Brilliant Minds (2024) s02e18 Episode Script
Through the Looking Glass
1
Previously on "Brilliant Minds"
I want to make sure that when
patients come into our hospital,
they have someone who has
the patient's best interests at heart.
I did report Dr. Pierce, but
she and I we cleared the air.
- Can we do the same?
- No.
I'm pretty sure we said
we wouldn't do this at work.
And I'm pretty sure
you're the one who started it.
- Josh?
- Oh.
I want the fancy apartment, the
nursery, the sleepless nights.
I don't think you know
who you want it with.
Where is it? Sofia's file.
What, are you hiding it
from me, or or
- Where is it?
- You made up a patient
- you could save.
- It is my job to keep you safe
and direct your course
of treatment, motivated by
Your patients' deep pockets.
Hudson Oaks isn't the problem.
You are.
On my watch, Dr. Wolf stays
on as head of neuro.
And if my stance costs me
the role of chief, so be it.
Oliver, you have a visitor.
What's on the agenda?
What's the first thing you want to do?
I want to get Josh back.
[RAY LAMONTAGNE'S
"STEP INTO YOUR POWER" PLAYS]
New habits are hard to form.
It's said it takes just 21 days
for one to set.
- You can have it ♪
- In the brain,
change happens almost immediately.
Synapses alter within minutes
of a new behavior.
- If you want it ♪
- After hours, neural circuits
recognize and expect the new behavior,
even as we struggle
to weave this new normal
into our daily routines.
Step into your power ♪
After weeks,
the brain's structure changes,
- pathways strengthening.
- Step into your power ♪
But even though the brain
has adjusted to this change,
our bodies need time to catch up.
[OVEN DINGS]
Yes, I bake now.
Dr. Adler suggested
I pick up a new hobby.
- Mm.
- Hey.
You'll get yours tomorrow.
These are for Hector and Otto.
I'm dropping them by Hudson Oaks
on my way to work.
It's a shame Hector's still in there.
He was on track to be discharged.
I'll have to go check on him.
So, how you feeling
about going back to work?
Oh, ready. Um, finally starting
- to feel like myself again.
- Well, I'm proud of you, Wolf.
It's not easy re-entering the
world after something like this.
And it's normal to be nervous.
Oh, no. Uh, it's not that.
It's Josh.
I keep thinking about him
coming to visit me.
And he's checked in with me
since I've been out.
It seems like he still has feelings.
But what if he doesn't?
What if he just feels bad for me?
- What if
- What if you just ask him?
- You're right.
- I'm always right.
[CHUCKLES]
Tell me what's going on
at the hospital.
- What did I miss?
- Uh, Kinney'’s still
little Ms. Do It All.
Porter's been on his best behavior
ever since your mother
put the fear of God into him.
Uh, Silva thinks the
hyperbaric chamber is haunted,
but he won't go into details.
Oh, and
Thorne and I are sleeping together.
[SPOON CLATTERS]
- Carol
- [LAUGHS]
how absolutely dare you
not tell me that?
Well, you literally had
a mental breakdown.
- That is no excuse.
- Besides, it's been fun
having this dirty little secret.
So
is it good?
Oh, honey.
- [INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
- Come on, chica.
- You gonna order or what?
- Yo, bro, I love you,
but don't rush me, yeah?
Um, yeah, I'll have a small coffee.
And no bottom grounds.
Your girl wants a fresh pot.
- I got you.
- I can only get two!
Get your own!
It's gonna be $4 even.
$4 for a small cup of coffee?
What do I look like, a tourist?
Best prices in the city these days.
You living under a rock?
Yo, I asked for a small coffee.
- You're giving me a Big Gulp.
- You ordered a small.
I gave you a small.
Give me a break, lady!
Next.
Yeah, can I get a cappuccino? Um
- [HORN HONKS]
- [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
♪
♪
♪
♪
[ELEVATOR DINGS]
[INDISTINCT SPEAKING OVER PA]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
[LAUGHTER]
- Morning, Dr. Wolf.
- [CHUCKLING] Hey, there he is!
- Welcome back.
- Welcome back, Dr. Wolf.
Hey, what do you got there?
Oh, I baked these last night.
Just a small thank-you
to the department
for holding down the fort
in my absence.
- You want one?
- Oh! [CHUCKLES]
- Mmm!
- Oh!
- Mmm. So good.
- Wow.
Oh, they're blueberry. So
- Mmm.
- Yeah.
- Catch me up.
- We've been busy.
Several new admits
this morning, and we have
- the files here for you.
- I would call your attention
to Mr. Alberghetti in room 303
with Refractory Status Epilepticus.
We have him on a midazolam drip
and high-dose Levetiracetam.
And then there'’s also Mrs.
Smith in 305 with GBS
her paralysis seems to have plateaued,
but we'’re checking forced
vitals every six hours.
- You ordered a lot of tests.
- Dr. Kinney did not want
to risk missing a single thing.
I just wanted everything
to run smoothly
while you were gone.
Oh, we have one
good candidate for discharge
Mr. Miller in 315.
His pain levels are way down today.
Well, that sounds promising.
Oh, um
keep up the good work.
[LIGHT LAUGHTER]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
♪
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
How did he seem to you?
Like he's suddenly BFFs with
Charlie but still hates my guts.
I just want Dr. Wolf to know
we have it under control.
I mean, we're about to be residents.
But was I doing too much?
Oh, yeah. Probably.
Seriously?
Wolf.
Hi.
It's great to see you back at work.
Um
Uh, d-did you bake these?
Yes. I figured I would
return the favor from
when you brought me bagels.
Oh. Mmm.
Oh, yeah, these are tasty.
You know,
I'll save the rest for later.
I wanted to say thank you
for visiting me at Hudson Oaks.
I'm sorry for everything
that happened before my episode.
I know I put undue strain
on our friendship,
and I was a problem
for you here at work.
You don't have anything
to apologize for.
Would you want to grab dinner?
Dinner as in, um
As in, a dinner party.
You and Carol and me and others.
I'll cook for everyone.
Bring Beau.
- Obviously. [CHUCKLES]
- Okay.
- Um, you cook now?
- Yes.
[CHUCKLES]
[CELLPHONE CHIMES, VIBRATES]
Um
I am needed in the ED.
♪
♪
- Sorry.
- [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
- Hi.
- [INDISTINCT SPEAKING OVER PA]
Yeah, absence does not make
the heart grow fonder in the ED.
- [CHUCKLES]
- Welcome back.
Tell me what it was like
in there. Quiet?
No festering wounds?
No faint smell of urine?
Peaceful. Serene.
It would be art therapy right now.
Man, I'd kill
for some art therapy time.
Dr. Wolf, I-I didn't realize
you'd been paged down, too.
We can obviously handle this
if you want to have
- I'm good.
- I have anxious parents
demanding to see the best
neurologist we got.
So I'm sending all the
neurologists we got.
Down here, we're just gonna
throw Wolf to the wolves
on his first day back. Good luck, Doc.
So, I've been texting with, um
with my mom group,
and they have some theories.
There's this case in Alabama,
a brain tumor, uh, that started as
Why don't we start with our names?
Um, I'm Fox.
Uh, this is my partner, Greer.
And this is
the light of our life, Sage.
Her cry is softer than usual.
And she's constipated.
I recently went back to work,
but we gave very specific
instructions to the daycare
to track her poops on the app.
Is it possible that something
could have
- happened to her there, maybe
- Better to let us
do our assessment
without outside theories.
You really are in the best hands,
especially now that Dr. Wolf's back.
- [CHUCKLES]
- Back from where?
Oh, I was on a short leave for a stay
in a psychiatric facility,
but I am quite ready
to be practicing medicine again.
- Like a mental hospital?
- Okay.
How long have you been constipated?
This all started three days ago.
Well, this could be benign changes
related to her normal growth patterns
and new environment at the daycare.
But, Dr. Kinney, Dr. Porter, let's do
a full workup on Sage to make sure
we're not missing anything.
[BABY COOS]
Please just continue to stay calm.
I am almost finished. Okay.
No, Grandpa, not you. No, no, no.
