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Every day, a surgeon makes decisions that can go one of two ways: either very good or very, very, very bad. The problem is the epically great decisions and the epically bad ones look exactly the same when you're making them. Looking back, it's easy to see when a mistake has been made, to regret a choice that seemed like a decent idea at the time, but if we used our best judgment and listened to our hearts, we're more likely to see that we chose wisely and avoided the deepest, most painful regret of them all -- the regret that comes from letting something amazing pass you by.

Take It Back is the thirteenth episode and mid-season premiere of the tenth season and the 209th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Short Summary[]

The doctors face the consequences of the events that took place at April's wedding. Meredith feels betrayed when Derek goes back on a promise, Alex is furious after returning to the hospital and hearing the news about his father, and Arizona and Callie decide whether or not to move forward together. Meanwhile, Bailey realizes she was wrong about the motive behind Ben's decision to move back to Seattle.

Full Summary[]

The camera zooms in on the barn. The doors slowly open. Jackson and April emerge hand in hand. As they run to the car, Meredith says doctors make decisions that can go either very well or very, very, very poorly, but the problem is that they start off looking the same. Once in the car, April panics for a moment, thinking about what they've done. Jackson asks if she doesn't want to do this and she kisses him. She tells him to drive and he pulls away.

Meredith is angrily putting things into her bag. Derek explains that he can't just say no to the president. Meredith says she gets it, but she's still upset. Cristina comes in and says April's sisters have gone through all the tissues in the whole building. Meredith asks if she got April's mother to calm down. Cristina says she tried, but it's hard to pretend like April didn't just do the coolest thing Cristina's ever seen. She's always been on the fence about April, but now she's more than just a friend. She's a fan. Meredith glares at Derek and walks away. Cristina asks if that was about her, but he says it's about him. She says better him than her. He explains the president's call and Cristina is awed by the president calling him. Cristina's phone buzzes and she tells Derek that something happened at the hospital.

Back at the hospital, Alex is calling for Shane to be fired. Owen tells him that Webber is watching his father like a hawk and his vitals are stable. As Webber exits Jimmy's hospital room, Owen asks what Shane was thinking. Richard points out that he wasn't, that Shane was hallucinating and thought Jimmy was Heather. Leah admits that Shane had showed her how to beat the system and continue to work without sleeping. She leaves to find Shane. Owen says Cristina's on his way. Alex doesn't want Cristina touching Jimmy because he blames her for Shane's hubris. Owen wants to wait to get all the facts, but Alex reveals that Cristina and Shane were sleeping together.

Callie and Arizona are loading April and Matthew's gifts into the back of their car. Arizona is upset because one of the gifts doesn't have a card and she doesn't know how April will return it without the card. Callie says they'll find the cards and urges Arizona to calm down. She tells Arizona they'll fix it. Arizona says, "No, we won't." She goes on to say that Callie has been trying to fix their marriage and Arizona and she's so good that she's killing herself trying to fix things. Callie says Arizona doesn't have to apologize, but Arizona says she isn't and she doesn't want to. She's not the same person anymore. And she doesn't want to be fixed. Callie objects that she's not the same person she was before either. Before she can finish her thought, Arizona says it's not working and Callie knows it. She says Callie knew before she did. Callie wants to go home and talk about it, but Arizona says it's not her home anymore.

Miranda wants Ben to stop acting like a child and talk to her. He's offended by her calling him a child and asks what else she blames him for, other than causing her OCD. She says this marriage was supposed to be different from her first. Ben was supposed to understand the life of a surgeon, but he quit. He says he wasn't happy to walk away from his residency. He was a star. He loved what he was doing, but he gave it up to be back in Seattle with her. It was a hard choice, but he made it for her.

Leah still hasn't found Shane. She's going to try his apartment next. Jo goes to sit next to Stephanie, who is in a chair, looking shocked. Jo asks Leah to take Stephanie home because she's had a rough day. Unaware of what happened at the wedding. Leah asks if Stephanie danced too hard and is annoyed that she's unhappy having gone to the wedding while Leah was stuck at the hospital. Stephanie tells her what actually happened, that Jackson ran off with April. Leah is shocked. Jo says she'll find Stephanie a ride home and as soon as things calm down with Alex's dad, Jo will be there and they'll drink and burn things. She asks if Stephanie can wait five minutes and goes to find her a ride. Leah looks at Stephanie for a minute before leaving.

Stephanie gets up and walks out of the hospital still in her dress. Shane is on a bench behind the hospital, sleeping in a blood-stained gown and gloves.

