Chicago Med (2015) s10e04 Episode Script
Blurred Lines
1
It's a death threat.
I've done this job a long time.
I've pissed off a lot of people.
I wouldn't take this lightly.
[TENSE DRAMATIC MUSIC]
I have determined that
you are a significant danger
to yourself.
How dare you? You're gonna sit there
and you're gonna tell me
what's inside my head?
The only thing we wanna do
is to help you.
You have a beautiful family.
Thank you for
taking care of my girl.
You are gonna see her when you wake up.
It's gonna be OK.
- Oh, my God.
- She's flatlining.
- No. No!
- Time of death, 22:31.
[HANNAH CRYING]
I need to see my baby.
Right now, we need
to get you into surgery.
- Am I gonna be OK?
- That's the priority.
I'm not going under
until I see Ruby, please.
[TENSE SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
[HANNAH SIGHS]
Open a vaginal tray in the Jada.
- Hemabate is in.
- Give 2 grams of TSA.
Hi, Ruby.
I'm your mom.
I've loved you for so long.
I want so much for you.
♪
She's back in defib.
- Charge to 120.
- Clear.
[DEFIBRILLATOR THUMPS]
- Right angle retractor.
- No.
- Another milligram of epi.
- She's flatlining.
No, no.
Come on, come on, come on.
[FLATLINE TONE DRONING]
Time of death, 22:31.
[TENSE SOMBER MUSIC FADING]
Hey.
Uh, Ms. Wilson's labs came back.
Everything looks good.
H2 blocker and discharge?
No.
No, not yet. That's
[DORIS SIGHS]
You wanna run another test?
I'd like to get an MRI of
your chest and your abdomen.
- [PATIENT SIGHS]
- Dr. Asher,
could I steal you for a moment?
Mm-hmm. I'll be right back.
All right.
Why has this patient been
in the ED over three hours
for heartburn?
Because heartburn in pregnancy
can be a sign
of more serious conditions.
All of which you've already
tested for and ruled out.
I haven't ruled out
an aortic dissection.
Her vitals are stable.
Her symptoms don't line up.
It could be an unusual presentation.
You're reaching, Dr. Asher.
[SIGHS]
When was the last time you went home?
Patient has reflux,
give an H2 blocker and discharge.
What's up, guys?
I had nothing to do with it.
Me neither.
To be honest,
I was a way bigger Nick fan.
I just find your character
kind of annoying.
No offense.
None taken, Kai.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
You think maybe people will
forget about this soon?
I think you gotta expect
a solid month of ribbing.
- Hmm.
- Yeah.
It's not every day
you find out your colleague
was a teen heartthrob.
Ah.
But hey, joke's on them, right?
How do you figure?
Well, according to Loren,
random women
just throw themselves at you.
Guilty. Yeah. [CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
And I bet you're the only resident here
not drowning in med school debt.
Right.
See you out there, Hollywood.
♪
- Jackie!
- Hi.
Oh.
What are you doing here?
You don't know?
I'm working here.
- Wait, you're the new nurse!
- Yeah.
[SIGHS] I realized I was onboarding
a new transfer today, but
I didn't realize it was you.
- But that's great.
- Oh, OK.
Is this it's this is
it's not lost on me that
this could be weird for you.
What do you mean?
Well, working with me after you found me
- bleeding on the bathroom floor.
- Stop it.
But no, not at all.
Maggie, where are we going?
OK, I gotta go.
Yeah, of course. Go. [MAGGIE SIGHS]
Dr. Charles.
Jackie, hello.
Hi. I owe you an apology.
[CHUCKLING] Uh, for my, uh
colorful word choice
the last time I saw you.
If memory serves,
"condescending prick" was a highlight.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, in my defense,
you were trying to commit me
to a psych ward at the time.
Totally fair.
Daniel.
I, uh, need an opinion.
I'm gonna go change into my scrubs.
Great to see you again.
What do you got?
Headache.
I just hate this texting crap.
- Texting crap?
- Yeah.
It's it's ruined the already
fragile art of communication.
Boy, I tell ya.
And, uh, how can I help you
with this one, Dean-o?
All right, so this is
a message from Margo, right?
"Got time for an afternoon coffee.
We should talk."
I mean, I don't know.
Is she asking to move in together,
or is she about to break up with me?
You know, considering that my girlfriend
just transferred to another
hospital to get away from me,
I'm not positive that I'm
the guy you should be asking.
Maybe, you know,
consult a member of the, uh,
the female persuasion?
Oh, look, there's one right there, see.
Do you
Hey, Hannah. I, uh I need an opinion.
Hannah? Earth to Hannah.
Sorry, what? What's up?
Are you getting any sleep?
No.
It wasn't your fault.
Please, don't. I don't want
OK.
[TENSE SOMBER MUSIC]
We're going to Trauma 1.
35-year-old female, Tessa Myers.
Appears to have experienced
some kind of blunt force trauma
to the eyes.
Neighbors heard screaming
from her apartment.
PD is investigating it
as a possible assault.
She was highly combative at the scene.
Tried sedation, but, you know,
she wasn't responding,
so we intubated her for safety.
She couldn't see.
I think she was afraid
we were her attacker.
OK, folks, on my count.
One, two, three.
Let's get her on a vent.
- Thank you so much.
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
- You need me to tap in?
- No, no, I got this one.
- You sure?
- No, go ahead.
Um, why don't you take the
ankle sprain in Treatment 3?
OK, yeah. Great.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Her eyeballs are as hard as marbles.
Mm.
She must have retrobulbar hemorrhages
and orbital compartment syndrome.
I need to release the pressure.
Right, I'll page ophthalmology.
I mean I need to release
the pressure now.
- Get Kai and grab a lac kit.
- Yeah.
You're gonna slice open her eyelids?
I'm gonna cut lateral to her
eyelids, but yes, basically.
♪
You ever do a lateral canthotomy?
One. You?
This will be my second.
That's reassuring.
- Scissors.
- Scissors.
♪
- You ready, Kai?
- Ready.
♪
That isn't from blunt force trauma.
No.
These are chemical burns.
Someone poured acid in her eyes.
♪
Well, good morning,
Ms. Administrator of the Year.
Bow when you speak to me. [CHUCKLES]
Picking up my suit
at the dry cleaner's at lunch.
Well, thank you again
for doing this for me, Daniel.
I'll be your arm candy
any day of the week.
[GOODWIN CHUCKLES]
But, uh, where's, uh where's Dennis?
Keynote speaker
at an oncology conference.
Oh.
What [SIGHS]
Where's my
- What?
- Oh.
Hmm?
I wonder what, uh, happened there.
I don't know.
Maybe it was housekeeping,
but it's odd they didn't leave a note.
Hmm. We just gotta
swap out the glass, right?
Yeah, yeah.
No.
No, that's
That's not what concerns me.
Listen, Daniel.
A few days ago, something happened.
OK.
I received a letter,
a death threat.
What?
Sharon, you're just
telling me about this now?
Well, HR asked me to keep it
quiet while they investigate.
Well, did they find out who sent it?
Not yet,
but working theory is
a disgruntled former employee.
So, like, maybe somebody
who got let go during the
the Jackson-Monroe bloodbath
or something?
Well, they've been interviewing everyone
who was fired, but so far,
they've just eliminated people.
♪
It appears the sole intent
was to blind her.
Any suspects?
With crimes of this nature,
it's often intimate partner violence.
There were no signs of forced
entry at Tessa's apartment.
- Does Tessa live with anyone?
- She did.
Neighbors reported
hearing arguing between Tessa
and her ex-boyfriend
a month ago when he moved out.
We're tracking him down now
to interview him.
She suffered significant second-
and third-degree corneal burns.
And can her vision be restored?
Once I surgically debride
the necrotic tissue,
I'll have a better idea
of how much is viable,
but I'm optimistic.
- Thanks, Dr. Baker.
- Of course.
Let's finish her trauma
workup with a panscan.
Continue to irrigate her eyes,
start topical and IV steroids,
and, uh, let's wean her sedation.
Will do, Dr. Ripley.
Thanks, Maggie.
Ankle sprain is stable
and ready for discharge,
so where do you need me?
You know what would be a huge help?
If you can restock the supply room.
Do you not want me on the floor?
Oh, we're covered for now.
[SIGHS] You'd be shocked
how fast we run out
of supplies on a busy morning.
[INDISTINCT PA ANNOUNCEMENT]
Asher.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Hi.