Not you. Here.
I like your fedora. Nice profile.
So, just You sit down.
Don't hurt yourself, yeah?
Look, I never hurt nobody before,
and I don't plan on starting today,
so let's all just be cool, okay?
[HOSTAGES MURMURING AGREEMENT]
[SIRENS WAILING]
Oh, no, no, no. No, no, no, no!
[TELEPHONE RINGING]
- No, stop moving!
- [HOSTAGES GASP]
♪
How did you all get so little?
[GROANING LIGHTLY]
[RINGING AND SIRENS CONTINUE]
- Yeah?
- Take it easy in there, ma'am.
- We want everyone safe.
- I do, too.
- So just help me, dude.
- I will.
What are your demands
in exchange for the hostages?
I I I
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
I need a doctor.
- [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
- Excuse me.
Carol. Hey.
Hey. You said you were gonna be here
- for my first day back.
- I got a call from my contact
at Bronx PD.
There's a hostage situation
at Bronx Savings & Trust.
You do bank robberies now?
The robber's panicking,
saying she's seeing tiny people.
- Tiny people?
- They requested a psychiatrist.
Perceptual distortion could be neuro.
Come on.
First day back.
[SIRENS WAILING]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
[POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
Yeah, let 'em through!
Hey, this way, Dr. Pierce, Dr. Wolf.
We got our suspect on the hard line.
We're in here.
[DOOR CLOSES]
- [STATIC HISSES]
- Ma'am
we have a doctor here.
This is Dr. Carol Pierce, head
of psychiatry at Bronx General.
I'm here to help. What's your name?
Alyssa. Alyssa. My name is Alyssa.
Hi, Alyssa. Can you describe
for me what you're feeling?
Yeah, um, I feel scared.
Everything looks wrong.
Ask her if it looks wrong all the time
- or if it's just sporadic.
- Okay.
Alyssa, do things look
wrong all the time
or just sometimes?
Yeah, it kind of goes, um
It kind of goes in and out.
Ask her if she
feels out of place in her own body.
- Yo, who is that?
- That is my colleague.
I'm Dr. Wolf. I'm a neurologist.
Yeah, yeah, everything feels
out of place in my body.
I want him.
He knows what questions to ask.
I need him in here now.
Me?
- Carol?
- I'll be right in your ear.
We'll be able to pick up
any conversations from inside.
My priority is those hostages.
And his safety, I presume?
Wolf, are you sure you're up for this?
- You can say no.
- No. I'm fine.
My priority is my patient.
She's an armed felon. De-escalate.
Get her to surrender.
You got 15 minutes
until SWAT gets here.
Okay.
Wolf is all good, right?
Yeah.
Never been better.
Okay.
How do I know that you're not
just a cop dressed as a doctor?
I don't know. Uh, I have the entire
periodic table memorized
if you'd like a recitation?
What's number 207?
Trick question because
the table only goes to 118.
But they are making
new discoveries all the time
Okay, nerd.
You're not a cop.
[GROANS]
It's been a rough morning for me, too.
It's my first day back at work
since getting out of
a psychiatric facility.
[SIRENS WAILING]
Hey, hey great job
de-escalating, Wolf.
- 10.
- Just a reminder
you got 10 minutes.
Oh, they gave me a
- crazy doctor?
- Well, you're the one
- who asked for me.
- [CHUCKLING] Oh, great.
So now everybody's crazy.
I'm crazy. You're crazy.
I think we're both
just trying our best, Alyssa.
But it's easy for people to judge.
Let me help prove
that you're not what they say.
May I do just a brief physical exam?
Okay.
Yo! Yo, how did that
fit in your pocket?!
- Drop it! Drop it!
- Okay. Okay, okay.
Let's Let's just talk.
Can you tell me about your tattoo?
Oh, I-I had it done just
before I got out of prison.
I needed to, um,
cover up some dumb-ass tattoos
for any chance at a job.
It didn't work!
It's
It's a reminder of what
is most precious in my life
my wife, Tess, the mother of my kids,
the the queen of my heart.
She waited for me.
My doctor says when you go home,
it's important to reconnect with
the things that make you happy.
I have a guy who waited for me, too.
Well, he has a boyfriend, but
now I'm having a dinner party,
- and I don't know
- Wolf, not the time.
Yeah. To have someone
that cares that much for you
it is everything.
And she makes me happy.
You know, I just want to do
right by her, you know?
I know. So So let's get you
back to your family
and let all these people
get back to their loved ones.
I don't think that you're here
to hurt anyone, right?
No. I-I was supposed to be in and out.
I had the money in my bag.
I should have been gone.
But
I c-couldn't fit.
You couldn't fit where?
No, see, I was trying to leave.
And And the door
it was too small, and I was
I was so big.
What is wrong with me?
[INDISTINCT SPEAKING OVER PA]
So, you finished your exam?
Did you figure out
what's wrong with her?
Oh, Fox is, uh, gonna
put Sage down for a nap.
She's on a strict schedule.
But I can
No, that's fine.
You should keep to her schedule.
Our initial exam showed
nothing too alarming,
but her heart rate's a little slow.
- What does that mean?
- As of right now, it's unclear.
We need to run some tests.
You guys are residents, right?
Is there another doctor
that we could speak to?
We are fully qualified
to give your daughter
the care she needs.
We'll send in a nurse
to take some blood.
♪
We should page Wolf, right?
Even if just for
the parents' peace of mind.
It's his first day back.
I don't want to overwhelm him.
Uh, we kept the floor running
since he's been gone, haven't we?
And since when do
you want to call Dr. Wolf?
Since when don't you want to?
Let's just prove to Wolf
that we've got this, okay?
[DOOR OPENS]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
- Hi. Have a seat.
- [DOOR CLOSES]
I'm Dr. Carol Pierce.
- Are you Tess?
- Yeah. Alyssa's my wife.
I already told the cop that I
I saw this on the news, and
- Oh, my God, I'm sorry.
- Okay, okay.
Is there anything
you can tell us about her?
[SIGHS]
I know this is hard
to believe right now,
but she'd never hurt anyone.
She's really a gentle person.
Well, has she been exhibiting
any unusual behaviors?
She's been off. She keeps saying
things look weird, and her sense
of time is messed up.
Last week, I come through
the door after a full shift,
and Alyssa says,
"You never seem to leave
without forgetting something, do you?"
Alyssa thought I'd been gone
for five minutes.
It had been nine hours.
- [SIGHS]
- Okay.
[STATIC HISSES]
Hey, Wolf, it sounds like
Alyssa may be experiencing
pronounced time distortions.
And my Uncle Tommy
well, actually, he's this guy
who lives on a couch
outside of my apartment
and he says that I'm out of it.
He says it's drugs,
but I never touch the stuff.
- What are you doing?
- I'm conducting an experiment.
♪
Approximately how long
was I just marching?
I don't know. Maybe 10 minutes?
I think I'm beginning to understand
how you're experiencing the world.
It's so hard when your brain
deceives you,
when when you see things
that aren't there.
♪
It can make you feel so alone.
Like an alien in a world
where everyone else is normal.
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
♪
[SOBBING]
But you don't have to be
alone here, Alyssa.
I'm with you.
[EXHALES HEAVILY]
♪
- [GUNSHOT]
- [HOSTAGES GASPING]
Wolf?
Wolf, what the hell
is going on in there?
[BODY THUDS]
She's been shot.
We need an ambulance now.
40-year-old female
shot in the upper chest.
BP 140 over 80, normal heart rate,
good lung sounds bilaterally.
You two moonlighting as medics now?
Expect a small-caliber entry and exit.
Can we get 100 mics of fent drawn up?
You heard the doc. 100 of fent now.
I need a 3-0 silk and some 4x4'’s.
What the hell happened out there?
- [GROANS]
- Yo, I need her uncuffed now.
We're in a hospital, not a jail.
Either way, that's our next stop.
- [GROANS]
- Stand by.
Come on!
Hey, hey. She's lucky
it was a patch-up job.
Single, small-caliber bullet
went through and through.
No major injury.
She's neuro's problem now.
Yeah, well, NYPD wants her
to be their problem.