April tells Jackson to pull over the car, which he does. He tells her to calm down. She questions what they're doing, if there's a plan. He asks if it seems like he planned to ruin her wedding. She admits that it doesn't seem like him to plan that. She exits the car, saying they can't run away together.

Three Weeks Later

Arizona is walking with a real estate agent, Renee, who tells her that they'll fix the gutters, water damage in the bedroom, everything. She comments that she rarely sees a deal go through that quickly and Arizona must have been really ready to move. Arizona says that sometimes, you just need a fresh start. Renee congratulates her. Callie exits the house, saying she's not sure they should be popping the champagne so soon. She says there's a man-sized blood stain in the bedroom. Callie says they said they'd replace the carpet by the close of escrow. Arizona notes that the stain is rust. Renee says she thinks the carpet guys are coming today and says she'll call to check on that. After Renee has walked away to call, Arizona says the house is beautiful and soon, it'll be theirs. Callie says it's a murder house. Arizona asks her to try. Callie says it's kind of beautiful. They kiss.

Derek, dressed in a suit and tie, is followed by Ben, who points out his unusual outfit. Derek says that he has a big thing today. Ben says he does, too. He has rounds and then an ER shift which could lead to a grisly trauma surgery. He asks about Derek's day. Derek says he's being vetted by the White House. Ben says it's kind of a big day for both of them then.

Jo is telling Leah that they can't force Stephanie to talk about it if she doesn't want to. Leah says it's been three weeks and they haven't gotten any information from anyone. Ben enters the locker room. Leah says he sits at the big kids' table and asks if he has any information. He says he doesn't like gossip and Leah says she doesn't like him. Stephanie comes in and Leah and Jo are surprised to see her. Stephanie claims she hasn't been in hiding, but quickly recants when Jo glares at her. She says time heals wounds. She sees Shane's stuff in his cubby and asks if Shane's back. Leah hasn't seen him and Jo can't believe the board is letting him come back. Ben says that a couple weeks of rest probably did Shane some good, that he's a good kid who went down a bad road. Jo responds, "Can it, pops?" and leaves, prompting him to question Leah and Stephanie on how old they think he is. Stephanie guesses 49. Bailey comes in with Ben's lunch. Ben says he was planning to go to the cafeteria. Bailey says he'll get pizza or a burger and then complain to her about heartburn and she doesn't want to hear it. He takes the lunch from her with a kiss. Stephanie wants to change her answer. She now thinks he's 12.

Jo is shocked that Alex lied to Naomi Evans to get her to come to Seattle, but Alex says it was the only way and someone other than him needs to take responsibility for Jimmy and they're still legally married. Jo says Alex can't just lie, but Alex says it turns out that he can. They meet up with Naomi, who immediately recognizes Alex as Jimmy's son. Alex apologizes and introduces himself and Jo, startling her when he calls her his fiancée. He kisses Jo on the cheek and leads Naomi away.

A paramedic wheels in a patient, saying there was a MVC pileup by the waterfront. Owen warns they have multiple incoming. Nicole tells Arizona that the cars took out pedestrians, too. Arizona is examining a little girl, whom Nicole informs her wasn't conscious in the field. Arizona wheels her toward a trauma room. Shane stands in the entrance of the ER, watching. Jackson comes in and calls for Shane, saying he needs help, but as Shane walks toward him, Owen says Shane's with him for the day. He tries to send Stephanie with Jackson, but quickly realizes his mistake. He wants to send Ben instead, but Richard objects, saying Owen can't break up the "Big Dogs." Leah says she'll go because she wouldn't want to break up the "old dogs." Ben corrects her, but she's gone. Ben goes back to his patient, who has heard his remark and says it wasn't a dog; it was a cat, a really big cat.

Paramedics bring in another patient, the cat, Robert Fischer. Stephanie is startled by his appearance. The paramedic tells her that he was a pedestrian who was hit by a car. His vitals are stable, but his right arm is fractured. As Stephanie continues to stare at his face, he points out that his face isn't what's injured. He extends his claw-like fingernails and says, "Meow."

Derek is directed toward Miles Green and Rita Belmont who are already seated at a restaurant. They introduce themselves and he apologizes for being late. Miles says they knew he'd be late as they've been tracking his phone since they last spoke. He's stunned for a moment, but then Miles laughs and admits that he's just kidding. But he also says they know a crazy amount of stuff about Derek. The White House requires a deeper than normal background check for people associated with the president's program, so their interview will get a little personal. Derek says he understands and they get started. Miles asks about Meredith, saying they met while Meredith was Derek's student. Derek asks if that's bad.

