[opening voice over] A surgical residency is all about training for the worst. But, as prepared as we might be, we usually don’t see disaster coming. We can try to envision the worst-case scenario, to foresee catastrophe. But, when true disaster strikes, it often comes out of nowhere. And when the worst really does happen, we find ourselves completely blindsided.
“One Flight Down” · Season 11, Episode 20
In this episode: Meredith Grey (4), Derek Shepherd (1), Miranda Bailey (1), Richard Webber (1), Callie Torres (1), Arizona Robbins (1), Owen Hunt (1), Amelia Shepherd (1)
Why didn't you tell me?
Hmm?
About Alex and my leg.
Freaking Karev.
Don't be mad at him.
He's an idiot. I was trying to protect him, but why did he have to...
All this time, you let me hold it against you. I... why?
I made the call. I mean, no matter what, it was still me making the call to take your leg, and I knew that you were going to hate me. I didn't want you to hate Alex, too. I wanted you to have somebody.
Thank you.
Dr. Grey, do you need to be replaced?
No. I'm fine.
No, you're not fine. You're distracted. You and Derek went down in a plane. You drowned. He got shot. You gave birth in a power outage.
Is this supposed to make me feel better?
I'm just saying, you have every reason to be distracted, every reason to think the sky is falling. Do you need to go?
No!
Okay, well, how long can you go without hearing from him before you absolutely go crazy?
I don't know. I... 6:00, 6:30, maybe.
Okay, then, let's say 5:00. At 5:00 P.M., if you haven't heard from him, you can panic. You can call the police, call the paramedics. You can freak out until your little heart's content. But not one minute before and not in this O.R.
(flashback)
You know, remember ages ago, you and I had a really big fight? And I told you, I said, "you're like coming up for fresh air. Like I was drowning, and you saved me." I still feel that way when I see you, what we have, our family. That's the feeling. It's you. It's always been you. And I want more. Of this, of us, of... I want to have more. Let's have more. I mean it.
You're crazy.
That's not a no.
Another baby?
Sure.
Uh, seriously?
I'm completely serious.
So, I've heard you tell this story six different ways today, and each time, the plane seems to be getting closer. I'm pretty sure, the next time it'll end with, "and then I died."
I think you're missing the point here.
I guarantee I am.
Maybe I didn't exactly die back there, but I sure as hell could have. I did look up from my car today. I did see a plane coming toward me. And for a split second, I did find myself thinking, "maybe this is it. This is where it all ends on 37th street between a yarn shop and a falafel stand." I know what a near-death experience is, and this wasn't my first. And it's true. Your life flashes right before your eyes. And this morning, mine did. And suddenly, I saw how much I had. Catherine. This hospital, all of the people I've affected, all the people who've affected me. And let me tell you. It scared the hell out of me. Because the minute you see all the things you have, you see all the things that you stand to lose. Look, maybe I did embellish the story some. I mean, that's human nature, I guess. But right now, I'm taking stock of what I have, and I'm feeling pretty grateful.
This is not about you! Everything isn't about you!
Then what is it?!
There was a plane crash.
Yes.
Not the one today. I'm talking about the plane that had Meredith and Derek and Arizona and Mark and Lexie and... Cristina. I put them on that plane. I signed the requisition for the airline. I paid for it. I was in charge. I don't care how long I've been out of the service. It was my watch, and they were my men. And I failed them. It was my fault. So, when something like this happens today, it brings it all back up. There was a plane crash.
Owen...
And I won't survive another plane crash, Amelia. And that's all we are.
[ending voice over] Why do bad things happen to good people? We ask that question so often, it's become a cliché, but that's because bad things do happen to good people constantly. You just have to hope that when it's your turn, you'll know what to do, how to cope, how to persevere. But the truth is, you don't know how you'll react to your worst-case scenario. None of us do. Not until it happens.
These quotes come from Wikiquote's Grey's Anatomy pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.