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In hospitals they say you know. You know when you’re going to die. Some doctors say it’s a look patients get in their eyes. Some say there’s a scent, a smell of death. Some think there’s just some kind of sixth sense, when the great beyond is headed for you, you feel it coming. Whatever it is, it's creepy. Because if you know, what do you do about it? Forget about the fact that you're scared out of your mind. If you knew this was your last day on earth, how would you want to spend it?

As We Know It is the seventeenth episode of the second season and the 27th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Short Summary

Danger looms at Seattle Grace as the Code Black is in full effect. Derek refuses to vacate the OR as Tucker's head is still open on the table, endangering both their lives; Bailey refuses to push as she endangers her life and her baby's life and Meredith still has her hand in the body, with Cristina refusing to leave her. Away from the bombs, the stress gets to Richard, causing him to have a suspected heart attack.

Full Summary

The episode starts with a thud. Derek Shepherd refuses to leave his OR, as he has an open brain on the table and the patient is Dr. Bailey's husband. Also, Dr. Bailey refuses to push and asks George to take her home, but George declines as the baby could be in severe danger if she doesn't push. Meanwhile, the floor has been evacuated, leaving Dr. Shepherd's team. The OR with the patient with the bomb being held on by Meredith is straight above the oxygen line, so if suddenly the bomb blows up, it could blow the whole hospital up and so they decide to move. Richard, with intense pressure and stress has an anxiety attack that brings Adele to the hospital. Then, after some time, Meredith is ready to pull the bomb out. Meanwhile, George finally convinces Miranda to push, while Dr. Bailey's husband has no pulse and is dying. Meredith finally takes out the bomb and hands it over to Dylan Young, who tells her that she did good. Dr Bailey's husband finally has a pulse and is able to breathe properly. Miranda's baby is born. Everything is going fine until Meredith curiously goes to see that what will be done with the bomb, but as soon as she walks out of the OR, the bomb explodes, killing Dylan and another bomb squad member. Meredith has a great fall, but is alive. In the end of the episode Derek comes to Meredith and she says that she doesn't remember their last kiss. They talk and then Derek leaves. ​​

Cast

Main Cast

Special Guest Star

Guest Stars

Co-Starring

Featuring

Medical Notes

Tucker Jones

  • Diagnosis:
    • Depress skull fracture
    • Epidural hematoma
  • Treatment:
    • Craniotomy
    • Resuscitation

Derek continued to operate on Tucker. He was concerned about Tucker hemorrhaging. Tucker then became unstable. They attempted resuscitation and it initially looked like he wouldn't make it, but they were able to re-stabilize him and finish the surgery. He was expected to make a full recovery.

James Carlson

  • Diagnosis:
    • Large sucking chest wound
  • Treatment:
    • Foreign body extraction
    • Thoracotomy

James was still sedated and being manually ventilated. When they discovered that they were right above the main oxygen line for the hospital, they slowly moved him on the gurney to another OR to minimize the risk. In the new OR, Burke widened the incision, which allowed Meredith to grab the rocket and pulled it out of James's chest. Burke continued his surgery and saved James's life.

Miranda Bailey

  • Diagnosis:
    • Pregnancy
  • Treatment:
    • Vaginal delivery

Bailey was refusing to push, which Addison said could cause fetal distress. She needed Bailey to push soon or she'd need to perform an emergency c-section, which she couldn't do because of the ORs being evacuated. George eventually convinced her to push, soothing her as she labored and soon, her son, William George Bailey Jones, was born.

Richard Webber

  • Diagnosis:
    • Anxiety attack
  • Treatment:

Webber had what initially looked like a heart attack, but blood work revealed that he actually had an anxiety attack.

Hannah Davies

  • Diagnosis:
    • Hand laceration
  • Treatment:
    • Stitches

Hannah ran and fell, cutting her hand. George cleaned the cut and stitched it up for her.

Music

Song Performer Scene
"All the World (I Tell Myself)" Correatown
"Stay Where You Are" Ambulance LTD
"World Spins Madly On" The Weepies
"Back in the Wild" Greenskeepers
"Homebird" Foy Vance
"Breathe (2 AM)" Anna Nalick
  • When Meredith pulls the bomb out.
"Unlike Me" Kate Havnevik
  • .When Meredith and Derek are talking.