Cristina finds Meredith in her lab and asks if Meredith feels like getting out of the lab for half a day. She has an aortic aneurysm repair. Meredith asks if Cristina wants them to do it together and Cristina says she would, unless Meredith is busy or doesn't want to. Meredith says she wants to, but wants to be sure that Cristina is sure. Cristina says she's sure and Meredith agrees to operate with her.

Robert tells Callie and Stephanie that he was just walking down the street when a woman ran a red light and caused a 6-car accident, including one car that went up on the sidewalk and hit him. Stephanie says his pupils are unresponsive and asks if they're contacts. He yes they are. The teeth are permanent veneers and the whiskers are piercings. As they continue to look at him curiously, he asks if they're going to "doctor him up or what". Stephanie tells Callie that Robert complained of abdominal tenderness and Callie orders a CT to rule out internal injuries before they fix his arm. Robert says there was a little kid who cracked her head open and asks if she's okay. Stephanie says they can find out, but Callie says they need to concentrate on getting him out of there with all his nine lives. She laughs at her own joke even as Stephanie cringes and Robert looks shocked.

Shane is trying to intubate a patient. Owen is roughly talking him through it, saying to pull up and that Shane doesn't want to make things worse. He says the epiglottis is in the way and he can't see. Owen tells Ben to take over for Shane. Shane apologizes and moves out of the way. Owen says that's how a second-year resident intubates someone and sends Shane to look through Penny's phone to see if she has emergency contacts, unless he thinks he needs Ben to show him how to do that, too. Shane leaves. Ben scoffs. Richard says Shane is still fragile and that kind of tough love could was him out before he finds his feet. Owen says it's not love and if he had it his way, Shane wouldn't be there. The board went against his recommendation, but he's still Chief of Surgery, so he'll deal with Shane as he sees fit.

Alex notes that Naomi didn't bring Nicky. She says there was no reason to bring him. She's only there for the guitar, which was her father's. She says he can do whatever he wants with the rest of Jimmy's stuff. They reach Jimmy's room and Naomi is surprised to see that he's still alive and says Alex lied to her.

Meredith and Cristina are operating. Meredith notes that it's their first surgery together since their fight. Cristina knows that and she's enjoying it. Meredith has a question that might ruin the mood. Cristina says just to ask it. Meredith asks where Shane is. She says Cristina pushed them all to let him come back. Cristina says Meredith was right and she should have seen Shane's breakdown coming. But she's also pissed at him and is afraid that if she sees him coming, she rips his arms out and Alex only just started talking to her again. Meredith says the parenting books say that when your kid does something wrong, to let go of the anger when you talk to them. Cristina asks if that's how she's dealing with Derek. Meredith says she is and that the nicer she gets, the guiltier he feels. It's the only fun she has lately. Cristina says the president called him personally. Meredith asks if she really wants to defend him when they're having such a good time. Cristina says, "You're right. Screw the guy."

Jo is telling Leah and Stephanie about Alex calling her his fiancée. She says a proposal is a big deal and wonders why she doesn't remember it. She wonders if she was drunk and asks if she drinks too much Leah says she drinks a lot. Stephanie says Jo's life is perfect, but Jo says being accidentally engaged isn't perfect. Stephanie glares at her and Jo realizes that Alex's speech outside the wedding was him proposing. Leah tells Jo to stop talking about weddings and engagements because Stephanie got left at the altar. Jo says she didn't, but Leah counters that she got left near an altar. April comes in needing a CT for her patient. Stephanie says they're almost done and April says to take their time, that she wants them to have it. She'll come back later. Leah says, "What a bitch," to which Stephanie agrees. Jo says Stephanie needs closure and she should go talk to Jackson. Stephanie shoots back that Jo should just go talk to her fiancé. Jo leaves.

Naomi says it can't be legal for Alex to call her and say Jimmy's dead when he's not actually dead. Alex says Jimmy is dying and he'll be dead within a few days. Alex says Jimmy knows she's coming. Naomi asks if she's supposed to sit in there, hold his hand, and kiss away his years like he wasn't a complete bastard. She says her father left her three guitars when he died. Jimmy pawned the other two and then took off with the third one. Alex says Jimmy came in there trying to get clean for her and Nicky. It was hell, but he did it. Alex says he thinks Naomi and Nicky are the only reason Jimmy is trying to hang on. He asks her not to bail on Jimmy. Naomi goes into the room, but quickly re-emerges with the guitar, saying she was with Jimmy for five years and she knows what it sounds like when he's full of crap and Alex is 100% his son.

