Annie finished her valve replacement and watched as her intern closed. Scrubbing out she walked to Teddy's office, she needed a few minutes to talk with her mama. At 36 weeks pregnant Annie was starting to get tired, but she knew that she and her mother would be operating on several HLH babies in the next three weeks as part of a program started years before by Christina Yang. Standing at the door Annie saw an Asian woman with wild curly hair. Annie knew it had to be Christina. She knocked on the door.
"Here she is," Teddy said, opening the door, "how did your valve go?"
"Routine bovine valve replacement, I was awesome," Annie replied, "Pierce supervised, she read her book the whole time. And they gave me the only intern who likes cardio with some practice, he could be good."
"Dr Yang you remember my oldest daughter Dr Grace Altman," Teddy said, "she would have gone by Annabeth McKellar when you were here."
Christina looked up from her phone, "thing one?"
"Hi Christina," Annie replied.
"Thing one," Christina said, "you grew up and you're pregnant. Teddy whose ass do we need to kick?"
Annie smiled, "36 weeks. No one is kicking anyone's ass. I'm happily married. I'm good, my husband is great, my daughter is growing like a weed, she likes to dance on my organs at random times . It's great, I'm excited."
"There will be no ass kicking unless it's surgical," Teddy said.
Christina said, "another cardio goddess? Add to the family dynasty?"
"Whatever makes her happy," Annie replied.
"Come on you know that would be amazing your mother and grandmother cardio goddess and you follow in the footsteps," Christina said, "Teddy stays in the game long enough for you three to operate together."
"As amazing as that would be," Teddy laughed, "the monkey has to be happy."
"Monkey you don't have a name," Christina said.
"Only Josh and I know her name," Annie said, "last name is public information."
"So this is baby what," asked Christina.
Annie smiled, "Altman - Riggs. My husband is Josh Riggs. He's a trauma surgery resident."
"You are just like your mom," Christina laughed, "cardio goddess and the trauma cowboy."
"Nathan Riggs and Meghan Hunt are the opposite," Annie said, "he's cardio and she's trauma."
Teddy suggested, "let's have a seat. Christina, do you want to take the chair and I'll join Annie on the couch. "
"Works for me," Christina replied.
As she took a seat on the couch, Annie felt out of place, both of the more experienced surgeons were dressed for office work in expensive looking dresses and heels with perfect hair and makeup. Annie was still in her light blue scrubs, running shoes and lab coat with her hair French braided to keep it out of her way and snug under her scrub cap. Knowing it was just her mother and Christina, Annie put her feet up on the coffee table and leaned back against the couch. She took a couple deep breaths rubbing her stomach where the baby was moving.
Teddy asked, "does anyone want a bottle of water before I sit down."
Annie replied, "yes please."
Teddy brought three bottles to the coffee table and handed one to Annie.
"You okay sweetheart," Teddy asked.
Annie replied, "tired for a minute but I'm good. She's getting big."
Teddy smiled, "I know the feeling. You being tiny to start with doesn't help. You're all baby now. It's cute. A few more weeks."
"And a few big surgeries," Annie said, "I want to do the HLH stuff soon. "
Christina said, "I'll teach both of you but it's a good one for Annie to do especially the screening. I'm here for a month but am between you guys and B.C. Children's. You guys will work on it for 8-10 months then I'll come back and check in again."
"I want to cut," Annie said, "not screen. I need a couple more big cardio wins before May 12."
"May 12," asked Christina.
Teddy replied, "she's due May 12th but I'm taking her off surgery on the 5th. Research, admin work, screening but no cutting. She needs to slow down that last week. I'm taking her down to 40 hours a week starting next week. Rest, sleep, nest, relax, have time at home and with Josh."
"It's not going to happen," Annie said, "I'll be doing quiet, calm, boring admin work and someone will pull me into a trauma or emergency. I want to work right up until I go into labor."
"We're going to try," Teddy said, "you need the rest."
"Mama I'm a hard core cardio goddess I don't need the break. That's you being a mom and fussing," Annie said, "I was in the OR with you the day before you had Allison . "
Teddy laughed, "still my baby."
"You have two littles at home," Annie said, "baby my siblings."
Christina laughed, "it's really been a while you have two kids?"
Teddy replied, "three but only two at home with us. Annie is our oldest."
Christina asked, "how old?"
