Wednesday morning an irate man stormed into the hospital demanding to see Dr Altman.
"I need to see dr fucking Altman right now about my son," Steven yelled.
"Sir we have two dr Altman's on staff our Chief of cardiothoracic surgery and a third year resident which one would you like to speak to," the nurse at the nurses station replied.
"Whichever one operated on my son last week," Steven shouted.
"What's your son's name," the nurse asked.
"Luke Thompson," Steven replied.
"Dr Grace Altman," the nurse replied, "she's a third year resident excellent doctor. Your son is in peds she can meet you there when she's out of surgery."
"Do you still have a Teddy Altman working here," Steven demanded.
"We do," the nurse confirmed, "she's the head of cardiothoracic surgery would you like me to page her."
"This Grace Altman are they related," Steven asked.
"Mother and daughter, they are an amazing team and look a lot alike," the nurse replied, "would you like me to tell both you're here?"
"I never want to see Teddy Altman again. That woman destroyed my life," Steven screamed.
Owen was walking past the nurses station and saw the man.
"Can I help you sir," Owen asked.
"You tell who ever is incharge around her to keep Teddy fucking Altman and her fucking daughter away from my son," Steven yelled.
"Do not talk about my wife and step daughter that way," Owen commanded.
"Who the hell do you think you are," Steven demanded.
"Dr Owen Hunt the Chief of trauma surgery," Owen replied, "who are you?"
"Steven Thompson," Steven replied, "not that it's any of your fucking business."
"You were talking about my family, it is my business," Owen said, "what are you doing here mr Thompson?"
"My son has something done on his heart on Friday," Steven said, "my ex wanted me to come talk to a dr Altman and dr Riggs."
"I will page Dr Riggs for you," Owen replied.
"I want to see if dr Altman is who I think she is," Steven said.
"Who do you think she is," Owen asked, "which one?"
"I know Teddy got herself knocked up at 20 and tried to pass it off as mine," Steven said, "I want to see the kid."
"You will not be seeing either dr Altman today," Owen decided, "they are both in surgery together and it is scheduled to be an 18 hour procedure. They won't be done until after midnight."
Owen knew that Teddy was doing a total heart reconstruction with her fellow and that Annie was scrubbed in as the resident. Teddy had a plan for this one, it was a case similar to Ian Riggs and if it went according to plan Teddy was going to publish it this would be her third one since she came back to Grey Sloan and the results on the first two had been excellent.
Owen wondered if this man who was yelling and swearing about Teddy was Annie's father. He thought he had seen the man years before but wasn't sure. Teddy had also told him that Annie's biological father had never acknowledged her pregnancy and that he denied that Annie could be his. Owen knew this man's denial of Annie's existence and subsequent abandonment of Teddy was one of the most painful traumatic things Teddy had endured. This man was the reason Teddy had hesitated to tell him she was pregnant with Allison. This man, Steven, had caused Teddy pain, that she still refused to talk about. She would talk about the loss of her parents, putting Annie up for adoption, 9/11, battlefields, but what happened with Steven that was off limits, Teddy would not talk about the man who left her and led to her giving her baby up to the little girl she loved deeply and had wanted to keep. Hearing how this man spoke about Teddy he had more questions but most of all he wanted to hold and protect Teddy. Owen had to protect Teddy and Annie from this man.
Nathan walked in, "Owen what did you need?"
"Your patient on Friday," Owen said, "little boy by the name of Luke his father is over there and needs to talk to you. Keep him far away from Teddy and Annie."
"Annie thought the boy might be her half brother," Nathan whispered.
"What he said about Teddy she could easily be right," Owen said, "I don't know the whole story Teddy doesn't talk about it but keep him away from them and Annie has to come off the case now that we suspect."
"I'll tell Annie when they're out of surgery," Nathan said, "her and Teddy are doing something similar to what they did on Ian."
"I'll talk to them," Owen said, "Teddy was really hurt by him. It has to come from me. I have to protect her."
"Should we tell Josh," Nathan asked.
"Annie has never met her sperm donor," Owen said, "Teddy hates the term but that all the man is to Annie. It's going to take the three of us and Meghan to protect them."
"I'll deal with the dad you get Josh," Nathan said.
"I'll go find Josh. He should be in the pit," Owen said.
Nathan approached the father, "Mr. Thompson, I'm Dr. Nathan Riggs the attending cardiothoracic surgeon on your son's case."
"Did you do the surgery," Steven asked.
"My resident Dr. Grace Altman did," Nathan replied, "I supervised."