As Callie prepares to realign the bones in his arm, Robert tell her and Stephanie that it took 15 surgeries to get him to look like that and took every dime he had. He asks how many people she knows who are unhappy with their lives and if they do anything to change it. He says he didn't like who he was, but he changed it. He had the balls to become who he wanted to be. He committed. Stephanie says some people just get a gym membership, but Callie says he went all in and she likes it. Stephanie asks how the ladies like it. He says he had a girlfriend when he started the procedures and she liked it, but then that ended. He says the cat man gets more than his share of tail. He asks again about the little girl, but Callie says patient information is confidential. He assumes that that means it's bad news.

Leah is operating with Jackson. He asks her to remove the clamps and she does so roughly, throwing them into a bin with a loud clang. He asks her if there's something she needs to say. She asks if Jackson could have given Stephanie a heads up about what he was going to do. Stephanie was worried about April and even asked him about her. He says he could have just kept working and not gotten her to help. She says he has a problem with impulse control. He says he's been trying to apologize to Stephanie for weeks, but she keeps walking away when she sees him coming. He's miserable about what he did. He says he didn't know he was going to do it until he did it. Leah says Stephanie's alone, he's alone, and April's alone, so everyone's pretty miserable. He says he's going to continue operating and she can continue to glare, but she is going to help.

April tells Arizona that they were just glaring at her, judging her with their resident eyes, like they used to stare at Arizona with cheater eyes. Arizona says cheater eyes are the worst, but that it's not like April deserves it. With her and Jackson, it's not the same thing, is it? April starts to stutter out an explanation, but Callie comes up and tells Arizona that the carpets will be done by three and they have an appointment with the notary at five. April asks if they are signing the papers for their house. Callie says maybe not because there's no way she'll be out of the hospital by five. Arizona says it's not a problem since he's a traveling notary and can come to them. Callie says that's splendid. April says there's an ice cream maker she couldn't figure out how to return, so that'll be their housewarming gift. With a hug from behind, she congratulates Arizona and leaves. Arizona says she told Callie they should have kept track of the cards. Bailey, who has witnessed the whole exchange does up and asks if they know anything about what happened between April and Jackson. She's been trying to get Ben to do recon work, but he doesn't like gossip, which confuses Arizona. Stephanie runs up and says Robert Fischer is missing from his room. When Callie looks confused, she says Cat Man, "The cat got out." They run to go find him.

In the cafeteria, Webber invites Shane to eat with him and Ben. Shane says Owen wants him to triple check the labs for Penny before her surgery. Webber says that her surgery isn't for a while and he has time to sit down and eat. Shane sits and says Ben can also use some friends his own age. As Ben pulls a dinosaur-shaped sandwich out of his lunch bag, he asks Webber how old he thinks he is. Shane asks about the sandwich. Before Ben can reply, Richard picks up the note that was with it and reads, "Have a wonderful day, my special boy. Don't forget to wash your hands." Ben says he has Tuck's lunch by mistake and he goes to get a burger instead. Shane gets paged by Owen and leaves to get the labs, leaving his apple behind.

Robert enters the little girl's room. She is sleeping. He apologizes and says it's all his fault. He asks her to get better. The girls wakes up and when she sees him, she screams. Arizona comes in and asks him what he's doing in there and she, too, screams when she sees his face. He apologizes.

Alex is banging on the side of a vending machine when Jo approaches him and asks if the speech outside the wedding was a proposal. He asks if she's serious and what did she think it was. She thought he was just upset and didn't know it was a proposal. He says Naomi walked out on Jimmy and now she's walking out on him. It's kismet. She says she's not walking out on him, but they can't get married because he's screwed up about his dad. He says not to blame it on that and if she doesn't want to get married, just say so. She says she doesn't. She's not ready. She says it's not about love; it's about grief. Alex protests that he's not grieving. Alex walks away and Jo slams her fist into the vending machine, breaking the glass.

Miles say that Derek's sister's drug problem is under control and she's still going to meetings. Derek is surprised and pleased to hear that. Miles says that doesn't concern them. What would concern them is hiring undocumented workers and outstanding debt. He doesn't have those, not even student loans. Rita asks him about Michael Boetcher. He is shocked to hear that name. Derek asks if that's relevant. Rita asks why Derek has been sending his mother $3500/month.

