"Bleeding Love"

Original Spec Script Written by

Logan Conover

[email protected] (610) 657-986 ii.

Characters April Kepner Matthew DeLuca Stephanie Edwards Wilson Ginger Reed Mollie Reed Franklin Reed Fiona Reed Marcus Florenstein Trevor Williams Anesthesiologist Scrub Nurses Hospital Staff ACT ONE

INT. MEREDITH’S BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING A heavy rain trickles down the moonlit window outside of Meredith’s bedroom. Her moment of tranquility ends as soon as CONOVERit begins when her 5 am phone alarm blares from the bedside table. She begrudgingly reaches out her hand and silences it. She lays still for a moment. MEREDITH (V.O.) Any neurosurgeon will tell you that without sleep, your brain cells lose the ability to communicate, and your memory and perception become diluted. She slithers out of bed, as thunder and lightning clash outside. CUT TO:

INT. MEREDITH’S LIVING ROOM - EARLY MORNING Meredith stomps downstairs to see Alex sprawled out on the couch in the living room, though more of his body is off the couch than on. Thunder rumbles one more time, and Meredith wakes him up by throwing a pillow at his head. MEREDITH (V.O.) Ironically, neurosurgeons probably get the least sleep out of all of us. And that’s saying something. Meredith drags her feet as she enters the kitchen. At the counter is Maggie, slumped over on the cold countertop with a cup of coffee spilled over in her hand. Rolling her eyes, Meredith flips the cup into an upright position, waking her suddenly. MEREDITH (V.O.) We need sleep to survive, and it is the only time in our lives when we can truly feel a blissful ignorance. Meredith wipes up the spilled coffee with a paper towel as Maggie plops her head back down on the counter. CUT TO: 2.

INT. OWEN’S TRAILER - SAME Owen and Amelia lay fast asleep next to each other As the rain outside steadily persists, a loud crash of thunder interrupts their tranquility. Owen’s eyes split open. His vision goes blurry, and he begins to envision the loud crashes of artillery fire from his time CONOVERin the military. Breathing heavily, he turns to Amelia laying next to him. Owen sits up and gets on top of her. She wakes up, confused, but before she can think, Owen wraps his hands around her neck and begins tightening his grasp. MEREDITH (V.O.) But with that bliss comes a loss of control: a vulnerability to the outside world.

INT. OPERATING ROOM - SAME Bailey, Jo, and Richard work vigorously to resuscitate a patient on the operating table. As Richard compresses, Jo keeps an eye on the monitor to see any stimulation. Bailey shakes her head and stops Richard from continuing. The patient flatlines. MEREDITH (V.O.) And, if you’re lucky, that bliss is the last thing you will ever experience. Richard rips off his cap and throws it to the ground. CUT TO:

INT. OWEN’S TRAILER - SAME Amelia struggles profusely to pry Owen off of her. He stares blankly through her, until eventually coming to his senses. He throws himself backwards off of her, and Amelia sits up gasping for air. Owen quickly crawls back and tries to comfort her, but Amelia flinches away from him. Their eyes meet each other, but these aren’t the same eyes that she fell in love with. MEREDITH (V.O.) If you’re lucky. Owen tears up. 3.

INSERT TITLE: Grey’s Anatomy

EXT. HOSPITAL PARKING LOT - MORNING Although the storm has stopped, dark rain clouds remain over the puddle-ridden parking lot of Grey-Sloan. Amelia and Owen CONOVERapproach the entrance of the hospital, an arms length apart. OWEN Amelia, I- I am so sorry. The thunder, it just reminded me of- AMELIA Iraq? OWEN (taking a breath) Yes. Yes it reminded me of Iraq, and it- AMELIA (interrupts) And so do microwave dinners, and fireworks, and canteens, and-- She sees that Owen’s eyes are only making contact with the ground. He is ashamed, and she does not want to make him feel worse. AMELIA (CONT'D) I get it, ok? And I’m not mad at you. OWEN And you are amazing for that, but I just need you to know that I would never hurt you on purpose-- AMELIA (tersely) Well you still hurt me. Amelia actually is a bit mad. They stop walking, and Owen swallows the lump in his throat. AMELIA (CONT'D) Owen, you have PTSD. And you’ve never done anything about it. OWEN I went to therapy-- 4.

AMELIA Well obviously it didn’t help too much. (beat) You’re dating a neurosurgeon. Why haven’t you asked me to help you? OWEN CONOVERBecause I don’t want you to think I’m not strong enough to fix this on my own. AMELIA Or because you’re afraid to admit that you’re not strong enough to fix it on your own. Owen and Amelia lock eyes. She’s right. AMELIA (CONT'D) It hurts me emotionally, and physically, to see this affect you. (beat) Let me help. Owen plays with his tongue in his mouth, and reluctantly nods his head. Amelia grabs a hold of his hand, and they enter the hospital.

INT. HOSPITAL LOBBY - SAME Owen and Amelia step into a faculty meeting in the hospital lobby. The entire staff listens to Bailey as she delivers an announcement from the staircase. Jackson stands behind her. BAILEY (chipper) Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I will make this quick so you can get back to work saving some lives. Alex rolls his eyes and leans over into Meredith’s ear. Bailey’s voice becomes muffled. ALEX What’s she so chipper about? MEREDITH Probably something that will make our lives miserable. 5.

Arizona and April squeeze through the crowd of surgeons to stand by them. ARIZONA What’d we miss? ALEX Bailey is about to ruin something CONOVERfor us. APRIL I hate it when she does that. The four surgeons roll their eyes as they pay attention to Bailey. BAILEY Our OR booking and patient monitoring softwares have not been updated since the Seattle Grace days of this hospital. Alex and Meredith reminisce with each other. MEREDITH Sometimes I forget this place isn’t still called Seattle Grace. ALEX I can’t believe how long ago that was. What was it, 8 years now? MEREDITH Damn, we are old. Bailey continues to speak. BAILEY (continuing) In order to become more in line with competing hospitals, I am proud to announce that Grey-Sloan memorial has upgraded our computer systems to the new Blackbook OS. The surgeons all mumble amongst each other. MEREDITH Wait what? ALEX I just figured out how to use the old one. 6.

