Saturday morning the adults except for Evelyn piled into Owen and Nathan's trucks. They left Leo and Allison who weren't quite ready to ski with Evelyn. The little two would enjoy a day with nana at the cabin.
"Lets go," Annie yelled.
"Annie can you teach me to do the moguls this year," Faroke asked.
"Your mama was going to do that," Annie said.
"But you're better at it," Faroke said, "you're the fastest."
"You want to learn to go fast Chris is faster than me," Annie replied.
"How did you learn to ski like that," Nathan asked, "you move smoothly on the slopes no matter how steep or bumpy."
"Dad raced," Annie said.
"We were given two choices, go fast, go hard or," Chris said.
Annie finished, "go home."
Owen laughed, "I remember the first time I saw you two ski together you were 20 and 21."
"19 and 20," Annie said, "we came down with mama that year."
"But you clung to mama the year you were 20," Owen said.
"I did it took me a while to feel confident with you and Evelyn," Annie said.
"The year you were 25. The first one you and mama were home," Owen said, "you were an intern and my ski buddy for the day."
"You asked how I would feel if you proposed to mama," Annie said.
"And promised that no matter what you have a place in our family," Owen said.
"I know," Annie agreed, "I just had to say it to you that you couldn't shake me that easily."
"We'd never want to," Owen said, "from the moment mama brought you for a family dinner at moms you were part of the family."
"Owen enough reminiscing without me," Teddy laughed.
"How many of us are telling the mountain we're surgeons," Annie asked.
"Trauma team," Meghan said.
"Why does it matter," Chris asked.
"Because six of us together is a lot," Teddy said.
"We could do veterans on their military ID and the rest as doctors," Nathan suggested.
"Or all be doctors," Josh said.
"Let's all do it," Owen said, "but be clear in specialities and residents."
"Why does it matter? Annie and Josh are residents. What's the difference," Chris asked.
"They are not board certified yet. They need two more years of training at least," Teddy explained, "in a couple months they can be lead surgeons but still need an attending to sign off. They have to pass their boards to act independently and be an attending. But both have chosen to specialize which means extra years of specific training in their area."
"How long do you have left total," Chris asked.
"Six," Annie said, " residency, two year cardio fellowship and two years of peds."
"Four," Josh replied, "two year trauma fellowship."
"Have to go big there don't you Ann," Chris teased.
"I can't decide on peds or cardio so I'm going to do both," Annie replied.
"This is okay," Chris asked.
"It was a long thought process but as head of cardio I approved it," Teddy replied.
"I want this," Annie said, "it's me. You've never seen me at work. I love working with children and making them feel safe and secure at the hospital but holding a beating heart that's something else."
"Let's go already," Faroke groaned.
"We're going," Meghan said.
They all grabbed their skis and headed towards the chairlift. At the top of the chair they followed Owen down a cat track to warm up.
"Race you Shamoo," Annie called.
"You're not faster than me," Chris yelled.
"I'm faster than both of you," Josh teased.
"Line up and on my count," Nathan said, "three, two, one, go!"
Annie turned aggressively taking off down the hill, soon Josh was left in the sprays of powder, Annie and Chris were neck in neck. She swerved off her course to avoid a snowboarder, who clipped the back of her skis. Annie tumbelled down the slope. She stood up and looked for her poles, Josh had grabbed them and brought them to her.
"I didn't know you could do that," Josh said.
"I didn't know I still could. I haven't skied like that since I was 21," Annie replied, "it felt good."
Meghan was stopped up the slope from the three young adults with Teddy.
Meghan asked, "did you know your daughter could do that?"
"I haven't seen it in a few years but yes," Teddy said, "I used to ski with Annie, Chris and Dan at Whistler. The McKellars have a cabin up there. I learned a lot skiing with them. Dan fixed a lot of my technique the two winters I skied with them."
"Technique," Meghan asked.
"Dan trained those two for proper racing technique on every type of terrain there was no room for sloppy turns or incomplete turns. She could have raced but chose to dance and Chris raced while they were in highschool," Teddy said.
"Would they work with Faroke," Meghan asked, "get him turning properly."
"Ask," Teddy replied, "they may make him be an airplane. They were 19 and 20, Dan took their poles and made them do a whole run, arms out to the side touching their boots every time they turned, moving their whole body into the turn."
Annie had been watching Faroke come towards her, working hard to make the turns.
"Hey buddy, I can show you how to make that run easier," Annie offered.
"Can you," Faroke asked.
"Am I offering," Annie asked.
"How do I fix it," Faroke asked.
"Give me your poles," Annie said, "and stay in my tracks. Arms out to the side, your going to touch your down hill boot with your arms straight out to the side bending at your waist on every turn."
"I'll try," Faroke said.