You ever gonna stop dodging my calls?
[HANNAH TAKES DEEP BREATH]
I'm not dodging you.
I've just been swamped with work.
Are you OK?
I know your case last week was rough.
Can we not?
Yeah, I I just
Yeah, I know, but I'm just, I'm
fine.
Yeah, yeah.
Hannah, I need to apologize.
I never should have blown up
at you like that over Sully.
You were
just trying to stop me
from imploding my life.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Sully, of all people, set me straight.
You believe that?
Not really.
[CHUCKLES]
♪
Can I take you out to dinner tonight?
To catch up?
[ELEVATOR BELL CHIMES]
You know, I picked the short straw
and I gotta work the night shift.
♪
But soon.
Soon.
♪
All right, just tell me
how this feels, OK?
Hurts.
All right.
When were you diagnosed
with Crohn's, Laura?
Uh, when she was pretty young.
Five, I think?
Anything before the age of six
is considered to be very early onset.
You know, my timeline might be wrong.
She could have been a little older.
Her mom was always better
at handling that kind of stuff.
I'm not great with details.
Well, it certainly looks and sounds
like a Crohn's flare-up to me,
but I'd like to get a few labs
and then just afterwards,
take a CT of Laura's abdomen
just to be sure.
Uh, is that really necessary?
Laura already went through
all the testing
when she was first diagnosed.
Because Crohn's affects all
the layers of the intestines,
it can lead to complications
which present like flare-ups.
Things like fistulas,
which, if infected,
can lead to an abscess and
Yeah, I just gotta be honest.
Kind of sounds like
a fishing expedition.
Like you're just trying
to pad my bill here.
Well, that's not the case.
But how about this?
We'll start with just the labs
and if Laura's white blood
cell count comes back normal,
we'll skip the CT, OK?
That's just taking my blood, right?
Right.
I can handle that.
Is that OK?
Fine.
Doris, let's get a CBC, CMP,
CRP, ESR, a lipase, and a UA, please.
- You got it.
- Thank you.
Sandra. Hey.
How's Ruby Thompson?
Oh, baby girl's doing great.
Maintaining her O2 sats off oxygen.
Just working on
coordinated feeds with Dad,
and she should be able
to go home tomorrow.
Dad? Elise's
Elise's husband is here?
Got in late last night from Turkey.
I'll let Mr. Thompson know you're here.
I know he's eager to speak
You know, I gotta get back to the ED,
but I will check back later.
Oh, OK.
- OK. You're OK, Tessa.
- [MUFFLED SHOUTING]
You're OK, Tessa.
We have you in restraints
to prevent you from hurting yourself.
- Tessa, Tessa.
- OK.
I wanna remove this tube for you,
but I need you to calm down first.
Your heart rate and
blood pressure are too high.
Can you try and relax for me?
- [BREATHING DEEPLY]
- That's it.
Just take nice, deep, slow breaths.
- That's it.
- OK.
OK, Maggie, let's get her more upright.
Yeah.
OK.
I'm gonna bring you up now, Tessa.
There you go.
Tessa, on the count of three,
I want you to cough out
as hard as you can, OK?
One, two, three.
[TESSA COUGHING]
I can't be here! I can't be here!
You're OK. You're safe, Tessa.
What's this? And what are you giving me?
Just IV steroids to reduce
the swelling in your eyes.
Just stop.
- No, it's
- Remove it now!
Tessa, it's to restore your vision.
I don't want my vision restored!
I don't understand.
I did this to myself. I don't wanna see!
Let me out! Just stop, please!
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
Tessa, I'm Dr. Charles.
I was, uh, hoping I could
get just a little more
[SIGHS] Let me guess.
[SCOFFS] You're a shrink.
In fact, I am.
Oh.
Happy day.
Not your first conversation
with a shrink
- No.
- Is what I'm getting?
No.
My entire childhood, I was dragged
from one psychiatrist to another,
medicated until I was a zombie,
long stays in the psych ward.
It was torture.
Well, I'm really sorry to hear that.
Well, save your pity.
All that to say, I know my rights.
OK.
You can't force treatment
on me against my will
without a court order.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
- Correct.
- And the most you can do
is put me on a 72-hour hold
if you think I'm a danger to myself.
Well, I mean,
do you think you're
you're a danger to yourself?
No. I didn't drink the stuff.
I put it in an eyedropper,
so do the math.
I don't want to die.
I just don't want to see.
Why?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
I don't have a clue.
But if you're gonna put me on a hold,
please just do it now.
I really just wanted to talk.
Yeah, I'm done talking.
♪
I learned so much shadowing
many of you last week.
It got me thinking
you all should have the opportunity
to learn from each other's cases,
so I'm instituting
a weekly ED case review.
I will choose a recent case of note,
and we will discuss how we arrived
at either a good or bad outcome.
What happened? What did we get right?
What did we get wrong?
Any questions?
Are these mandatory?
They are an excellent
educational opportunity
that I hope everyone
will take advantage of.
But no, Doris, not mandatory.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
I'd like us to look
at Elise Thompson's case today,
your maternal mortality from last week.
Be prepared to present the
sequence of clinical events.
OK?
Mm-hmm.
I confirmed with Mirabelle
that no one from housekeeping
broke the frame.
As a precaution, we'll change your locks
and install cameras
inside and outside your office.
OK, we're also gonna need
additional security
for the donor gala tonight.
Unfortunately, it's gonna
be impossible to get people
this close to the event.
Sharon
Look, if you're concerned
about the hospital's
potential liability,
I'll sign a release, OK?
I was more concerned about your safety.
[SIGHS]
I'm sorry.
Look, if the roles were reversed
I would ask you to stay home.
I know.
Look, I'll
I'll ask Daniel to accept
the award on my behalf.
OK.
Hey.
Laura Finley's labs just posted.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
I'm not seeing anything concerning.
Mm.
Did you get the info on her
previous primary care doctor?
I wanna see what they had her on.
Well, I asked her dad, but he
couldn't remember the doctor's name.
- Really?
- Mm-hmm.
Mr. Finley was able to tell me
Laura's medications and doses,
so I made a note in the chart.
Off the top of his head?
Mm-hmm.
That's pretty impressive for a guy
who isn't good with details.
And I thought she hasn't had
an appetite for days.
Do me a favor, Doris, and hold off
on uploading Laura's labs
to the patient portal.
If her dad asks
I'll let him know that
we're waiting on the results.
Yeah.
This ain't my first rodeo, kid.
Noted.
So I didn't get much out of her at all.
But if I were to guess,
I would say that she was
suffering from some form
of body integrity identity disorder.
Isn't that people who want to
have a healthy limb amputated
or be paralyzed?
Those are the more common cases,
but there have been reports
in the literature
of people who, you know, wanna
be blind or visually impaired.
This condition is excruciating
to live with,
leading some sufferers, you know,
to take drastic action, as you can see.
If I don't operate soon,
Tessa can lose
more than just her eyesight.
If she develops orbital cellulitis
and it travels to her brain
via the optic nerve,
she can develop
a cavernous sinus thrombosis
or meningitis.
This could kill her.
Hey.
- Ah, there you go.
- Hey.
So, uh, to what do I
- Hey.
- Owe this
Have you spoken to Sean?
Sean? No. No, not for a couple of days.
Why?
I had to let him go
from the rehab facility.
- What? What what happened?
- Right.
Well, Sean and I, we have
very different philosophies
when it comes to addiction treatment.
I mean, you've seen that yourself.
So so what, you let him go
over a difference of opinion?
Of course not.
Sean was becoming combative
with patients.
Combative? How so?
Uh, it's his way or the highway.
And that's not how I operate.
You know, my patients,
they don't need lectures.
They need understanding.
It'd be nice if you could afford some
of that understanding to Sean,
but, uh
Excuse me?
Ugh. Margo, he's an ex-con.
- Uh-huh.
- Do you get it? All right?
It's not easy finding work.
This could be incredibly destabilizing
to him and his sobriety.
I get that this is
a very difficult situation
and I know how much you care about Sean.
But that is
it's wildly unfair.
I care about Sean, too,
but I'm not gonna be held
responsible for his sobriety.
I'm not holding you responsible.
I'm just asking you
to give him another chance.
Or
is this gonna be a problem for us?
Margo, you you
[SCOFFS] You fired my kid.
Did you not think this
would have an effect on me?
Frankly, I
I wasn't thinking about you
at all, Dean.