ARIZONA Why would she change the system it worked perfectly fine? Bailey silences the crowd. BAILEY Ok... ok... hey! CONOVER(beat) I know this is an abrupt change, however, the system is top of the line and I think you will all come to enjoy it. She looks around at the unsure looks on the surgeon’s faces. She tells them the truth. BAILEY (CONT'D) And... we can now qualify for the Whitney Grant for technological advancement in medicine. The surgeons mumble with each other again. ARIZONA Oh, that’s why. Alex speaks up, drowning out the grumbling surgeons.. ALEX How does this new system even work? What, are we supposed to teach ourselves? BAILEY (interrupting) There will be a mandatory training session tomorrow morning, but until then, myself, Jackson, and the IT department will be able to assist you during the transition. ALEX That’s ridiculous! The hospital has become somewhat of a protest hall, and all of the surgeons loudly voice their concerns. Bailey holds out her hands. BAILEY Hey! Hey! The surgeons quiet themselves and listen. 7.

BAILEY (CONT'D) I know this is a shock and I know it’s frustrating. But the hospital could really use this grant, and in order to be considered we needed to have the Blackbook OS installed today. (beat) CONOVERYou are all the most talented surgeons in this country... you can figure out a little software. The surgeons begin to disperse, continuing to whisper amongst themselves. Meredith, April, Arizona, and Alex move in the same direction. APRIL I feel like that was unnecessary. ALEX Everything she does is unnecessary. MEREDITH (shakes her head) I don’t have time to care right now. I have a kidney transplant between twins. ALEX (snarky) Sounds exciting. MEREDITH (equally snarky) Yeah! But definitely not as exciting as spending your whole life pulling screaming sacks of blood and guts out of a woman’s vagina. Arizona and Alex are offended. April and Meredith are elated. MEREDITH (CONT'D) Don’t have too much fun without me! Meredith speed walks down the OR hallway. April chuckles to herself, as Alex and Arizona glare at her mockery. CUT TO: 8.

INT. PATIENT ROOM - MORNING Meredith stands between Richard and Steph as they look down at two hospital beds. In one bed is GINGER (19), a snarky and crude counterpart to her mellow identical twin, MOLLIE (19), who lays in the bed CONOVERbeside her. MOLLIE How long is the surgery gonna take? MEREDITH Well, a typical operation is only about three hours, but considering your sister’s condition, it could take a little bit longer. The girls’ worried parents, FRANKLIN (50s) and FIONA (40s), express their concerns through curiosity. FIONA (worried) And how exactly does her condition affect all of this? Meredith looks toward Steph, as if asking her to explain it. Steph clears her throat. STEPH Ginger has hemophilia, so her blood does not clot as quickly as it would for an average adult. Because of that, we need to make sure that we take necessary precautions before we implant Mollie’s kidney into Ginger’s belly. Meredith smiles and nods. FRANKLIN And you’ve done this before? MEREDITH I’ve never done a kidney transplant on someone who is hemophilic, but I’ve performed dozens of surgeries on hemophilic patients. She will be just fine. Franklin and Fiona nod, but their concern is evident in their glossy eyes. Ginger rolls hers. 9.

GINGER (to her parents) Will you two calm down? It’s not like you’re the ones getting an organ from their sister. MOLLIE (offended) CONOVERWhat is that supposed to mean? GINGER It means that you’re literally always going to have something to hang over my head. (impersonating Mollie) “Yeah, I’m not gonna let you have the TV tonight because my kidney is keeping you alive right now.” Mollie reaches over and slaps Ginger. They both laugh. Meredith chuckles as well. MEREDITH Well, I would hope that you’d do the same for your sister if she’d ever need it. GINGER And put my life on the line by choice? Hell no. I get a paper cut and I’m worried the Red Sea will part all over the floor. RICHARD (chuckles) Well, you are in very good hands with Ms. Grey here. Richard pats Meredith on the shoulder. Ginger takes a sip of her water cup. GINGER Oh, I sure hope so. (sip) Because if you mess this up there’s gonna be blood on all of your hands. The smiles of the surgeons become flattened. Mollie and her parents make eye contact with the ground. 10.

GINGER (CONT'D) And your shoes... and the floor... probably your pants... Basically blood will be everywhere. Fiona takes a deep breath and Franklin comforts her. The surgeons hold their straight faces. CONOVERGINGER (CONT'D) No pressure, though. She smiles. CUT TO BLACK.

END ACT ONE 11.

ACT TWO

INT. NEUROLAB - MORNING Owen’s blue eyes blend into the rest of his face as the head CT machine glows onto his skin. Amelia observes from the CONOVERviewing room. OWEN (nervous) Ya know I see people in this thing all the time and I never understood why they were nervous about it, but... I get it-- this thing feels like I’m lying in a coffin. Amelia communicates through the intercom system in the room. AMELIA Well it’s a pretty damn expensive coffin, I can tell you that much. They laugh. Owen’s laughter dissolves quickly. OWEN So, uh, what kind of treatment exactly were you thinking? AMELIA That’s what I’m doing the CT for-- to find out what type of approach would be best. Owen doesn’t respond. Amelia looks at him and notices his weariness about letting her proceed. AMELIA (CONT'D) (gently) Just trust me. Owen leans forward slightly to make eye contact. CUT TO:

INT. NICU - MORNING Alex, dawning his pink scrub gown, stands opposite Arizona as they look over a newborn in its incubator. Arizona looks at a monitor attached. 12.

