(Music: The Ditty Bops-Wake Up)
(Meredith sitting on the floor in her shower)
Meredith Voiceover (MVO): Remember when you were a kid and your biggest worry was, like, if you'd get a bike for your birthday, or if you get to eat cookies for breakfast. Being an adult? Totally overrated.
(Cut to Meredith walking to the Nursing Home)
MVO: I mean, seriously, don't be fooled by all the hot shoes and the great s*x and the no parents anywhere telling you to do. Adulthood is responsibility.
Caretaker: The lawyer has been managing the estate with a limited power of attorney, but your mother's Alzheimer's is advancing. So, while she's still lucid enough to consent, she needs to sign everything over to you.
Meredith: Me?
MVO: Responsibility, it really does suck.
Meredith: (raspy) Look, I haven't slept in 48 hours. I'm getting my first shot at heart surgery this morning. I'm missing rounds. Are you sure there isn't anybody here, or the attorney...? I mean, do I really have to be the one to handle this?
Caretaker: We're talking about her estate, her finances, her medical care. You really want to leave her life in someone else's hands? She's your mother.
MVO: Really, really sucks.
(Cut to O.R. where the heart surgery is taking place)
MVO: Adults have to be places and do things and earn a living and pay the rent. And if you're training to be a surgeon, holding a human heart in your hands... Hello! Talk about responsibility.
(We see Meredith closing her eyes and dozing off for a second. Her hand squeezes the heart she's holding)
Burke: What was that Dr. Grey?
Meredith: Sorry, it slipped. My hands.
Burke: It's okay, I'm done. You can release Mrs. Patterson's heart now. Very gently. All right. Let's warm her up. Get her off bypass.
MVO: Kinda makes bikes and cookies look really really good, doesn't it?
(Cut to Observation Deck)
George: I wish I could hold a heart
Cristina: A monkey could hold a heart.
George: You're mad Burke didn't ask you.
Izzie: George, I need more ice and chips.
George: Who else did you invite?
Cristina: Izzie, we said the list was jocks only. Surgery, Trauma, Plastics. Who else?
Izzie: Just some people from Peds.
Cristina: You invited the preschoolers to Meredith's house. The next thing you'll say is you invited the shrinks.
(Izzie looks away)
Cristina: She invited mental defects. This party's D.O.A.
George: You know, Meredith thinks this is just going to be a little, small, meet-your-boyfriend cocktail thing. Did you clear this with her?
Izzie: No, but I will. (George and Cristina give her a look) I promise.
Cristina: Why are you wasting the only weekend your boyfriend is in town on a big party? Is he bad in bed?
Izzie: (chuckles) No. I just want him to meet some of my friends.
Cristina: Right. Sixty geeks in scrubs are your friends. (Her beeper goes off. She gets up to leave) Bad s*x, sucks for you.
Alex: I heard there was a party tonight at Meredith's house.
Cristina: Oh really, party?
Izzie: Uh, news to me.
George: No party.
Alex: Are we losing her or what?
(Cut back to O.R.)
Doctor:: The grafts?
Burke: They're open. Temperature?
Doctor 2: She's at 96 and rising.
Burke: She should be doing this on her own (He strokes the heart. Flat line) C'mon, Mrs. Patterson. Paddles.
Doctor 2: Sets are below 90.
Doctor 3: Charge
Burke: 10 joules. (Puts paddles to heart) Clear. (Shocks) C'mon Mrs. Patterson. Give me 20.
Doctor 3: Charge.
Burke: There, we have rhythm. Reluctant heart. All right. Let's close. Keep an eye on her. Good work, everyone.
MVO: The scariest part about responsibility: when you screw up and let it slip right through your fingers.
(Close up of Meredith's glove. Her fingernail seems to have cut through it.)
(Cut to hallway where we see Derek walking and eating at the same time. He runs into George and Meredith)
Derek: Hey, I hear you did a CABG with Burke.
Meredith: yeah.
Derek: Did you get to hold the heart?
Meredith: yeah.
Derek: It's an amazing feeling. You never forget your first time.
George: It was pretty great just to watch. Vicarious thrills, you know?
Meredith: yeah.
(Elevator bell rings. George and Meredith get in. She looks out of it. Derek stands outside the elevator, looking concerned)
Derek: See you later.
Meredith: Bye.
(Elevator doors close. George and Meredith are alone. George is reading something, leaning on the wall. Meredith stands with her arms crossed, facing the door.)
Meredith: I think maybe I did something to the heart when I was holding it. I nodded off a little. Squeezed it.
George: Oh, please. The heart's a tough muscle. It could take a squeeze or two.