♪
You think she's faking her
symptoms at her dad's behest?
I doubt she's ever been
diagnosed with Crohn's.
But since there's no definitive
test, it's easy to fake.
OK, but why?
You thinking Munchausen by proxy?
Dad's looking for attention?
I think it's the medication he's after.
All right, look.
These are the drugs that Adam claims
his daughter was prescribed.
This immunosuppressant alone,
4,000 a month without insurance.
It was just in the news, right?
After the price skyrocketed
People started selling it on
the black market. This is, um
this is a pretty bold accusation.
We're talking not only insurance fraud,
but faking a kid's illness.
That's that's medical child abuse.
You know I gotta loop in DCFS, right?
That's why I came to you.
All right? I need an attending
to sign off.
Look, I agree there are
a lot of red flags here,
but once DCFS get involved,
it's out of our hands.
It becomes their investigation.
Look, I wouldn't be ringing the alarm
if I didn't smell smoke.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
All right, I'll make the call.
♪
- Jackie.
- Hmm?
You did such a great job
with the supply closet.
Uh, I wanted to see if you wouldn't mind
tackling the Pyxis next?
The narcotics need to be verified
If me working in the ED is
gonna be a problem for you
- It's not.
- OK.
Then why am I being relegated
to softball cases
and restocking purgatory?
Oh, no. I'm just trying
to ease you back in,
let you get a lay of the land, and
I've worked plenty of shifts at the ED.
I know where things are.
But, Jackie, it's your first day back.
I just
I just need to make sure that you're
Stable?
No, ac acclimated.
You know, so much of this job is
seeing people through
the worst day of their life.
After what I just went through,
I have never been
better equipped to do that.
But if you don't trust me
with the patients, say so.
♪
[SIGHS]
[SCOFFS]
[SIGHS]
At that point, Dr. Lenox
and I rushed Elise to the OR
for an exam under anesthesia.
My initial assumption was
bleeding due to uterine atony,
however, there was no blood
found in the vaginal vault.
We opened the abdomen and discovered
a ruptured subcapsular hematoma
of the liver.
Elise quickly went into DIC
and couldn't coagulate.
She exsanguinated and then coded.
Thank you, Dr. Asher.
So how did we get here,
to a sentinel event,
something we never want,
a maternal mortality?
Is there anything Dr. Asher
could have done differently
to affect the outcome?
Obviously, hindsight is 20/20,
so this is absolutely
not a judgment on Dr. Asher.
We can do without the sugar coating.
We're all adults here.
If an abdominal ultrasound
had been ordered
prior to delivery, the hematoma
might have been discovered
before it ruptured.
Sure, that's quite, um
possible, but there was no indication
to order an abdominal
ultrasound prior to delivery.
Didn't Mrs. Thompson's liver
function test come back elevated?
Barely elevated.
Uh, but it was in line
with what you'd expect
to see in pre-eclampsia.
She also complained of abdominal pain
when she was admitted.
Her abdominal pain was mild
and her belly was soft and non-tender.
I realize it wouldn't
be anyone's first suspicion
Or their 50th suspicion.
Nobody thinks subcapsular hematoma
from mildly elevated LFTs and
abdominal pain in pregnancy.
I thought it.
Oh, give me a break.
You don't know what
you're talking about.
Excuse me?
Yeah, now you're just
running your mouth.
OK. Wow, uh, I thought
this was an open discussion.
I didn't realize we'd be
subject to personal attacks
for merely expressing
an opposing point of view.
Oh, I'm not attacking you. Believe me.
But if that's the case
You'll know when I'm attacking you.
I can find better ways
to occupy my time.
Why don't we, um,
pick this up next week?
Hopefully, everyone can brush up
on their discussion etiquette
before then.
Hey. What is up with you?
What are you talking about?
I don't need you to fight
my battles for me, OK?
OK. Yeah, OK.
Dr. Lenox?
I want to respond to your question.
If I missed anything in regards
to Elise Thompson's care.
OK.
I think I made a fair point.
I've been thinking about this a lot.
N-nonstop, actually.
Why didn't I order an abdominal
ultrasound post-delivery?
Because you're not a psychic.
Archer was right.
No doctor would have suspected
a subcapsular hematoma.
She was cold after her C-section.
She was shivering.
Completely normal after childbirth.
Or it's a sign of shock.
I understand you are
hell-bent on finding something
you did wrong here.
But if you want to assign blame,
it lands squarely on the doctor
who examined Elise
at her checkup two weeks prior.
If Elise had been correctly
diagnosed with pre-eclampsia
at that appointment, she would
have been induced immediately,
and the hematoma never
would have developed.
I agree that Elise died
because of negligence,
but it wasn't yours.
And I don't know why I'm
explaining any of this to you.
You're too smart a doctor
to actually think this is your fault.
Hey, Dr. Frost.
How much longer on those test results?
I'd really like to get Laura home.
Uh, let me go and check
with the lab, all right?
Well, maybe you could just
call us when the results come in.
Like I said, we we know what this is,
and we know what medication
she needs, so
Right.
See, but, uh,
I can't write the prescription
until I get the lab results, so
OK, yeah. Then I think we're gonna go.
Uh, Mr. Finley, hi.
I'm Dr. Ripley.
I'm an attending here at Med.
How do you know my name?
Dr. Frost asked me to consult
on your daughter's case.
She's having a Crohn's flare-up.
That doesn't take two doctors
to diagnose.
Laura, baby, it's time to go. Come on.
You're actually not free to leave.
Get your stuff together. Let's go now.
OK.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Hey, look, don't do this, OK?
Please don't cause a scene
in front of your daughter.
- All right.
- Oh.
Hey, stop! Hey, stop it! Let go of him!
Let go of him! Let go of him!
- Stop.
- OK, I can
I can explain. OK, it's not
[SLURRING WORDS]
- [SCREAMING] No, Dad!
- Seizing.
- Seizure!
- Dad!
I need backup over here.
Get a pillow for his head!
Grab an IV setup,
two of Ativan, and the glucometer.
Please! Please help him! Please!
We are, Laura, OK? I promise.
It's all right.
He has something called neurosarcoi
Neurosarcoidosis?
He hasn't been able
to get his meds for months.
Do you know what he's on?
Same ones he told the nurse.
They're his meds, not mine.
Neurosarcoidosis and Crohn's are treated
with overlapping medications.
Why did your dad go off his meds?
Couldn't afford them anymore.
He lost his health insurance.
Dr. Ripley, Dr. Frost,
Madeline Gastern is here.
Who's that?
Uh, show her to the consultation room.
Yeah.
Hang tight. We'll be right back, OK?
Madeline's with DCFS.
Just, uh, follow my lead in there, OK?
Can we just tell her the truth?
That Adam was using his kid
to commit insurance fraud?
That he couldn't afford his medications
and obviously was desperate.
Means won't necessarily
justify the ends with DCFS.
The less we say, the better.
Nancy, have you seen Jackie?
Uh, I think she said
she was going to the bathroom,
but it was a while ago.
I got so bad, I was causing
a lot of blood loss.
And, you know, as a nurse,
I knew how dangerous that was.
I knew it could
I knew it could kill me.
But I couldn't stop
because it was the only time
I felt any relief.
Living just felt unbearable.
Tessa, I don't
I don't presume to know how
any of this feels for you.
It feels a lot like that.
Yeah.
Unbearable.
I can't focus my attention
anywhere, on anything.
It's just this
constant barrage.
It's all coming at me at once.
It's like a waking nightmare.
You know, when you experience
a visual overload like that
when your brain is taking in
more information
than it can handle,
it becomes overwhelmed.
And a very real, tangible,
physiological response is triggered.
You know, there have been
some really promising
therapeutic breakthroughs
in the last few years,
like, uh, using, you know, neurofeedback
and brain-computer interfaces.
- And
- No, I
I can't give up the relief
that I finally feel
just on the off-chance that
a therapy might help.
It took me a really long time
to build up the courage to do this.
And I don't wanna die, but
You can't go back to living like that.
No.
Well, I'm not a doctor,
so I can't tell you
what the odds are
of these therapies working
or if you're gonna feel
the relief you feel right now.
But what I can tell you is
that about 2 1/2 months ago,
oh, I
I was ready to choose relief
over everything else.
But I woke up this morning
so grateful to the people
in my life who intervened and
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
And didn't let me do something
I couldn't undo.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
And I know that living
right now is so painful.
