[voiceover] Doctors spend a lot of time focused on the future, planning it, working toward it. But at some point you start to realize your life is happening now. Not after med school, not after residency, right now. This is it. It's here. Blink and you'll miss it.
“Now or Never” · Season 5, Episode 24
In this episode: Meredith Grey (4), Cristina Yang (2), Derek Shepherd (1), Alex Karev (1)
She just had brain surgery, and an incredibly aggressive course of IL2. She needs rest.
She needs to exercise whatever memory she's got left before it all turns to mush.
Well she's not going to heal with you barking orders at her like a caveman.
Butt out Yang.
You know what she's my patient. I don't care if you’re her husband.
Look, she...
You wanna see how fast I can get your visiting hours down to zero?
She signed a DNR. She signed a fricking DNR and made me promise me she'd come out of this with a life, not in a hospital bed, not with no brain. I had to promise she'd have a life. You wanna know what happens if she can't make any new memories? Forget about being a doctor. She's going to need round the clock baby sitters. We get an apartment together, she can't ever find her way to the damn toilet, track her on her ankle in case god forbids, she wanders out the front door!
Alex, you can handle this, she will get better.
Maybe, maybe not. It's on me. Her future is on me.
How's she doing? Any better?
No.
Damn. Well, I'm going to city hall to go do the thing.
Seriously? It doesn't seem like the day for it.
Look at Alex. He's in there working so hard all day, and she doesn't know. And, if she stays like this she may never know how much he loves her. And that girl Amanda, she's in there loving a stranger. She thinks that's her Prince Charming. I mean, he's probably gonna die today. Chances are. So yeah, I'm gonna go get married, because I think it's important to take the time to tell the people you love how much you love them while they can hear you. I love you Cristina Yang. [smiles]
You have changed.
Mmmm... Maybe I have. What?
I'm gonna hug you.
Meredith...
No, you know let's go, we gotta go. We gotta run to city hall, we'll come back, you'll check on Izzie, we'll monitor John Doe, I'll go talk George out of joining the army!
Look, we can do this another day-
There is no other day! Everyday is like this, everyday there's a crisis, there's no time.
Meredith...
I love you and I do want to marry you, today. But there is no time.
[Cups her face with his hands] Do you have a piece of paper?
For what?
I want to be with you forever. And you want to be with me forever. In order to do that, we need to make vows. A commitment. A contract. Give me, a piece of paper.
I don't! I-I-I don't... I have post-its. [Hands him posts-its and a pen. Derek goes and sits on the bench]
Okay... what do we want to promise each other?
That you'll love me, even when you hate me.
To love each other... even when we hate each other. [writes it down on the post-its] No running. Ever. Nobody walks out. [Meredith joins him on the benches] No matter what happens.
No running.
What else?
That we'll take care of each other even when we're old and smelly and senile. And... if I get Alzheimer's and I forget you...
I will you remind you who I am, every day. [They smile at each other] To take care when old, senile, smelly. This is forever. [Derek finishes writing on the post-it, then gives it and the pen to Meredith] Sign.
This is our wedding? A post-it?
Mhmm. Well, if you sign it. [Meredith signs it happily and then hands it back to Derek]
Now what?
Now, I kiss the bride. [He kisses her tenderly. Meredith's smiling as they kiss. Then Derek slowly pulls back]
Married.
Married. [Derek puts the post-it note with their vows and signatures on the back of her cubby, then turns to her] You see that? Plenty of time.
[voiceover] Did you say it? "I love you. I don't ever want to live without you. You changed my life." Did you say it? Make a plan. Set a goal. Work toward it, but every now and then, look around. Drink it in 'cause this is it. It might all be gone tomorrow.
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