ARIZONA Alright! His heart rate looks like it’s evened out. Probably just got a little spooked when we moved him in here. (looking to Alex) Can you look at his vitals from earlier and let me know what they CONOVERwere before we brought him into the NICU? Alex picks up an iPad from the incubator table. He taps away on the screen. Arizona waits patiently. Alex has no idea what he’s doing. ALEX I don’t even know how to find his name in this new system. ARIZONA What? Just look him up. ALEX (sarcastically) Oh, wow that’s a really good idea let me try that out. ARIZONA (sighs) Let me take a look. Arizona grabs the iPad from Alex. Bailey, noticing their struggles from the other side of the room, looks up from her binder and observes. ARIZONA (CONT'D) Why isn’t there a search bar? ALEX Because this Blackboard thing is freakin’ stupid. Bailey rolls her eyes and moseys over to them both. She holds out her hand. BAILEY Give it to me. Arizona and Alex exchange glances. Bailey taps a few buttons, and then stares at them both. 13.

BAILEY (CONT'D) All you have to do is hit the “patient info” button on the top, and type in their name in the drop- down menu. (looking to Alex) Which is, objectively, easier than it used to be. And if you all CONOVERopened up your closed little minds for a whole two seconds, you would see that this will make things so much easier for you all. She, forcefully, hands the iPad back to Alex and marches off. Arizona and Alex smirk at one another. CUT TO:

INT. TRAUMA BAY - MORNING In the trauma bay, April and DeLuca stand beside MARCUS (20s), who has been admitted on his own accord, likely because of the large bloody bandage that is covering his right cheek. APRIL So what exactly happened? MARCUS This idiot’s mutt is out of control! He points to his friend TREVOR (20s), who ashamedly stands at the foot of his bed. TREVOR (offended) Don’t call Reggie a mutt! He’s a good boy. MARCUS Trevor, a good boy doesn’t chomp on a person’s face when they bend down to pet them! TREVOR (sad) He felt threatened... April begins examining Marcus’ vitals. APRIL So this is all because of a dog? 14.

MARCUS Because of a mutt! TREVOR Stop calling him that! April laughs. She listens to Marcus’ heartbeat with her CONOVERstethoscope. APRIL DeLuca, let’s take off that bandage to see what damage Reggie really did. DeLuca nods and starts to peel off the bloody pad covering half of Marcus’ face. Marcus continues to target Trevor. MARCUS I can’t believe this. TREVOR Mark, it’s not that bad. DeLuca’s eyes widen as he peels back the bandage. DELUCA Um... I guess that depends on how you would define bad... Trevor and April worriedly look over at DeLuca. April looks down, and is shocked to see that the entirety of Marcus’ cheek is missing. MARCUS (scared) Wh- what is that supposed to mean? APRIL (staying calm) DeLuca, go page plastics. DeLuca lays the bandage back over the wound and runs off. CUT TO:

INT. PATIENT ROOM - MORNING As Steph starts to lower the rails on the sides of Ginger and Mollie’s beds, Meredith stands off to the side. MEREDITH Ok, so Dr. Edwards is going to take Mollie to OR 2 and Ginger to OR 1. (MORE) 15. MEREDITH (CONT'D) From there, Mollie’s kidney will be removed before we transplant it into Ginger’s abdomen. Ginger looks up at Steph as she loosens the wheel stoppers below the bed. GINGER CONOVER(mockingly) Make sure you push Mollie extra fast when you wheel her to her room. She loves roller coasters. Mollie obviously does not like roller coasters. MOLLIE (stressed) No, no, no please don’t. STEPH (laughs) I’ll go a little faster than normal so you get just a bit worried. She winks at Mollie, who smiles. Ginger laughs. Fiona and Franklin, still holding onto each other, have a difficult time laughing. They turn to Meredith. FIONA So tell me just one more time how you’re going to do this surgery with Ginger’s condition. MEREDITH Before we open her up we will administer CELOX, which is a blood clotting agent. This will let her body function completely normally and we can operate as we would any other patient. Fiona and Franklin worriedly nod. Meredith puts her hand on Fiona’s shoulder. MEREDITH (CONT'D) I understand that you are both concerned, but we deal with circumstances like this all the time. We are more than prepared to make sure both of your daughters come out of this healthier than ever. 16.

FRANKLIN (taking a breath) Thank you, Dr. Grey. We trust you. Meredith smiles and nods, patting Fiona’s shoulder one more time before stepping out of the room. Outside of the room, Richard leans against the doorway. CONOVERMeredith grabs an iPad from him and begins tapping. RICHARD Are they gonna be ok? MEREDITH Yeah, I do kidney transplants all the time. RICHARD No, I mean, the parents. Meredith continues to tap. MEREDITH Oh. They’ll worry until the surgery is over, but that’s just what parents do. Richard nods. Meredith continues to tap on her iPad, which blips. On its screen, a notification saying “OR booked” flashes. She looks up at Richard. MEREDITH (CONT'D) I don’t know why everyone is complaining about this new system. That wasn’t so hard. RICHARD I never learned how to use the other system, so I wouldn’t even know. Meredith smiles and hands the tablet back to him. He smiles as she walks off. CUT TO:

INT. NEUROLAB - EARLY AFTERNOON Amelia sticks Owen’s CT Scan on the lightbox to compare his scan with an average brain. Owen nervously watches her. OWEN So... what’s the verdict? 17.

Amelia points to areas of his brain as she speaks. AMELIA Well, you can see immediately that there is increased stimulation in your hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex. It’s definitely not the most severe case I’ve ever CONOVERseen, but it makes sense that certain things are big triggers for you. OWEN So what are you thinking we do? Amelia ponders her thoughts for a moment. AMELIA I’m thinking the best course of action is something fairly new, actually. It’s called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. OWEN (scared) What? AMELIA It’s not bad. It’s non-invasive and it just involves using magnetic waves to pinpoint affected areas of your brain and modify the neurons. OWEN Have you ever done this before? AMELIA No, but the hospital actually just got an MRT machine, so we could easily do it. Owen’s leg bounces up and down at the same speed of his nervous heart. OWEN I don’t know Amy... I don’t want to try something so new... AMELIA It’s one of the only viable options. 18.

