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To a degree, medicine is a science. But I would argue that it's also an art. The doctors who see medicine as science only? You don't want them by your side when your bleeding won't stop or when your child is screaming in pain. The clinicians go by the book. The artists follow their guts. The artists feel your pain, and they go to extremes to make it stop. Extreme measures... that's where science ends and art begins. Surgery is extreme. We cut into your body, take out pieces, and put what's left back together. Good thing life doesn't come with a scalpel, because if it did, when things started to hurt, we would just cut, and cut, and cut. The thing is, what we take away with a scalpel, we can't ever get back. So, like I said, good thing.

Disarm is the eleventh episode and mid-season premiere of the seventh season and the 137th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Short Summary[]

News of the incoming mass causalities after a gunman opens fire at a local college hits the staff hard when they must spring into action, even while their own wounds are still fresh; and Arizona does not receive a warm welcome home at the hospital.

Full Summary[]

Meredith is inquiring Derek about the fishing trip. She wants the whole story, but there's nothing more to it than Cristina catching a fish and crying. Meredith says she's ovulating. He sighs and gets under the covers. Meredith doesn't like that Derek stole her best friend to hang out. Derek says they're not hanging out, he's trying to help her. He gets naked. She's mad at him, so he tells her to face the other way then.

Owen and Cristina are cuddling in bed. He says she looks better. She admits she feels better. He asks if she has plans. She thinks she's going to explore the city today as she's never had the time or the interest to do it before. Owen gets a call from Teddy. "You're doing what?" he says.

Mark and Lexie are kissing in bed. He has to go so he won't be late, but he can't resist her and starts kissing her again.

Callie comes out of her apartment and finds Arizona sitting in the hall. She thinks Arizona sat there all night, but she actually went to a hotel and came back really early. Callie asks her to go back to Malawi.

Teddy and Henry are waiting for Owen at city hall to be Teddy's witness. He finally arrives and she informs him she's serious about doing this. Henry introduces himself. The justice of peace asks if they're going for the standard ceremony. Teddy gets a call from work so she asks him to just skip to the end.

Cristina asks a man for directions to the Space Needle. As he's giving them, several ambulances drive by. She walks into the direction of where they're going, even though that's wrong to get to the Space Needle.

Arizona is talking to Richard at the hospital. She'll be travelling to Malawi every two months for the next three years and she's hired a leading pediatric surgeon to oversee the day-to-day operations. Richard says the new peds attending has signed year-long contract, meaning there's no job for her. Richard gets paged away as Alex walks by. He's happy to see Arizona's back. She asks him what the new guy's like.

Teddy and Owen have arrived at the hospital. Teddy doesn't want to talk about her wedding. They find the staff surrounding the television in the waiting room. Several of them are crying as the news reporter talks about a shooting at a college. There are at least 20 victims.

Cristina is walking around the scene. She overhears a paramedic talking about a bleeding chest wound and V-tach. The paramedic performs CPR. Cristina quietly says they have to crack the patient's chest.

The doctors have gathered in the ambulance bay. There are at least 15 ambulances on the way. Richard stands up and says their trauma is fresh and there's no shame in having feelings. What they went through 6 months ago is what these people are going through now. That makes them their own. They have to do their work first to their best ability. Feelings are for later. Mark tells a crying Lexie to go call the blood bank to ask for all the O- they have.

The first ambulance brings in Michael Fazioli, a cop with GSWs to the right upper arm and the left leg. Richard decides to take this case and asks April to take the patient to a trauma room and start the work-up. In the ambulance, Richard sees Marty Hancock, who informs him that Michael took down the shooter. He told them that through the radio, and then he went down. There are conflicting reports about what the shooter looks like. It'd be great if Richard could wake Michael up so he can tell them.

The second ambulance brings in Professor Sturgeon who fell from a fourth story window. He was helping students to get up on the roof, but slipped when he tried to get up himself. He has a skull fracture. Meredith and Derek take the case. Derek prioritizes this man and sends him to the OR right away. Owen asks Derek if he's okay. Derek says nothing about this is okay.

The third ambulance brings in Kelly Keck, who has GSWs to the leg and abdomen. Kelly is only 15. Alex takes her inside and asks to have Stark paged.

