Chicago Med (2015–…): Season 2, Episode 15 - Lose Yourself - full transcript
Dr. Rhodes is under pressure to keep a trauma patient alive and April befriends a patient with a failing heart.
Oh, so here we go.
What letter are we up to now?
J's.
So, Jeremiah if it's a boy,
or Jacinta if it's a girl.
Hmm... Jeremiah Sexton-Jenkins.
- I like it.
- Oh, my God, it's a boy?
Or Jacinta Sexton-Jenkins.
You're having fun torturing me
by not telling me the gender
of the baby, aren't you?
A little, but hey,
if I can wait 21 more weeks, so can you.
Dr. Rhodes?
Page me if you need me.
Case coming your way.
Window washer fell 33 stories.
Should be DOA, but
still alive... barely.
- 33?
- Press will be all over this.
Hospital PR's gonna be involved.
Get ready for your close-up.
Okay, who's next?
Damian Butler.
- Damian Butler?
- That's me.
[whispers] Oh, God.
Won't be much longer.
[sighs] It's just I have the flu.
It's low priority. I get it.
Sir?
- Maggie, how many minutes out?
- They're here.
- Baghdad's prepped.
- Thanks.
[indistinct radio chatter]
Justin Pepper, 23,
long fall, axial load injury
after his window washing
platform gave out.
GCS, 3... BP, 70 over palp...
Heart rate, 135.
All right, that long a fall,
we're looking at
injuries to the brain,
spine, chest, and abdomen,
let alone long bone fractures.
Maggie,
I need extra hands and an O.R. on alert.
Done.
- What's he got for IV access?
- 16 gauge on both arms.
All right, very gently, everybody.
On my count, one, two, three.
[tense music]
- Good luck.
- Thanks.
All right, likely cavitary bleeding.
Wheeler, get a groin
line. Start the MTP.
Hang two units of O-neg
on the rapid transfuser
until we type and cross. X-Rays...
I need chest, pelvis, and C-spine.
And let's get the ultrasound over here
to fast his belly.
- Lungs are clear.
- All right.
I'm gonna start the groin line.
Help me reduce this leg fracture.
Come on, come on. One, two, three...
- [grunting]
- [bone cracking]
- X-Ray.
- All right, step back.
♪ ♪
Pelvis down.
- C-spine.
- On the box.
♪ ♪
- Chest X-Ray is up.
- Tension hemopneumothorax.
Trachea shifted, venous return is down.
Give me a chest tube.
Show me the pelvis.
Got it.
Vertical shear of the
left hemipelvis...
It needs traction.
Pull up the C-spine.
Up.
Multiple C-spine fractures.
- Wheeler, how's that groin line?
- Done.
All right, chest tube's in too.
Let's move.
Justin didn't survive a 330-foot fall
just to die in my trauma bay.
- Let's go, let's go!
- Go.
♪ ♪
- Witnesses report that
Mr. Pepper clung to
the window washing platform as it fell,
almost riding it like a surfboard.
Physicists surmise this
likely created wind resistance
that not only slowed his plummet,
but also absorbed some
of the force from impact.
That might explain how he survived
such a horrific fall.
I'm running the bowel.
Feeling tears.
[tense music]
Hemostat.
Pelvic hematoma and mesenteric
bleeders are tied off.
Let's resect the bowel
quickly and move on.
GIA 80 stapler with a reload.
50% of people who fall
four to five stories die.
Ten or 11... it's almost 100%,
so this is a first.
There's an exception to every rule.
♪ ♪
All right, got some more spaces... next.
Laura Pastino.
Laura Pastino?
No, Melody Sayers.
Okay, uh, Treatment 3.
I'll be right there.
- I'm sorry.
- No, this one's on me.
I thought I could sneak
in and see a doctor
on my lunch break.
It's bad planning.
Okay, I'm April. Can I get you anything?
Water? Snack from the meal cart?
No thanks. Not much of an appetite.
If I need something, I'll just...
Melody?
Are you okay?
Yeah, sorry.
You just zoned out.
That ever happen before?
Probably.
I'm a first-year associate.
My law firm's specialty.
60-hour weeks.
Can I see your wrist?
Yeah.
Pulse is really weak.
I'm just exhausted.
I'm gonna go home and sleep.
I'll come back tomorrow.
Your feet hurt?
Yeah, I've just been sitting for awhile.
Do you mind if I take a look?
Sure.
Ankles are swollen.
Pitting edema.
Do me a favor.
Stick around for a little longer.
I'm gonna get you in.
Okay.
[distant siren wailing]
- Americano.
