Grey's Anatomy recap: Meredith is up, and Jackson is out

Meredith is vertical. Can I get a hallelujah? She's breathing, her cheeks are rosy, and everyone is celebrating the news that Dr. Grey is going home.

How are they celebrating, you ask? Well, Teddy and Owen have sex to commemorate this historic moment. Amelia cries and then punches it into overdrive to clean the house before her sister returns. Jackson bids people goodbye between flashback montages while Bailey and Richard hem and haw over telling Meredith that DeLuca is no longer with us.

It turns out Bailey and Richard had nothing to worry about. Do you recall DeLuca visiting Meredith on her beachfront dreamscape property? And when he ran to be with his mother? Meredith totally remembered him "leaving" during her 14-episode arc on the vent, which helps me understand why she didn't ask where her sort-of boyfriend was while every other employee of Grey Sloan Memorial seemed to be buzzing in and out of her room in celebratory bliss.

It is an odd juxtaposition, though. Jackson's sudden move to Boston counterbalances Meredith's joyous dismissal from the COVID unit. He's emotional with Bailey and Richard, praising them for being such excellent role models. Jo thanks Jackson for not telling her goodbye in a letter. (#burnKarev) Meredith tears up when she realizes she's the last one standing among the residents, and I can't believe I forgot Jackson transferred over from Mercy West. His eyes popped in those peach scrubs.

I'll miss those eyes.

Meanwhile, Jo and Tom tag-team a medical situation. Tom helps a man who is experiencing paralysis on his right side. His very pregnant granddaughter brought him in and naturally goes into labor due to the stress. Jo and Carina grab the woman and take her to OB. Tom wheels the man into brain surgery.

It's a delicate situation. The elderly gentleman is the language keeper of a nearby indigenous tribe. He passes down the story of their people, and he must be saved. Fortunately, grandfather makes it through surgery, and a resident who volunteers with this man is there to perform a smudging ceremony, just in time for him to meet his great-granddaughter via video conference. COVID ruins everything, but today, there is love and peace in the hospital. For the first time in his life, Tom feels it.

Outside of the hospital, Bailey has gone to great lengths to arrange for Meredith to have a "clap out" when she leaves. Only Meredith leaves out the back door, convincing Jackson to take her home without all of the pomp and circumstance. I found this selfish and a bit conceited. Every single one of us has been waiting for Meredith to get better, and a hospital full of medical professionals worked their butts off to make it happen. Teddy even had a nervous breakdown because of it! And Meredith can't be bothered to wave? Inexcusable.

Meredith walks into her chaotic house, hugs her children, and smiles politely at Amelia, thanking her for taking care of the kiddos. Link comes in with donuts, and they all snuggle up on the couch to enjoy a sugar rush before bed. I have to agree with Winston and Owen. I don't think Link is going anywhere. He and Amelia, and Scout will live in that house until another long-lost sister shows up. Or Alex moves back with Izzie and their brood of children.

One person who won't be moving in is Helm. She's had a rough go and is ready to quit medicine. As luck would have it, Schmidt convinces her to move in with him, even though he lives with Jo in a one-bedroom studio apartment. This should be fun.

And then there's Tom. We see him meet Jackson in a random parking lot. Tom heard old blue eyes is taking over the foundation, and he wants in. Tom has survivor's guilt. He made it through COVID while his six non-white roommates did not. He wants to help attack all of the pain in the world caused by people who look like him. Tom wants to be worthy of being spared, and he wants to be an ally to Jackson however he can.

Does Jackson need someone to explain how ignorant white people think? Tom is on it. Does he need a surgeon? No problem. Tom doesn't want money or a title. He wants to make a difference.

Jackson instructs Tom to be in Boston on Monday at six o'clock in the morning. I guess this means the Grey's Anatomy cast roster just got a little shorter.

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