“ | In 1847, the American Medical Association published its Code of Ethics, in which physicians were encouraged to provide free services to the poor as part of their public duty. Hospitals were meant to be centers to care for the sick and poor. They were meant to be places of refuge, places to heal. But somewhere along the way, that changed. Healthcare became a commodity sold to those who can afford it rather than a physician's dutiful service to the public. It's been said that you haven't lived today unless you've done something for someone who can never repay you. But that's easier said than done. Because when your life's a mess, it's hard to be much help to anyone else. I wish I had something more encouraging to say. And if that sounds too hard, well, this might not be the life for you. | ” |
Give a Little Bit is the eighteenth episode of the sixteenth season and the 360th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.
Short Summary[]
Meredith heads up a pro bono surgery day, but the overwhelming patient response causes her to struggle to keep things in order. DeLuca treats a teenage patient whom he suspects is in danger and desperately tries to get Bailey to support his theory.
Full Summary[]
Jo is woken up by a call from Meredith at 5 AM. Meredith tells her she's late for Pro Bono Surgery Day. They have 25 surgeries with only four general surgeons available. Meredith knows Jo needs to work. Jo sits up on the couch. She takes off her wedding ring and gets up.
Taryn brings Meredith coffee. She tells Meredith she's more than a legend. Meredith says it's not about her and leaves. Hannah Brody walks in and admires Meredith's work. Taryn tells her it's not about Meredith.
Jackson arrives at work and runs into Ben and Bailey in the ambulance bay. He and Ben were supposed to go a basketball game tonight but Ben's not feeling it after Rigo's death. He takes off in the PRT, which impresses Jackson.
Maggie catches up with Richard, who refuses to be talked into operating again. Maggie wanted to let him know that Chris agreed to settle. Richard says he received separation papers from Catherine. He gets to keep his own house. As he walks off, Meredith asks him to take a few patients of hers for the pro bono surgeries. She doesn't want to lose another friend. He assures her he's still her friend, but not her surgeon.
Amelia walks into the lounge and announces to Teddy, Owen, and Jo that Link is the father. Jo already knew. Owen is happy to hear that. They can all move forward now.
Levi walks into the clinic. He is looking for a pro bono patient who hasn't checked in yet. Andrew hasn't seen him. He's stuck at the clinic. As Levi takes off, Andrew goes to examine Cindy Wright, who came in with her aunt Opal. Opal answers every question Andrew asks Cindy. Cindy is showing signs of a hernia. Opal says she probably also has a UTI. Andrew invites Opal to wait in the family area but Opal insists on staying, claiming that Cindy has abandonment issues since her parents' death.
Meredith greets Owen, Jo, Cormac, Hannah, and Taryn. There's no time for big speeches since Tom is pulling the plug at 7 tonight. Meredith informs the surgeons which patients are theirs. She's not sure how to address Jo, who doesn't know what her last name is now.
Teddy is examining Kyle Rexton. He talks about his experience in the war. She has the cops remove the handcuffs. He talks about assaulting the store owner and the grenade. He was on an SSRI for his PTSD but it got too expensive. He refuses benzo's. She then notices he appears to have an absence seizure. She has Tom paged.
Andrew has some more questions for Cindy. Opal answers them, claiming Cindy is shy because Andrew's hot. Andrew wants to run some tests. Opal wants to know how long that'll take since she has to arrange childcare. Andrew walks up to Nurse Liv and asks to run a full set of labs and page Bailey. He thinks Cindy fits the profile of a human trafficking victim.
Taryn is presenting Shara Freeman but Meredith cuts it short since they're pressed on time. Caitlin Freeman is skeptical that this surgery will help but Meredith assures her she has a plan, and it's free.
Tom tells Meredith OR 4 is a no-go for at least another hour since they sterilized the wrong instruments. Given the magnitude of the project, he says there was bound to be a hitch or two. Taryn leaves to fix it.
Amelia finds Link and tells him she informed all parties involved. He's texting and explains that the Mariners have been courting him to take back his old job since the baby daddy drama. He's turning them down, though, because it's a lot of travel and late nights and he wants to focus on his family.
Andrew is asking Cindy about her family, claiming it's a trick to put patients at ease. Cindy asks Opal to take her to the bathroom but Andrew insists on having nurse Liv take her. Privately, Liv tells Andrew that Bailey is heading into surgery. Andrew needs her here, now. Liv is not sure he's right. Andrew says he'll get Bailey himself.