- Thank you.
Wow, all this for Connor's trauma?
If it bleeds, it leads.
Help! I need help!
My husband!
♪ ♪
- What happened?
- He called me at work.
He said he wasn't feeling
well. But then...
But when I came home for lunch,
I-I found him like this.
Hey, hey, can you hear me?
Thready pulse, diaphoretic.
He's burning up.
He take any drugs?
Could it be an overdose?
No, never.
Septic shock?
I think so. We gotta get him inside.
All right, I'm gonna get
techs to bring out a gurney,
and set up for central
access if we need one.
I'm gonna help you out of the car, okay?
No, get back. I can do it myself.
No, Nick, let him help you.
Don't let him, please.
- Easy.
- Nick, please, no...
Julia... Julia...
- I need your help.
- I know, baby, I-I...
I'm sorry.
♪ ♪
Okay, okay.
My legs don't work.
It's okay, Nick. I got you.
Here.
♪ ♪
All right.
Let's go.
♪ ♪
Dr. Choi, you're going to Treatment 5.
- Dr. Manning's already there.
- Thanks, Mags.
Dr. Reese?
- Oh, my...
- This woman needs aid.
Dr. Wheeler!
I saw her fall crossing the street.
When I got to her, she
was unable to speak.
- Think she's having a stroke.
- Treatment 2.
Weak pulse...
right side of the face is droopy.
- Right side body, limp.
- What do we got?
Possible stroke.
Okay. Thanks, Super-dude.
You're safe now, ma'am.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
Oh, Lord.
We need a stretcher!
♪ ♪
Right now, your son is in shock.
There is massive blood loss
from extensive injuries
to his liver, his
pelvis, his intestines.
We've packed his abdomen
to control the bleeding
and removed a portion of his bowel.
He's still open.
That's what we call a
negative pressure dressing.
It helps to temporize the abdomen...
Is Justin going to survive?
When he arrived in the E.D.,
he was minute to minute.
Right now, he is hour to hour,
and that is a very good first step.
[phone buzzes]
This is Dr. Rhodes.
Who is this and how did
you get this number?
No, my patient is very much alive,
thank you.
Sounds like the press
got to you before we did.
Dr. Connor Rhodes, this is Evelyn Kumer,
public affairs rep for the hospital.
She'll be coordinating
all media platforms.
So, reporters got your number?
Yeah, they wanted to
know if Justin had died
on the operating table.
Where do they get this crap?
Who knows? But the
rumor mill is grinding.
And you're in the spotlight.
A man falls 33 stories
and is still alive?
People are gonna want to know,
is this a miracle or
a setup for tragedy?
- [chuckles softly]
- Excuse me.
Until we know for sure how
this is gonna turn out,
let's stick with "no comment."
102.7. BP, 80 over 55.
Whoa, that's really low.
Uh, Melody,
I hear a crackling in your chest.
This means fluid is
building up in the lungs.
A symptom of the flu?
- I don't think so.
- The exhaustion,
swelling in your legs,
low blood pressure
are possible indicators
of a cardiac problem.
My heart? Oh, my God.
We're gonna take a look and
see what's going on, okay?
Okay.
That just... That
doesn't make any sense.
I'm only 25 years old.
I walk to work instead
of taking the train.
Eat salads... take spin classes.
Okay, dilated left ventricle,
poor wall motion.
April, let's get her on the monitor.
Your heart is pumping very poorly.
Uh, I'll need an echo,
but if I had to say,
I'd guess it's working at 20, 25%.
My heart is failing?
It's unusual for a young woman.
Could be a thyroid imbalance,
a kidney issue, virus.
We'll figure it out. Before you know it,
you'll be back at spin class.
I'm gonna hold you to that.
Melody... Melody?
[machines beeping]
No pulse or breathing.
V fib... get on her chest.
Charge to 200.
200.
[device whirs]
Charged.
Hold CPR.
Clear.
200 again.
200.
[device whirring]
Hold CPR.
Clear.
I got a pulse.
It's weak but steady. She's breathing.
Let's get her to the cath lab.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
Great catch, April. Had she gone home,
no way help would've
gotten to her in time.
♪ ♪
- So it's an infection?
- Fever, elevated white cells,
inflammatory markers, and lacate.
- I'd say so.
- Most likely UTI.
It's common in paraplegics.
Been down that road a few times.
Life with a catheter, right?
We made to need to
replace it. Suprapubic?
T-boned by a drunk driver who
didn't stop for a red light.
He walked away with a few stitches.
That was then. We're moving on.
Brighter days ahead.
