The heart of the matter

Quotes from last week's episode:

Meredith: [narrating] In life, only one thing is certain, apart from death and taxes. No matter how hard you try, no matter how good your intentions, you are going to make mistakes. You’re going to hurt people. You’re going to get hurt. And if you ever want to recover... there’s really only one thing you can say.

Meredith: Where would we go?
Derek: Wine country.
Meredith: Wine country sounds like a couples' place.
Derek: Well, there's wine, there's country, and you wouldn't see any of it. We'd be in bed all weekend.
Meredith: Oh, a weekend of sex.
Derek: Now you're paying attention.

Izzie: Callie. Hey. Hi.
Callie: We have to talk.
Izzie: Okay. Um, about?
Callie: George told me.
Izzie: He told you?
Callie: Everything. Cafeteria, noon, you and me. Be there.

Izzie: What did you say?
George: Um, I didn't expect her to forgive me. I expected...rage, uh, bloodshed.
Izzie: No, she's saving all her rage and bloodshed for me. She's gonna kill me in the cafeteria at lunch.
George: No, she wouldn't.
Izzie: She breaks bones for a living, George. She's crazy.
George: No, she's not crazy.
Izzie: Well, she is if she thinks I'm not gonna put up a fight.

Norman: So is he the one you call, uh...McDreamy or, Mc, uh, Sleazy, or Mc, uh, wait a minute, what is it?
Meredith: Norman, we have labs to deliver.
Norman: Yeah.
Meredith: Labs and discharges.
Norman: Uh, this one's being discharged to hospice?
Meredith: When there's nothing else we can do.
Norman: So we have to tell someone they're dying?
Meredith: Don't worry. I'll teach you the protocol.
Norman: McSteamy! He's the one you girls call McSteamy.

Cristina: I'm not a bad resident, am I?
Meredith: Don't ask me. I lost a patient today.
Cristina: Oh, you killed someone?
Meredith: Lost. Literally can't find.
Cristina: Shepherd says I'm selfish and competitive. What the hell is wrong with that? I kick ass. I'm an excellent resident.
Meredith: I'm not. In addition to losing my patient, I also lost my intern. Turned around, he was gone. AWOL.
Cristina: See, what... what is wrong with these interns? We weren't like this.
Meredith: We were great interns.
Cristina: I was great. You were... you were good.

Izzie: What, I'm invisible now?
Alex: What do you want?
Izzie: So you hate me now, too. Well, join the club.
Alex: You and O'Malley? O'Malley!
Izzie: What? What is it that I did that is so horrifying? I fell in love, Alex.
Alex: He's married.
Izzie: Yeah, so? You're carrying a big ol' torch for Ava or Jane Doe or whatever it is that you call her, and she's married. So what gives you the right to judge what I do? Why do you even care?
Alex: You told me you weren't ready yet...after Denny... to be with anyone. And then O'Malley? O'Malley. And then you tell me like I'm one of your chick friends. Come on.

George: Callie...you can't...just forgive me. What I did to you...is unforgivable.
Callie: That's how it works. That's what "I forgive you" means.
George: No, see, I...I think it means you don't forgive me. I...you don't know how to talk to me right now. I mean, look, you don't...you can't even look at me. You're so angry that...I think the only way you can deal with me is to say you forgive me and...what, we pretend it didn't happen?
I...it happened. And you don't forgive me.
Callie: You're right. I don't.

Meredith: You can say anything to me.
Derek: I want to marry you. I want to have kids with you. I want to build us a house.I want to settle down and grow old with you. I want to die when I'm 110 years old in your arms. I don't want 48 uninterrupted hours. I want a lifetime.
(Meredith takes a step back)
Derek: Mm-hmm. Do you see what happens? I say things like that, and you fight the urge to run in the opposite direction. It's okay. I understand. I didn't, but now I do. I do...you're just getting started. And I've been doing this for a long time. Deep down...you're still an intern. And you're not ready.
Meredith: I'm not ready right now. But things could stay the way they are... And I can get ready. I'll get ready.
Derek: Things can stay the way they are. We can still meet in the elevator or the on call room. And maybe you'll be ready. And I'll wait. I'll wait until you're ready.
Meredith: Okay, then.
Derek: Yeah, but what if...what if while I'm waiting I meet someone who is ready to give me what I want from you?
Meredith: What if you do?
Derek: I don't know.

Meredith: [narrating] Forgive and forget. That’s what they say. It’s good advice, but it’s not very practical. When someone hurts us, we want to hurt them back. When someone wrongs us, we want to be right. Without forgiveness, old scores are never settled… old wounds never heal. And the most we can hope for, is that one day we’ll be lucky enough to forget.