But I promise you
it's worth fighting for.
♪
So what's up? [RIPLEY SIGHS]
I threw you under the bus. I I
What?
I said you're a new resident,
still learning the ropes,
and you confused DCFS
with case management.
[SIGHS]
Did it work or, like
Like a charm.
And it especially helped that, uh
well, yeah.
- What's this?
- [CHUCKLES]
My daughter just
loved your show growing up.
[CHUCKLES]
Uh, Dr. Ripley said
you wouldn't mind taking a picture?
- Yeah. Of of course.
- [LAUGHS]
- Let's do it.
- He'd love to.
[LAUGHING] Jenny is gonna freak.
[LAUGHTER]
OK. On the count of three.
Say "Nick of Time."
One, two, three.
BOTH: "Nick of Time"! [BOTH CHUCKLE]
♪
[TENSE MUSIC]
Can I help you?
♪
[STAMMERING] Ms. Goodwin, hi.
You know my name.
What's yours?
My name is Fred Murray.
I work with the HVAC crew.
And what are you doing in my office?
Well, I came through
last night to clean the vents
and, um
[SIGHS] Gosh, I'm real sorry.
I I knocked over your picture
with one of my tools.
Oh.
Spent all day trying
to find the same frame.
I went to, like, ten
different stores. [CHUCKLES]
I know it's not exactly the same.
It's close enough.
Thank you, Mr. Murray.
[SOFT PEACEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[RUBY CRYING]
♪
[SIGHS]
[KNOCKS ON WINDOW]
- [RUBY CRYING]
- Yes.
Mr. Thompson?
I'm Dr. Hannah Asher.
We spoke on the phone.
Oh, you're, uh
you were Elise's doctor.
Again, I can't begin to express
how sorry I am for your loss.
Thank you.
I wish with all my heart
that I could have saved Elise.
[SOFT SOMBER MUSIC]
I only knew her for a short time, but
Ah. [CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
But she makes an impression,
doesn't she?
[CHUCKLING] Yeah.
And you, you made an impression
on her, too.
When she called me
after Ruby here was born,
she said she wished you were
her OB the whole pregnancy.
That you were the first doctor
to really listen to her.
Oh. Oh, that's OK.
OK. Yeah, I got you.
I got you. I got you. Yeah.
[SOFTLY] Yeah.
Do you wanna hold her?
[RUBY SQUEALS EXCITEDLY]
Oh, yeah, I'd love that. Yeah.
Yeah? OK.
Here you go.
Hi, baby.
Yeah, it's OK.
Hi, Ruby. Oh, oh.
[RUBY COOING] Hi, Ruby.
[SOFTLY] Hi, Ruby.
Oh, boy. Let me put you
[TENDER MUSIC]
She's so beautiful.
Just like her mama.
♪
So looks like, uh,
Tessa's gonna let us
call her ex-boyfriend.
- That's a good sign, right?
- I think so.
Apparently, he broke up with her
over her refusal to get help.
And she cut her family off years ago.
And I guess ultimately,
he just couldn't handle
feeling like he was the only one
responsible for her well-being.
If Tessa is willing to reach out to him,
maybe it's a sign that
she's ready to get help.
That's my hope.
Yeah.
Listen, Mags, I just
I just can't help wondering
wouldn't Jackie be of more use
if she was just back on the floor
instead of stuck in some supply closet?
It's not that I don't trust
Jackie with patients.
I think she's an excellent nurse.
I just don't want anything to
throw her off and trigger her.
Maybe I feel
feel responsible for her.
Jackie had to be cleared by
a whole team of psychiatrists
to come back to work, and they knew
she would be returning to an environment
where she was gonna
encounter trauma, right?
Emotional, physical on a daily basis.
They clearly felt she was ready.
And I gotta tell you
based on my experience
of Jackie back at work today,
I have to agree.
So, uh, I don't know.
Think about it?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
I asked someone from our
case management department
to come meet with you.
And they are going to
go over your options
and help you enroll in a local
medication assistance program.
In the meantime, we'll send you home
with a month's supply
of everything that you need
to help get through the gap.
On the house, so to speak.
♪
Yeah, sorry. It's just, uh
[SNIFFLES AND CHUCKLES]
It's it's been so hard
trying to navigate this
after I lost my job.
I probably spent over 50 hours
on the phone.
Sent hundreds of emails,
you know, filled out
one application after another.
So when you tell me you're gonna help
[SNIFFLES]
[SIGHS]
Thank you.
♪
- Dr. Lenox, hey. Hi.
- Hi.
Uh, any chance you can spare
Dr. Asher on the night shift?
Does Dr. Asher want that?
Who wants to work the night shift?
Dr. Asher.
[CHUCKLES]
Wait, what?
She requested it.
Hey, man.
I-I really jumped the gun today.
Eh, you were right.
There was something fishy going on.
Yeah, but I could have
saved everyone some grief
had I dug a little deeper
and not rushed to judgment.
I have a hard time giving people
the benefit of the doubt, sometimes.
Parents especially.
Mm. Maybe, uh
maybe a little projection
going on there?
Yeah, maybe. [CHUCKLES]
Card-carrying member of the
Crappy Parents Club myself,
if it's any consolation.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
What'd they do?
Just your run-of-the-mill abandonment.
Yours?
They managed
mismanaged my career.
Stole a lot of money from me.
I worked basically my entire childhood,
and I have nothing to show for it.
In fact, I'm very much drowning
in med school debt, so
Oh, man. I'm I'm sorry.
Hey, I'm not so hard up
I can't buy you a beer
for saving my ass today.
[CHUCKLES]
Another time.
Sure thing.
Hey.
[POUNDS ON DOOR]
Hey. [POUNDING ON DOOR]
Hey, why haven't you responded
to any of my messages?
What?
Yeah, I left, like, 100 texts.
You're not exaggerating. Sorry.
I've been listening to a book
on tape while I pack.
Pack?
All right.
I think you're being,
you know, a little premature here.
I think if you just
sit down with Margo,
you apologize,
you can get your old job back.
I don't want my job back.
She was right to let me go.
All right, fine.
Then I'll I'll meet with
the head of valet at Med
and we'll see if your
old job is available.
That's not necessary.
- Come on!
- Dad.
I'm gonna be OK.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Yeah, I just don't wanna
see anything derail you.
You have come so far.
This is not gonna derail me.
I'm actually [CHUCKLES]
I'm actually looking forward
to a fresh start.
I'm gonna go down to Florida for a bit
and stay with Mom.
♪
Sorry, no, no, this
this [CHUCKLES]
This is me trying not
to have a knee-jerk response
to you going to live with your mother.
[GROANS] How am I doing?
- Admirably.
- Mm.
Don't go, Son.
I'm not leaving today.
And actually,
if you could take the time off,
I was hoping that maybe you'd want to
drive down with me?
♪
A little Archer father-son road trip?
I wouldn't miss it.
♪
Oh, Daniel.
Daniel, wait up.
I can't run in these high heels.
I thought I was flying solo tonight.
Uh, change of plans.
Everything OK?
Better than OK.
I'll tell you in the car.
I'll ride with you?
Arm candy, chauffeur?
- Damn, I'm a Renaissance man.
- [LAUGHS]
- Let's go.
- [LAUGHING] OK.
♪
Hospital food for dinner
your first night back?
Way too soon.
You gotta work your way back up to that.
I know. I'm regretting it already.
- [CHUCKLES]
- But, you know,
the hubs and the kid, they're, uh
they're out of town.
They're visiting Carl's mom.
I didn't wanna cook for one.
I am so beat.
I forgot how much it wears you out
being on your feet all day like that.
Well, rest up.
You've got a big day tomorrow.
Check the board.
You're on trauma service
with Dr. Archer.
Good night.
Good night.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Hey. What are you still doing here?
It's almost midnight.
I, uh
I had a sudden urge
to work the night shift.
I hope that's OK.
Company will be nice.
I was about to, uh,
forage the vending machine
for some sustenance.
- You wanna join?
- Absolutely.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
So you're just gonna
work yourself into the ground?
You run, I work.
So that's your coping mechanism?
That and daily NA meetings.
Been going every morning before work.
Did you
It's the first time in almost four years
that I thought about it.
♪
I thought about using.
♪
But I didn't.
♪
I know I haven't
proven myself
to be very reliable, but
I really wanna be someone
you can lean on, Hannah.
♪
- Way to be literal.
