Grey's Anatomy: Season 3
Episode 12

Synopsis:

George's father has surgery for his cancer; Thatcher Grey arrives to see his new granddaughter; Meredith finds that Derek has trouble sleeping.

(From ABC)
After a successful operation on his heart, George's father undergoes surgery for his cancer, Thatcher Grey visits Seattle Grace in order to see his new granddaughter, and Meredith discovers that Derek has trouble sleeping soundly.

During this week's episode of the ABC hit "Grey's Anatomy," even the most bulletproof characters showed their vulnerability. We saw tears from Dr. Bailey, tenderness from Cristina and even a few moments of soul-searching from the normally heartless Mark Sloan. (Spoiler alert: Stop reading now if you've saved the episode for later viewing.)

This outpouring of emotion was inspired mainly by George's dad, who didn't recover from his cancer surgery.

In his father's final hours, George sought counsel from Dr. Burke and got a surprising response: "I don't have any more medicine for you," Burke told him. "If you want me to hope with you, if you'd like me to send up a prayer, that is a thing I'd be happy to do."

Dr. Bailey choked back tears as she watched George and his family face the decision to end life support. But despite her emotional involvement, she wasted no time warning Izzie about getting in deep with patients.

"You need to decide whether or not you're a surgeon," she said, after realizing Izzie had given $300,000 for a young patient's spinal surgery. Izzie promised never to cross a line the way she did with Denny, but said she won't stop caring deeply.

Apparently, she's not alone: All the interns were focused on supporting George this week (as was Callie, who loves him more than ever). Cristina even opened up to George about losing her own father decades ago.

George's situation inspired a thaw between Cristina and Burke (in Cristina's presence, Burke told Derek that he hasn't had a tremor in a week) and also sparked a possible reconciliation between Meredith and her father.

After avoiding him for days, Meredith asked Thatcher about her childhood and found that Ellis had told him to keep his distance from Meredith after their divorce. The conversation didn't offer Meredith much solace, but she did find some common ground with her dad: Apparently, she inherited her snoring habit from him.

Meanwhile, Addison confided to Callie that eight months earlier she'd aborted Mark's baby. As she and Mark suffered through what would have been the baby's due date, both took stock of their lives. Mark admitted he would have made a terrible father, while Addison lamented her loneliness.

But there was one bright note in Addison's otherwise dismal day: As the episode ended, she and Alex shared what will probably be the first of many kisses.

After their near kiss, Alex and Addison are incredibly nervous around each other. Callie is asking Addison's advice about George's suddenly kissing her and realizes Addison isn't listening. She confesses what's on her mind: she aborted Mark's baby and today was the due date. Mark had wanted the baby, but she had wanted a baby with Derek, not him. "I never thought I'd end up alone," she says.

The interns are all paged: George's dad isn't breathing on his own. Derek is surprised when Callie asks to be let out of Heather's surgery since it was her idea, but he lets her go. Miranda tells the O'Malleys that they need to put a new tube down Mr. O'Malley's throat and that with the swelling from the surgery, it may not go well.

Miranda is visibly anxious about performing the procedure, so Richard tells her that Mr. O'Malley is a patient, like any other, and that she needs to be calm. There's a brief complication but then she rights the problem. Richard tells her she did well and she responds, "I named my son after this man's son. I need a minute."

Alex tries to get back on Mark's rotation by bringing him his cappuccino, just the way he likes it. Mark just wants to know, since he's been working closely with Addison, if she's been miserable this week. Alex assures him she's been completely miserable.

Meredith's still snoring, even though she's tried a nose strip. She ignores Derek's suggestions for surgery to cure it so he ends up sleeping back at his place.

Meredith confesses to Cristina that she doesn't know what to say to her father, who's always at the hospital these days. And that she envies George his relationship with his father, even though he's dying. "If my father dies, it won't make any difference in my life," she says sadly.

Meredith finds her father with baby Laura and asks him for his version of events, since she's only ever heard her mother's side. Then she asks him if he snores. He tells her he does, that she gets that from him. He suggests she try wax earplugs, so she buys them for Derek next time he sleeps over.

In the waiting room, Heather's mom and Mrs. O'Malley compare notes over their relatives' risky surgeries. When his mother says she's surprised that they went through with the surgery, George realizes that the cancer had spread. He confronts Richard and Miranda and demands to know why they did the surgery, even if his father asked for it. "You knew better!" he shouts. "He could have had months!"

Addison walks in on Mark, who's crying. He says that if she'd had the baby, they'd still be together. She insists he didn't want to raise a child, he just wanted to trump Derek. She says she knows about all the women he slept with, and that they would still have broken up, baby or no baby. After telling him he'd have made a lousy father, she says, "I did want a baby. I just didn't want one with you."

Mark asks Callie if he'd be a good father. She asks if he likes kids, if he's a family kind of guy, and if he remembers birthdays. He says no to all three, and asks if there are any guys like that. She smiles and says, yes she knows of one.

Derek stops in to tell Burke about Mr. O'Malley. In front of Cristina, Burke suddenly tells Derek that he hasn't had any tremors all week.

Miranda tells the O'Malleys that their father is now completely dependent on life support and that it's their choice if they want to prolong his life or pull the plug. They all turn to George to ask what he thinks. George tells them he's not going to wake up and that it's time. George's family all gathers around Mr. O'Malley's bed. His mother kisses his father goodbye and then they disconnect his life support.

Afterward, Cristina is the one to find George and comfort him, by telling him that no one understands until you've gone through it, and that she lost her father when she was 9.

Izzie sees Heather walking upright and she goes to tell Miranda that she's learned her lesson from Denny. She'll never cross a line like that again, but she's not going to turn off the emotional side of her and she's not going to apologize for that.

Addison is drowning her sorrow at Joe's when Alex shows up. She asks him if he has a father and he says, "Not really." And then she kisses him.