OWEN I mean... I don’t think I even need to try anything. Amelia puts a hand on her hip, genuinely curious to see what he’s getting at. OWEN (CONT'D) CONOVERWhat I did in bed earlier-- I’ll sleep with earplugs and I’ll sleep on the couch if a storm is coming. I won’t let this happen again. Amelia moves her tongue around in her mouth and stares directly into his eyes. AMELIA You know what, Owen, you’re right. It won’t happen again. (becoming more stern) Because I’m never getting back in that bed with you if you don’t try to get this fixed. Owen’s passiveness turns into fear at her ultimatum. Amelia waits for him to respond. CUT TO BLACK.

END ACT TWO 19.

ACT THREE

INT. PATIENT ROOM - AFTERNOON Meredith smiles as Steph and Richard wheel Ginger and Mollie out of the patient room and towards the OR. Franklin and CONOVERFiona follow them out, but not before stopping to speak with Meredith one last time. FIONA Can we go with them? To the OR? MEREDITH (apologetic) We can’t allow that, Mr. and Mrs. Reed. As hard as it is, the best thing that you both can do is just wait here patiently. Fiona and Franklin hold each other and breathe. MEREDITH (CONT'D) (reassuring) We would not have agreed to do this surgery if we weren’t confident. They smile, and so does Meredith. But they both know that her words could easily prove to be false. CUT TO:

INT. TRAUMA BAY - AFTERNOON Jackson takes a close inspection of Marcus’ gaping wound. He flinches when Jackson applies disinfectant. MARCUS How bad is it? Truthfully? JACKSON Well, it doesn’t look good. But it’s also nothing I couldn’t fix. I’m thinking a skin graft to restore the cheek. (beat) It’ll scar but it will honestly probably look pretty dope. Marcus rolls his eyes. Trevor tries to find light in the situation. 20.

TREVOR See! Look, it won’t be that bad at all! MARCUS I’m pressing charges. CONOVERJackson, April, and DeLuca’s eyes widen. Trevor is shocked. TREVOR What?! No, Mark! I- I can’t afford that right now! MARCUS Not against you. Against Reggie. The surgeons and Trevor gasp. TREVOR DELUCA No! Not Reggie! MARCUS I’m getting that demon dog locked up until it rots in puppy prison. TREVOR Stop! He didn’t know what he was doing! You can’t punish him! As Trevor continues to justify. Jackson notices that Marcus becomes very silent and his face reads blank. TREVOR (CONT'D) I’ve only had him for a week you can’t take him away from me so soon! Jackson, noticing this strange behavior, snaps his fingers in front of Marcus’ eyes to alert him. He comes to his senses. JACKSON Marcus, are you alright? MARCUS (clears throat) Yeah... yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Although Marcus brushes this off, Jackson knows something is wrong. He leans back and peels off his gloves. JACKSON Alright, I also want to give you a rabies vaccine, just in case- 21.

MARCUS (interrupts) No. The surgeons, and Trevor, curiously look at Marcus. MARCUS (CONT'D) CONOVERNo, you’re not giving me a shot. JACKSON (reassuring) I know, shots freak me out too but I’m worried that the dog- MARCUS (stern) You are not giving me a vaccine. Jackson cocks his head. JACKSON And why not? MARCUS Because I’ve never had one in my life, and I’m not starting now. The surgeons look at each other. CUT TO:

INT. HOSPITAL LOBBY - AFTERNOON Maggie leans against the reception desk, aggressively tapping on her iPad and audibly becoming frustrated. Bailey enters the lobby and notices Maggie’s frustration. She approaches Maggie to assist. BAILEY Alright, what are you having trouble with? MAGGIE (sighs) Well I wanted to push back my Angioplasty so I could do a quick stent, but the system won’t let me do that. 22.

BAILEY (rolls eyes) I swear, you all save lives everyday but can’t even figure out a simple menu. Bailey grabs the tablet out of Maggie’s hand. She taps away on the screen, as if she knows exactly how to fix the CONOVERproblem, but she realizes she starts to have trouble too. Bailey continues to try to move the surgery, but repeatedly gets an error pop up. MAGGIE (teasing) What were you saying about it being simple? BAILEY (defensive) Just give me a minute! Alex enters the lobby and approaches Bailey and Maggie. He holds his iPad up in front of Bailey. ALEX Please tell me why your new system just cancelled my surgery because I checked in 2 minutes late for it. MAGGIE Wait in line, she can’t even figure out how to fix my problem. ALEX (to Bailey) You don’t even know how to use the software that you implemented? BAILEY There’s a learning curve! ALEX (mocking) I think you’re just afraid of change. Bailey gives Alex an evil eye. Maggie laughs as Alex proudly smirks. CUT TO: 23.

INT. NEUROLAB - AFTERNOON Owen sits on a chair in the neurolab as Amelia fits his head with a barbaric looking device. Owen’s leg nervously shakes and he grips onto the chair rails. OWEN So, what exactly am I gonna feel CONOVERand what is gonna happen? AMELIA In the few tests that have been done, they say it doesn’t even feel like anything... maybe just a minor headache. Owen understands. Amelia continues to wire up the machine. AMELIA (CONT'D) I should also probably let you know that there are some reported side effects with this procedure. Nausea, vomiting, the usual. (beat) In some rare occasions, people have had manic episodes. Owen’s eyes widen. Amelia speaks before he can. AMELIA (CONT'D) Very rare occasions. Every procedure has risks. The pros far outweigh them in this case. Owen gives Amelia a look, as if asking if he can trust her. She responds. AMELIA (CONT'D) You’re gonna be fine. Owen leans back in the chair and Amelia finishes wiring the machine. CUT TO:

INT. OPERATING ROOM 1 - AFTERNOON The OR is prepped and ready to go for Mollie’s kidney removal. Steph and the nurses wait for Meredith, who enters the OR, scrubbed in and ready to go. MEREDITH Alright everyone, how are we doing? 24.