- [LAUGHS]
♪
It's a death threat.
I've done this job a long time.
I've pissed off a lot of people.
I wouldn't take this lightly.
[TENSE DRAMATIC MUSIC]
I have determined that
you are a significant danger
to yourself.
How dare you? You're gonna sit there
and you're gonna tell me
what's inside my head?
The only thing we wanna do
is to help you.
You have a beautiful family.
Thank you for
taking care of my girl.
You are gonna see her when you wake up.
It's gonna be OK.
- Oh, my God.
- She's flatlining.
- No. No!
- Time of death, 22:31.
[HANNAH CRYING]
I need to see my baby.
Right now, we need
to get you into surgery.
- Am I gonna be OK?
- That's the priority.
I'm not going under
until I see Ruby, please.
[TENSE SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
[HANNAH SIGHS]
Open a vaginal tray in the Jada.
- Hemabate is in.
- Give 2 grams of TSA.
Hi, Ruby.
I'm your mom.
I've loved you for so long.
I want so much for you.
♪
She's back in defib.
- Charge to 120.
- Clear.
[DEFIBRILLATOR THUMPS]
- Right angle retractor.
- No.
- Another milligram of epi.
- She's flatlining.
No, no.
Come on, come on, come on.
[FLATLINE TONE DRONING]
Time of death, 22:31.
[TENSE SOMBER MUSIC FADING]
Hey.
Uh, Ms. Wilson's labs came back.
Everything looks good.
H2 blocker and discharge?
No.
No, not yet. That's
[DORIS SIGHS]
You wanna run another test?
I'd like to get an MRI of
your chest and your abdomen.
- [PATIENT SIGHS]
- Dr. Asher,
could I steal you for a moment?
Mm-hmm. I'll be right back.
All right.
Why has this patient been
in the ED over three hours
for heartburn?
Because heartburn in pregnancy
can be a sign
of more serious conditions.
All of which you've already
tested for and ruled out.
I haven't ruled out
an aortic dissection.
Her vitals are stable.
Her symptoms don't line up.
It could be an unusual presentation.
You're reaching, Dr. Asher.
[SIGHS]
When was the last time you went home?
Patient has reflux,
give an H2 blocker and discharge.
What's up, guys?
I had nothing to do with it.
Me neither.
To be honest,
I was a way bigger Nick fan.
I just find your character
kind of annoying.
No offense.
None taken, Kai.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
You think maybe people will
forget about this soon?
I think you gotta expect
a solid month of ribbing.
- Hmm.
- Yeah.
It's not every day
you find out your colleague
was a teen heartthrob.
Ah.
But hey, joke's on them, right?
How do you figure?
Well, according to Loren,
random women
just throw themselves at you.
Guilty. Yeah. [CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
And I bet you're the only resident here
not drowning in med school debt.
Right.
See you out there, Hollywood.
♪
- Jackie!
- Hi.
Oh.
What are you doing here?
You don't know?
I'm working here.
- Wait, you're the new nurse!
- Yeah.
[SIGHS] I realized I was onboarding
a new transfer today, but
I didn't realize it was you.
- But that's great.
- Oh, OK.
Is this it's this is
it's not lost on me that
this could be weird for you.
What do you mean?
Well, working with me after you found me
- bleeding on the bathroom floor.
- Stop it.
But no, not at all.
Maggie, where are we going?
OK, I gotta go.
Yeah, of course. Go. [MAGGIE SIGHS]
Dr. Charles.
Jackie, hello.
Hi. I owe you an apology.
[CHUCKLING] Uh, for my, uh
colorful word choice
the last time I saw you.
If memory serves,
"condescending prick" was a highlight.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, in my defense,
you were trying to commit me
to a psych ward at the time.
Totally fair.
Daniel.
I, uh, need an opinion.
I'm gonna go change into my scrubs.
Great to see you again.
What do you got?
Headache.
I just hate this texting crap.
- Texting crap?
- Yeah.
It's it's ruined the already
fragile art of communication.
Boy, I tell ya.
And, uh, how can I help you
with this one, Dean-o?
All right, so this is
a message from Margo, right?
"Got time for an afternoon coffee.
We should talk."
I mean, I don't know.
Is she asking to move in together,
or is she about to break up with me?
You know, considering that my girlfriend
just transferred to another
hospital to get away from me,
I'm not positive that I'm
the guy you should be asking.
Maybe, you know,
consult a member of the, uh,
the female persuasion?
Oh, look, there's one right there, see.
Do you
Hey, Hannah. I, uh I need an opinion.
Hannah? Earth to Hannah.
Sorry, what? What's up?
Are you getting any sleep?
No.
It wasn't your fault.
Please, don't. I don't want
OK.
[TENSE SOMBER MUSIC]
We're going to Trauma 1.
35-year-old female, Tessa Myers.
Appears to have experienced
some kind of blunt force trauma
to the eyes.
Neighbors heard screaming
from her apartment.
PD is investigating it
as a possible assault.
She was highly combative at the scene.
Tried sedation, but, you know,
she wasn't responding,
so we intubated her for safety.
She couldn't see.
I think she was afraid
we were her attacker.
OK, folks, on my count.
One, two, three.
Let's get her on a vent.
- Thank you so much.
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
- You need me to tap in?
- No, no, I got this one.
- You sure?
- No, go ahead.
Um, why don't you take the
ankle sprain in Treatment 3?
OK, yeah. Great.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Her eyeballs are as hard as marbles.
Mm.
She must have retrobulbar hemorrhages
and orbital compartment syndrome.
I need to release the pressure.
Right, I'll page ophthalmology.
I mean I need to release
the pressure now.
- Get Kai and grab a lac kit.
- Yeah.
You're gonna slice open her eyelids?
I'm gonna cut lateral to her
eyelids, but yes, basically.
♪
You ever do a lateral canthotomy?
One. You?
This will be my second.
That's reassuring.
- Scissors.
- Scissors.
♪
- You ready, Kai?
- Ready.
♪
That isn't from blunt force trauma.
No.
These are chemical burns.
Someone poured acid in her eyes.
♪
Well, good morning,
Ms. Administrator of the Year.
Bow when you speak to me. [CHUCKLES]
Picking up my suit
at the dry cleaner's at lunch.
Well, thank you again
for doing this for me, Daniel.
I'll be your arm candy
any day of the week.
[GOODWIN CHUCKLES]
But, uh, where's, uh where's Dennis?
Keynote speaker
at an oncology conference.
Oh.
What [SIGHS]
Where's my
- What?
- Oh.
Hmm?
I wonder what, uh, happened there.
I don't know.
Maybe it was housekeeping,
but it's odd they didn't leave a note.
Hmm. We just gotta
swap out the glass, right?
Yeah, yeah.
No.
No, that's
That's not what concerns me.
Listen, Daniel.
A few days ago, something happened.
OK.
I received a letter,
a death threat.
What?
Sharon, you're just
telling me about this now?
Well, HR asked me to keep it
quiet while they investigate.
Well, did they find out who sent it?
Not yet,
but working theory is
a disgruntled former employee.
So, like, maybe somebody
who got let go during the
the Jackson-Monroe bloodbath
or something?
Well, they've been interviewing everyone
who was fired, but so far,
they've just eliminated people.
♪
It appears the sole intent
was to blind her.
Any suspects?
With crimes of this nature,
it's often intimate partner violence.
There were no signs of forced
entry at Tessa's apartment.
- Does Tessa live with anyone?
- She did.
Neighbors reported
hearing arguing between Tessa
and her ex-boyfriend
a month ago when he moved out.
We're tracking him down now
to interview him.
She suffered significant second-
and third-degree corneal burns.
And can her vision be restored?
Once I surgically debride
the necrotic tissue,
I'll have a better idea
of how much is viable,
but I'm optimistic.
- Thanks, Dr. Baker.
- Of course.
Let's finish her trauma
workup with a panscan.
Continue to irrigate her eyes,
start topical and IV steroids,
and, uh, let's wean her sedation.
Will do, Dr. Ripley.
Thanks, Maggie.
Ankle sprain is stable
and ready for discharge,
so where do you need me?
You know what would be a huge help?
If you can restock the supply room.
Do you not want me on the floor?
Oh, we're covered for now.
[SIGHS] You'd be shocked
how fast we run out
of supplies on a busy morning.
[INDISTINCT PA ANNOUNCEMENT]
Asher.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Hi.
You ever gonna stop dodging my calls?
