[heart thumping]
[tense music]
[heart thumping]
- Who's there?
I've already called the police!
[monitor flatlining]
[car chirps]
♪
- Mr. Sullivan, you were sentenced to three years
for a class IV felony aggravated battery
of one Pawel Wapniarski.
We're here to consider a compassionate release
based on a new diagnosis?
- My client's physician, Dr. Mitchell Ripley,
would like to address the board.
- Dr. Ripley?
- Mr. Sullivan's latest PET scan
indicates that his cancer has metastasized
to his lymph nodes and adrenal glands.
- Given this new diagnosis,
how much time does Mr. Sullivan have,
in your opinion?
[soft dramatic music]
- Less than three months.
- Thank you, Dr. Ripley.
♪
- Mr. Sullivan has a new family.
This is his girlfriend, Lynne, and his son, Nate,
who he's barely got a chance to hold.
I've known Mr. Sullivan most of my life.
He's not perfect. [chuckles]
Far from it.
But he's a good man, and...
[baby fusses]
I believe his son would be better off
knowing his father
during the short amount of time he has left.
Thank you.
♪
- Thanks, man.
- Ta-da.
My first attempt at Ma's sweet potato pie recipe.
- I'm sure you nailed it.
- Mmm. - [chuckles]
- Well, you can be the judge tomorrow.
- Yeah. - Hey. Sorry.
Uh, where's Hannah?
Got two cans of cranberry sauce with her name on it.
- She's decorating the doctor's lounge for Friendsgiving.
- [gasps] You remembered the potluck.
- Best thing about a demotion
is the freedom to do grocery store errands.
- Is that self-pity I hear?
- On the contrary, it's just a more well-rested,
more relaxed disposition.
- Hmm.
- Your sister call you back?
- Nope. - Sorry.
- No, you know, I made a peace offering.
Ball's in her court now. - Yeah.
- Good morning, Dr. Archer.
- Good morning, Dr. Lenox.
I promise not to make this awkward.
- I'm glad to hear that.
I know a change like this could be difficult to process.
- It's good, actually.
It feels like a huge weight's been lifted.
- You sound like you mean that.
- That's because I do.
You're the boss, and I respect that.
And I'm gonna make sure that everybody else
around here does too.
- I appreciate that. Thank you. [tablet beeps]
- Overdose just pulling up in five, Dr. Lenox.
- On it. - Oh, no, no, no.
No worries. I got this. I just gotta change first.
- Is he really okay?
- He thinks he is.
Just go with it.
- Hey. - Hi.
[clears throat]
The board rejected Sully's compassionate release request.
[somber music]
- I'm so sorry, Mitch.
I'm so sorry.
- The chairwoman said that
if he was well enough to commit battery,
he was well enough to serve out his sentence.
♪
He should be with Lynne and Nate.
- I know. - [sighs]
- Sully screwed up. I--he did.
But he doesn't deserve to die alone in jail.
- Hey. Come here.
♪
[alarm beeps]
- Going to treatment five. Talk to me, Corey.
- Ariel Sparkman, 24-year-old female, possible drug overdose.
Heart rate 122, BP 130/70.
Her roommate found her passed out on the floor
next to a nearly empty bottle of pills.
- What did she take and how much?
- Antidepressants.
Ariel probably took around 10 to 15 pills,
but she's only supposed to take one per day.
I called her psychiatrist. She's on her way.
- All right, on my count. One, two, three.
- [breathing shakily]
- Struggling to breathe.
[suspenseful music]
- Okay. [monitor beeping]
- Heart rate is climbing at 165.
- You experience chest pain?
Let's bolus her a liter of LR
and get her an EKG
and a tox order set for a possible overdose.
- You got it. - Morning, Dean.
I have the bullet points, but do we know what she took?
- Antidepressants, but her heart rate's
just shot through the roof.
This is her roommate.
- Savannah. - Hi, Savannah.
Do you happen to know the name of the antidepressant
she's been taking?
- No.
We left so fast. I'm sorry.
- It's okay.
- Her breathing is worsening.
- Ariel, how are you doing?
I'm Dr. Charles. I want you to do me a favor.
Take a deep breath with me, okay?
Ready?
In through the nose... [both inhale deeply]
And out through the mouth.
Beautiful. One more time.
