9.5 Chapter Four
It is a common misconception that the Chinese symbol for "crisis" translates to "danger" plus "opportunity." But as scholar Victor H. Mair observes, a more accurate and nuanced understanding of "crisis" is that of a pivotal moment or turning point. In the midst of a crisis, we stand at a crossroads at which we must be both mindful and wary. And it is in dealing with a crisis that our true character reveals itself.
Cristina struggled to keep her attention focused on the task at hand. Attending hospital board meetings was easily one of her least favorite things to do and since her fellow board members felt largely the same, they attempted to keep the gatherings as short as possible. Today's agenda, however, was exceptionally long. After enduring several mind-numbing routine reports, there was a staggering amount of new business to address.
Foremost amongst these items was the hiring of a replacement for Richard Webber, which they had managed to put off as long as possible and could no longer delay. To Cristina's relief, both the discussion and the voting on this was straightforward and they moved on to the proposed Phase Two of the Robbins/Karev International Pediatric Project. This, too, was approved quickly and without incident, although Cristina couldn't help noticing that Callie looked none-too-pleased at the prospect of her estranged wife heading to Africa for six months to oversee the work. Alex would be going as well, though only for three months. Cristina briefly wondered who would be in charge of the house in his absence and made a mental note to ask him about it. Meanwhile, a long drawn out discussion ensued as to how to handle the simultaneous extended vacancies that would occur in pediatrics until everyone finally agreed that a list of options would be compiled and discussed at the next meeting.
Owen was up next. He only attended meetings when his presence was absolutely necessary and today, given all of the personnel decisions that needed to be made, it most definitely was. Cristina had managed to avoid him for the entire week following the incident in the storeroom, but this time there would be no escape as Owen weighed in on the staffing issues and presented his report on the aftermath of the super storm. He would also be requesting the reinstatement of a physical office space for the Chief of Surgery. Officially, it would be presented as a central command center for the department but off-the-record the board knew that Owen also wanted a safe and comfortable place for Ethan to hang out when he was at the hospital, which would be often. Cristina envisioned some sort of office/man-cave/tree house hybrid as she flashed back momentarily to Owen and Ethan sliding down the pole in the firehouse.
The firehouse. What a debacle that had been. Cristina gave an involuntary shiver, which, to her dismay, didn't go unnoticed by Owen. Though only the briefest flicker of curiosity crossed his face, Cristina felt like he could see right through her and immediately averted her eyes. She made a point of studying Appendix C of her information packet very intently.
The report went on for a good twenty minutes. Yet Cristina was oddly riveted as she snuck an occasional glance at Owen. Musing idly that the blue shirt brought out his eyes, she allowed her gaze to linger on his broad shoulders and slim hips appreciatively. Stop it! She chided herself for even going there but marveled none the less at how he somehow managed to make purchase orders sound sexy. Who does that? He'd moved on to the proposed office now and as he elaborated on the details she found herself completely mesmerized by his voice, warm and deep.
"I miss you. I think about you all the time. I ache for you, Cristina." Her pulse quickened a little. "You will always be the woman I love". She inhaled deeply as he nuzzled her curls. "Don't you miss us? What we are together? Why are we apart?" He was so close now and she felt Owen's breath on her neck as his arms snaked around her waist, hands cupping her…
"Cristina?"
Cristina jolted upright with a start.
Avery continued, "Are you alright?"
Embarrassed, Cristina shot Jackson a withering look as Owen looked on, head tilted, his blue eyes unfathomable.
"Sorry," she said, tersely, "I was thinking about…my research project."
"Okay," Jackson said, his tone perplexed. "But we need your vote." She looked at him blankly. "On Chief Hunt's request for an office," he prompted.
"Right. Of course. Yes. It's fine. I vote 'yes'" she said gamely, as if daring Avery to question her in any way.
"Great. Motion passes. If there's nothing else, I move that this meeting be adjourned," Jackson said.
"Seconded," Cristina said, a little too brightly.
"All in favor?" he asked. They grunted unanimously in response, pushing back their chairs. "Thank you everyone!"
Rising quickly, Callie bolted out of the room as Arizona looked on, sighing. Derek said goodbye to Meredith, who had attended the meeting virtually from home, before disconnecting her and packing up. Seeing Jackson and Owen engaged in conversation, Cristina gathered her things quickly and moved to leave, wishing she were anywhere else at the moment.
"Cristina! Can I have a word?" Cristina sighed before turning around and facing Owen, who was gazing at her intently.
She forced what she hoped was a very professional smile and said, "Of course."
"I have something of yours," he said, bending down and pulling two boxes out from under the table. "I found the books you were looking for the other night." His face remained neutral as he awaited her response, but his eyes twinkled mischievously.
Really? She thought, examining the boxes which were, indeed, labeled 'textbooks'. We're going to do this? Fine. I can play this game, too.
"Thank you," she said evenly. "That was thoughtful." And entirely unnecessary. You know it. I know it. "I'll just take them now." Bring it on.
"Noooooo…," Owen said. "They're extremely heavy." Cristina started to protest. "I'll carry them for you," he insisted. "Where would you like them, your research lab or your car?"