Meredith: My fingernail popped the glove. Cut straight through. George, what if I punctured Mrs. Patterson's heart?
(George stops reading and stands next to Meredith)
George: If... If you had punctured it, you would have know when they reperfused. They got her heart beating. The woman's okay.
Meredith: So I shouldn't tell Burke?
George: Tell him what? You know, um, nothing happened. The woman's okay, right?
Meredith: (hesitates) She's okay.
George: She's fine.
Meredith: She's fine.
(Cut to Hospital Room)
Bailey: What do you see, George?
George: Hyper-inflated lungs, clouded with bullae, seriously diminished capacity. She must be having trouble breathing.
Bailey: Course of action?
George: A bullectomy procedure, remove the bullae, reduce the pressure.
Webber: Says here we operated on her back in '99, so Mrs. Drake as been through this before, but talk her through it anyway. And resist the anti-smoking lecture, she feels bad enough already.
(Webber leaves. George walks over to Bailey, who is looking at x-rays)
George: So you think if they put pictures of these on a pack of cigarettes people would stop smoking?
(Bailey gives him a look and shakes her head slightly. George looks awkwardly away)
(Cut to hospital room)
Alex: How long has your back been hurting you?
Patient: It's chronic. That means I have it all the time.
Alex: I know what chronic means. What kind of pain are you having?
Patient: Oh, man. The pain's bad. It's like a thousand samurai warriors stabbing swords into my spine. I'm allergic to aspirin...
Alex: So maybe we'll start you on morphine.
Patient: Mmmm...The only things that will work are Demerol or, uh, Dilaudid a ton of Dilaudid. That will set me straight.
(Close up of the Patient's arm, lots of scars from needles)
Alex: The standard starting dose is two.
Patient: Did you see that Tom Cruise Samurai movie? Hmm? Pow, pow, pow!
(Cut to Alex and Derek outside room)
Alex: Exaggerated and overly specific description of his pain, self prescription, pow pow pow? He's a Dilaudid junkie.
Derek: So what do you do?
Alex: Well, you check the database for history, refer to a program, discharge.
Derek: After you give him something.
Alex: That's exactly what he wants.
Derek: Junkie or not, you still have to treat his pain as if it were real. (His pager goes off)
Alex: Why?
Derek: First rule in pain management: always err on the side of caution. He's in our care. He says he's in pain. Start a central line, his veins are shot. �
(Alex looks on incredulously and walks off)
(Cut to lung patient's room)
Mrs. Drake: The surgery before was supposed to help, but it...it never felt right. (She takes off her glasses)
George: Probably would have been a good idea to quit smoking.
Mrs. Drake: I did! Four pack a day habit. Oh, it was hell.
Nurse: Here you go, Mrs. Drake. (Gives her a blanket)
Mrs. Drake: It didn't do any damn good.
George: Really? Because it looked, I mean, from the damage, we all thought you probably were still smoking.
Mrs. Drake: Cold turkey. Five years ago. What do I get for my trouble? I still had to quit my job at the restaurant. But even sitting, it hurt.
Nurse: Here you go. (Adjusts her pillow)
Mrs. Drake: Nobody believed me. They all said it was in my head.
George: I've seen the films. It's not all in your head.
Mrs. Drake: You're right about that. Hey, come here. (George moves closer) You're too damn young to be a doctor.
George: Hey
Mrs. Drake: What
George: I'm older than I look.
(They start wheeling her away)
Mrs. Drake: (smiles) Do you think this is going to work this time?
George: I think it's your best option.
Mrs. Drake: Straight-shooter, huh?
George: Yes, ma'am.
Mrs. Drake: I like that.
(Cut to room where Mrs. Patterson is. Her husband is with her. Grey watches them for a while, then approaches)
Meredith: Hi, Mr. Patterson.
Mr. Patterson: Hi.
Meredith: Hemodynamics stable?
Nurse: Yeah, map has stayed around 80, cardiac output at 5.
Mr. Patterson: That's good, Dr. Grey?
Meredith: That's fine, Mr. Patterson.
Mr. Patterson: But it's not good.
Meredith: Well, heart surgery takes a lot out of the patient, but we're monitoring your wife very carefully and she should be fine.
(Cut to hospital room.)
Izzie: Mr. Sterman, let's see about getting you out of here today. How are you feeling?
Mr. Sterman: Pretty okay, except I don't think I ever wanna have a bowel obstruction again.
Izzie: Really? Wow, because we get people in here all the time requesting them. So are you keeping down clear fluids? And my all time favorite question to ask a patient: have you pooped yet?
Mr. Sterman: Um, I'm not exactly sure.
(She continues examining)
Izzie: I think you'd probably know. Passed gas?