[HANNAH TAKES DEEP BREATH]
I'm not dodging you.
I've just been swamped with work.
Are you OK?
I know your case last week was rough.
Can we not?
Yeah, I I just
Yeah, I know, but I'm just, I'm
fine.
Yeah, yeah.
Hannah, I need to apologize.
I never should have blown up
at you like that over Sully.
You were
just trying to stop me
from imploding my life.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Sully, of all people, set me straight.
You believe that?
Not really.
[CHUCKLES]
♪
Can I take you out to dinner tonight?
To catch up?
[ELEVATOR BELL CHIMES]
You know, I picked the short straw
and I gotta work the night shift.
♪
But soon.
Soon.
♪
All right, just tell me
how this feels, OK?
Hurts.
All right.
When were you diagnosed
with Crohn's, Laura?
Uh, when she was pretty young.
Five, I think?
Anything before the age of six
is considered to be very early onset.
You know, my timeline might be wrong.
She could have been a little older.
Her mom was always better
at handling that kind of stuff.
I'm not great with details.
Well, it certainly looks and sounds
like a Crohn's flare-up to me,
but I'd like to get a few labs
and then just afterwards,
take a CT of Laura's abdomen
just to be sure.
Uh, is that really necessary?
Laura already went through
all the testing
when she was first diagnosed.
Because Crohn's affects all
the layers of the intestines,
it can lead to complications
which present like flare-ups.
Things like fistulas,
which, if infected,
can lead to an abscess and
Yeah, I just gotta be honest.
Kind of sounds like
a fishing expedition.
Like you're just trying
to pad my bill here.
Well, that's not the case.
But how about this?
We'll start with just the labs
and if Laura's white blood
cell count comes back normal,
we'll skip the CT, OK?
That's just taking my blood, right?
Right.
I can handle that.
Is that OK?
Fine.
Doris, let's get a CBC, CMP,
CRP, ESR, a lipase, and a UA, please.
- You got it.
- Thank you.
Sandra. Hey.
How's Ruby Thompson?
Oh, baby girl's doing great.
Maintaining her O2 sats off oxygen.
Just working on
coordinated feeds with Dad,
and she should be able
to go home tomorrow.
Dad? Elise's
Elise's husband is here?
Got in late last night from Turkey.
I'll let Mr. Thompson know you're here.
I know he's eager to speak
You know, I gotta get back to the ED,
but I will check back later.
Oh, OK.
- OK. You're OK, Tessa.
- [MUFFLED SHOUTING]
You're OK, Tessa.
We have you in restraints
to prevent you from hurting yourself.
- Tessa, Tessa.
- OK.
I wanna remove this tube for you,
but I need you to calm down first.
Your heart rate and
blood pressure are too high.
Can you try and relax for me?
- [BREATHING DEEPLY]
- That's it.
Just take nice, deep, slow breaths.
- That's it.
- OK.
OK, Maggie, let's get her more upright.
Yeah.
OK.
I'm gonna bring you up now, Tessa.
There you go.
Tessa, on the count of three,
I want you to cough out
as hard as you can, OK?
One, two, three.
[TESSA COUGHING]
I can't be here! I can't be here!
You're OK. You're safe, Tessa.
What's this? And what are you giving me?
Just IV steroids to reduce
the swelling in your eyes.
Just stop.
- No, it's
- Remove it now!
Tessa, it's to restore your vision.
I don't want my vision restored!
I don't understand.
I did this to myself. I don't wanna see!
Let me out! Just stop, please!
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
Tessa, I'm Dr. Charles.
I was, uh, hoping I could
get just a little more
[SIGHS] Let me guess.
[SCOFFS] You're a shrink.
In fact, I am.
Oh.
Happy day.
Not your first conversation
with a shrink
- No.
- Is what I'm getting?
No.
My entire childhood, I was dragged
from one psychiatrist to another,
medicated until I was a zombie,
long stays in the psych ward.
It was torture.
Well, I'm really sorry to hear that.
Well, save your pity.
All that to say, I know my rights.
OK.
You can't force treatment
on me against my will
without a court order.
[OMINOUS MUSIC]
- Correct.
- And the most you can do
is put me on a 72-hour hold
if you think I'm a danger to myself.
Well, I mean,
do you think you're
you're a danger to yourself?
No. I didn't drink the stuff.
I put it in an eyedropper,
so do the math.
I don't want to die.
I just don't want to see.
Why?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
I don't have a clue.
But if you're gonna put me on a hold,
please just do it now.
I really just wanted to talk.
Yeah, I'm done talking.
♪
I learned so much shadowing
many of you last week.
It got me thinking
you all should have the opportunity
to learn from each other's cases,
so I'm instituting
a weekly ED case review.
I will choose a recent case of note,
and we will discuss how we arrived
at either a good or bad outcome.
What happened? What did we get right?
What did we get wrong?
Any questions?
Are these mandatory?
They are an excellent
educational opportunity
that I hope everyone
will take advantage of.
But no, Doris, not mandatory.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
I'd like us to look
at Elise Thompson's case today,
your maternal mortality from last week.
Be prepared to present the
sequence of clinical events.
OK?
Mm-hmm.
I confirmed with Mirabelle
that no one from housekeeping
broke the frame.
As a precaution, we'll change your locks
and install cameras
inside and outside your office.
OK, we're also gonna need
additional security
for the donor gala tonight.
Unfortunately, it's gonna
be impossible to get people
this close to the event.
Sharon
Look, if you're concerned
about the hospital's
potential liability,
I'll sign a release, OK?
I was more concerned about your safety.
[SIGHS]
I'm sorry.
Look, if the roles were reversed
I would ask you to stay home.
I know.
Look, I'll
I'll ask Daniel to accept
the award on my behalf.
OK.
Hey.
Laura Finley's labs just posted.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
I'm not seeing anything concerning.
Mm.
Did you get the info on her
previous primary care doctor?
I wanna see what they had her on.
Well, I asked her dad, but he
couldn't remember the doctor's name.
- Really?
- Mm-hmm.
Mr. Finley was able to tell me
Laura's medications and doses,
so I made a note in the chart.
Off the top of his head?
Mm-hmm.
That's pretty impressive for a guy
who isn't good with details.
And I thought she hasn't had
an appetite for days.
Do me a favor, Doris, and hold off
on uploading Laura's labs
to the patient portal.
If her dad asks
I'll let him know that
we're waiting on the results.
Yeah.
This ain't my first rodeo, kid.
Noted.
So I didn't get much out of her at all.
But if I were to guess,
I would say that she was
suffering from some form
of body integrity identity disorder.
Isn't that people who want to
have a healthy limb amputated
or be paralyzed?
Those are the more common cases,
but there have been reports
in the literature
of people who, you know, wanna
be blind or visually impaired.
This condition is excruciating
to live with,
leading some sufferers, you know,
to take drastic action, as you can see.
If I don't operate soon,
Tessa can lose
more than just her eyesight.
If she develops orbital cellulitis
and it travels to her brain
via the optic nerve,
she can develop
a cavernous sinus thrombosis
or meningitis.
This could kill her.
Hey.
- Ah, there you go.
- Hey.
So, uh, to what do I
- Hey.
- Owe this
Have you spoken to Sean?
Sean? No. No, not for a couple of days.
Why?
I had to let him go
from the rehab facility.
- What? What what happened?
- Right.
Well, Sean and I, we have
very different philosophies
when it comes to addiction treatment.
I mean, you've seen that yourself.
So so what, you let him go
over a difference of opinion?
Of course not.
Sean was becoming combative
with patients.
Combative? How so?
Uh, it's his way or the highway.
And that's not how I operate.
You know, my patients,
they don't need lectures.
They need understanding.
It'd be nice if you could afford some
of that understanding to Sean,
but, uh
Excuse me?
Ugh. Margo, he's an ex-con.
- Uh-huh.
- Do you get it? All right?
It's not easy finding work.
This could be incredibly destabilizing
to him and his sobriety.
I get that this is
a very difficult situation
and I know how much you care about Sean.
But that is
it's wildly unfair.
I care about Sean, too,
but I'm not gonna be held
responsible for his sobriety.
I'm not holding you responsible.
I'm just asking you
to give him another chance.
Or
is this gonna be a problem for us?
Margo, you you
[SCOFFS] You fired my kid.
Did you not think this
would have an effect on me?
Frankly, I
I wasn't thinking about you
at all, Dean.