The fourth ambulance brings in Jared Swork with a single entrance bullet wound in the left fifth intercostal space. There's no exit wound and Jared lost his vitals right in front of them. This patient is the emergency thoracotomy they called in about. The paramedic clarifies he didn't do it and opens the doors of his rig. Cristina is inside, squeezing the patient's heart. She tells them she had to crack his chest.

Cristina has her hand inside the patient's chest and she feels the hole in the right ventricle. She can keep it closed. Teddy is moving the patient to the OR. Owen is worried since Cristina has to accompany them to keep the hole closed, but Cristina assures him she'll be okay.

Alex and Stark are operating on Kelly. Alex says the femoral artery is in pieces. The femur is shredded as well, so Stark decides to cut the leg off so they can focus on saving her life. Alex says Callie can save the leg. Stark says he does not have time to discuss this. He asks Alex to prep the leg while he prepares the bone saw. Alex looks up to the gallery and asks Arizona to do something.

Meredith informs Derek that their patient's intracranial pressure is rising. They scrub in as he decides they're going to perform a craniectomy. A nurse comes in to inform them that the professor's wife just arrived. Meredith leaves to go talk to her.

Jackson arrives in Teddy's OR and is surprised to see Cristina there. She explains she was at the scene. Teddy paged him because there's a tear and she expects a lot of bleeding so it's nice to have some back-up. Jackson leaves to scrub.

The main lobby is flooded with worried family members. Meredith finds Mrs. Sturgeon and explains to her what happened. They'll remove the left side of his skull to give his brain room to swell. She says John hates hospital because he's afraid of doctors. Meredith apologizes, but she can't allow her to come to the OR. Meredith promises to come update her and asks one of the students to sit with Mrs. Sturgeon.

Arizona suggests that Stark put in a shunt and then do a graft. He asks if she has privileges. Arizona says it doesn't matter; Alex is right. Stark says Alex is off the case now. He thinks Arizona is being unprofessional and he's done engaging. Arizona instructs Alex to body block Stark in order not to let him near the leg.

April and Richard have to put in a chest tube in Michael. Marty asks if they can wake him up. Richard says they could, but it would very painful. Marty needs a clear report about what the shooter looks like and all the students are confused. Cops are trained to remember those things. Richard agrees to it. Arizona bursts in and asks for privileges. Richard consents because it's all hands on deck. Marty comments it's not an easy day to be the man in charge.

On her way back to the OR, Arizona asks Callie to tag along. Callie leaves her patient, Chuck, with Bailey. He has a grazing shot wound in his neck. Bailey takes over from Callie.

Callie walks into the OR where Alex is still blocking Stark. Callie asks what's going on. Stark says Alex is destroying his career, but Alex asks her to take a look at the leg. She asks if the nerves are still intact. Alex says yes. Dave, the other surgeon, informs them that the abdominal bleeding has been controlled. Callie says she can save the leg. Stark yells he's never experienced this is in his life. Callie says they took shootings personally here and asks if he's gonna work with her or not. Arizona comes in and says she is. This is her patient now. Stark is speechless and walks out. Alex cheers. Callie sends him out to go help out in the pit; he doesn't mind, cheering as he leaves.

Meredith wants to go update Sturgeon's wife again. Derek says she's not a social worker, but Meredith reminds him about the other part of the story to his patient: the wife panicking in the waiting room. She promises to be quick and leaves.

The doctors are ready to wake up Michael. Richard urges Marty talk fast. Michael wakes up and starts screaming in pain. Marty asks him to describe the shooter.

Richard leaves the trauma room as Stark comes over to complain about Arizona. He refuses to help any other patient than the one he left in the OR. Richard yells to go do his job and save a life.

In the ER, Alex informs Owen he's available to help out. Owen is watching TV and informs Alex that they found another classroom full of victims, meaning at least another dozen patients are on their way over. They're out of ORs and space. If any of those new victims need surgery, they're screwed.