Mr. Sterman: (hesitates) Yes.
Izzie: Really yes? Cause if I bring in my handy lie detector...
Mr. Sterman: Okay, no. And I shouldn't try and lie. I know. I went to medical school.
Izzie: You went to med school?
Mr. Sterman: Yeah, dropped out my last year at clinical. Too many hours and I was staring into the ice-cold eyes of divorce.
Izzie: Wow.
Mr. Sterman: Yeah, I do research now. And I have a life, a family. No offense. I mean...
Izzie: No, no. It's okay. I'm just one of those people who believe you can have both.
Mr. Sterman: Maybe so, but your first responsibility is always going to be your patient.
(Izzie walks out of the room. Burke walks by her. He's carrying two cups of coffee. Cristina is standing at a counter nearby. He puts one cup down next to her. She looks at the coffee then at him. He sips his cup. He looks back at her)
Burke: Just coffee. (Smiles)
(Cristina looks confused)
Cristina: Good.
Burke: Okay.
Cristina: Okay.
(Burke nods and walks away. Cristina closes her file, hesitates and picks up the coffee and drinks it. Burke peeks around the corner and watches her walk away.)
(Cut to Locker Room)
(Meredith is splashing her face with water at a sink. She looks at herself in the mirror.)
(Cut to O.R. for Mrs. Drake)
Bailey: We call this a spaghetti procedure. We cut and deflate the bullae to facilitate gentle manipulation of Mrs. Drake's lung.
Webber: Dr. Bailey, do you see that?
Bailey: Sir? Oh my ever-lovin...
Webber: We need to open her up. I'm taking out the scope.
Bailey: You heard him, people. Let's move.
Webber: Lights. Let's get set up. 10 blade. Get the scalpel ready. Towel.
Bailey: Rib spreader.
Webber: Suction.
(They start pulling something black out of Mrs. Drake)
George: Is that a towel?
Bailey: Get a pan.
George: Where did that come from?
Webber: Best guess, her surgery five years ago.
Bailey: Something careless this way comes.
(Cut to George, Cristina, Bailey and Webber walking in a hallway.)
Cristina: A towel?
Webber: Not good.
George: She complained about pressure on her chest. Said nobody took her seriously.
Webber: Not good for the patient, not good for the hospital. Not good.
Bailey: Cristina, hit the files. Find out everything you can about that initial operation. Who was in that room, who was responsible for closing. George, you stay with the patient. Keep her happy, she seems to like you.
George: Right, okay, um, how long do you think I mean just technically, I'm off at 6:00.
Bailey: Am I invited?
George: Excuse me?
Bailey: Am I invited to the party?
George: (surprised) Oh! You, well, yeah. Yes. Yeah. Of course.
(Bailey walks away. Cristina gives George a look)
George: What was I supposed to say?
Cristina: Ugh!
(Cut to Izzie talking on the phone)
Izzie: Yeah, great. All right. 14 cases. Uh, what kind, I dunno, maybe an assortment?
(Alex walks up to her)
Alex: Microbrews, locals. Make sure they throw in some bar nuts.
Izzie: I'm ordering office supplies.
Alex: Oh yeah, sure.
(He walks away)
Izzie: Microbrews, locals, throw in some bar nuts. 7 o�clock would be better than 5:00.
(Mr. Sterman walks by)
Izzie: Uh, hey, any luck?
Mr. Sterman: No, hey, if I do, will you invite me to the party?
Izzie: (laughs) Okay great, thanks.
(Cut to Back Pain Guy's room. He is squirming in pain. Derek walks by and sees.)
Derek: Hey, Mr. Frost. We're going to take care you of. Just hang on.
Mr. Frost: Were the hell have you been?!
(Cut to Research room)
Derek: When I tell you to start a central line, you start a central line. No judgment, no question.
Alex: The guy's been in seven hospitals in the last 4 months. He's a major addict.
Derek: The patient has a three lumbar fusion.
Alex: He's a junkie. I mean we shouldn't be giving him
Derek: Yeah! He's an addict. But his pain is real. Now, lose the attitude, get down there, start a central line.
(Alex gets up and leaves the room)
(Cut to Mrs. Drake's room)
Mrs. Drake: (with difficulty) Told me I had a towel inside me.
George: Who told you that?
Mrs. Drake: A surgeon, uh, older man, handsome.
George: That's Dr. Webber, he's our chief.
Mrs. Drake: Yeah. It was a towel that somebody left last time.
George: Yes, ma'am.
Mrs. Drake: Who would do that? (Voice breaking) That doesn't seem right, does it?
George: No, ma'am, no. It doesn't.
Mrs. Drake: I was walking around with a towel inside of me. How could that happen?
