Hard Bargain

"They say there's one sure sign of a successful negotiation. It's that when the parties leave the table, they feel like they have been screwed. The goal is a compromise, a situation where everybody wins. They say that negotiation is an art form. Yet, when we negotiate, we have a strategy. We use tactics. Strategy and tactics aren't words we use for compromise. These are words for going to war."

- Meredith Grey

Hard Bargain is the fifteenth episode of the ninth season and the 187th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Short Summary
As the hospital spirals closer to financial ruin, Owen must make some tough decisions, which includes foregoing an expensive surgery that could save the life of a child. Meanwhile, Alex and Jo work together to save the life of an infant, and April asks Jackson for dating advice.

Full Summary
Callie is telling Meredith, Derek and Arizona about the horrors of Portland General under Pegasus' ownership as part of her pitch for the group to buy the hospital. Arizona asks, "What if we don't want to?" Meanwhile, Owen and Cristina are having sex. Derek thinks Cristina should be involved in the conversation. Derek tells Callie that the job of running the hospital is harder than she might think. Derek thinks he can make a deal with Pegasus. Cahill calls Owen at 3 a.m., and Owen explains to Cristina that if there's any change in the hospital staff before the sale, Pegasus might back out. The "conversation" about buying the hospital is turning into a shouting match and they start tossing around the possibility of using Sloan and Lexie's shares to help with the purchase. They still can't reach Cristina. Arizona doesn't think it's right to spend all of their money, and Callie accuses her of wanting to let Pegasus turn the doctors "into a bunch of robots." Callie gets indignant about being willing to fight for their hospital. Arizona says, "We are not spending this money." She says "anything can happen" a lesson she's learned and she wants to have the security of the money to handle a disaster. Callie says she doesn't want to live preparing for disaster. Arizona tells Derek she thinks he feels guilty about having gotten his hand back while others died and she lost her leg. She tells him he can't be the hero now, and adds that everything he's done to help make it better has actually made it worse, "so just stop." Derek says nothing.

"I think we should go," Callie says somberly.

"You should," Meredith says.

The next day at the hospital, Arizona apologizes to Derek for calling him "egomaniacal." Then they see a massive poster with Derek's face on it. He's Pegasus' "new face of the hospital." Derek says he was told he'd be on some brochures, "not all of this." Shane catches up with Derek and asks him about an AVM surgery he's doing that day, but Derek says he can't do it because he's supposed to meet with the buyers.

Derek goes to Cahill to complain about the big pictures of himself. She tries to talk him into accepting that his face tells people the hospital is full of people who care. She says he'll get used to it, based three focus groups. Hunt tells Derek this sale means a lot to him, and Derek being in the fight with him means a lot.

April is making out with Matt, her paramedic guy, in his ambulance. He tells her he wants to take her out on a date. She asks about that night and April agrees. She seems nervous afterward.

Alex and Jo are working on a baby and the newborn boy will need to do an emergency surgery. He tells the parents, who say nothing. Alex takes the father outside. He finds out that the baby is the result of a one-night stand between coworkers. In the room, the woman is telling Jo that the man is "a complete asshat." Meanwhile, he's telling Alex that he wants to be a father. The one thing they both seem to agree on is that they want the baby to be OK.

Arizona and Bailey are talking to the father of a boy named AJ, who isn't responding to cancer treatments. Bailey wants to try a new approach, which would require contracting the work out to another hospital. The father starts to cry and holds Bailey's hand. She takes this as a yes.

Owen is preparing to talk to the staff about changes. Bailey comes to Owen and asks what the advisory board said about her genome mapping project. He says they turned the request down.

Out in the rain, Meredith tells Cristina about the plan to buy the hospital. Cristina laughs hysterically, saying the plan is stupid. Cristina says it's important that no one leaves, because that would jeopardize the sale. She wants people to have Owen's back.

Jackson is in surgery when April comes in to thank him for treating one of her patients. He's doing a liposuction, which taps well. April wants to tell him something, but then stops and wants to leave. She says she could've told him about this when they were friends, but now she can't. Jackson tells her that his mom is driving him nuts about working with the foundation something he would've told her when they were friends. She starts to tell him about the paramedic asking her out on a date. She's worried about telling the guy that she was a virgin, then wasn't and now is again. Jackson tells her to tell Matt exactly what she just told him and he'll be fine. He then quips that Matt will think she's "a total nut job, but still" She leaves, kind of upset.

Interns Heather and Stephanie tells Cristina that Seattle Grace now "feels like automotive trade school," and they're thinking about looking elsewhere. She gets indignant about how people are working hard to make sure the hospital stays open, but Stephanie tells her she only has five years to become as good as she can, and she wants to have the kind of experience Cristina had. Cristina considers this and says nothing.

Alex and Jo are in surgery and Jo asks if workplace relationships can work based on the parents of the kid they're working on. She reminds him that his own workplace relationships have been disastrous. She asks if it's "just more trouble than it's worth." The baby starts to bleed and they scramble to fix it.