Area around the catheter looks clean.
No obvious abscess or skin infection.
Answer's in the pee then.
We'll get this and blood
cultures up to the lab,
find out what we're dealing with.
Sorry about lashing out earlier.
I sometimes forget I'm half a man.
No, you're not.
I'm with her.
Yeah, well, she's one of a kind.
Not letting her get away.
Good plan.
[chuckles]
Hey... K...
If it's a boy, Kalani.
If it's a girl, Kiersleigh.
What do you think?
- Pass.
- Ulch.
Any word from the cath lab about Melody?
No, but I should hear something soon.
[sighs] Okay, I have an OB appointment.
Should be fast, though...
20 minutes, tops.
I can push it.
Or I can text you if I hear something.
Because of the TB,
Dr. Lee likes to see me every two weeks.
- You'll text me about Melody?
- Mm-hmm.
Now go, don't be late
for your appointment.
[sighs]
We haven't officially
met. I'm Dr. Reese.
Hi. Edward Thompson.
That was quite an entrance, Edward.
Yeah, I could imagine.
The suit, elderly woman in my arms.
- Yeah. [laughs]
- How is she?
- Uh, doing well...
- Oh.
Thanks to you getting
her here so quickly.
Oh, that's great.
How are you? How are you feeling?
Okay, I think.
But I never passed out before.
What... uh, what happened?
Uh, your labs and EKG are normal,
so I think you were just
so excited in the moment
that when it was over, you fainted.
And where are my clothes?
A nurse said she'd get 'em,
but she never came back.
Unfortunately,
we had to cut off the costume,
so that we could examine you.
Cut it off?
You mean... it's destroyed?
Uh, yes.
Oh, God.
You had no right. I...
[panting] I need it.
Edward, breathe.
Breathe.
All right, nice and s-all right, here.
- Hey, look at me, look at me.
- [steady breathing]
Just like this. Two seconds in.
Four seconds out.
Two seconds in.
Four seconds out.
♪ ♪
I need it.
♪ ♪
33 stories. God.
Massive subdural hemorrhage.
Significant left shift.
Big mass effect is crushing
his brain inside of his skull.
Well, he did fall off a building.
Craniotomy, right?
To what end? He's coagulopathic.
I go in and take out the clot,
it'll just re-accumulate.
No, I don't think so.
I'm actively giving him plasma,
platelets, and cryo.
Which improve his overall
chances of survival
from 1% to 2. I'm not
opening up his skull.
I question whether he's even
strong enough for this CT,
but that was your call.
If the pressure in his
brain isn't relieved,
it's over. That's 100%.
I got him this far.
He'll get through surgery.
♪ ♪
All the king's horses and
all the king's men...
guess they should've gone to you.
[door opens, closes]
- Full costume?
- Cape and all.
When Edward learned
it had been destroyed,
he was so distraught,
he could hardly even breathe.
That's a pretty extreme reaction,
but, you know, wardrobe and self-esteem
can be deeply intertwined.
The costume...
Ultimately, it's just a symbol
that represent something
crucially important to Edward.
Our job's to figure out what.
The inciting incident
that made it necessary...
The origin story.
You know,
because we're talking about a superhero.
- Uh-huh.
- Like...
like when Tony Stark became Iron Man.
Why did Billy Batson
become Captain Marvel?
Nice. Pickle.
Urinalysis is clean,
so your infection isn't from a UTI.
Clear.
[X-Ray whirring]
Not pneumonia.
- Meds?
- Aspirin, midodrine, tramadol.
No steroids, immunosuppressants.
No red flags.
I'll check the D-dimer.
It could be a DVT.
- Yeah.
- Deep vein thrombosis?
D-dimer's negative. No clots.
Abscess then.
The hot spot would be the sacrum.
- I-I can't...
- Yeah, I got you.
Nothing dermal.
It must be hiding deep down.
The, uh, scar...
I'm thinking of getting
a tattoo to cover it...
He and she stick figures riding POPS.
It's a surf spot in Waikiki.
We took a lesson on our honeymoon.
We stood up on our first wave.
[solemn music]
[groans]
Did you feel something?
♪ ♪
Um, I don't know.
Maybe.
♪ ♪
Let's get a CT chest,
pelvis and abdomen.
Infection may be abdominal
or in a deep space.
Yeah. Hang tight.
- We're getting closer.
- We'll be back.
- You felt that?
- [laughs]
- Good hemostasis.
- No new bleeds.
He tolerated the surgery well.
Appears luck's on your side today.
If that's how you wanna put it.
There's no heartbeat.
No.
No, no, please, look again.
