Chicago Med (2015) s11e06 Episode Script
The Story of Us
1
Emelia is an amazing kid,
and I'd love to get
to know her better.
What are you afraid of?
Her getting attached too soon.
My daughter fell down a literal well,
and now I never wanna
let her out of my sight.
I'm not gonna let
anything happen to her.
Do you have room for one more?
So you're a general
surgery resident now.
- Mm-hmm.
- Well, welcome home.
Thanks.
[CHUCKLES]
I don't want you here!
I can count on one hand
the number of times
Bert raised his voice,
and they've all happened
since his dementia.
You are navigating uncharted waters.
It's Bert going through it.
And you're going through it too.
- I heard him fall.
- He was already unconscious?
He was still opening his eyes
at first, and then he stopped.
Dinner!
- Oh. [LAUGHS]
- Mm.
All right.
Are you saying I'm your dream girl?
Mm, yes, ma'am.
[LAUGHS] Where's David?
In his room with the door closed.
David, we're sitting down
to dinner, son.
All right, is everybody ready
for highs and lows of the day?
- Michael, hand that over.
- [CHUCKLES]
I will tape this
for our future selves.
Okay, and why don't we start
with you, baby girl?
Well, my low was when I had
to read my book report
to the whole class.
- My high was finishing it.
- Oh, okay.
- [LAUGHS]
- Good, good.
Facing our fears helps us grow.
Michael?
Well, mine was hitting
a triple off Darnell Brown
- today at baseball.
- Mm!
Nice job. And lows?
No lows with skills like that.
- Oh.
- My man. My man.
- Okay.
- [LAUGHTER]
What about you, David?
Highs and lows of the day?
I don't feel like playing today.
Oh, bad day.
Here, I'll take that.
Bad days help us appreciate
our good days.
Tomorrow will be better.
I promise, son. Okay?
Well, I don't know about
you guys, but I am starving.
- Me too.
- Let's eat.
I'm going in for a roll.
Can someone pass the butter?
[GROANING SOFTLY]
- Bert?
- [GROANS SOFTLY]
Are you comfortable?
Would you like some water?
Mom, why don't you take a break?
You need to eat.
Oh, I will when Dr. Archer comes
with your father's CT results.
I'll go get you some coffee
to hold you over, okay?
Okay.
- [KNOCK AT DOOR]
- [GASPS] David.
- Hey.
- [LAUGHTER]
- You made it.
- Of course I did. It's Dad.
- It's been a minute, bro.
- Hey.
Why didn't you give me
your flight info?
I would have come to pick you up.
Mm. I'm a big boy.
And you have enough on your plate.
Oh.
Hey, Dad.
How are you?
He doesn't talk that much anymore.
Right.
I'm sure it must be a shock
for you to see your father like this.
It hasn't been that long.
I saw him when he moved
into the nursing home.
Oh, well, that was over a year ago.
That can't be right.
Well, the important thing
is that you're here now.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Hey.
Son?
Yeah.
I'm here, Dad. Yeah.
♪
Now, how did you get a piece
of plastic in your eye, Maisie?
My name's not Maisie.
It's Kara Zor-El.
- But you can call me Supergirl.
- Well, my bad, Supergirl.
She snapped a plastic hanger
with her bare hands.
Ooh.
This is the Halloween costume
that just keeps giving.
Well, luckily, it wasn't
made of kryptonite,
because then we'd be
in real trouble, huh?
- Doesn't scare me.
- [CHUCKLES]
All right, do me a favor
and look up for me, Supergirl.
Take a look at that.
[IMITATES EXPLOSION]
Wait, you used to be an actor, right?
Uh, yeah, you know, back in the day.
Yeah, on that show with the girl
with the dead dad who's desperate
to lose her virginity to you?
She keeps fantasizing about
you ripping off your shirt.
You, um, still got those sweet abs?
Actually, I think
you might be mixing me up
with someone else.
My show was about two teens
who, uh, traveled through time
together with a magic backpack.
"Nick of Time"?
Doesn't ring a bell.
No worries.
I'll, uh, go get
the discharge started, okay?
See ya, Supergirl.
[SCOFFS]
Do you still have those sweet abs?
- Ah, you heard that.
- Every word.
- It made my day.
- Great.
[CHUCKLES] How often do you
get recognized?
Well, I'd say it's, like,
two, three times a week.
Uh, definitely beats my life
when the show was still on.
- Mm.
- Yeah.
Feels like malls would have
been an especially bad idea
- for you.
- Mm-mm, mm-mm.
Yeah, no, that
I would get mobbed, chased.
- [LAUGHS]
- It was insane.
I'd pay to go back
in time to see that.
Well, you know, I still have
my backpack from the show,
- if you wanna try it on.
- [LAUGHING]
Hey, do you wanna have dinner tonight?
That sounds nice, uh, but I
But what?
- Well, we work together.
- Yeah. Right.
- I-I didn't realize you
- Oh, no, I know, totally.
And it's not that I don't want to.
Really, there's no need to explain.
I-I get it. I-it's cool.
[ALARM BLARES]
What have we got?
Adrian Montag, 12 years old,
right lower-extremity deformity
after falling 10 feet.
It's tender and swollen.
- Trauma 2.
- Copy.
Heart rate 110, BP 115/76, sat 98.
Also has multiple hornet stings.
- "Hornet stings"?
- Yeah.
Me and Lexi found the nest
up in our tree house.
Tried to knock it down with a stick,
but then they were everywhere.
Because Adrian fell, he
didn't catch too many stings,
- but Lexi was not so lucky.
- Damn.
Okay, let's get 2 milligrams
of epi and then an X-ray.
Where's Lexi?
She's in the ambulance
behind us with her mom.
She gonna be okay?
Look, Adrian,
I promise that we're gonna take
very good care of Lexi
when she gets here, okay?
This is all my fault.
She told me not to hit
the nest, and I didn't listen.
- Ready to transfer?
- On three.
One, two, three.
- They're bringing her in now.
- Okay.
Keep him NPO, and let's get
a trauma lab panel.
I'll be right back, all right?
She's in respiratory distress.
I'll intubate.
Is my baby gonna be okay?
Let's let the doctors work,
Ms. Caplan.
Intubation meds are in.
She must have been stung 50 times.
Heart rate's 150, BP 90/50.
- O2 sats 80.
- Damn it.
- I need more cric pressure.
- Not enough airflow?
Ugh, it's really hard
to see the cords.
- Pass me a bougie?
- Yeah.
All right, sats down to 73.
Damn it. No time. I need to cric her.
She's asystole. 0.5 milligrams of epi.
- Starting compressions.
- [MONITOR BLARING]
[TENSE MUSIC]
Got it?
- Pulse check?
- Still nothing.
One amp of bicarb.
No, Lexi!
Please don't let her die! [CRYING]
♪
Unfortunately, Bert's CT indicates
a subdural hematoma.
And how significant is the bleed?
Moderate.
I expect it to worsen
over the next few days.
Okay.
Then what's the treatment plan?
Well, your father
has an advanced directive
that forbids surgery.
So we're not gonna do anything?
According to his wishes.
We can keep him comfortable
until he's transported
back to his care facility.