(Cut to a room with a lot of filing cabinets)
(Cristina is looking through files. She finds the right one. It says that Burke was the Surgical Fellow in the O.R. for Mrs. Drake's operation in 1999. She looks up, concerned.)
(Cut to Cristina showing Bailey the file)
Cristina: So? What happens now?
Bailey: Now, you keep this to yourself while we work it out. (She takes the file and begins to walk away) Do this for me.
(Cristina nods)
(Cut to Meredith at a counter with a file)
(Derek walks up to her)
Derek: Are you okay?
Meredith: Yeah, yeah, I�m good.
Derek: Are you sure, cause you seem not okay.
Meredith: I'm fine. CABG was long.
Derek: Well, let me take you out to dinner tonight. You can tell me all about it. Real food, waiters, big chunks of carbs in a basket.
Meredith: I can't.
Derek: Forget about the party.
Meredith: You know about the party?
Derek: Your friends will be at the party. You and I can be alone somewhere else.
Meredith: How do you know about the party?
Derek: Thanks for not inviting me, by the way. That felt good. Dinner, think about dinner, perfect opportunity.
Meredith: Well (Beeper)
(Derek walks away. Meredith runs in the opposite direction.)
(Cut to Mrs. Patterson)
Nurse: Started having some swelling over the sternum and then the blood just started gushing. Dr. Burke is on his way right now.
Mr. Patterson: Is she dying?
Meredith: Somebody get him out of here. Keep applying pressure.
Burke: Tyler, call for an O.R. What the hell happened? She got a protamine
Meredith: Her protocol. No allergic anaphylactic or histamine responses.
Burke: Her last counts?
Meredith: BT, PTT, INR platelet counts were all stable. Even her HNH were stable.
Burke: What the hell went wrong? Let's move.
Nurse: Hold on.
Meredith: I popped a glove.
Burke: What?
Meredith: In surgery, when I was holding it. I popped a glove with my fingernail. I think I may have nicked her heart.
Burke: Let's go, people.
(Mr. Patterson looks on as they wheel his wife away)
(Cut to O.R.)
Burke: What were you thinking about? You had every opportunity to speak up before I closed her chest. Every opportunity. Suction.
MEREDITH: I'm sorry.
Burke: And then going to confess in front of her husband? You don't even know if you were the cause. You have no idea.
Meredith: I'm sorry.
Burke: There. Over here. (Motions for Meredith to go look) There, look at the wall rupture. That's a hell of a lot more than a fingernail. Her ventricular wall was weak.
(Webber walks in)
Webber: I just had a conversation with Mr. Patterson. I want copies of his wife's chart in my office by 5:00. Tomorrow morning, the two of you are going to meet with me and legal and you better damn well be able to explain what happened here. (Starts to leave) (Mutters to himself) People poking holes in hearts, leaving towels in people.
Burke: You're going to go back and talk to the husband. Review the history. Apologize, profusely. Your ass is on the line here, Dr. Grey.
(Cut to Cristina, George and Meredith sitting in hallway)
George: You got called before the chief?
Meredith: Tomorrow morning. I could get kicked out of the program. I could, right?
George: You're not getting kicked out.
Cristina: Patterson's just going to sue.
George: Patterson is not going to sue and you're not getting kicked out.
Cristina: What the hell are you thinking? Telling Burke. So stupid.
George: I told her not to.
(Meredith's phone rings)
Meredith: I gotta take this. Thanks. Thank you. Very comforting.
George: I'll watch your books.
(Meredith walks away. Izzie arrives with coffee, a banana, water, pudding and other things in hand. Cristina takes the coffee and banana. George takes the pudding and water bottle.)
Izzie: Ok, So the beer's coming at 7:00 and some of the floor nurses are bringing wine.
Cristina: You invited nurses? Ugh.
George: Did you clear this with Meredith?
Izzie: A few more people isn't going to make a difference. Okay? A party's a party.
Cristina: And the bigger the party, the less time for bad s*x with the hockey player.
Izzie: Would you stop saying that?
Cristina: Ok
Izzie: Hank and I have great s*x.
Cristina: Mm-hmm
Izzie: All the time.
Cristina: Mm-hmm.
Izzie: In fact, we'll probably have s*x after the party, or during the party.
George: As long as you clear it with Meredith.
Izzie: Hank just needs to realize that doctors can have fun. We're not all workaholics with God complexes.
Cristina: We ARE workaholics with God complexes.
(Izzie gives her a look. George shows her an inflated glove puppet with a drawn on face.)
(Cut to Meredith on the phone next to a window)
Meredith: And the notary can be there at 6:30 too? And the home's physician will be there attest to her mental competency. Okay, is there anything else I need to bring besides my license? My checkbook. 6:30, I'll be there.
