Bailey may have sent Alex to work in the clinic for the time being, but Catherine pushed her to make a decision about him in Grey’s Anatomy season 13 episode 6, “Roar.” So of course Bailey ended up having to work with Alex on a patient as she tried to do just that. While Bailey may have warned him he was on thin ice, it was probably the best thing that could have happened for him when it came to her thinking about his future.
Here are the moments that led to Bailey’s decision about Alex’s (immediate) future in “Roar.”
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Catherine Asked Bailey What Her Plan for Alex Was
Bailey hadn’t made a move to fire Alex or replace him, Catherine noted, not understanding why he was still working there at all. However, Bailey argued that he was innocent until proven guilty, and she didn’t want to throw away a good surgeon’s career because of one mistake.
Bailey Turned to Richard for Advice
After Catherine accused her of being lenient, Bailey argued that Richard was too, but he protested that he ruled with fairness. He believed in second chances (and used Leah as an example of that), and Bailey felt the same way about Alex. Whatever she decided, however, it had to be her decision — and it was a tough one to make.
Alex Confronted Bailey After She Didn’t Respond to His Pages from the Clinic
After noticing a rash on a pregnant woman’s hand in line at security at the courthouse, Alex suggested Veronica stop by the clinic. When she did, she revealed she’d also been losing weight.
When Bailey didn’t respond to his pages — he wanted the surgeon with the most expertise to give Veronica the best chance — he tracked her down and reminded her that she was the one to put him in the clinic. “Not today,” she warned him. “You do not want to push me today.” But he didn’t care and told her he’d meet her in the clinic.
Alex Came up with an Alternate Course of Treatment to Save His Patient’s Baby
The treatment that Veronica needed for her pancreatic cancer meant she’d have to terminate her pregnancy, a pregnancy that she and her best friend had planned. Alex wanted to try to come up with an alternate solution, but Bailey just told him he was on “thin ice.”
Bailey’s course of treatment would give her less than a year, and without it, the cancer would kill her before her baby was born. That was when Alex suggested a Whipple to Veronica. She would forgo the first round of chemo and have the surgery instead that would remove the cancer from her pancreas without harming her baby. It wouldn’t save them both, but it would keep her alive long enough to deliver a healthy baby.
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Bailey Reminded Alex He Was Only in the Clinic Because of Her
Alex didn’t want Bailey to take her problems with him out on their patient when his suggestion could give her baby a chance, but that didn’t stop her from advising him to “know [his] damn place” when she tells him to.
Veronica Explained to Bailey Why She Wanted the Chance for Her Baby — and Told Her to Thank Alex for Her
As Veronica saw it, she already had an expiration date, so it didn’t matter how risky Alex’s suggestion was. She could see her best friend raising their child. If she did what Bailey wanted, all Veronica saw was death. “If this is the only chance that my baby has to survive, I am not looking for a guarantee. I’m looking for a chance,” she said.
Just before the Whipple, Veronica asked if Alex was going to be there, and after Bailey told her he was needed in the clinic, their patient asked her to thank him for her.
Bailey Defended Her Decision to Not Fire Alex
“You think this is lenient. You think this is about my personal feelings. You’re right,” Bailey told Catherine. “You don’t train a surgeon without becoming personally involved. At least, I hope not! Now, I’ve made mistakes, and those who trained me afforded me the opportunity to grow, and I’m damn sure continuing that tradition with a surgeon as good as Karev! So Alex Karev stays right where he is!”
Do you think Bailey made the right decision about Alex?
Grey’s Anatomy season 13 airs Thursdays at 8/7c on ABC. Want more news? Like our Facebook page.
(Images courtesy of ABC)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
If it’s on TV — especially if it’s a procedural or superhero show — chances are Meredith watches it. She has a love for all things fiction, starting from a young age with ER and The X-Files on the small screen and the Nancy Drew books. Arrow kicked off the Arrowverse and her true passion for all things heroes. She’s enjoyed getting into the minds of serial killers since Criminal Minds, so it should be no surprise that her latest obsession is Prodigal Son.