I'm so sorry.
No.
- Wh...
- You'll need a D&C.
If there's a room available,
I can do it now.
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
[sniffling] Okay.
I need to get back to work.
April, no one would expect you to...
I have to. I...
There's a... a patient
I'm worried about.
Are you sure?
♪ ♪
Okay.
Well, you know the nurses up there.
You just give them a
call when you're ready.
The sooner the better though.
♪ ♪
End of the day.
Tomorrow at the latest.
♪ ♪
[elevator bell dings]
♪ ♪
Hey, April.
Cardiology make a diagnosis?
Viral myocarditis.
She's only in the E.D. until
a bed opens up in the CCU.
She needs cardiopulmonary support.
Infection's that bad?
Well, the hope is partial bypass
will rest her heart enough
to let the antiviral
meds get the upper hand.
♪ ♪
That's doing most of my heart's job now.
I know.
It's hard to keep your mind
from racing to that dark place.
Is there anyone I can call? Uh, family?
My parents are divorced.
Mom's in Idaho. Dad's in New Hampshire.
I'm not ready to deal with all that yet.
But I don't want to be alone.
Will you sit with me?
♪ ♪
As long as you need.
Thank you.
♪ ♪
What was her name?
Rachel. Way out of my league.
[chuckles]
I've always been the quite one.
She was the opposite.
Hm.
I rode her coattails,
yet she still loved me.
And then it was over. My wife was gone.
When did Rachel pass?
Last year... Ovarian cancer.
It took her so fast.
I couldn't help her.
I couldn't ease her pain.
I could only watch.
I was useless, weak.
- And the suit?
- Stumbled across it online.
I don't know why I ordered it.
But when it came, I tried it on, and...
I felt different, stronger.
I just want to be useful.
I just wanna be able to help.
I understand. Uh...
we'll come up with a plan.
Let me talk to my supervisor.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
Hey, how was your ultrasound?
It was fine.
I was just thinking about Melody.
She thought she only had the flu.
Yeah. Okay.
- Hey, walk with me.
- The CPS working?
A-line pulsatility is decreasing.
Heart's beating less
and less on its own.
But it's only been a few hours.
The meds need awhile
to build in her system.
And we can't speed up the process?
We can?
IVIG and plasmapheresis.
It's method to block
Melody's immune system
from attacking heart muscle
as it tries to clear the infection.
- Well, why aren't we doing it?
- The science is unproven.
The unknowns worry me.
The risk of anaphylaxis,
additional infections,
- inflammatory side effects.
- Well, she already coded.
Another one could be
right around the corner.
Isn't it worth trying anything?
Not if it does more harm than good.
[elevator bell dings]
Yes, and the suit
was how Edward dealt
with his wife's death.
See, I'm concerned that if he leaves,
he's just gonna go get another one,
and that will lead him right back here.
Some knucklehead will
see him in that costume,
and pick a fight.
"Let's see how tough
you are, Super-guy."
Hm, it's possible, but...
is he having any suicidal thoughts?
No.
And he's certainly not
a danger to others.
He literally presented
saving a woman's life.
I mean, he just doesn't
meet the criteria
for a psychiatric hold.
[sighs]
Okay.
- There you go.
- Thank you.
Dr. Rhodes? Dr. Rhodes, wait.
Can you tell us about the
miracle patient, Justin Pepper?
- I...
- Please, anything.
The people want to know.
Well...
the craniotomy we
performed was successful.
His blood pressure is steady.
The bleeding in his chest
and belly has slowed,
so, fortunately,
we've been able to back
off of the transfusions.
Is he gonna pull through?
Well, it is still too early to tell,
but we are fighting the good fight.
Now, if all continues to go well,
Ortho will be able to start
treating his bone fractures
tomorrow.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I've got to get back to my patient.
[tense music]
What the hell was that?
My patient's doing well.
I didn't see why the
press shouldn't know.
Any interaction with the
media goes through me.
I wouldn't have let you come out
here and grandstand like that.
What if the patient dies?
You gonna hold a press conference then?
♪ ♪
- Hey.
- Hey.
Thoracic hardware's
stabilizing the spine
on the T4 fracture.
Otherwise, everything looks normal.
Colon has descended.
It could be a colonic
pseudo-obstruction.
They are common in paraplegics.
Yeah, but I don't see
any free air or fluid.
Hm, the infection's gotta
be hiding somewhere.
Let's try a white blood cell scan.
Tag some of his own
infection-fighting cells
with a tracer dye,
and see where they go.
Let his immune system show
us where the hot spot is.
