This is the summer between Annie's second and Third Year of medical school. Late season 9, early season 10.
Annie slammed the door to her apartment and sighed. She was ready to cry. Tonight she had yet another horrible date. She checked the time 10:30pm it would be too late to call mama now, she would call in the morning. Mama would laugh at this date. The guy had shown up in a torn shirt and ripped up jeans. He had sworn every other word and was happy to stay living with his parents and working for his dad his entire life. It seemed like any guy would
In Germany Teddy was tossing and turning. She couldn't sleep after her horrible date. The man had been awful; he had smoked at the table and was a mess, with no career. Why was it that every man she met was horrible. Why couldn't one just be human. Or they found out her daughter was 22 and she never heard from them again.
Teddy's phone pinged with her text tone, "mama what time works for me to call you? I had the worst date he was awful."
Teddy texted back, "can't sleep. Facetime now?"
"Why are you up," Annie asked when Teddy picked up her call.
"Bad date, homesick, couldnt sleep," Teddy said, "you look nice for your date."
"Thanks," Annie replied, "I hate finding the perfect outfit, wearing heels spending over an hour on hair and make up for him to show up in a ripped T-shirt and jeans and looking like a sasquatch."
"A sasquatch," Teddy asked.
"He hadn't shaved in like a week. It was awful," Annie said, "you said you had a bad date? When did you start dating again?"
"I went online," Teddy said, "it's been a year and a half. I wanted to go out and have fun. It was one date. But he smoked at the table and told me that smoking causing lung cancer was false."
"He said what," Annie asked.
"I know," Teddy said, "he's an american living here and not connected to the base which is great for me but he was just gross."
"He hadn't showered," Annie said.
"Beer belly," Teddy groaned.
"Where are the good guys," Annie asked, "and why do they never match their profile?"
"I don't know," Teddy said, "and you put in so much effort to find the right clothes."
"The hair," Annie said, "it takes forever to get my hair really truly straight."
"If you cut it," Teddy said.
"Not cutting my hair," Annie replied, "I like the length."
"It's down to your hips," Teddy pointed out.
"That's when I let it do what it wants," Annie said, "it's even longer straight."
"Cut it," Teddy said, "it could be a lot easier to deal with if you even cut it to mid way down your ribs?"
"Never," Annie said, "it wouldn't be me."
"You're still you, no matter how long your hair is," Teddy said, "but back to the awful date. How did you meet him?"
"Tinder," Annie giggled.
"That's your problem," Teddy replied, "I think I need to learn to be happy on my own."
"Mama your not old enough to be forever alone yet," Annie teased, "maybe in 40 years we can make that decision."
"Maybe I had my fairytale love story," Teddy said, "that was a once in a lifetime story."
"Yes you married him on a whim to give him insurance," Annie said, "dated Andrew and Mark and had a few other dates, none of whom you even liked before deciding you could be happy with Henry."
"What about you," Teddy asked, "going to ask Josh out yet."
"When you ask Owen," Annie replied.
"He only just divorced Chistina," Teddy said.
"So that means he's single mama," Annie said, "you love him. Make a move."
"From halfway across the globe," Teddy said, "and he knows me too well."
"Even better reason to date him," Annie said, "and an excuse to go home."
"I don't have a job there," Teddy said.
"It's Owen," Annie said, "he'll give you the cardio department."
"But I run whole hospitals," ddy said, "hundreds of staff. I want more than a department."Teddy said, "I'm not going backwards. I'll take his job."
"Am i doomed to be single forever," Annie asked.
Teddy laughed, "enough dramatics. Your 22, almost 23. What I do and what you want to do intimidates men. You need to find a guy with similar interests. There's a reason doctors tend to marry each other."
"But I don't want a guy from school," Annie said, "then I have to factor them into next years rotations and where I apply to residency."
"Your still set on Grey Sloan," Teddy asked.
"You're not there to teach me so Christina is the next choice," Annie said.
"Let's consider other programs," Teddy said, "Mayo, Hopkins, staying in Boston , Columbia well look into surgical programs around the country and you're going to apply to your favorite 10 or 12."
Annie sighed, "I don't know I miss the west coast."
"Then we focus on west coast programs," Teddy said, "but that's a year away. Look for some sub internships and experiences at other hospitals. This is the year to start lining up your fourth year. Lots of class work and where professors really start watching you closely. I have to work in a couple hours so I'm going to try and sleep."
"Talk to you soon mama," Annie said.
"Love you sweetheart. Text me later," Teddy said.
"Love you two," Annie replied before hanging up the facetime call.
Annie was really missing Teddy and being able to sit face to face with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and chat. The time difference was driving her nuts. The only family she still felt connected to was Chris and Teddy. She felt isolated at times. Annie had never been good at making a large circle of friends, she was afraid to let people in. She had a couple close friends here
Teddy was also missing Annie. She wished that the schedule for the next few months allowed for her to visit Annie or to bring her daughter to Germany for a few days but Annie's weeks off happened to be visiting field hospitals in the middle east. She was disappointed in the way the schedule worked. She would have to be happy with Facetime and phone calls. Annie was always good about texting little updates about her day and pictures of things she found funny or made her smile.
Walking to class the next morning Annie texted, "thank you for listening to my boys suck rant last night."
"I've been there enough times," Teddy texted back, "what does your day look like?"
"Morning classes, tutoring pre med anatomy, observing with a cardiologist, work out, high school tutoring," Annie replied, "you?"
"Just got out of the OR, some office work, work out, dinner with a friend," Teddy said, "two hours of tutoring today?"
"Three," Annie replied, "it's an okay day to tutor. One of my highschool math kids needed to move their session to today so they can go to a riding thing on Saturday."
"Do you have time for that," Teddy asked.
"I do," Annie replied, "I should try to call my parents tonight. It's been almost two weeks."
"Have you tried to call them," Teddy asked.
"I've left messages," Annie said, "who are you going out with tonight?"
"A couple doctors from the hospital in town," Teddy said, "really nice women. When you get a break they want to meet you."
"We don't have breaks that line up until Christmas," Annie said, "I wish I could come sooner."
"So do I sweetheart," Teddy said, "I'm sorry but I have to be in the field for your summer break."
"I like coming into the hospital with you and observing," Annie typed.
"You can't do this with me," Teddy said, "it's not safe for you. You don't have the training and I can't be worried about you out there."
"I know," Annie typed, "can I go to Seattle and learn from Christina?"
"We can ask Evelyn if you can stay with her," Teddy said, "what about going to see Chris?"
"He's not back yet," Annie said, " I've never been to his place. He has roommates."
"Ask him," Teddy said, "what are your friends doing?"
"Josh is going to see his parents in Portland, Stephanie is going to her family's ranch," Annie said, "she's invited me to go with her."
"Go to the ranch, have fun," Teddy said, "then next spring she can come to Germany with you."
"Are you sure," Annie asked.
"Go have fun with Stephanie. Learn to ride a horse and lasso a cow," Teddy typed.
"Maybe her brothers are cute," Annie typed, "I'm walking into pharmacology. talk to you later."
"Enjoy your class sweetheart," Teddy replied, "let me know if there's anything groundbreaking."
"I will," Annie typed, "have fun at your dinner."