Grey's Anatomy recap: Don't take anything for granted
As Meredith tells us in the opening monologue, our bodies work hard all day long to keep us alive. Hearts beat and pump blood. Lungs inhale and exhale air. Eyes blink and adjust. Ears hear sounds. Even though we need all of these things working together to function in this world, most of us barely notice them. We take things for granted.
Taking Relationships For Granted
Sweet little Zola needs a drink of water. What she receives is an awkward encounter with her mom’s half-dressed boyfriend who is tip-toeing his way to the door.
Was Zola scarred for life? Not yet. The dude standing before her is the “sad guy from the couch,” so DeLuca’s presence in her kitchen is just a slight blip on the radar. This does not satisfy Meredith’s concerns for her children, though. She’s been taking her early morning romps with DeLuca for granted. It’s time to fill the offspring with copious amounts of ice cream and confess that the sad guy is going to be around for a while. Yes, they will kiss. No, he’s not sleeping on the couch.
Taking Your Job For Granted
Jo is back at Grey Sloan Memorial and looks like someone you may find on a slab in the morgue. Harsh, but true. When the lab proves to be as boring as it sounds, Jo is quick to help Avery develop his spray on skin. Although her demeanor is the opposite of charming, she slips for a brief second and praises Avery for encouraging her not to find her birth mom.
Avery wants to explore this revelation, but Jo turns back into the harsh, rude person who hates the world. Avery finally admits that everyone is worried about her, including Alex. Jo doesn’t care. She was happy and now she’s not. She was fine one day and now she’s not.
This is the moment Avery calls his friend out. She’s drunk. He can smell it. Vodka in the water bottle. He applauds her for having the decency not to see patients. Jo gets up to bolt, just as Avery begs her to let him help. When she turns to leave, he warns her that the next time she shows up drunk, she will not be met with compassion.
Then Alex piles on at home. When he threatens to go to Pittsburgh to see what put his wife in such a funk, Jo swears she will leave him in a heartbeat. Alex sees her abandon and raises her a Bailey.
As in, “If you come to work drunk again, I’ll tell Bailey.”
Taking Limbs For Granted
Remember the lady who became a quadriplegic during Link and Amelia’s surgery? The same patient who prompted them to get busy in the blue room? Well, Koracick has some stem cells that may help her get the feeling in her arms back. Amelia and Link are beside themselves and have full confidence that Koracick can perform the surgery in under the two-minute time limit.
Toby, the lady’s adult child, who is gender non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, stops Link in the hallway so Link can explain how they are dealing with the situation. Toby was at the accident that resulted in their mother being hospitalized. Since the surgery, Toby is hypersensitive about arms, legs, hands, and feet. Toby is also overtly aware of how we worry about stupid things in life and begs Link for the treatment to work.
Koracick is super pumped to have Amelia and “Ortho Barbie” help him give Toby’s mom sensation in her hands. But first, he has to make fun of Amelia for dating a jock. Amelia plays along, noting that Link is a great guy and they are having fun. Koracick smiles and calls Link Amelia’s “Altman.”
Ouch. Amelia blesses Koracick’s heart and gently explains the history Teddy and Owen have together. Buy a clue, doc. They are destined! That baby wasn’t the product of a one night stand. It doesn’t matter that Teddy is playing house with Koracick. She will end up with Owen and everyone needs to understand that reality.
After the surgery (we have no idea if it worked yet), Koracick tells Amelia that he thinks hope scares her. That’s why she’s hiding behind a pretty guy. He thinks she’s not over Owen.
True, but life is full of choices. Link is uncomplicated. This is the easier, softer route for her. She hopes Koracick will give it a try. That means he has to give up Teddy.
Taking Talents For Granted
Schmitt is bothered by Dr. Kim’s pending job interviews. He’s upset that the stud is looking at San Francisco after his fellowship year is up. According to Bailey, Dr. Kim is being wooed by all the big hospitals. This seems to please Dr. Kim’s patient Josh and his grandfather Pop Pop. Bailey assures them that Dr. Kim is just as good as Link. No one should worry about anything.