Shane comes running in response to a page from Derek, who is preparing for a photo shoot. It's a fake surgery for the cameras, but Derek wants Shane in there because they need more doctors in the shot. Shane asks if he can help Cristina on a real surgery instead.

The nurses are shouting at Owen, and Cahill is frustrated with Owen telling him he needs to figure out how to talk to his staff. Outside that meeting, Bailey comes to ask again about her genome mapping. He finally snaps and says he didn't take it to the board because they wouldn't approve it.

"Yes, sir," Bailey says. "Then, never mind."

Derek, who was approaching Cahill and Owen about his photo shoot interrupting real surgeries, hears all this and then leaves without bringing up his concerns. He makes a phone call. He asks the person on the line to tell him how crazy his crazy idea is.

Callie comes outside the hospital looking for Derek and sees no one. Derek flashes the headlights on a van he's sitting in and she comes over. His financial advisor, Stan, scares the heck out of Callie when he steps forward from the back of the van. Stan tells Callie that under federal law, physicians can't own the hospital for which they work. But they could start a foundation and run the day-to-day operations like a board of directors. Others are now meeting with Stan, including Arizona, Meredith and Cristina, asking their own questions. Stan can't figure out an offering price without seeing some of the hospital's information, and Cristina says Owen can get it, but here's where it gets dicey. Stan says that if they have any hope of outbidding Pegasus for the hospital, it has to be a surprise. Owen is already legally committed to helping the sale go through, and he could he sued or even jailed if he doesn't say something about knowing another offer is coming. Therefore, he can't know any of it. Cristina says, "You want me to lie to him." Meredith says she wants her to just not say anything. Cristina isn't buying it.

Inside, Owen and Cahill are arguing about the nurses.Owen thinks their concerns are valid and he's being asks to sell them something he doesn't believe in. Cahill says they need to hear the "bitter pill" from someone they trust. Cahill reminds Owen about how he helped her through that surgery with the logger, even though she was more scared than she'd been in a long time. He asks her why she was so scared. She tells him she "choked." Cahill goes on to say, "I am good at this job," and tells him that only he can make the nurses understand that something that could hurt them in the short term can help them in the long run. She assures him that they'll trust him. We next see Owen telling the room full of nurses how he needs them to be strong. They're listening cooperatively now as he tells them he thinks Pegasus' offer is the best for the hospital. He asks them to help him get through it. They all agree to try. Cristina walks in and sees the end of this.

Alex tells the parents about the risk involved in his effort to repair the baby's liver. They turn and talk to each other. The father wants to wait on the surgery and the mother says they should do it. Then she breaks down and says she can't decide. The man tells her how much of a "ball-busting nightmare bitch" she is at work and that she can handle this. His speech is somehow inspiring to her and she tells the doctors to wait on the surgery, then she asks for "a maxi pad for my girlfriend here."

Derek's poster has been vandalized, with a mustache drawn on it and the word "sellout" written on his face. Cahill assures him they'll fix it, but he wants them all taken down. Webber sees this and quips, "I didn't do it." Derek says nothing, but Webber seems to think it's at least a little funny.

Cristina asks Owen if he really believes Pegasus is the hospital's best option. He says he doesn't, but it's the only choice they have. Cristina asks him, "What if it wasn't, though?" Owen says it is all on him and that he put them all on that plane. Cahill calls and owen is surprised by her news. He calls it "amazing." Cristina asks what it was and he says, "It's almost over."

Derek and Meredith are now planning a heist, looking to get some of the hospital records out of a conference room where some Pegasus folks are reviewing them.

Arizona tells AJ's father that the hospital isn't approving the genome mapping approach. Bailey interrupts and tells the man to leave Seattle Grace and go somewhere that will give his son the care he really needs. Arizona is stunned.

She finds Bailey later and Bailey says that was the best medical advice she could give in good conscience. Bailey is losing it now, thinking about moving to L.A., but Tuck's dad won't let her leave Seattle. She says she doesn't want to work at Seattle Grace anymore. She says she doesn't even recognize people anymore and adds, "I don't want to hang around long enough that I don't even recognize myself."

Alex and Jo are watching over the baby they're treating when Alex leans back and says he thinks that coworkers getting together can work. "Look at Grey and Shepherd," he says. "They tried to avoid it, but it was, like, fate or whatever. They had to be together. It's just right, you know?" Jo teases him about his romanticism, saying he could write poetry or greeting cards. The baby is out of the woods after his vitals have been stable for a certain amount of time.

Jackson sees April leaving her for date and goes out to the hallway to track her down. He advises her to tell Matt who she is, and if he doesn't like he isn't worth it. She worries that if she tells him, he'll leave. Jackson tells her to wait, then, and let him get to know her better. "Once he does, he's going to want to follow you anywhere," Jackson says. "Trust me." She thanks him.

Meredith and Derek have snuck out the files. Derek gets a page from Arizona, who wants to meet.

