Grey's Anatomy (2005–…): Season 13, Episode 16 - Who Is He (And What Is He to You)? - full transcript

Freezing.

Choking.

Getting tongue-tied.

It's what we call it
when your mind

goes from brilliant to blank.

We should only be gone
a day, two max.

If you need me before that,
you can just...

Please, Harriet's dying
for some quality time

with her grandmama.

Could've just taken her with me.

You can prepare all you want.



Aren't you gonna say, like,
"go, child?

You're being ridiculous."

But the feeling can still
hit you, out of nowhere.

If you're having
second thoughts,

we could bring
your patient here.

No, I told you, we've got a girl

who needs a throat transplant

and a donor
in the same exact hospital.

We can't risk moving
either of them.

I know.
I just meant...

So when it hits you,
when your mind shuts down,

when you open your mouth
and no words come out,

the good news is...

If you have something
to say, say it.



Nothing.

I'm sure you'll be just fine.

It happens to all of us.

Wait.
Where is Grey?

Since when is April coming?

Oh. Grey called to tell me
that Zola has flu.

And you didn't think
to tell me that?

I knew you'd need
a capable surgeon to assist,

and April's more than capable.

Hello.
Hi, Catherine.

Hi.
You have everything you need?

Yes, of course.

Okay. All right.

You ready?

I'll put her in the car.

Jackson, go.

Miss Harriet and I have plans.

No medical journals, all right?

I don't need her looking at

flayed-open
surgical fields.

Give me my child.

Bye, baby.

Bye, baby.

Can I take your bag,
Dr. Grey?

Uh, uh,
it's Dr. Kepner.

I'm so sorry.
The manifest said...

It's okay. Dr. Grey got hijacked
by my mother.

This is amazing.

Why have we never
taken your plane before?

It's...
It's not my plane.

It's your name right out there.

Right on the wing,
great big letters... Avery.

Yeah, but...
So it's your plane.

No, it's the family plane.
It's not my plane.

Well, yeah.

It's Catherine's, too.
I mean...

I mean, she did make
the Avery foundation what it is.

Seems right she should get to fly
anywhere she wants like this.

Really?

Can we not talk about
my mother right now?

Yes, I will have some champagne.

You should not
have any champagne.

We are going
straight to the hospital.

Uh, club soda?

Same for me, please, Katie. Thank you.
Coming right up.

Welcome, welcome.

Here are your charts.

Dr. Avery.

Dr. Grey.

Kepner.

Right. Sorry.

I... I know his name
because it's on

all our stationery.
Right.

A patient and a donor...

Two of them here together,

same time, same day,
perfect match...

It's like winning the lottery.

I mean, if you call
a brain-dead kid

a lottery ticket, then, yeah.

Of course.

And it's a horrible loss.
Uh, that was...

I-I'm just thrilled
that you're both here

to make this possible.

The donor patient's room
is at the end of this ICU.

And you have
the donor consent forms?

Yeah, before we get to
that, uh, Mr. Young

is going to need you
to explain to him

why there's nothing more
you can do for his son.

What? No one's
told him that yet?

I thought he knew
we were coming.

Well, he does.
It... it's just that,

he's had a bit of trouble
accepting what's happened,

as I'm sure you can understand.

You told me very clearly

that the patient's father
was on board.

Now, hold on.

I never said that he agreed.
I merely said...

So he thinks that we're coming

to save his kid,
not take his organs.

I thought that,
once you had examined the boy,

it'd be better coming from you.

I'm just glad you're here.

I mean, Dr. Corridan said that
there's nothing he could do.

Then he said
there was another doctor

who was coming in from Seattle.

I was like...

I mean, it's great, right?
Th-there's hope.

So, okay.
What's the plan?

I mean, you... you... you want
to do some tests?

Surgery?

Obviously,
you want to examine him,

but how long
before you think he'll wake up?

Mr. Young, I'm af...
Eric, Eric, please.

Eric...
It's his birthday.

Did I tell you that?

Double digits, he kept saying.

I mean, he was having the time
of his life up on that mountain.

"Just one more run, dad.

Just one more run..."