"29, 5 and 4," Teddy replied, "the 5 year old is adopted, we adopted Leo when he was 3 but fostered him for about a year before that."
Christina laughed, "Teddy don't look at me like that. I was over Owen years ago. You were always his person. Mer thought there was something going on between you years ago. Especially the summer Annie got hurt."
"That's 10 years ago," Annie said, "I was 19."
"So you're almost done residency then," Christina asked.
"End of June technically," Annie said , "but I'll finish surgeries before the baby comes, then do my boards, trying to cram in as many surgeries as I can."
"Where did you apply for fellowships," Christina asked.
"I'm staying here," Annie said, "we both have fellowships here. I'm working with Mama Pierce and Karev on peds cardio. Josh has something with Owen but they haven't worked out details yet."
"You could come to Switzerland if you wanted," Christina offered.
"There's nothing for Josh," Annie said, "and we want to stay near family. We're okay with limiting our careers for a couple years and we want to spend time with the baby. I'm not taking my newborn halfway around the world and away from her father."
Teddy said, "she's chosen a different order then I did. She's still going to do research and push for publication. Then when her daughter gets older she'll do more. Annie has a few ideas that she wants to work on."
"I kind of wanted to train Teddy's daughter," Christina said.
"20 years and you can have my little sister," Annie laughed.
"Annie is going to do most of the HLH work with you," Teddy said, "you'll be teaching her that way. She does peds cardio. Her fellowship will focus on peds cases and birth defects."
"I'm on Dr Shepard's service this week," Annie said, "I need one more neuro case."
"Do you have anything planned," Teddy asked.
"7am tomorrow," Annie replied, "a shunt should be about an hour."
"Then you'll meet Christina at 9," Teddy said, "I'll tell Amelia I'm moving you."
"I hate when you pull strings because you're my mama," Annie said.
"This is me working as the Chief," Teddy said, "I need to put a resident in her speciality before she goes on leave for three months. Ameila is a mom she'll understand."
"We'll be meeting with patients and screening families," Christina said.
"So an office day," Annie asked, "no scrubs?"
"Your choice but it's mainly office work and charting," Christina said.
Teddy said, "dress for the office and consults."
Annie replied, "dress and flats got it."
"No heels," asked Christina.
"Always liked them," Annie said, " but currently they look like torture devices. "
Teddy said, "what time is your next surgery?"
Annie replied, "3:30 pacemaker with you. It's only 10 am. Hoping I don't get an emergency page. I have to study."
"You're going to work with Dr. Yang," Teddy said, "go over the parameters for her study."
"Which office can we use," Annie asked.
"The small conference room," Teddy replied.
"I'll go get my stuff then get organized," Annie said, "Dr Yang what do we need?"
Christina smiled, "time with Meredith first. Meet at 12:30?"
"I can do that," Annie replied, "gives me time to check some pre ops and work with my interns on patient communication. See some of Jenna's spinal tumor removal.
"Annie delegate that," Teddy said, "go watch Jenna's tumor removal from the gallery and relax. Put those feet up."
"I like checking pre and post ops. It's good for them to see me and get to know me. It builds their trust," Annie replied, "I can sit for the interns. They each got a diagnosis to explain to me like I didn't finish high school. I'm just sitting in a chair and being annoying. I'm hoping none of them try to touch me. I'm getting really tired of people petting my stomach, only Josh gets to touch me, sometimes you, Meghan or Evelyn if I invite you to. I'm glad Leslie went back to Cloverdale now that Jessica has been transferred back to Vancouver. Leslie was the worst for petting me."
Teddy replied, "go do that then and make sure you eat something. People are excited for you. They want to connect with your baby. I hated it as well. You're good at setting boundaries. But go get your stuff done and take your lunch to the gallery to watch Jenna."
Annie walked out of Teddy's office.
"She still needs prompting to eat," Christina asked.
"Not usually but she gets busy," Teddy said, "she forgets to eat until she's starving then gets very hangry very quickly. Usually in my OR when she's working with me. Josh and I get the brunt of it when she's hangry or hormonal and moody. She knows she's safe with her mama and husband."
"Your daughter doesn't change does she," Christina said.
"You knew she changed her name," Teddy said, "legally she's Grace Altman. It's just family who still use Annie. She's grown a lot since you last saw her. She's an amazing woman."
