*Author's Note- I want to say a big thank you to those loyal readers and reviewers as well as to those new to the story. I apologize if I have lost readers/viewers due to the length of time between chapters. As a writer I believe that quality is more important than quantity of chapters over a period of time. I truly appreciate all of the reviews. Thanks so much


All those times we looked up at the sky

Looking out so far, it felt like we could fly

And now I'm all alone in the dark of night

And the moon is shining, but I can't see the light

~grace potter and the nocturnals~ stars


" Somebody should go talk to Cristina," Bailey said as they entered the scrub room.

" I'll go," volunteered Meredith.

" Are you sure? You have to be exhausted," replied Richard.

" I'll go. I should be the one to talk to her. She's my person," she reasoned, drying her off her hands. Glancing out the scrub room door, she saw an anxious and distraught looking Cristina waiting for her. Meredith took a deep breath then exited the scrub room.

" Cristina."

" Mer."

" His body sustained a lot of damage from the bullets. The first bullet shredded his spleen and caused minor damage to his liver. We were able to remove his spleen, but we had to resect a small portion of his liver. The second bullet punctured his left lung. We repaired the damage and inserted a chest tube," Meredith said, pausing as they stepped into the elevator.

We did everything we could, but I'm not sure if it was enough."

" But he's alive," stated Cristina.

" The next 24-48 hours are going to be extremely critical in order for him to have a chance at survival," Meredith replied as they stepped out of the elevator and approached the Intensive Care Unit. Cristina paused outside of ICU Room 5. Inside Owen lay atop a bed connected to what seemed like hundreds of machines and wires.

" Are you okay?" asked Meredith.

" I'm fine."

" Do you want me to stay tonight?"

" Go home. Go to bed."

" Are you sure?"

" I'll be fine," Cristina stated as she slid open the glass door to Owen's room. Meredith sighed as she headed to the nurse's station.

" I want you to page me if there are ANY changes in Dr. Hunt's status."

" Will do Dr. Grey," replied a nurse.

" Keep an eye on Dr. Yang as well," instructed Meredith as she headed off in search of Derek.


Cristina stood in the doorway of Owen's room, frozen. The beeping of the heart monitor rang loudly in her ears as she sat in the recliner at his bedside. Fifteen minutes passed by as she sat in silence, staring at him. She knew every inch of his body, every freckle, every scar. Cristina found herself smiling as she thought of the scar on his left shoulder caused by a burn from an intense make out session on the vent. She cringed, remembering as Meredith had dressed a similar burn on Cristina's forearm and inquired as to how it happened. An uneasy feeling washed over her as she looked up at Owen's face, taking his hand.

Cristina, who rarely showed her emotions, found herself choking back tears for the second time today.

" I'm not ready to lose you. I need you to fight."


" There you are," Meredith said as she approached Derek who was sitting outside the attending's locker room.

" How's Cristina doing?"

" Putting up a front. I'm going to stay here tonight just in case things go badly."

" How is he?"

" Extremely critical. I'm starting to think Cristina was right after the plane crash."

" What do you mean?" asked Derek as they entered an on-call room.

" This place is cursed. Seattle Grace-Mercy Death. George, Reed Adamson, Charles Percy, Lexie, Mark…and now Owen."

" Hunt can't die," Derek reasoned as Meredith sat down on an empty bed.

" Why?"

" First off, one of his surgeons just happens to be my amazing, sexy, kickass wife."

" True."

" I also don't think I could handle a newborn baby AND a grieving Cristina," Derek said with a smile as he pulled the covers aside and tucked Meredith in.


" We are here today to celebrate and remember the life of Dr. Owen Matthew Hunt. Dr. Hunt's life was tragically cut short as he sacrificed his life to save that of a fellow veteran…"

Cristina felt her heart pounding hard in her chest as she was jolted awake.

' It was only a dream,' she thought to herself as she glanced at the clock on the wall. 9:23. She had a quadruple bypass surgery scheduled in less than two hours. She sat up as the door to Owen's room slid open and Meredith stepped inside.