Right, where we will wait
for him to die
of an easily treated condition.
David, Dad's already gone.
He just looked me in the eye
and called me son.
Dad is still in there.
Brief moments of lucidity are common
in this stage of Alzheimer's.
Well, I'm not ready to
give up on him at this stage.
No one's giving up, David.
In all fairness,
you haven't been around.
You haven't seen what we have.
So I don't get a say
in our father's care?
Don't lawyer me, David.
That's not what I'm saying.
Then you're not listening to yourself.
David.
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
David, wait.
♪
Okay, Adrian, I just got
off the phone with your dad.
He's on his way, okay?
That's good.
In the meantime,
I'm going to set your leg.
What does that mean?
Well, you have a displaced fracture,
which means that the bone
fragments aren't lined up.
So I'm gonna slide them
back into place.
Let's check his hematoma block.
Oh, our boy is feeling no pain.
Great.
Is Lexi okay?
She is stable and sedated
so her body can focus
on fighting the venom.
But just like you, she's
12 years old and super strong,
so I'm very optimistic.
No one should ever bet against Lexi.
- Is she your girlfriend?
- No.
She's my best friend.
When we were in kindergarten
[CHUCKLES]
She spilled chocolate milk
on Anthony Rodriguez's lap
after he told everyone that
that I'm the reason my mom left.
I'd have punched him in the nuts.
Daddy calls that Southern justice.
Well, Lexi seems like a great friend.
All right, let's do this
on three, okay?
Let's rock it.
Yeah. Oh, wait.
D-did the paramedics
bring Brigitte Bardot
in the ambulance with Lexi?
The actress?
No, Lexi's bunny named
after a Chappell Roan song.
Lexi was holding her
when I hit the hornet's nest
with the stick.
If something happens to Brigitte,
Lexi won't ever forgive me.
Oh, honey, you've got it bad.
On three.
One, two, three.
[BONE CRACKS]
[LAUGHTER]
- Hey.
- Hey.
Sorry. Um, Sadie, this is
Hannah.
Uh, yeah. How'd you how'd you know?
I can read a room.
Respect. [CHUCKLES]
It's so nice to finally meet you.
I'm a hugger.
And I know it's awkward,
but I found that if you meet
awkward with awkward,
- they cancel each other out.
- [LAUGHS]
Can we go now, Daddy?
Hey, Dr. Abrams is here
with Lexi's CT results.
Okay.
That's my cue to go to PT, Emelia.
- [GRUNTS]
- Lots to unpack later.
Definitely.
- Nice to meet you, Hannah.
- Same.
Mr. Higgins.
You can call me Jabo.
- I understand you fainted.
- Yeah.
I'm not sure what hit me,
but I went down hard and fast.
My friend Nate brought me in.
- Have you ever fainted before?
- Never.
And what were you doing
when it happened?
Just a little stick and poke.
Excuse me?
Oh, that means
he gave himself a tattoo.
Hey, if you know, you know, right?
[CHUCKLES] I don't know what happened.
Just got real dizzy, and boom.
Ooh.
You cut your radial artery.
Yeah, on the blade of a Saran wrap box
on my way to the ground
woke me right up.
You know the lingo.
I'm guessing you've got ink yourself?
Uh, a rose on my right ankle.
- Hiding it from your parents?
- No comment.
[CHUCKLES] What about you, Dr. Lenox?
- You got any ink?
- Too permanent for me.
Distal.
See, that's funny to me.
So many people say that, but
I think tattoos actually
capture the impermanence
of life.
When I have a life-changing experience
I never wanna forget,
I ink it into my skin forever.
Well, emotions aren't really my thing.
Oh, thou doth protest
too much, Dr. Lenox.
- Hmm.
- [GLOVE SNAPS]
Once Dr. Howard irrigates your injury,
a nurse will come take some blood work
so we can figure out why you fainted.
Hey. I'm glad I caught you two.
You're lucky we decided to restock,
or we'd be long gone by now.
- How are the kids doing?
- Adrian's good.
Lexi's hanging in there.
Look, did you guys happen
to see Lexi's pet rabbit
when you picked them up
at the tree house?
A rabbit?
We did not know there was a rabbit.
Adrian's pretty worked up about it,
and since he already blames
himself for the hornet nest
Finding the rabbit
helps make up for it.
- Yeah.
- I get it. It's a solid plan.
Any shot you guys could swing
by the tree house again?
Wish we could, John,
but we are short-staffed today.
It sounds like you have a pet project.
- Pun was intentional.
- It was.
[CHUCKLES] Nice.
Well, let us know
what happens with the kids
and the rabbit.
Will do.
[SOFT MUSIC]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
It certainly looks
like you've had to make
a lot of adjustments.
Turns out losing a leg is complicated.
- Oh. Who knew?
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
Some days I just can't
believe this is my life now.
- I mean, I'm glad to be alive.
- But it's a lot.
- I get that.
- [SIGHS]
Look, you were having a moment.
I've had plenty of them
in this very same parking lot.
My prosthetic's really painful,
and I lose my balance all the time.
That's not uncommon.
Sometimes you just need to try
a few to get the right fit.
Tell that to my insurance company.
Maybe Mitch can get you
into an osseointegration trial.
That's when they attach the prosthetic
to the bone of the residual
limb and tissue grows around
Mitch doesn't know
I'm having problems.
Oh.
Yeah.
I don't wanna blow your mind,
but Mitch can be a little overwhelming
when he tries to fix things.
I don't even know
what you're talking about.
[LAUGHS]
Mitch cannot stand to see
someone in pain
Especially if it's someone he loves.
Look, he's a really,
really good listener.
And I know that he wouldn't want you
to go through any of this alone.
Well
thanks for the smoothie and the talk.
Yeah.
I mean, if you can't talk
to your boyfriend's ex-girlfriends,
- who can you talk to?
- [BOTH LAUGH]
So I asked out Naomi on a whim.
She said no.
- Really?
- Yeah.
- Why?
- Because we work together.
Probably for the best.
Archer might have knocked
her up after it ended.
[SNORTS]
Um, how are things with Sadie?
Emelia called me "Daddy" this morning.
Mm!
Did she pick that up from Mommy?
[CHUCKLES]
I don't know, dude.
It's all complicated, right?
Mr. Higgins
your lab results
came back positive for anemia.
Call me Jabo.
And doesn't anemia mean
I need to eat more red meat?
It's more severe than that.
With the blood you lost,
I would expect your hemoglobin
level to be around 10,
but yours is 5.8.
You need a blood transfusion.
Will that fix the problem?
Or are you worried
that it's something bigger?
The transfusion will fix the anemia,
but I need to know what's causing it
to make sure it doesn't happen again.
And your colonoscopy
and cancer screenings
came back normal last year,
so no issue there.
But since your liver enzymes
are elevated,
I have to ask how many drinks
you have in a week.
[CHUCKLES] Zero.
I've been sober for 20 years.
Do you think my anemia could
have been caused by grief?
[STAMMERS]
Did you recently suffer a loss?
My wife.
She died of a pulmonary embolism
while battling lung cancer.
She never smoked a day in her life.
I'm very sorry to hear that.
Thank you.
The reason I ask is
when I fainted
I was coloring in the heart.
