Sewn-up Hearts | Grey's Anatomy

3. | We Don't Love the Same

Difference 3. He has had a relationship. She has had a couple one-night stands

"Owen Hunt, age 42, has a valve tumour and course of treatment is going to be determined."

Owen looked up and his stomach turned. There she was. The woman he had loved for so many years, someone he thought about every day and what would happen when she came back. He never imagined it would be like this.

Cristina met his eyes and he smiled at the friend he thought he lost. Her eyes softened and he wondered how her life was, if she was married, or how she had been. There wasn't s ring on her finger, it brought relief to him although he was in love with Amelia.

At least that was what he told himself.

She had aged, not by much, but he could tell especially when he hadn't seen her in a while. But she was different, she stood up taller, her grey fitted blazer made her look more intimidating and the newt bun on her head brought out her cheekbones. She was different.

"How are you Cristina." He asked weakly.

"I should be asking you, have you had any seafood lately, shrimp, oysters, octopus?" She asked.

"No, you know I hate seafood." He tried. She only ignored him.

"Since when do we ask about seafood effecting valve tumours?" Blurted out Amelia.

"Since I started a valve tumour trial several months ago and had worked for the most part." Replied Cristina. "It hasn't gone public.

"Ok I still don't get you're operating on Owen." She said.

"What is the problem?" Asked Cristina.

Owen tensed, Amelia was easily jealous, it was something he could accept but right now, he was gonna go into heart failure if she had a fit.

"I mean, why is his ex-wife operating? Are you even fit for the job?"

Owen rolled his eyes. "Amy."

"Don't Amy me, you can't operate on him you're his ex-wife."

"Sweetie you're making decisions for him and you're his ex-wife as well. We choose to let you make these decisions because we trust you will make the right one however, legally, you have just as many rights about this case as I do. I am operating and I would appreciate you choose and listen to how we can operate instead of who is operating." Said Cristina, clearly annoyed by the younger Shepherd.

Amelia turned red and faced to Owen. "Owen-"

"Amy she's operating." He assured her.

"But she's-"

"I love you, ok?"

"Why can't Teddy or Maggie operate?"

Cristina interrupted. "Look here, I came here, not to steal surgeries, but because Meredith flied to Switzerland just to take me back here. I'm sorry if you feel threatened by my existence or whatever but I'm here to operate because I'm good, not to win your freaking boyfriend back"

Owen smiled, that was the Cristina he knew. But hearing her words, a pang of sorrow hit him. He still had a place for her in his heart, and he almost wished she wanted to love him too.

"I'm so scared." Whispered Amelia.

"I know." Cristina touched his girlfriend's arm.

Owen filled up his palm and motioned for her to come near and Amelia clutched his hand.

Cristina tried to hide the pain she felt as she watched their contact from the corner of her eye. She got it, why Amelia would be so worried. The words she said were honest, she didn't want to win him back. But it would be an absolute lie if she said she wished things were different than they were now, that she wanted kids and the amazing job offer was in Seattle instead of Zurich.

"My team of cardiothoracic surgeons in the Klausman Institute have performed a new way of removing the tumour without removing the valve."

"Why can't we do a pig valve transplant?"

"I'm afraid the tumour has almost completely taken over the valve and many arteries surrounding it. If we take out the valve, the arteries will still have the tumour and due to their critical condition, the might not accept the new valve. Especially if it is of a pig."

"So what's your recommended approach?" Asked Owen, clutching Amelia's hand tighter. Those words scared him more and more and he now got why they had to be so sympathetic towards patients.

"We have a technique that proves to work quite well in removing valve tumours. However although it should work, it isn't certified or in public so it would be extremely risky if something goes wrong." She replied.

Owen sighed looking into Cristina's brown eyes. They were full with unhappiness and he could only imagine how hard it was for her to come back here.

"Well then let's do it."

"Owen we don't know if it will work." Amelia said to him. He sighed and the blue eyes of his girlfriend glistened in fear. The way she looked at him was with pure concern. Owen wondered how two women so different could love him, a messed up trauma surgeon.

He expected Cristina to scold Amelia again but to his surprise, she didn't. "It's up to you two."

Owen looked over at Cristina. "What are the statistics?"

"68% chance of survival in comparison to 9-12%"

Amelia took a deep breath. They both know this was by far their best option. He couldn't believe this was happening. One minute he thought that the pain in his chest was actually just heartache for Cristina, the next minute he was dying in a hospital bed.

But now the heartache was really a tumour and the girl he thought he was pining for was going to operate on him. Guilt of thinking of her while he was in bed with Amelia swallowed him whole.

"Well we don't have much of a choice right? Do your procedure."

OK I MADE THIS WHOLE CLINICAL TRIAL UP SO PLEASE DON'T JUDGE SEAFOOD WAS AT THE TOP OF MY HEAD.

seriously this valve tumour spread to the artery junk is just buildup I seriously doubt that it's that bad. I researched that chances of treatment for a valve tumour are 9-12% but seriously in Grey's they make it seem so much easier. Anyways, next chapter is a bit longer.