Every Man for Himself

S08E20

With the Boards right around the corner, the residents are all heading off to various hospitals around the country for job interviews. Cristina is by far the most sought after of everyone, to the point where she's getting cookie and fruit baskets sent to her from her various suitors. Teddy tells her to stay but her effort is pretty half-assed, and she freaks out later when she realizes that her protégé might really actually leave. She goes to Owen and tells him that he has to fix things with her to make her stay but Owen finally grows a bit of a spine and tells Teddy that as she made so clear, they are not friends, so she's not to try to talk to him like one and if she wants Cristina to stay, she has to convince her to do so herself.

April, Jackson and Alex are all having a hard time in their own ways and are also being complete jerks to one another, insulting each other and generally being as selfish and unsupportive as possible. April is too overeager and is scaring off potential new employers. Jackson's well-known complex about his very famous family is causing him to get into trouble, like when he walks out of an interview because the woman was obviously hoping that through Jackson she might forge a connection to Harper Avery too. Alex is having the worst time, though, because he can't seem to get any interviews except at tiny hospitals in the middle of nowhere. He finally confronts Arizona when he realizes that she's being a crappy mentor and not making any effort to get him good interviews. She actually admits that it's totally true, because she wants him to stay in Seattle, but Alex manages to convince her that it's better if he stays because he wants to and not because he has to, which would make the chip on his shoulder -- and consequently his bad attitude -- that much bigger. Okay, fine, so I editorialized that last part a little, but that's the gist.

Cristina is being a jerk to Mere for pushing her own interview at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and mocks her for possibly wanting to stay in Seattle. Mere has a pretty legitimate reason to postpone, though, when a teenage patient named Holly is brought in and they quickly realize that she's a girl who was famously kidnapped 12 years earlier at the age of 6 and was held captive and tortured. Mere realizes she is traumatized and is kind to her, so Holly latches on to her immediately and is only really able to talk to Mere and not to the psychologist or her parents. It's difficult for all of the doctors as they realize, through Holly's horrific injuries, what she has been through but Bailey seems to take it the hardest and it appears to haunt her every thought. When she thinks Tuck has gone missing from daycare she has a complete meltdown (he turns out to be just fine) and no one seems quite what to make of one of their toughest doctors coming completely unglued. She seems to pull herself together to help Holly out, though, and nothing else is said about her outbursts so I'm not sure if this was just a one-off thing or a sign of something bigger going on that we'll see later.

Owen is thrown into a difficult situation because he has to wrangle the press, the girl's parents, the police and everyone else interested or involved in the case, and he feels completely in over his head. He and Cristina have a moment of truce when she runs into him at the apartment picking up extra suits for press conferences, and this turns into a couple of other of very tiny moments for both of them.

Richard gives Owen advice on how to handle everything and he's obviously much more used to this than Owen but he can't help out too much because he's busy with Adele, who has fallen in love with another Alzheimer's patient at Rose Ridge. He tries to fight it and to separate the two of them but he finally realizes that it's a losing battle and he makes the heartbreaking decision to give her some space to be with her boyfriend since she has no recollection any more of anything about their life together.

Owen, in a moment of weakness, finally admits to Cristina that he's in completely over his head but she (who has been nothing but an asshole to all of her coworkers and even sort of to Meredith) actually gives him a bit of reassurance that he's doing the best he can and later, when it's revealed that the girl is okay enough to be discharged, she actually joins in the applause for the good job he and the rest of the team did. He looks so pleased and hopeful when he realizes this but in a flash, she's gone, so it doesn't look like there's going to be a big change in the interactions between the two of them anytime soon.

And while it seems like Cristina is just being a jerk to everyone because it's what she does, especially if she's going through a hard time, she seems to have read Mere correctly after all with regards to her maybe not wanting to leave Seattle after all. She needles Mere into finally going to Massachusetts for her interview (Derek is also totally supportive and reminds Mere that they can always move if she gets some awesome opportunity outside of Seattle), and Mere admits to the woman there that Brigham is her top choice. So, basically we wind up with everyone and everything very much up in the air as we barrel towards the end of the season.