"No Altman's are to touch my son," Steven said, "I knew Teddy when she was in college, she wasn't the type of person who should be a surgeon."
"I've known Teddy for nearly 20 years," Nathan said, "we served together in Iraq and she's the chief of my department. If that was one of my family members on the table she is exactly who I would want to do it. Her daughter is going to be as brilliant of a surgeon. I have never seen a resident with so much promise."
"You know she gave the kid up," Steven said, "then the girl got sick and came crawling back and Teddy had the nerve to call me to ask for my family medical history. I'm just here to tell her she can't have it."
"I know the whole story," Nathan said, " I know both of them well. They are both family. But we are not here to discuss them we are here for your son. Would you like to see him?"
"No," Steven replied, "I want to talk to his fucking mother to tell her to stop calling me that I don't want to be part of the boys life and she'll never get a fucking cent from me."
"Sir I'm going to ask you to calm down," Nathan replied, "I will get Ms. Miller for you when you are calm. If you are not prepared to be calm and civil I will have security escort you from the hospital."
"You can't do that," Steven shouted, "it's a public place."
"Actually this is a privately run hospital," Nathan replied, "I will be calling security if you continue to harass or insult any of our staff."
"You can't do that," Steven yelled.
"I am," Nathan replied, "before you go we would appreciate a full medical history of your family so that we can narrow down our course of action for your son."
"There's nothing that would affect him," Steven said, "because I seriously doubt he's even mine."
"We would be happy to run a paternity test if it would make you more comfortable," Nathan offered.
"I don't care," Steven said, "I won't be giving anyone any information."
"Then why did you come," Nathan asked.
"To tell Rebecca and Teddy that they can point the finger at me all they want but they will never get anything from me," Steven said.
"Luke is a minor," Nathan said, "Rebecca has the right to the information and the boy has a right to your support."
"Then she'll have to sue me," Steven said, "I came here to tell her that."
"As your son's surgeon I encourage you to cooperate with us," Nathan said, "all we need is your medical history to help Luke."
"Either you get out of my face and get Rebecca down here," Steven yelled, "or I'm leaving."
"I will let Ms. Miller know you are here," Nathan said.
"I'll wait," Steven said.
Nathan walked towards the elevator that would take him to the peds floor.
Meanwhile in OR 3 Teddy was giving the instructions to begin the surgery.
"Annie can open," Teddy said, "right down to the heart please."
"Who's Annie," the fellow asked.
"I am," Annie replied, "Annie is my nickname at home. I'm Grace Altman."
"Sorry we forgot that you only joined us last week," Teddy said, "Grace is my daughter. Annie is her childhood nickname and most of today's team knows I use Annie for her. You'll also hear her called mini Altman."
"Mama we're not encouraging that," Annie said rolling her eyes.
"Mama," the fellow asked.
"Or mama Altman," Annie said, "most of the third years use it."
"We need music and to get going," Teddy said, "any requests?"
"No Duran Duran," Annie said.
"I'm good with anything," the fellow said.
"Dr. Toews you can request songs or artists," Teddy said, "we both love music and listen to anything except rap."
"Thomas Rhett or old school Garth Brooks," Dr. Toews suggested.
"I'm in," Annie replied, "mama?"
"Don't you have some in our playlist," Teddy asked.
"I do," Annie smiled.
"Bokhee can you put my playlist on," Teddy asked.
The music started.
"Okay let's do this," Teddy called.
Annie held out her hand, "10 blade please."
Annie opened and cracked the chest.
"That's getting better," Teddy said, "you're more efficient and it's smoother."
"Thank you mama," Annie said.
Dr. Towes rolled his eyes, he was just getting to know the cardio attendings and residents. This was unusual to see a mother daughter team working and in such a high pressure specialty but from the chatter in the scrub room he realized they were very close. They had been talking about the younger Dr. Altman's wedding.
"Dr. Towes," Teddy directed, "you are going to watch while I remove the heart from the body I'm going to do my repair exvivo, Annie will help me. You need to do the internal repairs. There is sever damage to the aorta and coronary artery."
"Yes mam," Dr. Towes replied.
"Dr. Altman works here," Teddy said, "I haven't worked with the army in years."
"You were in the army," Dr. Towes asked.
"From 2002 to 2009 then 2012-2015," Teddy said.
"Where did you serve mam," Dr. Towes asked, "my brother is a combat surgeon in Landshtul."
"I was in Landshult from 2012-2015," Teddy said, "Iraq before that. What is your brother's name."