"We'll go slow," Annie said, "stay in my tracks."
Annie hopped into her first turn and looked over her shoulder to make sure the boy was following her. She held the middle of both of their poles as she began the airplane exercise touching her boot with every turn. At the bottom of the run Chris was laughing remembering doing that with their dad.
They did a few more runs as a big group before splitting into smaller groups to ski on preferred terrain, Annie, Josh and Chris heading to Annie and Josh's favourite bowls and steep drops.
After lunch they all skied together again. When they were getting ready to head back down the mountain there was a distinct rumbling up the mountain.
"Avalanche," Annie yelled.
"Get back to the main lodge," Owen commanded, "stay in normal shoes and your snow gear. We're all able to go help."
"What about me uncle Owen," Faroke asked.
"Take dad and my phones and sit silently where we tell you," Meghan said.
"Let's go people we have lives to save," Owen said, "move now."
They ran to the lodge, Owen led the way to where the ski patrol was getting organized.
Teddy took over speaking, "I'm Major Theodora Altman US army medical command. I have three other combat surgeons, two surgical residents and a canadian air force helicopter pilot. We are all prepared to help."
"Major Altman," the leader said, "thank you for your help mam. You left Germany rather suddenly."
"My family needed me home," Teddy said, "how can we help you? We're all ready to work."
"Names," the leader said.
"Major Owen Hunt I'm a trauma surgeon," Owen replied.
"Lieutenant Meghan Hunt, Trauma surgeon," Meghan said.
"Dr. Nathan Riggs, Cardio and Trauma," Nathan said, "I was a contract doctor with the army."
"Dr. Grace Altman cardio resident," Annie said.
"Dr. Joshua Riggs trauma resident, " Josh said.
"Sargent Christopher McKellar Canadian Airforce, I'm a helicopter pilot with search and rescue training," Chris said.
"We need all of you," the leader said , "Major Altman can you set up triage and deal with traumas as we bring them in."
"We will," Teddy said.
"Listen up," the leader yelled, "Major Atlman was my commanding officer in Germany; she's going to run operations here. Her team is in charge, they are all surgeons. Sargent McKellar come with us."
"I need my skis from the truck," Chris said.
"Snowmobile," the leader said, "let's move. I'm leaving one of my volunteers here to show you where the equipment is."
Teddy and Owen began to give directions to the people in the lodge, clearing space to work.
"Annie and Josh, first major field trauma," Teddy said, "work fast, triage carefully, use any nurses or EMTs that come in to help. Tell us if you're in over your head. We can't operate here, only stabilize."
"It's just like the trauma simulations," Owen said, "work quickly and carefully. Red need to get to the OR now, yellow delay care, green they need a check up but not urgent."
"Yes mama," Annie replied.
"Yes Dr," Josh replied.
They dropped their coats and snow pants in a pile in the corner, Annie shrugged out of her heavy sweatshirt so she was in her leggings and long sleeved thermal shirt. Josh dumped his hoodie with Annie's. They waited ready for the first victims to be brought back. The call was made for ambulances to make their way up the mountain.
There was a flurry of activity when the first victims were brought back.
"Annie take the woman," Teddy commanded.
"Yes mama," Annie replied. She began her assessment of the woman, "broken tib / fib on the left, leaving her boots on to keep the ankle stable. Breath sounds are equal, heart sounds good. Need CT to clear the spine leave her on the back board."
Annie put a yellow tag on the woman and moved on to the next patient waiting for further direction. She had helped with one mass casualty event intern year but had been right by Meghan's side. This was the first time she was on her own. A patient came in with difficulty breathing.
"Annie take this one," Owen yelled.
Annie knelt beside the man on the floor, "decreased breath sounds bilaterally. Heart murmur. I need to do a chest tube now and an ET tube."
Annie ran to the kit and grabbed what she needed to intubate and bag him.
"I'm a firefighter, how can I help," a man asked Teddy.
"Go take over for the surgeon with the ambu bag," Teddy commanded, "Annie I'm sending you a firefighter. You have move on to the next patient."
"I need to do a chest tube now," Annie said.
"What can I do doctor," the man asked.
"Atlman," Annie said, "take over the bag. Nice easy breaths. I have to place a chest tube to reduce the strain on his heart and lungs. There's no drugs, it's going to hurt."
Annie placed the chest tube and moved to the next patient.
"Help," Josh yelled, "I need more hands."
Annie sprinted to Josh getting there at the same time as Owen.
"Open book pelvis, no breath sounds on the left and pulse is weak, abdomen is distended," Josh said.
"Airway is compromised," Annie added.
"Annie do the tube and breathe for him," Owen directed.
"I lost the pulse," Josh said, "starting compressions."
