Elective surgery: Arizona, on her birthday, was looking after a young cancer patient named Wallace who had become something of a favorite. When his parents asked for a meeting with Arizona, the Chief and the board guy, Arizona was terrified that she was about to be read the riot act. It turned out, however, that Wallace's parents wanted to contribute $25 million to the hospital.
When Wallace's condition worsened, Arizona didn't recommend any more surgery, but his parents insisted. The Chief wanted her to go ahead — in part, perhaps, to keep the planned gift on target. When Wallace died during the operation that she knew he might not survive, Arizona bitterly told the Chief and Jennings (the board guy) exactly what she thought of them forcing her to, in her mind, kill Wallace. Unfortunately, when she went home devastated, she walked in on the world's most awkward surprise party, which gently dissolved itself after she fled. Later, she comforted Wallace's parents and they affirmed that they would still be giving the money, but she still felt awful, and went straight home to Callie, where they exchanged "I love you's."
Up on the roof: Meanwhile, a 15-year-old girl came in with many, many broken bones after getting high and falling off the roof of her house. When Owen operated with Avery, Cristina and Callie all helping out, the patient developed an embolism. Owen ordered Cristina to wait for another doctor, but Cristina ignored him and plowed ahead — with Avery's help — eventually removing the embolism herself. This caused a huge fight with Owen. Cristina was still feeling low at Arizona's party when Avery laid a big kiss on her, which she pushed away after allowing it to linger for a bit longer than she might like to admit.
Poor Alex: In the week's other pediatrics case, a pregnant woman was in a car accident, and Alex, Arizona, and Derek had to deliver her baby, 10 weeks premature. The baby was initially in very bad shape, and Alex feared that she would not survive the night. But when Alex gently cradled her, Bailey noticed that the baby's condition improved, so Bailey insisted he remove his shirt and provide skin-to-skin contact. Alex sat for long hours holding the baby against his chest, and eventually, her condition improved. Bailey encouraged Alex to consider pediatrics, for which he seems to have an odd affinity.
Unfortunately, as if Alex didn't have enough to worry about, it turned out that Izzie also didn't pay $200,000 in medical bills before she left, so those, too, are now Alex's problem. He did continue to forge an uncomfortable semi-friendship with Reed, who halfway admitted her crush on him to Avery, then sat with Alex until the baby improved enough to be given to her mother.
Linda Holmes is a writer in Washington.