In through the nose and out through the mouth.
Excellent.
- Ariel's not overdosing. She's having a panic attack.
- Sarah?
- Hello, Dr. Charles. It's nice to see you.
- And you are?
- I'm Ariel's psychiatrist, Dr. Reese.
I used to work here.
♪
- Tachycardia is improving.
Should I still run those labs?
- No need, Doris.
- You still have privileges at Gaffney, Dr. Reese?
- I don't, but I was hoping
Dr. Charles might grant them while Ariel's here.
- Of course. - Cancel those labs, Doris.
- Mm-hmm.
- I promise this physical reaction
was not brought on by the drug itself.
It was fear, your fear.
And now you are taking back control.
Deep breaths.
- [breathing deeply] - Good.
I'm gonna go call your parents, Ariel, okay?
I'll be right back.
- Thank you, Dr. Reese.
- Hey, Daniel.
Some history there?
- Yeah, Sarah interned under me when she was here.
Can't say we parted under the best of terms.
It was complicated. But let me tell you something.
She's so talented.
I haven't seen her in six years.
- A May-December thing?
- No, Dean.
It was a people thing.
- Okay.
- Dr. Archer, aren't you joining the festivities?
- Oh, you bet.
I can't miss out on Doris's Jell-O salad.
It's even better than her cookies.
How about you?
- Well, I wish I could, but I'm meeting Dennis in--
oh, jeez.
I forgot to charge my watch.
Anyway, I'm gonna grab some things from my office,
and then I'm out.
- Oh, sounds lovely.
- How are you holding up?
Letting go of the reins isn't always easy.
- Mm, I got in my head about it at first,
but frankly, it's been liberating
to focus on just being a doctor again.
Feels good. - I'm glad.
You're an excellent doctor.
- Oh, don't blow smoke up my lab coat, please.
- Oh, no smoke, just simple fact.
- All right. - Happy Thanksgiving.
- You too.
- Hey, Catie?
- Kip.
- Can we talk?
Oh, why don't you close the blinds too?
Hide me from your terrified minions, right?
- I told you never to come here.
- Why?
Are you afraid I'll tell them you're not actually scary?
[device beeping] - What do you want, Kip?
- I can't go tonight.
- What? Well, why not?
- Something came up.
- I don't believe you.
- Kudos to the human lie detector.
Nothing came up. I just simply don't wanna go.
[tense music]
- What happened to your face? Looks like--
- [stammers] Nothing.
Just fell.
- Oh, you fell?
'Cause it looks like you got punched.
- Right again, Catie.
I got into a bar fight because I was drunk.
It was a night of irresponsible choices.
- Are you ever gonna grow up? - Oh, God.
You know, Mom would hate the way that you treat me.
- Mom overindulged you.
- Well, that's why I am the way I am.
- You know, if you're really gonna bail tonight,
you obviously don't care about Mom as much as you claim to.
- [scoffs] All right. Have a good day, Catie.
♪
- I gotta tell you. It really is--
I don't know. It's a nice surprise.
- Good to see you, too, Dr. Charles.
- How long have you been back?
- I finished Baylor four years ago.
- Four years?
- Sorry, just, the time got away from me.
- I totally get it. I really do.
What--are you in-- in private practice now?
- Yeah, I joined the Ananke Center last year.
- Really?
So Ananke, Greek, mother of fate?
- And necessity.
I focus on a holistic, by-any-means-necessary approach.
- Well, anyway, hear it's a really cool place.
- Thank you for extending me temporary privileges
so I can care for Ariel.
- Of course. Are you kidding me?
Oh, by the way, speaking of Ariel,
how were you so sure that
she wasn't overdosing on an antidepressant?
- Because she's not taking one.
She's on a placebo.
- Oh, so she's in, like, a double-blind clinical trial?
- No, no, no.
She thinks she's taking an antidepressant, citalopram.
- She's unaware?
- She thinks she needs the citalopram
to manage her depression,
but I see it as an unnecessary crutch.
There will come a time, however,
where I disclose that truth to illustrate that point.
- Well, good, because I mean,
there is the ethical piece, right?
- What do you mean?
- I guess I mean the ethics of prescribing
a placebo to somebody who's suicidally depressed.
- This wasn't a suicide attempt, Dr. Charles.