"Maxwell Towes," Dr. Towes replied.
"He came to us as a resident. I remember him," Teddy said, "tell him I say hello. He would know me as Major Altman."
"You're major Altman," Dr. Towes said, "he spoke very highly of you and was upset when you disappeared a few years ago."
"I left about three years ago," Teddy said, "my family needed me home. "
"Do you have other children," Dr. Towes asked, he realized that if her daughter was old enough to be a third year resident, either Dr. Altman was older than she looked or she had her daughter very young.
"I do," Teddy said, "Grace is my eldest, she's 27. Leo is three and Allison is two."
"That's quite the age gap," Dr. Towes said.
"Leo is adopted," Teddy said, " and Allison is what caused me to resign from my position with MedCom."
"Is she alright," Dr. Towes asked.
"She's the easiest of my three," Teddy smiled behind her mask ," my husband and I decided it was time for me to come home when we found out I was pregnant with Allison."
"Husband," Dr. Towes asked.
"Dr. Owen Hunt, we met in Iraq," Teddy explained, "before you ask Annie grew up with family in British Columbia we were in touch as much as we could be."
"You seem very close," Dr. Towes said.
"We are," Annie said, "mama what am I doing next?"
"Helping me with the repair, do what I tell you," Teddy said, "you're going to have to mirror my movements."
"I can do that," Annie said.
"Dr. Towes are you ready," Teddy asked.
"I am," Dr. Towes said, "this is a bit more complex than I've seen."
"Would you like me to page Hunt," Teddy asked, "he's done it before."
"I think so," Dr. Towes replied.
"Page Owen Hunt," Teddy called.
They tried to page Owen.
"He's in surgery," the nurse called.
"Meghan Hunt or Nathan Riggs," Teddy demanded, " tell them to bring Josh Riggs up to learn this as well."
"I haven't operated with Josh in a while," Annie said.
"I know we don't usually have you two working together," Teddy lauighed.
"You can work with your husband so can Meghan why can't I work with my fiance," Annie asked.
"Bailey and Webber want to see you work with others," Teddy said.
"Cardio and trauma we should be working together," Annie replied.
"I know," Teddy smiled, "but you and Josh are attached at the hip outside of the OR."
Meghan entered the OR, "you need a trauma surgeon Teddy?
"I need to rebuild this heart and Annie is helping me," Teddy replied, "Dr. Towes needs a second set of hands to rebuild the chest cavity."
"Where are we getting the grafts," Meghan asked.
"We were planning on saphenous veins," Teddy replied, "but do what you need to. Meghan if this works out I'm going to publish. We're going to publish."
"I'll help," Meghan said, "and you should publish Teddy."
"I can proofread and edit," Annie said, "I have for Dr. Pierce."
"What will you call it," Meghan asked.
Teddy smiled behind her mask ," if it's cool with Annie I'm thinking an Altman procedure. Then her and I can refine it more as we do more."
"I like it," Annie said, "I'll help with all of the research behind it."
"I knew you would," Teddy said, "I've done a couple with Christina or Owen as my seconds but it's always been me as the lead surgeon. But it's my procedure."
"It is," Meghan agreed, "Teddy do it! You have to publish!"
"This is cooler than a heart in a box," Annie said.
"You remember that," Teddy asked.
"My first year of med school," Annie replied, "people were talking about it all over school. It was right as I was changing my name from McKellar to Altman."
"Did you tell people it was your mother," Dr. Towes asked.
"I did," Annie replied, "but nobody believed me. Except Josh and Steph."
"When you talk about Josh this is Josh Riggs the trauma resident," Dr. Towes confirmed.
"It is," Annie replied, "we've been together since med school and are getting married August 20th."
"Congratulations," Dr. Towes said, "I've worked with him a couple times. He's an excellent surgeon."
"They both are," Teddy said, "they work very hard."
Annie stayed focused on what she was doing, if she wanted to be the hard core cardio goddess here mama was she had to learn from her. Yes she prefered pediatric patients and if asked to choose would do peds first her ultimate goal was peds cardio.
Teddy watched her daughter as they worked. Annie's focus was intense. She was totally engrossed in the task. They worked quickly and quietly, the only sound in the OR was Teddy's playlist.
They worked for hours rebuilding the heart. Finally after midnight it was time to put the heart back in. Meghan had scrubbed out hours before, the repairs in the body cavity completed. Dr Towes watching, jealousy, thinking he should have been the one assisting the head of cardio with rebuilding the heart, not this third year resident.