ANESTHESIOLOGIST Vitals are stable, general anesthesia admitted 4 minutes ago. Mollie is fast asleep. MEREDITH (nods) CONOVERGreat. Dr. Edwards, are you ready? STEPH Ready when you are, Dr. Grey. Meredith smiles and approaches the OR table. She looks down at Mollie’s stomach, exposed through the blue covers. MEREDITH Ok! Let’s get Mollie’s kidney out of there. (beat) Scalpel. She holds out her hand and a scrub nurse hands her a scalpel. Meredith holds it above the abdomen, but looks up at Steph before she makes a cut. MEREDITH (CONT'D) Actually, Dr. Edwards, why don’t you make the first incision? Steph’s mouth drops beneath her medical mask. She looks at Meredith, who smiles with her eyes. STEPH Well, I don’t want to intrude on your surgery-- MEREDITH (interrupts) Go on before I change my mind. Elated, Steph grabs the scalpel from Meredith. Carefully examining the abdomen, she makes a beautiful vertical incision over the kidney. MEREDITH (CONT'D) Beautiful incision, Dr. Edwards. The wound begins to bleed. MEREDITH (CONT'D) Alright let’s get some clips in there and then let’s start packing the opening. 25.

Meredith begins to pack the wound as Steph starts to clip the skin to open up the wound. The blood seems to be flowing extensively. MEREDITH (CONT'D) (slightly concerned) Ok, let’s get some more lap pads in CONOVERhere. Scrub nurses frantically hand both Meredith and Steph lap pads as they try to stop the bleeding. Blood pours from the wound. MEREDITH (CONT'D) She’s bleeding a little bit more than I like to see... STEPH (worried) Did-- did I do something wrong? They continue to pack. MEREDITH No, your cut was perfect. I-- (looking around) Let’s get some suction! A scrub nurse pushes beside Meredith and begins to suck blood from the wound with a vacuum tube. The surgeons continue to pack. STEPH Dr. Grey, I don’t think this is right... MEREDITH (overwhelmed) I know, Dr. Edwards! Meredith and Steph lock eyes as they try to plug the gaping, gushing stomach cavity. CUT TO BLACK.

END ACT THREE 26.

ACT FOUR

INT. OPERATING ROOM 1 - AFTERNOON The surgeons continue to pack Mollie’s wound. The monitor CONOVERbeeps. STEPH Her BP is dropping like crazy. MEREDITH Let’s get more suction in here! SCRUB NURSE She’s bleeding faster than we can suction! MEREDITH Well, then, suction more! Steph asks the question that all of the nurses are thinking. STEPH Dr. Grey, did Mollie have hemophilia as well? MEREDITH No! No, of course not! Only her... sister. Meredith realizes now that they have not been operating on Mollie, but Ginger this entire time. Steph and the nurses recognize how horrible this situation is. MEREDITH (CONT'D) Someone push 40 mg of CELOX! We need to get this girl’s blood clotted! They continue to frantically suction and pack her wound. MEREDITH (CONT'D) How the hell did this happen?! Did no one check to make sure this was the right twin before putting her under? ANESTHESIOLOGIST The schedule said that Mollie was booked to this room, so we never gave her a clotting agent. 27.

STEPH (defensive) And you- you told me to take Ginger to OR 1! MEREDITH Because that’s what I booked in the CONOVERsystem! Meredith, overwhelmed, comes to a terrifying realization. MEREDITH (CONT'D) That means that they gave a perfectly healthy girl in the other OR a clotting agent. Steph begins to share her fear. Meredith heads toward the OR exit. MEREDITH (CONT'D) (as she leaves) Steph, you keep this girl alive! Steph nods and continues to help the nurses pack the flowing wound. CUT TO:

INT. NEUROLAB - AFTERNOON Amelia monitors brain waves inside of Owen’s head by using a monitor on the opposite side of the lab. His brain looks normal, and she continues to administer magnetic pulses. AMELIA How are you feeling? OWEN (pleasantly surprised) It really doesn’t feel like anything. AMELIA (agreeing) I told you! Owen and Amelia smile. OWEN No, you were absolutely right. I’m sorry I doubted you. Amelia graciously continues the procedure. Owen continues. 28.

OWEN (CONT'D) So when would I start feeling any results? AMELIA We’d need to keep this up at least twice a week. But 20 minute CONOVERsessions- we’ll be fine. Owen nods as much as the machine allows him. There is silence for a few moments until Owen makes a bizarre comment. OWEN Have I ever told you about how many people I’ve killed? Amelia looks up from the monitor, slightly worried. AMELIA What? OWEN In Iraq? How many people I’ve killed in Iraq? AMELIA (nervously) No... no you haven’t... OWEN (monotone) 68 and a half. The half is from when I threw a grenade and it blew a guy’s legs off. Amelia breathes deeply. AMELIA Owen--? OWEN (disturbingly) Have you ever heard the way a man screams when you blow his legs off, Amelia? AMELIA (cautiously) Owen, why are you-- OWEN (interrupting) It really messes with your head. 29.

Amelia looks at the monitor and notices that his brain activity is extremely erratic. AMELIA Ok, Owen, I think the magnets are-- OWEN It’s why I tried to strangle you. I CONOVERthought the loud boom was a grenade and maybe you were the one who pulled the pin. Amelia frantically tries to get the machine to turn off. Owen continues. OWEN (CONT'D) I thought maybe you blew off my legs and I wanted you to pay. AMELIA (overwhelmed) Owen... please stop. OWEN The same thing happened to Christina. I tried to strangle her too... only I cheated on her a few weeks later. Amelia gets the machine to stop pulsing. Silence falls over the room. Amelia begins to cry. She slowly steps toward Owen slowly. He doesn’t seem to realize what just happened. AMELIA (tearful) Owen... OWEN (confused) Wh- what’s wrong, what happened? Amelia swallows the heart sized lump in her throat. CUT TO:

INT. TRAUMA BAY - AFTERNOON Jackson uses paper to sketch out how large of a region he will need for Marcus’ graft. Marcus sweats profusely and breathes heavily. Trevor watches nervously. 30.

