She's Killing Me

"Patients say it all the time: "Tell me straight up. I just want to know what's going on. Tell me, I can handle it." We don't dodge your questions because we're mean. We do it because when you say you want the truth, you have no idea what you're talking about. They say the truth will set you free. What the hell do they know? The truth is horrible. Frightening. The truth is more than you can bear. We're supposed to be straight with you, so be careful what you ask for when you walk into a hospital. Because when you find out what's really going on, you may never recover."

- Meredith Grey

She's Killing Me is the twentieth episode of the ninth season and the 192nd overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Short Summary
Upon receiving some unsettling news, Meredith and Derek take preventative steps for their children’s future; a group of Syrian doctors arrive at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital for a crash course in basic surgical skills that they plan to apply in the field; and April decides to come clean to Matthew regarding the truth about her virginity. Meanwhile, multiple pre-op patients develop infections, causing one doctor to wonder if she is at fault.

Full Summary
In her genome lab, Bailey tells Meredith and Derek she has the results of Meredith's genome sequencing. She informs them that Zola's wasn't clear, so they'll have to run it again. Bailey seems reluctant to tell Meredith's results and tries to start a questionnaire. Meredith urges her to tell her if she has the Alzheimer's gene. Bailey then reveals Meredith has tested positive for more than one of the genetic markers for Alzheimer's.

Cristina is checking on Paul Dawson, who still hasn't woken up. Owen comes by and tells her Rachel Dawson, Paul's wife, hasn't woken up yet either. Owen tells Cristina he kept Ethan, Paul and Rachel's kid, in peds overnight and that Ethan's grandmother will come today. Owen and Cristina start flirting a bit, but Owen is too worried over Ethan's parents to continue with it. Cristina tries to reassure Owen that Paul will wake up, but Owen would like Cristina to call in Dr. Russell to help her.

Intern Leah Murphy tries to get intern Stephanie Edwards to switch with her, as she is on Bailey's service and Bailey already hates her. Stephanie declines the offer, when Bailey angrily approaches Leah with a crumb that was stuck to her laptop after Leah had used it. Leah rushes off to clean Bailey's laptop. Bailey walks over to Alex and tells them that she taught them way better than the way they are teaching the current interns.

Richard and Callie watch Arizona, April and Owen prepare goodie bags from the hospital to give to two Syrian doctors. They are coming to Seattle to learn techniques that they can use on wounded soldiers and civilians in the field with a minimum of equipment. Richard suddenly understands that if they brought in Arizona, there must also be a lot of wounded children. Richard and Callie leave the room as Stephanie walks in to talk to Owen about a burn patient. She also informs April on Matthew's status and tells her that Matthew's mother is coming to pick him up, which leaves April thinking that Matthew can't walk.

Bailey and Leah examine a patient who came in with a post-operative infection. They previously operated on the patient together and Bailey whispers that Leah maybe dropped a pizza crumb in her wound. The patient's husband is worried, unlike the patient herself. Bailey says they were right to come in.

In the staircase, Meredith and Derek are discussing the possibility of Meredith getting Alzheimer's. Meredith wants Derek to call their lawyer to update their will, as Lexie was Zola's legal guardian. Derek says that even if she gets the disease, it's still decades away. Meredith says it might not be.

The two Syrian doctors are being taught by Arizona, April and Owen. Owen only brought a minimum of equipment. However, the Syrian doctors say the supply trucks haven't been able to reach them lately, so they would have to adapt the equipment to really replicate their situation. They turn off the lights and put away most of the equipment Owen got them. One of them then lights the fake patient with a little flashlight. The three Seattle doctors are a bit in shock to see how bad the situation is in Syria.

Shane approaches Derek with a coffee, saying he took care of Derek's post-ops. Heather comes over, ready to do Derek's post-ops. Shane smilingly tells her he already took care of them and that Rachel Dawson woke up. Heather and Derek then rush off to Rachel's room. Derek tells Shane to call Owen to tell him that Rachel woke up.

In a supply closet, Owen and Arizona tell the Syrian doctors to grab the stuff they still have in the field hospital and to put it in a box. Shane comes in asking for Owen.

Owen calms down Ethan before he enters his mother's room, as he was still worried over what happened last time. Derek, Heather and Owen are relieved to see that Rachel does recognize her son this time.

Derek goes to Meredith with the forms to change their will, sent by their lawyer. Derek expresses some doubt over the fact that Meredith wants Cristina as their children's guardian, as Cristina doesn't want kids, but Meredith assures him that Cristina will love them and take good care of them.

Callie tries to persuade Jackson to vote for her cartilage project. Alex and Richard ask if that's the way the board works and then asks for money for his own project. Cristina and Meredith enter the room and they take place on some chairs, ready to be informed by April, Owen and Arizona about the Syrian doctors. Owen asks the present attendings to teach the Syrian doctors the surgical procedures on a list, using only the supplies the Syrian doctors put in the box.

Leah informs Bailey on the patient with the infection and that there is another patient with a problem. She adds that she scrubbed in with Bailey on both surgeries and that she managed their post-op care. Bailey orders Leah to go through her notes on both patients on puts her on a time-out and puts Dr. Edwards on her service. Leah fears she may have something to do with the infection. Stephanie later talks to Leah about the patients with the infection, telling they both need surgery.

The attendings are in the skills lab to figure out how to do the procedures with the limited equipment. Callie and Jackson go to the Syrian doctors in another lab, as they are ready to teach some procedures. Owen asks Derek about Ethan's mother when Arizona comes in, telling Ethan's grandmother's flight got cancelled.

Bailey tells Steven, her patient's husband, that the infection is serious, but that she'll take care of it. Leah watches them talk, fearing she did something wrong and that she'll be fired.