"She seems more confident," Christina agreed.
"She is med school and her intern year was hard for her but she came through it and she's strong," Teddy said.
"Do we like the husband," Christina asked.
Teddy smiled, " we do. Josh is who got her through med school and intern year, she's still our Annie. She's talented and works incredibly hard; she's never had a problem learning the skills; it's always been her life outside the hospital that challenges her. He's her person. You'll see him around. He's been very protective and hovering for months. She's starting to get annoyed with him. She pouted on my couch last night about it."
"She still runs to her mama," Christina asked.
"We're the only reliable family she has left," Teddy replied, " Dan and Leslie completely stopped talking to her when she was an intern. There was a final squabble with Jessica but I don't know the details. Her sister was here for 5 weeks after the stadium collapse, we found a brain tumour that our head of neuro removed. It was the first time she had seen them in eight years, she's slowly rebuilding the relationship. She's better with Leslie than Dan right now. They'll come see the baby when she's ready for them to and Chris gets married this summer so her and Josh are going to Edmonton for that."
"What about you and Owen," Chrsitina asked.
"We're good," Teddy smiled, "took a long time but we have 2 kids, I have 3 Owen is happy."
Teddy was trying not to say too much about Owen.
"Does he know I'm here," asked Christina.
Teddy nodded, "he does, it was his idea for you to teach Annie and involve her in this. I wasn't going to pull her onto something like this now. He still respects you. I wouldn't have approved you coming and working or teaching here without his okay. Are you seeing anyone?"
"I don't really date," Chrisitna replied, "I have my work. I don't want the life of a husband and children. I just want to work and operate."
"Aren't you lonely," Teddy asked.
"Sometimes I miss Seattle," Christina admitted, "my people are here. I'd like to come back."
"Dr. Yang, are you asking for a job," Teddy asked teasingly.
"I would consider returning," Christina said.
"I have a head of cardio," Teddy said, "but I may have room for another cardio attending. We are expanding our cardiac trauma program and I'd like to move Nathan Riggs to it full time as head of the program."
"Is there research potential," Christina asked.
"I can look into that," Teddy said.
"And my pick of fellows," Christina asked.
"We're not negotiating yet," Teddy said, "but you could interview the other 3 cardio fellows. Annie has already been assigned and has agreed to a project, she's looking at congenital heart defects and will be working on your HLH project. She was my first to be placed, I needed her settled before her leave. The others will be assigned to projects when they arrive in July. I've managed to get Annie 14 weeks maternity leave so she's off until September."
"Give her a choice of projects," Chrisitina replied, "Teddy she needs to learn from other surgeons. I know you've kept her close to you and you have your reasons for that. Annie would be good for my project. She'll connect to parents in ways I or the other fellows can't. Her being a mom will help make parents trust her."
"Annie also works with Riggs and Karev. Nathan Riggs is her main cardio attending but her time is shared equally between the three of us. She likes working with April as well," Teddy said, "Annie is good with parents. She's done a lot of peds for cardio."
"Teddy, will you consider me for the cardio attending position," Christina asked.
"I will," Teddy replied, "but I don't want to see you and Grey being the Twisted Sisters again. I have another pair of Annie and Jenna to watch but at least they are usually rainbows and sunshine Bailey calls them the sunshine twins. They've been inseparable since they were interns. I need to speak to the board and find out what I can offer you for salary."
"I understand," Christina said, "I do want to come back. Seattle is home."
"You would bring prestige to the cardio department," Teddy said, "let me speak to the board. And I want to talk to Owen, this also affects my family. It's not just him and I there's Annie, Leo, and Allison to think about."
"Of course," Christina said, "Teddy I've changed and matured. My relationship with Owen is so far in the past, you have nothing to worry about. I never want to go back to that. You two are happy together."
"Christina, I still have to talk to the board and to my attendings and department heads," Teddy said, "there are a lot of factors. My budget being the main one."
"Of course," Christina replied, "but I should really go find Mer. She doesn't know I'm here."
"Grey should be in her lab," Teddy said, "it's in the same place it always has been."
"Thanks Teddy," Christina replied, "it's good to see you."
Teddy smiled, "it's good to see you Christina. I'm looking forward to working with you again."
"It will be good," Christina said, "I'm excellent."
Teddy laughed, "you always were."