Good idea. I'll get on it.
- Hey, Nat.
- Yeah?
Uh, when I pressed on Nick's abdomen,
I was below a sensory loss level.
He shouldn't have felt anything.
His abdominal wall is inflamed.
When you applied pressure,
it fired off a signal.
If anything, Nick felt nausea,
but nothing tactile.
He couldn't have.
Yeah, I guess not.
[device beeps]
103.5
[groans] It's gone up.
[pants]
What about my heart?
Improvement?
Unfortunately,
it's not responding the way I'd hoped.
[sighs]
I Googled myocarditis.
Severe cases,
people needed heart transplants.
Am I one of them?
Possibly.
But we're not there yet.
There is another
procedure we can try...
IVIG and plasmapheresis...
But I have to warn you,
there are some risks.
What do you think?
If your heart stops beating again,
it may never come back.
[solemn music]
This procedure...
is it an operation?
No, an infusion.
It can be done right here
in the treatment room.
I'll be with you the whole time.
[panting]
Okay.
Okay.
♪ ♪
Gram-negative bacteria? What is that?
It's a common germ found in water,
soil, plants,
the digestive tract...
Sometimes the skin.
They don't always lead to illness,
but when they invade somewhere
they are not endemic to,
you can get pretty sick.
So what did these germs get into?
The muscles surrounding your spine.
There's an abscess at the T4 vertebrae.
- Is it treatable?
- Yes.
A surgeon will make an incision
in your back, and drain it.
The hardware may need
to come out as well.
Do it today,
you'll likely feel better immediately.
- We're good, babe.
- [laughs]
We're all good.
There is something else, though.
In addition to the bacteria,
the biopsy showed
a cluster of cells that are not native
to the paraspinal muscles.
The lab is still trying to figure out
exactly what these cells are,
but they shouldn't be there,
nor do they... They come from my body.
So, what are you guys not telling us?
They're stem cells.
We've been going to
Mexico to get injections
to reverse the paralysis.
I'm gonna walk again.
I know that look.
You think we're crazy.
Abandon a state-of-the-art hospital
for a clinic in Veracruz,
but what Nick needs, we can't find here.
And between the FDA and
constantly changing politics
- and social taboos, we just...
- But leaving the country?
There is no oversight.
The bacteria that caused your abscess
likely came from a treatment.
To ditch the wheelchair, it's worth it.
You touched Nick's
abdomen, and he felt it.
He felt it.
I'm gonna walk again.
And Julia and I are gonna
get back to the life
that we dreamed of...
The one that she deserves.
Okay.
We'll set up the surgery to
have the abscess drained,
then go from there.
♪ ♪
Okay.
♪ ♪
[groans]
Sir, is everything okay?
[wheezing]
Nurse? Somebody?
Oh, my God. Uh, breathe, sir, breathe.
Breathe. Look at me, look at me.
Two seconds in, four seconds out.
Slowly. I need some help!
Here, here, here. What happened?
Uh, he... he suddenly grabbed his chest
- and was short of breath.
- All right, possible MI.
- Uh...
- We gotta move.
Thank you.
♪ ♪
Edward, are you okay?
Yeah, I think. Uh, he needed help.
Okay, well, I saw. You saved him.
And look, in a hospital gown, no less.
Let me... let me help you back to bed.
♪ ♪
[machines beeping]
What's happening?
Asystole. Crash cart and a chest tray.
Got it.
[beeping continues]
Take over compressions.
Scalpels? You're operating here?
There's no electrical
activity in the heart,
so I can't shock it back.
Internal CPR is my only option.
Oh, my God.
[dramatic music]
[grunting]
♪ ♪
All right.
♪ ♪
[grunts] Come on, beat.
Amp of epi.
One amp.
♪ ♪
Come on.
[machine beeping]
Come on.
♪ ♪
[monitor beeps]
All right, we've got a rhythm.
He's back. He's back.
[sobs]
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
Uh, quite a turnaround.
I know, right?
I was worried I wouldn't
be able to pull it off
as smoothly as you, but it worked out.
It's a new world for Edward.
Is it?
Deception breaks doctor-patient trust.
We don't manipulate. We guide.
Your ruse provided Edward
with a moment of revelation,
not the framework to
build his future on.
I mean, trust me, the costume
is not yet a thing of his past.
Okay, discharge papers for Edward.
I'm gonna need a little more time.
Oh, okay.
He feels cold.
His blood pressure is very low.
We're pushing meds,
but his heart is really struggling
to circulate blood through his body.
Justin is a climber.
He always has been.
Wow.