Levi invites Taryn to come to a speakeasy with him and Nico tonight. She's not in the mood to see him fawning over Nico, who doesn't treat him as equal, just because the sex is too good. She and Levi then overhear Nico thanking Link for scheduling an interview. Taryn reminds Link he has a pro bono surgery scheduled soon. Nico then informs Levi that Link is recommending him for his old job with the Mariners, which is too good to pass up on. Taryn directs Nico to OR 3 for his surgery. She points out Nico hasn't even brought it up with Levi first, so they are not equals.
Amelia arrives in the ER for Teddy's consult. Teddy talks her through the case and the VA being slammed, meaning Kyle's received no proper care. Kyle starts yelling at Ashley, his girlfriend, who was informed as part of police protocol. The policeman gets physical with Kyle when the argument gets heated. Teddy makes the police back off.
Bailey finally arrives at the clinic. Andrew quickly informs her why he's suspicious. Bailey trusted him when he assured her he was ready to return to work. She thinks he should stop and listen to himself. She goes to introduce herself to the family and doesn't notice any red flags. She does a quick exam and assures them they'll make Cindy feel better soon. She returns to Andrew and tells him he's off the case. She orders him to go home and rest and meet her in her office at 9 AM tomorrow.
Meredith asks Taryn why Shara is not in an OR yet. Taryn explains Bailey's patient was taken to the OR and then Bailey was paged away urgently. Caitlin yells at Meredith for having her mother wait so long.
Jackson asks Richard about his day but Richard says he's got nothing before walking off. Jackson then invites Owen to the game tonight. Owen's not interested. Jackson turns to Jo, who doesn't want to be second choice. Maggie suggests Jackson go alone but then realizes he can't do alone. Jackson can't bring himself to invite Tom.
Amelia is examining Kyle, who has severe headaches and terrible short-term memory. He says he loses it like before every day. That's why he's been avoiding Ashley. She doesn't deserve that. Amelia tells him neither does he.
Ashley tells Teddy and Amelia that Kyle wasn't himself anymore when he came back from Iraq. He used to be a silly guy. She knew she always wanted to be around him because he'd always make her laugh, but now she's not sure she can keep doing this, even though she knows he's sick. Teddy tells her she's allowed to have her feelings and doubts. Ashley hopes she can make this work. Amelia says they'll know more after an MRI and EEG. They promise they're going to help Kyle.
Link and Levi are performing a meniscectomy. Levi inquires about what the job with the Mariners entails. Link says it's a crazy schedule but that doesn't have to be a dealbreaker. He only turned it down because of his child. He says relationships are give and take. Not saying how you feel will get you nothing.
Andrew returns to Opal and Cindy and tells them that Dr. Grey is giving away free surgeries today and they're going to get one. They have an opening in an hour. Unfortunately, family members aren't allowed past the sterile line. Andrew asks Liv to take Cindy up to the surgical floor. Liv knows Meredith's schedule is packed. Andrew will operate himself if he has to.
Jo and Owen are scrubbing in for a simple surgery. Owen is about to tell Jo that he's sorry about Alex but she doesn't want to hear it while she's in her happy place. Owen lets her know she's always welcome if she needs company. Meredith and Taryn walk in. She thought they needed to be in another OR but things have been shuffled around. Andrew told her Meredith wanted to shuffle things around. Meredith needs Andrew to stay off her floor and out of her schedule.
Tom catches up with Teddy. She takes him into a supply closet and tells him the baby is not Owen's. This doesn't change the way Teddy feels about Tom. She is paged to Kyle, whose MRI results came back.
While waiting, Andrew asks Cindy if there's something bothering her. He wants to keep her safe. She says she's good. She wants this to be over. Andrew sees Taryn, who tells him to walk away. His patient is not getting surgery and she's not helping him out since he got her in trouble with Meredith. Andrew then sees Opal getting off the elevator and rushes Cindy away.
Teddy catches up with Amelia, who informs her the gliosis on the MRI was confirmed on the EEG to be the seizure focus. It means they can fix it. Ashley has given up so much. Amelia wonders if sacrifice is all that love is. Teddy says it is. She gave up her good life in Germany for a marriage that might work. Amelia reminds her Owen is not the father. Teddy says hypotheticals have consequences, too. She leaves to update Kyle.
Several patients and their loved ones are yelling to Taryn and Tom about the waiting. Meredith needs to talk to Tom. She asks Tom for more time. He'll pay for the OT so she can take the time she needs to finish. He explains Griffin Ford gave them a lot of money. She pieces together what happened there. Tom reminds her she told him to follow his gut to fix the world. A code violet for the OR waiting room is called. It means someone is getting violent with hospital staff.
Meredith makes her way through the crowd in the waiting room and finds Andrew trying to keep Opal away from Cindy.