(She hangs up. Derek walks up to her, leans on the railing.)
Derek: I heard.
Meredith: It's a notary thing. A thing to get notarized.
Derek: I'm talking about the heart thing. Do you want to talk about it?
Meredith: We're adults. When did that happen? And how do we make it stop?
(She walks away)
(Cut to Cristina putting a chart away. Burke is there too. She looks at him awkwardly)
Burke: Dr. Yang.
Cristina: Dr. Burke. (Pause) That bypass graft got a little complicated.
Burke: It's nothing I couldn't handle.
Cristina: Good.
(She walks away)
(Cut to Mr. Patterson outside of the hospital talking on the phone)
Mr. Patterson: Uh huh, yeah. Mm-hmm. Listen, I'll call you back.
(Meredith walks up)
Mr. Patterson: That was my lawyer. He was advising me not to talk to you.
Meredith: Mr. Patterson, I know that you're frustrated and angry, but I need, we need, some more information about your wife. The walls of her heart are abnormally thin
Mr. Patterson: Hey, don't blame this on my wife. I heard from your very mouth what happened. I know.
Meredith: But we can't treat her.
Mr. Patterson: She was in the best shape of her life. You ask her cardiologist. She had lost 100 pounds. Don't you dare try to hang this on her
Meredith: Mr. Patterson, please.
Mr. Patterson: We're through talking.
(He leaves)
(Cut to Alex giving Mr. Frost his central line)
Mr. Frost: You don't like me very much, do you?
Alex: No, Jerry, it's not you specifically, it's just uh, its people like you, that's all.
(Derek walks in)
Mr. Frost: Doc! Feeling pretty good. The pain's about a 3.
Derek: A three? That's excellent. Mr. Frost, I'm glad we could help you out. As well as County, Mercy West, Seattle Pres., a lot of people helped you out, Jerry. Pleased we could do our part. Who's on discharge today, Dr. Karev?
Alex: Izzie Stevens.
Derek: Mr. Frost, Dr. Stevens is going to come in here and discharge you.
Mr. Frost: Whoa, you can't discharge me. I'm in pain.
Derek: You were in pain. Now you're not. Dr. Karev is going to recommend some wonderful treatment programs for you. Go home. Get some help.
Mr. Frost: You can't just do that.
(Derek leaves)
Alex: He just did, my friend.
[SCENE_BREAK]
(Cut to Mr. Sterman's room)
Izzie: Okay, any luck yet?
Mr. Sterman: Nada.
Izzie: Looks like you're going to have to spend another night.
Mr. Sterman: Oh, I'd hate to miss the party. Are you going to make it?
Izzie: Well, you are the last person on my list so it's looking pretty good.
Mr. Sterman: So, doctors have lives after all. Who'd have thunk?
Derek: Dr. Stevens, discharge my guy in 342.
Izzie: Don't look at me like that. It's not going to take very long. It's not.
(She leaves)
(Cut to reception)
(George walks over to Izzie)
George: You paged me?
Izzie: I'm gonna be a while. Do you think you could get home to sign for the beer?
Alex: Why don't you have your boyfriend sign for it?
Izzie: You have a very annoying way of sneaking up on people. Maybe if you were a little less creepy.
Alex: I wouldn't come anyway. I hate big parties.
George: Is Meredith the only person in the hospital who doesn't know the size of this thing?
Izzie: I'm telling her.
Cristina: You can't. She's gone already.
Izzie: What? Already?
Cristina: I think she had, excuse me, an errand to run.
(Cristina walks off)
Izzie: You don't think Meredith's really going to mind about the party, right?
George: I want you to make it very clear to her that I had nothing to do with this party. Nothing.
(He walks off)
(Shots of nighttime Seattle)
(Cut to nursing home)
(Meredith walks in. Caretaker approaches her)
Meredith: Sorry I'm late, it was the traffic
Caretaker: It doesn't matter, dear.
Meredith: Okay, don't tell me the notary didn't show.
Caretaker: Oh, everybody's here. It's just your mother isn't.
Meredith: Mom? Mom?
Ellis: What do you people want from me?
Meredith: We need you to sign the lawyers' papers.
Ellis: I have a cranial reconstruction in a half hour. I need to go.
Meredith: Okay, Mom, we're all here. We have a notary. I need you to focus and I need you to sign these papers. Mom, look at me.
Ellis: It's an emergency surgery. I don't have time for this.
Caretaker: She can't sign anything now. She's sun downing. We should have done this earlier in the day.
Meredith: I couldn't come earlier in the day. I have a job. And a life. And I'm here now.
