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Shock to the System

Revision as of 15:05, 27 April 2015 by Nerdfightergirl (Message Wall | contribs)
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“ They say lightning never strikes twice. But that's a myth. It doesn't happen often. Lightning usually gets it right the first time. When you're hit with 30,000 amperes of electricity, you feel it. It can make you forget who you are. It can burn you, blind you, stop your heart and cause massive internal injuries. But for something that happens in only a millisecond, it can change your life forever. Lightning doesn’t often strike twice. It’s a once in a lifetime thing. Even if it feels like the shock is coming over and over again. Eventually the pain will go away, the shock will wear off. And you start to heal yourself. To recover from something you never saw coming. But, sometimes the odds are in your favor. If you’re in just the right place at just the right time you can take a hell of a hit. And still have a shot at surviving. ”

Shock to the System is the second episode of the seventh season and the 128th overall episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Short Summary

After weeks of concealing the fact she was pregnant and miscarried, Meredith at last tells Derek and is finally cleared to return to her surgical duties in the wake of the hospital shooting spree; Cristina experiences post-traumatic stress disorder in the midst of an operation; and Bailey refuses to let Alex operate until he agrees to have the bullet in his chest removed.

Full Summary

Episode in detail.

Cast

Main Cast

Guest Stars

Medical Notes

Meredith Grey

  • Diagnosis:
    • Emotional trauma
  • Treatment:
    • Trauma counseling

Meredith still hadn't been cleared for surgery, despite her best efforts to convince Andrew that she was ready. Meredith ultimately told him that she had a miscarriage, almost lost her husband, and her best friend was possibly irreparably traumatized. He then signed the paper to clear her for surgery.

Alex Karev

  • Diagnosis:
    • Remnant bullet
  • Treatment:
    • Surgical extraction

When Bailey found out that Alex still had the bullet in his chest, she insisted that he have it removed. At the end of the day, she operated on him to remove the bullet.

Linda Cotler

  • Diagnosis:
    • Malignant myxomas
  • Treatment:
    • Ex-vivo heart repair

Linda, 51, had been in the hospital three times in eight years to have malignant myxomas removed from her heart. She had been a patient of Preston Burke in the past. However, Teddy was planning a more radical approach, which involved removing both atria and hopefully all the cancer then reconstructing them with bovine pericardium. Her husband was reluctant to agree to the surgery, but Linda insisted that she needed it so that they could have peace of mind. In surgery, there was a complication when Cristina collapsed on the floor in fear. They had to get more bovine pericardium to continue the procedure. The surgery was ultimately completed successfully.

Russ Gammie

  • Diagnosis:
    • Lightning strike
    • Transitory paralysis
  • Treatment:

Russ was a member of a flag football team that was struck by lightning. In the ER, he had ferning on his chest and couldn't feel his left arm. When Derek evaluated him, he was already starting to regain feeling and was told it was likely transitory paralysis and would resolve in a few hours, which it did.

Kerry Schultz

  • Diagnosis:
    • Lightning strike
    • Punctured ear drums
    • Epidural hematoma
  • Treatment:
    • Surgery

Kerry was part of a flag football team struck by lightning. She experienced paralysis in her legs, which Callie hoped was transitory paralysis, but she ordered a CT. She also had two burst ear drums, which she was told would heal themselves. Kerry's CT was clear, but she was kept for observation. After seeing a video of the lightning strike, Lexie noticed that Kerry was hit and knocked down before the lightning strike. She went to get Derek to check Kerry out. She was discovered to have an epidural hematoma. She was taken into surgery to repair the bleed.

Mitch

  • Diagnosis:
    • Lightning strike
  • Doctors:
  • Treatment:

Mitch was part of the flag football team that was struck by lightning.

Warren Griffith

  • Diagnosis:
    • Lightning strike
    • Bowel perforation
  • Treatment:
    • Surgery

Warren was part of a flag football team that was struck by lightning. It entered in his neck and went out his foot. He was the original target of the lightning strike and it spread from him to the rest of the team. While visiting his friend, Kerry, Warren coughed up blood. He was diagnosed with a bowel perforation and was taken into surgery. His surgery went well.

Baby

  • Diagnosis:
  • Treatment:
    • Surgery

Teddy and Arizona examined a baby who was post-op. Teddy said the invasion looked great and she heard no heart murmur.