Uh, a few years ago,
he realized that rock
faces weren't enough.
Oh, he loved his life.
It's not over.
But his heart will fail again, won't it?
If it does, I'll restart it.
I'll keep restarting it.
That last resuscitation was...
so violent.
Your son still has a chance.
Does he?
Please...
no more heroics.
♪ ♪
Dr. Rhodes, I admit,
I wanted you to be the hero today.
And I know you did too.
But maybe it's time to stop.
♪ ♪
- Hey.
- Hey.
Got an update from the
neurosurgical floor.
They just got started on Nick.
These foreign clinics...
$30,000 a treatment, sometimes more.
The stem cells are shipped
in from all over the world.
There's no way to prove
they're even authentic,
and the success rates
on their websites...
- Totally unverifiable.
- Scary, I know.
But still,
stem cell research is making huge leaps.
Yeah, maybe for
neurodegenerative diseases.
But spinal cord injuries like Nick's?
That tech is years away.
Yeah.
[beeping]
Just give me a second.
Will... Will, I need you in here.
All right, I gotta go.
Melody's A-line
pulsatility is fluctuating.
- This just start?
- A couple minutes ago.
[device beeps]
Is my heart getting worse?
Uh, no, better.
101. Your temp's gone down.
It means your body's
starting to fight back.
I'm gonna be okay?
Well, we'll get another blood test,
and if your white cell
count has improved as well,
and your heart continues to strengthen,
then I'll dial down the support.
Oh, my God.
Oh, God, I thought for sure...
Thank you, April.
You saved my life.
Whew.
Oh, God, I was so scared.
You're good.
I should call my parents.
Of course.
♪ ♪
Yeah, I gotta say, I did not expect
IVIG and plasmapheresis
to be so effective,
let alone that quickly.
You know, maybe coupling
it with the CPS...
or perhaps, you know, maybe the meds
just finally worked on their own.
You know what? Who cares.
- It worked.
- Yeah.
- Yeah?
- We got the win.
Yeah...
- You don't seem excited.
- No, I am.
It's just a long day.
Yeah, but a good one.
Nice job.
♪ ♪
[sobbing]
[monitor beeping]
[extended beep]
[sobbing]
[device beeping]
♪ ♪
Neurosurgeon said everything went well.
I feel much better.
It's like night and day.
Mind if I take a look?
All good back there?
Yeah.
No surprises.
Great. Ready to put today behind me...
[laughs] No pun intended.
Nick, when I was examining your abdomen,
you thought you felt something.
You didn't, did you?
Just my wife's eyes
desperately wishing I could.
These treatments you're
getting in Mexico...
They're not working.
And given your injury,
the chances of paralysis
being reversed is almost zero.
I can't give up.
Stem cells can turn into
any part of the body.
Instead of curing you,
they could form a mass or a tumor.
Please, don't get anymore injections.
I have to.
I love Julia more than anything,
but there are...
intimacies that I can't provide.
Our bond is built on hope.
It's what holds us together.
So it doesn't matter if you believe
the treatments won't work. Julia does.
- That's enough for me.
- But you're risking your life.
She is my life.
I don't want you to share
your concerns with her.
[solemn music]
Okay.
Good luck.
♪ ♪
Good luck?
- [sighs]
- Ethan, are you kidding?
Nat, I've met combat vets
who have been paralyzed.
The feelings of inferiority
can be overwhelming.
If you told them a bottle of snake oil
might help them walk again,
they'd drink it every time.
So you agree with what Nick's doing?
I understand it, Nat.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
It wasn't real.
The situation was staged,
but your response was absolutely real.
But I shouldn't have tricked you.
I thought building
you up from the inside
would help you connect
to your true self,
but I realize now...
you've always known exactly who you are.
The real goal is making
sure others can see that.
- What's that?
- A hospital volunteer vest.
I know it's not as flashy
as your other outfit,
but around here,
there are a lot of people in need.
Seeing you in this,
they'll know you're someone
they can depend on...
Someone who can help them.
Think about it.
♪ ♪
Hey.
♪ ♪
Surgery?
I have Procedure Room 3 open.
I'll schedule you in. Come on up.
♪ ♪
April?
April...
♪ ♪
I saw your name on the list for a D&C.
♪ ♪
It was my ultrasound.
There wa... there wasn't...
♪ ♪
I-I don't... I don't know when.
I-I don't... I don't know why...
♪ ♪
My baby's...
heart...
it stopped...
It's okay.
♪ ♪
It stopped beating.
[both crying]
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Hey.
♪ ♪
What letter are we up to now?
J's.
