Grey's Anatomy
from the TV series created by Shonda Rhimes.
(from the episode "17 Seconds" written by Mark Wilding)
(Izzie (Katherine Heigl) walks around Denny's hospital room, shutting the blinds.)
Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan): Izzie...Izzie, stop and listen to me. We're not doing this.
Izzie: Don't worry. You're not gonna die. I will be here the whole time to make sure of that and that's what this stuff is for. (indicating the equipment she brought in) Denny: This isn't about me dying. Alright? This is wrong.
Izzie: You've waited a year and a half to get this thing. Who knows when the next one is gonna come along.
Denny: I'll take my chances.
Izzie: No. It may be too late by then. (continuing her preparations)
Denny: Then it's too late. Alright? Get this stuff out of here.
Izzie: Denny! Please. You have to do this.
Denny: No, Izzie! I'm not about to steal a heart from another man's chest! Not to mention, this'd be the end of your medical career.
Izzie: I don't care about my medical career.
Denny: Alright, you know what? This has gone on long enough. I'm gonna call a nurse...
Izzie: Everyone who is entered into the transplant program is clocked in to the second...to the second, Denny, you were clocked in to the second and so was the other guy, I checked with UNOS. The difference between when you entered the program and when he entered the program is 17 seconds. That it, Denny. 17 seconds. I mean, that's not even the length of a decent kiss. So, this other guy? I'm not saying that he doesn't deserve this heart. I'm sure he does. But so. do. you. So do you. And if you tell me Anymore crap about heading towards the light or looking down on me from heaven, I swear, I will kill you myself right now.
Denny (tears in his eyes): Izzie... (pause) I'm gonna be alright. Alright, you don't have to worry.
Izzie: What About me? What about me when you go into the light?
Denny: Izzie--
Izzie (sobbing): No! I get it, OK? I get it! You'll be OK, you'll be fine, but what about me?! So don't do it for yourself, do it for me! Please? Please, Denny! Please do this for me! Because if you die--Oh, God! You have to do this! You have to do this for me, or I'll never be able to forgive you!
Denny: For dying?
Izzie: No! For making me love you! Please? Please, do this-- Denny: Come here.
Izzie (sobbing hysterically): Please do this for me? Okay? Please? Okay? I can't do this if you don't--Please! Do this for me! Please?!
Denny: Okay. Okay, I'll do it.
(from the episode "If Tomorrow Never Comes" written by Krista Vernoff)
Dr. Meredith Grey: (voiceover) A couple hundred years ago Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. Never leave that 'til tomorrow, which you can do today. This is the man who discovered electricity; you'd think we'd pay more attention to what he had to say. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of pain, fear of rejection. Sometimes the fear if just of making a decision. Because... What if you're wrong? What if you make a mistake you can't undo? Whatever it is we're afraid of, one thing holds true: That by the time the pain of not doing the thing gets worse than the fear of doing it, it can feel like we're carrying around a giant tumor. And you thought I was speaking metaphorically... 'The early bird catches the worm. 'A stitch in time saves nine.' 'He who hesitates is lost.' We can't pretend we haven't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time; heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still, sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrows run until we can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin meant. That knowing is better than wondering. That waking is better than sleeping. And that even the biggest failure, even the worst most intractable mistake, beats the hell out of not trying.
(from the episode "It's the End of the World" written by Shonda Rhimes)
Dr. Meredith Grey: Okay. The man I love... has a wife. And then he chooses her... over me. And that wife... takes my dog. Okay, she didn't take the dog... I gave it to her. But I didn't mean to give it to her; I meant to give it to him. But that does not change the fact that she has my McDreamy. And my McDog. She's got my McLife. And what have I got? (pauses) Do you know, I can't remember the last time we kissed? 'Cause you never think the last time's going to be the last time - you think there will be more. You think you have forever, but you don't. Plus my conditioner decided to stop working and I think I have brittle bones. I just - I just need something to happen. I need a sign that things are going to change. I need a reason to go on. I need some hope! And in the absence of hope, I need to stay in bed a feel like I might die today.
Meredith: In the eight grade, my English class had to read "Romeo and Juliet". Then for extra credit, Ms. Synder made us act out all the parts. Sal Scafarillo was Romeo and as fate would have it, I was Juliet. All the other girls were jealous, but I had a slightly different take. I told Ms. Synder Juliet was an idiot. For starters she falls for the one guy she knows she can't have, then she blames fate for her own bad decision. Ms. Synder explained to me that when fate comes into play, choice sometimes goes out the window. At the ripe old age of 13 I was very clear that love, like life, is about making choices, and fate has nothing to do with it. Everyone thinks it's so romantic. Romeo and Juliet, true love, how sad. If Juliet was stupid enough to fall for the enemy, drink the bottle of the poison and go to sleep in a mausoleum, she deserved whatever she got!
Meredith: Maybe Romeo and Juliet were fated to be together, but just for a while, and then their time passed. And if they could've known that beforehand, maybe it would've all been OK. I told Ms. Synder that when I was grown up, I would take fate into my own hands. I wouldn't let some guy drag me down. Mrs. Synder said I'd be lucky if I ever had that kind of passion with someone, and if I did, we would be together forever. Even now I believe for the most part, love is about choices. It's about putting down the poison and the dagger and making your own happy ending, most of the time, and that sometimes despite all your best choices and all your best intentions, fate wins anyway.
(from the episode "Tainted Obligation", written by Jenna Bans
Dr. Lexi Grey: So I’m going to be fired. I’ve done a lot of really dumb things today. Including, pulling your medical files.
Dr. Meredith Grey: Lexi…
Dr. Lexi Grey: Just listen: I didn’t want to do this; I didn’t want to have to come to you. For anything. Ever. So I thought if I looked up your blood type and it was the wrong one then that would be it. Then I could just stop thinking about it. But I can’t... because you have his blood. And I know that he’s not your dad. I know that he was never there for you. And I would never ask you to give him anything. He doesn’t deserve a thing from you. He doesn’t. But he’s… He’s going to die, Meredith. And so I’m asking you to give something to me. I’m asking… I’m asking you to give me my dad. Because as crappy as he was to you, God, he was wonderful to me. He never missed a single dance recital. He was there at my 5th grade graduation. What is that? That’s not even real. I know he’s not your dad, I know that, but somehow… you have his blood and I don’t. So I’m asking you… give me my dad.
Kudos and many thanks to Thelma and AnnaLisa for these monologues, it is very much appreciated.