♪
You think she's faking her
symptoms at her dad's behest?
I doubt she's ever been
diagnosed with Crohn's.
But since there's no definitive
test, it's easy to fake.
OK, but why?
You thinking Munchausen by proxy?
Dad's looking for attention?
I think it's the medication he's after.
All right, look.
These are the drugs that Adam claims
his daughter was prescribed.
This immunosuppressant alone,
4,000 a month without insurance.
It was just in the news, right?
After the price skyrocketed
People started selling it on
the black market. This is, um
this is a pretty bold accusation.
We're talking not only insurance fraud,
but faking a kid's illness.
That's that's medical child abuse.
You know I gotta loop in DCFS, right?
That's why I came to you.
All right? I need an attending
to sign off.
Look, I agree there are
a lot of red flags here,
but once DCFS get involved,
it's out of our hands.
It becomes their investigation.
Look, I wouldn't be ringing the alarm
if I didn't smell smoke.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
All right, I'll make the call.
♪
- Jackie.
- Hmm?
You did such a great job
with the supply closet.
Uh, I wanted to see if you wouldn't mind
tackling the Pyxis next?
The narcotics need to be verified
If me working in the ED is
gonna be a problem for you
- It's not.
- OK.
Then why am I being relegated
to softball cases
and restocking purgatory?
Oh, no. I'm just trying
to ease you back in,
let you get a lay of the land, and
I've worked plenty of shifts at the ED.
I know where things are.
But, Jackie, it's your first day back.
I just
I just need to make sure that you're
Stable?
No, ac acclimated.
You know, so much of this job is
seeing people through
the worst day of their life.
After what I just went through,
I have never been
better equipped to do that.
But if you don't trust me
with the patients, say so.
♪
[SIGHS]
[SCOFFS]
[SIGHS]
At that point, Dr. Lenox
and I rushed Elise to the OR
for an exam under anesthesia.
My initial assumption was
bleeding due to uterine atony,
however, there was no blood
found in the vaginal vault.
We opened the abdomen and discovered
a ruptured subcapsular hematoma
of the liver.
Elise quickly went into DIC
and couldn't coagulate.
She exsanguinated and then coded.
Thank you, Dr. Asher.
So how did we get here,
to a sentinel event,
something we never want,
a maternal mortality?
Is there anything Dr. Asher
could have done differently
to affect the outcome?
Obviously, hindsight is 20/20,
so this is absolutely
not a judgment on Dr. Asher.
We can do without the sugar coating.
We're all adults here.
If an abdominal ultrasound
had been ordered
prior to delivery, the hematoma
might have been discovered
before it ruptured.
Sure, that's quite, um
possible, but there was no indication
to order an abdominal
ultrasound prior to delivery.
Didn't Mrs. Thompson's liver
function test come back elevated?
Barely elevated.
Uh, but it was in line
with what you'd expect
to see in pre-eclampsia.
She also complained of abdominal pain
when she was admitted.
Her abdominal pain was mild
and her belly was soft and non-tender.
I realize it wouldn't
be anyone's first suspicion
Or their 50th suspicion.
Nobody thinks subcapsular hematoma
from mildly elevated LFTs and
abdominal pain in pregnancy.
I thought it.
Oh, give me a break.
You don't know what
you're talking about.
Excuse me?
Yeah, now you're just
running your mouth.
OK. Wow, uh, I thought
this was an open discussion.
I didn't realize we'd be
subject to personal attacks
for merely expressing
an opposing point of view.
Oh, I'm not attacking you. Believe me.
But if that's the case
You'll know when I'm attacking you.
I can find better ways
to occupy my time.
Why don't we, um,
pick this up next week?
Hopefully, everyone can brush up
on their discussion etiquette
before then.
Hey. What is up with you?
What are you talking about?
I don't need you to fight
my battles for me, OK?
OK. Yeah, OK.
Dr. Lenox?
I want to respond to your question.
If I missed anything in regards
to Elise Thompson's care.
OK.
I think I made a fair point.
I've been thinking about this a lot.
N-nonstop, actually.
Why didn't I order an abdominal
ultrasound post-delivery?
Because you're not a psychic.
Archer was right.
No doctor would have suspected
a subcapsular hematoma.
She was cold after her C-section.
She was shivering.
Completely normal after childbirth.
Or it's a sign of shock.
I understand you are
hell-bent on finding something
you did wrong here.
But if you want to assign blame,
it lands squarely on the doctor
who examined Elise
at her checkup two weeks prior.
If Elise had been correctly
diagnosed with pre-eclampsia
at that appointment, she would
have been induced immediately,
and the hematoma never
would have developed.
I agree that Elise died
because of negligence,
but it wasn't yours.
And I don't know why I'm
explaining any of this to you.
You're too smart a doctor
to actually think this is your fault.
Hey, Dr. Frost.
How much longer on those test results?
I'd really like to get Laura home.
Uh, let me go and check
with the lab, all right?
Well, maybe you could just
call us when the results come in.
Like I said, we we know what this is,
and we know what medication
she needs, so
Right.
See, but, uh,
I can't write the prescription
until I get the lab results, so
OK, yeah. Then I think we're gonna go.
Uh, Mr. Finley, hi.
I'm Dr. Ripley.
I'm an attending here at Med.
How do you know my name?
Dr. Frost asked me to consult
on your daughter's case.
She's having a Crohn's flare-up.
That doesn't take two doctors
to diagnose.
Laura, baby, it's time to go. Come on.
You're actually not free to leave.
Get your stuff together. Let's go now.
OK.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Hey, look, don't do this, OK?
Please don't cause a scene
in front of your daughter.
- All right.
- Oh.
Hey, stop! Hey, stop it! Let go of him!
Let go of him! Let go of him!
- Stop.
- OK, I can
I can explain. OK, it's not
[SLURRING WORDS]
- [SCREAMING] No, Dad!
- Seizing.
- Seizure!
- Dad!
I need backup over here.
Get a pillow for his head!
Grab an IV setup,
two of Ativan, and the glucometer.
Please! Please help him! Please!
We are, Laura, OK? I promise.
It's all right.
He has something called neurosarcoi
Neurosarcoidosis?
He hasn't been able
to get his meds for months.
Do you know what he's on?
Same ones he told the nurse.
They're his meds, not mine.
Neurosarcoidosis and Crohn's are treated
with overlapping medications.
Why did your dad go off his meds?
Couldn't afford them anymore.
He lost his health insurance.
Dr. Ripley, Dr. Frost,
Madeline Gastern is here.
Who's that?
Uh, show her to the consultation room.
Yeah.
Hang tight. We'll be right back, OK?
Madeline's with DCFS.
Just, uh, follow my lead in there, OK?
Can we just tell her the truth?
That Adam was using his kid
to commit insurance fraud?
That he couldn't afford his medications
and obviously was desperate.
Means won't necessarily
justify the ends with DCFS.
The less we say, the better.
Nancy, have you seen Jackie?
Uh, I think she said
she was going to the bathroom,
but it was a while ago.
I got so bad, I was causing
a lot of blood loss.
And, you know, as a nurse,
I knew how dangerous that was.
I knew it could
I knew it could kill me.
But I couldn't stop
because it was the only time
I felt any relief.
Living just felt unbearable.
Tessa, I don't
I don't presume to know how
any of this feels for you.
It feels a lot like that.
Yeah.
Unbearable.
I can't focus my attention
anywhere, on anything.
It's just this
constant barrage.
It's all coming at me at once.
It's like a waking nightmare.
You know, when you experience
a visual overload like that
when your brain is taking in
more information
than it can handle,
it becomes overwhelmed.
And a very real, tangible,
physiological response is triggered.
You know, there have been
some really promising
therapeutic breakthroughs
in the last few years,
like, uh, using, you know, neurofeedback
and brain-computer interfaces.
- And
- No, I
I can't give up the relief
that I finally feel
just on the off-chance that
a therapy might help.
It took me a really long time
to build up the courage to do this.
And I don't wanna die, but
You can't go back to living like that.
No.
Well, I'm not a doctor,
so I can't tell you
what the odds are
of these therapies working
or if you're gonna feel
the relief you feel right now.
But what I can tell you is
that about 2 1/2 months ago,
oh, I
I was ready to choose relief
over everything else.
But I woke up this morning
so grateful to the people
in my life who intervened and
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
And didn't let me do something
I couldn't undo.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
And I know that living
right now is so painful.