Mere kicks off this week reminding us that as kids we always wanted things to stay the same, and surgeons are just the same in that they want the same hospital, nurses, dreamy-haired neurosurgeons, hot dirty plastic surgeons, etc. which makes things awkward when, at the end of your 5-year residency, you are supposed to find a new job. She is at the airport and notices Cristina also on her way out the door. They are both on their way back from job interviews and Cristina laments that wherever she was in Dallas, she is already a better surgeon than anyone there. She decides that she's sick of this traveling and from now on she's going to make the hospitals come to her. Mere looks great, by the way -- motherhood really does agree with her. And I kind of want her skinny jeans/blue top with sparkly stripes/sweater hoodie/ankle boots/scarf outfit but worry I might not look as effortlessly marvelous in it as she does.

Mere is supposed to head to Boston later that night for an interview with Brigham and Women's Hospital but admits she's thinking of canceling and Cristina immediately calls her an idiot for canceling an interview for a crazy prestigious hospital such as that. Mere stops listening to her, though, both because she seems to want to and also because her cute husband and cuter daughter are waiting for her, and Zola even has a balloon for the occasion. Mere starts to ask if Owen is picking Cristina up and catches herself just as it's too late; Cristina briefly makes fun and then gratefully accepts a ride home. But she then turns to Derek and tattles on Mere for wanting to cancel her Brigham interview. Derek agrees with her and exposits for us that you don't cancel on the best general surgery program in the country. Mere points out that he's almost done building the house and that he has a good job but he counters that there are jobs and houses to be had elsewhere. Cristina is happy he's on her side and then picks up Zola as they all make their way to the car.

Richard is visiting Adele at Rose Ridge and as they sit down to enjoy coffee and a croissant she giggles that she has a secret, and makes him promise not to tell anyone. Good naturedly he agrees to this and is in no way prepared for the bombshell she doesn't know she is dropping: she's in love. And it's not with Richard, but with some other dude sitting across the room, wiggling his fingers hello at her. Poor Richard can't help but look completely devastated.

By Lauren S

At the hospital, Cristina smirks as she walks into the locker room carrying a gift basket roughly the size of a smart car and gloats that the NIH is courting her. Alex is extra bitter because it's not just that he's not getting gift baskets -- he has no interviews scheduled at all. Even April makes fun of him and that's kind of a low point. He gripes that the Boards are coming up in a couple of weeks anyway and there's only so much a guy can handle. Sadly for him, everyone else seems to be handling it okay, even if they are a bit frazzled. Owen runs in and announces that there is a trauma patient arriving by helicopter but when he tells Alex and April to come with him, she reminds him that she's leaving for an interview at Northwestern. Jackson is busy, which leaves an uncomfortable moment with Owen gazing at Mere and Cristina. Cristina completely avoids his gaze and so he stares at Mere with pleading in his eyes until she says she can do it.

Their patient is a female hiker who was found at the bottom of a ravine in rather horrible shape. Mere introduces herself but the girl is panicking and doesn't seem able to talk so they just rush her inside.

Mere then gets her prepared for a scan of sorts that involves putting some sort of cage over the girl's head, which is something that would freak me out in the best of conditions. Mere tells her to stay calm but as she turns to leave the girl grabs her hand, and Mere notices that she's got horrible bruises on her wrists and ankles that appear to be from her being bound in some way. Mere realizes that the girl wasn't hiking and gets a terrified nod to affirm this, so Mere calls to Owen that she's staying in during the scan and gets kitted out in a lead apron so that she can hold the poor girl's hand.

A bunch of the surgeons then gather to look at her scans, which show that she has had a number of broken bones that were left to heal incorrectly. Arizona comes in because Owen thought the girl was young but she looks at the scans and points out that the growth plates are closed which means she is an adult and should not be treated in pediatrics. Alex asks her how she's doing with scheduling interviews for him and she breezily assures him she's working on it, but that he's a bit of an acquired taste, like blue cheese. As Alex reels from being compared to stinky cheese (but this also means he is DELICIOUS. And now I want a snack. I am far too suggestible) and the other surgeons all stare at the scans, Teddy tells them that she's seen injuries like this before, but they were all in Iraq, in patients that were tortured.

