When you take over your former boss' office, you not only take over his job, you take over voiceover duties. Derek is standing in his new office among boxes of his things, and he's trying to decide which tie will look more chiefly. "We ask a lot of our patients. We put them to sleep, cut them open, poke around in their brains and guts with sharp instruments. We ask for their blind trust." Mere walks in with two coffees, which is more welcoming than the actual look on her face, which is still rather wary. She tells him to pick the blue tie that brings out his eyes, though Mere, you're the only resident who is worried about his dreamy eyes anymore. Derek is thinking out loud as he tells her that the staff lovea Richard and will think that Derek stabbed him in the back and be mad just like Meredith. She agrees that she's mad but also tells him she knows he will be a great chief. Derek safely VO's, "Irony is, trust is hard for surgeons. Because we're trained, from day one, that we can't trust anyone but ourselves." Oh, is that the excuse we can use for why all these couples are never able to actually function for an extended period of time? The learned solidarity?

Cristina and Hunt are still trying to buck the trend and function as a couple, and they're currently doing it with some really hot sex as Derek continues, "The only instincts you can count on are your own."

The residents are all heading to hear what New Chief Shepherd has to say, and the newbies are trying to find out what Alex and Lexie know; they don't believe that Lexie doesn't know more than they do. Alex snaps, wondering if they have their own friends to talk to, which I love as a meta comment on how, for the sake of the show, these people are mingling all the time that honestly would still probably be keeping more to their own circles in real life this soon after a merger. Charles is there to yet again do nothing except be a one-man Greek Chorus of sorts, asking questions or giving pointed comments to move us along. He says that he heard Derek is going to clean house, and this starts a bunch of sniping between the Gracers and the Westers about who would be cut. Alex figures he's safe on account of his being Derek's roommate and figures that, since Shepherd hated the merger, he'd cut the Mercy Westers first. Lexie says this isn't true because Derek is loyal and fair but Avery just chuckles and predictably points out, "Tell that to Webber." Derek VO's, "The only skills you can count on are your own.

Until one day you leave the classroom and step into the OR." That's where Bailey is, working with Mere to remove a woman's tumor while the new anesthesiologist reads a magazine. Bailey is happy that they're nearly done and might be able to catch the end of Shepherd's speech. She's sautering something in or around the patient's intestines when alarms go off. Derek: "You're surrounded by others, a team of others, a team you have to rely on. Whether you trust them or not." Neither the surgeon nor the anesthesiologist can figure out what's happening, and Bailey is digging through the intestines looking for a bleeder or other familiar problem. She demands an explanation from the anesthesiologist and then stops and demands to know if she just felt movement. She and Mere stand with their hands in the air and then Mere looks at the patient and says very calmly but quickly that the patient is awake. The woman on the table is shivering and looking around at everyone, clearly in a panic. Bailey yells at the anesthesiologist (the internet tells me that his name is Ben Warren, so I just need to start calling him such now because "anesthesiologist" is far too long to keep typing) (Dr. Hot Anesthesiologist would have worked too, because he is, but again see the length issue) wondering what he did and orders him to get the woman back to sleep. Mere, meanwhile, just tries to calmly assure the woman that she's going to be okay, and just to breathe.