I'd actually appreciate it if you'd discharge her.
- Of course.
I mean, I'd feel a little more comfortable
if I could just get--
- You know, I totally understand your cause for concern.
But I want to assure you, I do actually know what I'm doing.
I had an excellent teacher.
- Oh, okay.
Very good.
[alarm beeps]
- Aaron Decembly, 36, traffic accident.
Passenger side got T-boned by a huge SUV.
Seat belt was on.
Heart rate 95, BP 123/82.
Facial airbag contusions,
also complained of neck pain at the scene.
- Wipe that goofy grin off your face.
- Why? I'm the happiest guy in the world.
But you are, and I say this with love,
a remarkably bad driver.
- That car did come out of nowhere, but I'm so sorry.
- Are you his girlfriend?
- I don't know, Krista, are you my girlfriend?
- I--yeah, I think I am.
- Finally. [laughs]
- All right, carefully on my count, one, two, three.
[suspenseful music]
♪
- Normal respirations.
Lungs are clear.
- Thanks.
- I'm getting first date vibes. - Yeah, you're right.
We've secretly been in love with each other for 18 years.
- We met in our college dorm.
- We were never single at the same time
or geographically compatible--
both: Until now. - [chuckles]
- Well, there's no sign of free fluid.
CT's backed up.
Let's do a lateral C-spine X-ray.
- My company just transferred me to Chicago.
Krista literally just picked me up from the airport,
and this happens. - X-ray up.
[machine beeps]
♪
- Spine's been torn in half.
- It's hanging by a thread.
One wrong move from paralysis or death.
- I mean, how did he even survive the accident?
- Luck.
That neck brace is the only thing keeping him alive.
We have to get him to surgery.
- [humming]
[tense music]
[gasps]
- Scream, and I'll cut your damn throat.
- [breathing shakily]
- Where's your phone?
- In my car.
I just ran up here to grab that bottle of whiskey.
- Stand up. Empty your pockets.
- What? What can I help you with?
- Just sit back down.
[tense music]
♪
I already cut the line. - Look.
You should know my friend is waiting for me in my car.
And if I don't show up soon, he's gonna come looking for me.
- Nice try, but I watched you park
and walk in today, alone.
- Do we know each other?
- I don't know.
Do we?
- Were you a patient?
- You'll figure it out.
♪
- Wait. My spine is severed?
- It's fractured and dislocated
between the C2 and C3 vertebrae.
- Miraculously, your spinal cord is still functioning.
But any sudden movement or trauma could change that
and leave you a quadriplegic.
- And surgery could fix him?
- Surgery is our best chance to fix it,
but it's still a very risky procedure.
- Why is this surgery so dangerous?
- Well, his CTA showed that both vertebral arteries
are occluded, blocked.
- Usually, all four arteries supply blood to your brain.
But right now, your carotid arteries
are shouldering the entire burden.
So we need to restore regular blood flow
back to your brain stem.
- Until then, any dip in blood pressure
could cause a massive stroke.
- So it's a ticking time bomb.
- We need to get you upstairs ASAP.
- With your permission.
One of the best neurosurgeons in the country
is on his way here now.
Are you game?
- Damn right, I'm game.
Krista and I have a life to live together.
Let's do this.
- Okay.
- Savannah?
- Hi.
Just getting some chips for Ariel.
- How's she doing? - Good.
She's definitely ready to go home.
- Oh, I bet.
You know that, um,
Sarah was probably the most emotionally intuitive resident
I've ever worked with, ever.
- She's made a huge difference for Ariel.
- Oh, clearly.
Do you happen to know how they--
how they found each other?
- Ariel and I have been roommates for two years.
The first year was epic. We became like sisters.
But that all changed last year.
Ariel began to withdraw.
She stopped taking care of herself,
never wanted to go out.
Some days, she wouldn't even get out of bed.
- Was there, like, a, um, I don't know,
a specific event, like a trigger?
- No. That's what made it so weird.
- Sometimes depression will come out of nowhere.
- She tried a ton of therapists
who prescribed a ton of antidepressants,
but nothing worked.
But then she found Dr. Reese.
And within a month, Ariel was her old self again.
I didn't have to live in fear.
- How do you mean, live in fear?