Jackson and Callie are teaching the procedures to the doctors and they are shocked when they find out they don't have anestesia in Syria.

April walks into Matthew's room, apologizing for not coming to visit him earlier. April starts to examine him as she thinks he can't walk, but he tells her he can walk and that the only reason his mother is coming to pick him up from the hospital is because he wants her to meet April.

Leah is talking about the fact that she was sick the day she operated on the patients with the infection, but Bailey walks out.

Meredith and Cristina are walking in the park, discussing Cristina tells Meredith she loves Zola but that she doesn't want to be her mother, only the cool aunt. Cristina says Zola still has a mother.

Shane asks Richard to check out a patient in the ER and rushes off when Derek asks for a MRI for one of his patients. Richard finds out that the man is third patient of Bailey's to come back with the post-operative infection.

Cristina and Meredith are teaching the Syrian doctors when April comes over to talk about Matthew. Meredith says she should tell the truth about her virginity. Callie is still teaching, but tries yet again to convince Jackson to vote for her cartilage project. One of the Syrian doctors talks with April about her relationship with Matthew.

Meredith tells Derek he was right about Cristina not wanting to be a mother and they go over all of Derek's sisters. They go through all of the lawyer's documents. Meredith tries to convince her to give her a lethal injection if she starts getting Alzeheimer's.

Meredith and Bailey are operating on a patient with the infection, talking about Meredith's genome mapping and teaching the interns. Richard comes in, telling them there's a third patient with the infection. Richard tells Bailey she needs to talk to Owen about the infection.

The Syrian doctor and April are in the supply closet. He is enjoying the quiet.

Owen tells Ethan he'll have to go with the social worker.

Cristina is still teaching when Meredith walks in, persuading Cristina to give her a lethal injection when she gets Alzheimer's, as Derek wasn't willing to do it.

April finally comes clean with Matthew about her virginity. Matthew is upset because she was more worried about him being angry at her instead of being honest with him.

Cristina tells Owen Paul Dawson hasn't woken up yet. Owen tells her that he, Cristina and Russell will meet the next day to discuss how to treat Paul, when Bailey comes over to talk to Owen about the infection. Owen tells Bailey they'll have to talk to infection control and that Leah has to find every patient she touched in post-operative care to call them in and examine them. Leah fears she'll be fired.

Cristina and Meredith talk about Leah and Owen being the Chief.

Richard talks to Derek about Shane abandoning him to get Derek's MRI, when Shane comes over. Derek tells him he has to stop trying to please him all the time. Heather turns out to have an instinct for neuro, something Shane doesn't have. Derek says Shane needs to pick another specialty in which he can truly shine. Heather and Derek go over his patients.

Arizona is teaching when Owen tries to convince her to admit Ethan to keep him in the hospital. Alex comes over with the idea to pretend that Ethan is sick just to keep him in the hospital. Arizona refuses to take part in it.

Derek shows Meredith his genome mapping, showing he may get diseases as well. He tries to convince Meredith not to worry about the Alzheimer's too much.

April watches Matthew and his mother packing things up in his room.

Richard tries to convince Jackson to give him money for a project. They then share a conversation about having a lot of power in the hospital.

One Syrian doctor thanks Arizona for teaching her and makes her realize it's better for Ethan to keep him in the hospital. She decides to go with Alex's plan.

Owen comforts Ethan and makes sure Ethan knows he's not really sick. Ethan says he's worried about his parents, especially his father, who hasn't woken up yet. Cristina and Meredith watch them talk, when Leah beckons Meredith to tell her that she didn't touch the third patient with the infection.

Stephanie and Bailey rush to their patient, who is crashing. The patient's worried husband watches them run off.

April steals expensive equipment from the hospital and gives it to the Syrian doctors.

Bailey tries to reanimate her patient, but fails.

The Syrian doctors leave the hospital.

The board and Owen are deciding what to do with the infection when Bailey enters the room. She tells the first patient didn't make it. Leah and Meredith show up and Bailey starts ranting to Leah. Meredith reveals Dr. Bailey is the only doctor who touched all three of the infected patients. Owen and the board members start making calls and giving orders. Owen asks Bailey to sit down. Meredith goes off to tell Joyce's husband that Joyce died. The board members and Owen look at Bailey, who realizes she's in serious trouble.

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

 * Gaius Charles as Dr. Shane Ross
 * Tina Majorino as Dr. Heather Brooks
 * Jerrika Hinton as Dr. Stephanie Edwards
 * Tessa Ferrer as Dr. Leah Murphy
 * Justin Bruening as Paramedic Matthew
 * Anthony Azizi as Syrian Doctor
 * Bernard White as Dr. Darwich
 * Enid Graham as Rachel Dawson
 * Michael Buie as Paul Dawson

Co-Starring

 * Sarah Lilly as Joyce Basche
 * Lou Richards as Steven Basche
 * Kyle Red Silverstein as Ethan Dawson
 * Tom Costello as Seth Lepik
 * Alixandree Antoine as Peds Nurse
 * Misha Gonz-Cirkl as Social Worker Carol

Notes and Trivia

 * This episode's title originated from the song She's Killing Me, originally sung by A Rocket to the Moon.
 * This episode scored 8.58 million viewers.
 * This episode takes place the day after the events of the previous episode as Owen mentioned Ethan stayed in the hospital overnight.
 * Dr. Bailey says to Meredith and Alex that she was way better at teaching them as interns than they way the are teaching the current interns.
 * April finally confesses to Matthew that she isn't a virgin anymore.
 * Together with Remember the Time, this episode is the only season 9 one so far not to feature Jo Wilson.
 * Alex wants money to take his orphan project global. Up to now, it only involves taking care of African kids.