Cristina sighed, deciding her best move was to get this over with as quickly as possible. "The lab will be fine. I assume we're doing this now?"
"Might as well," he said, knowing better than to say another word. Instead, he picked up the boxes silently and followed her out the door.
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
Arizona stood in the doorway to the scrub room. "Callie…"
Callie continued to scrub her hands vigorously, saying nothing.
"You can't ignore me forever." Arizona paused in frustration. "Calliope! We need to talk about this."
Callie wheeled around, fury on her face. "You want to talk? Because last time we 'talked' you did the talking. It didn't seem to matter much what I had to say."
"That's not fair," Arizona countered.
"It's not," Callie agreed. "Nothing about this has been fair. Not from the minute you got on that damn plane. And I have made mistakes. But so have you. At least I'm trying."
"And I'm not?"
"When you got home from Germany…when you told me you accepted that I had to cut off your leg…that you got that…I thought for a minute that maybe we'd be okay. And then in the next breath you said you were going back to Africa…not asking me…telling me…I realized that you are going to do what you want to do and I don't get a vote."
"I don't know who I am anymore!" Arizona cried, desperately. "I don't know who I am. Please understand…"
Tears glistened in Callie's eyes. "I understand. I understand that rather than fight for our marriage you're going to Africa, no matter what I think about it or how that may affect our daughter. I understand that you are oblivious to my pain. I am hurting, too. You cheated on me. And rather than staying here and facing what you did and what your life is now, you're running away. So go to Africa and find yourself, Arizona. I can't stop you. But don't expect me to be waiting for you when you get back."
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
"In that corner is fine," Cristina said, pointing. "Thank you."
Owen set the boxes down and turned to face Cristina. He walked slowly across the room.
"You've been avoiding me," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "All week."
Cristina didn't reply. She held his gaze a moment longer before looking away and muttering, "Fine. I'm avoiding you. We both know why." They locked eyes again. He was still coming towards her. She backed into the counter as he stopped right in front of her.
"I don't know why," he said, innocently. He gently pushed a tendril of hair off of her face, brushing her cheek with his fingertips as he did so. "Explain it to me again. Why we can't be together…"
She tilted her head up at him, brown eyes meeting blue. "We've got to stop this, Owen," she sighed. "We've got to stop."
He leaned in more closely, his mouth barely above her own, teasing her with his proximity. "You want me to stop?" His hands were in her hair now as he moved to kiss her. "Say the word and I will stop…"
Cristina opened her mouth to speak but, instead, with a moan, pulled Owen towards her, crushing his lips with her own as he wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in his embrace. She closed her eyes as they pulled each other closer, the heat between them rising as their kisses grew deeper and more intense.
Cristina gasped as Owen lifted her up onto the counter. His mouth suckled her neck as his hands roamed everywhere, making her body arch towards his in pleasure. Then moving back to her mouth, his lips parted hers and their tongues found each other, darting playfully, then passionately as he leaned her back onto the counter.
"What are we doing?" Cristina panted, sweat glistening on her chest.
"Finishing what we started," Owen said, huskily, his own body taut in anticipation. He began to pull off her scrub top as his phone rang. They both jumped and Owen cursed under his breath. "I've got to check this," he said apologetically. "Ethan's in school."
He stepped away from the counter looking puzzled as he glanced at the screen. "This is Owen Hunt."
A moment later Cristina's eyes widened in concern as she saw the color drain from Owen's face.
"Is it Ethan?" she whispered.
He shook his head and mouthed, "My mom," while motioning for paper and pen.
Jumping down from the counter, Cristina searched quickly and handed him a yellow pad and pencil.
"Yes, I'm her son." He jotted some notes as he listened. Finally he said, "Thank you. I'll be there as soon as I can." He hung up the phone.
"What happened?" Cristina asked. "Is she alright?"
"I don't know," Owen said quietly, his eyes dark. "My mom's in the ER at Seattle Presbyterian. They're not quite sure how she got there. She may have driven herself. She's confused. She doesn't seem to know who she is." Cristina could hear the note of anxiety in his voice and watched his brain click into another gear as he began to deal with the situation. "They got my number from her phone. I need to get there. Now."
"Okay," Cristina said, her mind springing into action. "What needs to be done? What can I do to help?"
"I need to get Ethan from school. Friday's a half-day." He thought out loud. "Callie's in surgery. Maybe I could ask Shepherd…"
"No, no, no," Cristina said, thinking quickly. "Derek should go with you." Seeing Owen's confusion, she added, "He's like The World's Best Neurosurgeon. Utilize him."
She had a point. "You're right," he said. "That's a good idea. But it doesn't solve my problem."
Cristina hesitated, then said, "I could get Ethan."
Owen looked stunned. "Cristina, you don't have to do that. Don't you have surgery?"
"I don't actually," she said. "A few consults, which can be rescheduled, and working in the lab. It's fine." He looked uncertain. "I own the hospital. I can give myself a few hours off and get Ethan. Really. Call the school and let them know I'm coming. Text me the contact information: school name, address and phone number. I'll pick him up and bring him to you."