Absolutely not.
I suspect that her
unique neurologic pathology
is both acute and worsening.
She needs an emergent workup,
or she could die.
I have the commissioner up in arms
about why one
of our non-trauma attendings
entered an active crime scene.
- You could have been shot.
- But I wasn't.
Besides, she had a plastic gun.
[SIGHS] I will talk to PD,
but medically she's cleared.
They can take her at any time.
Alyssa has such an odd
presentation of symptoms.
What are you thinking?
Um
I believe Alyssa has Todd's Syndrome,
otherwise known as
- Alice in Wonderland Syndrome?
- Exactly.
It's a rare neurological condition
which distorts perception.
Some say Lewis Carroll himself
suffered from it.
He figured out a nice way
to monetize it.
The psychedelic color palette alone
suggests metachromopsia,
altered color perception.
When Alice drinks
the "Drink Me" potion,
she shrinks, perceiving
everything around her as giant,
otherwise known as macropsia.
Also why Alyssa believed I could
bludgeon her with my penlight.
When Alice eats the "Eat Me" cake,
she grows big, perceiving all
the other characters as small.
- Micropsia.
- Micropsia.
That explains the tiny hostages.
The Cheshire Cat has
a habit of appearing
right in Alice's face,
demonstrating pelopsia and teleopsia,
distortions where objects appear
closer or further away
than they actually are.
And finally, our famously tardy
White Rabbit.
Suggesting a faulty
perception of time itself,
which explains why
she didn't know the difference
between five minutes and nine hours.
Unfortunately, this syndrome
is only a symptom.
If we don't isolate the root cause,
we risk not being able to treat
Alyssa.
It could be a brain mass, a tumor,
focal seizures, infection.
I'll run imaging and labs
and get started
on her medical history.
Silva!
Next time one of my department
heads leaves for a bank robbery,
- I'd appreciate a heads-up.
- Do you think perhaps
it's Wolf going to a bank robbery
that's got you so riled up?
If any of my employees put themselves
in harm's way like that,
I'd be worried for their safety.
Oh, sure, of course you would.
But would you have said
any employee's name
in the hyperbaric chamber?
Ow!
I said what now?
Well, when you were
on the brink of death,
just outside the pearly gates
of heaven,
uttering your very last,
carefully chosen,
heartfelt words, you looked up
at your current boyfriend
and you said your ex-boyfriend's name.
[SIGHS HEAVILY]
Why would I have done that?
'Cause you love him. [CHUCKLES]
Well, Josh certainly had
some strong feelings
about you going into the bank heist.
Yeah, I make things complicated
for him.
Hey, need I remind you he
fought to get you back?
Have you talked to him yet
about your feelings?
Yes. Sort of.
Uh, I invited him and Beau
to a dinner party
to which he hasn't officially RSVP'd,
but is apparently something I'm doing.
- And you are coming.
- Oh!
A bank robbery and a dinner party.
[CHUCKLES]
That's quite the first day back.
What's wrong?
Everyone keeps telling me
how much they love my muffins.
- Okay.
- Well, I don't think they
actually like my muffins.
I think they're managing me.
They're afraid that
if they say the wrong thing,
I'll snap and end up
back at Hudson Oaks.
Oh, not me.
I didn't even get a muffin.
You were worried about me
earlier, too.
About you going into an armed
hostage situation?
Yes, I was.
[CHUCKLES]
Look, people might be acting weird.
Or you might just be
expecting them to act weird.
Or both.
Either way, you got to give it time.
You have to adjust, and
they have to adjust to you, too.
[COMPUTER BEEPS]
Well, that's a surprise.
- That CT scan is
- Completely normal.
That's interesting.
I'll have to talk to Alyssa again
and figure out what I've been missing.
- [CELLPHONE CHIMES, VIBRATES]
- Oh.
Oh, it's the baby. I got to go.
By the way, your dirty little secret
is also invited to dinner,
so spread the word.
- [DOOR OPENS]
- [MONITOR BEEPING]
- Oh, my God.
- [CART RATTLING]
- What's wrong with her?
- Dr. Wolf's got this.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
Hi. It's okay.
Eyes vibrating rapidly
and rhythmically.
- [BABY CRIES]
- I know. I know.
Horizontal nystagmus.
Has this ever happened before?
No, never.
- Focal exam findings?
- Mild generalized tone loss.
- And CT?
- Negative.
DC the crash cart.
Silva, request B-IG from the pharmacy.
I need all drips stopped immediately.
Doctor, what are you doing?
I'm saving your baby's life.
Botulism? How did this happen?
Well, it's possible
to get botulism from food.
Sage more likely got it
from soil or dust
that had some of the bacteria
spores on it.
Luckily, it's entirely
treatable with antitoxin.
Could it be something from daycare
- I mean, or worse, our house?
- It happens.
We may never know where it came from.
[SCOFFS]
We read all of the books.
W-We bought the best car seat.
We baby-proofed our house.
Wh
What more can we do?
I cannot believe I got shot.
I'm not trying to brag,
but I'm actually pretty good
at this whole bank robbery thing.
- Mm.
- Look, I tried to find a job,
but the babies applied
to a fancy private school,
Uncle Tommy needed a new couch,
the little girl Gigi from next
door, she got her bike stolen,
and Tess is working three jobs.
No one would hire me.
So I went back to what I do best.
I know I didn't go about it
the right way, but
I wanted to be the provider.
And I was getting away with it.
Yo
- I got savings.
- Uh, you should definitely
- not tell me about that.
- Right.
But today was different, right?
You've never had one of these
Alice in Wonderland disturbances
on previous jobs?
Never like today. Mnh-mnh.
My body
it doesn't even feel right.
I feel like I am taking up
this whole room.
♪
I'm sorry, Alyssa, that
must be really disorienting.
Honestly,
it's been a lot worse lately.
Ever since I got out of prison,
something has been off.
The house is smaller than I remember.
And the kids are taller than me now.
And everything is just moving so fast.
[MONITOR BEEPING]
[INDISTINCT SPEAKING OVER PA]
[SIGHS]
I used to think serving time was
the hardest thing I'd ever do.
And then I got out.
[SIGHS]
Hey, nice work, Kinney.
It's not every day you save
an adorable baby.
My friends over at Southgate
said there's been an uptick
- in infant botulism cases.
- Really?
Yeah. Apparently, some bougie
formula had a major recall.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall
in one of those Park Slope mom groups.
Drama in its purest form.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
Dr. Dang,
I've been meaning to talk to you
regarding you reporting Dr. Pierce.
Uh, my behavior was
unprofessional and unkind.
You didn't deserve it.
I was not in a good place at the time,
but that is no excuse.
I'm sorry.
[SIGHS] Oh, my God, you have no idea
how good it feels
to hear you say that.
I-I could barely sleep last night
worrying you'd come back here
still hating me.
[CHUCKLES]
Oh, I could never hate you. [CHUCKLES]
Would it be unprofessional to hug?
- [ELEVATOR DINGS]
- [ELEVATOR DOORS OPEN]
[CLEARS THROAT]
It's nice to have you back, Dr. Wolf.
Seems like Hudson Oaks
was good for you.
Are you gonna turn into one of those
- pamphlet-wielding spokespeople?
- Ah, it's doubtful.
Hudson Oaks is
a good facility with a staff
for whom I am incredibly grateful.
Except for Dr. Amelia Frederick.
What do you mean?
Well, I don't know exactly.
Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but
I think she may be taking
advantage of the patients there.
- Please.
- I'm sorry.
It's out of my hands.
It's out of my hands.
- Oh. Excuse me.
- Yeah.
♪
They're gonna take Alyssa in,
transfer her care to
the department of corrections.
I waited seven years
to get Alyssa back.
And now this.
[VOICE BREAKING] Why does it
always have to be so hard?
Was it easier when she was inside?
No.
I mean, sometimes it feels that way.
At least I didn't have to worry
so much, you know?
And since Alyssa's been home,
she's gone all the time.
She is so caught up
in trying to provide for us.
All I really want is to snuggle
on the couch and
[SIGHS] you know,
argue over basketball and
do the dishes together.