Richard walks into Teddy's OR because he heard she has a patient with a GSW to the chest. He's surprised to find Cristina in there. Teddy explains why she's here. Richard asks them what the patient was wearing. Cristina says a green hoodie and jeans. Richard asks if the guy's a redhead. They confirm. Richard asks them to send him any bullet fragments they pull from his body. Richard informs them the patient is the shooter, so the bullets are evidence.

Teddy seems a little lost. Cristina reminds her they were about to reconstruct the ventricle. Teddy asks for 3-0 ethibond, but the scrub nurse says she can't do this. Jackson feels the same. This guy is taking up three doctors, nurses, and OR so they are not available for the victims he shot. Teddy shuts Jackson up and says she operated on Iraqi soldiers who blew up dozens of American soldiers. She didn't like it, but she's a doctor who took an oath. Jackson is not a judge. If there's a life to be saved, they save it. Jackson takes off his gloves and leaves. The scrub nurse follows him. Cristina decides to stay.

Richard finds April struggling to intubate Michael. An ultrasound revealed blood in the belly.

Owen is trying to create order in the ER. Richard leaves his trauma room to go to an OR, but Owen tells him to stay in there. Richard tells April to go back to the trauma room and to get him a major procedures tray. Jackson arrives and Owen asks if Teddy's done. Jackson says it's the shooter and that he doesn't understand why Altman's going to extreme measures. Owen asks if Cristina knows. Jackson says yes. Owen gives the supplies April is carrying to another resident and tells her to go oversee outpatient surgery. He needs her to make it into a mobile trauma unit. She's trained for this.

In the OR, Arizona tells Callie she understands why she's mad. Callie refuses to be held hostage. She's only here for the leg, so no talking.

Owen checks on Cristina from the scrub room. Teddy nods to signal that Cristina is doing okay.

The outpatient surgery is filled with surgeons operating on patients. April shouts to check if anyone's available for another incoming patient. Bailey says she's coming and she wonders why they're still taking in more patients. Bailey tells Alex to continue to debride the devitalized tissue and repair the vessel, and tells him to take good care of Chuck.

In Meredith and Derek's OR, Sturgeon's brain keeps swelling. They're gonna have to remove the other side of his skull as well. Meredith says she'll go update the wife again. Derek asks since when Meredith's been so interested in that. Meredith says since she was the wife in the waiting room. She reminds him that he and Cristina aren't the only ones who went through a trauma. Derek refuses to let her be a spoiled brat in his OR and tells her not to drag Cristina into this. Meredith wonders why it's okay for Cristina to do what she wants and not for her. She wonders if Derek and Cristina even noticed that she went through a trauma too, because they're so busy helping each other. Being the wife is so hard that she told the shooter to shoot her. Meredith leaves to provide updates about the patient. Derek apologizes and suggest they continue with the surgery.

Meredith explains to Mrs. Sturgeon that Derek will freeze the skull to prevent it from dying and that they'll cover the brain with muscle and skin. She knows it sounds frightening and it is extreme, but she promises to keep her posted. Jackson walks into the waiting room, asking for anyone related to John Sackett. Marty comes in, too, and asks for anyone who knows Jared Swork. A woman stands up and says that's her son. Marty asks her to come with him. Jackson follows them.

In a conference room, Jared's mother has just been informed that her son was the shooter. She breaks down, not believing that her son would do this. Jackson watches from outside.

Mark is closing up his patient in the outpatient surgery wing. Owen comes over and staples the wound shut, saying they need him for another patient and the space for incoming patients. Lexie calls for help. Mark goes over and she tells him the patient has an intracranial hemorrhage with blown pupils. She needs burr holes and a trauma flap to evacuate the clot.

Alex asks Jackson to assist him for his arterial repair. Jackson brings up he can't believe that Teddy is still trying to save the shooter. Alex says nobody does this in their right mind. He says his brother had a psychotic break and tried to kill his sister. However, no matter what, it's still his brother and he'd want the doctors to save him.

Lexie takes the drill to do the burr holes. She wants Mark to do it, but he tells her she can do it herself. She pulls it off perfectly.