Owen looked at her gratefully and nodded. What a turn things had taken in the last few minutes, their almost-tryst all but forgotten. "I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything," Cristina said. "I love…your mom. I want to help. Go on. I'll talk to Derek and then I'll pick up Ethan." On impulse she grabbed his hand, giving it a little squeeze. "Things are going to be alright." She nodded reassuringly.
Owen looked skeptical. "I hope so. Text me when you've got him?"
"Okay."
He reluctantly let go of her hand then headed for the door. He stopped just short and suddenly turned towards her again. 'Ethan needs lunch," he said.
"Not a problem. We'll grab something quick on the way. Now go, I've got this," she said firmly.
"I know you do. Thank you." His eyes lingered on her for just an instant before he turned and left, hurrying down the hall, as Cristina watched him go.
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
Cristina walked into the school office, scanning the room.
"Dr. Yang!"
Cristina turned her head and saw Ethan sitting in the reception area. He jumped up, waving, and bounded towards her, backpack in hand. "Is Owen okay?"
Cristina looked confused, as she walked to the counter. "Why wouldn't Owen be okay?"
"Isn't there an emergency?" Ethan asked, anxiously. "I've been kinda worried."
"Oh," Cristina said. "Yes, there is an emergency, but it's not Owen. It's his mom. She's at the hospital. No one told you that?" She recalled her own heightened anxiety after her father had died. "I'm sorry you were worried. Owen's just fine. Hold on…"
A woman Cristina assumed was the school secretary had come to the counter. "May I help you?"
"Um, yes," Cristina said. "I'm Cristina Yang. I'm here to pick up Ethan, for Dr. Hunt."
The woman perked up immediately at the mention of Owen's name. "Of course. Dr. Hunt called to let us know you were coming. I just need to see photo ID, please."
Cristina rummaged in her bag and handed the woman her driver's license.
"Thank you," the secretary said, giving it back to her. "Just sign here..."
Cristina scribbled her signature on the log-out sheet. "Anything else?"
"No, you're all set. See you on Monday, Ethan."
"Bye, Mrs. Brooks," he replied, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. He turned to Cristina. "What are you doing?"
"Texting Owen. He wanted to know when I had you," she said, pressing 'send'. "Come on, my car's out front."
As they walked to the parking lot, Cristina's phone rang. She unlocked the car and motioned for Ethan to get inside, then slid behind the wheel.
"Hey, what's going on? Everything okay?" She listened intently for a moment, then frowned. "Really? She doesn't even know your name? I'm so sorry. Is Derek there yet?" Another pause. Cristina glanced at her watch. "He should be there, soon, then." She listened again and then nodded in understanding. Realizing Ethan was watching her intently, she chose her next words carefully. "So you think under the circumstances maybe you could use a little more time before I drop Ethan off? Um, hmmm…I think that would be good. No, it's no problem. Okay, then. We'll call you in a few hours. Bye."
"What's going on?" Ethan said the moment she hung up the phone.
Cristina turned to him, weighing how much information he needed. "Change of plans. Owen's mom isn't doing very well right this minute, and Owen is dealing with a lot. Paperwork, medical stuff…" Trying to not completely come undone. She thought of Owen all alone and wished she were with him. But then realized that this was probably just as important, if not more so. He's already a good dad. "We think it's better if you and I hang out for little while before I take you over there."
"But I thought you said she's at the hospital? I go there all the time," Ethan said.
"Oh. No. Mrs. Hunt is at the hospital, but not our hospital. That's part of the problem. We're not in charge. She's at Seattle Presbyterian…" Cristina said, remembering in that instant that that was where Ethan's father had died.
A cloud passed over Ethan's face. "Oh," he said.
"Yeah. So, you and I are going to get some lunch and, maybe, a movie? Does that sound okay?" Cristina asked, uncertainly. She had pulled up some options on her phone. "What about STAR TREK?"
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
Derek Shepherd scanned the waiting room. He finally spotted Hunt in the corner and strode towards him. "Owen!"
Owen looked up and then stood as the two men shook hands. "Derek. Thanks for coming."
"Sorry it took me so long to get here," Derek replied, sinking down into a chair next to his friend. "Nothing is ever simple. How's your mom? What do we know?"
"Not much," Owen said. "I saw her briefly. She was extremely disoriented…didn't even know my name, although she seemed to recognize me. It's looking like she had a stroke, but, of course, I have no test results because here I am just "the son", not the Chief of Surgery."
Derek nodded sympathetically. "It's hard being the person waiting for information instead of doling it out."
"Exactly, which is why as soon as she's stable I'm having her transferred."
"I assume they couldn't give her t-PA?"
Owen shook his head. "No way to confirm the timeline."
"Well, hopefully she'll be on our turf tomorrow and I can give her a good going over," Derek said.
"Yeah, I hope so," Owen replied. "Thanks for coming all the way over here. I appreciate it."
"No worries." They sat in silence for several minutes before Derek finally asked, "So…Ethan's spending the day with Cristina?"
Owen nodded. "Yeah, I was really surprised when she offered."
Derek considered that. "I'm not. I don't think I've ever met anyone as loyal as Cristina Yang. And she always comes through in a crisis."
"That's true," Owen agreed. "I hadn't thought about it like that."