By Lauren S

Once in the OR they tell Owen that she was abused and Mere suggests they call the police -- let's take a moment to note this, that the police have not yet been called -- but Owen thinks they can't be sure of anything until the girl talks to them. They run down all of the things she needs fixed right away, including a celiac artery graft, but before they put her under Mere walks around and gently asks if she fell while she was running from someone. Mere assures her that she is safe, and they just want to know her name. The girl finally talks and stutters that "he" called her Susan, but she thinks her name is Holly. At this revelation, the surgeons all exchange horrified looks over their masks. This show has made me so good at reading people's emotions just from their eyes; I should set up a booth at the fair to make some money on the side guessing what they are thinking and feeling.

At her Northwestern interview, April is cheerfully taking the overwhelmed interviewers through the binders she has prepared about herself. The notebook features sections like achievements and letters of recommendation from satisfied patients. One of the interviewers, dismayed, notes that one of the letters is over five pages long but April seems incredibly proud of her feedback. As she chirps away, talking just a little bit too fast, the three interviewers all look slightly frightened.

Once Holly has been put under, the surgeons are all atwitter and don't really heed Derek's warning that they can't jump to conclusions since it's not been confirmed that this is the girl. Lexie begins to tell the story of Holly Wheeler but Bailey grows impatient that Lexie has the details wrong and jumps in to take over: Holly was six years old when she was snatched from outside a grocery store. Her mom had run into a neighbor and was talking about the block party they were going to have, and how she thought she'd bring a salad since there were enough desserts already. Everyone in the room notices that Bailey seems to remember a serious amount detail about the case, and Bailey herself starts to get emotional and even a little panicky as she talks about how it only took a moment for Holly to be taken, and how she thinks of this story each time Tuck walks out the door. She then tries to compose herself as she reminds everyone that they don't know if this is her, but she's interrupted by Owen and Mere who have just returned from talking to the police, who told them that Holly has a birthmark on her arm. They lift Holly's arm up just to the elbow and then Bailey shrugs like, "Guess it's not her," so Mere has to point out that they should lift it higher. People, you are surgeons; you know that someone's arm reaches all the way to their elbow. Sure enough, there is the mark that confirms that this is in fact the kidnap victim who has been missing for years.

Teddy is standing at the nurses station when another basket is delivered for Cristina and she pulls the card out to see who it is from, earning a rebuke from the nurse on duty. Cristina walks up and is totally flip about the whole thing and not impressed when she hears that the heart-shaped cookies are from the Cleveland Clinic. I love that these days we're all supposed to be about health, but a hospital wooing a surgeon goes straight for giant quantities of sugar. They obviously share Mark's opinion on the importance of quality baked goods. Teddy tells Cristina she's not going to grovel and then promptly begins to grovel a little, reminding her that they have an impressive stem cell project going. Cristina eats a cookie and comments that this is sweet to hear Teddy try to woo her, but is clearly unmoved and the two just head off to do some work.

Out of surgery, Derek and Mere are examining a seemingly numb, shocked Holly while Owen watches and two cops and another doctor wait at the door. She introduces herself as Dr. Fincher, a therapist, and asks Holly if she's okay with the police asking her a few questions. Holly looks to Mere for guidance and the glance is not lost on Fincher at all; when Mere gives Holly a nod, she agrees to speak. She gives the cops the name of her kidnapper and one of them runs off to get to work. The other asks her about the location where she was kept but after she tells him that it was a house with a basement she starts to get agitated and Fincher says that they can stop. Holly gives the tiniest of nods so Mere speaks up and says yes, let's stop for now.

Outside, Fincher lets the Owen and Derek have it for not calling her as soon as they called the police because now Holly has bonded with a surgeon totally untrained on how to handle a situation like this. As you know I am not defending many of Owen's actions these days but in this case, at least from what we saw, that bonding took place immediately before anyone even realized the true nature of the situation, and by the time they knew to call the police it was already cemented. Also, since it appears this is pretty much right after Holly's surgery, it doesn't seem like they dithered too much in calling psych after the police were called.