Music

Song Performer Scene
"Precious" Tobias Froberg
  • There's a storm in Seattle.
  • Meredith pretends to make a breakthrough with her trauma counselor.
"Wishing He Was Dead" The Like
  • Lexie tends to Kerry.
  • Russ and Mitch make Kerry cry.
  • Meredith, Cristina, Jackson, Alex and Lexie watch the footage of the lightning bolt.
"Into the Mystic" Greg Laswell
  • Lexie shows Derek, Mark and Kerry the lightning footage, revealing something interesting.
  • Kerry has a promising recovery.
"The Wait" School of Seven Bells
  • Derek tells Lexie that Mark is afraid of her.
  • Meredith bursts in on April.
"Calling Me" Alva Leigh
  • Callie warns Mark about a significant event in his life.
  • Owen tells Meredith and Cristina that Linda is fine.
  • Meredith tells Derek about her miscarriage.
"Business Transaction" Home Video
  • Warren apologizes to Kerry.
  • Bailey tells Alex he has to let her remove the bullet.
  • Teddy updates Paul on Linda's condition.
"White Blank Page" Mumford & Sons
  • Meredith and Cristina talk about their marriages when Owen walks in and gives them a speech.
  • Meredith gets cleared for surgery.

Notes and Trivia

File:Grey's Anatomy Season 7 Episode 2
  • This episode's title originated from the song Shock to the Sytem, originally sung by Billy Idol.
  • This episode scored 12.53 million viewers.
  • Meredith finally gets cleared for surgery by Andrew Perkins at the end of the episode.
  • This episode marks the first time that Alex is being operated on in an OR in Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. When he got shot in the Season 6 finale, Lexie and Mark gave him some first-aid help before he was transported to another hospital.
  • This episode marks Sara Ramírez' 100th episode as Callie Torres.
  • Meredith finally tells Derek about her miscarriage in Death and All His Friends.
  • This episode follows directly on With You I'm Born Again, as April mentions that Owen and Cristina's wedding was last night.
  • Cristina says 50% of marriages end in a divorce, so that between her and Meredith, Meredith and Derek's marriage should be fine. Ironically, in season 9, Cristina and Owen really get divorced.

Gallery

Episode Stills

Quotes

April: Dr. Shepherd, the chief is looking for you.
Derek: I know.
April: You missed the wedding last night.
Derek: I know.
April: You smell like pee.
Derek: I know!
Derek: Hey I've heard about Cristina. Is she all right?
Meredith: No, she's not all right. No one is all right. That idiot is clearing everyone for surgery like they're fine and they're not fine.
Derek: Stop, stop it, I need to talk to you.
Meredith: Just leave it alone Derek, it was one night in jail, you drive too fast, just forget about it!
Derek: I don't wanna talk about that, don't worry about that.
Meredith (teary eyed): Don't worry about it? All I do is worry. All the time, I spend every minute of every day worrying that I'm gonna get a phone-call that you've wrapped your car around a pole. That's why I left you in jail. So that just for a little while I would know that you weren't dying like you were dying on that table. That's what I think about every time you pull out of the driveway.
Derek: I'm right here. I'm okay. We're okay.
Meredith: I was pregnant. That day, I was pregnant, and I lost it.
Derek: I... (pause) You didn't say anything. I could've helped you.
Meredith: If you wanna help me, your driving is something you can control. Just do that. Just do that. 
(They kiss and hug)
Meredith: (to Perkins) Go hug yourself!
Meredith: (to Perkins) I lost a baby, I almost lost my husband, and my best friend may never recover. So, I don't care what you do. Clear me or don't clear me, I have no control over any of it. I'm giving up.
Perkins: Well... (signs the form, she's cleared) That sounds like a good plan. You're cleared for surgery, Dr. Grey.
Mark: (to Derek) Hey, how was your night in jail? You shank someone right off the bat? You gotta let the other cons know not to mess with you.
Derek: That's not funny. They almost charged me with reckless endangerment.
Webber: I'm sorry, what?! I mean, that's where you've been all morning, in jail for reckless endangerment?
Derek: Nobody was endangered.
Webber: I can't have this, Derek. I won't...
Derek: Have you ever been over 120mph before? Richard, have you ever been over 80? It's fun, really fun. (excitedly) I mean, especially when you go through a corner like that, at that speed and you're not sure if the rear end is gonna stick or not and you lose control, and then you put the throttle down and the car corrects a little bit and you take it to the limit. And you don't lose control, you just grab it! Have you ever done it?
Webber: No, Derek.
Derek: You want to? I'll take you.
Mark: You should, it's really great.
Derek: Let's go. Right now. Come on.
Webber: I'd like that.

See Also

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

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