I just want her.
And now I'm losing her again.
When we just got her back.
[ALARM BLARING]
Alyssa?
- Alyssa?!
- Ahh!
Alyssa
I need a rapid response team, stat!
Every time I see one of these,
I'm still grossed out
knowing it's all pus in there.
Abscesses like this are notoriously
challenging to diagnose,
but Alyssa's fever-induced
syncope was the clue to order
a contrast-enhanced CT scan,
which lit up the bacteria
in her temporal lobe.
It almost certainly explains
Alyssa's Alice in Wonderland Syndrome.
Dr. Dang, how would
you like to treat this?
We'll start her
on a course of antibiotics.
But part of the treatment
is also finding the original
source of the infection.
Mm, because an abscess in the
brain never starts in the brain.
It's usually
in the valves of the heart,
but her echocardiogram is normal.
Her heart.
You're not listening to me.
We have to do this.
That is out of the question.
Can we not do this right now?
What is going on?
I'm quitting my job to stay home.
No, you're not quitting.
You love your job.
How can I trust anyone
to keep our baby safe?
I understand that this has been scary,
but the treatment is working.
Sage is going to be just fine.
But we don't know where it came from.
Actually, it turns out
there's been a small outbreak
of babies with botulism in the city
linked to a high-end formula brand.
Have there been any changes
in feeding recently?
- Oh, no, it'’s all my fault.
- Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
I'm so sorry.
It was so hard to pump at work.
I was afraid that I wasn't
getting enough,
and I know that we agreed,
but I wanted to make sure
that Sage was healthy, so
I-I-I supplemented with formula.
- La Formule Amélie?
- La Formule Amélie.
I was feeding her in the
middle of the night one time.
She needed more,
and I couldn't bear to wake you.
I looked up the best brand.
Yeah, yeah, it's top-rated.
It's French!
Oh, my God, did we poison our baby?
No, no, an outbreak like this
is exceedingly rare.
As your baby's doctor,
I can say that formula
is completely healthy.
But some things
are out of our control.
Kids get sick all the time.
How are we supposed to live with that?
From what I can see,
it seems like you both
want to be perfect parents.
But the truth is,
there's no such thing.
You knew your baby well enough
to notice that something was wrong,
and you made sure
to get Sage the help she needed.
That's what matters.
♪
[INHALES DEEPLY, CLEARS THROAT]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
If you came here for a quickie,
I don't have time,
- but I can make time.
- [LAUGHS]
[LAUGHS] I mean
I-I actually came to invite you
to a dinner party
at Wolf's house tomorrow.
None of those words
make any sense together.
[LAUGHS]
Would this be, like as your date?
Uh, more like
he needs bodies at the table
- for a harebrained scheme.
- Okay.
- Mm-hmm.
- Now it's making some sense.
- [CHUCKLES]
- All right.
- Um
- Hmm?
Did you want to come as my date?
I mean, that's a big step, but
I don't want you to think
you're some kind of
dirty little secret or something.
Talking like that
is gonna get you in trouble.
[CHUCKLES]
We're solid.
But I'm not sure it's time to
let the whole hospital know yet.
Agreed.
I'll try to behave myself at dinner.
But all bets are off if you
can't keep your hands off me.
- And you know how you do.
- I do.
- You better You better move.
- [CHUCKLES]
You got this in prison, right?
Yeah, right before I got out.
If you're interested, I can get you
a friends and family discount.
A dirty environment,
unsterilized equipment.
This is very likely
the initial infection
that allowed bacteria
to travel into your brain.
I knew something was wrong, baby.
I know, but I got it to show you
how important you are to me,
to show you that things
were gonna be different
when I got out.
And, well, look where it got me.
Back at the same place.
We all make a wrong turn sometimes,
end up in places we don't want to be.
So you do it differently next time.
Yeah.
Next time, no tattoos, no bank jobs.
Just me.
That's all I ever wanted, you idiot.
♪
- [WHEELS RATTLING]
- [POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
[HANDCUFFS CLINKING]
♪
♪
I won't lie. We're still scared.
But, uh, we are moving forward
with honesty and intention.
Great. That's good.
- [BABY CRIES]
- Shh, shh, shh.
I never thought I would be
so happy to hear her crying.
Where's her paci?
It's over here.
It's in her diaper bag.
[CRYING CONTINUES]
Can you hold her?
[CRYING CONTINUES]
- [BABY COOS]
- She likes you.
- [BABY COOS]
- Hmm.
Hey, little babe ♪
- Don't you cry ♪
- Old habits die hard.
Which can make us feel like
we'll never change,
never become the person we want to be.
There's a light
at the end of the tunnel ♪
- We can be worry-free ♪
- But we don't have to change
- everything about ourselves.
- Just take it from me ♪
We can stay true to who we are
while adding and improving
upon the foundation.
Let me tell you now, child ♪
'Cause this world
was made for dreaming ♪
This world was made for you ♪
This world made for believing ♪
In all the things you're gonna do ♪
Now, honey child ♪
Let me tell you now, child ♪
Oh, honey child ♪
Let me tell you now, child ♪
Oh, honey child ♪
Let me tell you, child ♪
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
[CHUCKLES]
- Hey, Josh.
- Hey.
Welcome. Uh, there's beer and wine.
Oh, hey, where's Beau?
Uh, he couldn't make it.
- Something smells great.
- It's sausages.
Just sausages?
Nothing else? Not even sauerkraut?
He's your bestie.
Okay, these are porcini gruyére.
- Wow.
- Uh, Fennel Thyme,
Spicy Italian, and Garlic Paprika.
- Mm-hmm.
- My butcher makes them in house.
[SOFT ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING]
Okay. Go. Uh, bon appétit.
The jokes just write themselves.
I'm overwhelmed.
I can't stop thinking about
that baby botulism case.
I cannot believe I missed that.
Yes, you did miss a diagnosis,
but that's why you have an attending.
Remember earlier in the year
when I said
"Never worry alone"?
As someone who did not take
his own advice, hear me on this.
Nobody's perfect.
Everybody needs to ask for help
sometimes.
There is no shame in it.
Um, I wanted to say thank you
for welcoming me back
to Bronx General.
For being here tonight.
Supporting me through a hard time.
It feels so good to be back.
To be with my patients.
To be working alongside each of you.
But I want you to know
you don't have to walk
on eggshells around me.
I am so grateful
to be surrounded by colleagues
who care about me enough
to protect my feelings.
But if you don't like my muffins,
- you can tell me.
- Look, Dr. Wolf, let's just say,
if you weren't a doctor, you
definitely wouldn't be a baker.
Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
Okay, well, here's hoping
I might make an okay chef.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
Cheers.
Cheers.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
I've been thinking about
what you said about Hudson Oaks.
And I've settled on
what I want to focus on
for my grant project.
I don't think you're being paranoid.
I was in inpatient care once,
and I know how vulnerable
I was in there.
I want to investigate
Amelia Frederick.
- Really?
- If someone is exploiting
that system, it could be really
dangerous for those patients.
Then let's put a stop to it.
You know, I have to admit I
wasn't sure about Domestic Wolf.
But the new you
is something to behold.
I'm just trying some different things.
Muffins, sausages.
Maybe you'll branch
into a vegetable next.
Oh, God, is it weird
that I only served sausages?
I literally just threw
a sausage party.
Yeah. If they didn't know
you were gay before
Okay.
It's a learning experience.
Baby steps.
I'm just trying to be more open
to what the world has to offer.
More honest
about what it is that I need.
In the spirit of honesty
[CLEARS THROAT]
it wasn't just that Beau
couldn't make it tonight.
We're, uh, taking a break.
[SILVERWARE CLATTERS]
Um
I'm so sorry to hear that.
Um, why a break?
Beau thinks I still have
feelings for you.
[MELODY GARDOT'S "MORNING SUN" PLAYS]
Well, what do you think?
I'm
figuring it out.
- Baby steps.
- Oh, honey child ♪
Let me tell you now, child ♪
Oh, honey child ♪
Let me tell you, child ♪
sync & corrections awaqeded
♪
♪
♪
Previously on "Brilliant Minds"
I want to make sure that when
patients come into our hospital,
they have someone who has
the patient's best interests at heart.