Eric, I'm afraid we have
some difficult news.

We've looked at Brian's scans,

and, unfortunately,
Dr. Corridan was right.

There's nothing that we can do
for your son.

Then why are you here?

We are here...

Because we wanted to
talk to you about...

Donating your son's organs.

No.

You're here to help my son.

I understand how difficult
this is... difficult?

If you understood what you were
asking, you wouldn't...

Mr. Young...

I know what we're asking.

When all you want is to
have him back, to hold him.

I know the thought of letting
any part of him go feels...

Impossible.

You're the only that can make
this decision.

We understand that.

We wouldn't ask you
to do something

that you're not
comfortable doing.

And if ultimately
you don't want to do this,

that's fine.

We are here
to support you either way.

All I know is...

Is when I lost my son...

I just needed to find
a little meaning in it.

Where do I sign?

This way to Caroline's room.

Her parents are very eager
to meet you, Dr. Avery.

This is Risa and Mary Hodges.

Well, it's a pleasure
to meet you both.

Listen, we're grateful
that you're here,

that you came all this way,

but our daughter's
met dozens of doctors,

each one ordering more tests,

putting her through more hell,

making promises they had
no business making.

Mary, maybe
let the guy say hello.

She needs the tumor gone.

But she needs her vocal cords.

She needs her voice.

So if this throat transplant
isn't real...

I mean, if it's just another rug
you're gonna pull out

from under her, then...
You're scared.

I totally understand.

Let me, um...
Let me start over.

It's my fault.
I'm Dr. Avery.

I am a double board-certified
plastic surgeon

and ENT specialist.

I'm also a dad.

Now, I've come a long way

because I know that
I can help your daughter.

And I do not make promises
that I can't keep.

I just...
I still don't know

if this is the right thing.

The laryngectomy is still
the safest...

No, Mary, we agreed.

They are not taking
her vocal cords.

What if you go in there,
Dr. Avery,

and you cut open her throat,

and the transplant doesn't work?

In that place, we'd be
looking at a permanent trach.

Permanent. See?

And you want to risk that?

He wouldn't do it if he didn't
think that he could.

Would you? This procedure gives her
the best chance at survival...

At getting her voice back,
her whole life back.

Mary, come on.

Okay.

Why are you doing that?
Doing what?

Telling those moms you're a dad

to charm your way into the room,

using Samuel to...
It's my life.

It happened.

Yeah, it's my life, too, but I
don't use it to... to what?

Help that dad make his decision?

Help those moms
find a little bit of comfort?

April, if you don't like it,
that is your problem.

I'm not the one that asked you
to come here in the first place.

Look, we have tonight
to prep for the surgery.

I have somewhere
that I need to be.

I will find you later.

What...
Where do you need to be?

It's Montana.
I'll find you later.

April...

I laid out all of
Caroline's charts.

Chinese food is on the way.

I know things are not the
greatest between us right now,

but if we're gonna do
the surgery...

Yeah, no, I need to prep alone.

I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Um...

Okay.

Carl, I thought your doctor said

to cut down on the red meat.

That's why I'm sharing.

You good?

On the house for new customers.

Well, enjoy that.

Hello?

No, this is
Dr. Kepner.

No, I don't...
I don't know.

Have you tried his room?

I'm sorry. What?!

There was a lesion
on the donor's throat,

which means the transplant
is no longer an option.

I am so sorry...

Don't tell us you're sorry.

You talked me into this.

You said this was the solution!

And now, I mean,
if there's no donor,

how do you fix our daughter?!

Mary, please, stop yelling.

If there's a time to yell,
Risa, this is it.

The best way
to help your daughter

is to do the laryngectomy,
which means...

No, we know what that means.

That is removing her vocal cords
and her ability to speak.

And we told Dr. Avery
it's not an option.

At this point, I really think
it is her best chance.

And...
And what about Dr. Avery?

Is that what he thinks, too?

I don't know where you are or
what you're doing, but call me!

Damn it!

Oh, my...
Where have you been?

I have been looking
everywhere for you.

Corridan's called a dozen times.

I have been calling, texting...