Notes and Trivia

  • This episode's title originated from the song It's The End of the World As We Know It, originally sung by REM.
  • This episode scored 25.42 million viewers.
  • When Meredith was thrown back from the explosion of the bomb, she was played by a stunt woman.
  • This is the second half of a two part episode.
  • Izzie mentions that she laughs at funerals, which we witness to be the truth in Good Mourning.
  • It was aired with the Super Bowl and has been referred to as "the Super Bowl episode".
  • This episode is aired with the first part, leading to it to be advertised as "It's the End of the World (As We Know It)".
  • This was the episode submitted for Chandra Wilson's bid for the 'Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series' at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards. 
  • This was also the episode that was submitted for Kyle Chandler's bid to win 'Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series' at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards. 
  • According to Shonda Rhimes, when her mother first previewed this episode, she said Adele's line before it was said regarding Derek looking for Meredith.

Gallery

Episode Stills

Quotes

Meredith: Cristina. I have my hand on a bomb. I’m freaking out. And most importantly, I really have to pee. Tell me anything.
Cristina: He told me he loved me. Last night, he thought I was sleeping, but I heard him say it.
Meredith: Burke loves you.
Cristina: Yeah. (to Dylan) Mind your own business.
Meredith: Burke loves you!
Cristina: Yeah everybody has problems.
Meredith: Well are you gonna say it back, or-
Cristina: Of course not! He didn’t say it to me, he said it to sleeping me! Reciprocity is not required. Besides he might blow up.
Meredith: Excellent point.
(The gurney hits a bump in the floor.)
Dylan Young: All right everybody. Let’s just keep placing one foot in front of the other (gives Cristina an ‘I told you so' look) . Nice and slow. All right, Meredith? We’re almost there.
Meredith: Okay.
Dylan Young: We’re almost there. Nice and easy, right? All right let’s go. Nice and slow.
Cristina: You had to say you’re going to die today.
Meredith: I told you.

Addison: (to Richard) Calm down.
Richard: Calm down? I have an evacuated O.R. A bomb in a body cavity. A missing paramedic! An intern with her hand on the explosive! Two world class surgeons in harm's way! (George walks up behind them) A man on a table who may bleed out at any moment unless we move the bomb from his chest! And my favorite resident in labor who you're now telling me refuses to push! Really, calm down? You really want to say to me calm down?

George: (to Richard) Dr. Bailey is scared, sir. It's a day to be scared.
Addison: She won't let me examine her but from what I can tell her contractions are 40 seconds apart and she's refusing to push. The baby could go into distress and if she doesn't come out of this and soon, then I'm gonna need an O.R to do an emergency C-section.
Richard: I can't give you an O.R, Addie! I don't have an O.R to give. Can't you convince her to push? Bailey's rational.
Addison: She's not Bailey right now! She's a woman in labor whose husband is in surgery next to a bomb.
Richard: So is yours.
Addison: This about Bailey. I need an O.R.
Richard: I don't know what to tell you.
Addison: Look Richard, we have about an hour to change Bailey's mind and then I'm going to need you to get me an O.R. Build me an O.R. Find me a helicopter to fly me to any O.R in the city. Otherwise instead of having a baby, she'll be losing one. (walks away)

Meredith: (to Burke) Is this the strangest thing that's ever happened in your O.R.?
Preston: I'd have to say that it is.
Meredith: Good, cause I'm very competitive.
Preston: All the best surgeons are.

Addison: (to Bailey) Dr. Bailey, I need you to turn on your back. I need you to push.
Miranda: Leave me alone.
Addison: Miranda. (to a nurse that is also in there) I can't let her go any longer. I'm gonna go tell Richard that he has to get us an O.R, okay? (Addison moves to leave)
George: Dr. Bailey, I'm surprised at you. I really thought.... this is not how I thought you would do this.
Addison: Dr. O'Malley, I don't think that...
George: (ignores Addison and moves to Bailey's bedside) I truly... I expected more.
Addison: George.
George: You're Dr. Bailey. (she cries a litte) You don't hide from a fight, you don't give up, you strive for greatness. You, Dr. Bailey... you are a doer. And ... I know your husband's not here, and I know there are a lot of things going on here that we have no control over. But this... (lifts her chin up so he can look directly at her) this, we can do. Okay? (Bailey half nods, crying) Okay.

George: (to Bailey) Oh, Dr. Bailey, I can see the top of his head, he's got a lotta hair! Oh, he's cute.
Miranda: O'Malley?
George: Yeah?
Miranda: Stop lookin' at my va-jay-jay.
George: (looks away) Yes, ma'am.

Adele: (to Richard) That is not the she he was asking for.

See Also

A complete overview of this episode's crew can be found here.

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