I did report Dr. Pierce, but
she and I we cleared the air.
- Can we do the same?
- No.
I'm pretty sure we said
we wouldn't do this at work.
And I'm pretty sure
you're the one who started it.
- Josh?
- Oh.
I want the fancy apartment, the
nursery, the sleepless nights.
I don't think you know
who you want it with.
Where is it? Sofia's file.
What, are you hiding it
from me, or or
- Where is it?
- You made up a patient
- you could save.
- It is my job to keep you safe
and direct your course
of treatment, motivated by
Your patients' deep pockets.
Hudson Oaks isn't the problem.
You are.
On my watch, Dr. Wolf stays
on as head of neuro.
And if my stance costs me
the role of chief, so be it.
Oliver, you have a visitor.
What's on the agenda?
What's the first thing you want to do?
I want to get Josh back.
[RAY LAMONTAGNE'S
"STEP INTO YOUR POWER" PLAYS]
New habits are hard to form.
It's said it takes just 21 days
for one to set.
- You can have it ♪
- In the brain,
change happens almost immediately.
Synapses alter within minutes
of a new behavior.
- If you want it ♪
- After hours, neural circuits
recognize and expect the new behavior,
even as we struggle
to weave this new normal
into our daily routines.
Step into your power ♪
After weeks,
the brain's structure changes,
- pathways strengthening.
- Step into your power ♪
But even though the brain
has adjusted to this change,
our bodies need time to catch up.
[OVEN DINGS]
Yes, I bake now.
Dr. Adler suggested
I pick up a new hobby.
- Mm.
- Hey.
You'll get yours tomorrow.
These are for Hector and Otto.
I'm dropping them by Hudson Oaks
on my way to work.
It's a shame Hector's still in there.
He was on track to be discharged.
I'll have to go check on him.
So, how you feeling
about going back to work?
Oh, ready. Um, finally starting
- to feel like myself again.
- Well, I'm proud of you, Wolf.
It's not easy re-entering the
world after something like this.
And it's normal to be nervous.
Oh, no. Uh, it's not that.
It's Josh.
I keep thinking about him
coming to visit me.
And he's checked in with me
since I've been out.
It seems like he still has feelings.
But what if he doesn't?
What if he just feels bad for me?
- What if
- What if you just ask him?
- You're right.
- I'm always right.
[CHUCKLES]
Tell me what's going on
at the hospital.
- What did I miss?
- Uh, Kinney'’s still
little Ms. Do It All.
Porter's been on his best behavior
ever since your mother
put the fear of God into him.
Uh, Silva thinks the
hyperbaric chamber is haunted,
but he won't go into details.
Oh, and
Thorne and I are sleeping together.
[SPOON CLATTERS]
- Carol
- [LAUGHS]
how absolutely dare you
not tell me that?
Well, you literally had
a mental breakdown.
- That is no excuse.
- Besides, it's been fun
having this dirty little secret.
So
is it good?
Oh, honey.
- [INDISTINCT SHOUTING]
- Come on, chica.
- You gonna order or what?
- Yo, bro, I love you,
but don't rush me, yeah?
Um, yeah, I'll have a small coffee.
And no bottom grounds.
Your girl wants a fresh pot.
- I got you.
- I can only get two!
Get your own!
It's gonna be $4 even.
$4 for a small cup of coffee?
What do I look like, a tourist?
Best prices in the city these days.
You living under a rock?
Yo, I asked for a small coffee.
- You're giving me a Big Gulp.
- You ordered a small.
I gave you a small.
Give me a break, lady!
Next.
Yeah, can I get a cappuccino? Um
- [HORN HONKS]
- [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
♪
♪
♪
♪
[ELEVATOR DINGS]
[INDISTINCT SPEAKING OVER PA]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
[LAUGHTER]
- Morning, Dr. Wolf.
- [CHUCKLING] Hey, there he is!
- Welcome back.
- Welcome back, Dr. Wolf.
Hey, what do you got there?
Oh, I baked these last night.
Just a small thank-you
to the department
for holding down the fort
in my absence.
- You want one?
- Oh! [CHUCKLES]
- Mmm!
- Oh!
- Mmm. So good.
- Wow.
Oh, they're blueberry. So
- Mmm.
- Yeah.
- Catch me up.
- We've been busy.
Several new admits
this morning, and we have
- the files here for you.
- I would call your attention
to Mr. Alberghetti in room 303
with Refractory Status Epilepticus.
We have him on a midazolam drip
and high-dose Levetiracetam.
And then there'’s also Mrs.
Smith in 305 with GBS
her paralysis seems to have plateaued,
but we'’re checking forced
vitals every six hours.
- You ordered a lot of tests.
- Dr. Kinney did not want
to risk missing a single thing.
I just wanted everything
to run smoothly
while you were gone.
Oh, we have one
good candidate for discharge
Mr. Miller in 315.
His pain levels are way down today.
Well, that sounds promising.
Oh, um
keep up the good work.
[LIGHT LAUGHTER]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
♪
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
How did he seem to you?
Like he's suddenly BFFs with
Charlie but still hates my guts.
I just want Dr. Wolf to know
we have it under control.
I mean, we're about to be residents.
But was I doing too much?
Oh, yeah. Probably.
Seriously?
Wolf.
Hi.
It's great to see you back at work.
Um
Uh, d-did you bake these?
Yes. I figured I would
return the favor from
when you brought me bagels.
Oh. Mmm.
Oh, yeah, these are tasty.
You know,
I'll save the rest for later.
I wanted to say thank you
for visiting me at Hudson Oaks.
I'm sorry for everything
that happened before my episode.
I know I put undue strain
on our friendship,
and I was a problem
for you here at work.
You don't have anything
to apologize for.
Would you want to grab dinner?
Dinner as in, um
As in, a dinner party.
You and Carol and me and others.
I'll cook for everyone.
Bring Beau.
- Obviously. [CHUCKLES]
- Okay.
- Um, you cook now?
- Yes.
[CHUCKLES]
[CELLPHONE CHIMES, VIBRATES]
Um
I am needed in the ED.
♪
♪
- Sorry.
- [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
- Hi.
- [INDISTINCT SPEAKING OVER PA]
Yeah, absence does not make
the heart grow fonder in the ED.
- [CHUCKLES]
- Welcome back.
Tell me what it was like
in there. Quiet?
No festering wounds?
No faint smell of urine?
Peaceful. Serene.
It would be art therapy right now.
Man, I'd kill
for some art therapy time.
Dr. Wolf, I-I didn't realize
you'd been paged down, too.
We can obviously handle this
if you want to have
- I'm good.
- I have anxious parents
demanding to see the best
neurologist we got.
So I'm sending all the
neurologists we got.
Down here, we're just gonna
throw Wolf to the wolves
on his first day back. Good luck, Doc.
So, I've been texting with, um
with my mom group,
and they have some theories.
There's this case in Alabama,
a brain tumor, uh, that started as
Why don't we start with our names?
Um, I'm Fox.
Uh, this is my partner, Greer.
And this is
the light of our life, Sage.
Her cry is softer than usual.
And she's constipated.
I recently went back to work,
but we gave very specific
instructions to the daycare
to track her poops on the app.
Is it possible that something
could have
- happened to her there, maybe
- Better to let us
do our assessment
without outside theories.
You really are in the best hands,
especially now that Dr. Wolf's back.
- [CHUCKLES]
- Back from where?
Oh, I was on a short leave for a stay
in a psychiatric facility,
but I am quite ready
to be practicing medicine again.
- Like a mental hospital?
- Okay.
How long have you been constipated?
This all started three days ago.
Well, this could be benign changes
related to her normal growth patterns
and new environment at the daycare.
But, Dr. Kinney, Dr. Porter, let's do
a full workup on Sage to make sure
we're not missing anything.
[BABY COOS]
Please just continue to stay calm.
I am almost finished. Okay.
No, Grandpa, not you. No, no, no.
Not you. Here.
I like your fedora. Nice profile.
