Today is the day that Chief Richard Webber is hoping Seattle Grace is put back on the map.  Miranda Bailey has planned quite a feat.  12 surgeries at the same time.  6 kidney donors whos kidneys match 6 patients who need new kidneys.  Ironically, each patient needing a kidney has a loved one who is a match for someone else.  Needless to say, it's complicated and all the residents need to be at their best today.

On top of it all, each of the residents have been told that they need to come up with an intern to give to George O'Malley. The residents are in their locker room when an excited Lexie Grey walks in carrying a huge display of gifts and balloons to decorate George's locker.   

She can't help but over hear the talk about with intern each should give to George.  Cristina Yang is particularly concerned about making sure she picks just the right one to give up.  She doesn't want to be stuck with any losers.  Lexie, of course, can't resist trying to subtly hint that she'd be willing to go to George.   Big surprise,I know.  Unfortunately, her photographic memory is quite a commodity.

As the surgeons and residents get ready for their surgeries and receive their assignments, Bailey makes it clear that "this is about me," today.  They all go to find out about thier respective patients.  When George goes in to see his patient and explain the procedure, his interns just giggle saying, "It's like you're a real doctor."  Cristina's patient appears to be the "saint" of all the patients - the one who is doing it"out of the goodness of her heart" though she's not related to anyone in the process. Very soon, however, we see that she's actually been having an affair with one patient.  His wife is also a donor.  The mistress is beside herself and finally blows up in front of the unknowing wife.  The wife, in turn, is also very upset and backs out of the surgery.  Bailey, who sees the"Domino Surgery" crumbling before her eyes sends Meredith Grey to find another donor match ASAP.  The mistress, feeling she's won, says, "He'll finally have to choose, her or me."  The Chief tells Bailey that they will be on the National News with the story of this amazing surgery.

Meanwhile, Cristina, Meredith and Izzie are sitting in the cafeteria.  They've lined up their interns to have a good look at them in order to make a good decision about who to get rid of.  Lexie, from the line says, "They're deciding in front of us - like livestock at the fair."  The residents continue.  "We can hear you," reminds Lexie.  They continue.  In desperation, Lexie whispers to the intern next to her, "We should revolt."  He tells her, "You revolt first and I'll follow."  Not exactly strong words, so they just sit there.  Like livestock, they stand there and take it.

George O'Malley is still stuggling to earn respect from the interns that he has.  They just can't take him seriously when yesterday he was just one of them.  Cristina Yang decides to give him a little lesson on how to get the job done.  She called up one of her interns "Number 2, get over here!"  She procedes to tell him that he is failing in about 10 different ways. He is terrified, takes some charts from her and retreats to do her bidding.  Lexie tells George, "It's brutal, but it's effective."

With all the calls and efforts that Meredith has made, they are unable to find another kidney donor who matches for the surgery. Chief Webber is forced to tell Bailey to call it all off.  "Let the patients go - it's over."  Bailey is crushed.  She knows that it is unethical to try to convince the wife back into the surgery.  Doctors are not allowed to have opinions as the matter is too delicate.  She goes to sign the discharge paperwork for the wife who immediately reads her face.  "You must think I'm a terrible person."  Bailey defaults saying she has no opinion and how she's not allowed to have an opinion on these matters.  The wife continues, "He's taken everything from me, my love, my pride, my dignity, but he doesn't have my kidney. . ."  Bailey in her wisdom says, "I'm not allowed to think anything, There are Rules.  Good rules - in place for a reason."  She continues, "it's a big thing,  It is an extraordinary thing.  It's a gift that must be freely given.  And if you were to give it, and I'm not asking you to, but if you were to give it , it's not just for your husband.  It's for five other people, people that you don't know from Adam."   There is a long dramatic pause that follows before you see the patients all getting prepped and ready for surgery. 

Chief Webber says, "Let's make medical history," and the residents are off to their patients.  Bailey is left behind and Chief tells her, "We're lucky as hell that woman changed her mind."  "Yes we are,"  Bailey answers smugly.

The doctors are all engrossed in their surgeries.  All is going well.  Meredith Grey takes the clean kidney out of the tray and carefully begins walking toward the awaiting patient when Splat!  That's right, she drops it flat on the floor.  No one knows what to do and Miranda Bailey yells out "5 Second Rule!"  Meredith picks it up brings it over for the surgery and is promptly told, "you don't touch anything else."   A few moments later the Chief barges in and yells, "Someone dropped a damn kidney?"  He sees that it is Meredith Grey and has nothing to say to her.  The finish the surgery and wait for the kidney to "pink up" as that is the sign that all has gone well.  Finally it turns pink and they know the hard part is over.

After finishing all twelve surgeries the residents resume their bartering of interns.  They have made up cards with the interns faces and are now negotiating when Richard Webber and Miranda Bailey walk up.  They soon realize what is going on and put an end to it quickly.  "You think you get to choose," laughs the Chief as he takes the cards and hands them all to O'Malley.  

Even with all of the interns at his choosing, George continues to find that they disrespect him all of the time.  They mock and giggle behind his back and don't hardly take his orders seriously.  Lexie comes up and asks, "You didn't even ask for me, did you?"  But she already knows that doesn't she.  "You don't even see it, I'm such an idiot. . . You didn't even ask for me. . .screw you doctor O'Malley"

While the surgeries were all successful, not everything turned out perfectly.  The mistress lay alone in her room upset that her lover hadn't even asked about her or come to see how she's doing.  She is frustrated that he hasn't made a choice.  Cristina Yang tells her, "He hasn't called.  I think that he has made his choice."  The girl is devastated and can't believe what she's done. In another room a patient's son is sobbing over his father as he is dying despite a perfect suregery.  Evidently his body had taken too much.  Bailey was quite upset and complaining to the Chief that it wasn't a success.  Richard Webber just ignores her complaints and says, "But you saved 5 lives.  5 out of 6 is a pretty good score card."  Feeling a little more pleased, Bailey leaves with her pride.  Chief goes to speak with Meredith about dropping the kidney.  Things like this cannot go unnoticed.  She is extremely nervous as he tells her, "Come with me."  She dutifully follows and takes her to the patient's room who is dying.  He tells her that this man got a perfectly good kidney that did not get dropped on the floor and he was dying.  "There's only so much we can do to help.  Forgive yourself."  And with that the day is done.              

more from this episode . . .