Teddy was sitting at her desk on a dull March day when she got a phone call that intrigued her.
"Major Altman, this is colonel Rogers," the voice spoke. Teddy recognized the name she had reported to him in Germany.
"It's great to hear from you sir, what can I do for you," Teddy asked.
"Major I have a humanitarian mission that I'm hoping you could join us on and bring a few of your staff," colonel Rogers said.
"What is the mission sir," Teddy asked, she was intrigued.
"The current situation in Haiti is unstable coupled with some recent storms there is a significant need for surgeons. I'm needing to pull any one who is not currently on active duty. My records show that Major Owen Hunt and Lieutenant Meghan Hunt both work for you," colonel Rogers continued, "I need you to put together a team of military and civilian doctors and come down to help for two to three weeks."
"I can put together a team sir but it will be Major Hunt or myself going, we have two small children that need a parent home," Teddy replied, "since neither of us are active duty we do not currently have a plan to care for Allison and Leo."
"You have an older daughter Major Altman, send your younger two where she was while you were deployed," colonel Rogers demanded.
"That will not be possible. I no longer have any communication with Mr and Mrs McKellar and its come to my attention in the last few years that it was not the ideal environment for my eldest. If you need both major Hunt and myself I can speak to Evelyn Hunt, his mother, as I would like to bring my older daughter as part of the team. She's a fourth year surgical resident and it's time Grace has some field experience. She would be traveling with us along with her husband Dr. Joshua Riggs, " Teddy explained.
"Can you have a team ready in 5 days," the colonel asked.
"I can do my best sir," Teddy replied, "how many surgeons? Attendings and Fellows only or can I send my fourth year residents?"
"Capable residents will be fine," the colonel replied, "I trust your judgement on your staff Major Altman but I will see you and Major Hunt and his sister."
"Yes sir," Teddy replied, "I will speak to my attendings at our meeting in an hour and let you know. Before I can commit to both Major Hunt and myself I need to secure appropriate care for our three and four year old."
"You left about three and a half years ago, how do you have children that age," colonel Rogers asked.
"I was pregnant when I left sir," Teddy replied, "Major Hunt and I got married not long after I left. Our daughter Allison turned three in January and we adopted Leo 2 years ago after he was abandoned at Grey Sloan. I stepped down because it was time for me to go home to Seattle and my family. My daughters needed me to be home and be their mother, my husband needed me in Seattle not Germany. I couldn't do what I did to Grace to Allison with me being gone so much. It took years to rebuild my bond with Grace after my years away. When I was in Germany a few years ago it was easier for Grace because she was in Medical school. I wasn't in a combat zone and technology allowed her and I to facetime daily and text constantly."
"You and Hunt were always close," colonel Rogers remarked, he had worked with them in Iraq and was among the many that suspected something more than friendship. It didn't totally surprise him that they were married and had children.
"I will speak to my attendings and family and let you know sir," Teddy replied, "what do I need to know for transportation and supplies?"
"Bring some basic supplies personal kits but most will be provided we will have all OR supplies and equipment. You will need to provide appropriate attire for your civilian staff. We will provide transportation from the base just outside of Seattle, " colonel Rogers replied, "it is a joint operation with the Canadians."
"Out of curiosity can you pull the names of the Canadians sir," Teddy asked.
"Is there a specific name you want me to look up," colonel Rogers asked.
"Sarget Christopher McKellar," Teddy replied, "him and my older daughter are half siblings. Grace, my oldest, lived with Sargent McKellar's parents while I was away."
Teddy heard typing on the other end. She knew she hadn't told the whole story but it was good enough to explain the connection of why she wanted to know about Chris and truthfully Annie had lived with his parents at that time and Chris and her called themselves half siblings even though there was no blood relationship and Annie had chosen to use Altman. Annie and Chris had agreed to half siblings to describe it years ago.
"He is a medevac helicopter pilot with the Canadian group," colonel Rogers replied, "I can have him assigned to the non military part of your group."
"Please put in the request sir. Chris and Grace will want to see each other and work together," Teddy replied.
"Are they close," the colonel asked.
"Very," Teddy replied, "he spent Christmas with us. He's close to our whole family, Hunt and I are Uncle Owen and Auntie Teddy to Sargent McKellar. My daughter still uses uncle Owen for her stepfather."
"I will get him assigned to your group as much as possible Major," the colonel said.
"Thank you sir," Teddy replied, "I need to prepare this information for my staff meeting to present to my department heads. I will call you back in a few hours when I know how we can help you."
"Thank you major. I'll be expecting your call," the colonel said.
"I will speak to you later sir," Teddy replied.
The line went dead, she knew the man he just hung up when he was done with the conversation. She paged Owen to her office.
"You paged," Owen asked walking in, "why do you look excited."
"I just got off the phone with colonel Rogers," Teddy replied pausing to give Owen a second to make the connection, "he wants both of us and Meg to prepare a team to go help for 2 to 3 weeks with the Crisis in Haiti, residents and attendings."
"You want to do it," Owen asked, he looked at her face and he knew Teddy was excited by the project, "when?"
