At the end of the day Teddy and Annie headed home exhausted. Teddy was worn out and struggling to hold it together in front of Annie.
"Teddy what happened," Annie asked, "did you lose a patient?"
"I don't want you to worry but your bio dad was at the hospital while you were in the skills lab," Teddy said , "I ran into him in the cardio wing. He was verbally abusive and upset me."
"Are you okay," asked Annie.
"I am," Teddy reassured Annie , "it was someone I never wanted to see again and I just want my mom. I would be happy to never see Steven again."
"What if you called Owens mom," asked Annie.
"I will when we get home," Teddy said, "you need some homework time anyway. I doubt you got any done today."
"I did no homework," Annie replied , "I was too busy actually learning."
Teddy laughed, "but you need to get this work done so you can be in the OR all the time. Your not to go to the cardio wing with out me or Owen until I know what's happening with Steven."
"Is he that horrible," Annie asked.
"He's unpredictable and hostile," Teddy replied , "I don't know what I saw in him. I'm glad he left me. It would have been miserable for you and I if he had stayed."
"I'll stay away, I'm supposed to be in peds and ortho tomorrow," Annie replied.
Teddy looked puzzled , "ortho that wasn't in the plan."
Annie replied, " Dr Torres talked to Owen this morning. She wants to borrow me to watch a spinal fusion with her and Dr Shepard."
"Go see that," Teddy said, "it's more exciting then what Arizona has planned. But you know Owen is the only one who will let you touch an actual patient. He subscribes to a throw the students in and let them swim method of teaching."
"That was cool but it made me nervous," Annie said , "I didn't want to hurt the patient or let you down."
"Owen wouldn't have asked you to unless he knew you were helping and couldn't do any harm," Teddy said.
"I think after the last couple days I want to be a surgeon," Annie said.
"I can see that," teddy smiled at her daughter, "welcome to the dark side. Most people won't understand your goal."
"But I have you," Annie said.
"You do," Teddy beamed, "your parents will be supportive but they won't understand what you're doing and learning. You'll be a doctor or a surgeon but they won't understand the commitment. You'll always have me to lean on. I'd like you to do your residency here with me."
"I think I've liked trauma a bit more," Annie said , "there was more variety. "
Teddy laughed , "to do trauma you'll need good cardio skills and Owen will do the rest of your training."
"Could I do both like you do," Annie asked.
"If you want to put in the work. Specialize in cardiac trauma," Teddy said , "but you'll have to do the day to day cardio as well. Pacemakers, valve replacements. I do more of those then I do transplants or traumas."
"I'm going to try," Annie said , "now how to tell my parents I'm going to be a cardio thoracic surgeon?"
"You tell them that that's the goal after med school," Teddy said, "first MCATs and your references."
"I've already asked Dr. Milner and she said she would write me a reference because of my work with her, Pastor Will is my character reference," Annie said , "I need one more that could be character or medical but don't know who to ask."
"You have 5 months before your applications are due," Teddy said , "spend more time observing and in the skills lab then ask Richard Webber. His name has power and he's been impressed with you. He called you a prodigy today. Something about your salmon dissection. "
"He gave me a salmon and told me to get two filets out of it," Anne said , "I've been fileting since I was 10. I can do salmon sides with my eyes closed."
"He said you had the least waste of any one," Teddy praised.
"You don't waste good fish," Annie said , "even if it's only a pink. I'm still mad that we just threw all that fish out. We should have brined it and smoked it. It was a waste of good fish."
"You know how to do that," asked Teddy.
"Who do you think helps dad do it all," Annie asked.
"You and your brother," Teddy guessed.
"Yep," Annie replied, " I do the brine and get it all prepped then Chris runs the smoker. Dad hardly has to do anything any more."
"Is there anything you can't do," asked Teddy.
"Fly a plane, do surgery, scuba dive, snow board, speak spanish," Annie listed.
Teddy laughed.
Teddy's phone rang in her purse, "Annie can you grab that? I'm driving."
"Hello Teddy's phone," Annie answered.
"Hi Annie," greeted Owen, "can you put us on speaker so I can talk to Teddy?"
"Teddy, Christina is overnight tonight and staying in the hospital. Why don't I pick up Thai food and meet you guys at your place," Owen offered.
"That sounds good to me," Teddy said, " Annie?"
"I'm in. I have homework tonight though," Annie said.
"I'll see you guys in less than an hour," Owen said, " I know no cashews. I will not send Annie into anaphylactic shock."
"Thanks Owen, we just pulled into the driveway," Teddy replied.
"See you soon," Annie called.
Teddy grabbed her bag from the back seat and opened the front door, " okay we have about 40 minutes to do a quick tidy and both shower."
Annie replied, " I'll tidy the kitchen and living room. You shower first."
"You start in the living room," Teddy said, "I'll be fast. It's Owen we don't have to worry about cute hair and make up."
"So I can just wash and rebraid my hair," Annie asked.
"Yes," Teddy said, " I like your braids and their practical for what we're doing."
"One braid or two," Annie asked.
"You've had one the last couple days so why don't you do two," Teddy suggested.
"French braid again," asked Annie.
"Your choice," Teddy said, "but it'll be easier to put french braids under a scrub cap. Your hair is so long and so thick. I've never been able to get mine that long and look so healthy. I don't know how you do it. I know it works for dance but you may need to cut it when you do your residency."
"Just little trims to take the dead ends off and keep it healthy," Annie said, " and I've never coloured it."
"Okay," Teddy replied, "I'm going to hop in the shower."
"Go fast," Annie replied, " I'll start tidying."
"Leave some tidying for me," Teddy said.
"It's fine," Annie said, " I'm quick once I put music on."
Teddy walked into the bathroom to shower and Annie flipped open her laptop on the coffee table. She turned on her favourite playlist and began tidying. A perk of them hardly being home meant that there really wasn't much to tidy. Annie straightened the pillows on the couch and neatly stacked the journals and magazines. She grabbed a tea towel from the kitchen and quickly dusted the coffee table and mantle.
Teddy stepped out of the bathroom with her hair in a messy bun on the top of her head, "wow Annie you work fast!"
"Not really," Annie replied, " there wasn't much to do."
"Run and shower before Owen gets here," Teddy directed.
Teddy leaned against the kitchen counter and thought about her day. She realized that as rough as being screamed at and humiliated by Steven was today she had almost everything that mattered. The one thing she still wanted was a man by her side. She shook her head and tried to push the thoughts that Owen, her best friend was the person she wanted. She knew that she couldn't think of Owen that way. He had chosen Christina. She would always be his best friend, Teddy was forever in the friendzone with him.