Calm down.
You sent one text.

No organs, no surgery, right?

Didn't hear anything else
after that,

so I figured I'd have a drink.

Oh.
Battery died.

Well, that's not very helpful,
now, is it?

You're drunk.
You're pissed.

Yeah, yeah,
uh-huh, I am.

We lost the donor,
Caroline's repeat scans

show more extensive
esophageal invasion,

her parents are a wreck, and...

And you're... you're here
getting drunk?

Jackson.

I got off work,
and I had a beer, April.

Four beers, actually, and,
uh, some whiskey on top of that.

What is wrong with you?

Nothing.

Nothing wrong with me.

We have a patient
who's counting on us.

No, not us. Me.

And there's no organs,
there's nothing I can do,

so just leave me the hell alone.

I mean, this isn't you.

You don't get wasted in bars
and bail on your patients...

I didn't bail on anyone!

So, how we doing over here?

Dessert?

No, he's going home...
To sober up.

He has work, right?

In that case,
let me call you a cab.

I'm walking.

Can I get you something?

No, I'm good.

He left his book.

"Techniques
in oropharyngeal surgery."

Hmm.

Airway reconstruction?

Uh, throat... Transplant.

Supposed to be
a throat transplant.

It just got scrapped.

Total laryngectomy
not an option, huh?

I was a surgeon.

That was many lifetimes ago.

Really?

You gave that up for this?

Well, this is not
all that different.

People come to you in need,
you provide them comfort.

They leave here feeling better
than when they came.

And the hours are better,
and nobody dies.

That I know of.

Welcome to Bozeman, doctor...

Uh, Kepner.
April Kepner.

Robert Avery.

Avery.
I'm... I'm sorry.

Like the hospital?

Kinda.
Once upon a time.

Let me know if you need
anything, okay?

I... I will.

We still need to find a way
to help Caroline.

Oh.
What time is it?

It's early.

What?
Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Hurry up and get dressed.
We should get to work.

Sure.

I hate this.

I don't see how
we could do anything

but the laryngectomy,
but I hate the laryngectomy.

Seems like she'd
have had a better shot

if you'd taken her
to Grey Sloan.

She's not stable enough
to move. You know that.

No, not now.

I'm just saying,
I don't know why

we had to come
all the way out here.

Do you?

The last time I worked on a kid

with a throat tumor,
we did a staged procedure.

I did a radical excision
and a trach first,

and then we did a skin flap.

She doesn't have
that kind of time.

Yeah, I... I know.
I'm just...

But if we'd gotten
to this last night...

Then we still would not have had
enough time for the flap.

I mean, come on.
You made your point.

I was drunk, April.
I get it.

I don't need you to monitor
everything... I'm not!

I am just trying to come up
with a fix for our patient,

regardless of the fact that
you don't even want me here.

And yet you're still here.

'Cause you and my mother
are such good friends

that she chose you instead of
asking me who I want.

Oh, my god!

I was friends with her long
before you and I were Eve...

I respect her!

I respect what she's built...
Great!

And what the means...
Good for you!

You know, your mom says the
difference between the two of us

is that you were born with money
and I had to earn it.

It's why she and I
are more alike.

You think this is a contest
between you and me?

Who's the most alike?
Who's the most appreciative?

No, Jackson!

That is not the point of
any of this... shut up.

What? Don't tell me
to shut up.

Are you kidding me...
Shut up.

If her airway's collapsed, we'll
have to crike her right away.

Take her
straight to the O.R.

Dr. Corridan,
what are we looking at?

The nurses paged us, 911.

What is happening here?

Caroline is being discharged.

What?! No, she's not
stable enough to move.

The doctors at Baylor
think she is.

What doctors at Baylor?

The one we called.

I spoke
with Dr. Rapkin there.

She has a new method she
believes will help Caroline.

Aggressive chemo-radiation
with staged excision

after two weeks.

Yes, we have already
rejected that...

We've gone through every
possible alternative.

Risa, there comes a point
when you just have to hear...

You think I don't hear you?!

All of you?

My daughter has no voice.

We are her voice.

We are not gonna let her down

just because we stopped
asking questions.