They were quiet again for a long moment before it all came spilling out, "I've got to get her back, Shepherd. I need to get her back."
Derek hesitated, not knowing quite what to say. "She still loves you. Meredith is sure of it. She says Cristina is giving you up for your own good…because you want kids, she doesn't…that's a tough nut to crack. How're you planning on doing it?"
Owen sighed. "I have no idea. We keep going around and around and around over the kids thing. We get back together, we break up again and every time we break up it hurts more than the time before. I don't know what to do anymore."
"You love each other," Derek offered. "Surely that's something."
"Love has never been our problem," Owen said simply. "What if love isn't enough? We fundamentally disagree on children. I don't know if that's something that can be overcome. Every time I think we're making progress, it all comes to back to that and everything goes to hell. I do know this. I'm miserable without her."
"Even having Ethan?" Derek asked, surprised.
"Ethan is great. I love having him and he's fulfilled that part of me that needs a child to love and care for, but Ethan doesn't make up for losing Cristina. It tempers the loss, I guess," Owen said, recalling how utterly devastated he had been when Cristina had fled to Minnesota. "But it's apples and oranges. Cristina is the woman I love. At the end of the day, I want them both. I need them both. And I don't know if there's any way I get to have that."
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
"That was awesome!" Ethan exclaimed. "Wait 'til Owen hears about the volcano!"
"The volcano was 'awesome,'" Cristina agreed, "despite there being a very clear violation of The Prime Directive."
"But Spock would have died," Ethan said, "Kirk had to do it! And what about John Harrison turning out to be…"
"Stop! Owen doesn't want to know all the movie's secrets before he's seen it. He hates that. No spoiling. Promise me."
Ethan grumbled, "Fine. I promise. But we're not gonna be able to talk about it at all!"
"That's where you're wrong," Cristina said. "Since Owen will want to be able to talk to you about it, he will have to see the movie, which means you get to go again. See how that works?"
"You're right!" Ethan said, grinning. "You are a Super Genius!"
"I know, it's a gift," she replied. "Oooh! Ice cream. Want some?"
"Yeah," Ethan said, shaking his head in amazement.
"What?" she said as they walked toward the ice cream parlor.
"Nothing. It's just…you eat a lot," he said, giggling. "No offense."
Recalling the hamburgers, fries, and Cokes they had consumed for lunch followed by popcorn at the movies, Cristina couldn't really disagree. "I guess I do," she admitted. "But I still want ice cream."
A few minutes later they sat on a bench, cones in hand. Cristina was making short work of 'Death by Chocolate' as Ethan polished off 'Superman'.
"We'd better call Owen," she said, pulling out her phone and dialing.
"Hey. We're out of the movie. How's your mom?" She shook her head as Ethan pantomimed 'speaker phone' and closed her eyes, trying to focus on Owen's words. "Honestly, I think you're in for a long night. We need a Plan B. Hold on…"
Turning to Ethan she said, "I need a minute to talk to Owen. Please stop poking me."
She put the phone to her ear again. "Sorry about that. Have you talked to Callie?" She paused, again, listening. "Oh, god, that's awful. She must be gutted. You know what? Don't even ask her. She doesn't need more right now. Why don't I just take Ethan home? And before you say anything, it's not a problem. I'm happy to do it." Cristina thought for a moment. "See if Callie can do tomorrow instead. I've got tonight covered. Take as long as you need. We'll be fine." She whipped her head around and glared at Ethan, who was tugging on her arm intently. "Yes. I'll tell him. Bye."
She hung up and turned to Ethan again. "Really? How am I supposed to concentrate when you do stuff like that?" she said in an exasperated voice.
"Sorry, Dr. Yang," Ethan said, glumly. "I just wanted to know what's going on."
His face was so contrite that she backpedaled a bit. "I know you do and now I can tell you. I'm not mad, by the way, and, for heaven's sake, call me Cristina," she said, exhaling. "Basically, everything is just taking a long time, because things always take a long time in a hospital, which, unfortunately, you know all too well." He nodded solemnly. "So Owen's going to be there for hours and there's no reason for you to have to endure that. I realize you'd normally go to Callie's, but she's just out of surgery and she's…dealing with a lot tonight. So I'm taking you home. Owen can't talk now. The doctor just came to give him an update. But he'll check in when he can. It may or may not be before bedtime. Now you may ask questions."
He was quiet for a minute and then asked, "Is Mrs. Hunt going to die? I like her."
Cristina sighed. "I like her, too. I don't know, Ethan. I hope not. But they don't even know what's wrong with her yet, so let's not get ahead of ourselves."
They sat in silence and then Ethan finally said, "Do you still have a mother?"
Taken aback, Cristina paused before answering him. "I do. I don't talk to her often. We're not close."
"Do you have a dad?"
"I have a step-dad," Cristina said, "but my dad died."
"Were you a grown up?"
"No, I was nine years old."
Ethan's eyes widened. "Wow. How did he die?"
Cristina took a deep breath. So many questions. "We were in a car accident."
"And the doctors couldn't save him?"
"The doctors never got the chance to save him. He bled out before the ambulance arrived."
