Dr. Alana Cahill (guest star Constance Zimmer) is a physician adviser who has been hired to help Seattle Grace Mercy West avoid bankruptcy. She was Richard's student a long time ago. Alana is concerned from the get-go when it takes 45 minutes for someone to finally treat her fake ailment in the ER. That's not very efficient. April gives Stephanie a crash course on how to keep things moving in the pit. While this is happening, a handsome paramedic named Matthew observes April from afar until he dials up the courage to ask her out for coffee.
Meredith is having a serious bout of raging pregnancy hormones. She cries constantly, especially when she's angry. This has Shane on edge. He screws up an assignment involving a pregnant woman who goes into liver failure. The patient needs a transplant pronto. Shane tries to chat with Meredith about her pregnancy during their ambulance ride to find a new liver. It doesn't go well. Neither does the donor surgery. Shane makes a mistake that causes the liver to no longer be viable. Meredith is furious. She's also a blubbering mass of tears.
Another liver becomes available in Portland. Meredith still can't get on a plane, so she wants Shane to serve as delivery man. Bailey doesn't want this job left in the hands of an intern, so she goes along for the ride. There's a delay before takeoff. Meredith lets Bailey know that she's ready to fly again. She boots her off the plane. Later, Shane discovers a mass on the new donor liver. Not good. Thankfully, further testing indicates that it's still viable. Back to Seattle they go!
Derek Shepherd
Played by Patrick Dempsey
Arizona Robbins
Played by Jessica Capshaw
Meredith Grey
Played by Ellen Pompeo
Richard Webber
Played by James Pickens Jr.