We asked, you said no.

We're leaving.

They have the right to move her
if they feel it's necessary.

No. It is too dangerous
to move her anywhere.

That girl could choke
on her own tumor, okay?

If you move her,
she could die... period.

Okay.
So, y-y-you...

You'll need to fill out
an AMA form.

Legal reasons.

Tell us what you have.

Tell us why we should stay.

We've been down
every road... every one.

There are no other options.

We do the laryngectomy,
Caroline lives.

It's that simple.

We're going to Baylor.

It's what she wants...
What we all want.

We'll fix it.
We will fix her voice.

Listen, what Dr. Avery means
is that...

I have an idea is what I mean.

I told you that I don't
break my promises, right?

I promise you this.

I have an idea that
I think is gonna work.

All right,
I'll call Dr. Rapkin.

I will.

I'll call everybody that I can.

This is gonna work, okay?

Give Dr. Kepner and I
a little bit of time

and do not move her.

Please.

We get on a plane
tomorrow at 3:00.

You've got till then.

Okay.
So what's your idea?

I don't have one.

What? You just...

Yes, I lied,
but they can't move her,

and I just needed
a little more time.

What is the matter with you?

Why are you
torturing this poor girl?

You just made a promise
that you know you can't keep,

that you know we can't deliver.

We can find a way to deliver.

Where? Where...
Wh-where are we gonna find it?

At the diner?!

What?

When are you gonna tell me
that you found your father?

Your father, Jackson...
Your long-lost, deadbeat dad?

The distinguished-hippie-
former-surgeon Dr. Avery,

who slings hash
at the local diner?

He's the whole reason
we're here!

No, I came here
to help a patient.

Don't lie to me.

And worse yet, don't lie
to Caroline and her parents.

We are only here
'cause of your freakin' father,

and now that kid is gonna die.

Be good for grandma, okay?
Love you.

Love you, nugget.

Mwah!

Why didn't you just tell me?

All right.

Forget it.

"You good?"

What?

I sat there, staring at him
across the room.

Figured, you know,
eventually, he'll see me,

recognize... Something...
My face, my eyes,

just... Anything.

And that's I got was,
"you good?"

Like, literally, that's it.

No recognition, nothing.

Like I was...

Anyone.

No one.

So talk to him.

Yeah, I tried.

I... I wanted to.

I went, and I sat there,
waited...

I got a million things
to say to that guy.

Thinking about it my whole...

Tell him what an ass he was

for walking out
on his family, his kid...

He couldn't hack it
as an Avery. Join the club.

Could still show up.

Pick something...
Uh, birthday, graduation.

Show the hell up.

That's what I was gonna say...
All that.

Then, uh...

Then he...

He looked me right in the eye.

He doesn't know his own son.

So make him know you.

This is stupid.
No, it's not.

All right, well, you can go.
I'm not going.

We're not married.

It's not like who I talk to

or don't talk to
is any of your business anyway.

Yeah, it is my business,

because we have a job to do,
and you're not here.

And you're not gonna be here

till you say
what you need to say.

So go say it.

Then it will be over...

And we can get back to work.

Hey, back again.

Sorry, we're closed.

I've got some meatloaf
left over in the back.

I could fix up something to go
if you'd like...

I'm Jackson Avery.

I'm your son.

Oh, my god.

Oh, my god.

Jackson.
Oh, son.

Oh, Jackson!

Oh, good god!

Oh, my god.

Come inside.
Oh, Jackson.

I'm sorry, it's just, my brain
is going a little... You know?

You want to sit?

Of course not.
You've been sitting.

Why didn't you just...

I mean, I don't blame you,
but...

I'm sorry, I do not know
what to say here.

Are you here for work, too,
at the hospital?

You and your friend,
uh, April, was it?

The surgeon?

Yeah.

You're a surgeon.

I am, yeah.

Uh, plastics and ENT.

Of course.
Of course you are.

Good god.

And your mom?
Is she here, too?

This your place?

It gives me a roof over my head

and weekends off to play golf,

food on the table.

Speaking of which...

Oh, wait right there.

My own blend.