"Were you with him?" Ethan asked. "Was it scary?"
"I was with him," Cristina said. If she closed her eyes, she could still see her father dying, as if it were yesterday instead of so long ago. "And it was very scary."
"I was with my dad when he died," Ethan confided softly.
She considered what to say. "I know. I'm really sorry."
"I miss him. I miss both my parents. Do you still miss your dad?"
"I do," Cristina replied. "Every day."
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
"Tell me this all going to be worth it," Alex said, dumping another huge box on the table.
"It will be," Arizona replied, "once we get there. In the meantime we've got a lot to do. Find me the requisitions list so we can cross reference." She looked up from her work. "How is Wilson taking the news about you going away for three months?"
Karev shrugged as he dug through files. "She's mad. But it's happening, so she's gonna have to deal. It's not like I want to leave her behind but I can't change it. It'll be fine, right? 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder' or some crap like that?"
"Or 'Out of sight, out of mind,'" Arizona replied darkly.
Alex looked up at her in surprise. "Not exactly bubbles and sunshine today are you?" He cocked his head, connecting the dots. "Torres pissed about Africa?"
"You could say that."
"You two gonna be okay? 'Cuz if you go belly up, there's no hope for the rest of us."
"It's not looking good," Arizona said quietly. "We're separating…"
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
"Miss. B3."
"Hit. G8."
"Miss. B4."
"Hit." Cristina threw up her hands. "Seriously? You sank my battleship!"
"Hah!" Ethan said in triumph. "I win!"
"Yes, you do," Cristina said irritably. "No need to gloat."
Ethan grinned. "You're just mad that you lost."
Cristina didn't even try to deny it. "What can I say? I hate to lose."
Ethan furrowed his brow. "But that's poor sportsmanship!"
"It is," Cristina confessed. "I never quite mastered how to be gracious in defeat. Sorry."
"Wanna play again?" Ethan asked. "Maybe you'll win this time."
"No, we'd better clean up. The food will be here soon." Seeing the disappointment on his face she found herself adding, "I guess we could play after dinner. But something else. A game that requires actual skill."
"Hmmm…" he pondered. "We have Clue, Scrabble, Yahtzee…"
Cristina tried to remember how long it had been since she had played a board game. It must have been decades.
"Do you have Monopoly?" she asked. "I'm excellent at Monopoly."
"Yeah, we have it. Prepare to lose," Ethan goaded her as the doorbell rang. "Pizza's here!"
"You wish!" Cristina retorted, as she grabbed her wallet. When she returned a few minutes later, pizza and salad in her hands, she was surprised to see that Ethan had put placemats, napkins, and forks on the table. There were plates out on the counter and he was getting out glasses.
"What do you want to drink?" he asked. "We have water and lemonade and Coke."
"I don't suppose there's any wine?"
Ethan crinkled his nose skeptically. "I don't think so." He rummaged in the refrigerator. "There's beer…"
"Never mind," Cristina said, thinking better of it. "Lemonade will be fine. And shouldn't you be drinking milk?" She was suddenly glad that she'd thought to order the salad.
"I guess. Can it be chocolate milk?"
Thinking fast, she said, "What would Owen say?"
The look on Ethan's face said it all.
"There's your answer. You need help pouring?" Seeing his incredulous look, she quickly recanted. "Sorry. Just asking."
A few minutes later, they sat side by side at the table. "So walk me through this. Bedtime is an extremely general concept to me. What's going to be required? And be honest. Or I'll get in trouble. No messing with me," she said with a smile.
"Lights out at 9:30, but I'm usually in bed by nine. Owen lets me read."
"Hmmm…what are you reading?" she asked.
"Percy Jackson. The Lightning Thief. It's really good."
"Are you supposed to take a shower?" she asked, inwardly panicking a little at the thought of having to bathe an eleven-year old boy.
"Yeah. And wash my hair and brush and floss my teeth." She must have had quite an expression on her face because he quickly added, "I do all of that myself."
"Oh. Right," Cristina said, relieved. "Of course. Sorry. I don't have much experience with kids. Um…so how long will all of that take?"
Ethan shrugged. "If I go up by 8:30, I should be good."
"Excellent. That gives us plenty of time for me to kick your butt in Monopoly."
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
Owen sat in a chair by his mother's bedside as she slept, rubbing his temples. What a day. He shifted his position a bit and stretched his legs. His right foot had gone tingly.
"Owen?" Mrs. Hunt opened her eyes slowly and looked around, getting her bearings.
He looked up sharply. "I'm here, Mom." He reached over and took her hand. "You're in the hospital. Do you remember how you got here?" He watched her intently.
She thought a moment. "I think maybe I drove myself?"
He nodded. "Yes, you did. What's your name?"
She looked at him oddly. "Sarah Imogen Hunt."
"And what's your birthday?"
"November 20th…I must have been really out of it," she said, sitting up in the bed.
"You could say that."
"What on earth happened?"
"We're not sure. Hopefully we'll know more tomorrow. I'd like to transfer you to Grey Sloan Memorial. That way Derek Shepherd can check you out thoroughly." He nodded to emphasize his point.
"Alright. Whatever you think is best." She gave a sudden start. "It's very late. Where's Ethan?"