"It's time to put the heart back and see if our work holds up," Teddy said.
"How will we know," Annie asked.
"Once we sew in all the grafts and take it off bypass it should beat on it's own," Teddy said.
"Dr. Towes can you show Annie how to sew in the grafts," Teddy asked, "she's ready."
"I am," Annie asked.
"You are," Teddy said, "it's just like a transplant from here."
"Yes mam," Dr. Towes replied, looking to Annie he asked, "do you like to be called Dr Altman, Grace or Annie?"
"Grace or Dr. Altman at work please," Annie replied, "Annie is only my family and closest friends."
"Okay," Dr. Towes replied, "watch me start the graft then you can finish them."
Teddy watched the fellow teach. This was a test, how well the new fellow taught her daughter, how he worked with residents who were ready to be pushed particularly Annie would tell her how well he would do in her department for the next two years. Teddy was a stickler for good teaching, getting residents' hands on early, pushing them when they were ready and creating a space for them to ask questions and try new things. So far he was passing, Dr. Towes was giving Annie just as much as she could do, stretching her without pushing too hard and Annie looked relaxed.
"Okay," Teddy said, "it's time to take this woman off bypass."
"Can I do it," Annie asked.
"I think you're ready," Teddy said, "go for it."
Annie took the heart off bypass.
"I'll restart it," Teddy said, she loved this part seeing the heart come back to life, watching it beat in the chest cavity, seeing all of her hard work come together.
Teddy applied the paddles and the heat began to beat. Everything looked good, the woman would have a fight ahead of her but she would make it through the night. Teddy was hopeful when they scrubbed out.
"Good work in there both of you," Teddy praised, "let's go update the family."
Stepping out of the scrub room Bailey cornered them, "Dr. Altmans I need to speak to both of you."
"Bailey can this wait until we've slept," Teddy asked, "that was a 20 hour surgery."
"No it can not," Bailey snapped.
"Why do you need both of us," Teddy asked, "I'm chief of cardio if it affects my department you only need me."
"Grace was the resident on the case I need to speak to both of you about it," Bailey said, "we have a major ethics violation from Grace that you approved."
"What did she do," Teddy asked.
"She operated on a family member," Bailey snapped.
Reaching Bailey's office teddy replied, "she came to me after completing the surgery and let both Nathan and I know that with information that came out after the surgery she had reason to suspect that Luke Thompson could be her half brother."
"Why didn't she know," Bailey snapped.
"Because Steven Thompson the boy's father left me when I was 9 weeks pregnant with her," Teddy said, "she has never met him. I have seen him once in the last 28 years and he verbally abused me in this hospital when Annie was 19."
"You're telling me she's never met her biological father," Bailey looked shocked.
"He had no interest in being a father," Teddy said, "he left. He never believed that she was his; he has always denied it."
"We need to confirm and remove Grace from the case," Bailey said.
"I understand Dr. Bailey," Annie replied, "how do we confirm?"
"DNA testing," Bailey replied, "Nathan convinced him to do a paternity test for the boy. We can run Grace's against the boys."
"I don't want to do a test," Annie replied, "I don't want to know. I would rather not know."
"I respect that," Bailey said, "it's your choice."
"I believe mama when she says that he is my father," Annie replied.
"We can't force you," Bailey said, "but it's up to you if you want to know. Don't do it for your patient. You're off the case either way. Do it for yourself."
Annie looked to Teddy, "it's your call sweetheart. It's always your call. I've told you almost everything and you and I can discuss that when we're alone. Don't do it for me, or Luke or Bailey do it if you want to."
"Can you tell me the part of the story I'm missing before I decide," Annie asked.
"I think that might be a good idea," Teddy agreed, "Miranda can we have the room?"
"In a moment," Bailey replied, "can you answer two questions first. Grace did you have any idea that you could be related to Luke?"
"Not at all, Thompson is a common last name," Annie replied, "I had only met his mother and knew that his father wasn't involved in his life."
"When you first became suspicious what did you do," Bailey asked.
"I told my attending immediately and then the chief of my department as soon as I saw her," Annie replied, "I told both my suspicions as soon as I could."
"If this ever comes up again you also need to inform me," Bailey said.
"I'm sorry Dr. Bailey," Annie replied, "if something like this comes up again I will make sure to tell you."
"You didn't know," Bailey said, "I believe that you didn't know. You're off the case and I'm going to say this was an honest mistake."
"Thank you Dr. Bailey," Annie said.
"I'll leave you two to your talk," Bailey said.
"Thank you," Teddy replied.