I've been working
with these local guys...

Great guys.
You'd like them.

I don't know why
I just said that.

I have no idea who you'd like.

Anyway, we're thinking of opening
up a little business on the side.

Nothing big, you know?

Just putting it out there
for the tourists and such.

You're right.

Incredible, huh?

Chicory.

Listen to me,

yapping away
like some kind of idiot.

Tell me something.

Anything, everything.

I know nothing.

Here.

Here we go.

God, it's good to see you.

Look at you.

I'm head of plastics and board
chair at Grey Sloan memorial.

I'm, uh, developing a new
protocol with skin grafts,

particularly burn victims,
and...

No, I'm not talking, um...

Of course you're amazing.

You know, with your mom's help,
your name...

I'm sure you're successful.

No, what I mean is, uh...

What you do, your family.

Are you married?

Kids?

I guess what I'm asking is,
are you happy?

Yeah, of course.

No.

Not "of course."

I'm happy.

Are you?

Honestly, yeah.
Yeah, I am.

But for me,
the whole Avery thing...

I just couldn't do it.

If it works for you, great.

For me...

The galas, the hand-shaking...
It wasn't my thing.

Your thing.

But when I found out what was,

you couldn't drag me away, pal.

From your diner in Montana?

The night
that I met your mother,

it was an annual Avery gala.

I was stuffed
in a thousand-dollar tux.

She... Was the most beautiful
woman in the room,

going toe-to-toe
with some rich dinosaur

about god-knows-what.

And she had a laugh...
Oh.

I introduced myself,
and she ignored me

half the night just to spite me.

I was born into that life,
but she was born for it.

So you took off.

You know your mother.

Her expectations are...
Crushing.

How about you don't
talk about her anymore?

I'm sorry.
You're right.

She is your mother... that's
true... she is my mother.

And I don't know you.

Jackson...

Forget it.

Listen...

How'd it go?
Don't.

Jackson...
Just don't ask.

We got to come up with something

to save this girl's voice.

There's got to be
something, right?

You want to talk about it,
what happened with your dad?

You know what? Maybe we could do
a staged procedure.

I could excise the tumor now,

and we could wait
on a transplant donor.

No, it wouldn't work.

She'd need
another course of radiation,

which would make her
a bad surgical candidate.

Yeah.

Yeah, we talked.

He talked, really...
A lot.

About how hard it was
being an Avery

and... Surgery and...

Temporary stent.

Erosion and bleeding, right?

Crap.

He was just so damn polite,
and...

What about, um,
the animal studies?

Okay.

Uh...

I just kind of clammed up.

I didn't say anything.

Really, he was...

Just like... Warm?
I don't know...

He was... happy!

I definitely didn't picture him,
like, happy without me.

He talked a lot,
didn't say anything about me.

Nothing.

Talked about mom's laugh,
his stupid tuxedo, coffee.

I felt really stupid.

You're not.

Never occurred to me, all that
time, that he didn't even...

He really didn't even miss me.

You don't know that.
Oh, I do now.

I really do.

It didn't even occur to the guy
to pretend otherwise.

How do you go up to somebody

and tell them
what an ass they've been

when they're just
smiling at you,

talking about chicory coffee?

I just stood there
with my heart in my guts...

Or, guts in my throat...

Whatever
the stupid expression is.

It's heart in your throat.

No, that's not it.

Yeah. Yeah, it is.

There's something about guts...

No, you feel it in your gut,
but your heart's in your throat.

What?

That's it.
She needs a valve.

Right?
She needs something...

Okay.
That's it.

What is?

Her guts for her throat.

Maybe we can use her own guts
for her own... Throat.

We lost the transplant, okay?
Okay.

We lost the vocal cords.
Yeah.

All right, so, what if... what
if we just made her new ones?

I mean, what if we just used
Caroline's own intestines

to create her a new valve?

She's already got an ileo-cecal
valve here, right?

I could use her attached
appendix, and...

And I could build a vocal tube.

And she'd be her own donor.

Literally be putting her own
guts in her own throat.

That's still not the expression,
but do you think it'll work?

No. I mean, maybe.
Yeah.