Meredith joins them and Owen tells her they think she should stay with Holly until her parents arrive. She points out that she has no training but Fincher explains that Holly has had no control over her life for the past twelve years, so now they have to let her know she's in control and that happens by letting her have whatever she wants, including Meredith. She tells Mere they will work together, and Mere of course agrees because she's not an ogre. Whatever, this has been contrived so that now we get how unusual and possibly important this bond is. Fincher goes to call the parents and Meredith immediately gets defensive, asking Derek if she really could have said sorry, she can't help because she has an important job interview. I also think that this is a case where the interviewers would understand the situation as they are all doctors and this is unusual, extreme, and very delicate. But whatever, we're obviously supposed to realize that Mere does not actually seem too shattered to postpone her meeting. And anyway, she tells Derek she can catch the last flight out once Holly's parents arrive.

By Lauren S

When Richard has a chance to speak to Owen he tells him that he's doing a good job with a tough case, but Owen disagrees and admits that between dealing with the parents and the press, he's totally out of his depth. Richard offers to deal with the parents and advises Owen on who to call in security and PR to help take care of the situation. He then adds that Owen should go home and make sure his suits are clean for all of the press conferences he is about to have. He assures Owen that he will be okay and pats his arm before leaving and the takeaway is that of the two of them he is obviously the only one who knows what he is doing right now.

Later that night Cristina finds Owen and asks about Holly; when she gets a long and detailed answer she asks Mere point-blank if she is trying to get out of her Brigham interview. Mere of course denies it but she's not entirely convincing and Cristina says she thinks Mere wants to stay and raise "happy cutie babies" with her "happy cutie husband." Mere snaps back at her, asking why she's so fine with leaving. Cristina answers matter-of-factly that she's a surgeon who wants to work with the best, and Mere should too. Alex comes up and asks them if they've heard of a hospital called Carson Methodist which is outside of Toledo. The girls don't even know if Toledo is an American city, so they certainly haven't heard of this place where Alex now has an interview. Cristina makes fun of him and wishes him goodbye since they are clearly on different career paths. We're saved more mean-spirited mocking and yet more of Alex's defensive sniping by Holly's parents Frank and Kathleen, who sweep in. Mere seems nervous on Holly's behalf as Kathleen begins to cry that it's her.

By Lauren S

She manages to compose herself once they are in the room but as she tells Holly she'd know her anywhere, that she is her perfect daughter, Holly's fist is balled into a tight fist and she's shaking. Kathleen asks tentatively if it might be okay to give her a hug and after Mere gives her a tiny nod, Holly gives a similar tiny nod to her mother. She and Frank practically fall onto her, crying and holding her, and she looks terrified and suffocated while Mere watches, worried.

Five days later, Alex is at Carson Methodist and all I can think of is the tiny hospital in Jupiter Hollow at the beginning of Big Business where the Ratliff and Shelton twins were mixed up and shenanigans were begun. The doctor showing Alex around is really nice but ultimately admits that what excites him about Alex is the money he raised for the African kids, since Carson Methodist is working to upgrade their NICU. He then signs off on the discharge of a liver patient transplant and Alex learns that the hospital is so small they can't yet handle that serious a procedure. By the time the guy excitedly offers to take Alex to the cafeteria for make-your-own-sundae day, Alex looks like a deer in the headlights, if a deer could sneer while trying to force a game smile.

Cristina arrives at her apartment and as she gets to the top of the stairs dumps her bag and then takes off her jacket and leaves it in a heap on the floor. I was appalled until I remembered that she was always known for being a slob, but I guess Owen must have helped keep this place under control. I mean, I'm still appalled as I veer into Monica Geller territory when it comes to my home, but it was a nice reminder of the Cristina from years ago and how she's already slipping back into her single ways. She stops when she sees men's clothes strewn around and then jumps out of her skin when Owen walks into the room. The two are really stilted even when she's startled but she admits she thought he was the kidnapper. Why, pray tell, would the kidnapper be in their apartment rifling through her estranged husband's dress shirts? Really, it's just something stupid she says so that we learn from Owen that they caught the guy. He was at the apartment to get more suits for yet more press conferences, and he apologizes that he thought she would be studying at Mere's. She's more defensive than mean when she says she came home to take a shower. He immediately starts to throw things in a bag as he offers to leave but after a moment she tells him he should stay since she's sleeping at Meredith's until the Boards. There's a note of hope in his voice as he asks if she is sure and she's quick to say it's just until the Boards are over.