"Leaving Saturday," Teddy replied, "I know it's a tight turn around but I'm going to present it in the meeting today and we'll take as many attendings and residents as we can. One of us can go, they want both but I don't know how we can do it with the kids. We can't both go Owen, that would be the world's worst parents right there."
"We can take the oldest with us," Owen said, "she's ready for field work and you said Meghan so Nathan could stay back and look after the little two."
"He'll go with her," Teddy said, "he won't stay back if she's out there. Which one of us stays home with the kids?"
"My mom," Owen said, "it's two weeks, three tops. They'll be okay."
"I don't feel right doing that leaving them behind," Teddy replied, "but part of me feels like we don't have much choice. He's going to call you."
"I'll call my mom," Owen replied, "or we ask Annie to do it."
"She's been talking about wanting in on the next humanitarian project," Teddy replied, "it's a rough situation but we'll be there and she should have field experience. They're working with Canadians and I already asked him to pull the names and Chris is down there."
"Give her a choice," Owen replied, "her and Josh will decide as a couple."
"Are we going to do it," Teddy asked.
"I don't know," Owen said, "I want to and if the kids were a bit older I would but I worry about Leo."
"Are we the world's worst parents for considering this," Teddy asked.
"No Teddy," Owen said, "we would be bad parents if we didn't worry about the kids."
"I don't want to leave them," Teddy said.
"I'm hearing a but in there Teds," Owen said.
"I want to go," Teddy said, "get out of my office in the field at least for a couple weeks."
"What if we went for 14 days," Owen asked, "parents go away for two weeks, it's not insane. I don't like the idea of leaving them anymore then you do."
"How do we explain it to the kids," Teddy asked.
"Mama and Daddy are going to go help people," Owen said, "we're not going to hawaii or europe. It's not a vacation."
"I can't," Teddy said, "you go and lead our team. I'll stay with the kids."
"Who did they ask for first," Owen asked.
"Me," Teddy admitted.
"Buy us some time to figure it out," Owen replied, "if they asked for you maybe you go and I'll stay with the kids. If you're sending Annie into the field maybe you need to go."
"We don't know if she wants to go," Teddy said, "I only just got off the phone when I paged you. And who would cover my job? If Meghan goes and I go we have no chief here."
"Could Bailey step in for two weeks," Owen asked.
"I've only talked to you," Teddy said.
"Staff meeting see if anyone is interested," Owen said, "then we can always use senior residents. Anything above third year would be okay."
"Let's talk to your mom first before we make plans," Teddy said, "I don't have a good feeling about leaving the kids."
"Teddy breath," Owen said, "it's not a war zone it's a humanitarian mission. Very safe. We can do this for a few days. Then we have Disneyland when we get back."
"I'm looking forward to that," Teddy agreed, "all ten of us."
"We won't see Annie, Josh or Faroke," Owen laughed.
"The adrenaline junkies will be all about the rides," Teddy agreed.
They called Evelyn and explained the situation to her. She said she would happily do it if they could go to daycare on their usual days.
Teddy paged Annie and Josh up to her office.
"What did we do to page both of us," Annie asked.
"I don't know," Josh replied.
Annie walked in seeing the door was open and Teddy sitting with Owen on the couch.
"Close the door please," Teddy asked.
"What's going on," Annie asked.
"We have a really amazing opportunity for a humanitarian project very last minute leaving Saturday. I got the call a little while ago. Military based going with us and Meghan to Haiti to go where we're needed. I think it would be a good time for you to do your humanitarian project you've been talking about," Teddy said.
"Chris is down there," Annie said, "I'd like to know more."
Teddy explained what she knew.
"I want to go," Josh said when she finished.
"I'm in," Annie said, "they know we're just volunteering right? I have zero and I mean less than zero interest in joining the army. I think my dual citizenship Would complicate things. That's all you. I go as a volunteer. I'm not a soldier."
"Civilian doctors," Teddy agreed, "but will have to follow military rules. You're just going to use your American passport. Both of you."
"You two to discuss it while we have an attendings meeting," Teddy said, "think it through. I need to know by 8 tonight. Residents are my invite only and on approval from their attending."
Annie and Josh walked out of Teddy's office.
"Do you really want to do it," Josh asked, "you not because Teddy thinks you should."
"I do," Annie replied, "I've been begging to be considered for the humanitarian programs for a couple years but first I didn't have enough experience then it wasn't a good time. It's only two weeks."
"Are you sure? Have you done anything like this before," Josh asked.
"The closest I've gotten is helping to build a clinic in Guatemala with my youth group on a missions trip," Annie said, "but that was all construction or feeding people. Now we can actually do medicine. What do you think?"
"I want to. Uncle Nathan's stories over the years I really want to," Josh said, "but is this another thing where we're in their shadows?"
'It could be but is this right for us," Annie asked.
"Do you want to," Josh asked.
"I think I do and it's only two weeks if we hate it it's not long," Annie replied, "plus we'll do things we can't learn here."
"Can you work with Teddy when she's in army mode," Josh asked.
"I used to go with her to the hospital in Germany and she let me scrub in with her," Annie replied, "think her in bossy cheif mode times about ten. It's uncle Owen I worry about."
"Crazed sea lion," Josh asked.
