En-route to a weekend breakaway, surgeons Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) and Callie Torres (Sara Ramírez) are involved in a vehicular collision, moments after Arizona proposes marriage. Callie suffers severe injuries, which endanger her life and her unborn child. She and Arizona are taken to Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital, the institute at which they both work. Their colleagues attempt to save Callie, while Arizona and Mark Sloan (Eric Dane), the father of Callie’s baby, stand by. Callie’s many injuries include neurological trauma. While barely conscious, she hallucinates an uninjured version of herself standing beside her. The hallucinatory Callie begins to sing, and is gradually joined by the doctors treating her. This singing continues throughout the episode, as Callie’s projection of herself attempts to reach out to Arizona.

Callie goes into cardiac arrest and is taken into theatre, where she is temporarily stabilized, pending further surgery. She is moved into intensive care, while neonatal surgeon Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) is flown in by helicopter in case the baby has to be delivered prematurely. Arizona and Mark argue over Callie’s treatment; Arizona believes that Callie would not risk endangering the baby, but Mark argues for saving Callie at all costs. The attending surgeons devise a treatment plan, led by trauma surgeon Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd). As they do so, Callie dreams about the moments preceding the accident. Her dream self sings to Arizona, interspersed with shots of the hospital staff singing and dancing with their own partners. Owen’s wife Cristina (Sandra Oh) suggests treating Callie with a high-risk but potentially effective cardiothoracic procedure she learned from her old mentor, Preston Burke. Her current mentor, Teddy Altman (Kim Raver), refuses to perform it, but when Callie’s condition deteriorates and she is rushed back into theatre, Owen agrees that Cristina should attempt the procedure.

When Callie again goes into cardiac arrest, Addison delivers her daughter at twenty-three weeks gestation. The baby is not initially able to breathe, so with Mark’s support, Arizona steps in and is able to revive her. Across the operating room, Callie’s condition begins to improve. Once the surgery is complete, the doctors deal with their own affairs; Mark’s former partner Lexie (Chyler Leigh) commits to her new relationship with resident Jackson (Jesse Williams); Lexie’s sister Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) confesses that she was jealous of Callie’s pregnancy, which prompts her husband Derek (Patrick Dempsey) to promise that they will have a child together; Teddy tells Cristina that she can no longer teach her; Mark and Arizona bond over their shared parenthood. Later, as Arizona keeps a vigil by Callie’s bedside, the hallucinatory Callie is able to rouse her recovering self. As she regains consciousness, Callie accepts Arizona’s proposal.

“Song Beneath the Song” is the 18th episode of the seventh season of the American medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, and the 144th episode overall. Written by series creator Shonda Rhimes and directed by Tony Phelan, it premiered on ABC on March 31, 2011.

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