[somber music]
- Ariel swallowed up a bottle of--of aspirin
around eight months ago.
We took her to Jackson Monroe ED,
and they pumped her stomach.
- Of course, I mean, Dr. Reese knows all this?
- Yeah, that's why Ariel started
seeing her a few weeks later.
- Right.
- Look, I don't know what your plans are,
but you haven't done anything that can't be undone.
So why don't you just put the knife down,
and then you can go home to your family.
- But that's the thing.
I don't have a family anymore because of you.
- Okay, I get that you're angry with me.
But if I don't know why,
I can't very well apologize for it.
Can I? - My name is Cassidy.
- Okay.
- And do you wanna know why you don't remember me?
Because I don't matter to you.
My wife certainly did not matter to you.
- Your wife?
- Wendy.
We were on the ship that capsized.
And you let her die. You let her die.
- Okay. Okay.
- The NCI depleted our supply of O-neg.
These are the last five units.
[suspenseful music]
Your wife was Dr. Lenox's patient.
She needed blood, and it was given to another patient.
- No, you gave it to another patient,
to the man who caused the entire accident,
who is the reason Wendy got crushed under debris.
- It was an impossible choice to make.
- You know what I can't stop thinking about?
That blood would have saved her.
It was no long shot. If you would have chosen Wendy,
she would be here right now.
You knew it was a death sentence.
- Cassidy-- - Don't.
- All right.
I regret that Wendy died.
I followed a protocol that saves more lives than it loses.
It's not perfect, but it tries to be fair.
- Fair?
Fair?
- Look, I totally understand how you feel--
- You understand nothing!
- [gasps]
[crying out]
[groaning]
Please. Please.
[crying]
- What's his neuro exam?
- He's still intact, with full motor strength
and normal sensation in both arms and legs.
- Great.
Dr. Abrams should be here soon, and we'll get you up to the OR.
- Look,
you said earlier that the surgery was dangerous.
But how dangerous?
I wanna know.
[soft dramatic music]
- It's not a very common procedure,
so there's not a lot of data.
But in my experience, more than half don't make it.
♪
- Well, that certainly puts things in perspective.
Wow.
You know, for a couple that specializes in bad timing,
this really takes the cake.
This morning, I was the happiest
I'd ever been in my life.
- No one knows what's gonna happen.
- Yeah, well, fate certainly seems to be against me.
♪
- When did you plan on asking her?
- Today.
- So what's stopping you?
- Are you serious?
- Any of us could die today.
Some of us know it's coming. Some of us don't.
But fate is boring. Live your life.
- Good for you.
- He is nice to look at.
- But?
- I don't know.
Loren's great, but I feel like I'm 15,
you know, and everything's going great.
I get bored.
Maybe I just need to grow up
and accept it's not all butterflies and fireworks.
- You're not bored.
You just don't feel it.
Those are two entirely different things.
- You think? - I know.
- [scoffs]
- Butterflies and fireworks are worth waiting for.
- Oh, so you found someone special?
- Mm, not yet, but I'm a patient woman.
[both laugh]
And I gotta be honest. You should be too.
- "I gotta be honest"? Do you know who you sound like?
- How dare you. - [laughs]
- Speaking of which,
can we see if he's finally discharged Ariel Sparkman?
- Ariel still hasn't been discharged.
[tense music]
♪
- Um, please.
Can you grab me an orange juice?
- What?
- I'm diabetic, and my blood sugar's crashing.
- It doesn't matter.
- Well, it should matter to you.
This-- [groans]
This glucose monitor is programmed
to notify my children of my location
the moment my blood sugar falls below 70.
They'll know something is wrong.
- Okay. Okay. Where are they?
- In the fridge.
♪
They're in the bottom drawer.
[gasps]
Well, I had to sit up to drink.
Thank you.
♪
[exhales]
It's harder than you thought, huh?
- What?
- Trying to kill another person.
You never pictured yourself doing something like this.
But would Wendy want--
- Don't say her name.
- But if she were here right now,
would she want to see you
throw your entire life away?
- No. [sniffles]
She was a better person.
- And if she were here,
what would she tell you right now?
[cell phone buzzing]
- What was that?
- [groans]
- You lying bitch.
[buzzing continues]
- Sharon.
Yeah, just calling with a quick question,
but you're probably already out celebrating with the family.