Caretaker: Well, you're going to have to come back tomorrow when she's lucid.
Meredith: You know, why did she put this off for so long? And why did you let her? Doesn't it strike you as slightly irresponsible? I mean, what the hell is wrong with you people?
(She leaves)
(Cut to hospital)
(Cristina sees Bailey talking to Burke. She shows him the file. Bailey begins to walk away from Burke with the file. He motions for her to give him the file. She stops. She gives him the file and walks away. Cristina leaves, disappointed.)
(Cut to Burke looking at the file himself)
(Cut to Meredith driving up to her house)
(There is loud music playing and people everywhere)
Meredith: Izzie, I'm gonna kill you.
(Cut to inside the house)
(Cristina is at the food table. She reaches for something. Bailey takes it instead)
Bailey: You could touch that, but I'd have to kill you.
Cristina: (quietly) So about that towel thing?
Bailey: It's been taken care of.
Cristina: Okay.
Bailey: You don't need to concern yourself with it.
Cristina: So what's going to happen?
Bailey: We're not gonna talk about it anymore is what's gonna happen. Are we clear? Or have you had too much alcohol to understand me?
Cristina: We're very clear.
Bailey: Good. You have any bourbon?
(Cristina walks away)
(Cut to Frost's room)
(They're wheeling him out of his room in a wheel chair. He's putting up a fight to stay)
Mr. Frost: You can't discharge a man in pain.
Alex: Sorry.
Mr. Frost: Ow, you're hurting me.
Izzie: You're the one making it more difficult. Stop resisting.
Mr. Frost: Just give me a hit of Demerol. Just give me a hit of Demerol. C'mon.
Alex: the Dilaudid hasn't worn off yet.
Izzie: Mr. Frost, you have to leave.
Mr. Frost: I'm not leaving! NO!
Izzie: I'm calling Psych.
Mr. Frost: NO! (Gets out of wheelchair) Don't call Psych!
Alex: Stop, Jerry. Stop him, stop him!
(More struggling. Frost trips and falls. Alex and Izzie rush over)
Alex: Jerry? Jerry!
Izzie: Concussion?
(Alex shines a flashlight into his eyes)
Alex: He's blown his left pupil. Page Shepherd. We've gotta get him down to C.T.
(Cut to x-ray room)
Derek: That was one hard fall. What do you see?
Izzie: Subdural bleed.
Alex: With midline shift.
Derek: We have to evacuate this now. Anywhere else you have to be, Dr. Stevens, or are you in?
Izzie: Brian surgery?
Derek: Mm-hmm.
Izzie: Are you kidding me?
Derek: That's what I thought.
(Cut to Meredith's house)
(There are people everywhere. Meredith comes in and looks around. She walks through the crowd. Some drunk hands her a Tiffany's style lamp. She unplugs it. She finds George.)
Meredith: Where is Izzie?!
George: She didn't clear it with you?
Meredith: This was supposed to be a meet-the-boyfriend get together little thing.
George: Izzie has a lot of friends.
(They move through the crowd and continue fighting)
Meredith: Izzie doesn't know this many people.
George: I told her to clear it with you.
Meredith: I can't handle this.
George: You want me to kick everyone out? I'm gonna kick everyone out.
(They turn to see Cristina drunk and dancing)
Cristina: Baby! You made it! Woo!
Meredith: Screw it. Hold this.
(She gives George the lamp)
Meredith: And give me this.
(She takes the bottle of tequila from George. She goes over to Cristina and joins in the dancing and drinking)
Cristina: Hi, baby!
Cristina: George! George, come here.
(He shakes his head. Meredith and Cristina yell at him to join them. He does. He stands between them. Meredith hands him the bottle, he takes a long drink and starts dancing, between Meredith and Cristina)
(Cut to O.R.)
Derek: See it?
Alex: It's hard to miss.
Derek: A little more than he bargained for.
Alex: Maybe he's lucky. Maybe this is his way out of the hole.
Derek: The hole? Interesting expression.
(Izzie looks on)
Alex: My father was into smack pretty heavy. He was a musician. It's tolerated in his line of work, not good for the family at home.
(Long pause and exchanged looks)
(Cut to Meredith's house)
(Meredith, George and Cristina are drinking and playing cards)
Meredith: Why did we want to be surgeons anyway?
George: Surgery is very serious business
(Cristina burps loudly. She has two cards stuck to her face)
George: Full house!
Cristina: (Evil laughter) Royal flush. Get naked, baby boy. Sexy!
(Cristina throws down her cards. George reluctantly takes off his shirt)
Meredith: Surgery is stupid. It's stupid. It's stupid.
Cristina: Give me that. You're drunk.