This is when I begin to worry.
In surgery, Dr. Kim injects cement into Josh’s spine to help his back not feel like a thousand knives are stabbing it. Schmitt exclaims, “That’s it?” when Dr. Kim finishes. He nods and responds, “Just because I made it look easy, doesn’t mean it is.”
This is when I begin to worry again.
After surgery, Josh seems fine. He’s talking about college, laughing with Pop Pop, and then he’s on the floor in a heap. Something is terribly wrong.
Long story short, Dr. Kim made a huge mistake, which resulted in the artery to Josh’s heart being compromised, eventually leading to his death. Dr. Kim made it look easy. And now the mistake will haunt him forever.
Bailey makes him stand there as she delivers the news to Pop Pop. Dr. Kim puts on a somber face but never cracks. Then he slips into a suit and prepares for his Skype interview. Schmitt suggests he postpone, but superstar ortho surgeons looking for dream jobs press on. He chastises Schmitt for being a failure most of his life and turns on the smize for the San Francisco doctor staring back at him from the computer screen.
Taking Ailments For Granted
When a woman arrives in the ER complaining about severe abdominal pain, she’s quick to point out that she suffers from IBD and this is just a flare-up. She barks orders Dahlia, even requesting her own CT scan.
DeLuca and Meredith are convinced this is not an obstruction because the woman’s pain is too severe. What they didn’t expect from the CT scan was a baby. Curious. The woman had her period. How can this be true? THERE’S NO TIME! She’s in labor and the baby’s head is crowning. Start breathing, lady!
Meredith grabs some gloves and hauls herself into the room to deliver the baby. Dr. Bailey is called since DeLuca stuck a pregnant woman in a CT scan (big no-no) and practically starts cheering when she notices the scans. The woman has two wombs. Hooray for medical marvels! Now, what should she name the baby…
Taking Depression For Granted
Owen has taken Megan’s advice. We find him in a therapist’s office, warning the man that he will not be taking oils or doing any weirdo voodoo. The therapist concedes and offers muscle testing. This will help them figure out unresolved patterns of stress.
The therapist thinks Owen’s mind is trying to hide something, but his body is throwing him under the bus. Owen automatically assumes it has something to do with Megan being presumed dead, his time in Iraq, or his tumultuous relationship with Teddy.
He instructs Owen to position his arms in a certain way and through a series of questions and pressure points, the therapist figures out that something happened to Owen when he was 10-years-old. Something that made him feel distrust.
Owen remembers an award he won at school. He was very proud and eager to share with his parents. When he got home that day, his mother told him his father had died. It was the best he had ever felt and the worst he had ever felt.
That’s it. Owen doesn’t trust joy. He stops it before something terrible happens or the bad news comes. But there is no more bad news. It’s already come and Owen needs to stop replaying that distrust in his head. When Owen genuinely asks how he’s supposed to do that, the therapist prompts him to hold his wrist with one hand and put the opposite hand on his forehead. Owen obeys and sobs like a baby.
Taking Sobriety For Granted
It’s a night for oddball happenings in the ER, that’s for sure. A darling woman seems to have slipped and fallen on her stiletto. It’s currently lodged in her chest. Whoopsie.
It’s clear by the woman’s story and her slurred speech that alcohol contributed to this predicament. It’s later confirmed by Richard, who recognizes the woman as Gemma. Ollie was her sobriety coach, too, and she was seventeen years sober. Notice I said “was” sober.
Seeing Richard just reminds Gemma of her failures. She doesn’t want him on her case and makes Maggie throw him out of the room. Unfortunately, Maggie has to rush to surgery (to fix Josh’s heart) and Richard steps in her place. In recovery, Gemma admits that she has been off since Ollie died, but she’s glad one stubborn drunk saved another stubborn drunk’s life.
And her shoe.
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