Early in this week's episode we saw Owen talking to Callie about Dr. Herman's overeager approach to rescheduling surgeries as her own cancer surgery approached. Callie, meanwhile, segued into another one of her verbal outbursts, this time about how much she missed casual dating. Owen didn't miss a beat and affably stepped into the discussion with Callie, assuring her the honest approach was always the best one. When she asked him for clarification, Owen found himself unexpectedly reminiscing about the reasons he got into trauma surgery and how the work he did saving soldiers in the field still connected him to the satisfying work he does today. After his poignant recitation Callie assured a disbelieving Owen that he indeed had game.

Soon thereafter Owen found himself facing yet one more verbal nonsequitur in Dr. Herman's behavior when he followed up with her regarding her further rearrangement of the surgical schedule. He stopped short in his request for her to cease and desist when he realized she had the former couch from the attending surgeon's lounge moved into her office. Owen grew flustered when she flirtatiously suggested they try out together what she called the best couch in the hospital. Dr. Herman quickly let him off the hook yet even in doing so showed us both how much gusto she's putting into living her life and also gave us insight into what it looks like when Owen's off his game. 

In what was starting to seem like Owen's day for awkward encounters, he next found himself discussing Dr. Herman's behavior with Amelia. Ever the thorough Chief of Surgery, Owen inquired whether Dr. Herman's cerebral tumor might be impacting her behavior as her disease progressed. What followed was a bit of mostly off their game information gathering about each other that had the two of them discussing Dr. Herman's joking offer to Owen and whether or not dating coworkers was allowed. At the end of the conversation they both appeared thoughtful and a fair bit flustered. 

By the end of the day things were looking up for Owen who received a surprise visit at the trailer from Amelia. She mumbled her way through presenting him with a bottle of sparkling water in place of the wine she doesn't drink anymore before declaring she had no game and turning to go back to Meredith's house. Owen stopped her before announcing he was going to kiss her and then did just that.

Elsewhere in the hospital: Miranda and Ben received a visit from his brother who ended up in the hospital with complications from his steps toward gender reassignment; Arizona discovered being roommates with Alex and Jo was more than that for which she bargained; Maggie and Meredith quarreled over what happened on Meredith's purported weekend in D.C.; Amelia and Arizona continued to evaluate Dr. Herman in preparation for her surgery; Catherine looked for a surgical excuse to continue her unexpected reunion with Richard which turned out to be an attempt to gather information covertly on her son Jackson; Dr. Herman took to hoarding hospital furniture and other flamboyant behavior as her surgery neared while also bonding with Arizona; Callie and Jo treated a patient who injured herself reacting to her fiance's proposal; while treating their patient Callie and Amelia bonded over having no dating skills; Ben struggled with his brother's decision while Miranda tried to support both men, Callie got some of her groove back flirting and dancing with a man at Joe's Bar; Meredith told Alex that instead of visiting Derek she took a weekend of solo R&R for herself in an airport hotel because she doesn't know how to be with Derek right now; and Alex said he's going to marry Jo.

In an episode which centered upon a devastating  loss for April and Jackson as they dealt with the very frightening diagnosis of their as yet unborn child, we saw everyone wanting to help them while alternately facing their own grief-filled reaction to their friends' situation.

The conflict between faith and science was ever present throughout the episode. Repeated scenes in the chapel showed us people lighting candles for their friends and yet their discussions also reminded us that there was work in front of them because patients also needed their help.

The stress was evident on Owen's face as he stood trying to maintain order in a chaotic Emergency Department. In the absence of a usually very driven April he was short-handed and trying to manage an influx of patients. Also clear was the sadness in his demeanor when he reminded his team that April and Jackson were dealing with their own vivid pain in the same hospital.

While the surgical staff uncomfortably discussed how to help their friends, Amelia cut through the discussion by advising April and Jackson should be given privacy to work their way through their grief. Owen, kind-hearted as he is, noticed Amelia seemed to be struggling and took it as an opportunity to check in about her surgical plan for Dr. Herman. Amelia begged off, while Owen puzzled over her subdued response.

Later in the chapel we saw more of Owen as he encountered Alex struggling feeling comfortable lighting a candle. His discomfort spurred Alex to ask Owen about Meredith's assertion that Cristina used to sit with her children. Owen presented another side of the story, that while Cristina did take on babysitting duties, when diapers needed changing or children's games needed to be played Owen was the one who stepped in. When Alex tried to pawn off babysitter duties on Owen to help Meredith go out of town, Owen declared he'd do it for Cristina but not for Alex.

Owen continued on in harried trauma surgeon mode as the ER continued to fill up with patients. April, who still struggled with letting go of her baby, appeared intent on working rather than facing her potential for loss. Owen kindly tried to assure her that while he was grateful for her appearance because things ran much more smoothly when she's around, he also wanted her to take care of herself. Yet it was April's appearance in the ER that gave her an unexpected opportunity to counsel a patient and, in the process, find a belief in herself that she too can get through her current situation. 

Another unexpected emotional reaction from Amelia was what allowed Owen to gain further insight into how to potentially reach out to someone in this new phase of his life. After seeing Amelia upbraiding Stephanie for her hesitant reaction in the operating room, Owen took the opportunity to inquire again about Amelia's emotional state. While she initially disavowed anything being amiss, she later shared a poignant moment with Owen in the chapel in which she mentioned her own loss of a baby.

Elsewhere in the hospital: Arizona and Dr. Herman endeavored to help April and Jackson through the medical phases of their decision-making process; Catherine Avery arrived to help her son and his wife through their loss; Meredith searched to find a sitter for a weekend visit to Derek in D.C.; Miranda and Ben treated a shooting patient together before their own planned for romantic weekend; Amelia and Stephanie treated a neurosurgical patient; Maggie found herself frustrated as Meredith asked everyone but her to babysit; Richard and Catherine saw each other again after a long time apart; Callie unexpectedly helped a patient deliver a baby; Dr. Herman checked in with Amelia about her surgical plan for her tumor, and a mystery intern appeared throughout the episode and turned out to be the fiancee of a patient who'd died the night before. 

Writer's note: While my heart does hurt watching Owen's lonely struggle in the absence of Cristina, I do still love his continued tender mentions of her even as he tried to figure out here how to reach out and move forward