It's a lovely tribute.
Donna was all heart.
I don't think I really had one
until I felt hers beating
against my chest
the first time we danced.
- How long were you together?
- 17 years.
[INHALES DEEPLY]
We found a cabin in Middle Fork
and just made each other happy.
[SOFT MUSIC]
It's too quiet there now.
Well, to answer your question,
uh, the odds are much greater
that your anemia
is being caused
by something you're doing,
rather than something you're feeling.
But your symptoms do align
with hepatitis.
Oh, see, I know
where you're going with that.
And I keep my needles clean.
I believe you.
Let's run a hepatitis panel
just to be sure.
That ring around your neck
Is that a tribute too?
It's just a ring.
Wait. You did what?
I've requested
that Dad have a second opinion
from a private physician.
Now, Dr. Archer has recommended
There's no need for that.
Your father's advanced directive
- made his wishes very clear.
- Yeah, I read it.
There's a clause that allows us
to override the DNR
if his condition's proven
to be reversible.
It's not, baby.
So you found a legal loophole?
It's a desperate Hail Mary.
But isn't surgery
to drain the bleed worth a try?
On a healthy person, yes.
But your father is dying, David.
And you need to understand that.
Why are you all giving up on him?
He never gave up on us,
not even once, not ever!
Look, I understand
that your father's condition
has been a shock for you.
- Don't baby him, Ma.
- "Baby him"?
Who do you think you are,
coming in and talking to us like this?
Second-guessing us
with your second opinions?
You haven't been around,
so you don't have the right
to come in and pass judgment
on all the decisions that were made
while you were too busy to care!
Nobody cares for him more than me!
You have always been
such an arrogant prick
Tara.
Whether you were sad or upset
or moody at the dinner table.
Growing up, we all had to sit around
and watch Dad indulge you.
Yeah, and, clearly,
nothing has changed.
You don't know
what you're talking about.
It's different for me.
David.
[TENSE MUSIC]
What is that supposed to mean?
Tell them.
Why is it different for me?
Now is not the time.
The time for what, Ma?
Dad is not my biological father.
Dad couldn't help
but love both of you.
You're his flesh and blood.
But he chose to love me.
He chose to love me when
he had every reason not to.
♪
Okay, uh, so I was pregnant with David
when your father and I first met.
Uh, I was in the first year
of my MSN program,
and he just kept showing up
at my favorite table in the library,
chatting me up.
I liked him,
but I didn't encourage him.
I was already showing a little.
And it was practically the '80s,
and baggy sweaters didn't stand out.
It just gave me time to think.
I thought
that David's biological father
was the love of my life
until I told him
I was keeping the baby.
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
He turned cold on me so fast.
When did you tell Dad?
When he finally asked
me out for a movie,
I told him I was expecting.
And I gave him an easy way out.
But Bert didn't blink.
Said he already knew.
How?
The baggy sweaters, Tara.
We saw "The Muppet Movie"
and the rest is history.
When did you and Dad
tell David the truth?
When he was 12.
How could you keep this from us?
Yeah, Ma, we
we had a right to know.
Look, we just felt
that it was David's story to tell
when he was ready.
[SCOFFS] It took him a long time.
And what did you expect?
What do you mean?
You saddled him with this secret
that made him feel like
an outsider in his own family.
Of course he hid it.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
It's obviously weighed on him, Ma.
♪
Wow, orange cast.
That's a bold choice.
[CELL PHONE RINGING]
Adrian was very insistent about it.
- Sorry, gotta take this.
- Mm-hmm.
Did you find Brigitte Bardot?
Not yet, buddy. Sorry.
Lexi's gonna kill me.
Could you give me some crutches?
I'll ask my dad to drive me
back to the tree house.
No dice.
We need to monitor you a few
hours for any delayed symptoms.
Listen, Adrian
Lexi's mom wanted me to tell you
that she's been rushed into surgery.
What? Why?
Well, Dr. Ripley found a cyst
in her brain,
and they need to remove it
immediately.
Could she die?
Well, I won't lie to you.
It's possible.
But she's in great hands
with Dr. Abrams I promise.
This is because I made
the hornets mad.
But the hornet stings
are the reason we did the C
that found the cyst.
You taking a stick to that nest
saved her life.
If she dies, I'll
never get the chance
to tell her how I feel.
You really care about her, huh?
I do want her to be my girlfriend.
I've just been
too afraid to ask.
Afraid of rejection?
I'm kind of a weirdo.
I make bad jokes.
I literally gag if I see an avocado.
[CHUCKLES]
Lexi doesn't care about any of that.
She likes me anyways.
But if I tell her how I feel
and she doesn't
I can't lose my only friend.
Well
I don't know if this helps,
but I asked a girl out today.
- You did?
- Mm-hmm.
- What did she say?
- Shot me down cold.
- That doesn't help.
- [CHUCKLES]
Look, I get that it
can be scary, all right?
But if you're into someone
and you don't let them know,
it can eat you up inside.
All right? I've been there.
You can regret that forever.
Plus, I bet that either way,
Lexi's still gonna wanna be
your friend.
Also, avocados are,
like, totally overrated.
- Oh, definitely.
- Yeah.
[CHUCKLES]
Once I start the transfusion,
I will monitor you for 30 minutes
for any reactions.
How does that sound, Mr. Higgins?
[GROANS] Call me Jabo.
And it sounds like you'll have time
to tell me the truth about your ring.
Well, I already told you,
uh, there's nothing to tell.
I know pain when I see it.
What makes you so sure
it signifies pain?
You know what I think?
You should get a tattoo.
Why would I do that?
Ink saved me.
So you believe that I need saving?
I believe expressing pain on my skin
helps me learn to live with it.
Pain is permanent.
It's not something
you can ever just
just take
take off.
[MONITORS BEEPING]
Mr. Higgins?
Can I get help in here?
[ALARM BLARING]
[INHALES WHEEZILY]
He's tachycardic, and
his blood pressure's dropping.
He looks cyanotic.
Let's do a quick echo.
[TENSE MUSIC]
He has right heart strain,
and he's clearly unstable.
Let's get him to hybrid!
♪
[MONITOR BEEPING]
Let's get a live image up.
Heparin is in. Vitals are stable.
Inject contrast dye.
There's the clot, lying in wait.
We need to get that out
before he codes.
Recording?
If Jabo and his late wife
both had pulmonary embolisms,
what were they doing to cause them?
Well, the most common cause
is smoking, but neither did.
Maybe air pollution?
It's not really an issue
out in Middle Fork.
It's also a long drive.
Maybe all that sitting.
Plenty of people sit
for five hours at a time
without getting blood clots.
If you factor in his anemia,
it definitely seems environmental.
Mm, high altitudes, asbestos?
Dr. Howard
remove his sock.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[INHALES SHARPLY]
Heavy metal poisoning.
That explains the why
but not from where.
And first things first,
let's ablate this bitch.
♪
Finally, some backup.
Oh, wait.
Did you find Brigitte Bardot?
If Brigitte is gray and white
and enjoys staring contests
while remaining slightly out of reach,
then the answer is yes.
How are the kids?
Well, Lexi's still in surgery.
Adrian will be fine
as long as Lexi's fine.