At the same time, Callie is giving an update on Holly's progress to reporters and is so nervous that she keeps stumbling over her words as she tries to sound upbeat. Owen rescues her but once he's back at the podium they start to shout questions at him, including one reporter asking if it's true that Holly refuses to speak to her parents. Owen tells the crowd that the situation is complicated.

Inside, Frank sees this on TV and blows up that it's not complicated -- a monster stole their daughter years ago but now they are only allowed to see her one supervised hour a day. Fincher and Richard try to calm him down and remind him that she's fragile and they need to abide by her wishes for now. Frank's anger recedes and he's just terribly sad as he says that she was brainwashed and doesn't know what she wants. Fincher agrees, but says she needs time to process everything. Frank yells at Owen that they are strangers because they aren't allowed to see her, but Owen is saved from answering when Mere walks in. Frank hopefully asks if she remembered anything after seeing the bunny and the photos and Meredith sadly admits that she didn't. Richard turns to them and assures them that the memories are still there, they just have to be patient but she will come back to them. He's strong for them but it has to be horrible because when it comes to the person he has lost, those memories just aren't there anymore.

April finds Owen and asks him if he's heard anything from Northwestern, and Owen tells her carefully that they found her resume impressive. When she starts gushing her relief, he interrupts and adds that she should still keep her options open. She has no idea what he's talking about so he admits that the guy told him they weren't sure if April was a match for them, "personality-wise." She's incensed that her personality should have anything to do with it if her resume is impressive but Owen has to take a call from a reporter and leaves her gaping in the hallway.

Mere watches from the gallery as Callie operates on Holly's arm, and she exclaims that the bone had to be broken at least three or four times for it to be in such bad shape. Bailey can't handle the thought and asks Callie to talk about something else, surprising all of the other docs in the room. It's true that this is not the tough Bailey we know and love but on the other hand, we haven't seem much of that Bailey in a while and this whole subject would understandably be distressing to any parent. I can sort of understand their surprise but not the level of their surprise. Bailey just adds that no one knows what a patient's subconscious hears during surgery, so they should maybe talk about something other than "every parent's worst nightmare." If patients do absorb what they hear I bet there are a lot of soap opera writers and romance novelists that come out of the Seattle Grace operating rooms. Mark seems to think it's weird but changes the subject by announcing, to Avery's dismay, that he has an interview coming up at UCLA. (U-C-L-A Fight! Fight! Fight!) Mark is quick to add that this is a great reflection on his skills as a teacher, especially as UCLA is a top ten program. (Go Bruins!) Avery can't stand the conversation but Bailey is relieved to have something to talk about other than Holly's hideous life in captivity.

Alex joins Mere and Cristina in the gallery, and he's completely demoralized from his interview. Cristina teases him by offering to call Duke and put in a good word, since they want her so badly they would probably help him too. Alex hits back, asking what Hunt will do if she leaves and then snidely answers his own question saying that he is so whipped, he'd be on the plane to wherever she goes. Seriously, the (relatively) good-natured bickering between the residents is just poisonous now and it's no fun to watch. Mere says that none of them are going because they have a great program here and would be crazy to leave, and Cristina then mocks her for it. She asks about Holly and Meredith has a very long and detailed answer (we get it, she's too invested, or at least we're supposed to think so) and Cristina seems to tune out completely from the answer. She finally snarks that maybe Holly can move in with Mere when the rest of them leave, and even Alex laughs along at this.

Richard arrives at Rose Ridge for another visit with Adele and when he gets to her closed door, he knocks, asking if she's ready for dinner. He then opens the door to see Adele and Alan in bed together, and Adele screams at him to get out, this is a private room.

Richard immediately goes to the director and yells about how he has to get Alan off the premises since he took advantage and assaulted a vulnerable woman. He threatens to sue before the guy can get in a response and what he tells Richard seems to shock him, though I'm not sure how he didn't realize this from the beginning: Alan is a patient there whose Alzheimer's is even more progressed than Adele's. Seriously, Richard, I know your brain was clouded with feelings but after decades as a doctor (and being at what is supposedly the very top facility available) how did you not realize this before? Did he really think they were just letting strange men waltz in and bed their patients? Richard is at a loss for words.