They go outside and the van is gone, so they have to stand in the rain. Arizona tells the group that Bailey is quitting. She says that if the purchase is going to happen it needs to happen fast. Callie kisses her when she realizes Arizona is in. They wonder if Cristina is in, and that's when Cristina comes running out. She says the sale is happening that night. Owen told her. They ask her if she said anything to him about their plan and she says no, "but we have to do this for Owen." They don't know if they can put the plan together quickly enough. Cristina says there's one thing they can do.

Webber is inside walking in the hallway when he sees Shane marking on one of Derek's posters. He shouts at him to stop.

In a conference room, Cahill, Owen and the hospital lawyers are getting ready to sign paperwork. Derek interrupts the meeting and asks to talk to o Owen. In front of everyone, Derek says he's quitting. Meredith steps up and says, "Me, too. I quit." Callie and Arizona follow. Owen looks at Cristina, who hesitates for a moment before stepping forward and saying, "I quit, too."

Owen is stunned.

The doctors go to another room. Cristina says Owen thinks they stabbed him in the back, but Meredith insists they just bought themselves some time to put together the money. They then wonder about their patients, but figure they'll get other doctors to cover them. Webber interrupts their powwow and brings Shane into the room.

"This young man has something to say to you," Webber tells Derek.

"Did you get them all?" Derek immediately asks Shane, who says he did.

"Good work, Ross," Derek says. "Go home."

Webber is surprised and realizes something's going on. He asks what it is, but Meredith only says, "You'll know soon."

Webber leaves, dubious.

Cristina wants to go talk to Owen, but Meredith insists he'll understand when the time is right.

"I don't know if he will," Cristina says, sitting back down.

April and Matt are making out. She first stops him, then they keep going. Then he stops and says there's something he wants to tell her. He says he's saving himself for marriage, which means "this is only going to go so far tonight." She's relieved and tells him she, too, is saving herself. He thinks she's messing with him, but she assures him she isn't. But then she tells him, "There's one thing." He asks what, but then she stops herself from saying it.

The Pegasus people leave and the hospital lawyer is livid. Pegasus withdrew the offer and she asks Hunt if he knew the doctors were going to pull that stunt. She says losing all those doctors completely changes the value of the hospital. She tells Owen and Cahill they "better do something, fast."

After she leaves, Cahill tells Owen there's no way they can replace Pegasus. She can't reposition the hospital or find new buyers. Owen tells her she has to. He says "everyone that I thought was in my corner has just walked out" and tells her she's the only hope he has. He tells her she has to do this.

Alex and Jo tell the parents of the newborn that he's going to be fine. Alex asks Jo if she wants to get a beer, but she can't because she has plans with another doctor. She runs off to meet up with the guy while Alex looks on, confused. Stephanie tells Alex that Jo's been looking at this guy since they started at Seattle Grace and finally got the nerve to ask him out. She's surprised Jo didn't tell Alex, but Alex lies and claims she did.

Owen pounds on the door at Cristina's house and there's no answer. She's at Derek's house with the rest of the millionaire doctors, getting the lowdown from Stan on what they need to do. They need to form an LLC to legally get their funds all in one place and they'll need a name for the new corporation.

"How about The Bitter Pills?" Cristina says.

"Epic Failure?" Arizona quips.

"Death Spiral," Meredith says.

"Blind Leading the Blind, Incorporated," Derek suggests.

Stan tells them, "It can be anything. Let's keep thinking."

Main Cast

 * Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey
 * Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang
 * Justin Chambers as Dr. Alex Karev
 * Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey
 * James Pickens, Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber
 * Sara Ramírez as Dr. Callie Torres
 * Kevin McKidd as Dr. Owen Hunt
 * Jessica Capshaw as Dr. Arizona Robbins
 * Sarah Drew as Dr. April Kepner
 * Jesse Williams as Dr. Jackson Avery
 * Patrick Dempsey as Dr. Derek Shepherd

Guest Stars

 * Constance Zimmer as Dr. Alana Cahill
 * Eddie Jemison as Stan Grossberg
 * Roma Maffia as Roberta Thompson
 * Justin Bruening as Paramedic Matthew
 * Camilla Luddington as Dr. Jo Wilson
 * Gaius Charles as Dr. Shane Ross
 * Tina Majorino as Dr. Heather Brooks
 * Jerrika Hinton as Dr. Stephanie Edwards
 * Michael Reilly Burke as Mr. Finch
 * Danielle Bisutti as Liz Langer
 * Charles Michael Davis as Dr. Jason Myers

Co-Starring

 * Noah Harpster as Ike Morris
 * John Duerler as Grant
 * Chase Kim as Lawyer
 * Liisa Cohen as Neonatologist
 * Teresa Huang as Nurse Ruth
 * Arlene Santana as Lipo Nurse

Uncredited

 * Dana Lee as Hospital Staff Member

Notes and Trivia

 * This episode's title originated from the song Hard Bargain, originally sung by Emmylou Harris.
 * This episode scored 8.57 million viewers.

Quotes

 * Derek: Where's our van?
 * Callie: Someone moved it.
 * Meredith: Why?
 * Callie: It's what vans are for.