Nate James

Nate James is the father of Emery James, who was brought into Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital after a sailing accident.

Emery's Boat Trip
Nate's daughter, Emery, was planning to sail solo from Mexico to Alaska.

Emery's Accident and Hospitalization
In Seattle, Emery was in a boat accident (a massive wave pushed the mast down on her leg), which resulted in her being taken to Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital with a nearly severed foot. She wasn't able to feel the foot and they weren't able to detect a pulse in it. They initially assessed that they'd have to amputate the foot, but when they told her that, she panicked and moved her foot, showing them that she still had nerve function in the foot.

Her parents were called and they were expected to arrive that evening. She was taken into surgery quickly. In surgery, they were able to restore blood flow.

Emery's Plan to Resume Her Sail
While her parents were talking to the doctors, Emery was online. Someone offered to donate a new boat to her so she could complete her sail. She said if she got back out on the water within two weeks, she'd be able to do it before the weather got bad. However, Dr. Torres informed her that if she wanted to get back to full function in her foot, she'd be in the hospital for a while and it would mean a series of big operations, during which she'd have to stay off her feet.

Despite her assurances to Dr. Torres that she'd stay off her feet between operations, Emery accepted a boat from a sailing company and was planning to go back out as soon as she was released from the hospital. Dr. Torres encouraged her mother to "be the bad guy" and stop her from sailing to protect her.

Romantic
Nate is married to Hazel James, with whom he has a daughter, Emery James.

Familial
His daughter, Emery James, is an avid sailer. She was attempting to sail solo from Mexico to Alaska when her boat capsized and she was injured.