Tuesday afternoon Annie walked into her patient's room, she wanted to introduce herself before afternoon rounds.
"Hello Mrs. Chandler, I'm Dr. Grace Altman, the resident on your case," Annie introduced herself.
"Altman," Mrs. Chandler replied, "do you know Teddy Altman?"
"My mother," Annie smiled.
"Her and I played soccer together in college," Mrs. Chandler replied, "how is she?"
"Mama's here and doing well she'll come say hi later when she finishes her staff meeting," Annie replied.
"Your her baby," Mrs. Chandler smiled, "her little one. I haven't seen Teddy in almost 30 years but when I need a heart surgeon and found out she was one here I had to come."
"28 years," Annie smiled, "almost 29."
"Are you that old," Mrs Chandler asked.
"She is," Teddy said stepping into the room, "Colleen, it's been years."
"Teddy," Mrs. Chandler smiled reaching her arms out.
"I usually don't hug patients but I'll make an exception today," Teddy smiled, hugging her old friend.
"This is really your baby," Coleen asked.
"She's my oldest," Teddy smiled, "I have two younger children."
"How did you do it," Coleen asked, "kids, medical school, surgeon, I heard you were in Iraq for a while."
"Grace lived with family in BC until she went to medical school," Teddy said, "you knew me then."
"I did," Colleen said, "so you're married?"
"Owen," Teddy smiled, "three years ago. I'll bring him by later."
"And your other kids," Colleen asked.
"Allison is almost 3 and Leo is 4 in February," Teddy said, "we adopted Leo almost two years ago. There's 25 years between my girls. What about your family?"
"Do you remember Sarah Johnson," Colleen asked.
"I do," Teddy smiled.
"We've been together since about a year after graduation, " Colleen said, "she's just gone to find a coffee."
"Do you have kids," Teddy asked.
"We fostered for years but we don't have any right now," Colleen replied.
"That would be hard, we fostered Leo for a while before it was official," Teddy said, "I dreaded losing him."
"It's hard to say good bye," Colleen said, "but they are always welcome to come visit auntie Colleen and auntie Sarah. We mainly take teenage girls so they do come back to visit and they call or text."
"Ms Chandler," Annie interrupted, "I need to draw some labs and take you for a few tests."
"What do you need to do," Colleen asked.
"Blood work, EKG, Angio, chest X-rays and a CT," Annie replied.
"Colleen if you're comfortable with it I would like my daughter to take point and be your lead surgeon under my supervision," Teddy said, "she's a fourth year resident in cardiothoracic surgery and is ready for this."
"The only way you learn is to do it," Colleen agreed.
A short woman with mousy brown hair appeared in the door, "Theodora Altman?"
"Sarah," Teddy smiled, "it's been almost 30 years."
"It has the last time I saw you would have been graduation," Sarah said, "you were."
Teddy cut her off, 'pregnant with Grace. This is my oldest daughter Grace. She's 28 now and my resident."
"Has it been that long," Sarah asked.
"It has," Teddy replied, "I ran away."
"I've heard lots of stories," Annie said.
"Grace let me get a good look at you," Sarah said, "stand with your mom."
Annie looked to Teddy who nodded.
"You do look alike," Sarah said, "she's all you Teddy."
"Just shorter," Teddy said.
"Ms Chapman I hate to interrupt the reunion but I would like to do the tests soon," Annie replied, "we'll be back at 4 for afternoon rounds and I need some of the information before then."
"Are you doing it yourself Dr Altman or getting interns," Teddy asked.
"I was going to draw the labs myself," Annie said, "but they'll help in radiology. I'll do the stress test myself."
"Stress test," Colleen asked.
"You're going to walk on a treadmill and it will get faster," Annie explained.
"I'm usually a runner," Colleen said, "I can do that."
"I want to supervise," Teddy replied, "I haven't seen you do one in a while. Page me when your ready."
"Yes chief," Annie replied.
"Go get your interns and book the machines and come back," Teddy said.
"On it," Annie replied as she left the room.
"Why did she call you chief," Colleen asked.
"I'm the chief of surgery all surgeons and most of the doctors and nurses report to me," Teddy explained, "I also call her her legal name Grace or Dr Altman at work to help us have some separation between work and home."
"Does she still live with you," Sarah asked.
"No," Teddy replied, "her and her husband rent a house my husband and I own. It works for us. Living and working together is too much."
"Are you two close," Colleen asked, "I remember you gave her up."
