[voiceover] Doctors give patients a number of things. We give them medicine, we give them advice, and most of the time, we give them our undivided attention. But, by far, the hardest thing you can give a patient is the truth. The truth is hard. The truth is awkward, and very often, the truth hurts. I mean, people think they want the truth, but do they really?
“Let the Truth Sting” · Season 4, Episode 3
In this episode: Meredith Grey (4), Alex Karev (2), Cristina Yang (1), Miranda Bailey (1), Lexie Grey (1)
Here I am stuck in the pit with those know-nothing interns. You think eventually I catch a break.
Cristina, are we ever gonna talk about this? The Burke thing?
I'm not Izzie. I'm not gonna lie at the bathroom floor all day. I'm gonna lie here... on the counter.
I'll trade you the hemiglossectomy.
What?
You take the hemiglossectomy and I will take the ER and your interns.
Are you sure?
Take the surgery. If it makes you feel better, you're starting to freak me out. [Meredith leaves]
I saw the whole thing, Yang. You can stop pretending.
Oh, I'm not pretending. I'm sad. I'm very sad. [makes a childish voice] Me so sad.
Maybe I should try it. See if I can get Grey to take my new intern.
Hey, forget it. Sad is mine. Go find your own pretend emotion.
Hey, I'm filling for Cristina, so how's it going?
I pulled a splinter out of a guy's toe, and now I'm writing about it.
Don't apologize to him!
What?
NNorman
Oh, Dr. Bailey's right...
Shut up, Norman! I'm not talking to you. [to Alex] He got in your way, he's been doing it all day. And when that happens, when an intern gets in the way of a resident, you're not doing what's best for your patient. Now, you almost missed diagnosing that kid today because Norman here thought it was drugs. So don't apologize. He should be yelled at.
Dr. Bailey, he's as old as the hills.
I don't care how old he is, Dr. Karev. He's still an intern, and interns are basically teenagers. We are not hard on them because it's fun, we're hard on them because this is a life and death job, they need to learn that. There is a reason why we have a pecking order in a hospital. It saves lives!
[voiceover] The truth is painful. Deep down nobody wants to hear it, especially when it hits close to home. Sometimes we tell the truth because the truth is all we have to give. Sometimes we tell the truth because we need to say it out loud to really hear it for ourselves. And sometimes we tell the truth because we just can't help ourselves. And sometimes, we tell them, because we owe them at least that much.
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