Jimmy asks about Naomi and Nicky. Alex tells him that they're not there. Jimmy says he's afraid that if he tells Alex how much it means to him that he convinced Naomi and Nicky to get on a plane, Alex will call and tell them to forget it. Jimmy doesn't know how Alex managed it. Alex says he told them he was dead. Jimmy notices that his guitar is gone and asks about it. Alex lies and says he put some of Jimmy's stuff in storage. Jimmy asks him to get the guitar back because it was Naomi's father's and taking it was one of the worst things he's ever done. He wants to give it back to Naomi. He asks Alex to make sure he's awake when they get there. Jimmy's vitals start to become unstable.

Callie looks at Robert's scans and says it doesn't look like he did too much damage. Robert say he shouldn't have done it and Callie agrees, but he says he never should have left the house because it caused this whole accident. When he started changing his appearance, everyone asked him if he was going to like it in 20 years. He thought he would. He thought he knew who he was. He was 19 at the time. He works from home, a data entry job he's had for 16 years. He can't date because the kid of women who find him attractive scare the crap out of him. He doesn't have friends. People stare and laugh and they punch. He says time goes by and he realizes he hasn't left his house in a year and a half. He wanted to try to live again and go for a walk. Callie says they're going to finish splinting his arms. He asks if she cane make it quick. He just wants to go home.

Alex comes into the OR where Cristina and Meredith are operating. He says Jimmy's BP has tanked. Cristina asks if he's in and out of consciousness and Alex confirms that he is. He asks if this is it, the end. Meredith asks if he's okay. He says for her to give him a break, that she of all people should understand. He leaves. Meredith asks if there's anything they can do. She says that Jimmy has a DNR, so she doesn't think so. She'll take a look once they're done operating.

Richard, Shane, and Ben are operating on Penny as Owen observes. Ben notices a bleeder and asks for a clamp, but Owen asks Shane to take over for Ben. He then quizzes Shane about what blood vessel it is and how he'll repair it. He goes to fix it when Owen continues quizzing him about the anatomy of the area, including embryology. Richard says that Shane can do the tie without quizzing, but Owen says that a surgeon should have complete understanding of a part of the body before operating on it. Shane starts to answer, but before he can finish, Owen interrupts him and shakes his confidence, so he stops and Owen recites the answer and berates Shane for not knowing the anatomy. When Shane apologizes, Owen says Shane doesn't owe him an apology. He owes an apology to the man whose heart he ripped apart because he didn't know what he was doing and he owes one to the woman on the table, who is losing blood because he doesn't know how to do a basic tie. He kicks Shane out of the OR and has Ben take over.

Stephanie approaches Jackson. He's shocked that she's speaking to him. He says it's good to see her. She tells him about Robert, who doesn't want to look like a cat anymore, but doesn't have any money. Stephanie says Jackson can fix him pro bono. Jackson tries to apologize to her, but she says that only helps him, so if he wants to be useful, he can fix Robert.

Alex is sitting by Jimmy's beside. Shane comes to the door. Alex tells him to leave. Shane starts to apologize, but Alex charges at him and starts punching him in the face. Meredith and Cristina pull them apart. Cristina takes Shane away, while Meredith calms Alex down and hugs him.

Cristina is tending to Shane's wounds. He says he thought he'd be okay if he just came back and kept his head down while he did his work. He says he doesn't deserve to feel better and he deserved to get punched. Cristina agrees that he deserved that. She tells him that Ashley Glazier sent her a picture. According to her, it's one of those annoying pictures all mothers think are cute of their babies with food all over their faces. But this picture isn't cute. It's miraculous. She shows him the picture and tells him he saved a baby because he insisted on using the printed conduit and pushed her until she agreed. He made some bad choices, but Nathan's surgery was a good one. She says moving forward, he should make more good choices.

Mario puts a stack of papers on the table in front of Arizona and Callie and tells them to sign wherever there're red tags. Arizona grabs a pen, eager to get started, but Callie puts a hand on her wrist to stop her. Arizona is confused. Callie says she knows Arizona is excited and she hasn't stopped smiling since they found the house and Callie has missed her smile so much, but three weeks ago, Arizona was convinced they wouldn't last. She's worried that Arizona is thinking about how good it feels now and isn't thinking about how Callie comes with the house. Arizona tells Callie that she smiles when she thinks about the house because she doesn't see a hospital bed in their bedroom and she doesn't see the shower that Callie had to drag her into because she wouldn't do it on her own. She sees a tire swing and a tree house and they may wake up in a year and realize it was a huge mistake, but if it works, thinking about it makes her smile so hard, her face hurts. They kiss. Mario says it's not enough just to kiss the bride. They also need to sign the papers. Arizona hands Callie a pen to start signing.