So, Jeremiah if it's a boy,
or Jacinta if it's a girl.
Hmm... Jeremiah Sexton-Jenkins.
- I like it.
- Oh, my God, it's a boy?
Or Jacinta Sexton-Jenkins.
You're having fun torturing me
by not telling me the gender
of the baby, aren't you?
A little, but hey,
if I can wait 21 more weeks, so can you.
Dr. Rhodes?
Page me if you need me.
Case coming your way.
Window washer fell 33 stories.
Should be DOA, but
still alive... barely.
- 33?
- Press will be all over this.
Hospital PR's gonna be involved.
Get ready for your close-up.
Okay, who's next?
Damian Butler.
- Damian Butler?
- That's me.
[whispers] Oh, God.
Won't be much longer.
[sighs] It's just I have the flu.
It's low priority. I get it.
Sir?
- Maggie, how many minutes out?
- They're here.
- Baghdad's prepped.
- Thanks.
[indistinct radio chatter]
Justin Pepper, 23,
long fall, axial load injury
after his window washing
platform gave out.
GCS, 3... BP, 70 over palp...
Heart rate, 135.
All right, that long a fall,
we're looking at
injuries to the brain,
spine, chest, and abdomen,
let alone long bone fractures.
Maggie,
I need extra hands and an O.R. on alert.
Done.
- What's he got for IV access?
- 16 gauge on both arms.
All right, very gently, everybody.
On my count, one, two, three.
[tense music]
- Good luck.
- Thanks.
All right, likely cavitary bleeding.
Wheeler, get a groin
line. Start the MTP.
Hang two units of O-neg
on the rapid transfuser
until we type and cross. X-Rays...
I need chest, pelvis, and C-spine.
And let's get the ultrasound over here
to fast his belly.
- Lungs are clear.
- All right.
I'm gonna start the groin line.
Help me reduce this leg fracture.
Come on, come on. One, two, three...
- [grunting]
- [bone cracking]
- X-Ray.
- All right, step back.
♪ ♪
Pelvis down.
- C-spine.
- On the box.
♪ ♪
- Chest X-Ray is up.
- Tension hemopneumothorax.
Trachea shifted, venous return is down.
Give me a chest tube.
Show me the pelvis.
Got it.
Vertical shear of the
left hemipelvis...
It needs traction.
Pull up the C-spine.
Up.
Multiple C-spine fractures.
- Wheeler, how's that groin line?
- Done.
All right, chest tube's in too.
Let's move.
Justin didn't survive a 330-foot fall
just to die in my trauma bay.
- Let's go, let's go!
- Go.
♪ ♪
- Witnesses report that
Mr. Pepper clung to
the window washing platform as it fell,
almost riding it like a surfboard.
Physicists surmise this
likely created wind resistance
that not only slowed his plummet,
but also absorbed some
of the force from impact.
That might explain how he survived
such a horrific fall.
I'm running the bowel.
Feeling tears.
[tense music]
Hemostat.
Pelvic hematoma and mesenteric
bleeders are tied off.
Let's resect the bowel
quickly and move on.
GIA 80 stapler with a reload.
50% of people who fall
four to five stories die.
Ten or 11... it's almost 100%,
so this is a first.
There's an exception to every rule.
♪ ♪
All right, got some more spaces... next.
Laura Pastino.
Laura Pastino?
No, Melody Sayers.
Okay, uh, Treatment 3.
I'll be right there.
- I'm sorry.
- No, this one's on me.
I thought I could sneak
in and see a doctor
on my lunch break.
It's bad planning.
Okay, I'm April. Can I get you anything?
Water? Snack from the meal cart?
No thanks. Not much of an appetite.
If I need something, I'll just...
Melody?
Are you okay?
Yeah, sorry.
You just zoned out.
That ever happen before?
Probably.
I'm a first-year associate.
My law firm's specialty.
60-hour weeks.
Can I see your wrist?
Yeah.
Pulse is really weak.
I'm just exhausted.
I'm gonna go home and sleep.
I'll come back tomorrow.
Your feet hurt?
Yeah, I've just been sitting for awhile.
Do you mind if I take a look?
Sure.
Ankles are swollen.
Pitting edema.
Do me a favor.
Stick around for a little longer.
I'm gonna get you in.
Okay.
[distant siren wailing]
- Americano.
- Thank you.
Wow, all this for Connor's trauma?
If it bleeds, it leads.
Help! I need help!
My husband!
♪ ♪
- What happened?
- He called me at work.
He said he wasn't feeling
well. But then...
But when I came home for lunch,
I-I found him like this.