Mm. And if we rescue this rabbit
It certainly won't hurt.
Where is she?
Right there.
- Perfect.
- Yeah.
I pulled out
all my best coaxing skills,
but nothing worked.
I guess we're on the rabbit's time.
Sounds good.
You know, Adrian thinks
that Brigitte is the key
to staying in Lexi's good graces,
especially after
the whole hornet incident.
They're best friends,
but he's also nursing
a huge crush on her.
Oh, breaking out
of the friend zone ain't easy,
but I guess you would know
all about that.
You do know I was
a teen heartthrob, right?
I know you were on a show
called "Nick of Time,"
yet you didn't actually play Nick.
What are you getting at?
You were literally the best friend.
It's my fault for asking.
Let's not even go there.
Oh, did the fans
used to give you a big hug
while leaving Nick their number?
No, that
wait, wait. She's moving.
[SOFT PLAYFUL MUSIC]
♪
Oh.
Well, I guess Adrian's got
a shot after all.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
- Hey.
- Hey.
Can I ask you a personal question?
Um, yeah, sure.
John asked me out today.
Uh, and, uh, you said yes?
You said no.
But you wanted to say yes?
Mm. I'm the worst, right?
Well, why did you say no?
I'm worried who I date will define me
more at the hospital
than the work that I do.
And you came to me because
of my history dating coworkers?
Oh, no, no, no, I-I swear,
I'm not judging you.
No worries.
I am definitely
in my advice-giving era today.
[CHUCKLES]
[SIGHS] I should have said yes.
Look
work relationships can get messy.
But
this job is messy.
And sometimes it's nice
to have somebody
who understands
the weight of all of this.
And
you like who you like.
I really like John.
Well, then there you go.
[SOFT MUSIC]
Besides, John is the best.
And he's, uh he's easy on the eyes.
- Mm-hmm.
- [LAUGHTER]
I'm gonna go talk to him.
- Okay.
- Thanks.
Hey.
When Dad called me son
earlier today
I swear I saw him
- looking back at me.
- Oh, you did.
He pops up sometimes.
But it doesn't last.
Alzheimer's is a brutal disease
that way.
What if inside his head,
he he knows what's happening
to him?
It's not Locked-in Syndrome.
Yes, but even if there's
a chance that
There's not. Your father's tired.
And he wouldn't want to live
like this.
- It just happened so fast.
- No, it didn't.
It happened slow.
You just weren't here to see it.
- My job made it really hard
- David.
[SCOFFS]
Do you know how much I love you?
[CHUCKLES] You are my firstborn.
[SOFT MUSIC]
But I'm not gonna stand here
and let you lie to yourself,
much less to me.
You made the choice to stay away.
And I don't blame you
because it has been torture
watching his world shrink.
I wanted to remember him
the way he was.
But now
I just feel like I-I need to do
something for him,
and I don't know what to do.
- You can say goodbye, baby.
- No, Ma
Listen to me.
You can say goodbye.
[SIGHS]
♪
So, Lexi all motor functions
appear to be normal.
Where's Adrian? Is he okay?
Well, turns out you have
a few visitors.
[LAUGHS] Adrian, you're okay.
Well, I just broke my leg, so
And handled it like a boss.
At least you didn't have
to have brain surgery.
Sounds pretty nasty.
Guess who had the biggest
adventure of all today?
Brigitte!
[SOFT MUSIC]
Oh, this is a vomit-inducing
level of cuteness.
But I am here for it.
Dr. Frost found her in the tree house.
Mm, not accurate.
- I was there first.
- I did help.
Did you?
Your haircut's fire, Lexi.
Thanks.
Your cast is fire, Adrian.
Orange is my favorite color.
♪
I heard you saved my life.
Which qualifies
as a life-changing experience,
so I expect my face
to be tattooed on your arm
next time I see you.
Careful what you wish for.
Your blood work revealed
the cause of your fainting
arsenic poisoning,
which means you've been exposed
to incremental amounts
over a long period of time.
What? How?
Do you drink well water at your cabin?
Oh, my God.
I searched your address online.
There is a coal-ash pit
near the river in Middle Fork.
Any groundwater would be
at risk of carrying pollutants
that have severe,
life-threatening consequences.
Like lung cancer?
Cancer is definitely a risk.
So Donna didn't have to die?
I think that's very likely
but I am glad we figured it out
in time to save you.
And I'm prescribing
a DMSA chelating agent
that will expel the arsenic
ions from your body.
[SIGHS] It's hard.
It's hard to be the one left behind.
It is.
My mother hated tattoos.
Well, your mother was wrong.
Good night, Jabo.
Good night, Dr. Lenox.
♪
I am so sorry
you've been going
through all this alone.
The pain, the finances
it's it's a lot.
It's it's a lot to carry.
Yeah, I am
fairly stressed out.
- Here, you should sit.
- No, I'm fine.
What if we moved in together?
- Mitch.
- Look, just just hear me out.
I mean
I could put you on my insurance
as a domestic partner.
- No, it's too soon.
- Is it?
I mean, I'm practically there
all the time now anyway.
Let's just
let's just make it official.
Stop.
"Stop"? Stop what?
Trying to save me.
It's how we met, and you've
been doing it ever since.
[SCOFFS]
I didn't realize you felt that way.
I'm just
I'm just trying to help
Because I love you.
No, Mitch, you don't.
[SCOFFS]
So now you're telling me how to feel?
I know you want it to be true.
I want it to be true, but
it's just
not.
[SCOFFS]
♪
Wait, what?
Are you
are you saying
It didn't even cross my mind
until this moment.
But
I think I have to.
Wait, wait.
Is is this because Emelia
called me "Daddy" this morning?
- It's just one of many things.
- Look, please don't overreact.
I'll I'll tell her to stop
if it makes you uncomfortable.
I'd be all for it
if I thought we would last.
Why are you so convinced we won't?
I have to protect Emelia
before she becomes
more attached than she already is.
♪
Please don't do this.
[SCOFFS, SNIFFLES]
You know what the hardest part is?
I really do love you.
♪
[SIGHS]
[LUTHER VANDROSS'S "REFLECTIONS"]
[SOFT R&B MUSIC]
♪
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
Through the mirror of my mind ♪
Time after time ♪
I see reflections of you and me ♪
Reflections of the way
life used to be ♪
Reflections of the love
you took from me ♪
Okay.
Highs and lows of the day?
Ah. Well, now,
that's my favorite line.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
Don't have any highs yet.
Yeah. Me neither.
Bet we all have the same low, though.
Why didn't you ever tell us?
I never wanted you to look at me
as anything less than a full brother.
That's a dumb reason.
Yeah, what Tara said.
You couldn't escape us if you tried.
Yeah, lately,
you definitely been trying.
[CHUCKLES]
[MUMBLES]
Where are we going?
Bert? You okay?
Let's
do something.
We're all here with you.
All the tears that I've tasted ♪
All in vain ♪
All in vain, till nothing remains ♪
We love you so much, Dad.
Yeah.
Well, this is our high.
It always has been.
Seems like everything I see ♪
Reflects the love
that used to be, yeah ♪
In you I put
all my faith and trust ♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[WOLF HOWLS]
Emelia is an amazing kid,
and I'd love to get
to know her better.