"He's at home…with Cristina."
She gave him a curious look. "With Cristina. That's interesting."
"Mom, stop. I needed to get here and Cristina offered to pick up Ethan. It doesn't mean anything."
"It most certainly does mean something. How long has she been with him?"
"I don't know. About…" Owen checked his watch. "…thirteen hours." Could that be right?
Sarah nodded knowingly. "But it means nothing…"
"Mom…"
"Owen, that girl loves you. It's plain as day. She's taking care of him as a way of taking care of you."
"You think?" The words caught in his throat a little. "Really?"
"Of course. No doubt in my mind whatsoever." She squeezed his hand. "You love her, son. You two belong together. What are you going to do to get her back?"
Knowing she would never offer unsolicited advice, he replied, "I'm open to suggestions."
Sarah thought carefully for a moment. "I can tell you this," she said. "In my experience, whenever I've had difficulty finding the solution to a problem, it's usually because I've been asking the wrong questions."
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
Owen crept into the firehouse as quietly as possible, hoping he wouldn't wake Cristina and Ethan. He was bone tired, yet he couldn't help dwell on the fleeting thought that crossed his mind as he climbed the stairs: Cristina and Ethan were both asleep in the house. How he wished that could always be the case, that the three of them could somehow be a family. For a moment the sense of longing overwhelmed him but he tried to shake it off as he walked into the main room. Cristina was asleep on the couch. He smiled as he saw her curled up into a tiny ball, her arms around a pillow.
After checking on Ethan, Owen stopped in the bathroom and washed his face and hands, wanting desperately to wash off the grime of the day, yet knowing that if he tried to shower, he'd likely fall asleep standing up. It would have to wait. He walked to the kitchen, mindful of the fact that he'd need to be back to Seattle Presbyterian in a few short hours. He'd need caffeine to even have a prayer of functioning in the morning, so he went to set up the coffee maker then realized Cristina had already done it.
He heard a rustling noise and turned to find Cristina sitting up on the couch stretching.
"Hey," she said, sleepily. "When did you get in?"
"Just a few minutes ago. I'm sorry I woke you."
"I wasn't sleeping very deeply. I was listening for you. Come here. Tell me about your mom. How is she?"
Owen sat down on the opposite end of the couch. "Better. She's acting like herself again. If you didn't know any better, you'd never know there'd been a problem. She's still getting a full work up tomorrow. Something caused that and I want to know what it is."
He leaned his head back and sighed, so exhausted he was almost sick.
"I'm sorry you had such an awful day," Cristina said.
He crooked his head and smiled at her. "It wasn't all bad," he said, thinking back to their make out session in the lab. Even in the dark room he could see her cheeks flush a bit.
Cristina started to get up. "You're so tired. I should go."
"Cristina, it's two o'clock in the morning. You're not going anywhere." He saw her wavering and pushed further. "Please don't go. Stay here with me. Please."
Cristina sighed. Logically she knew this was a very bad idea, but she couldn't resist, especially when he looked so spent. Oh, screw it. She patted her lap. "Come on."
His eyes widened, questioning. Really? He decided he wouldn't give her time to change her mind. He stretched out on the couch, his head in her lap and settled in happily, deciding to savor the moment.
"How'd you and Ethan do today?" he asked, yawning. "I really can't thank you enough for watching him for me."
"We had fun," Cristina said truthfully. "He's a nice kid. I like him." A look crossed Owen's face for the briefest moment. "What?"
"Nothing," Owen said. "Just something my mom said. I have to think about it some more." He shifted his position slightly. "She asked about you. She's hoping you'll come by and visit her tomorrow."
"I can do that. I'll be working all day anyway. I'll swing by in the afternoon."
"She'd like that. Oh. And I texted with Callie. She's taking Ethan in the morning."
Owen's eyes were closed now and Cristina could hear his breathing getting heavy and slow as she stroked his arm. He'd be asleep any second and knew she should try to sleep as well. It was so late. Or early. Depending on how you looked at it. Instead, Cristina found herself wide awake. And wondering what the hell she was doing at the firehouse in the middle of the night, cradling the man she loved, but could not have, in her arms.
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
Owen awoke to the smell of coffee wafting through the air. He was disoriented for a moment, before remembering that he was on the couch. He sat bolt upright with a start. "Cristina?" He looked around and saw Ethan poking his head out of his bedroom.
"Cristina left," Ethan said, walking into the kitchen. He was dressed already and started to get himself some cereal. "Want some breakfast?"
"Yeah, thanks. How long ago did she leave?"
Ethan thought for a moment. "Not that long. About forty-five minutes?" he said, looking at the clock on the microwave. She said she needed to get cleaned up before work." He put the cereal box away and went to the refrigerator for milk. "How's your mom?"
"A little better, I think." Owen walked to the kitchen as well and started to prepare his coffee; a mug for now and a thermos to take with him. He sat down at the table as Ethan brought their bowls and spoons. "What's on your mind?" Owen could tell by the way the boy was quietly fretting that something was up.
Ethan looked up from his cereal. "I dunno," he said, hesitantly. "I just…I heard Cristina say that your mom didn't know who you were…My mom didn't know who I was…" His lip quivered.
