Owen Hunt started this episode, the Grey's Anatomy winter finale, trying to referee a heated debate between Maggie Pierce and Derek Shepherd over the best treatment for Maggie's patient. Owen was faced with two surgeons who refused to give any ground to the other, both assertively stating their cases for the best course of action which was, of course, their own. Derek's attempt to sway Owen to his side was interrupted by Meredith Grey stepping into the room at Maggie's request for an additional consult. Owen was then further embroiled in his position as referee once the personal energy of Meredith and Derek's relationship waded into the room too. Owen called a time out and put the patient, the ultimate authority, in the driver's seat by saying they should present her with the truth of her condition. Maggie and Derek continued to argue in the patient's room, now with Meredith surprisingly agreeing with Maggie's approach. To calm the situation Owen indicated they would perform further diagnostics to determine which infection was more urgently impacting the patient's condition before he would direct the surgical team in how to approach helping her heal.

Further competitive challenges, this time between patients, awaited Owen in the lab when Callie Torres encouraged what she called 'healthy competition' between two veterans awaiting an opportunity to try out the prosthetics she and Owen were developing along with Jackson Avery in their shared research. Owen cautioned a more tempered approach which Callie initially ignored until their patient proved ill-prepared for the reality of trying to walk again. When their patient fell and injured himself Owen and Callie rushed to treat him, involving Amelia Shepherd to asses his injuries. Chastened by her previous approach and its result, Callie brought her focus back to their patients rather than concerning herself with their research's progress. She worked to assure another one of their research patients his friend would heal and they both would have opportunities to walk utilizing their newly developed prosthetics. 

While prepping to operate on Owen and Callie's research patient Amelia thanked Owen for trusting her to work at the hospital in light of last week's accidental unearthing of her history as an addict. While Owen assured her Derek's word that she was sober and prepared to run the department was good enough for him, Amelia asserted she would prefer to stand on her own two feet rather than upon her brother's opinion of her. Owen thanked her for her honesty and said that everyone, including himself, carried something with them that made life challenging. 

Once their research patient was out of surgery yet still unconscious, Owen carefully reviewed his condition while schooling Callie on what risk means to a soldier and how encouraging their competition in the lab put their patients in a precarious position whether it seemed that way to her or not. Callie continued to fumble her way through encouraging their remaining research patient while struggling to figure out how to connect the dots between him and Owen's advice on her approach. 

As Owen thanked Amelia for taking care of their patient, she extended an olive branch and pointed out that since Owen lived in the tin can trailer in the Shepherd and Grey backyard if he ever felt like talking it would be a good diversion from watching Derek and Meredith glare at each other. Owen returned to discussing their research patients with Callie, continuing to further provide her the perspective of a surgeon and fellow soldier. The crucial piece of the puzzle he provided to Callie was that you don't stop just because things are painful or difficult, you push through, and you find hope in that process. Callie took those words to their reluctant remaining patient and convinced him to move forward with his own progress toward walking again. It was a real treat to see Owen and Callie working triumphantly with their patient, giving them too a little hope for the future.

And I must say, as a continued and forever Owen and Cristina fan, it did my heart good to see Cristina Yang in a scene montage near the end of the episode, even if it was in support of Meredith and Derek's storyline. 

Elsewhere in the hospital: Derek took it personally that Meredith agreed with Maggie's surgical approach which furthered the fissures in their marriage; Stephanie discovered challenging news for April Kepner and Jackson's baby when she performed an ultrasound; Callie found her footing in working with the veterans in her research study while still feeling adrift in her personal life; Dr. Herman's condition continued to concern Arizona Robbins who seemed intent on monitoring her mentor to the point of having Dr. Herman's medical records sent to Amelia for review; Derek was approached by someone from the President's staff regarding the brain mapping initiative which by episode's end he'd agreed to take on; Jo Wilson grew increasingly frustrated by sharing Alex Karev with his friend Meredith and his / their new roommate Arizona; Miranda Bailey encouraged Richard Webber to be true to himself in attempting to forge a relationship with Maggie, whom he'd recently found out was his daughter; Amelia reviewed Dr. Herman's records and concluded she could remove the tumor; and Meredith considered her future in the face of the state of her marriage