TREVOR Just let them give you the shot, Marcus. MARCUS No! I saw what those vaccines did to my brother. CONOVERDELUCA What happened to your brother? MARCUS Tourettes. And it’s 100% from those poisons doctors like you pumped into him when he was born. Jackson scoffs. JACKSON Vaccines do not cause autism. MARCUS Well of course you say that. (beat) I’m not taking the chance. JACKSON (harsh) But you’d rather take the chance of dying from a treatable illness? MARCUS I’d rather die than spend the rest of my life unable to do half the things I do now! JACKSON So you’re saying having autism is worse than dying!? Before things escalate, April chimes in. APRIL Hey, hey, hey! (beat) Jackson, if Marcus doesn’t want a vaccine, then you need to respect that. Marcus leans back on his bed and smirks. Jackson gives April a look that says “How could you defend this guy?” CUT TO: 31.

INT. OPERATING ROOM 2 - AFTERNOON Meredith busts through the sterile field and into the Operating Room where Richard stands over, what he thinks is, Ginger’s body. RICHARD Dr. Grey, what seems to be the CONOVERproblem? MEREDITH That is not Ginger on that table! Richard and the scrub nurses in OR 2 look at one another. RICHARD Excuse me? MEREDITH They got swapped, the operating rooms-- something went wrong and Mollie is laying on that operating table right now. Richard looks as though he just killed someone. RICHARD Oh god- MEREDITH (frantic) Don’t give this patient CELOX! One of these twins is already bleeding out in the other OR, I don’t need the other one having a stroke because her blood is too thick! RICHARD (solemnly) Dr. Grey-- Meredith stops talking and breathes heavily, waiting for Richard to continue. RICHARD (CONT'D) We gave her the clotting agent about 5 minutes ago. Meredith flinches as if she had been shot. She starts to tear up, but Richard tries to prevent her from losing control. RICHARD (CONT'D) But- But! We can fix this, ok? We can fix this. 32.

Just then, Mollie’s heart rate monitor begins to flatline and her blood pressure drops. Meredith’s world becomes blurred. RICHARD (CONT'D) Oh god, she’s stroking out! Somebody push 10 mg of heparin! Start compressions! CONOVERMeredith watches from a distance as Mollie begins to die on the operating table.

END ACT FOUR 33.

ACT FIVE

INT. OPERATING ROOM 2 - LATE AFTERNOON Richard continues to work on reviving Mollie. He looks up to CONOVERnotice Meredith frozen in place. RICHARD (stern) Dr. Grey, it would be incredibly helpful if you didn’t just stand there! MEREDITH (somber) I told them they’d be fine. Richard grimaces as he continues to administer compressions. RICHARD What? MEREDITH The parents. I told them their daughters would be fine. Richard locks eyes with Meredith. They both know that was a mistake. A scrub nurse enters the OR with a handheld phone. SCRUB NURSE 2 Dr. Grey, Dr. Edwards would like to speak to you. Meredith motions for the nurse to bring the phone over. The nurse holds it up to Meredith’s ear. MEREDITH (into phone) Hello? INTERCUT PHONE CONVERSATION STEPH (frantic) Dr. Grey, I think I can get Ginger’s bleeding under control. MEREDITH (relieved) Oh thank god. 34.

STEPH But I need you back here to help me. I got my hands over two bleeders and I can’t clip them unless you get here. As Meredith opens her mouth to respond, Richard butts in. CONOVERRICHARD Dr. Grey, this patient is going to die unless you don’t get over here and help me right now. Meredith, frozen again, needs to make a choice. STEPH (over phone) Dr. Grey? I don’t know how much longer she’ll last. Meredith stares at Richard, who peers at her, awaiting a response. STEPH (CONT'D) (over phone) Dr. Grey? Meredith swallows the lump in her throat. CUT TO:

INT. NEUROLAB - EVENING Amelia packs away the MRT machine into a large case as Owen stands over her, obviously trying to get her to talk. OWEN Amy... what happened? Amelia ignores him as she continues to clean up. Owen stands in front of the case, blocking her from putting the machine back. OWEN (CONT'D) (persistent) C’mon, don’t give me the silent treatment. What happened? Amelia puts the machine down on a side table and puts her hands on her hips. 35.

AMELIA (passive and sarcastic) I think the magnets compromised your cerebrum, so you said some... (beat) Really thoughtful things... CONOVEROwen’s curiosity and anxiety pique. He looks down at Amelia. OWEN What do you mean? AMELIA (quietly) Please just get out of the way. OWEN What did I say? AMELIA (yelling) Get out of the way! Owen and Amelia share a moment of silence. He moves, and she continues to clean up. CUT TO:

INT. TRAUMA BAY - AFTERNOON Jackson continues to clean Marcus’ wound as he sweats and acts fairly strange. April tries to soothe a worried Trevor. APRIL (to Trevor) So what kind of dog is Reggie? TREVOR I’m not totally sure. I think he’s a retriever mix of some kind... DELUCA You don’t know what breed he is? TREVOR Well... no. I found him on the bank of a river last week and took him in. APRIL (shocked) So he’s a stray? 36.

TREVOR (ashamed) Yeah... Jackson turns around to face Trevor. JACKSON So you took in a stray dog and CONOVERnever got it checked for disease? TREVOR (ashamed again) Yeah... Jackson rolls his eyes. He faces Marcus. JACKSON Marcus, if you do not get this rabies vaccine, you will die. Marcus is entirely unresponsive. His eyes are open, but his pupils seem wide and dark. Jackson shines his flashlight into his eyes and then tucks it back into his coat pocket. JACKSON (CONT'D) DeLuca, prep an OR. There’s no way we can- Just then, Marcus lashes forward and chomps on Jackson’s hand. Jackson jumps backward. April and DeLuca quickly run over to hold Marcus down. Trevor watches in horror. CUT TO:

INT. OR HALLWAY - EVENING Meredith exits the OR and throws her cap to the ground. She begins to cry up against the wall. Steph exits the OR as well. She hugs her. STEPH It wasn’t your fault. Meredith continues to cry in her arms. Scrub nurses wheel a stable Ginger out of the operating room. Steph guides them. STEPH (CONT'D) Take Ginger to patient room 304. I want someone with her at all times to monitor her. 37.