" You're awake."

" How's he doing?" asked Cristina, looking from her best friend to Owen.

" His BP is slightly higher than it was last night which is good."

" But he hasn't woken up yet," stated Cristina.

" Give the anesthesia more time to wear completely off," replied Meredith as Cristina stood and headed for the door.

Where are you going?"

" I've got surgery at eleven," Cristina answered as she exited.

" Are you sure that's such a good idea?"

" Where is my intern?" questioned Cristina as she entered the elevator.

" Dr. Ross is on my service today."

" Page him and have him meet me in the Cardiac wing," instructed Cristina.

" Cristina. Your hus…your boy…Owen was critically injured last night. How can you expect to be level headed during surgery?"

" Mer. I am not one of those people that can just sit there, waiting at his bedside, hoping for him to wake up. I need to cut. I HAVE to cut!" Cristina responded as the doors to the elevator slid open and they stepped out.

" Dr. Grey!" shouted Shane Ross as he approached the two friends.

" Happy. You're back on my service."

" You're still operating Dr. Yang? Can I scrub in with you?" asked the eager intern.

" You wish. I need you to do me a favor."

" Anything Dr. Yang!"

" I need you to provide me with hourly updates regarding Dr. Hunt's status. Can you manage to not screw that up?"

" Will do Dr. Yang!" he replied as Cristina began walking away.

" He is such an ass kisser!" she muttered.

" Cristina. No one expects you to operate right now. You can reschedule your surgery for another day..." Cristina paused then looked at Meredith.

" Do you remember the day that Burke and I were supposed to get married? His mama took my eyebrows, leaving me to feel open and exposed. We begged Bailey to let me operate. I didn't feel like Cristina Yang that day. I felt like someone else. Meredith, right now I feel the same as I did that day. The thought of losing Owen kills me. He's my McDreamy, my Army Surgeon Badass. I love him Mer. I know we're not perfect; we're far from it. The thought of sitting by his bedside, waiting for him to die or for the anesthesia to wear off…that makes me feel like someone else. It makes me feel weak. I am Cristina Yang, a badass cardiothoracic surgeon. I am not weak. I need to cut, to operate." With that, she turned and headed for her patient's room.


12:02 P.M.

" I don't know how this man is still alive," Cristina commented as she examined the patient's heart. Behind her, a door opened and Shane Ross stepped in.

Do you have an update for me Happy?"

" Dr. Hunt is still unconscious and in critical condition. His BP is still 50/35."

" See you in an hour."


2:11 P.M.

" Any changes in his condition?" Cristina asked as Shane re-entered the OR.

" No changes since an hour ago. How much longer do you think you'll be?"

" Do you have somewhere to be Ross? Is there something more important than your Chief of Surgery's life?"

" Um. No Dr. Yang."

" Then go. Now!"


2:45 P.M.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

" Whose pager is that?" questioned Cristina, pausing as she stitched up a portion of the patient's heart.

" It's your pager Dr. Yang," as the nurse held up the pager for Cristina to see.

" That's Shepard's number. Whatever he wants is going to have to wait," Cristina replied as she went back to stitching up her patient.


3:06 P.M.

" This guy is one lucky son of a bitch," Cristina muttered as she put the last set of stitches in the man's heart. Once again, the door behind her opened. Not wanting to take her eyes off the patient, she continued with her stitching.

" Happy. Any news?" The room was silent.

Dr. Ross. Are you deaf? I asked you for an update."

" Cristina." Cristina stopped in mid-stitch to find Derek standing behind her.

" Dr. Shepard, whatever it is, it can wait. I'm in the midst of finishing my patient's bypass," she said as she continued stitching.

" Dr. Russell has already scrubbed and will be taking over," answered Derek as he took Cristina by the arm.

" Why? What's going on?" she asked, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest as she entered the scrub room with Derek.

" It's Owen."