What are you afraid of?
Her getting attached too soon.
My daughter fell down a literal well,
and now I never wanna
let her out of my sight.
I'm not gonna let
anything happen to her.
Do you have room for one more?
So you're a general
surgery resident now.
- Mm-hmm.
- Well, welcome home.
Thanks.
[CHUCKLES]
I don't want you here!
I can count on one hand
the number of times
Bert raised his voice,
and they've all happened
since his dementia.
You are navigating uncharted waters.
It's Bert going through it.
And you're going through it too.
- I heard him fall.
- He was already unconscious?
He was still opening his eyes
at first, and then he stopped.
Dinner!
- Oh. [LAUGHS]
- Mm.
All right.
Are you saying I'm your dream girl?
Mm, yes, ma'am.
[LAUGHS] Where's David?
In his room with the door closed.
David, we're sitting down
to dinner, son.
All right, is everybody ready
for highs and lows of the day?
- Michael, hand that over.
- [CHUCKLES]
I will tape this
for our future selves.
Okay, and why don't we start
with you, baby girl?
Well, my low was when I had
to read my book report
to the whole class.
- My high was finishing it.
- Oh, okay.
- [LAUGHS]
- Good, good.
Facing our fears helps us grow.
Michael?
Well, mine was hitting
a triple off Darnell Brown
- today at baseball.
- Mm!
Nice job. And lows?
No lows with skills like that.
- Oh.
- My man. My man.
- Okay.
- [LAUGHTER]
What about you, David?
Highs and lows of the day?
I don't feel like playing today.
Oh, bad day.
Here, I'll take that.
Bad days help us appreciate
our good days.
Tomorrow will be better.
I promise, son. Okay?
Well, I don't know about
you guys, but I am starving.
- Me too.
- Let's eat.
I'm going in for a roll.
Can someone pass the butter?
[GROANING SOFTLY]
- Bert?
- [GROANS SOFTLY]
Are you comfortable?
Would you like some water?
Mom, why don't you take a break?
You need to eat.
Oh, I will when Dr. Archer comes
with your father's CT results.
I'll go get you some coffee
to hold you over, okay?
Okay.
- [KNOCK AT DOOR]
- [GASPS] David.
- Hey.
- [LAUGHTER]
- You made it.
- Of course I did. It's Dad.
- It's been a minute, bro.
- Hey.
Why didn't you give me
your flight info?
I would have come to pick you up.
Mm. I'm a big boy.
And you have enough on your plate.
Oh.
Hey, Dad.
How are you?
He doesn't talk that much anymore.
Right.
I'm sure it must be a shock
for you to see your father like this.
It hasn't been that long.
I saw him when he moved
into the nursing home.
Oh, well, that was over a year ago.
That can't be right.
Well, the important thing
is that you're here now.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Hey.
Son?
Yeah.
I'm here, Dad. Yeah.
♪
Now, how did you get a piece
of plastic in your eye, Maisie?
My name's not Maisie.
It's Kara Zor-El.
- But you can call me Supergirl.
- Well, my bad, Supergirl.
She snapped a plastic hanger
with her bare hands.
Ooh.
This is the Halloween costume
that just keeps giving.
Well, luckily, it wasn't
made of kryptonite,
because then we'd be
in real trouble, huh?
- Doesn't scare me.
- [CHUCKLES]
All right, do me a favor
and look up for me, Supergirl.
Take a look at that.
[IMITATES EXPLOSION]
Wait, you used to be an actor, right?
Uh, yeah, you know, back in the day.
Yeah, on that show with the girl
with the dead dad who's desperate
to lose her virginity to you?
She keeps fantasizing about
you ripping off your shirt.
You, um, still got those sweet abs?
Actually, I think
you might be mixing me up
with someone else.
My show was about two teens
who, uh, traveled through time
together with a magic backpack.
"Nick of Time"?
Doesn't ring a bell.
No worries.
I'll, uh, go get
the discharge started, okay?
See ya, Supergirl.
[SCOFFS]
Do you still have those sweet abs?
- Ah, you heard that.
- Every word.
- It made my day.
- Great.
[CHUCKLES] How often do you
get recognized?
Well, I'd say it's, like,
two, three times a week.
Uh, definitely beats my life
when the show was still on.
- Mm.
- Yeah.
Feels like malls would have
been an especially bad idea
- for you.
- Mm-mm, mm-mm.
Yeah, no, that
I would get mobbed, chased.
- [LAUGHS]
- It was insane.
I'd pay to go back
in time to see that.
Well, you know, I still have
my backpack from the show,
- if you wanna try it on.
- [LAUGHING]
Hey, do you wanna have dinner tonight?
That sounds nice, uh, but I
But what?
- Well, we work together.
- Yeah. Right.
- I-I didn't realize you
- Oh, no, I know, totally.
And it's not that I don't want to.
Really, there's no need to explain.
I-I get it. I-it's cool.
[ALARM BLARES]
What have we got?
Adrian Montag, 12 years old,
right lower-extremity deformity
after falling 10 feet.
It's tender and swollen.
- Trauma 2.
- Copy.
Heart rate 110, BP 115/76, sat 98.
Also has multiple hornet stings.
- "Hornet stings"?
- Yeah.
Me and Lexi found the nest
up in our tree house.
Tried to knock it down with a stick,
but then they were everywhere.
Because Adrian fell, he
didn't catch too many stings,
- but Lexi was not so lucky.
- Damn.
Okay, let's get 2 milligrams
of epi and then an X-ray.
Where's Lexi?
She's in the ambulance
behind us with her mom.
She gonna be okay?
Look, Adrian,
I promise that we're gonna take
very good care of Lexi
when she gets here, okay?
This is all my fault.
She told me not to hit
the nest, and I didn't listen.
- Ready to transfer?
- On three.
One, two, three.
- They're bringing her in now.
- Okay.
Keep him NPO, and let's get
a trauma lab panel.
I'll be right back, all right?
She's in respiratory distress.
I'll intubate.
Is my baby gonna be okay?
Let's let the doctors work,
Ms. Caplan.
Intubation meds are in.
She must have been stung 50 times.
Heart rate's 150, BP 90/50.
- O2 sats 80.
- Damn it.
- I need more cric pressure.
- Not enough airflow?
Ugh, it's really hard
to see the cords.
- Pass me a bougie?
- Yeah.
All right, sats down to 73.
Damn it. No time. I need to cric her.
She's asystole. 0.5 milligrams of epi.
- Starting compressions.
- [MONITOR BLARING]
[TENSE MUSIC]
Got it?
- Pulse check?
- Still nothing.
One amp of bicarb.
No, Lexi!
Please don't let her die! [CRYING]
♪
Unfortunately, Bert's CT indicates
a subdural hematoma.
And how significant is the bleed?
Moderate.
I expect it to worsen
over the next few days.
Okay.
Then what's the treatment plan?
Well, your father
has an advanced directive
that forbids surgery.
So we're not gonna do anything?
According to his wishes.
We can keep him comfortable
until he's transported
back to his care facility.
Right, where we will wait
for him to die
of an easily treated condition.
David, Dad's already gone.