Eight days later, Cristina is having dinner at a restaurant that looks like the one Teddy was describing last week, but she's not on a date -- she's being wooed by a man from Columbia. He's trying his hardest but Cristina is more interested in the bread and wine than she is in his sales pitch. He tries to lure her to visit with a promise of theater tickets, but she announces that she hates theater, but loves wine. This poor, whipped interviewer immediately calls the waiter over to get her what she wants. I know this is Cristina and she's brilliant, but I can't help but wonder if something is going to backfire on her at some point.

By Lauren S

Owen is also dealing with the complexities of having such a high-profile patient and he gets an earful from Frank about the fact that Holly's picture is on the cover of a newspaper. Cristina walks up to the door in time to hear their conversation, in which Frank goes from mad to sad in about .2 seconds. He just wants Owen to keep his daughter safe, and Owen promises it won't happen again. I give this show a lot of crap but here is some credit where it is really due -- they are doing an amazing job showing just how shattering and confusing this must be for the parents and how much they obviously care and are not at all bad or angry people. Once he leaves Cristina walks in to have him sign off on some paperwork and as he does, she puts out a tiny little olive branch and points out that with cameras on everyone's phones these days, he can't be expected to be able to keep them completely out of the hospital. Owen is beating himself up hard, though, and thinks he could be doing a way better job. He finally admits that he's making mistakes and in over his head, and he seems incredibly frustrated about being Chief in general. He puts his head in his hands as he laments the fact that he's added to Frank's hurt and cries that he's failing Holly. Cristina takes the paperwork and then tells him sincerely that he's doing the best he can. He's thoroughly confused to get this reaction from this woman.

Derek and Mark both head up to the daycare to pick up their daughters and while they are all playing, Bailey comes in looking for Tuck. She doesn't see him and so asks the woman in charge, who doesn't know either and claims he was just there a minute ago. This is all too much for Bailey, who has one of the biggest meltdowns we have ever seen. Off the top of my head, I can only imagine her more upset one time, and that was while Charles was dying in her arms as a shooter roamed the hospital's halls. She hollers at the woman to call a code pink (child abduction) and when the woman protests that there is a protocol for doing so Derek realizes she's about to have protocol punched through her teeth and tells her to do it.

Bailey comes absolutely unglued as she cries that Tuck is probably somewhere screaming since he has been taught to scream if he is taken and is so upset that she doesn't realize another worker has walked in with Tuck, who is holding a bunch of tissues. The woman explains that he had a nosebleed, so she took him to the nurse and Bailey has to fight hard to compose herself and act normal and happy with him. Even Tuck has a little bit of a "mom's crazy" skeptical look on his face. She tells Tuck they should go home and get ice cream and as they leave, Mark and Derek look after her with worried looks on their faces. I'm not entirely sure what we're supposed to take away from this -- Bailey did come unhinged in a way that we've never seen before, but has also been spending the last couple of weeks with a front-row view of what can happen when your child is snatched in a quick moment. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be the start of a Thing with Bailey, or just an illustration of how horribly Holly's case affected the public at large. I guess we will just wait and see.

One week later we find Jackson carving... an ear? Out of... soap? It sounds like med libs but seriously, that's what it appears to be. The woman he's meeting with is impressed with his work but it only takes her about three seconds for her to work his grandfather into the conversation and ask if he thinks Harper might be interested in doing a lecture for them. Jackson gives a knowing, disappointed nod.

we see him complaining to the other residents about the experience. They are also excitedly watching Holly, who is in the cafeteria in her bathrobe, trying to get herself some lunch. April commentates as she almost talks to the soup guy but then at the last moment turns away; at first I thought they were being completely mean but on second viewing at least some of them (April, Lexie, Avery) seem supportive. Lexie actually thinks Mere is being completely mean to not get some food for her but Mere explains that the psychologist thinks Holly needs to learn to do some things by herself since she is going home soon. Cristina brings up Boston again and Meredith again tries to convince her that she's not avoiding it.

