said.
"If I am we both have to," Teddy said, "I can't do this without you. I'm scared."
"Take the test and then we'll decide," Owen said.
Teddy nodded. She stepped into the bathroom and read the directions on the box.
Outside Owen heard the toilet flush and he waited.
"Teddy," Owen asked.
"It says three minutes," Teddy replied.
"Let's wait in my room," Owen suggested.
Teddy washed her hands and picked up the stick again before unlocking the door. She hid it behind her back as she stepped into Owens room thankful it was right beside the bathroom. They had been spending more time in his room as hers across the hall had neighbors on either side where Owen had the bathroom and an empty room beside his.
Teddy stared at the stick in her hands as she trembled waiting to see what it would say. Somehow Knowing it was likely positive.
"It's okay," Owen said, "this doesn't change anything."
"It changes everything," she snapped.
"No," he argued, "it doesn't change how much I love you and how much I want to be with you forever."
"We've been together for a month," She replied.
"The first of thousands," Owen promised.
She kept staring at the test as the blue plus sign came into focus.
"We're having a baby," he whispered.
"I'm," she started before bursting into tears.
"You're pregnant," he said, "our baby."
"I can't be a mom. Not here, not now," she sobbed.
"We'll do this together," he promised.
"I can't be a mom," she whispered, "I don't know how."
He gulped he had to ask, "do you want to?"
"No," she shook her head, "I want our baby. This baby will live."
"I have to ask," Owen said, "you have choices."
"I know what the choices are," Teddy said, "I offered them to three women today. I will have this baby. They deserve their father and I need my friend but you're free to choose. Owen you don't have to do this."
"I want to," Owen said.
"It's fast," She said.
"I love you," he said pulling her into his lap. He felt the front of his shirt get wet and realized she was crying.
"Hey," he whispered, "you're okay. We're okay. Teddy, we'll go home together, we'll have our family."
"No one can know," she hissed.
"We have to," Owen said, "the risks."
"I'll be in so much trouble," she hissed, "you'll be fine but this won't go over well for me."
"Can we check your and our baby out, he asked, "run your blood work, let me check you over please?"
"Not with my name," she whined.
"I'll run it as a local," he promised.
"Caitlyn McDonald is a family doctor," she whispered.
"Do you want to tell her," he asked.
"She's escalate it up the chain of command," she whispered.
"She's a good friend," he suggested, "I'll come with you."
"Can we keep this to ourselves for a couple days," she asked.
"We can," he replied, "but I want to check you out make sure your okay."
"You want to play Doctor," she whispered.
He held her close, "I want to make sure you're healthy. This is our family Teddy. I want to make sure our family is healthy."
"I want them." She whispered, "I want our family."
"We will have our family," he promised.
He gave her a gentle kiss, soft and sweet just to tell her he loved her.
"We should go for dinner," he said, "you have to eat."
"I'm hungry," she agreed.
"We'll go home and move into my place," Owen said," it's two bedrooms."
"But Beth," Teddy whispered.
"She has until February 1," he said, "her and her roommate know I'm coming back in February. Then we'll move in."
"You've hardly lived there," she said.
"I've spent 40 days there in the 3 years I've owned it but it's in my name and I did rental agreements with her and Heather," he explained, "we'll have no problems."
"Can we get a new bed," she whispered, not liking the idea of being in the bed he had shared with another woman.
"All of the furniture is hers," he replied, "we'll get what we want."
"Hunt Altman," a man called, "you coming for dinner or eating something else. We all know you're in there."
"We'll be there," Owen bellowed.
Teddy slowly stood up, "I need a new shirt."
"So do I," he replied, "two minutes?"
She nodded and slipped out of his room crossing the hall to her own. She opened her dresser and pulled out a clean beige shirt taking off her sweaty one and throwing it in her laundry basket. She ran her hand over her stomach. There was a tiny person in there. Barely a person but she was having a baby.
They made their way to dinner and found seats with their friends.
"Altman Hunts on call tonight," caitlyn said, "girls night? I have vodka."