Andrew tries to get security to detain Opal but Bailey says that is not happening. Carina begs her brother to stop this. He loudly asks everyone to form a human chain around Opal. Instead, they form the chain around him. Bailey asks security to escort Andrew to her office. Andrew gets on a chair and yells that Opal is selling human beings. He points to Cindy, who's being comforted by Opal, and says that is a trauma bond rather than love. Bailey tells Andrew to go with security if he ever wants to step foot in this hospital ever again. Andrew breaks down and says they are all blind. He then walks with security.
As the code violet is cancelled, Nico finds Levi and asks him to skip the bar tonight. Levi needs a place with windows because he wants to talk. "What now?" Nico says. Levi thinks they need to talk about how the new job is going to affect them. Nico refuses to feel bad about his dream job. Levi says a relationship requires sacrifice and compromise and he's the only one doing either of those. Levi is tired of telling him he wants more. Nico hopes he can find someone who can give that to him.
While scrubbing out, Jackson invites Cormac to the game tonight. Cormac is not a fan of American football, which he doesn't consider real athleticism. He's not up for a basketball game either.
Meredith finds Bailey chasing after Andrew, who quit. Bailey says he needs help. Meredith follows him into a stairwell. Andrew says the more he tries to accomplish the impossible and change people's lives, the more he's judged and called crazy and he is sick of it all and says he's done. Meredith says he is accomplishing the impossible, which is why she cannot let him quit. Andrew snaps out that he's not Meredith's business anymore. He says he doesn't work for her or love her. Meredith tells him that she loves him, times two. She tells him that he went to jail for her and she also tells him that he saved her from herself. She begs him not to walk away and to take the suspension. He promises he will if she convinces Bailey to call the national trafficking hotline and have them investigate. Meredith agrees.
As Meredith asks Taryn for an update, Amelia comes up asking for a spot for her vet. Meredith agrees to give him a spot. Caitlin and others protest. Meredith says they shouldn't have to advocate this hard. She promises everyone they will get their surgery and adds that the donor has agreed to extend the pro bono surgery day for as long as they need. They are making pro bono surgery day a monthly thing. She is met with applause.
Amelia and Teddy deliver the good news to Kyle and Ashley.
Opal forcefully escorts Cindy out of the ER. She thinks Cindy said something to Andrew. Cindy swears she didn't and complains about the pain. Opal says she brought this upon herself.
Jackson catches up with Maggie and asks her about Richard. Maggie tells him Catherine's lawyers are coming after him. Jackson now understands why he hasn't spoken to him since the merger. Jackson didn't know he had stepped down from surgery, either. Maggie thinks Jackson needs to make it clear that he's not picking sides. Jackson then sees Richard and follows him to the exit. He invites Richard to the game. Richard happily accepts.
Jo sits down with a depressed Levi at the bar. He thinks he dumped himself. He has no place to live now. Jo invites him to stay at her loft. He tells her he's gay. She knows. Her place is too empty and she doesn't want to be chased out of the place she bought for herself, but it needs to change. Levi accepts her offer.
Amelia has finished Kyle's surgery, which went well. Teddy has followed the procedure from the gallery. Tom joins her up there. He has slept with a lot of women but he draws the line at married women. And Teddy is about to be one. He has been the guy whose wife sleeps with another man and he'll never be that guy. He loves Teddy and he wants to make it easy for her, so he tells her to go home and spend time with Owen. He'll be just fine.
In bed, Amelia tells Link they can make it work if he wants to take his dream job. He says there are new things in his life that he loves more than that job. She thinks it's scary that from now on, every want and need and desire is gonna be put on hold for their kid. She makes him promise they will always fight for their dreams.
Owen finds Teddy crying on a bench outside. He asks her what's wrong. She goes to tell him about having slept with Tom but she changes her mind and says she had a rough patient. She talks about Kyle a bit. Owen is sure that Teddy managed to help him and he hugs her.
Bailey drops by Meredith's pro bono surgery planning room. She called the hotline. They told her not to scare the suspect away, but Opal and Cindy are gone. She prays DeLuca wasn't right. As she leaves, Cormac comes in with tea. He tells her she pulled off the pro bono surgery day. She's not impressed with herself. He says he can see the twisted-ness now. She tells him it took him long enough and thanks him for his help today.