So, just You sit down.
Don't hurt yourself, yeah?
Look, I never hurt nobody before,
and I don't plan on starting today,
so let's all just be cool, okay?
[HOSTAGES MURMURING AGREEMENT]
[SIRENS WAILING]
Oh, no, no, no. No, no, no, no!
[TELEPHONE RINGING]
- No, stop moving!
- [HOSTAGES GASP]
♪
How did you all get so little?
[GROANING LIGHTLY]
[RINGING AND SIRENS CONTINUE]
- Yeah?
- Take it easy in there, ma'am.
- We want everyone safe.
- I do, too.
- So just help me, dude.
- I will.
What are your demands
in exchange for the hostages?
I I I
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
I need a doctor.
- [INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
- Excuse me.
Carol. Hey.
Hey. You said you were gonna be here
- for my first day back.
- I got a call from my contact
at Bronx PD.
There's a hostage situation
at Bronx Savings & Trust.
You do bank robberies now?
The robber's panicking,
saying she's seeing tiny people.
- Tiny people?
- They requested a psychiatrist.
Perceptual distortion could be neuro.
Come on.
First day back.
[SIRENS WAILING]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
[POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
Yeah, let 'em through!
Hey, this way, Dr. Pierce, Dr. Wolf.
We got our suspect on the hard line.
We're in here.
[DOOR CLOSES]
- [STATIC HISSES]
- Ma'am
we have a doctor here.
This is Dr. Carol Pierce, head
of psychiatry at Bronx General.
I'm here to help. What's your name?
Alyssa. Alyssa. My name is Alyssa.
Hi, Alyssa. Can you describe
for me what you're feeling?
Yeah, um, I feel scared.
Everything looks wrong.
Ask her if it looks wrong all the time
- or if it's just sporadic.
- Okay.
Alyssa, do things look
wrong all the time
or just sometimes?
Yeah, it kind of goes, um
It kind of goes in and out.
Ask her if she
feels out of place in her own body.
- Yo, who is that?
- That is my colleague.
I'm Dr. Wolf. I'm a neurologist.
Yeah, yeah, everything feels
out of place in my body.
I want him.
He knows what questions to ask.
I need him in here now.
Me?
- Carol?
- I'll be right in your ear.
We'll be able to pick up
any conversations from inside.
My priority is those hostages.
And his safety, I presume?
Wolf, are you sure you're up for this?
- You can say no.
- No. I'm fine.
My priority is my patient.
She's an armed felon. De-escalate.
Get her to surrender.
You got 15 minutes
until SWAT gets here.
Okay.
Wolf is all good, right?
Yeah.
Never been better.
Okay.
How do I know that you're not
just a cop dressed as a doctor?
I don't know. Uh, I have the entire
periodic table memorized
if you'd like a recitation?
What's number 207?
Trick question because
the table only goes to 118.
But they are making
new discoveries all the time
Okay, nerd.
You're not a cop.
[GROANS]
It's been a rough morning for me, too.
It's my first day back at work
since getting out of
a psychiatric facility.
[SIRENS WAILING]
Hey, hey great job
de-escalating, Wolf.
- 10.
- Just a reminder
you got 10 minutes.
Oh, they gave me a
- crazy doctor?
- Well, you're the one
- who asked for me.
- [CHUCKLING] Oh, great.
So now everybody's crazy.
I'm crazy. You're crazy.
I think we're both
just trying our best, Alyssa.
But it's easy for people to judge.
Let me help prove
that you're not what they say.
May I do just a brief physical exam?
Okay.
Yo! Yo, how did that
fit in your pocket?!
- Drop it! Drop it!
- Okay. Okay, okay.
Let's Let's just talk.
Can you tell me about your tattoo?
Oh, I-I had it done just
before I got out of prison.
I needed to, um,
cover up some dumb-ass tattoos
for any chance at a job.
It didn't work!
It's
It's a reminder of what
is most precious in my life
my wife, Tess, the mother of my kids,
the the queen of my heart.
She waited for me.
My doctor says when you go home,
it's important to reconnect with
the things that make you happy.
I have a guy who waited for me, too.
Well, he has a boyfriend, but
now I'm having a dinner party,
- and I don't know
- Wolf, not the time.
Yeah. To have someone
that cares that much for you
it is everything.
And she makes me happy.
You know, I just want to do
right by her, you know?
I know. So So let's get you
back to your family
and let all these people
get back to their loved ones.
I don't think that you're here
to hurt anyone, right?
No. I-I was supposed to be in and out.
I had the money in my bag.
I should have been gone.
But
I c-couldn't fit.
You couldn't fit where?
No, see, I was trying to leave.
And And the door
it was too small, and I was
I was so big.
What is wrong with me?
[INDISTINCT SPEAKING OVER PA]
So, you finished your exam?
Did you figure out
what's wrong with her?
Oh, Fox is, uh, gonna
put Sage down for a nap.
She's on a strict schedule.
But I can
No, that's fine.
You should keep to her schedule.
Our initial exam showed
nothing too alarming,
but her heart rate's a little slow.
- What does that mean?
- As of right now, it's unclear.
We need to run some tests.
You guys are residents, right?
Is there another doctor
that we could speak to?
We are fully qualified
to give your daughter
the care she needs.
We'll send in a nurse
to take some blood.
♪
We should page Wolf, right?
Even if just for
the parents' peace of mind.
It's his first day back.
I don't want to overwhelm him.
Uh, we kept the floor running
since he's been gone, haven't we?
And since when do
you want to call Dr. Wolf?
Since when don't you want to?
Let's just prove to Wolf
that we've got this, okay?
[DOOR OPENS]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
- Hi. Have a seat.
- [DOOR CLOSES]
I'm Dr. Carol Pierce.
- Are you Tess?
- Yeah. Alyssa's my wife.
I already told the cop that I
I saw this on the news, and
- Oh, my God, I'm sorry.
- Okay, okay.
Is there anything
you can tell us about her?
[SIGHS]
I know this is hard
to believe right now,
but she'd never hurt anyone.
She's really a gentle person.
Well, has she been exhibiting
any unusual behaviors?
She's been off. She keeps saying
things look weird, and her sense
of time is messed up.
Last week, I come through
the door after a full shift,
and Alyssa says,
"You never seem to leave
without forgetting something, do you?"
Alyssa thought I'd been gone
for five minutes.
It had been nine hours.
- [SIGHS]
- Okay.
[STATIC HISSES]
Hey, Wolf, it sounds like
Alyssa may be experiencing
pronounced time distortions.
And my Uncle Tommy
well, actually, he's this guy
who lives on a couch
outside of my apartment
and he says that I'm out of it.
He says it's drugs,
but I never touch the stuff.
- What are you doing?
- I'm conducting an experiment.
♪
Approximately how long
was I just marching?
I don't know. Maybe 10 minutes?
I think I'm beginning to understand
how you're experiencing the world.
It's so hard when your brain
deceives you,
when when you see things
that aren't there.
♪
It can make you feel so alone.
Like an alien in a world
where everyone else is normal.
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
♪
[SOBBING]
But you don't have to be
alone here, Alyssa.
I'm with you.
[EXHALES HEAVILY]
♪
- [GUNSHOT]
- [HOSTAGES GASPING]
Wolf?
Wolf, what the hell
is going on in there?
[BODY THUDS]
She's been shot.
We need an ambulance now.
40-year-old female
shot in the upper chest.
BP 140 over 80, normal heart rate,
good lung sounds bilaterally.
You two moonlighting as medics now?
Expect a small-caliber entry and exit.
Can we get 100 mics of fent drawn up?
You heard the doc. 100 of fent now.
I need a 3-0 silk and some 4x4'’s.
What the hell happened out there?
- [GROANS]
- Yo, I need her uncuffed now.
We're in a hospital, not a jail.
Either way, that's our next stop.
- [GROANS]
- Stand by.
Come on!
Hey, hey. She's lucky
it was a patch-up job.
Single, small-caliber bullet
went through and through.
No major injury.
She's neuro's problem now.
Yeah, well, NYPD wants her
to be their problem.
Absolutely not.