Chuck crashes and Alex asks for a crash cart. Bailey has heard him and tells Chuck he doesn't get to die, because that means the shooter has won. Jackson shocks him, but to no avail. Bailey walks up to Chuck's head urges "Charles" to come back to his body. Jackson shocks him again, again to no avail. Bailey looks up and swears at God to send this boy back right now. Jackson shocks again, this time successfully. Bailey apologizes for the swearing.

Meredith is walking over the catwalk as something catches her eye outside.

Meredith walks into the waiting room and tells Mrs. Sturgeon there's something she needs to see.

From the catwalk, all the waiting family members and survivors see a crowd standing on the parking lot. Everyone is holding a candle and singing the Pacific College alma mater. 

Meanwhile, all the surgeons are working on their patients, who all seem to be doing okay. Teddy thanks Cristina for staying. She says that couldn't have been an easy decision. Cristina says it was.

Meredith enters Derek's OR. The brain's decompressed, but there's a bad contusion. He asks for vascular clips to stop a bleeding.

Meanwhile, the crowd is still singing.

Derek and Meredith walk up to Mrs. Sturgeon. Derek says they put her husband in a medically induced coma. In a few weeks, they'll be able to replace the skull and wake him up. Mrs. Sturgeon is delighted to hear he's alive. She hugs Derek, who offers to take her to her husband.

Jackson also delivers good news to the family of his patient. On his way back, he sees Jared's mother sitting in a quiet corner by herself. He asks if they've come to talk to her about her son. She says the police questioned her for hours. They found a suicide note in his jeans. She didn't know anything. Her whole life, everything she ever knew is a lie. He's her baby and all she wants to know is if he's alive. She wonders if that's terrible after he's hurt all these people. Jackson tells her her son was shot in the chest. Dr. Altman is doing everything she can to save him. She's still in surgery, which means Jared's still alive. Mrs. Swork thanks him.

Outside the trauma room, cops are waiting for news on Michael. Richard tells them he'll be fine. Marty shakes his hand and thanks him. Richard says they have to stop meeting like this.

Outside Kelly's room, Arizona says it was a victory. She tells Callie they work together well and thanks her for it. Also, she thanks her for fighting Stark with her. Callie doesn't respond and walks off. Arizona again says she's deeply sorry for hurting her so much. She is so in love with Callie and she'll spend the rest of her life telling her that. She'll apologize every day if that's what Callie needs, but she begs Callie not to walk away again. She came across the world to be with her. Callie says Arizona had to fly across the world to come back to her because she flew a whole world away without ever looking back. Also, she wants Arizona to know that she's not the only one in this relationship. Arizona came back today, but Callie didn't. Whatever else happened, that hasn't changed.

Derek joins Meredith on the catwalk. They watch the crowd together. He tells her she amazes him and he kisses her. He knows she's mad at him for taking Cristina fishing and he knows that she thinks it didn't work, but Cristina is in OR 1 right now. Meredith is happy to hear that and walks off.

While Cristina and Teddy are still operating, all the surgeons gather in the gallery. Owen says he took his kid to a room. He was the last one besides Teddy's patient. Down in the OR, Cristina and Teddy are waiting for the heart to start beating again. After a while, it does. Teddy and Cristina look up to the gallery. Richard tells everyone they saw 26 patients and there were no casualties. No one died today. Everyone gets emotional except for Stark. Derek starts laughing and he's soon joined by everyone else. Stark says he hates this place and leaves the gallery. Richard tells Arizona he was holding a grudge. He can hire her back, but she's gonna have to work under Stark.

Lexie joins Mark as he's stitching up a sedated patient. He didn't want the girl to have a big, ugly scar reminding her of this day. He asks her if she minds waiting an hour. Lexie tells him she loves him, so he can take his time.

Teddy meets up with Henry at Joe's. She apologizes for being late. She says it's time to get him some insurance, but he suggests they have a drink first. He's never been married. Neither has she, but she wouldn't say this is a typical marriage. He knows what this is, but since they missed out on everything that's typical for weddings, especially wedding cake, the least they could do is raise a glass. Teddy says she spent the day saving someone who's not a very good person. Henry says she saved him too, and that deserves a toast even if it wasn't a real wedding. She says okay.