Andrew is speeding on his motorcycle, showcasing his reckless behavior.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey
- Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey
- James Pickens, Jr. as Dr. Richard Webber
- Kevin McKidd as Dr. Owen Hunt
- Jesse Williams as Dr. Jackson Avery
- Caterina Scorsone as Dr. Amelia Shepherd
- Camilla Luddington as Dr. Jo
- Kelly McCreary as Dr. Maggie Pierce
- Giacomo Gianniotti as Dr. Andrew DeLuca
- Kim Raver as Dr. Teddy Altman
- Greg Germann as Dr. Tom Koracick
- Jake Borelli as Dr. Levi Schmitt
- Chris Carmack as Dr. Atticus Lincoln
Guest Stars[]
- Jason George as Dr. Ben Warren
- Richard Flood as Dr. Cormac Hayes
- Stefania Spampinato as Dr. Carina DeLuca
- Jaicy Elliot as Dr. Taryn Helm
- Alex Landi as Dr. Nico Kim
- Josh Kelly as Kyle Rexton
- Katherine Cunningham as Ashley
- Gail Bean as Caitlin Freeman
- Stephanie Kurtzuba as Opal
Co-Starring[]
- Vivian Nixon as Hannah Brody
- Olivia-Diane Joseph as Nurse Liv
- Pamela Shaddock as Shara Freeman
- Allie Doke as Cindy Wright
- Michael Duisenberg as Policeman
- Marc Forget as Patient
Medical Notes[]
Jared Goldstein[]
- Diagnosis:
- Doctors:
- Miranda Bailey (general surgeon)
- Treatment:
- Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Jared was scheduled to have a laparoscopic cholecystectomy as part of the pro-bono surgery day.
Cindy Wright[]
- Diagnosis:
- Abdominal hernia
- Urinary tract infection
- Doctors:
- Miranda Bailey (general surgeon)
- Andrew DeLuca (surgical resident)
- Treatment:
Cindy came into the clinic with a bulge in her stomach. Andrew examined her and diagnosed an abdominal hernia. Since she also had pain upon urination, he tested her for a UTI. She was then supposed to have surgery, but left the hospital before that could happen.
Kyle Rexton[]
- Diagnosis:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Broken ribs
- Gliosis
- Doctors:
- Teddy Altman (cardiothoracic surgeon)
- Amelia Shepherd (neurosurgeon)
- Treatment:
- Surgery
Kyle, 36, was examined in the ER due to chest pain. He said he also had headaches and back pain. He was on an SSRI for his PTSD, but had had to discontinue because he couldn't afford it. Teddy witnessed Kyle becoming unresponsive in the ER, so she paged neurosurgery to confirm a TBI. An MRI showed gliosis in his frontal lobe, which was causing his seizures. They told him they could operate immediately and resolve his symptoms.
Shara Freeman[]
- Diagnosis:
- Doctors:
- Meredith Grey (general surgeon)
- Taryn Helm (surgical resident)
- Treatment:
- Scar revision
Shara, 55, had a history of abdominal wall sarcoma. She was in the hospital to have scar tissue removed.
Mr. Mendoza[]
- Diagnosis:
- Doctors:
- Atticus Lincoln (orthopedic surgeon)
- Levi Schmitt (surgical resident)
- Treatment:
- Arthroscopic meniscectomy
Link operated on Mr. Mendoza with Levi's assistance.
Music[]
Song | Performer | Scene |
---|---|---|
"Trampoline" | Shaed |
|
"Before the Song is Over" | Aron Wright |
|
"I Do" | Aloe Blacc |
|
"Coming Home" | Leon Bridges |
|
"If I Die" | Maggie Koerner |
|
Notes and Trivia[]
- This episode's title originated from the song Give a Little Bit, originally sung by Supertramp.
- This episode scored 7.04 million viewers.[1]
- This episode features the 100th appearance of Giacomo Gianniotti as Andrew DeLuca.
- Krista Vernoff shared on Twitter that the human trafficking storyline was going to continue in what would have been Episode 22 of Season 16, until the season was cut short.[2]
Gallery[]
Episode Stills[]
Behind the Scenes[]
Quotes[]
See Also[]
A complete overview of this episode's crew can be found here. |
Grey's Anatomy Season 16 | ||||||
#01 | "Nothing Left to Cling To" | #08 | "My Shot" | #15 | "Snowblind" | |
#02 | "Back in the Saddle" | #09 | "Let's All Go to the Bar" | #16 | "Leave a Light On" | |
#03 | "Reunited" | #10 | "Help Me Through the Night" | #17 | "Life on Mars?" | |
#04 | "It's Raining Men" | #11 | "A Hard Pill to Swallow" | #18 | "Give a Little Bit" | |
#05 | "Breathe Again" | #12 | "The Last Supper" | #19 | "Love of My Life" | |
#06 | "Whistlin' Past the Graveyard" | #13 | "Save the Last Dance for Me" | #20 | "Sing It Again" | |
#07 | "Papa Don't Preach" | #14 | "A Diagnosis" | #21 | "Put on a Happy Face" | |
<< Season 15 | Season 17 >> |