Leah finds Stephanie crying on the stairs and asks her what happened. Stephanie says it's her fault. She knew she shouldn't get involved with Jackson. She knew it was a mistake and did it anyway. She says it's hard being around him. She says she should leave, transfer somewhere else. Leah says leaving's not the answer, that Jackson took advantage. He's her boss. He chose to date her and then chose to humiliate her. She says Arizona did the same thing to her and Cristina did a number on Shane. They're the bosses and the residents are expendable to them, but they shouldn't be. Leah tells Stephanie she could and should do something about it.

Webber confronts Owen outside the OR, saying what Owen did to Shane was vicious. Shane was drowning and Owen was enjoying it. He says he's sorry that his teaching method doesn't involve taking Shane to lunch. Webber challenges Owen to say that what he did had nothing to do with Shane sleeping with Cristina. Owen asks if Webber really thinks he'd let that interfere with him doing his job. Webber says he wouldn't have thought it before today. A nurse comes in and says someone from HR is looking for Owen. He leaves.

Alex is sitting by Jimmy's bedside as he struggles to breathe. Alex lies and says that Naomi and Nicky are on their way. Jimmy asks when they'll be there. Alex says that their plane was delayed, but Alex told them about the guitar and that he loves them. He says it's okay and they know he loves them as Jimmy struggles to breathe. Alex says he can go and Jimmy settles down and stops breathing. Alex stands up to turn the monitor off and calls Jimmy a son of a bitch.

Bailey finds Ben in the locker room and asks him for gossip. He says, "Hello, honey. How was your day?" She still wants information. She says people are buying houses and running out on marriages. Things are topsy-turvy and she doesn't understand any of it. He says there's nothing to spill and even if he knew something, he wouldn't tell her because he needs the other residents to trust him. The only reason there's a spot for him is because one of their friends died. He'll have a hard time becoming a part of their group as it is. Ben puts on his coat and clutches his chest. Bailey asks him if he had pizza for lunch. He says he didn't. She says he doesn't have to gossip with her, but he better not start lying. He admits that he had a burger.

Derek comes into Meredith's lab and puts his phone down on the desk before taking a seat. He says they found something. He says he played hockey in high school. She says she has a lot of slides to get through, but he continues. There was a kid named Michael Boetcher on his team. They were the most aggressive guys on the team. One day, at practice, Derek cross-checked him into the boards. They both went down, got back up, and kept playing. Boetcher didn't come back to school the next day because he had a brain bleed. Meredith asks if he died. Derek say it was worse. It was a pontine bleed, so he couldn't move or speak. He could only blink. Meredith asks if the president's people found out about it. Derek says Boetcher has been in long-term care ever since and Derek has been sending his family money and the president's people wondered why. Meredith says his deep, dark secret is that he's been sending money to the kid's family for 30 years because of an accident that happened when he was in high school. Derek says it's because he put him there. And then, Meredith says, Derek became a neurosurgeon, like a superhero and the president of the US has hand-picked him to carve out the future of medicine. She says she has no room to be angry, but it's infuriating. He says if he could turn it down, he would. Meredith says it would help if he'd stop talking about his duty and just admit that he wants to do it. He admits that he does want to do it. Meredith says she somehow thought that that would help, but it only made her angrier. Derek's phone rings and Meredith answers it, telling the person who called that Derek can't come to the phone because he's fighting with his wife. Derek asks who it is. Meredith says it's the White House. He reaches out and tells her to give him the phone. She says, "It's Owen. Do you think I'm nuts?" She hangs up and tells him they're calling an emergency board meeting.

The members of the board are waiting in a conference room. Owen comes in and shuts the door. Meredith asks if the meeting is about what happened between Alex and Shane. Owen asks what happened between them and Cristina and Meredith both say nothing. Owen tells them that one of the surgical residents has lodged an official complaint with HR, three complaints: directed sexual harassment, quid pro quo harassment, and hostile work environment. HR won't release who filed the complaint or whom the complaint was about. The doctors wonder if "she" actually has a case. Jackson asks what if he just talks to "her," meaning Stephanie, tries to convince her to drop the claim. Callie says Jackson shouldn't talk to her at all. Derek says if she's filed the complaint, that ship has sailed. Owen says they're missing the point. It's not about one person. It's about the whole program. They're letting their personal lives disrupt their work. He says none of them is guilt-free, including himself. He says HR recommended a zero-tolerance policy. With the exception of pre-existing married couples, relationships between subordinates and superiors will be strictly forbidden. He urges them to vote to implement it.