"I did," Teddy replied, "she found me about 10 years ago. We're very close now. She has limited contact with her other family, for a lot of reasons. If you hear me talk about Annie that's her. We use her childhood nickname at home and when there's not patients around or at home she calls me mama. All three of my kids do."
Teddy's pager went off.
"I'd love to stay and caught up but they need me in the OR," Teddy said, "I'll see you this afternoon for rounds for sure."
Teddy ran to OR 6 and saw the patient coding on the table.
"Teddy I need you," Owen said, "multiple crush injuries. He was run over by a semi truck."
"Someone crack the chest so I can get in there while I scrub," Teddy commanded, "page Grace Altman."
"Annie," Owen asked.
"She's on my service right now," Teddy smiled, "but my new paitent and I played soccer together in college. Only Colleen and her wife knew about Annie."
"How did that go," Owen asked when Teddy go the heart stabilized.
"Good," Teddy replied, "Sarah and Colleen were always open minded. And Annie is so likeable with paitents."
"She's not up in peds," Owen asked.
"She needs six weeks of adult cardio," Teddy replied.
"No Mary Poppins for Christmas," Owen chuckled.
"She does that on the adult floors as well," Teddy laughed, "but we're all off tonight and Annie and Josh are having all three younger kids over."
"What are they doing," Owen asked.
"They're all sleeping over," Teddy replied, "we're going on a double date with Meg and Nathan. I think the kids are making gingerbread houses and watching Christmas specials."
"Josh doesn't like them so Annie has all the young ones over to make Josh watch them," Owen said.
"Something like that," Teddy agreed.
Annie looked at her phone it was odd Faroke didn't usually text her.
Faroke, "can I skip cousin night tonight?"
Annie, "why?"
Faroke, "I want to have Kira over but mama said I have to ask you."
Annie, "bring her. It's gingerbread houses, Christmas movies and pizza. I have three kits so you and Kira, then josh or I will work with Ali and Leo. Cousin night is a good intro."
Faroke, "will her parents be okay with it?"
Annie, "I don't know. But they can call me. It's not like Josh and I are college kids. Just don't say we're both you cousins pick one of us."
Faroke, "why?"
Annie, "because people get the wrong idea. I'd go with me because of Leo and Allison."
Faroke, "Kira knows about it. Mom wants to know if she should send anything?"
Annie, "I have gingerbread house essentials if you want something special go for it. I have sparkling water but not pop."
Faroke, "pop? Do you mean soda?"
Annie, "I'm Canadian we call it pop."
Faroke, "I'll tell her."
Annie, "let me know about Kira. See you later."
Annie put her phone back in her pocket and continued about her day. As she was heading to change her phone rang with another unfamiliar BC number.
Annie answered, "hello Dr Grace Altman speaking."
A woman's voice answered, "I think I have the wrong number I'm looking for Annie McKellar."
"Cassie," Annie asked suddenly recognizing the voice.
"Annie is that you," Cassie asked.
"It is. How are you," Annie asked, "how's Hannah?"
"We're good," Cassie replied, "how are you? Is this a good time?"
"I'm Just leaving work," Annie said, "I'm good."
"Where are you working," Cassie asked.
"Grey Sloan memorial hospital in Seattle," Annie replied, "you?"
"BC children's. Speech therapy and AAC," Cassie answered, "Alice said your a surgeon."
"Peds Cardio resident," Annie said, "year and a half left of residency."
"I also heard you're married how do you manage that as a resident," Cassie asked.
"Josh is a trauma surgeon. We've been together 7 years," Annie said.
"So you went to Harvard were there all of six weeks dumped Kevin and started dating josh," Cassie asked, "what happened with Kevin?"
"Stage ten clinger who wanted me to come back to BC. He didn't like me at Harvard," Annie admitted, "distance, time zones and work load were a lot."
"He quit dance after that," Cassie said.
"I haven't danced not seriously since UBC," Annie said.
"Your Instagram there's you and a redhead in kilts recently," Cassie said.
"Auntie Meghan. She was a champion. It was just a hospital fundraiser my birth mom is Cheif of surgery so mama made us dance," Annie replied.
Teddy was walking out behind Annie and heard the term birth mom and realized this was someone from before med school.
"Alice said you've gotten really close to Teddy," Cassie said.
"It was just mama and I from the time I was 21. Then not sure if you remember her friend Owen the redhead man who used to come visit with her," Annie said.
"You called him your uncle," Cassie teplied.
"Still call him uncle Owen but he's my stepdad," Annie replied, "they got married when I was 25."