He just looked me in the eye
and called me son.
Dad is still in there.
Brief moments of lucidity are common
in this stage of Alzheimer's.
Well, I'm not ready to
give up on him at this stage.
No one's giving up, David.
In all fairness,
you haven't been around.
You haven't seen what we have.
So I don't get a say
in our father's care?
Don't lawyer me, David.
That's not what I'm saying.
Then you're not listening to yourself.
David.
[SOFT TENSE MUSIC]
David, wait.
♪
Okay, Adrian, I just got
off the phone with your dad.
He's on his way, okay?
That's good.
In the meantime,
I'm going to set your leg.
What does that mean?
Well, you have a displaced fracture,
which means that the bone
fragments aren't lined up.
So I'm gonna slide them
back into place.
Let's check his hematoma block.
Oh, our boy is feeling no pain.
Great.
Is Lexi okay?
She is stable and sedated
so her body can focus
on fighting the venom.
But just like you, she's
12 years old and super strong,
so I'm very optimistic.
No one should ever bet against Lexi.
- Is she your girlfriend?
- No.
She's my best friend.
When we were in kindergarten
[CHUCKLES]
She spilled chocolate milk
on Anthony Rodriguez's lap
after he told everyone that
that I'm the reason my mom left.
I'd have punched him in the nuts.
Daddy calls that Southern justice.
Well, Lexi seems like a great friend.
All right, let's do this
on three, okay?
Let's rock it.
Yeah. Oh, wait.
D-did the paramedics
bring Brigitte Bardot
in the ambulance with Lexi?
The actress?
No, Lexi's bunny named
after a Chappell Roan song.
Lexi was holding her
when I hit the hornet's nest
with the stick.
If something happens to Brigitte,
Lexi won't ever forgive me.
Oh, honey, you've got it bad.
On three.
One, two, three.
[BONE CRACKS]
[LAUGHTER]
- Hey.
- Hey.
Sorry. Um, Sadie, this is
Hannah.
Uh, yeah. How'd you how'd you know?
I can read a room.
Respect. [CHUCKLES]
It's so nice to finally meet you.
I'm a hugger.
And I know it's awkward,
but I found that if you meet
awkward with awkward,
- they cancel each other out.
- [LAUGHS]
Can we go now, Daddy?
Hey, Dr. Abrams is here
with Lexi's CT results.
Okay.
That's my cue to go to PT, Emelia.
- [GRUNTS]
- Lots to unpack later.
Definitely.
- Nice to meet you, Hannah.
- Same.
Mr. Higgins.
You can call me Jabo.
- I understand you fainted.
- Yeah.
I'm not sure what hit me,
but I went down hard and fast.
My friend Nate brought me in.
- Have you ever fainted before?
- Never.
And what were you doing
when it happened?
Just a little stick and poke.
Excuse me?
Oh, that means
he gave himself a tattoo.
Hey, if you know, you know, right?
[CHUCKLES] I don't know what happened.
Just got real dizzy, and boom.
Ooh.
You cut your radial artery.
Yeah, on the blade of a Saran wrap box
on my way to the ground
woke me right up.
You know the lingo.
I'm guessing you've got ink yourself?
Uh, a rose on my right ankle.
- Hiding it from your parents?
- No comment.
[CHUCKLES] What about you, Dr. Lenox?
- You got any ink?
- Too permanent for me.
Distal.
See, that's funny to me.
So many people say that, but
I think tattoos actually
capture the impermanence
of life.
When I have a life-changing experience
I never wanna forget,
I ink it into my skin forever.
Well, emotions aren't really my thing.
Oh, thou doth protest
too much, Dr. Lenox.
- Hmm.
- [GLOVE SNAPS]
Once Dr. Howard irrigates your injury,
a nurse will come take some blood work
so we can figure out why you fainted.
Hey. I'm glad I caught you two.
You're lucky we decided to restock,
or we'd be long gone by now.
- How are the kids doing?
- Adrian's good.
Lexi's hanging in there.
Look, did you guys happen
to see Lexi's pet rabbit
when you picked them up
at the tree house?
A rabbit?
We did not know there was a rabbit.
Adrian's pretty worked up about it,
and since he already blames
himself for the hornet nest
Finding the rabbit
helps make up for it.
- Yeah.
- I get it. It's a solid plan.
Any shot you guys could swing
by the tree house again?
Wish we could, John,
but we are short-staffed today.
It sounds like you have a pet project.
- Pun was intentional.
- It was.
[CHUCKLES] Nice.
Well, let us know
what happens with the kids
and the rabbit.
Will do.
[SOFT MUSIC]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
It certainly looks
like you've had to make
a lot of adjustments.
Turns out losing a leg is complicated.
- Oh. Who knew?
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
Some days I just can't
believe this is my life now.
- I mean, I'm glad to be alive.
- But it's a lot.
- I get that.
- [SIGHS]
Look, you were having a moment.
I've had plenty of them
in this very same parking lot.
My prosthetic's really painful,
and I lose my balance all the time.
That's not uncommon.
Sometimes you just need to try
a few to get the right fit.
Tell that to my insurance company.
Maybe Mitch can get you
into an osseointegration trial.
That's when they attach the prosthetic
to the bone of the residual
limb and tissue grows around
Mitch doesn't know
I'm having problems.
Oh.
Yeah.
I don't wanna blow your mind,
but Mitch can be a little overwhelming
when he tries to fix things.
I don't even know
what you're talking about.
[LAUGHS]
Mitch cannot stand to see
someone in pain
Especially if it's someone he loves.
Look, he's a really,
really good listener.
And I know that he wouldn't want you
to go through any of this alone.
Well
thanks for the smoothie and the talk.
Yeah.
I mean, if you can't talk
to your boyfriend's ex-girlfriends,
- who can you talk to?
- [BOTH LAUGH]
So I asked out Naomi on a whim.
She said no.
- Really?
- Yeah.
- Why?
- Because we work together.
Probably for the best.
Archer might have knocked
her up after it ended.
[SNORTS]
Um, how are things with Sadie?
Emelia called me "Daddy" this morning.
Mm!
Did she pick that up from Mommy?
[CHUCKLES]
I don't know, dude.
It's all complicated, right?
Mr. Higgins
your lab results
came back positive for anemia.
Call me Jabo.
And doesn't anemia mean
I need to eat more red meat?
It's more severe than that.
With the blood you lost,
I would expect your hemoglobin
level to be around 10,
but yours is 5.8.
You need a blood transfusion.
Will that fix the problem?
Or are you worried
that it's something bigger?
The transfusion will fix the anemia,
but I need to know what's causing it
to make sure it doesn't happen again.
And your colonoscopy
and cancer screenings
came back normal last year,
so no issue there.
But since your liver enzymes
are elevated,
I have to ask how many drinks
you have in a week.
[CHUCKLES] Zero.
I've been sober for 20 years.
Do you think my anemia could
have been caused by grief?
[STAMMERS]
Did you recently suffer a loss?
My wife.
She died of a pulmonary embolism
while battling lung cancer.
She never smoked a day in her life.
I'm very sorry to hear that.
Thank you.
The reason I ask is
when I fainted
I was coloring in the heart.
It's a lovely tribute.