Meredith: I'm not driving. I'm not on call. I'm in my own house. My life is crap. And it's my party and I'll get drunk if I want to.
(George is still trying to get his shirt off. Hank walks by)
Hank: Is, um, Izzie Stevens?
Cristina: Oh, you must be Hank. (She laughs and stands up) He's very large and hockey-like. No, Izzie�s not here right now.
(Cristina leaves the room)
George: You and Izzie will give birth to very tall, blonde people, like Barbies.
Hank: Izzie said she was going to be at home. She didn't say there was going to be a party.
Meredith: which pisses both of us off. Would you like some tequila? It helps.
Hank: When do you think she's gonna get here?
Meredith: Don't know. But we're low on ice, Hank.
Hank: I'm serious.
Meredith: So am I. We're interns, Hank. Hospital owns us. It's what we do.
(Hank smiles and leaves)
George: Bye.
Meredith: Nice to meet ya.
(Cut to scrub room)
Derek: can you guys see him through recovery?
Alex: Yeah, I'll take it.
Izzie: No, I can do it.
Alex: its okay, Stevens.
Izzie: No, he's my patient now, too.
Alex: No, I got it. See your hockey player. I'm serious.
Izzie: Yeah, okay. I guess. Thanks, Alex.
Alex: No problem.
(Alex leaves. Izzie seems surprised)
(Cut to outside of the hospital)
(Izzie walks out and sees Hank. They hug)
Izzie: Hey!
Hank: Hey.
Izzie: What are you doing here?
(She kisses him)
Izzie: I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to call. (Kiss) My patient needed brain surgery. (They start walking) Like, we were inside his brain. How cool is that?
Hank: (Chuckles) Oh my god. There was a party at your house.
Izzie: Yeah, did you get a chance to hang out? I wanted you to meet some of the people I work with.
Hank: I don't care about the people you work with. I just want to see you.
Izzie: Hmm, well you didn't mind meeting the people I worked with when they were models.
Hank: Yeah, well, when they were models, you actually showed up to your own parties.
Izzie: Yeah. (Long pause) This is my life now, Hank. I work 100 hour weeks. I can't always show up to my own parties on time. My patients have to come first.
Hank: Yeah, I just flew across the entire country and there's 100 people at your house.
Izzie: Yeah, 100 people who understand what I do all day. I shouldn't have to apologize for that.
Hank: No, you shouldn't.
(Izzie sighs)
Izzie: Look, let's just go by the party for a little while. You'll really like everyone once you get a chance to know them.
Hank: I should just go.
Izzie: Hank, come on.
Hank: I'll call you. (He kisses her and walks away)
(Izzie watches him leave and walks back to the hospital)
(Cut to Burke in a scrub room looking contemplative)
(Cut to Meredith's house)
(She's outside, swaying drunkenly and drinking. Derek is watching her)
Derek: You know, in some states, you could get arrested for that.
(She walks towards him)
Derek: So you blew me off for a bottle of tequila. Tequila's no good for ya. It doesn't call. It doesn't write. It isn't nearly as much fun to wake up to.
(She smiles and pulls him in for a kiss. They kiss a few times)
Meredith: Take me for a ride, Derek.
(Cut to Derek's car)
(Derek is in the driver�s seat. Meredith is straddling him. He's not wearing a shirt and she's wearing her bra. Derek pulls his shirt over her shoulders.)
Derek: You know, it sounds like the party's winding down. Listen to me. We should probably sneak inside, though.
Meredith: We've done enough sneaking for the night. It was good sneaking, but enough sneaking.
Derek: Yeah, I�d say we're pretty good sneakers.
(They start kissing. There's tapping on the window. It's Dr. Bailey.)
Bailey: You mind moving this tail wagon? You're blocking me in.
Derek: Apparently not good enough.
(Cut to next morning at Meredith's house)
(George walks through the debris of snacks and bottles over to the couch. He hands Meredith, who is lying on the floor, a mug)
George: When's your meeting with the chief?
(He sits down, throws something off to the side)
Meredith: In an hour.
(Izzie comes home, looks around, shocked)
Izzie: Holy mother of destruction.
Meredith: You missed Doctor-palooza.
(Izzie takes off her shoes and walks towards them)
Izzie: Apparently, you didn't.
Meredith: I should probably never speak to you again.
IZZIE: Ugh, I'm so sorry, Meredith. I had no idea it was gonna get so...
Meredith: It's okay. Really, I don't care. What would I be doing anyway?
George: Preparing for your career-altering meeting? Sorry.
Meredith: That heart wall shouldn't have torn.
(Izzie picks up a beer)
Izzie: Anything in the patient's history?