Cristina and Meredith encounter each other in a hallway. Cristina asks Meredith if she wants to get a drink. Meredith says yes, but maybe not a real drink because she's trying to get pregnant. Cristina jokingly suggest they get some crack cocaine instead. They leave together.

Cast[]

Main Cast[]

Guest Stars[]

Co-Starring[]

Medical Notes[]

Jared Swork[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Gunshot wound
    • Tear on the right ventricle
  • Treatment:
    • Thoracotomy
    • Surgery

Jared, 20, was brought to the hospital after being shot in the chest. Cristina, who was out near the college where the shooting happened, rode in on the ambulance with him and cracked his chest. When the arrived at the hospital, she was massaging his heart. She said he had a hole in his right ventricle, which she was occluding with her hand. He was taken into surgery, where they put him on bypass so they could repair his heart. After he was identified as the shooter, Jackson and a nurse refused to continue to operate on him. He survived the surgery.

Michael Fazioli[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Gunshot wounds
    • Abdominal bleeding
  • Treatment:
    • Surgery

Mike, 28, was shot in his right arm and left leg. He was taken to get labs and x-rays. His sergeant asked that they wake him up before taking him into surgery so that he could tell them what the shooter looked like, as he had shot the shooter. They couldn't find the bullet on x-ray. They reversed his pain meds so that he could identify the shooter. Despite his pain, he was able to do so. An ultrasound revealed blood in his abdomen, so Richard attempted to take him into surgery. However, due to all the ORs being occupied, he was forced to operate in a trauma room. Mike survived the surgery.

John Sturgeon[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Open skull fracture
    • Blown pupil
  • Treatment:
    • Craniectomy
    • Medical induced coma

John, 48, fell out a fourth-story window while attempting to get out onto the roof. He was taken to the hospital with an open skull fracture and a blown pupil. Derek determined that he was herniating, meaning he was high-priority. He was taken into surgery where Derek had to remove a portion of his skull. After operating for a while, he had to remove the other side of his skull. Derek said that he was decompressed, but there was still a contusion, so he continued his work. After surgery, he was in a medically induced coma. The hope was that his brain would heal and in a few weeks, they'd be able to wake him up and put his skull back into place.

Kelly Keck[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Gunshot wounds
    • Comminuted femur fracture
    • Laceration to the superficial femoral artery
  • Treatment:
    • Surgery
    • Traction
    • Graft

Kelly, 15, was shot in the leg and abdomen. She was taken into surgery. Stark, Dave and Alex were operating and Stark wanted to amputate her leg, but Alex believed that Callie could save it. He asked Arizona, who was watching from the gallery, to do something. She talked to Stark, explaining how he could save the leg. Despite that, he insisted that he would be amputating. Alex physically blocked him from amputating while Arizona got Callie and got privileges. Together, they operated to save her leg. Dave focused on the patient's abdominal injuries and scrubbed out once the abdomen had been repaired. The surgery was success and she was awake afterward.

Chuck Fowler[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Zone two injury of the neck, secondary to graze GSW
    • Hematoma
  • Treatment:
    • Debridement
    • Vascular repair

Chuck, 21, was grazed in the neck by a bullet. He was initially treated by Callie, but Bailey took over when Callie had to leave to operate. His wound was debrided and Alex did a vascular repair. While he was doing the repair, Chuck started crashing. They were able to resuscitate him and finished the repair.

ER Patient[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Gunshot wound to the flank
    • Active hemorrhage
  • Treatment:

When April announced a patient incoming, Bailey said she'd come to treat the patient.

John Sackett[]

  • Diagnosis:
  • Treatment:

Jackson came out to the waiting room and asked for the family of John Sackett.

Mark's Patient[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Laceration
  • Treatment:
    • Stitches
    • Staples

While Mark was carefully stitching up a patient, Owen came up and stapled the wound closed, saying they needed the space for another patient. Later, after the chaos had died down, he went back and continued stitching her up.

Owen's Patient[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • GSW to the shoulder
  • Treatment:

Owen mentioned a kid coming in with a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

Lexie's Patient[]

  • Diagnosis:
    • Intracranial hemorrhage
  • Treatment:
    • Burr holes

Lexie was treating a patient with an intracranial hemorrhage. Mark came to assist her. He had her do the burr holes herself.