Okay. Well, which one
you want to go with?

Yeah...
I don't think so.

Well, we've examined
all the risks.

We feel like
the benefits outweigh them.

Yeah, the parents
have consented.

They both want this.

It's never been done before,

and if something
were to go wrong, or...

Well, that is exactly
where the magic happens.

Okay, it's never been done before.
Mm-hmm.

Until we do it.

Like today.
Like right here.

Don't you want to be
a part of this magic, Steve?

Don't you want
a place at the table

when we turn
that young girl's stomach

into an actual throat?

When we make history?

Well, I-i...

At the table?
At the table.

At the table.

I... i-i still don't know
if I can get approval.

Yeah, well, luckily,
you don't have to.

I'm sorry?

It's my name on the hospital.

As an Avery,
I officially Grant us

permission to make history...

Together.

At the table.

Exactly.

She is gonna do great.

Dr. Kepner and I
will be sure to update you

as soon as we can.

I am giving you as much love

as humanly possible because
you're her doctor...

And I believe in you.

Thank you.

You just make sure she comes
back alive. You hear me?

If we were back at home, we'd
have a full gallery, a Webcast.

I can't believe nobody's gonna see this.
I'll see it.

Ah, Dr. Corridan,
join us.

Good luck, doctors.

Here we go.

Scalpel.

This is gonna work, right?

We did it.

Damn right you did.

I am so tired, I could drop.

And yet I am so awake.

That was...

I know.

Oh, don't even bother.

They'll let us know
when she's awake.

It's gonna be
a couple hours, anyway.

In that case, um...

I'm gonna go sleep.

Like the dead.

Yeah.

Unless you think we should go

check back in on the patient.

No, no, I think you're right.

I think we should rest.

All right, we should... Go do
that, then.

Sure. No, great.

That's a good call.

What? I'm just thinking about
our track record in hotels.

What about it?

I know why my mother sent you.

Wanted me to have some backup.

She must've figured I was...

Probably gonna see him
and knew better

than to try to
talk me out of it.

She wanted me here.

Just in case.
That is so...

Catherine.

I was gonna say infuriating,
but, yeah.

Jackson, I know
what a good father is.

I've had one my whole life.

You are a good father.

You took us both in.

You took care of her
when I couldn't.

And you haven't stopped taking
care of either of us since.

Even with everything
that's happened between us...

You never bailed.

And he couldn't do that.

You came here
to tell him something.

Don't leave till you do.

Hey, hey. Sit, sit.
I got something for you.

I can't stay long.
Uh, we're headed out.

I can make you something
for the road, if you want.

I just came to say goodbye.

Okay.

Listen, I'm really glad
you came by.

Maybe next time, if you're...

Yeah, I don't think there's...
Gonna be a next time.

Okay.

Jackson, listen...
I have a daughter.

Her name is Harriet.

Harriet.

Jackson.

Wow.

That is wonderful.

I'm a grandfather.

No.

No, you're not.

My mom's a wonderful
grandmother, and...

And you seem like a decent guy.

But you're not a grandfather.

You're not my father.

And I figure,
when you have a kid,

you're making a promise.

And I don't break my promises.

That's the real difference
between you and me.

Look, Jackson...

Take care, Robert.

I'm really glad that I met you.

Goodbye.

Freezing.

Choking.

Getting tongue-tied.

There's a reason it happens.

Take a deep breath now.

Take your time.

Okay. Take your time.

I... Ma...

Hi... Mama.

We lose our words because
the stakes are so high...

Hey!

Mommy and daddy!
And we have so much to lose.

Yeah!

And there she is!
Thanks, grandma.

Everything go okay?

Yeah.

Good.

Jackson said
I could get a ride home?

Oh, of course, of course.
Yeah?

Come here, little baby.

Good girl.

Hi!

Thank you.

Oh, please,
that's what grandmas are for.

No.

I mean...

What?

What, baby?
Just...

Thank you, mom.

For everything.

We're petrified of saying
too much or saying it wrong...

You ready?

Let's go home.

When the truth is, the only
wrong thing you can say...

is nothing at all.