So don't worry about calling me back.
I'll sort it out.
Hey, it looks like somebody said yes.
- Uh-huh.
Rumor has it that Dr. Lenox here
talked Aaron into proposing today.
- Oh, you going soft on us?
- I've read several studies that indicate
a patient's odds for survival rise exponentially
when they have hope, so happiness heals.
- That sounds on brand.
- Sorry to disappoint.
- I have an idea.
[door buzzer blares]
- Hey, listen, I looked into it,
and we can still appeal the parole board's decision.
- No, man. It's done.
I'm done.
- The board never gave you a chance today.
- Sure, they did.
They just decided I didn't deserve one.
Can't say I blame them.
- What?
- I've had a lot of time to reflect in here.
I make bad choices even when I know they're bad,
because I somehow thought it made me tough.
[somber music]
Turns out, I'm not.
No point in lying to myself anymore, right?
- Don't talk like that.
Lynne and the baby need you, whatever time you have left.
- I need them.
I just don't know how much more fight I have in me.
- You got one more fight in you?
♪
- Do you want more orange juice?
- No, I'm good. [chuckles]
A doctor would be nice.
- I can't do that.
- Yeah, I figured.
- Why aren't you scared?
- Scared of what? Dying?
- Yeah.
- Well, I was a nurse.
[laughs]
I saw death every day.
I--I don't want to die,
but I don't regret
one moment of my life.
[laughs]
I have known love.
I have three amazing children.
I'm a grandmother,
and I have lived a life of purpose.
- What do you think happens when you die?
- I hope that I'm reunited
with the people that I've lost.
[soft dramatic music]
And that my children
carry just a little piece of me as they move on.
♪
- I don't know how to move on from Wendy.
I--I can't.
- Well, that's because
you're letting your love for her
tear you apart.
- [sobbing] I know.
- What's wrong?
- Nothing. Everything's actually perfect.
- Okay, is that the pain meds talking?
["Bridal Chorus" playing]
♪
Wait.
Is this what I think it is?
- Are you okay with that?
- I'm more than okay.
This all seems strangely appropriate,
given our history together. [both laugh]
- Look behind you, sweetie.
- [laughs]
- Uh, I was recently ordained online.
- About 15 minutes ago. - Yeah, not by choice.
- Shh.
♪
- We are gathered here today
for reasons not entirely clear to me
to witness the joining of two lives.
Do you, Aaron, take Krista to be your partner in life,
to love and to cherish, for better or for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
from this day forward until death do you part?
- I do.
- And do you, Krista,
take Aaron to be your partner in life,
to love and to cherish, for better or for worse,
for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health,
from this day forward, until death do you part?
- I do.
- You people do have rings, right?
♪
By the power vested in me by some random website,
I now pronounce you married.
Now, kiss, and let's get Aaron up to surgery.
[soft music]
♪
- We're gonna spend more years together than we wasted.
You hear me?
- You bet we will.
- It's time.
♪
- You having a moment?
- Yeah.
- I'm sorry, Dr. Charles,
I'm just curious why you haven't discharged Ariel yet?
- So I can fully assess her.
- Uh-huh. Why would you need to do that?
- Because it's become pretty clear to me, anyway,
that when she took those pills this morning,
it was a second suicide attempt.
- Oh, you spoke to Savannah?
- I don't understand why you'd withhold that detail from me.
- You wanna know why I chose not to tell you?
It's because I know you. You analyze.
You second guess. You judge.
And here you are again, right on time.
- Sarah, do you not realize how serious this is?
- Ariel did not try to kill herself today.
- All I can say is, you're damn lucky
they were just sugar pills. - It was an accident.
- Why do you keep saying that?
- I want her discharged now. - Well, it's not happening
'cause she's on a 72-hour hold.
- Dr. Charles, you are wrong.
- How is it humanly possible
that someone could take 12 pills by accident?
- I'm still figuring it out. - Okay, great.
So you want me to just discharge a patient
who is a clear suicide risk to your disturbingly
questionable care so you can figure it out?
- You arrogant son of a bitch.
- I don't know, but you got too close to your patient again,
lost all objectivity, again.
Let's face it-- been an issue before, Sarah.
- Call me Dr. Reese.
And this isn't about Ariel.