Donna was all heart.
I don't think I really had one
until I felt hers beating
against my chest
the first time we danced.
- How long were you together?
- 17 years.
[INHALES DEEPLY]
We found a cabin in Middle Fork
and just made each other happy.
[SOFT MUSIC]
It's too quiet there now.
Well, to answer your question,
uh, the odds are much greater
that your anemia
is being caused
by something you're doing,
rather than something you're feeling.
But your symptoms do align
with hepatitis.
Oh, see, I know
where you're going with that.
And I keep my needles clean.
I believe you.
Let's run a hepatitis panel
just to be sure.
That ring around your neck
Is that a tribute too?
It's just a ring.
Wait. You did what?
I've requested
that Dad have a second opinion
from a private physician.
Now, Dr. Archer has recommended
There's no need for that.
Your father's advanced directive
- made his wishes very clear.
- Yeah, I read it.
There's a clause that allows us
to override the DNR
if his condition's proven
to be reversible.
It's not, baby.
So you found a legal loophole?
It's a desperate Hail Mary.
But isn't surgery
to drain the bleed worth a try?
On a healthy person, yes.
But your father is dying, David.
And you need to understand that.
Why are you all giving up on him?
He never gave up on us,
not even once, not ever!
Look, I understand
that your father's condition
has been a shock for you.
- Don't baby him, Ma.
- "Baby him"?
Who do you think you are,
coming in and talking to us like this?
Second-guessing us
with your second opinions?
You haven't been around,
so you don't have the right
to come in and pass judgment
on all the decisions that were made
while you were too busy to care!
Nobody cares for him more than me!
You have always been
such an arrogant prick
Tara.
Whether you were sad or upset
or moody at the dinner table.
Growing up, we all had to sit around
and watch Dad indulge you.
Yeah, and, clearly,
nothing has changed.
You don't know
what you're talking about.
It's different for me.
David.
[TENSE MUSIC]
What is that supposed to mean?
Tell them.
Why is it different for me?
Now is not the time.
The time for what, Ma?
Dad is not my biological father.
Dad couldn't help
but love both of you.
You're his flesh and blood.
But he chose to love me.
He chose to love me when
he had every reason not to.
♪
Okay, uh, so I was pregnant with David
when your father and I first met.
Uh, I was in the first year
of my MSN program,
and he just kept showing up
at my favorite table in the library,
chatting me up.
I liked him,
but I didn't encourage him.
I was already showing a little.
And it was practically the '80s,
and baggy sweaters didn't stand out.
It just gave me time to think.
I thought
that David's biological father
was the love of my life
until I told him
I was keeping the baby.
[BREATHES DEEPLY]
He turned cold on me so fast.
When did you tell Dad?
When he finally asked
me out for a movie,
I told him I was expecting.
And I gave him an easy way out.
But Bert didn't blink.
Said he already knew.
How?
The baggy sweaters, Tara.
We saw "The Muppet Movie"
and the rest is history.
When did you and Dad
tell David the truth?
When he was 12.
How could you keep this from us?
Yeah, Ma, we
we had a right to know.
Look, we just felt
that it was David's story to tell
when he was ready.
[SCOFFS] It took him a long time.
And what did you expect?
What do you mean?
You saddled him with this secret
that made him feel like
an outsider in his own family.
Of course he hid it.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
It's obviously weighed on him, Ma.
♪
Wow, orange cast.
That's a bold choice.
[CELL PHONE RINGING]
Adrian was very insistent about it.
- Sorry, gotta take this.
- Mm-hmm.
Did you find Brigitte Bardot?
Not yet, buddy. Sorry.
Lexi's gonna kill me.
Could you give me some crutches?
I'll ask my dad to drive me
back to the tree house.
No dice.
We need to monitor you a few
hours for any delayed symptoms.
Listen, Adrian
Lexi's mom wanted me to tell you
that she's been rushed into surgery.
What? Why?
Well, Dr. Ripley found a cyst
in her brain,
and they need to remove it
immediately.
Could she die?
Well, I won't lie to you.
It's possible.
But she's in great hands
with Dr. Abrams I promise.
This is because I made
the hornets mad.
But the hornet stings
are the reason we did the C
that found the cyst.
You taking a stick to that nest
saved her life.
If she dies, I'll
never get the chance
to tell her how I feel.
You really care about her, huh?
I do want her to be my girlfriend.
I've just been
too afraid to ask.
Afraid of rejection?
I'm kind of a weirdo.
I make bad jokes.
I literally gag if I see an avocado.
[CHUCKLES]
Lexi doesn't care about any of that.
She likes me anyways.
But if I tell her how I feel
and she doesn't
I can't lose my only friend.
Well
I don't know if this helps,
but I asked a girl out today.
- You did?
- Mm-hmm.
- What did she say?
- Shot me down cold.
- That doesn't help.
- [CHUCKLES]
Look, I get that it
can be scary, all right?
But if you're into someone
and you don't let them know,
it can eat you up inside.
All right? I've been there.
You can regret that forever.
Plus, I bet that either way,
Lexi's still gonna wanna be
your friend.
Also, avocados are,
like, totally overrated.
- Oh, definitely.
- Yeah.
[CHUCKLES]
Once I start the transfusion,
I will monitor you for 30 minutes
for any reactions.
How does that sound, Mr. Higgins?
[GROANS] Call me Jabo.
And it sounds like you'll have time
to tell me the truth about your ring.
Well, I already told you,
uh, there's nothing to tell.
I know pain when I see it.
What makes you so sure
it signifies pain?
You know what I think?
You should get a tattoo.
Why would I do that?
Ink saved me.
So you believe that I need saving?
I believe expressing pain on my skin
helps me learn to live with it.
Pain is permanent.
It's not something
you can ever just
just take
take off.
[MONITORS BEEPING]
Mr. Higgins?
Can I get help in here?
[ALARM BLARING]
[INHALES WHEEZILY]
He's tachycardic, and
his blood pressure's dropping.
He looks cyanotic.
Let's do a quick echo.
[TENSE MUSIC]
He has right heart strain,
and he's clearly unstable.
Let's get him to hybrid!
♪
[MONITOR BEEPING]
Let's get a live image up.
Heparin is in. Vitals are stable.
Inject contrast dye.
There's the clot, lying in wait.
We need to get that out
before he codes.
Recording?
If Jabo and his late wife
both had pulmonary embolisms,
what were they doing to cause them?
Well, the most common cause
is smoking, but neither did.
Maybe air pollution?
It's not really an issue
out in Middle Fork.
It's also a long drive.
Maybe all that sitting.
Plenty of people sit
for five hours at a time
without getting blood clots.
If you factor in his anemia,
it definitely seems environmental.
Mm, high altitudes, asbestos?
Dr. Howard
remove his sock.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[INHALES SHARPLY]
Heavy metal poisoning.
That explains the why
but not from where.
And first things first,
let's ablate this bitch.
♪
Finally, some backup.
Oh, wait.
Did you find Brigitte Bardot?
If Brigitte is gray and white
and enjoys staring contests
while remaining slightly out of reach,
then the answer is yes.
How are the kids?
Well, Lexi's still in surgery.
Adrian will be fine
as long as Lexi's fine.