Meredith's voiceover says it's easy to see when a mistake was made when you're looking back at it.

Alex sits with Jimmy's body while Jo watches from the doorway. Alex turns around to look at her and she comes up behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder in support.

Meredith says it's easy to regret a choice that seemed like a good idea at the time.

Jackson is making dinner. The door opens and he asks if it's okay that they're having spaghetti for dinner because he had to toss the chicken. April wraps her arms around him from behind. She says she found a home for the ice cream maker. He says he thought they were keeping it so they didn't go through all that for nothing. They kiss. He tells her they had a board meeting and he doesn't think they'll be able to keep it secret much longer. She asks if the meeting was about them and he says kind of. She asked what happened and he says he'll tell her after dinner. They continue kissing.

As April walks away from the car, Jackson follows her, urging her to get back in the car. He says she can't just walk back. She asks why. He points out that there are bears. She says Matthew doesn't deserve what they're doing and Stephanie. What are they supposed to say to people, her parents, his mother? How do they explain that they just destroyed two perfectly good people so they would … date? He says the best solution is never to talk to any of them again. April doesn't like that solution, so he suggests that they could get married instead. She says, "'Cause that's easier to explain." He says no, because she's right. He doesn't want to date. He wants the whole thing. They can get to Lake Tahoe in 13 hours. She wonders how he knows that, but he asks if she really wants to get into that and she decides that she doesn't. He asks if she doesn't want to think about it or doesn't want to get married.

Meredith says that if we used our best judgment listened to our hearts, we'll find that we chose wisely.

April says yes to getting married. They kiss.

Meredith says they'll avoided the deepest, most painful regret of them all, that which comes from letting something amazing pass you by.

April and Jackson drive off.

Cast[]

Main Cast[]

Guest Stars[]

Co-Starring[]

Medical Notes[]

James Evans[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Organ Failure
    • Sepsis
  • Treatment:

After Shane operated on Jimmy without authorization, Jimmy was left in organ failure. He was in and out of consciousness and struggled to survive for a few weeks before he ultimately died.

Robert Fischer[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Fractured Arm
    • Abdominal tenderness
  • Treatment:
    • Realignment
    • Splinting

Robert was part of the MVC pileup by the waterfront. He was walking along the sidewalk when a woman ran a red light and caused a pileup. Robert was injured when one of the cars jumped the curb and hit him, injuring his arm. The doctors were startled by his appearance, as he had extensive modifications to make him look like a cat. He complained of abdominal tenderness, so they performed a CT to check for internal bleeding before realigning his arm and splinting the break. When he went to check on the little girl, he was startled by her waking up. Thankfully, he didn't do additional damage to his arm. Robert then admitted that he'd like to undo the cat modifications, but he had no money. Stephanie went to Jackson to get him to do the surgeries pro bono.

Penny[]

  • Diagnosis:
  • Treatment:
    • Intubation
    • Surgery

Penny was brought in after the car accident at the waterfront. She told the doctors that there was a really big cat, later revealed to be Robert Fischer. At some point, she stopped breathing, requiring intubation. She was taken into surgery where her other injuries were repaired.

Little Girl[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Head Injury
    • Loss of consciousness
  • Treatment:

The little girl was unconscious in the field and was brought in to the hospital after being involved in the car accident. Arizona Robbins took her to a trauma room. Later, while the girl was sleeping, Robert Fischer entered her room, waking her. She screamed upon seeing him.

Meredith and Cristina's Patient[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Aortic Aneurysm
  • Treatment:
    • Surgery

Cristina had a patient who had an aortic aneurysm. She invited Meredith to operate with her. They successfully clipped the aneurysm.

Jackson's Patient[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Arm injury
  • Treatment:
    • Surgery

Leah scrubbed in with Jackson when he operated on a man with an arm injury.

Shane Ross[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Facial Lacerations
  • Treatment:
    • Stitches

When Shane went to apologize to Alex and Jimmy for the botched surgery, Alex punched Shane several times in the face, requiring stitches, which were performed by Cristina Yang.

Music[]

Song Performer Scene
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" Sleeping at Last
  • April and Jackson run out of the barn, holding hands and smiling.
  • They get in his car, where April starts freaking out but then passionately kisses him.
  • Jackson drives off.
"Bones" Josh Record
  • Alex, Jo and a dead Jimmy
  • Jackson and April in the apartment, together like husband and wife. 
  • Ending scene (the remember): Jackson wants to marry April, and she accept. 

