While Catherine was in Los Angeles getting the new foundation ready during the Nov. 8 episode of Grey’s Anatomy, she summoned Meredith and Koracick to visit for a highly confidential consult. But little did they know the patient was her. And they were left shaken when Catherine revealed she had a gnarly tumor on her spine. Was it cancerous? It sure seemed that way by the end of the episode, when Koracick was telling Meredith that he didn’t know how he’d break the news to Catherine. And the surgery needed to save her life could leave her completely paralyzed.
At first, Catherine thought it’d be best to keep the news from Richard, since his sponsor died and she feared he’d fall back into his addiction again if he knew she might die. But once Meredith told Catherine that she needed to tell Richard no matter what, she tried calling him. However, he didn’t answer because he had gotten arrested. Well, she didn’t know that — he called Meredith from jail and asked her not to share the news with Catherine.
So why was Richard arrested? Well, one of the nurses at the hospital went into labor 28 weeks into her pregnancy, and Richard was the one left operating on her. But due to a few complications, she died on the operating table. Fortunately, the baby survived, but she didn’t, and that left Richard down in the dumps. So he sought comfort the only way he knows how to — by going to a bar and asking for his favorite “poison”, vodka. But once the bartender poured 8 shots for him — one to mark every year of his sobriety, Richard grabbed a bat laying behind the bar and started going HAM on every liquor bottle in the establishment. He was furious at the bartender for happily pouring drinks for other people like him. It was a heroic move on Richard’s part, but also very illegal, so he was arrested and thrown in jail.
Meanwhile, Maggie questioned Jackson when she saw a woman texting him and saying “Miss you”. Was he cheating on her? Eh, not so fast. Emotionally, maybe. But not physically, he assured her. He said that he met a woman while he was away and they got talking about losing a child, since they both have experienced it. He said he enjoyed being able to talk to “people” who have gone through the same thing, which is when Maggie asked him who else he was talking to and he said April! While she’s still happily married to Matthew, Jackson said he’s now — as newfound believer of religion — mourning the loss of what they had and what their daughter could have had. We understood where he was coming from, but it sent Maggie into a tailspin and she left his apartment with tears streaming down her face. She then ran to Meredith’s and said her relationship may be over.
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