Meredith, Evi and Cristina are in the locker room getting ready for the start of their shift. Meredith looks angry and irritated. Cristina on the other hand is smiling.
"What?" Meredith asks.
"Nothing." Cristina says.
Cristina looks disappointed that Meredith isn't happy. She is still smiling.
"Why are you smiling like that?" Evi asks Cristina.
"Nothing." She says.
"What?" Meredith asks again.
"Ok, cranky. Forget it."
"Am I the only one that thinks this triage test is a waste of time? There's a patistoplasty on the board. I had Sloan all prepped to let me scrub in." Alex complains.
"George, hey." Izzie says.
"Hey."
"How's it going?" Izzie asks.
"Good."
"You like living in a hotel?" She asks.
"Yeah. It's good."
"Cause your rooms still there. Next to mine." Izzie says.
"Aw, Izzie."
"I'm just saying. If you don't like...the hotel, you can always just move right back in." Izzie clarifies.
"You think I'm this boy that you need to save, I get that, but...And it would be sweet, if it weren't so condescending." George says.
"Seriously is it too much to ask to be performing actual surgeries? We are actual surgeons." Alex whines.
"Triage is apart of being a surgeon." Evi says to Alex.
Cristina is still smiling. "What?" Meredith asks.
"Nothing."
•.•
In the clinic, Sydney is laying in bed acting like a patient.
"A lot of arm swelling but good distal pulses so...we can rule out compartment syndrome. I suspect a radius fracture so I'd splint and get an ortho follow up." Izzie says.
"Anything else?" Bailey asks.
"No." Izzie confirms.
"Okay, then I guess this means-"
"Time." Callie calls.
"And I'm dead." Sydney says.
"Dead?" Izzie asks.
Sydney pretends to die. "You sent her home. The bone punctured through her skin." Bailey says.
"Yeah, but she had multiple wounds and...abrasions." Izzie says.
"A puncture over a break is an open fracture until proven otherwise. Yeah, I got septic and I died at home, thanks to you." Sydney says.
"Whatever."
"Not whatever to minor dead puncture wound that's not guy." Sydney says.
"You have to be quick and thorough while using your instincts. You can't be fooled by what your eyes see. If you assess wrong, your patient could die while waiting for treatment. Karev, you're next."
"Just think, Izzie already killed her, you can't do more damage than that." Evi says.
"People, triage is one of the most important tools a doctor has. In a real emergent scenario, you'll have only minutes..." Bailey says.
"And it's something you'll be tested on in your surgical exams." Callie says.
Richard enters the clinic. "People, look I'm sorry. I have to interrupt the session for a moment."
"Chief, I like your new hair. Really brings out your eyes." Sydney says.
"Do you need something sir?" Bailey asks.
"We just received word of a mass causality incident nearby. All available level 1 trauma centers have been asked to respond. I need to send a team into the field immediately." Richard informs them.
"Is this a part of the exercise? Are we supposed to act appropriately, um, tense?" Cristina asks.
"This is not an exercise or a drill, Yang. This is an emergent situation and I need all hands on deck."
"Seriously?" Evi asks.
"What happened?" Bailey asks.
"I don't have details just orders." Richard says.
Bailey and her interns are in the OR preparing their triage kits.
"Meredith? Evi? I have a thing. News." Cristina says.
"You're not pregnant again are you? Cause I can't handle the extra months of bitchiness." Meredith says. Evi let's out a laugh.
Bailey walks up to them. "We're catching a ride with Seattle 34, space is tight. So hold your kits on your lap."
"Where we going?" Alex asks.
"We'll know when we get there."
"Fire? Flood? Volcano? I'm not really dressed for a volcano." Izzie says.
They enter the ambulance bay. "Stevens."
"Sorry, inappropriate. Sorry."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm hauling supplies, I only have room for five." The paramedic says.
"Yang."
"Yes?" Cristina responds.
"Stay with the Chief, take care of the incoming wounded. The rest of you come on." Bailey says.
"Stevens was inappropriate." Cristina says.
Izzie gives her a look.
"Hey, what was your news?" Evi calls to Cristina.
"Forget it, forget it." Cristina says.
The ambulance leaves and Cristina is left standing there. The ambulance speeds through Seattle.
"Oh everybody. Move your id's to the outside of your jacket. When we get there remember triage." Bailey instructs them. "Karev?"
"Green tags non emergent, yellow tags delayed care, red tags needs immediate treatment." Alex says.
"Good. Assess carefully, tag, then get all critical patients into the ambulances as fast as possible. Don't get in the way of search and rescue and stay calm."
"Any word yet on what happened?" Evi asks.
"All we know is there are multiple traumas." Bailey says.
They ambulance arrives and George helps the others out of the bus. Each of the interns faces is that of utter shock.
"Holy mother of..." Izzie gawks.
There are injured people and support personnel everywhere. There is an ferry boat on fire and debris is everywhere.
"Dr. Bailey, where do you need us?" Izzie asks.
"Where should we start first?" Evi asks.
"Dr. Bailey?"
"Ok, um, I don't have time to hold your hands. You know the protocol. Go do it." Bailey says.
"Do what?" Alex asks.
"Go help people."
The interns each run off their own separate directions.
•.•
"Ok, take a deep breath for me. Ok, you're gonna be ok. You're injuries are minor. An EMT is gonna come and take you to the hospital, ok?" Meredith tells a woman.
She looks up and sees a little girl standing there, crying.
"Is this your mommy?" Evi asks walking up to the little girl. The little girl shakes her head no.
"Who are you with? Ok, I want you to stay right here, ok?" Evi says.
The little girl grabs Meredith's arm once she walks up. "Stay right here."
Meredith looks down at the girl's wet pants. "Did you wet your pants? That's ok. It happens sometimes."
"Coming through." A paramedic says. Meredith hugs the little girl while Evi looks around.
•.•
"Ok, we need to find a grown-up—Another grown-up to help you find your mom." Evi tells Lisa as she and Meredith each hold her hand.
Meredith sees a man crawling out of the water near the docks. She stops a passing officer.
"Hey. I need you to take this little girl to the triage tents." She says.
"I gotta get back to my unit."
"No, I need you to take this little girl to the triage tents for me, please." Evi looks to Lisa. "You're gonna be ok. You're gonna be fine. I promise. Thanks."
Meredith pulls Evi to the man on the dock. The officer and little girl start to walk away. A man shouts for help and the officer goes to help. "Stay right here." Lisa looks very lost.
"Some metal, something hit my leg. I was thrown off. God, it hurts. It hurts." The man groans.
"I started swimming. I need to go. I've got a meeting." He says.
Meredith puts a bandage on his leg and he starts screaming. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, sir. But try to stay still."
Lisa walks up and taps Evi on the shoulder. "Don't look. Turn around. I need you to be brave for me. Just stand right there and don't move. And don't look." Evi says still helping the man.
"Damn it." Meredith curses.
"Can we get some help over here?" Evi shouts.
"Evi can you grab the tweezers?" Meredith asks.
"Yeah." Evi moves over to her triage kit and pulls out the tweezers.
"Ok. It's ok. Uh, I have to deflate the blood pressure cuff and see if this makes...Ok." Meredith says.
"We just have to bandage him up and find someone to take him to the hospital and then we're gonna find your mom ok." Evi tells Lisa.
The man is shivering. Meredith takes off her coat and covers him with it.
"Oh, I can't stand the pain. I gotta get out of here." He says.
"Sir, don't move. Don't move." Evi says.
The man tries to stand up and when he does he pushes Meredith over the dock edge and into the water.
"Mer?!" Evi shouts looking over the edge. "Meredith?!"
•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•