"I'm on at 4am to trade Owen," Teddy replied, "but I have nail polish from my leave. Pedicures?"
"Your on," Caitlyn replied.
Owen looked at Teddy who nodded, she was okay. She knew she couldn't drink but pedicures would be okay.
That night Teddy sat in Caitlyn's room down the hall from her own.
"You and Hunt," Caitlyn asked.
"It's good," Teddy smiled.
"Come on Teddy how good," caitlyn asked, "not that I haven't heard you."
Teddy blushed, "caitlyn! He's Owen. But it's good. Really good."
"More than that," caitlyn teased.
"Earth shattering," Teddy admitted.
"So when you two are done this tour what's your plan," caitlyn asked.
"Seattle," Teddy said, "live together and take it from there."
"A family," caitlyn asked.
"Yes," Teddy said, "we want a few kids the white picket fence. My sister is in Seattle now with her husband, his mom, step dad and step sister."
"He has a step sister," caitlyn asked.
"Amanda. She's 15 sweet kid," Teddy replied, "she wants to be a surgeon like Owen and Megan."
"I thought Amanda was a cousin when they talked about her," caitlyn said.
"Step sister," Teddy smiled, "Owen is really good with her. We picked her up from school every day we were in Seattle."
"Seeing if he could be a dad," Caitlyn asked. She had heard Teddy tell Owen she needed a test and was trying to find out.
"I've seen him with Manda before. I spent a leave with them two years ago and got pulled into their week long fishing trip with all of dons siblings and their kids," Teddy said, "we hung out with Manda and her cousins. There's 8 of them in a 2 year span then another 6 a few years younger. They have fun together. Owen had Beth up there so I hung out with the kids and taught them bush first aid."
"So you and Hunt are starting a family," Caitlyn pressed.
"When we get home," Teddy confirmed.
"So what we've heard from your rooms," Caitlyn pressed.
"It's good," Teddy answered, "he's amazing."
"Do you want a drink," caitlyn offered, pulling the vodka out.
"I'm on call," Teddy said.
"I pulled the schedule," caitlyn said, "you're not and I saw you pocket a pregnancy test."
Teddy went red.
"This family with Hunt," Caitlyn pressed.
"When we get home," Teddy said.
"Yes or no Altman," Caitlyn pressed.
Teddy remained silent.
"How long," Caitlyn asked.
"We got together in Vancouver," Teddy said.
"So five weeks ago," Caitlyn said.
"Almost," Teddy whispered.
"Okay," Caitlyn said shifting into Doctor mode.
"That puts you at seven weeks ish," caitlyn said, "how are you feeling?"
"Worn out," Teddy said, "I've had a stomach bug that won't go away but no one else seems to be getting it."
"I'm a GP. I know you surgeons don't study this," Caitlyn said, "that stomach bug is probably morning sickness. I won't report it but you should tell your CO and start working on getting home."
"We want a few days to plan," Teddy whispered, "don't tell anyone."
"I'm guessing Hunt has checked your okay," caitlyn asked.
"I was going to head to the medical tents once everyone was in bed," Teddy said.
"He's the only one there now," caitlyn said, "you could sneak over there."
"I might," Teddy smiled.
"Congratulations Teddy," caitlyn said.
Teddy stood up and gathered the nail polish she had brought with her sliding her feet into her flip flops. She put her stuff back in her room and slipped out the back door of their building unnoticed.
Teddy walked to the medical tent and found Owen sitting alone in an on call room.
"Caitlyn saw me pocket the test then when I refused vodka twice she knew," Teddy said.
"You okay," he asked.
"Let's make sure this little one is healthy," she whispered.
"Kidnapping the ultrasound," he asked.
"Do you know what your looking at," she asked.
"No do you," he questioned.
"Only if we find a heart beat," she whispered.
"That was," he said.
"Five weeks ago," she whispered, "caitlyn said 7 weeks then."
"Do you want to ask her," he asked.
"No the less people know the better," Teddy hissed.
"You have to tell Smith," Owen said.
"I will," she replied, "but can you just hold me?"
"I can," he replied, "I will always hold you."