It’s Richard’s birthday on Grey’s Anatomy this week. To celebrate, Bailey gives him the opportunity to work the case of a lifetime – while Owen seems to be steering him into retirement.

Grey's Anatomy Recap

Riding up the elevator with Arizona (Jessica Capshaw) and Bailey (Chandra Wilson), Richard (James Pickens Jr.), dressed in a sharp suit, has a spring in his step. When Owen (Kevin McKidd) tells him he needs to talk to him about his surgical schedule, he thinks he’s plotting a surprise party. Soon enough, he realizes the meeting might be about him considering retirement. Later on, Owen throws his weight around whilethe former chief is briefing some interns on a major case – but Richard doesn't plan on going down easily.

The major case, which Bailey called Richard in on for his birthday, involves a grown man who had absorbed his twin while they were both in utero. He’d been experiencing pain for years, but neglected to seek medical attention because he didn’t have health insurance. Now – thanks to Obamacare – his wife managed to get him to the hospital. When he learns that he’s carrying his twin, he’s hesitant to have the pain-causing entity removed.

Meredith (Ellen Pompeo), in order to get on the surgery, leaves her new hyper eager research assistant with her beloved printer, ordering Stephanie (Jerrika Hinton) to keep watch over him as he reads her research materials. Under no condition is he to touch the printer in her absence. However, when Stephanie catches him doodling a new feature for the printer, the two put their heads together. When Meredith returns, it looks like the research assistant has won her respect.

April & Jackson Face Marital Issues

Still working with Yang (Sandra Oh) on her conduit research project, Shane (Gaius Charles) is interviewing prospective trial participants. One girl who comes to see him is 17 and pregnant, falling outside the 1-12 age bracket. She begs him to let her enter in the trial, because she wants to know her heart will make it through delivery and raising the child. Eventually, he tricks Yang into seeing her, but she’s resolutely against tainting their research. Miraculously, after the girl’s water breaks in Shane’s office, she manages to make it through the birth.

Newlyweds April (Sarah Drew) and Jackson (Jesse Williams) start the day by bickering over dishes, and end it by realizing they have completely different ideas about how they’d like their kids raised. Rippling the waters was Jackson’s mother, Catherine (Debbie Allen), who arrives at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital with a post-nup on hand. Jackson flips out, but April agrees to sign it to appease his mother. Catherine is still not satisfied. She wants to know what religion they’re going to raise their kids, if April knows about the Avery tradition of children sitting in on board meetings at 15, what April’s feelings are on abortion and stem cell research. They make their peace, but later on Jackson reveals he’s not sure about the kids being raised a different religion than his, and sees boarding school – not milking cows – in their future.

Callie Fueds With Derek Over The Sensors

Also at adds, are Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey). Callie’s not willing to let Derek take the sensors he developed during their research, thereby disallowing her to further their study while he works with the White House. She even threatens prosecution. Derek tries to rationalize the situation for her, but she eventually makes him see that he knows that the situation is wrong. Dialing up the White House, Derek tells a board that he will not work with them unless the sensors can also still be used for his and Callie’s research project and gets them to agree.

In lesser news, Alex (Justin Chambers) manages to convince Jo (Camilla Luddington) to sign the love contract and Cristina fruitlessly tries to get Owen to start online dating – he still just wants to go home with her.

All day Richard felt sorry for himself, except for when he proudly carried the remnants of the twin he successfully extracted from his patient. Disappointed that no one at the hospital is celebrating his birthday and morose about Owen wanting him to cut back his surgical hours, he solemnly heads to dinner with Catherine. Inside the restaurant, he’s met with a surprise party. And, when Owen gets him alone, he learns he’s not getting set out to pasture, but getting a promotion of sorts. Owen wants him to be the Residency Director.

– Chelsea Regan

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For More Grey's Anatomy News:

'Grey's Anatomy' Recap: Callie & Arizona Find Happiness Again; Alex Suspended From Surgery

Isaiah Washington Returning To 'Grey's Anatomy' For Sandra Oh'™s Last Season

Grey's Anatomy' Recap: Owen Breaks Up With Emma For Christina; Derek Gets The White House Gig

'€˜Grey'™s Anatomy'€™ Recap: April & Jackson Get Married; Callie & Arizona Buy A House

'Grey's Anatomy' Recap: Jackson Tells April He Loves Her; Meredith & Christina Reach A Truce

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