"You two have this until medivac gets here," Owen commanded.
After a while Annie suggested, "you're getting tired, let's switch."
"Three, two, one," Josh counted.
Annie moved to take over compressions while Josh took over breathing.
Teddy was cracking a chest across the room and yelled for Nathan to help her.
Finally Chris returned ," we got them all out breathing."
"This is all that's left," Owen said, "we've sent lots of red tags down."
"Yellows next," Meghan said.
"After my patient," Teddy said, "he's on the next helicopter."
Finally they loaded Teddy's patient into the helicopter and supervised the loading of patients down the mountain.
"It's 11:30," Owen said, "mom must be worried sick."
"She will be," Meghan agreed.
"I'll call," Owen said. He stepped away from the group to call Evelyn.
"Owen your okay," Evelyn answered.
"We are," Owen said, "we've all be working up here."
"Teddy," Evelyn asked.
"She's good," Owen said, "Annie and Josh did their first mass casualty event in the field. They were great today."
"Meghan, Nathan," Evelyn asked.
"Great," Owen said, "Faroke even helped with keeping people hydrated and warm. Meghan had taught him well."
"When are you coming home," Evelyn said.
"Two more loads of patients out then we can come down," Owen said.
"What do you need," Evelyn asked.
"Food, water and showers," Owen said.
Teddy grabbed Owen's phone.
"How are Ali and Leo," Teddy asked.
"Asleep in your bed like little angels," Evelyn said.
"Thank you for taking care of them," Teddy said, "we're sorry we didn't call or text sooner."
"Faroke texted from Meghan's phone," Evelyn said, "but it was avalanche lots of people injured mama, dad, auntie Teddy, uncle Owen, Josh and Annie saving lives."
"I'm glad he told you," Teddy said, "we're all okay. We need to eat, shower and sleep we'll debrief tomorrow morning."
"I'll be here with soup, sandwiches and cocoa," Evelyn promised.
"Thank you we'll let you know when we head down," Teddy said, "please tuck the kids in a bit tighter and kiss them good night for me."
"They're snug as a bug in a rug," Evelyn said, "and have had good night kisses sent by mama and daddy."
"Thank you," Teddy replied.
Finally the last load of patients went down the mountain and the family piled into the trucks.
"Are you okay," Josh asked Annie.
"Exhausted but we did it," Annie replied.
"We got them all out alive," Teddy said, "they'll all live."
"We did it," Owen said, "that's a good day."
"That was intense," Annie said.
"And we will debrief in the morning," Teddy said.
"Not an M&M with breakfast," Annie whined.
"After breakfast," Teddy said, "just want to talk it through. You two did great work today. You stepped up and did what you needed to, worked fast and stayed calm. You're not fully trained but you did it. That's what we expected from fully trained surgeons in the field. Well done."
"Thank you Teddy," Josh grinned.
"Annie," Owen asked.
"Passed out," Josh replied, "I'll wake her at the cabin let her sleep."
Teddy nodded, "okay. Stay close to her tonight please."
"Nightmares," Josh replied, "maybe. She hasn't been having as many."
"I'm glad," Teddy said, "she feels safe with you."
When they got back to the cabin Meghan sent Faroke for a shower first then they all ate the soup and grilled cheese Evelyn had prepared for their middle of the night meal. After showers Annie and Josh crawled into bed curled up together.
Teddy lifted Allison into the pack and play and Leo to his little cot by their bed. The room was crowded with the two tots but tonight Teddy liked having her babies in the room. Finally Owen came in he was the last to go to bed.
"That was something else," Owen said.
"It reminded me of when we first worked together," Teddy said.
"The speed," Owen said, "working together like that."
"We haven't done things like that in years," Teddy agreed.
"Before Annie," Owen said.
"She did amazing today," Teddy said, "I'm proud of her."
"She's your daughter," Owen said.
"We saved them all," Teddy said, "I came close to losing one but we got them all out alive."
"The press will want to see us," Owen said.
"No comment," Teddy replied, "direct back to Bailey."
"Be proud of our team, our family," Owen said, "why can't we brag a bit. We're an amazing family at any time, why shouldn't the whole world know."
"I still don't want Annie's location getting to Jessica," Teddy said.
"She's talking to Leslie and Dan and they all know where she is," Owen said.
"If they call we'll answer and give interviews I guess," Teddy agreed, "but you can do all the talking. We need to tell Bailey in the morning."
"Webber needs to know about the residents," Owen said.
"I want to keep talking but I'm about to fall asleep," Teddy yawned, she laid her head on Owen's chest listening to his heart beat.
"Good night Teds. I love you," Owen whispered, kissing the top of her head.
"Love you too," Teddy mumbelled.
Owen wrapped his arms around Teddy and they fell asleep.