April begins to gripe about people caring about personality more than resume so Alex uses the opportunity to dump on her about how annoying she is. Avery takes a lighter tone, telling her to just try to be a little less... her, but he's cut off from saying any more when Mark comes up and literally grabs him by the ear. Mark heard that he walked out on his UCLA interview and demands that he call and apologize, though Avery tries to call it "respectfully withdrawing his application." Lexie seems incredibly invested in the scene that's playing out with her two hot exes, like she finds it strangely hot. Alex mumbles about Arizona and takes off. This leaves the girls at the table and Holly comes up and joins them, admitting that she didn't talk to anyone but she did manage to tackle the self-serve station. She's very proud of herself and while the others doubt a plate full of desserts like she has is the best meal, they give her supportive smiles.

Alex has run off to confront Arizona about being a crappy mentor, and after she tells him about another interview at a tiny, no-name hospital, admits that she invested tons of time in turning him into a great doctor and doesn't want him to go anywhere else. As we've heard twelve billion times, this is a teaching hospital, so isn't that actually the entire point? Just in case the audience is super dense Alex actually then says, like her admitting it didn't already confirm this, that she doesn't want him to go. I hate this scene. It makes me cranky. Basically she claims to feel guilty without sounding like it at all, and though Alex is fascinated to hear that he's her best candidate for the fellowship, he yells at her that she should want him to stay because he wants to rather than because he doesn't have another choice. He then orders her to start making some real calls on his behalf.

By Lauren S

Mere visits Holly in her room to congratulate her on her success in the cafeteria and though Holly brushes it off, she seems rather proud. Mere tells her it's hard enough to navigate even for those who haven't been... Holly jumps in and finishes, "Kept in a basement for 12 years?" Mere says tactfully, "Who haven't been through what you have been through." Holly demands to know why Mere always talks around it and says that her parents and the psychologist do it too when she tries to talk about the kicking, raping, and starving that she went through. She's upset because for years she couldn't talk about her parents and now she can't talk about him. Meredith tries to convince her she can, but Holly is totally right that she's been soft-pedaling things. Finally Holly says that it wasn't always bad with the guy, that sometimes he would let her come upstairs and watch movies. When she got there she found one of the movies they had watched and she actually started to miss him. She sounds grossed out about it, and I think Mere is wishing she had some psych training right now. Holly begs her not to tell anyone and Mere struggles to keep a straight face; she's clearly worried but does a pretty good job appearing neutral. As Holly starts to cry because she thinks she doesn't feel as happy to be home as she is supposed to, Mere assures her that however she is feeling is okay.

Mere VO's about having to let go of the past before you move on. Teddy finds Owen in the hall and begs him to make Cristina stay in Seattle. She babbles nervously about her going to visit Columbia and how Seattle Grace is going to lose someone who is gifted and brilliant, but Owen is just looking at her like he's thinking, do you really think none of this has crossed my mind? Out loud, he just tells Teddy that it's Cristina's decision and he can't make her stay. Teddy, who has gone out of her way to shut out Owen, actually runs after him as he walks away and says that he's her husband, and she doesn't care what happened between them, Owen has to fix it and make her stay. And with that, she crosses the line. Owen tells her evenly that as head of cardio it is Teddy's job to make her stay if she wants her that badly. He then growls that she's never to talk to him about his wife again because he is only her Chief, not her friend. "You've made that very clear." Amazingly, she seems quite hurt by this even though he is 100% right.

Mere VOs that letting go is easy, but moving on is painful. Richard is in the process of trying to do the first. As they sit in matching chairs in the lounge he tells her that she's got a good life here and he knows he can get in the way, but if she ever needs anything she can call and he'll be there in a second, no matter what. He tells her he loves her, but she looks almost bored by his speech, and it's basically just painful and tragic all around. She begins to giggle, and Richard realizes that Alan has walked up behind him. As Adele beams, a desperately sad Richard stands up and offers Alan his seat. As he walks away, the two new lovebirds grasp hands and gaze at each other while Adele excitedly tells Alan she's been waiting for him.