"I saw your wedding pictures but didn't see Jessica or your parents," Cassie said.
"They chose not to come. They haven't met Josh yet. I haven't seen mom and dad since I was 21," Annie said.
"Why did you disappear and don't give me any Annie avoiding the issue nonsense," Cassie demanded.
"Jessica tried to kill me," Annie stated, "threee times. The most recent was a month ago. She showed up at work and threatened me. I have a restraining order."
"She tried to kill you," Cassie said, "that's why you left."
"It is and I'm. It coming back. Josh and I are going to Alice's wedding but that's it."
"Where will you stay," Cassie asked.
"Hotel," Annie replied, "we're not even telling Dan and Leslie we'll be there."
"It looks like you spend lots of time with Teddy's family what about Josh's family," Cassie asked.
Annie laughed, "this is where you may want to draw a family tree. Mama is married to Uncle Owen. Uncle Owen has a sister auntie Meghan that's the other dancer. Josh's uncle Nathan is married to auntie Meg. Josh's dad and uncle Nathan are brothers. We see Josh's dad a couple times a year he's in Portland."
"So the relationship between you and Josh," Cassie asked.
"My mama and his uncle Nathan served together in Iraq," Annie said, "but enough of my crazy life what are you doing other than work?"
"Just hanging out with Hannah," Cassie replied.
"Boyfriend, husband," Annie asked.
"Totally single," Cassie replied.
"No one," Annie asked.
"It's hard to date as a single mom with a 6 year old," Cassie replied.
Annie replied, "mama said that a few years ago. She was in her 40s with a med student for a daughter guys she dated didn't like it. Are you coming down for New Years?"
"I wanted to but things aren't working with the guy I was seeing," Cassie said, "he doesn't understand Hannah comes first."
"Hannah has to come first," Annie agreed, "Cas I'm just getting to my car and I can't talk and drive can I call you soon?"
"Don't let 7 years pass again," Cassie said.
"I won't talk to you soon Cas," Annie replied.
"Bye Annie," Cassie replied.
Teddy came up beside Annie, "who was that?"
"Cassie. You met her she was my roommate at UBC," Annie replied.
Teddy asked, "how was that?"
Annie smiled, "good. But I should get home and get organized. Faroke is bringing a girl to cousin night."
Teddy yelled, "what?"
Annie replied, "Meghan confirmed. Kira is in Faroke's math class. He wanted to skip cousin night so she could come over but no parent is going to let their 13 year old daughter hang out with a boy home alone and no one misses my cousin nights."
"Really they can't skip," Teddy asked.
"Cousin night to build gingerbread houses is not optional," Annie replied, "it's the one all year everyone must attend."
"The girl's parents are okay with this," Teddy asked.
"Meghan dealt with it," Annie replied, "so our new patient how well did you know her?"
"Colleen was my roommate. My first year of college then she lived across the hall in the same apartment building," Teddy said, "we were really close."
"She knew about me," Annie said.
"She did," Teddy replied, "I told her right after I told my mom. She was the only one who knew about Steven."
"She knew everything," Annie asked.
"She did," Teddy replied, "she heard it then when he would storm out would come make sure I was okay. She knew I gave you to Leslie and Dan."
"Is she okay with me as her resident," Annie asked.
"She's happy to have you," Teddy asked, "I asked. We caught up while you were doing your pacemaker."
"I ordered all her tests. Mama what I've gotten back so far it's not looking good," Annie said, "how do I call a transplant panel?"
"Get all your data and run it by me or Nathan," Teddy said.
"I will," Annie said, "but my gut tells me it is and I just need to confirm."
"Get your data," Teddy said.
"I will," Annie replied, "I wanted to give you the heads up. You seem to really like her."
"I did," Teddy replied, 'they were good friends. My Alice and Cassie."
"Should I be working with her then," Annie asked.
"You're fine to do it but you should probably talk to Nathan. I'm going to pass the case to him. I thought I could do it but it's too emotional for me," Teddy said, "you're sure you're fine with the kids tonight."
"I want to do this," Annie smiled, "it was one of my favourites growing up. Cookie day and your stories made me think of it. There's some traditions I want to hold onto this is one of them."
"Have fun tonight," Teddy said, "Owen is going to drop them off so I have time to get ready."
"Littles are sleeping over. Meg is going to pick up Faroke and Kira," Annie replied.
"They are," Teddy said, "they like sleepovers at your house."
"We make it fun," Annie said, "I love having them."
"We appreciate it," Teddy said.