I suspect that her
unique neurologic pathology
is both acute and worsening.
She needs an emergent workup,
or she could die.
I have the commissioner up in arms
about why one
of our non-trauma attendings
entered an active crime scene.
- You could have been shot.
- But I wasn't.
Besides, she had a plastic gun.
[SIGHS] I will talk to PD,
but medically she's cleared.
They can take her at any time.
Alyssa has such an odd
presentation of symptoms.
What are you thinking?
Um
I believe Alyssa has Todd's Syndrome,
otherwise known as
- Alice in Wonderland Syndrome?
- Exactly.
It's a rare neurological condition
which distorts perception.
Some say Lewis Carroll himself
suffered from it.
He figured out a nice way
to monetize it.
The psychedelic color palette alone
suggests metachromopsia,
altered color perception.
When Alice drinks
the "Drink Me" potion,
she shrinks, perceiving
everything around her as giant,
otherwise known as macropsia.
Also why Alyssa believed I could
bludgeon her with my penlight.
When Alice eats the "Eat Me" cake,
she grows big, perceiving all
the other characters as small.
- Micropsia.
- Micropsia.
That explains the tiny hostages.
The Cheshire Cat has
a habit of appearing
right in Alice's face,
demonstrating pelopsia and teleopsia,
distortions where objects appear
closer or further away
than they actually are.
And finally, our famously tardy
White Rabbit.
Suggesting a faulty
perception of time itself,
which explains why
she didn't know the difference
between five minutes and nine hours.
Unfortunately, this syndrome
is only a symptom.
If we don't isolate the root cause,
we risk not being able to treat
Alyssa.
It could be a brain mass, a tumor,
focal seizures, infection.
I'll run imaging and labs
and get started
on her medical history.
Silva!
Next time one of my department
heads leaves for a bank robbery,
- I'd appreciate a heads-up.
- Do you think perhaps
it's Wolf going to a bank robbery
that's got you so riled up?
If any of my employees put themselves
in harm's way like that,
I'd be worried for their safety.
Oh, sure, of course you would.
But would you have said
any employee's name
in the hyperbaric chamber?
Ow!
I said what now?
Well, when you were
on the brink of death,
just outside the pearly gates
of heaven,
uttering your very last,
carefully chosen,
heartfelt words, you looked up
at your current boyfriend
and you said your ex-boyfriend's name.
[SIGHS HEAVILY]
Why would I have done that?
'Cause you love him. [CHUCKLES]
Well, Josh certainly had
some strong feelings
about you going into the bank heist.
Yeah, I make things complicated
for him.
Hey, need I remind you he
fought to get you back?
Have you talked to him yet
about your feelings?
Yes. Sort of.
Uh, I invited him and Beau
to a dinner party
to which he hasn't officially RSVP'd,
but is apparently something I'm doing.
- And you are coming.
- Oh!
A bank robbery and a dinner party.
[CHUCKLES]
That's quite the first day back.
What's wrong?
Everyone keeps telling me
how much they love my muffins.
- Okay.
- Well, I don't think they
actually like my muffins.
I think they're managing me.
They're afraid that
if they say the wrong thing,
I'll snap and end up
back at Hudson Oaks.
Oh, not me.
I didn't even get a muffin.
You were worried about me
earlier, too.
About you going into an armed
hostage situation?
Yes, I was.
[CHUCKLES]
Look, people might be acting weird.
Or you might just be
expecting them to act weird.
Or both.
Either way, you got to give it time.
You have to adjust, and
they have to adjust to you, too.
[COMPUTER BEEPS]
Well, that's a surprise.
- That CT scan is
- Completely normal.
That's interesting.
I'll have to talk to Alyssa again
and figure out what I've been missing.
- [CELLPHONE CHIMES, VIBRATES]
- Oh.
Oh, it's the baby. I got to go.
By the way, your dirty little secret
is also invited to dinner,
so spread the word.
- [DOOR OPENS]
- [MONITOR BEEPING]
- Oh, my God.
- [CART RATTLING]
- What's wrong with her?
- Dr. Wolf's got this.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
Hi. It's okay.
Eyes vibrating rapidly
and rhythmically.
- [BABY CRIES]
- I know. I know.
Horizontal nystagmus.
Has this ever happened before?
No, never.
- Focal exam findings?
- Mild generalized tone loss.
- And CT?
- Negative.
DC the crash cart.
Silva, request B-IG from the pharmacy.
I need all drips stopped immediately.
Doctor, what are you doing?
I'm saving your baby's life.
Botulism? How did this happen?
Well, it's possible
to get botulism from food.
Sage more likely got it
from soil or dust
that had some of the bacteria
spores on it.
Luckily, it's entirely
treatable with antitoxin.
Could it be something from daycare
- I mean, or worse, our house?
- It happens.
We may never know where it came from.
[SCOFFS]
We read all of the books.
W-We bought the best car seat.
We baby-proofed our house.
Wh
What more can we do?
I cannot believe I got shot.
I'm not trying to brag,
but I'm actually pretty good
at this whole bank robbery thing.
- Mm.
- Look, I tried to find a job,
but the babies applied
to a fancy private school,
Uncle Tommy needed a new couch,
the little girl Gigi from next
door, she got her bike stolen,
and Tess is working three jobs.
No one would hire me.
So I went back to what I do best.
I know I didn't go about it
the right way, but
I wanted to be the provider.
And I was getting away with it.
Yo
- I got savings.
- Uh, you should definitely
- not tell me about that.
- Right.
But today was different, right?
You've never had one of these
Alice in Wonderland disturbances
on previous jobs?
Never like today. Mnh-mnh.
My body
it doesn't even feel right.
I feel like I am taking up
this whole room.
♪
I'm sorry, Alyssa, that
must be really disorienting.
Honestly,
it's been a lot worse lately.
Ever since I got out of prison,
something has been off.
The house is smaller than I remember.
And the kids are taller than me now.
And everything is just moving so fast.
[MONITOR BEEPING]
[INDISTINCT SPEAKING OVER PA]
[SIGHS]
I used to think serving time was
the hardest thing I'd ever do.
And then I got out.
[SIGHS]
Hey, nice work, Kinney.
It's not every day you save
an adorable baby.
My friends over at Southgate
said there's been an uptick
- in infant botulism cases.
- Really?
Yeah. Apparently, some bougie
formula had a major recall.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall
in one of those Park Slope mom groups.
Drama in its purest form.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
Dr. Dang,
I've been meaning to talk to you
regarding you reporting Dr. Pierce.
Uh, my behavior was
unprofessional and unkind.
You didn't deserve it.
I was not in a good place at the time,
but that is no excuse.
I'm sorry.
[SIGHS] Oh, my God, you have no idea
how good it feels
to hear you say that.
I-I could barely sleep last night
worrying you'd come back here
still hating me.
[CHUCKLES]
Oh, I could never hate you. [CHUCKLES]
Would it be unprofessional to hug?
- [ELEVATOR DINGS]
- [ELEVATOR DOORS OPEN]
[CLEARS THROAT]
It's nice to have you back, Dr. Wolf.
Seems like Hudson Oaks
was good for you.
Are you gonna turn into one of those
- pamphlet-wielding spokespeople?
- Ah, it's doubtful.
Hudson Oaks is
a good facility with a staff
for whom I am incredibly grateful.
Except for Dr. Amelia Frederick.
What do you mean?
Well, I don't know exactly.
Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but
I think she may be taking
advantage of the patients there.
- Please.
- I'm sorry.
It's out of my hands.
It's out of my hands.
- Oh. Excuse me.
- Yeah.
♪
They're gonna take Alyssa in,
transfer her care to
the department of corrections.
I waited seven years
to get Alyssa back.
And now this.
[VOICE BREAKING] Why does it
always have to be so hard?
Was it easier when she was inside?
No.
I mean, sometimes it feels that way.
At least I didn't have to worry
so much, you know?
And since Alyssa's been home,
she's gone all the time.
She is so caught up
in trying to provide for us.
All I really want is to snuggle
on the couch and
[SIGHS] you know,
argue over basketball and
do the dishes together.
I just want her.