Owen sighed as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I wish I knew what to tell you, Ethan. It's true that my mom didn't know me yesterday. She didn't know her own name or even how she got to the hospital. But later that night, she knew all of those things and seemed completely herself. We even had a talk and she gave me good advice. She was my mom again." He took a swallow of his coffee.
"The brain is very complicated. Sometimes we don't know why it does what it does. That's why we're going to transfer my mom to Grey Sloan Memorial this morning. So Dr. Shepherd can examine her brain and hopefully figure things out. In fact, you and I need to get going as soon as we can. As soon as we finish eating, I'll take a quick shower and then we're out of here. I need to get to the hospital."
"Am I going with you?" Ethan asked.
Owen shook his head. "You're spending the day with Callie and Sofia. There's no telling how long any of this will take, so I'll drop you off and then head out."
Owen took a bite of cereal and decided to change the subject. "So… how did you and Cristina get along yesterday?"
"Fine," Ethan replied. "She's nice."
"Why do you sound surprised?" Owen asked wryly.
"I dunno. I guess because I didn't really know her before. She was just my dad's doctor. But now we're friends."
Owen smiled. "That's good. What did you guys do?"
"She took me to lunch and to see STAR TREK. It was really cool. You need to see it. And we got ice cream." He grinned. "For such a small person, she eats a lot."
Owen laughed out loud. "She does. Especially for someone who doesn't cook. Do you have any homework this weekend?"
"Nope. Cristina made me finish it last night. She helped me with my math. She's really smart." He paused to take another bite and swallow. "We played games when we got home. I beat her at Battleship but she won Monopoly. Totally crushed me. I had her download Temple Run 2 to her tablet," he said. "She's really bad at it. And she hates it when the gorilla eats her. It's so funny. She gets really mad!"
"I'll bet she does," Owen said, amused, "but be warned. The next time you play her, she'll be much better. Count on it." Ethan was drinking the milk from the bowl. "Go brush your teeth and comb your hair, then you can watch a show while I get ready."
"'K!" Ethan said. He rinsed his bowl and spoon and put them in the dishwasher before trotting off, leaving Owen at the table to consider the enigma that was Cristina Yang. And pondering what his next move should be.
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
"And you just got home this morning?" Meredith asked, incredulously. "How did that happen?"
"I don't know. One thing just led to another," Cristina said. "Hold on. Let me put you on speaker phone. I need to keep getting ready…okay, go."
"Where did you sleep?"
"On the couch," Cristina said, defensively. "…with Owen's head on my lap."
"Cristina!" This was getting juicy.
"I know. I shouldn't have. I just…couldn't help myself." She shivered a little at the memory, smiling to herself at how peaceful Owen had looked, asleep in her arms.
"You know how I feel," Meredith said. "I think it's great. Don't feel the slightest bit guilty. The only one who thinks that was a bad idea is you. I guarantee you Owen was fine with it. "
"I can't keep sending him mixed signals, Mer. It's not fair," Cristina said, pulling her hair up and twisting it into place. She paused and then added, "We kissed yesterday." And how. "If Owen hadn't gotten the call about his mom, I'm not sure we would have stopped at kissing." She heard a squeal. "Was that you?"
"No," Meredith said, laughing. "That was Zola. But she speaks for us both."
"He has a kid now!" Cristina protested.
"I know! And it's perfect!" Meredith said. "Owen has the kid he wants. And Ethan's eleven. Way past all the stages you hate. You said you two had fun yesterday. Plus Owen is his guardian, not you. You'd have all of the perks with none of the responsibility. In this equation, Owen's the 'parent'. You're the Cool Aunt."
"That is a total oversimplification and you know it. It's not just about changing diapers or wiping snotty noses. To say I'd have no responsibility is ridiculous. If I get involved I'll get attached. And before you know it I'll be a freakin' soccer mom!" Cristina took a breath to calm down. "This is a very slippery slope. I know you mean well, but just…dial it back a few notches, okay?" She grabbed her shoes. "I've got to get work. I'll talk to you later."
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
"Hi, Callie," Ethan said as Callie opened the door. Her eyes were puffy and red, her cheeks streaked with tears. Ethan's face scrunched in concern. "Are you okay?" He glanced at Owen.
"Hi, Ethan," she said, managing a smile. "Sofia's in the other room. She's very excited you're spending the day with us. I am, too. Come on in…"
"Ethan, why don't you go play with Sofia? I need to talk to Callie for a minute."
Ethan gave Owen an uncertain look but simply nodded, saying, "Okay. See you later. Bye!"
"Bye." Once Ethan was out of ear shot, Owen said to Callie, "I'm so sorry about you and Arizona…"
Callie burst into tears.
Eyes wide, Owen hastily folded her into a big hug and tried to think of something soothing to say as she sobbed quietly. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked a few minutes later, patting her back awkwardly.
Callie pulled away, sniffling. "Yeah," she said, rubbing her nose with a tissue, "but that's going to be a looong conversation and you have to go, so we'll save it for another time."
She patted her eyes and tried to recover herself. "I know," she said, brightening considerably. "Let's talk about you and Cristina, instead."