But I promise you
it's worth fighting for.
♪
So what's up? [RIPLEY SIGHS]
I threw you under the bus. I I
What?
I said you're a new resident,
still learning the ropes,
and you confused DCFS
with case management.
[SIGHS]
Did it work or, like
Like a charm.
And it especially helped that, uh
well, yeah.
- What's this?
- [CHUCKLES]
My daughter just
loved your show growing up.
[CHUCKLES]
Uh, Dr. Ripley said
you wouldn't mind taking a picture?
- Yeah. Of of course.
- [LAUGHS]
- Let's do it.
- He'd love to.
[LAUGHING] Jenny is gonna freak.
[LAUGHTER]
OK. On the count of three.
Say "Nick of Time."
One, two, three.
BOTH: "Nick of Time"! [BOTH CHUCKLE]
♪
[TENSE MUSIC]
Can I help you?
♪
[STAMMERING] Ms. Goodwin, hi.
You know my name.
What's yours?
My name is Fred Murray.
I work with the HVAC crew.
And what are you doing in my office?
Well, I came through
last night to clean the vents
and, um
[SIGHS] Gosh, I'm real sorry.
I I knocked over your picture
with one of my tools.
Oh.
Spent all day trying
to find the same frame.
I went to, like, ten
different stores. [CHUCKLES]
I know it's not exactly the same.
It's close enough.
Thank you, Mr. Murray.
[SOFT PEACEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[RUBY CRYING]
♪
[SIGHS]
[KNOCKS ON WINDOW]
- [RUBY CRYING]
- Yes.
Mr. Thompson?
I'm Dr. Hannah Asher.
We spoke on the phone.
Oh, you're, uh
you were Elise's doctor.
Again, I can't begin to express
how sorry I am for your loss.
Thank you.
I wish with all my heart
that I could have saved Elise.
[SOFT SOMBER MUSIC]
I only knew her for a short time, but
Ah. [CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
But she makes an impression,
doesn't she?
[CHUCKLING] Yeah.
And you, you made an impression
on her, too.
When she called me
after Ruby here was born,
she said she wished you were
her OB the whole pregnancy.
That you were the first doctor
to really listen to her.
Oh. Oh, that's OK.
OK. Yeah, I got you.
I got you. I got you. Yeah.
[SOFTLY] Yeah.
Do you wanna hold her?
[RUBY SQUEALS EXCITEDLY]
Oh, yeah, I'd love that. Yeah.
Yeah? OK.
Here you go.
Hi, baby.
Yeah, it's OK.
Hi, Ruby. Oh, oh.
[RUBY COOING] Hi, Ruby.
[SOFTLY] Hi, Ruby.
Oh, boy. Let me put you
[TENDER MUSIC]
She's so beautiful.
Just like her mama.
♪
So looks like, uh,
Tessa's gonna let us
call her ex-boyfriend.
- That's a good sign, right?
- I think so.
Apparently, he broke up with her
over her refusal to get help.
And she cut her family off years ago.
And I guess ultimately,
he just couldn't handle
feeling like he was the only one
responsible for her well-being.
If Tessa is willing to reach out to him,
maybe it's a sign that
she's ready to get help.
That's my hope.
Yeah.
Listen, Mags, I just
I just can't help wondering
wouldn't Jackie be of more use
if she was just back on the floor
instead of stuck in some supply closet?
It's not that I don't trust
Jackie with patients.
I think she's an excellent nurse.
I just don't want anything to
throw her off and trigger her.
Maybe I feel
feel responsible for her.
Jackie had to be cleared by
a whole team of psychiatrists
to come back to work, and they knew
she would be returning to an environment
where she was gonna
encounter trauma, right?
Emotional, physical on a daily basis.
They clearly felt she was ready.
And I gotta tell you
based on my experience
of Jackie back at work today,
I have to agree.
So, uh, I don't know.
Think about it?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪
I asked someone from our
case management department
to come meet with you.
And they are going to
go over your options
and help you enroll in a local
medication assistance program.
In the meantime, we'll send you home
with a month's supply
of everything that you need
to help get through the gap.
On the house, so to speak.
♪
Yeah, sorry. It's just, uh
[SNIFFLES AND CHUCKLES]
It's it's been so hard
trying to navigate this
after I lost my job.
I probably spent over 50 hours
on the phone.
Sent hundreds of emails,
you know, filled out
one application after another.
So when you tell me you're gonna help
[SNIFFLES]
[SIGHS]
Thank you.
♪
- Dr. Lenox, hey. Hi.
- Hi.
Uh, any chance you can spare
Dr. Asher on the night shift?
Does Dr. Asher want that?
Who wants to work the night shift?
Dr. Asher.
[CHUCKLES]
Wait, what?
She requested it.
Hey, man.
I-I really jumped the gun today.
Eh, you were right.
There was something fishy going on.
Yeah, but I could have
saved everyone some grief
had I dug a little deeper
and not rushed to judgment.
I have a hard time giving people
the benefit of the doubt, sometimes.
Parents especially.
Mm. Maybe, uh
maybe a little projection
going on there?
Yeah, maybe. [CHUCKLES]
Card-carrying member of the
Crappy Parents Club myself,
if it's any consolation.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
What'd they do?
Just your run-of-the-mill abandonment.
Yours?
They managed
mismanaged my career.
Stole a lot of money from me.
I worked basically my entire childhood,
and I have nothing to show for it.
In fact, I'm very much drowning
in med school debt, so
Oh, man. I'm I'm sorry.
Hey, I'm not so hard up
I can't buy you a beer
for saving my ass today.
[CHUCKLES]
Another time.
Sure thing.
Hey.
[POUNDS ON DOOR]
Hey. [POUNDING ON DOOR]
Hey, why haven't you responded
to any of my messages?
What?
Yeah, I left, like, 100 texts.
You're not exaggerating. Sorry.
I've been listening to a book
on tape while I pack.
Pack?
All right.
I think you're being,
you know, a little premature here.
I think if you just
sit down with Margo,
you apologize,
you can get your old job back.
I don't want my job back.
She was right to let me go.
All right, fine.
Then I'll I'll meet with
the head of valet at Med
and we'll see if your
old job is available.
That's not necessary.
- Come on!
- Dad.
I'm gonna be OK.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Yeah, I just don't wanna
see anything derail you.
You have come so far.
This is not gonna derail me.
I'm actually [CHUCKLES]
I'm actually looking forward
to a fresh start.
I'm gonna go down to Florida for a bit
and stay with Mom.
♪
Sorry, no, no, this
this [CHUCKLES]
This is me trying not
to have a knee-jerk response
to you going to live with your mother.
[GROANS] How am I doing?
- Admirably.
- Mm.
Don't go, Son.
I'm not leaving today.
And actually,
if you could take the time off,
I was hoping that maybe you'd want to
drive down with me?
♪
A little Archer father-son road trip?
I wouldn't miss it.
♪
Oh, Daniel.
Daniel, wait up.
I can't run in these high heels.
I thought I was flying solo tonight.
Uh, change of plans.
Everything OK?
Better than OK.
I'll tell you in the car.
I'll ride with you?
Arm candy, chauffeur?
- Damn, I'm a Renaissance man.
- [LAUGHS]
- Let's go.
- [LAUGHING] OK.
♪
Hospital food for dinner
your first night back?
Way too soon.
You gotta work your way back up to that.
I know. I'm regretting it already.
- [CHUCKLES]
- But, you know,
the hubs and the kid, they're, uh
they're out of town.
They're visiting Carl's mom.
I didn't wanna cook for one.
I am so beat.
I forgot how much it wears you out
being on your feet all day like that.
Well, rest up.
You've got a big day tomorrow.
Check the board.
You're on trauma service
with Dr. Archer.
Good night.
Good night.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Hey. What are you still doing here?
It's almost midnight.
I, uh
I had a sudden urge
to work the night shift.
I hope that's OK.
Company will be nice.
I was about to, uh,
forage the vending machine
for some sustenance.
- You wanna join?
- Absolutely.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
So you're just gonna
work yourself into the ground?
You run, I work.
So that's your coping mechanism?
That and daily NA meetings.
Been going every morning before work.
Did you
It's the first time in almost four years
that I thought about it.
♪
I thought about using.
♪
But I didn't.
♪
I know I haven't
proven myself
to be very reliable, but
I really wanna be someone
you can lean on, Hannah.
♪
- Way to be literal.
- [LAUGHS]
♪