Meredith: Husband says she was in the best shape of her life. She lost 100 pounds last year.
Izzie: 100 pounds in a year, how's her muscle mass?
(Izzie drinks)
George: Do you even know whose that was?
Izzie: I�m hoping it was yours.
George: (looks disgusted) No.
(Cut to George, Cristina and Izzie standing in hospital outside of Meredith's meeting)
Izzie: So, what do you think?
Cristina: 50 says Meredith gets tossed out on her ass and Burke walks away clean.
George: Please be nice to her.
(Cut to inside the meeting)
Meredith: So, I have done a lot of research on this and Dr. Burke has been kind enough to help me. And I understand my responsibility, and what I've done wrong here. However, I do think the patient's history is significant in this case. She still weighs 200 pounds, which is why no one even noticed it, but with that kind of a weight drop, it doesn't matter how much you weigh, technically, you're anorexic.
Burke: So, along with all that fat, she was losing muscle, heart muscle.
Webber: That certainly could be a reason for a small poke to become a large tear.
Lawyer: That still doesn't change the fact that the small poke wasn't reported by Dr. Grey at the time of the occurrence.
Meredith: And if I could change that...
Lawyer: And you can't, but you've left yourself and the hospital to a tremendous amount of liability.
Burke: No, not if the patient�s weight loss caused the problem.
Lawyer: I'm sorry. I have no choice here.
Burke: I've spoken to the husband. And I believe as long as his wife remains stable.
Lawyer: I can't take your beliefs to the bank, Dr. Burke. Dr. Grey made a huge error.
Burke: And she reported it.
Lawyer: Too late. And in front of the patient's husband.
Burke: But she reported it. She spoke up. (pause) Five years ago, as a CT fellow, I had a nagging feeling that I didn't check the body cavity of a lung patient closely enough before I closed. The patient seemed fine post-op and I was in a hurry. And yesterday, you and Dr. Bailey pulled a towel out from under that patient's lung. Why didn't I report it at the appropriate time? Maybe because I was afraid that I would be called into a meeting where some hospital lawyer's fear of liability could end my career. Even great doctors make mistakes. And when we do, we've got to have a chance to be able to speak up without fear of retribution. Or everyone suffers. Dr. Grey spoke up.
MVO: Responsibility. It really does suck.
(Cut to Meredith leaving the meeting)
(She starts to walk towards the three when intercepted by Derek)
Derek: Meredith, you okay?
Meredith: Yeah. One month probation.
Derek: Good. That's good. (He leaves)
Meredith: Burke saved my ass in there.
Bailey: Don't you all have something better to do? C'mon people, move!
(George, Cristina, Izzie and Meredith hurry away. Bailey pulls Cristina aside)
Bailey: He was always gonna tell them about the towel. Just wanted to wait for the right time. Information is power.
(Bailey walks off. Cristina looks in Burke's direction. He shakes Webber's hand and turns around, seeing Cristina. She runs off in the opposite direction to get back to work)
(Cut to nursing home)
(Caretaker is watching Ellis sign forms)
MVO: Unfortunately, once you get past the age of braces and training bras, responsibility doesn't go away.
(Cut to hospital, Frost's room)
Alex: Jerry, this is Sloane. She's here to talk to you, if you want, about options for rehab.
MVO: It can't be avoided.
(Cut to Mrs. Drake's room)
(Burke is sitting next to her bed)
Burke: Mrs. Drake, I cannot begin to tell you how truly sorry I am.
MVO: Either someone makes us face it, or we suffer the consequences.
(Cut to Derek jogging up a staircase. He runs into Bailey, they exchange awkward looks)
(Cut to Izzie walking past Mr. Sterman's room)
Mr. Sterman: Izzie! I did it. I pooped!
Izzie: (laughs) All right!
(Alex walks up behind her and taps her on the shoulder)
Alex: Missed your party?
Izzie: Life as a surgeon.
Alex: And loving every minute of it.
(They split up and walk in different directions)
(Cut to on-call room)
(Burke is taking off his shoes and shirt. Cristina walks in. They see each other. She locks the door)
MVO: And still, adulthood has its perks.
Cristina: Thanks for the coffee.
(Burke walks over and kisses her. They kiss passionately and begin to undress each other)
(Cut to Meredith, George, Cristina, and Izzie cleaning up after the party)
MVO: I mean the shoes, the s*x, the no parents anywhere telling you what to do. That�s pretty damn good.
Plan: A: surgery; Q: What is Meredith overwhelmed during? A: her career; Q: What could Meredith's mistake during surgery jeopardize? Summary: Meredith is overwhelmed causing her to make a mistake during surgery that could jeopardize her career.