Music[]

Song Performer Scene
"Humanity (Love the Way It Should Be)" John Legend & The Roots
  • Meredith tries to get Derek to tell her what happened while they were fishing.
  • She says she's ovulating, so they get ready to have sex while still arguing.
  • Owen and Cristina laugh and cuddle in bed. He says she seems better and she says she feels better.
  • She wants to explore the city.
  • Owen gets a call from Teddy.
  • Mark and Lexie make out.
  • Callie finds Arizona still waiting outside the apartment. Callie tells her to go back to Malawi.
"State of Our Affairs" Mt. Desolation
  • Lexie tells Mark she'll wait for him.
  • Tedy gives Henry the paperwork and they toast the day.
  • Meredith and Cristina meet up in the hallway and leave together.

Notes and Trivia[]

Grey's_Anatomy_Disarm

Grey's Anatomy Disarm

  • This episode's title originated from the song Disarm, originally sung by The Smashing Pumpkins.
  • This episode scored 11.64 million viewers.[1]
  • In this episode, Dr. Bailey and Dr. Karev work on a patient named Charles. Since this episode is meant to mirror the events of Sanctuary, it's possible that the patient was named this on purpose to reflect the death of Charles Percy, who Dr. Bailey tried to save in the shooting at the hospital months prior. Dr. Bailey even yells, "Come back ... right now, Charles!"
  • With Private Practice appearances included, this episode is Eric Dane's 100th appearance as Dr. Mark Sloan.
  • Cristina asks a cyclist for directions to the Space Needle, but as indicated from previous shots, the Space Needle is right next to the Hospital, so she should already know how to get there. However, since it appeared that she was just walking around the city, it's also possible she didn't know where she was in the city.

Gallery[]

Episode Stills[]

Quotes[]

Arizona: I am so deeply, deeply, deeply sorry for hurting you so much. I am so sorry because I'm so in love with you, and I will spend the rest of my life telling you that. I'll apologize to you every day if that's what you need, but, please, please don't walk away again. I came across the world to be with you. I love you. Please.
Callie: You had to fly across the world to get to me Arizona because you flew a whole world away without ever looking back. You just left. And this might be news to you. No, I think it kinda is, but you're not the only one in this relationship. There are two of us, and you came back today but I didn't.

Cristina: Do you wanna get a drink?
Meredith: Yeah, I do. I mean, not a real drink actually, because I'm trying to get pregnant and supposedly alcohol will make my baby have three heads and sixteen toes.
Cristina: Umm, wanna get some crack cocaine?

Jackson: Excuse me, ma'am has anyone talked to you about your son?
Mrs. Swork: The police questioned me for hours, as if I should've known something. They found a suicide note in his jeans and I didn't know anything. My whole life, everything I ever knew is a lie. … (sniffles) He's my baby. All I want to know is if he's alive. Is that terrible? All these people that he hurt … Does that make me a terrible person?
Jackson: You son was shot in the chest. Dr. Altman who is a very good heart surgeon, is doing everything she can. She's still in surgery, which means he's still alive. And she'll come find you as soon as she's out. Okay?
Mrs. Swork: Okay. Thank you.

Bailey: (to God) You bastard, you better send this boy back, right now! Sorry about the bastard thing.

Stark: Chief Webber, did you really approve of Robbins storming my O.R, stealing my patient, humiliating me publicly?
Webber: There are plenty of patients to go around, Dr. Stark. Jump in and find one.
Stark: I will not, what I will do is go back to my patient, in my O.R...
Richard: Go be a damn doctor! People are dying, now go save a life. Right now!

Stark: I'm more concerned about her life than her leg. I'm sure her parents will be, too.
Alex: Look, this kid is fifteen. You can save this leg. You can't just cut it off.
Stark: What I can't do is spend more time arguing with you. Would you maintain pressure there? Prep the damn leg, Karev. (goes to get the bone saw)
Alex: (looks up to the gallery at Arizona) Freakin' do something.

See Also[]

A complete overview of this episode's crew can be found here.

The Grey Matter blog post on this episode can be found here.

References[]

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