That night, the residents are at the airport bar as they all wait for flights off to more interviews. April wonders how she can be less herself, so Cristina takes her binders and dumps them in the bar trash can. April is horrified, but Cristina is probably doing the right thing for her. Alex walks up in a suit, much to Avery's amusement, but he defends that this is in case his flight gets delayed; he's not taking a chance now that he has an interview with Yale. He then takes off his suit coat and balls it up on the counter and I started to actually yell at TV that he has no clue, but Avery saves the coat and my voice and folds it up all neatly so that Alex doesn't turn up looking like a hobo. Mere walks up and joins them just as April and Avery leave for their gate. Alex decides to leave too, just to insure he doesn't miss his own flight. As Mere sits down, Cristina orders two tequilas. Aw, cheers to them and their tequila-soaked history. Overall, these two still have the best relationship on this show. They clink glasses and joke about picking up businessmen until Cristina's flight is called. As she's about to leave Mere calls after her and asks if she really wants to leave. Cristina answers matter-of-factly that they have been preparing for this moment for five years, and Mere really should want to go too." She thinks about this as she VOs that at some point you have to just let go and move on.

By Lauren S

At the hospital, things have suddenly gone very wrong for Holly. As the alarms all ring and Cristina works on her, Mere is in the hall with Frank and Kathleen and warns them that the graft on her artery is leaking, and they should go say goodbye to her before they rush her into surgery. Mere thinks they don't understand just how serious and urgent the situation is but Kathleen just says that Holly doesn't trust them like she does Mere and asks Mere to please take care of her. Holly then crashes and Mere has to run in and help as Cristina prepares to crack her chest. As they work, she sees the blinds are still open and Frank and Kathleen are watching, horrified, so she calmly has someone pull them closed to save them having to watch their daughter possibly die.

We then hear about, rather than see, what happened: twelve days later, the surgeons are all gathered in a meeting and review Holly's case. Owen goes to each doctor in turn to get the story which is that shit got real, she went into cardiac arrest a few times, but the awesome doctors brought her back and repaired the graft. She's now doing great and Teddy recommends that she is ready to go home. Derek, Callie and Mark all sign off too, so Owen turns to Bailey to get her okay as relates to general surgery. Bailey is of course too emotional to speak and while for some this seems really awkward, Callie smiles at her. Derek pushes over a box of tissues and tells Owen that she signs off too. Owen announces that Holly will continue therapy but surgically, she's okay to go home. He thanks everyone and gives special recognition to Mere; they all applaud and then Richard turns to give Owen his due as well. Owen is a little embarrassed but still happy, especially when he looks up and sees that Cristina is clapping for him too. But he has to turn away to shake someone's hand and when he looks back, she is already gone. Baby steps, Owen.

Mere goes and sits with Holly, who asks kind of nervously for confirmation that she has good parents. Mere tells her honestly that they seem to be kind of amazing, coming every day and just waiting in case Holly wanted to see them. Mere admits that if this were her daughter she'd want to grab her and never let go, but Frank and Kathleen have given her space and tried to understand the situation. She suggests that Holly try talking to them the way she talks to Mere. With that, they appear and announce that the car is packed. Holly gets in the wheelchair but as they are about to leave, her dad grabs the purple bunny and calls that they don't want to leave it behind. She agrees, but then with an encouraging nod from Mere she admits that the bunny reminds her of everything she missed out on. When Frank looks sad she immediately tries to take it back but her mom tells her firmly that it's totally fine, they can leave it, and with that they wheel her out. Holly turns and gives Meredith a rather wistful look goodbye, but Mere smiles like she knows she will now be okay.

By Lauren S

The day, Meredith is sitting in front of a Dr. Goodwin, whose Harper Avery award is displayed prominently on her desk. She tells Meredith how interested she is after she got a call from Bailey recommending her. But before she goes on, she tells Mere she has to know how serious she is about the program and moving to Boston. Mere smiles at her and tells her she's extremely serious. "In fact, it's my top choice." Aha, and there we have the way in which they are going to be able to wrap up this season with lots of actors' contracts still up in the air for the one. Clever, writers, very clever.

Lauren S is a writer and gal-about-town who lives and works in Atlanta, where the people watching at the airplane bars is magnificent. She wants everyone to know: "The views expressed in my recaps and anything else I might write on TWoP are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer."