"What is your plan for the hospital dr Altman," Catherine asked.
"Stabilising to start," Teddy replied, "filling gaps in staffing. I have significant hiring to do. Working with the leads here to rebuild a comprehensive residency program that sees every resident as an individual. Then getting the full research program back up and running. My plan looks at the next month, three months, six months and year. I'll reevaluate at each check point."
"Stabilising incudes what," Richard asked.
"We're haemorrhaging surgeons," Teddy replied, "keeping our own first. Bringing back who we can. We need attendings, fellows and senior residents. Tarren Helm to start, Casey Parker. Owen and I are still in contact with Parker and he's ready to return to surgery. He's a good surgeon. We need Peds and General department heads, I'd like to see a neonatal specialist and a maternal fetal specialist, someone for reconstruction and plastics, we need an additional trauma surgeon who can lead."
"Do you have people in mind," Catherine asked.
"For reconstruction working between trauma and plastics," Teddy replied, "I have my top three."
"Who would they be," Richard asked.
"Megan Hunt," Teddy answered, "then Lt Mark McPherson and Lt Alexandra Winquest."
"All military," Catherine commented.
"Yes," Teddy replied, "good surgeons. Calm, collected, problem solvers. I need people who can do more than surgery. I need problem solvers and leaders. People I can trust with a department to lead it. I don't micromanage my department heads. I choose people I trust and can rely on and support them."
"This month what is your goal," Catherine replied.
"Connect with our existing staff," Teddy replied, "meet with people and identify the gaps from all perspectives. I've seen trauma and cardio. Not just doctors, I need time with nurses, techs, pharmacy, respiratory, PT. We're losing people everywhere and we have to figure out all the reasons why. Losing Meridith is a blow to the program. We don't know about Marsh, he's my next conversation."
"Your focusing on the people first," Catherine asked.
"I am," Teddy replied, "our people need to feel connected and supported. We've been very focused on the residents and keeping the residency program and neglected our attendings and fellows. We can't teach without attendings. We need mentors. I have put some feelers out for peds and would like to approach Addison Montgomery about the maternal fetal position."
"Peds," Catherine asked.
"I have a cousin, she's an attending at BC childrens, Pediatric General Surgeon, newly single, two kids and wants to come back to America," Teddy replied, "Caitlyn would be someone to consider. I've suggested she apply when it's posted."
"Apply not offered," Catherine asked.
"I have people I will ask to apply but it needs to be open postings and fair interviews," Teddy replied, "create a panel you and Richard, Bailey, departments heads they would work closely with."
"If you bring back Helm," Richard asked.
"I'm going to go across the road and talk to her," Teddy replied, "go to Joes and invite her for coffee with me and talk. I need to have coffee with Schmidt and see what he needs."
"Coffee," Catherine asked.
"In Germany I learned feeding my junior surgeons and residents got them to open up with me and talk," Teddy replied, "my first time running cardio here I would have drinks with residents and it helped. I can't be the aloof leader in her office, I'm going to be on the floor and in the thick of it."
"Your leadership style is certainly different from what we've seen," Catherine replied.
"I've been in a lot of leadership positions over the years, here running cardio, running a platoon with Owen in Iraq, running my hospital in Landstuhl," Teddy replied, 'seeing different styles of leadership from Richard, Miranda, You, Meredith, Maggie, the attendings I worked with as a resident, fellow and new attending. My first Colonel in Iraq taught me a lot about leading."
Teddy walked out of the conference room after the meeting and saw a text from daycare.
"Not again," Teddy groaned making her way up to day care.
"Again,' Bailey asked looking at Teddy.
"I'm sorry," Teddy sighed, "we're seeing her paediatrician tomorrow and will ask about the biting and for a referral. I know there's delays we're getting her speech therapy but I want an autism assessment."
"Slow down Altman," Bailey replied, "we don't know what happened yet."
"Allison bit Pru is my guess," Teddy sighed.
They walked into daycare to see two little girls laughing and covered in red paint.
"What happened here," Bailey asked.
"We did surgery," Pru beamed.
"With paint," Teddy asked the little girls.
'Yes," Allison smiled, ' I fix Pru's heart."
"And did Pru fix your tummy," Teddy asked.
"They had a bit of a paint fight," the teacher shook her head.
"They're laughing now," Teddy replied.
"They were the whole time," the teacher admitted, "what do you want us to do?"
"I'll take Allison down to the locker room and wash it out of her hair, put clean clothes on her and bring her back," Teddy replied, 'and we will talk about not painting our friends."
"I'll go clean up Pru as well," Bailey replied, "see Altman, nothing to stress over, some harmless play."
"Her outfit," Teddy apologized.
"I send her in play clothes for a reason," Bailey assured, "but Allison?"
"These are Leo's hand me downs I'm not worried," Teddy assured.
"They're kids," Bailey laughed, "this is harmless and funny."
"I want to send Evelyn and Megan a picture," Teddy chuckled.
"Take one and send it to me Ben and the crew at the station will laugh," Bailey smiled, "and really the teachers that left 3 year olds alone with paint."
"It is," Teddy laughed.
Owen found them, "no rush to trauma?"
"It's paint," Teddy assured, "I have shampoo and conditioner in my locker. It's not the gentle kid stuff but she can use mom's this once."
"What happened," Owen asked the little girls.
"Surgery," Allison smiled.
"Okay," Owen shook his head, 'Teddy I can clean her up if you have a meeting."
"It's my lunch," Teddy replied, "I'll do it because you have to take them to dance tonight. I have a late surgery."
"Dance," Allison asked.
"Yes you have ballet with Miss Amanda," Teddy smiled, 'you and Leo go to ballet today."
"Ballet," Bailey asked.
"They like it," Owen replied, 'it's music, movement, coordination. Is Pru doing anything?"
"Pru goes to tap," Bailey replied, "and swimming and skating lessons.'
'We do ballet, swimming, skating, soccer and Leo has an art class," Owen replied.
"Pru goes to swimming, tap and music classes," Bailey replied, "ballet next year we think and Ben wants to add t-ball or soccer."
"T-ball in spring," Owen agreed, "kids need to be active and we teach them now it's life long."
"You two," Bailey asked.
"I run most days and go to the gym a few days a week," Teddy replied.
"I do the same in a good week we go together," Owen replied.
"I walk and go to yoga," Bailey replied.
"Yoga and Pilates videos once the kids go to bed," Teddy replied.
"Mental health," Bailey asked.
"I see a therapist on and off," Teddy replied, "I know I'm better if I don't drink but it's tempting. I have to be active and get at least an hour every day. Outside is better. You?"
"Yoga, I garden, therapy," Bailey agreed.
"Bailey were you aware of residents not being able to buy food," Teddy asked once the little girls were back in daycare.
"There's always rumors," Bailey replied.
"Mika Yasuda admitted it to me," Teddy replied, "I told her to help herself to the snacks in my office but we need a better solution."
"What are you thinking," Bailey asked.
"The food budget for meetings," Teddy replied, "we have pastries that sit untouched and sandwiches. They could be put in the residents lounge and locker room. Stock some of the cupboards in there with even instant noodles and canned soups. Or have snack bars, nuts and fruit."
"Yogurt in their fridge," Bailey suggested.
"We have the food budget for moral," Teddy replied, "I think we need to reallocate some of it. Hungry is as dangerous as over tired. Interns should not be dumpster diving."
"Karev did bagel breakfasts with the residents and interns once a week," Bailey suggested.
"We can do that but I'm thinking daily," Teddy replied, "have food available to them. To all staff if we can. If we can have sandwiches or pastries for every meeting we can find money to nourish our staff."
"Daily fruit or veggie tray," Bailey suggested.
"Let's survey them," Teddy suggested.
Teddy got home that night absolutely exhausted and was greeted by her kids wrapping themselves around her legs.
"Let me put my shoes, coat and bag away then I'll come play," Teddy promised. She quickly hung up her coat and put her shoes and bag in the closet.
Allison grabbed teddys hand and pulled her towards the living room.
"What are we playing," Teddy asked.
"Candy land," Leo declared getting the box. It was the only board game the kids knew how to play.
After a game of candy land, baths and stories Teddy tucked the kids into bed and went back to the kitchen.
"Your dinner is in the fridge," Owen offered, "I can heat it up for you. It's just pasta."
"I'm not hungry," she replied, "and it's need to talk to you about something."
"Work or us related," he asked.
"Us," she said.
"I thought we were doing better " he said.
She took a deep breath, "Owen my period was late so I had bloodwork done. I got the results on my way down from tucking the kids in."
"Teddy," he asked.
"I've only ever been this late when I was pregnant with Allison," she replied trying to give him a hint.
"What," he asked, "are you? Are we?"
"Look," she passed him her phone with the results from the HCG test.
"Really," he beamed picking her up and spinning her around.
"Slow down there major," she laughed.
"How far along," he asked.
"6 almost 7 weeks," she smiled, "I'm warning you now weeks 7 to 12 I was really sick with Allison. And anything past 28 I was huge and just wanted her out."
"You're not doing it alone this time," he promised, "we will be together for all of it. Why didn't you tell me?"
"We haven't used protection since our second engagement," she replied " I'm 45 I didn't think it was possible. I thought it was menopause. Two years we actively tried for a lot of it."
"The blood work," he asked.
"I went to Carina," Teddy replied, to find out what was going on. She suggested a pregnancy test. "
"Why didn't you tell me," he asked.
"I was scared and if it wasn't a baby I didn't want you to know I'm getting old," she replied.
"Teddy it's a baby," he smiled taking her in his arms.
She let him hold her close and he felt her warm tears against his neck.
"Teddy," he asked, "why are you crying? Do you want this?"
"I want our baby," she whispered, "but I'm scared. We're old for this Owen. The risks even of miscarriage before we get to know them."
"It will be okay," he assured, stroking her hair, "we'll do it together and the baby will be happy and healthy."
"Our two," she asked.
"Will love being older siblings," he assured.
"And if not," she asked, "this sibling thing is new to me. Megan is the closest I've ever had. I went to boarding school and lived in dorms for years but siblings like this. Owen I'm worried about this."
"It will work," he assured, "Teddy we can do this. We are incredible, the kids are incredible. You're Teddy Altman, you can do anything. We will do this together."
"But," she started.
He led her to the couch and she curled up next to him.
"What happened," he asked, "when you found out about Allison?"
"I peed on a stick alone in my apartment," she replied, "and then I took a few sick days and sat alone in bed and cried. I wanted you, I was so scared, I wanted to tell you but you were so mad at me when you left and I was mad at you. I was terrified. I found out at 5 weeks and came here at 11. I had to quit my job, pack my stuff and ship it here to put in storage. I was scared."
"And you're scared now," he said.
'And theres so many more people counting on me," she replied.
"And you have people to count on," he promised, 'I am here. I promise no stupid stunts and crusades. I am here with you and the kids. You will be okay, we will be together. Teddy you are not alone, you do not have to do any of this alone. You never have to do anything alone again. You will not lose me and you will not lose any of our kids. I will be here for all of it. To hold you and rub your feet and your back and pull your hair back when you feel sick. I am here, I am all in."
"The baby," she asked.
"Will be healthy," he promised, "Allison is."
"We're having a baby," she smiled hearing his reassurance.
"We are," he smiled back, kissing her gently and sliding his hand to her stomach.
"There's nothing there yet," she said.
"There will be a baby," he smiled.
"Soon," she replied, "they say it happens faster with the second."
"You will be gorgeous," he smiled.