All of the doctors are huddled around Miranda Bailey, sitting at the computer asking if it's there yet.  "Have they posted it, they were supposed to post it at 4, try hitting the refresh button," and when she's finally sick of hearing it and turns to tell them all off, it's there.  The hospital ratings.  What ranking does Seattle Grace get among all of the other teaching hospitals?  Surely they are in the top five, last time they were three, so surely they're in the top 5, right?  Wrong.  They scroll down to find themselves at #12!  Chief Webber is beside himself.  How could he be #12?  Now they are far enough down on the list that the hospital across town will get all of their "good" patients and they will get all the leftovers. . . and it's snowing outside with high potential of black ic with lots of car accidents that they won't get in their hospital.  The residents are all waiting outside in the cold on the off-chance that by some miracle someone is so near to death near Seattle Grace that they will actually come.  Just when they are about to give up on the potential, a limo comes sliding in to the dock.  It has obviously been in a terrible accident.  Three women in nice dresses come spilling out coverd in blood, but not theirs, their drivers.  He flew through the windshield.  They managed to pull him out and drive to the hospital.  The women are inside trying to reach their husbands to no avail.  The women themselves are relatively alright except one who's meory appears to be "resetting" every thirty seconds.  She'll need further evaluation.

Meanwhile, Erica Hahn is pressing the chief for what ways in which she can be better at teaching the residents.  Obviously he doesn't believe she is a good teacher, so she is taking notes on how to be better.  Chief, in his desperation to make it good, heads up the critical injuries of the driver, leaving Miranda Bailey to do the paperwork.  They do everything they can in surgery, but they were never able to revive the driver.  Miranda gets word of three men injured in a limo nearby.  Realizing they may be the husbands of their patients', she has the women insist the men be brought to Seattle Grace instead.  The ambulance arrives and they quickly ascertain that he has been given a tracheotomy with a ball point pen.  Following close behind is Major Hunt, a military surgeon who was at the scene and did what he felt need to be done to save the man's life.  Cristina Yang is very impressed and whispers the word "hot"under her breath as the man passes. 

This new doctor immediately starting trying to run his own show.  He is very involved with the patients and though he has sustained a serious cut to his thigh, he insists on watching "his" patients.  One man has had a tracheotomy and as it turns out, his vocal chords have been severed with no chance of speaking again.  The other problem-his insurance runs out at midnight tonight.  His wife tries to make some calls to find out what is wrong with the insurance and realizes that all of the credit cards have been canceled as well.  She is left not knowing what she should do.  The story soon unfolds of how this man has been cheating with his wife's best friend, who is also there at the hospital.  He lost his job 8 months ago and was afraid to tell her which led to the affair.  He really does love her and wrote her a letter in hopes she'll forgive him.  The wife, who is hesitant to listen is forced to by Lexie Grey who begins reading it aloud.   The wife leaves unsure of what to do. 

The second man is in critical condition and they are working hard to stabilize him.  They move him immediately to the O.R. for surgery, but Chief tells Cristina to take care of Major Hunts leg before she can scrub in.  She goes to prep him for staples in his leg, but when she turns around he's already stapling it up himself with no anesthesia.  Cristina is again very impressed by this strong rugged man and she leaves to do her surgery.  Cristina Yang scrubs in with chief Richard Webber and Erica Hahn.  While Erica attends to the patient's heart, Cristina is stitching his intestines.  Hahn asks Chief how he suggest she go about changing her teaching style.  He suggests talking to her attendings to find out how they work best.  So she turns to Cristina looking for an answer.  Cristina says she works best by the Socratic method of asking questions as they work.  As she's answering, she realizes there is a problem with her stitches tearing, and the patient is not doing well.  Erica Hahn points out that she's stitching like it's a heart and for intestines she needs to do differently-which she would know if she worked more on her general surgery skills instead of just working on hearts all of the time.  Cristina feels responsible as they finish the surgery knowing that the patient is still in very critical condition. 

The thrid man has had a spinal injury and cannot feel his legs.  After being assessed by Callie Torres and Derek Shepard it is clear that he will never walk again.  The abrupt Major Hunt suggest they do an experimental technique of freezing the man in an attempt for him to regain the use of his legs.  Derek quickly denies the surgery saying the patient is too old, but Callie is intrigued and starts to read up on the surgery.  Though things go a little rough, the surgery is successful (see more here).

In all of this mess, Meredith Grey is trying to figure out if a relationship can really last.  She follows Cristina outside to talk to her about her fears, but the two get in an argument instead.  Cristina goes to walk back into the hospital and slips on some ice landing flat on her back.  Before Meredith can help her up, a huge icicle falls stabbing her in the abdomen.  Meredith runs for help, but before she gets back, it's Major Hunt who scoops her up and rushes her into the E.R.  Cristina is embarrassed and wants Meredith to pull it out and not tell anyone about it.  Within minutes, however, Chief Webber is there to witness what's going on.  He insists she get x-rays first and send in her interns to attend her.  Not only are the interns nervous to be working on her, she's shouting orders and realizing that they really don't know what they're doing.  Why don't they?  They've never had the chance.  She always does everything for them.  Realizing her errors in teaching, Dr. Hunt soon takes over the treatment.  Leaning in close as if he's going to kiss her, he reaches down and yanks the huge icicle out of her abdomen.  He stitches her up and talks with her about joining him in the thrill of medicine like he does it.  Raw, out on the line of duty where you can't control the elements and you do what you can to save lives.  She learns that the patient she did surgery on, has died and feels responsible.  He tells her that the best thing you can do is learn from your mistakes and move forward to be better the next time.  Chief Webber comes to check on her, interrupting the two.  He says he's asked around about Hunt and offers him a job at Seattle Grace.  Though flattering, the Major is pleased to finish out his service in the military and Chief leaves.  Hunt turns around and closes the blinds before grabbing Yang by the hair and kissing her.  "I don't even know you," she says.  "So!" and he's gone just as suddenly as he came. 

Richard Webber is still very upset about the ratings.  In talking with Derek Shepard, he blames Meredith for him going "soft."  He's not sure if he can handle having her at the hospital with his history with her mother.  Chief pulls the entire staff into the conference room.  He is ashamed of the ratings and is holding everyone responsible.  He lets them all know that no one's job is secure and that they are all going to be under scrutiny from now on.

more from this episode . . .