This is about you and how you could never fathom
that you might possibly be wrong.
And you know just as well as I do
that that was the reason I left.
- Okay, well, guess what, Dr. Reese?
You're about to leave again. Get the hell out of my unit.
[tense music]
♪
[alarm beeps] - Dr. Ripley, incoming.
- Robert Sullivan, 36, BP 120/80, O2 97.
Involved in an altercation.
They did a chest X-ray at the jail.
Ribs 7 and 8 are broken, but no pneumothorax.
- Sully. - Gentle, Rip.
I'm very delicate.
- What happened exactly?
- Genius picked a fight with someone twice his size.
- He was smack talking the Bulls.
I couldn't just let that slide.
- Okay, let's get him upstairs for a CT,
and I'll need his cuffs off for that.
- Yes, sir.
- Hey, you missed the festivities.
Look. I snagged the wishbone.
- Ah, yes, the beloved
tearing of the furcula holiday tradition.
- I gotta say, Dean, I'm proud of you.
- Oh, yeah? Why is that?
- This positive attitude. - Ah.
- You know, I thought your first day back
was gonna be all doom and gloom.
- About that.
- What's this?
- It's a resignation letter.
I'm gonna slip it under Goodwin's door.
- Wait. Are you serious?
- Yes, I am.
- You said you were relieved
to not have the extra responsibility.
- I tried to believe that today.
I really did.
But with Sean leaving Chicago and Margo and I ending things,
why stay?
- Are you really saying that to me?
[soft music]
- Of course, you're a reason to stay.
But Goodwin's right.
Lenox is the future of the ED,
and it's time for me to move on.
I don't wanna let anything get in the way of that.
- Okay. Let's make a deal.
You win, you get to slip this little letter
under Goodwin's door.
I win, there's a 24-hour cooldown period
where you need to reconsider.
Deal? - Yeah, deal. Yeah.
- Three, two, one, pull.
- Oh.
Cheater.
- Sore loser.
Better start reconsidering.
♪
- It's not exactly wedding cake,
but it is homemade.
- Thanks. I'm way too anxious to eat.
- Yeah. Okay.
- Thank you for today.
Dr. Asher said that you were a secret wedding planner.
- Guilty.
And it was my pleasure.
- Thank you so much
for creating that special memory for us.
- You and your husband have a lifetime
of memories to make together.
- My husband.
I like the sound of that.
- She's here.
- Oh, my gosh.
- I'm right here, okay?
- Dr. Abrams is just finishing up,
but you should start planning that honeymoon.
- [laughs]
- Thank you.
[soft music]
♪
- Hey, buddy.
How you feeling?
- I'm a fan of the Percocet.
I haven't slept that good in weeks.
I'll enjoy it while I can.
- [laughs]
Well, that's what I need to talk to you about.
- Uh-oh.
- Your spleen has been lacerated.
- That doesn't sound good.
- Could be worse.
We'll need to keep an eye on your hemoglobin levels.
But also, your white blood cell count is low.
So I can't in good conscience
release you back into police custody anytime soon.
- Hmm.
So this is a bad news, good news scenario.
- Actually, it's a bad news, good news,
more good news scenario.
- Lynne.
- No visitors.
- Come on, man. Let him see his kid.
- No can do.
- It's Thanksgiving.
[soft music]
- Make it quick.
- Hi.
Hey. [laughs]
There you go. Watch his head.
Oh, he missed his dad.
- Oh, yeah.
There he is.
There's my man.
- Hey, buddy. - Whoa.
Thank you, Rip. [sniffles]
This is a gift.
♪
- Hey.
- Why do you give him flowers?
You know he doesn't deserve it.
- You wanna do it?
- [sighs]
I miss her.
- I know.
You loved her so much.
- Yeah.
I just wish he loved us that much.
- Kip.
[somber music]
I just wish you could forgive him.
- I can't.
It's not even a choice. I just...
I--I can't.
♪
I'm glad I came, Catie.
- Me too.
♪
- Hey.
Wake up.
I'm sorry.
I'm--I'm so sorry.
[crying]
[elevator dings]
[ominous music]
♪
Ugh! - [grunts]
[whimpers]
♪
- No, no. Please wait!
Wait, please!
Wait, wait!
[dramatic music]
♪
[wolf howls]