And now I'm losing her again.
When we just got her back.
[ALARM BLARING]
Alyssa?
- Alyssa?!
- Ahh!
Alyssa
I need a rapid response team, stat!
Every time I see one of these,
I'm still grossed out
knowing it's all pus in there.
Abscesses like this are notoriously
challenging to diagnose,
but Alyssa's fever-induced
syncope was the clue to order
a contrast-enhanced CT scan,
which lit up the bacteria
in her temporal lobe.
It almost certainly explains
Alyssa's Alice in Wonderland Syndrome.
Dr. Dang, how would
you like to treat this?
We'll start her
on a course of antibiotics.
But part of the treatment
is also finding the original
source of the infection.
Mm, because an abscess in the
brain never starts in the brain.
It's usually
in the valves of the heart,
but her echocardiogram is normal.
Her heart.
You're not listening to me.
We have to do this.
That is out of the question.
Can we not do this right now?
What is going on?
I'm quitting my job to stay home.
No, you're not quitting.
You love your job.
How can I trust anyone
to keep our baby safe?
I understand that this has been scary,
but the treatment is working.
Sage is going to be just fine.
But we don't know where it came from.
Actually, it turns out
there's been a small outbreak
of babies with botulism in the city
linked to a high-end formula brand.
Have there been any changes
in feeding recently?
- Oh, no, it'’s all my fault.
- Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
I'm so sorry.
It was so hard to pump at work.
I was afraid that I wasn't
getting enough,
and I know that we agreed,
but I wanted to make sure
that Sage was healthy, so
I-I-I supplemented with formula.
- La Formule Amélie?
- La Formule Amélie.
I was feeding her in the
middle of the night one time.
She needed more,
and I couldn't bear to wake you.
I looked up the best brand.
Yeah, yeah, it's top-rated.
It's French!
Oh, my God, did we poison our baby?
No, no, an outbreak like this
is exceedingly rare.
As your baby's doctor,
I can say that formula
is completely healthy.
But some things
are out of our control.
Kids get sick all the time.
How are we supposed to live with that?
From what I can see,
it seems like you both
want to be perfect parents.
But the truth is,
there's no such thing.
You knew your baby well enough
to notice that something was wrong,
and you made sure
to get Sage the help she needed.
That's what matters.
♪
[INHALES DEEPLY, CLEARS THROAT]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
If you came here for a quickie,
I don't have time,
- but I can make time.
- [LAUGHS]
[LAUGHS] I mean
I-I actually came to invite you
to a dinner party
at Wolf's house tomorrow.
None of those words
make any sense together.
[LAUGHS]
Would this be, like as your date?
Uh, more like
he needs bodies at the table
- for a harebrained scheme.
- Okay.
- Mm-hmm.
- Now it's making some sense.
- [CHUCKLES]
- All right.
- Um
- Hmm?
Did you want to come as my date?
I mean, that's a big step, but
I don't want you to think
you're some kind of
dirty little secret or something.
Talking like that
is gonna get you in trouble.
[CHUCKLES]
We're solid.
But I'm not sure it's time to
let the whole hospital know yet.
Agreed.
I'll try to behave myself at dinner.
But all bets are off if you
can't keep your hands off me.
- And you know how you do.
- I do.
- You better You better move.
- [CHUCKLES]
You got this in prison, right?
Yeah, right before I got out.
If you're interested, I can get you
a friends and family discount.
A dirty environment,
unsterilized equipment.
This is very likely
the initial infection
that allowed bacteria
to travel into your brain.
I knew something was wrong, baby.
I know, but I got it to show you
how important you are to me,
to show you that things
were gonna be different
when I got out.
And, well, look where it got me.
Back at the same place.
We all make a wrong turn sometimes,
end up in places we don't want to be.
So you do it differently next time.
Yeah.
Next time, no tattoos, no bank jobs.
Just me.
That's all I ever wanted, you idiot.
♪
- [WHEELS RATTLING]
- [POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
[HANDCUFFS CLINKING]
♪
♪
I won't lie. We're still scared.
But, uh, we are moving forward
with honesty and intention.
Great. That's good.
- [BABY CRIES]
- Shh, shh, shh.
I never thought I would be
so happy to hear her crying.
Where's her paci?
It's over here.
It's in her diaper bag.
[CRYING CONTINUES]
Can you hold her?
[CRYING CONTINUES]
- [BABY COOS]
- She likes you.
- [BABY COOS]
- Hmm.
Hey, little babe ♪
- Don't you cry ♪
- Old habits die hard.
Which can make us feel like
we'll never change,
never become the person we want to be.
There's a light
at the end of the tunnel ♪
- We can be worry-free ♪
- But we don't have to change
- everything about ourselves.
- Just take it from me ♪
We can stay true to who we are
while adding and improving
upon the foundation.
Let me tell you now, child ♪
'Cause this world
was made for dreaming ♪
This world was made for you ♪
This world made for believing ♪
In all the things you're gonna do ♪
Now, honey child ♪
Let me tell you now, child ♪
Oh, honey child ♪
Let me tell you now, child ♪
Oh, honey child ♪
Let me tell you, child ♪
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
[CHUCKLES]
- Hey, Josh.
- Hey.
Welcome. Uh, there's beer and wine.
Oh, hey, where's Beau?
Uh, he couldn't make it.
- Something smells great.
- It's sausages.
Just sausages?
Nothing else? Not even sauerkraut?
He's your bestie.
Okay, these are porcini gruyére.
- Wow.
- Uh, Fennel Thyme,
Spicy Italian, and Garlic Paprika.
- Mm-hmm.
- My butcher makes them in house.
[SOFT ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING]
Okay. Go. Uh, bon appétit.
The jokes just write themselves.
I'm overwhelmed.
I can't stop thinking about
that baby botulism case.
I cannot believe I missed that.
Yes, you did miss a diagnosis,
but that's why you have an attending.
Remember earlier in the year
when I said
"Never worry alone"?
As someone who did not take
his own advice, hear me on this.
Nobody's perfect.
Everybody needs to ask for help
sometimes.
There is no shame in it.
Um, I wanted to say thank you
for welcoming me back
to Bronx General.
For being here tonight.
Supporting me through a hard time.
It feels so good to be back.
To be with my patients.
To be working alongside each of you.
But I want you to know
you don't have to walk
on eggshells around me.
I am so grateful
to be surrounded by colleagues
who care about me enough
to protect my feelings.
But if you don't like my muffins,
- you can tell me.
- Look, Dr. Wolf, let's just say,
if you weren't a doctor, you
definitely wouldn't be a baker.
Yeah. [LAUGHTER]
Okay, well, here's hoping
I might make an okay chef.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
Cheers.
Cheers.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]
I've been thinking about
what you said about Hudson Oaks.
And I've settled on
what I want to focus on
for my grant project.
I don't think you're being paranoid.
I was in inpatient care once,
and I know how vulnerable
I was in there.
I want to investigate
Amelia Frederick.
- Really?
- If someone is exploiting
that system, it could be really
dangerous for those patients.
Then let's put a stop to it.
You know, I have to admit I
wasn't sure about Domestic Wolf.
But the new you
is something to behold.
I'm just trying some different things.
Muffins, sausages.
Maybe you'll branch
into a vegetable next.
Oh, God, is it weird
that I only served sausages?
I literally just threw
a sausage party.
Yeah. If they didn't know
you were gay before
Okay.
It's a learning experience.
Baby steps.
I'm just trying to be more open
to what the world has to offer.
More honest
about what it is that I need.
In the spirit of honesty
[CLEARS THROAT]
it wasn't just that Beau
couldn't make it tonight.
We're, uh, taking a break.
[SILVERWARE CLATTERS]
Um
I'm so sorry to hear that.
Um, why a break?
Beau thinks I still have
feelings for you.
[MELODY GARDOT'S "MORNING SUN" PLAYS]
Well, what do you think?
I'm
figuring it out.
- Baby steps.
- Oh, honey child ♪
Let me tell you now, child ♪
Oh, honey child ♪
Let me tell you, child ♪
sync & corrections awaqeded
♪
♪
♪