Notes and Trivia[]

  • This episode's title originated from the song Take It Back, originally sung by Pink Floyd.
  • This episode scored 9.42 million viewers.[1]
  • This episode starts with the phrase "Previously on Grey's Anatomy" said by Jackson.
  • The wedding dress worn by Sarah Drew was custom made in Italy.[source?]
  • It is revealed that Amelia is still sober and going to meetings.
  • Sarah Drew had a still shot from this episode of Jackson embracing April blown up on a canvas and hung up in her house.[source?]

Gallery[]

Episode Stills[]

Quotes[]

Cristina: The weeping sisters have gone through every tissue in this building.
Meredith: Did you get the mother to calm down at least?
Cristina: I tried. But how was I supposed to pretend that what just happened wasn't the coolest thing I've ever seen? I've always been on the fence about the Kepner, but now I'm not just a friend. I'm a fan.
(Meredith angrily leaves.)
Cristina: Was that about me?
Derek: No, it's about me. The President called me and now I have to go back on a promise I made her.
Cristina: Oh good, better you than me.

Callie: Arizona, we will fix it.
Arizona: No, we won't. That's the whole problem. You've been trying to fix it. Our marriage, you've been trying to fix me and you're so good you're killing yourself just to fix me.
Callie: You don't have to apologize.
Arizona: I'm not! That's the point! Because I'm not the same person that I was before and I don't wanna apologize. And I don't wanna be fixed.
Callie: Oh, wow, wow, I'm not the same person that I was before either but that...
Arizona: It's not working and you know it! You knew before I did.
Callie: Okay, can we just go home and sit down and talk about this?
Arizona: It's not my home anymore.

Meredith: Is this about what happened with Karev and Ross?
Owen: What happened with Karev and Ross?
Meredith and Cristina: Nothing.

Bailey: You had pizza for lunch didn't you?
Ben: No.
Bailey: You don't have to gossip with me, Ben Warren, but you better not start lying to me.
Ben: It was a burger.
Bailey: Ha! The plot thickens.

Meredith: Hello? Uh, no, Dr. Shepherd cannot come to the phone right now because he is fighting with his wife.
Derek: Who is it?
Meredith: It's the White House.
Derek: Give me the phone! Give me the phone.
Meredith: It's Owen. Do you think I'm nuts?

Jo: Can you take her home? She's had a rough day.
Leah: At a wedding? What? You drank too much champagne? You have blisters on your feet from all the dancing?
Stephanie: My boyfriend ran off with the bride.
Leah: What?!
Stephanie: There was no dancing.
Jo: I'm gonna find you a ride home and as soon as things calm down with Alex and his dad I'm gonna come over and we're gonna drink a lot and burn things.

Callie: I know you're excited. You've been smiling since we found the house, and I have missed that smile so much. But three weeks ago, you were convinced we weren't gonna last. I'm worried that you're thinking about how good it feels now and not thinking about the fact that I... come with the house.
Arizona: You know why I smile when I think about that house?
Callie: Hmm?
Arizona: I look at that house and I don't see a hospital bed in our bedroom, and I don't see a shower that you had to drag me into because I wouldn't do it on my own. I see a tire swing. And a tree house. We may wake up in a year and realize it was a huge mistake. But if it works... Oh, my God. Just thinking about it makes me smile so hard my face hurts.

Robert: You know, there's a little girl out there, cracked her head open. Is she okay?
Stephanie: We can find out.
Callie: Yeah, you know what, let's just worry about getting yourself out of here with all of your nine lives, okay?

Jackson: April, get back in the car! You can't just walk back!
April: Why?
Jackson: Bears?
April: Matthew doesn't deserve this! And Stephanie? What are we supposed to say to them? My parents? Your mother?
Jackson: Oh, my God. My mother...
April: How do we explain that we just destroyed two perfectly lovely people so that we could, what, date?
Jackson: OK, the best solution is never to speak to any of them ever again.
April: Or...
Jackson: Or we get married. I...
April: Because that's easier to explain.
Jackson: No. No, 'cause you're right, all right? I don't want to just date. April, I want the whole damn thing. We can get to Lake Tahoe in 13 hours.
April: How do you know that?
Jackson: Do you want to get into that right now?
April: No.
Jackson: No, you don't want to get into that, or, no, you don't want to get married?
April: Yes. Yes!

See Also[]

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

References[]

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