The sudden about face caught him completely off guard. "Callie…"
"What? I meddle. That's what I do. Most people find it endearing."
"I wouldn't go that far." Frowning he added, "I know that look. What are you up to?"
"Never you mind," she said, practically shooing him out the door. She had had a sudden flash of inspiration and planned to interrogate Ethan as soon as Owen was gone. Appropriately, of course, but thoroughly none the less. She was on a mission. It might be too late for her and Arizona, but Owen and Cristina could still be saved. With the right intervention. "You need to go. We'll be fine. Keep us updated. Bye, now."
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
"Damn it!"
Cristina narrowed her eyes in irritation. After several hours of working in the lab she had finally taken a break and was immersed in Temple Run 2. To her consternation she had been incinerated by flaming torches. At least it wasn't the gorilla again. Wretched ape.
Cristina stubbornly refused to be bested by an eleven year old and was determined to get better at this game. In fact she intended to keep playing until she achieved a new personal high score, rationalizing both that it was Saturday and that she had earned a diversion.
She defiantly tapped "Run Again" and headed down the path, jumping onto the zip line. She rounded the corner and leaped over the gap in her path, remembering just in time to slide under the stone overpass, and then turned quickly so as to avoid being impaled on a tree. She was picking up speed. The entrance to the mine shaft was in sight. As she shifted right to cross the narrow bridge, her phone pinged with an incoming text. She glanced at the notification, plunging to her death over the edge of a precipice in the process.
The text was from Owen:
"My mom's transferred and settled. When can I see you? It's important."
Curious, Cristina texted back, "I'm free. When and where?"
Seconds later came his reply, "15 minutes. Vent."
oooOOOoooOOOoooOOOoooOOOooo
Owen strode through the labyrinth of hallways in the depths of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. He was eager to see Cristina yet apprehensive at the same time. He was taking a calculated risk in talking to her. Plus, she hadn't replied to his last text and a tiny part of him wondered if she might not show.
To his relief, when he opened the door to the vent room, she was there, sitting on the step, waiting. She looked up at him, an unreadable expression on her face.
He sat down beside her, blue eyes meeting brown. "Thank you for meeting me," he said, finally. "I wasn't sure you would."
"I wasn't sure I would either," she confessed. The last few days had been so weird, the net result being that a complicated situation had become even more so. And she had freaked a little when he wanted to meet her here. The memories that this room held for her, for them, muddied the waters even further. "What's this about?"
"You were right, about me wanting a child," Owen said quietly. "You…saw something in me that I didn't see. Or didn't want to see. I want to thank you. For encouraging me to go to Ethan. He's filled that place in my heart that needs to love and take care of a child."
Cristina started to speak but Owen held up his hands. "Please. Hear me out."
"What I'm not sure you understand," Owen continued, "is that I've traded one problem for another. Without you, I'm just as unhappy as I'd be without him."
Cristina blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I want you in my life, Cristina. I need you." He nodded. "This thing with my mom, it's reminded me that …life is short and it can turn on a dime. Something she said made me think. What if we've been looking at this the wrong way? Asking the wrong questions? We've been talking in very broad strokes. But what we've got is an extremely specific set of circumstances."
Cristina looked at him, uncomprehending. "I don't understand."
"I know. I'm not explaining it well," Owen replied. "Look. I've just got a few minutes. Derek's with my mom and I have to get back. So what if I tell you what's on my mind and you can just…think about it. Don't answer now. Just listen to what I have to say. Are you willing to do that?"
She nodded slowly.
"I'm not asking you to have a baby. Ever. I'm not asking you to adopt anyone. I'm not asking you to like kids." He paused to let that sink in. "Here's what I am asking you to consider."
Owen took a deep breath. "Ethan and I come as a set now. You've said that you like him. Could you see yourself having some sort of relationship with him? Could you be his friend?"
Seeing the doubtful expression on her face, Owen added firmly, "Just his friend. Nothing more. And then, if you could do that, could you see the three of us building a life together? That's what I want. A life with you and Ethan. That's all I want."
He could see her brain working furiously. She felt like her head was going to explode.
Finally she said, carefully, "What would this life look like?"
"I have no idea," he said, honestly. "We'd be building from the ground up." He took her face in his hands and looked her straight in the eyes. "I just know that I still see a Big Life for us, Cristina. All you have to do is say, 'yes'." He cupped her chin and leaned in, giving her a tender kiss on the lips. "I've gotta go. Just think about it."
He stood up and walked out the door, leaving Cristina stunned and speechless in his wake.
Sooner or later it happens to each of us. We arrive at a fork in the road. Sometimes the catalyst is an emergency of epic proportion. Other times one tiny thing leads to another until we find ourselves down a path we never expected and teetering on the edge of a cliff. Do we have it within us to step up in a crisis? Do we have the guts to boldly say what we want and reach for the brass ring? Do we have the courage to leap into the unknown and have faith that, even if we are afraid, with the help of those who love us, things just might be okay? Anyone can muddle along when things are easy. But it's in the tougher times, when there are no easy answers, that our true mettle shows itself.
This chapter written by lovemesomeowen.