The nurses nod and wheel her away. As they take her around the corner, Richard somberly approaches Steph and Meredith. MEREDITH (through sobs) Oh god. Don’t even say it. CONOVERRichard bites his lip. Steph is heartbroken. RICHARD I did everything, Dr. Grey. MEREDITH (sniffling) I know you did. Steph grabs a facial tissue for Meredith from the wall. She wipes away her tears. STEPH Do you want me to tell the parents? MEREDITH No. No, it needs to be me. Steph nods. Meredith begins to break down again. MEREDITH (CONT'D) But how do I tell them that the daughter they thought was going to die is the only one that lived? Richard and Steph have no words.

END ACT FIVE 38.

ACT SIX

INT. HOSPITAL LOBBY - EVENING Bailey continues to show Alex and Maggie how to use the new CONOVERsystem on her iPad. BAILEY See, you can just click and drag a patient’s name and then... voila! You just changed their surgery time. MAGGIE But that’s what I tried and it didn’t work. BAILEY Well then you must’ve done something wrong. MAGGIE What?! ALEX (to Bailey) No, this system is just a glitchy mess. There was no reason to update. BAILEY (defensive) It is not a glitchy mess, you all are just close minded! And when this hospital gets a $15 million grant from the Whitney foundation, you’ll see the reason why we upgraded. As Alex tries to argue further, Steph and Meredith sullenly approach them. Alex asks about her surgery. ALEX Hey there, little Miss Organ Transplant. How’d this one go? Meredith gives Alex a blank look. He realizes things didn’t go well. He faces Steph. ALEX (CONT'D) Oh... What happened? 39.

STEPH I’ll -- I’ll tell you later. Meredith peers off to the waiting room, where she sees Fiona and Frank anxiously waiting for an update. She shakes her head in dismay. Arizona stomps towards the group, dawned in her scrub gown. CONOVERShe isn’t too happy. ARIZONA (annoyed) Someone care to explain why I almost just did a C-Section on a 65 year old man? The surgeons make confused expressions. Alex speaks up. ALEX To... spruce things up a bit? ARIZONA (rolling her eyes) No! My operating room got switched with someone else’s in this stupid new system. So I almost cut open a man’s stomach and my pregnant patient almost got a vasectomy. The surgeons grimace. Meredith and Steph’s eyes widen. MEREDITH Wait-- did you just say your operating room got swapped because of the new system? ARIZONA (still annoyed) Yeah... do you need to me to re- enact it for you? Meredith’s curious expression turns visceral as she faces Bailey. They lock eyes, and Bailey wonders why Meredith is giving her a death stare. CUT TO:

INT. WAITING ROOM - EVENING Trevor anxiously shakes his leg in the waiting room, waiting for an update on Marcus. 40.

April and Jackson, with a bandage on his hand, approach him. Trevor jumps up. TREVOR (to Jackson) How’s your hand? JACKSON CONOVEROh, it’s fine. Just a little scratch. TREVOR Ok. Good. (beat) How is Marcus? Jackson and April exchange solemn looks. TREVOR (CONT'D) (worried) What happened? APRIL So, obviously, Marcus contracted rabies. Which is extremely rare in humans. The only way to cure it is to get a vaccine before the virus spreads to the brain. TREVOR (oblivious) Oh, ok. So you gave him that vaccine after all? Jackson and April look at one another once again. Trevor’s confidence disappears. TREVOR (CONT'D) (shaking) Wh- what happened? APRIL Trevor, I am so sorry. Trevor puts his head in his hands and begins to sob. April puts her hand on his shoulder. APRIL (CONT'D) Marcus refused the vaccine during the window of time when we could have given it to him. 41.

TREVOR (crying) No... JACKSON I should also tell you that animal services will be contacting you CONOVERabout your dog’s well-being. April gives him a look, as if saying “this is not the time.” Jackson shrugs his shoulders. Trevor sniffles and wipes away some tears. TREVOR (trying to gain composure) How did this happen? Why wouldn’t he just take the damn shot!? APRIL For some people it just goes against their beliefs. (beat) People are worried it will... do more harm than good. So they don’t get them and... then they don’t let their kids get them... and so on. April realizes that she is basically talking about herself. Trevor breaks down again. TREVOR (sobbing) It’s all my fault... It’s all my fault. APRIL It absolutely is not your fault, Trevor. He continues to cry. April pats him on the shoulder, but she stares through him instead of at him. She sits him back down in a chair. She and Jackson give him some space. As they start to leave, April stops. APRIL (CONT'D) Jackson. He turns around. 42.

JACKSON What’s up? APRIL (nervous) You know those vaccines your parents are supposed to take you to get when you’re a kid? The CONOVERchickenpox, and the hepatitis and the polio? JACKSON (curious) Yeah? APRIL (embarrassed) I need you to give them to me. Jackson’s eyes widen, April’s fill with tears. CUT TO:

INT. NEUROLAB HALLWAY - EVENING Amelia, still upset, quickly exits the Neurolab. Owen follows right behind her. OWEN Amelia, please just talk to me! She continues to ignore him. OWEN (CONT'D) Amy! She keeps walking. He picks up the pace and catches up to her. OWEN (CONT'D) I’m begging here... please. Amelia stops. She turns to face him. AMELIA Owen, if you are so worried about anything that you could have said during that, then it means you are keeping secrets from me. OWEN What is that supposed to mean? 43.