Mm. And if we rescue this rabbit
It certainly won't hurt.
Where is she?
Right there.
- Perfect.
- Yeah.
I pulled out
all my best coaxing skills,
but nothing worked.
I guess we're on the rabbit's time.
Sounds good.
You know, Adrian thinks
that Brigitte is the key
to staying in Lexi's good graces,
especially after
the whole hornet incident.
They're best friends,
but he's also nursing
a huge crush on her.
Oh, breaking out
of the friend zone ain't easy,
but I guess you would know
all about that.
You do know I was
a teen heartthrob, right?
I know you were on a show
called "Nick of Time,"
yet you didn't actually play Nick.
What are you getting at?
You were literally the best friend.
It's my fault for asking.
Let's not even go there.
Oh, did the fans
used to give you a big hug
while leaving Nick their number?
No, that
wait, wait. She's moving.
[SOFT PLAYFUL MUSIC]
♪
Oh.
Well, I guess Adrian's got
a shot after all.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
- Hey.
- Hey.
Can I ask you a personal question?
Um, yeah, sure.
John asked me out today.
Uh, and, uh, you said yes?
You said no.
But you wanted to say yes?
Mm. I'm the worst, right?
Well, why did you say no?
I'm worried who I date will define me
more at the hospital
than the work that I do.
And you came to me because
of my history dating coworkers?
Oh, no, no, no, I-I swear,
I'm not judging you.
No worries.
I am definitely
in my advice-giving era today.
[CHUCKLES]
[SIGHS] I should have said yes.
Look
work relationships can get messy.
But
this job is messy.
And sometimes it's nice
to have somebody
who understands
the weight of all of this.
And
you like who you like.
I really like John.
Well, then there you go.
[SOFT MUSIC]
Besides, John is the best.
And he's, uh he's easy on the eyes.
- Mm-hmm.
- [LAUGHTER]
I'm gonna go talk to him.
- Okay.
- Thanks.
Hey.
When Dad called me son
earlier today
I swear I saw him
- looking back at me.
- Oh, you did.
He pops up sometimes.
But it doesn't last.
Alzheimer's is a brutal disease
that way.
What if inside his head,
he he knows what's happening
to him?
It's not Locked-in Syndrome.
Yes, but even if there's
a chance that
There's not. Your father's tired.
And he wouldn't want to live
like this.
- It just happened so fast.
- No, it didn't.
It happened slow.
You just weren't here to see it.
- My job made it really hard
- David.
[SCOFFS]
Do you know how much I love you?
[CHUCKLES] You are my firstborn.
[SOFT MUSIC]
But I'm not gonna stand here
and let you lie to yourself,
much less to me.
You made the choice to stay away.
And I don't blame you
because it has been torture
watching his world shrink.
I wanted to remember him
the way he was.
But now
I just feel like I-I need to do
something for him,
and I don't know what to do.
- You can say goodbye, baby.
- No, Ma
Listen to me.
You can say goodbye.
[SIGHS]
♪
So, Lexi all motor functions
appear to be normal.
Where's Adrian? Is he okay?
Well, turns out you have
a few visitors.
[LAUGHS] Adrian, you're okay.
Well, I just broke my leg, so
And handled it like a boss.
At least you didn't have
to have brain surgery.
Sounds pretty nasty.
Guess who had the biggest
adventure of all today?
Brigitte!
[SOFT MUSIC]
Oh, this is a vomit-inducing
level of cuteness.
But I am here for it.
Dr. Frost found her in the tree house.
Mm, not accurate.
- I was there first.
- I did help.
Did you?
Your haircut's fire, Lexi.
Thanks.
Your cast is fire, Adrian.
Orange is my favorite color.
♪
I heard you saved my life.
Which qualifies
as a life-changing experience,
so I expect my face
to be tattooed on your arm
next time I see you.
Careful what you wish for.
Your blood work revealed
the cause of your fainting
arsenic poisoning,
which means you've been exposed
to incremental amounts
over a long period of time.
What? How?
Do you drink well water at your cabin?
Oh, my God.
I searched your address online.
There is a coal-ash pit
near the river in Middle Fork.
Any groundwater would be
at risk of carrying pollutants
that have severe,
life-threatening consequences.
Like lung cancer?
Cancer is definitely a risk.
So Donna didn't have to die?
I think that's very likely
but I am glad we figured it out
in time to save you.
And I'm prescribing
a DMSA chelating agent
that will expel the arsenic
ions from your body.
[SIGHS] It's hard.
It's hard to be the one left behind.
It is.
My mother hated tattoos.
Well, your mother was wrong.
Good night, Jabo.
Good night, Dr. Lenox.
♪
I am so sorry
you've been going
through all this alone.
The pain, the finances
it's it's a lot.
It's it's a lot to carry.
Yeah, I am
fairly stressed out.
- Here, you should sit.
- No, I'm fine.
What if we moved in together?
- Mitch.
- Look, just just hear me out.
I mean
I could put you on my insurance
as a domestic partner.
- No, it's too soon.
- Is it?
I mean, I'm practically there
all the time now anyway.
Let's just
let's just make it official.
Stop.
"Stop"? Stop what?
Trying to save me.
It's how we met, and you've
been doing it ever since.
[SCOFFS]
I didn't realize you felt that way.
I'm just
I'm just trying to help
Because I love you.
No, Mitch, you don't.
[SCOFFS]
So now you're telling me how to feel?
I know you want it to be true.
I want it to be true, but
it's just
not.
[SCOFFS]
♪
Wait, what?
Are you
are you saying
It didn't even cross my mind
until this moment.
But
I think I have to.
Wait, wait.
Is is this because Emelia
called me "Daddy" this morning?
- It's just one of many things.
- Look, please don't overreact.
I'll I'll tell her to stop
if it makes you uncomfortable.
I'd be all for it
if I thought we would last.
Why are you so convinced we won't?
I have to protect Emelia
before she becomes
more attached than she already is.
♪
Please don't do this.
[SCOFFS, SNIFFLES]
You know what the hardest part is?
I really do love you.
♪
[SIGHS]
[LUTHER VANDROSS'S "REFLECTIONS"]
[SOFT R&B MUSIC]
♪
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
Through the mirror of my mind ♪
Time after time ♪
I see reflections of you and me ♪
Reflections of the way
life used to be ♪
Reflections of the love
you took from me ♪
Okay.
Highs and lows of the day?
Ah. Well, now,
that's my favorite line.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
Don't have any highs yet.
Yeah. Me neither.
Bet we all have the same low, though.
Why didn't you ever tell us?
I never wanted you to look at me
as anything less than a full brother.
That's a dumb reason.
Yeah, what Tara said.
You couldn't escape us if you tried.
Yeah, lately,
you definitely been trying.
[CHUCKLES]
[MUMBLES]
Where are we going?
Bert? You okay?
Let's
do something.
We're all here with you.
All the tears that I've tasted ♪
All in vain ♪
All in vain, till nothing remains ♪
We love you so much, Dad.
Yeah.
Well, this is our high.
It always has been.
Seems like everything I see ♪
Reflects the love
that used to be, yeah ♪
In you I put
all my faith and trust ♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[WOLF HOWLS]