"I've heard stories crazed sea lion on steroids," Annie said, "do you want to do this?"
"I really want to but I don't want to with out you," Josh said.
"I think we do it," Annie said, "what have we got to loose?"
"Two weeks we hate it we come home," Josh said.
"Looks good on Cheif resident applications," Annie said.
"Your still applying," Josh said.
"It's a long shot but with this, the research I'm going with mama and Nathan plus my picture books were published I think I've proven my worth," Annie said, "not taking me is political."
"Your right. I'm applying but she won't give it to me. She's my mother in law the optics aren't great," Josh agreed.
"This trip to Haiti, what are we doing," Annie asked.
"Tell Teddy we're in," Josh said.
Annie texted Teddy that they were going.
Annie, "were in for Haiti."
Teddy, "I'll give you Friday off to prep. We leave Seattle at 4am saturday."
Annie, "we'll be ready."
Teddy, "this will be good back in the field and I get to show you off."
Annie ,"no showing me off. Brag about the littles I'm just one of your residents."
Teddy, "yes and no. with your name and this setting it's harder to blend."
Annie, "I'm going to try. Do you know if we can see Chris?"
Teddy, "i'm working on that. I'll have more details tomorrow. But my staff meeting is starting."
Annie, "talk to you later."
Annie turned to Josh, "we leave mama's driveway at 4am Saturday but have Friday off to prep. She'll tell us more tomorrow.
After the staff meeting in which the idea wasn't very enthusiastically received Teddy called colonel Rogers back.
"Hello," colonel Rogers answered
"Sir this is Major Altman," Teddy began.
"Major what does your team look like," colonel Rogers asked.
"Not as large as I hoped sir," Teddy admitted, "I have two of my three attending trauma surgeons major Hunt and Lieutenant Hunt. myself and one other cardio attending Dr. Nathan Riggs, one orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lincoln , one pediatric surgeon Dr. Karev, one general surgeon Dr. Webber, one neurosurgeon Dr. Williams, not the head of my department but a solid surgeon if a bit conservative. I am also waiting to hear confirmation on my residents but I can guarantee Dr. Grace Altman, Dr. Joshua Riggs and Corporal Duncan Jones. I am hopeful to have sevral more residents Dr. Rachel Wiens, Dr. Cassidy Liard, Dr. Jeremy Lee and Dr. Maxwell Paras."
"That is a good team on short notice Major," colonel Rogers replied.
"I will be briefing them on expectations tomorrow sir," Teddy replied, "can you send me the latest guidelines for civilian doctors?"
"I can," colonel Rogers replied, "do you need anything else major?"
"No sir," Teddy replied, "I will see you Saturday."
"I will be on site before you major," colonel Rogers replied.
"I will see you when we arrive sir," Teddy replied, "I'm looking forward to working with you again."
"I'm looking forward to seeing you as well Teddy," colonel Rogers replied, "and meeting that daughter you told me so much about last time we worked together."
"I hope Grace will impress you sir," Teddy replied, "she is attending as a civilian volunteer. She has not expressed any interest in enlisting. My daughter's focus is peds cardiothoracic surgery. Our peds staff call her Mary Poppins. She's a wonderful doctor but not a soldier."
"I don't pressure her," colonel Rogers promised, "you'll have to let me know which one she is."
"Thank you sir," Teddy replied, "our residents all wear light blue scrubs so I would like to keep them in those to see them easily. Grace is the shortest of my group going. She's just under 5'3" blonde, usually has her hair in a bun or french braids at work. The resident that will be calling me mama and Owen Hunt Uncle Owen. she responds to mini Altman."
"I'll keep my eye out," colonel Rogers replied, "have a good night."
The line went dead again. They had a lot of work to do in four days but they could be ready. This was what Teddy was best at, organizing teams to move now and get things done under pressure.
Owen walked into her office.
"Major Hunt," Teddy said, "we leave at 4 am Saturday. Our team will be ready. We have a lot of training to do."
"I'll get the residents trained, you do the attendings," Owen replied.
"Works for me," Teddy said, "now to tell the kids, that's the hard part."
"Tonight," Owen said.
"They know we were both soldiers for a long time and had to go where they need us to help people," Teddy said.
"It's only two weeks," Owen said, "and my mom is staying with them."
"Now everyone will know GI Jane is really Attachment Barbie," Teddy groaned, "and that I went soft."
"Still a bad ass Teddy," Owen said, "you've never lost that. You just don't need it as much here."
"Let's do this," Teddy said, "it's two weeks to do it and probably realize we've gotten old."
"Not old," Owen said, "mature. We'll still kick everyone's asses."
"We will," Teddy agreed, "I wonder if we'll know anyone?"
"You're more likely to than me, it's been 10 years," Owen said.
"Do our uniforms fit," Teddy asked.
"Yours will I need to check," Owen said.
"I've had a baby since the last time I wore it," Teddy replied, "yours will be fine."
"We can always take scrubs," Owen said.
"We can," Teddy replied, "alternate."
"Do what we can," Owen agreed.
"Let's go home," Teddy said.
They grabbed their bags from their offices and walked to the car hand in hand.