AMELIA (growing upset) It means that if you have been completely truthful with me, then you wouldn’t be concerned about anything that you said. OWEN CONOVER(raising his voice) Ok listen, I don’t know what I said in there, but don’t act like you don’t keep secrets from me! AMELIA (yelling) Oh, don’t you dare try to turn this around! OWEN Well none of this would be happening if you didn’t try to help! Amelia is aghast. She begins to cry as Owen continues to yell. OWEN (CONT'D) I’ve lived with PTSD for 15 years and I’ve been fine! It’s a mental illness! And the only reason I went through with that damn therapy is because you gave me a shitty ultimatum! Amelia wipes away tears from her face. She stands her ground. OWEN (CONT'D) It’s a part of me, Amelia! And if you truly cared about me, in the slightest, you would not try to change anything about me! Amelia’s tears turn into a quiet sob. She breathes in and out, staring him in the eyes. AMELIA How can I care about someone if I don’t even know who they are? Owen squints at her. She sniffles, turns around, and walks away. Owen continues to call to her. OWEN Amy! I-- 44.

His voice becomes more muffled as she walks further and further away. OWEN (CONT'D) I’m sorry. Come back! Amy! Amelia’s chin violently quivers, and all of her composure is CONOVERlost. CUT TO:

INT. PATIENT ROOM - NIGHT Meredith leads Fiona and Franklin into Ginger’s room, where she groggily lies awake. MEREDITH (V.O.) We spend 25 years of our lives asleep. FIONA Oh, Ginger! Fiona and Frank run over to her bed and hug her. GINGER (weakly) Oo, be gentle with me. FRANKLIN I’m so happy you’re okay, honey. Franklin kisses her on the forehead. They both wipe away happy tears and look to Meredith. FIONA (oblivious) So, where’s Mollie? Is she in another room? Meredith opens her mouth, but no words come out. Franklin and Fiona’s smiles slowly turn into pure sadness. Ginger looks over, eyes wide. FIONA (CONT'D) (upset) Dr. Grey... where is our daughter? MEREDITH (gulps) Mr. and Mrs. Reed... (MORE) 45. MEREDITH (CONT'D) (beginning to cry) I am so, so sorry. Fiona falls to the floor, sobbing. Franklin grabs a hold of himself on the side of Ginger’s bed, who also begins to cry. GINGER CONOVERWhat?! Fiona sobs uncontrollably on the floor. Franklin stares at Meredith with piercing eyes. FRANKLIN (confused) Wh- how did that happen? MEREDITH There was... a mix up. Mollie was given a clotting agent because our team thought she was Ginger. Franklin stumbles over slightly. Ginger gasps. FRANKLIN (to Meredith) How could you?! MEREDITH There was- FRANKLIN (angry) You promised us... that our daughters would be ok. MEREDITH What happened was out of my control. I am- Ginger begins to hyperventilate. She makes an odd comment. GINGER I was just kidding! Fiona continues to sob and Franklin continues to stare at the woman who killed his child. Meredith looks to Ginger. MEREDITH What was that, Ginger? GINGER (shaky) Earlier... (MORE) 46. GINGER (CONT'D) when I said I wouldn’t do the same thing for Mollie that she was doing for me... I was just kidding! (sobbing) I would have done anything for her! It wasn’t supposed to be her, it should have been me! CONOVERFranklin begins to cry. He tries to comfort his only daughter. Fiona still sobs on the floor. Meredith takes a look at the family whose lives have been ruined because of something out of her control. She decides it is best to give them space. On her way out, she runs into Bailey, who is standing just outside the doorway. MEREDITH (V.O.) For some people, 25 years is longer than they ever get to be awake. Bailey approaches her. BAILEY Meredith- MEREDITH (interrupts) Get away from me. Bailey puts her hand on Meredith’s shoulder. Meredith dodges it. MEREDITH (CONT'D) (tense) If you get that Whitney grant, I think maybe you should upgrade the hospital’s computer systems. Meredith walks away. Bailey ponders her words, and then looks back into the patient room. Was her greediness worth it? CUT TO:

INT. MEREDITH’S BEDROOM - NIGHT Maggie and Alex lay on Meredith’s bed, flipping through movies on the television. 47.

MEREDITH (V.O.) We were wired to spend over 30% of our lives lying motionless and absent from those around us. Meredith enters with a bowl of popcorn. She plops down on her bed and puts the bowl in between them all. They reach for it. CONOVERALEX Ok so I’m thinking either Bloodbath 1 or Bloodbath 2. MAGGIE (chewing) How about we watch something a little less intense. Maybe... a rom- com! She looks at Meredith, who smirks at her. MEREDITH No, it’s ok. I would rather watch all 8 Bloodbath movies in a row than watch a single romantic comedy. Alex laughs and clicks the remote. The movie starts playing, and the three of them look towards the screen. After a second, Alex turns to face Meredith. ALEX Are you okay, kiddo? MEREDITH (smiling) I’m fine. Alex smiles back. The three of them watch the movie and shovel popcorn into their mouths. CUT TO:

INT. MORGUE - NIGHT Fiona and Franklin sob in each other’s arms as they watch an autopsy technician cover Mollie’s body with a bodybag. Ginger watches solemnly from a wheelchair. MEREDITH (V.O.) But even while dormant, we can dream about what to do with the other 70% of our lives. 48.

Bailey stands a few feet away from them. Her phone buzzes. She checks it. On the lock screen is a text from Jackson, which reads: “We got the grant!”. Bailey pockets the phone and looks back at the sobbing family. She tries to hold back tears. CONOVERCUT TO: INT. OWEN’S TRAILER - NIGHT Owen sits at the foot of his bed. He puts his head in his hands and then walks around to his pillows. He climbs under the covers and turns out his desk lamp. There is no one laying next to him. MEREDITH (V.O.) In order to feel like all that time isn’t going to waste, you have to ask yourself an important question... On the other side of the trailer, facing away from Owen, Amelia lays wide awake on the couch. CUT TO:

INT. MEREDITH'S BEDROOM As the movie continues, Meredith finishes the bowl of popcorn. She looks down to see that both Alex and Maggie have fallen asleep at the foot of her bed. Meredith gently grabs the remote from Alex’s hand. MEREDITH (V.O.) Who are you going to share it with? She smiles at them both, and turns off the television.

END ACT SIX

END OF EPISODE