Hey, hey, can you hear me?
Thready pulse, diaphoretic.
He's burning up.
He take any drugs?
Could it be an overdose?
No, never.
Septic shock?
I think so. We gotta get him inside.
All right, I'm gonna get
techs to bring out a gurney,
and set up for central
access if we need one.
I'm gonna help you out of the car, okay?
No, get back. I can do it myself.
No, Nick, let him help you.
Don't let him, please.
- Easy.
- Nick, please, no...
Julia... Julia...
- I need your help.
- I know, baby, I-I...
I'm sorry.
♪ ♪
Okay, okay.
My legs don't work.
It's okay, Nick. I got you.
Here.
♪ ♪
All right.
Let's go.
♪ ♪
Dr. Choi, you're going to Treatment 5.
- Dr. Manning's already there.
- Thanks, Mags.
Dr. Reese?
- Oh, my...
- This woman needs aid.
Dr. Wheeler!
I saw her fall crossing the street.
When I got to her, she
was unable to speak.
- Think she's having a stroke.
- Treatment 2.
Weak pulse...
right side of the face is droopy.
- Right side body, limp.
- What do we got?
Possible stroke.
Okay. Thanks, Super-dude.
You're safe now, ma'am.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
Oh, Lord.
We need a stretcher!
♪ ♪
Right now, your son is in shock.
There is massive blood loss
from extensive injuries
to his liver, his
pelvis, his intestines.
We've packed his abdomen
to control the bleeding
and removed a portion of his bowel.
He's still open.
That's what we call a
negative pressure dressing.
It helps to temporize the abdomen...
Is Justin going to survive?
When he arrived in the E.D.,
he was minute to minute.
Right now, he is hour to hour,
and that is a very good first step.
[phone buzzes]
This is Dr. Rhodes.
Who is this and how did
you get this number?
No, my patient is very much alive,
thank you.
Sounds like the press
got to you before we did.
Dr. Connor Rhodes, this is Evelyn Kumer,
public affairs rep for the hospital.
She'll be coordinating
all media platforms.
So, reporters got your number?
Yeah, they wanted to
know if Justin had died
on the operating table.
Where do they get this crap?
Who knows? But the
rumor mill is grinding.
And you're in the spotlight.
A man falls 33 stories
and is still alive?
People are gonna want to know,
is this a miracle or
a setup for tragedy?
- [chuckles softly]
- Excuse me.
Until we know for sure how
this is gonna turn out,
let's stick with "no comment."
102.7. BP, 80 over 55.
Whoa, that's really low.
Uh, Melody,
I hear a crackling in your chest.
This means fluid is
building up in the lungs.
A symptom of the flu?
- I don't think so.
- The exhaustion,
swelling in your legs,
low blood pressure
are possible indicators
of a cardiac problem.
My heart? Oh, my God.
We're gonna take a look and
see what's going on, okay?
Okay.
That just... That
doesn't make any sense.
I'm only 25 years old.
I walk to work instead
of taking the train.
Eat salads... take spin classes.
Okay, dilated left ventricle,
poor wall motion.
April, let's get her on the monitor.
Your heart is pumping very poorly.
Uh, I'll need an echo,
but if I had to say,
I'd guess it's working at 20, 25%.
My heart is failing?
It's unusual for a young woman.
Could be a thyroid imbalance,
a kidney issue, virus.
We'll figure it out. Before you know it,
you'll be back at spin class.
I'm gonna hold you to that.
Melody... Melody?
[machines beeping]
No pulse or breathing.
V fib... get on her chest.
Charge to 200.
200.
[device whirs]
Charged.
Hold CPR.
Clear.
200 again.
200.
[device whirring]
Hold CPR.
Clear.
I got a pulse.
It's weak but steady. She's breathing.
Let's get her to the cath lab.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
Great catch, April. Had she gone home,
no way help would've
gotten to her in time.
♪ ♪
- So it's an infection?
- Fever, elevated white cells,
inflammatory markers, and lacate.
- I'd say so.
- Most likely UTI.
It's common in paraplegics.
Been down that road a few times.
Life with a catheter, right?
We made to need to
replace it. Suprapubic?
T-boned by a drunk driver who
didn't stop for a red light.
He walked away with a few stitches.
That was then. We're moving on.
Brighter days ahead.
Area around the catheter looks clean.
No obvious abscess or skin infection.
Answer's in the pee then.
We'll get this and blood
cultures up to the lab,
find out what we're dealing with.
Sorry about lashing out earlier.
I sometimes forget I'm half a man.
No, you're not.
I'm with her.
Yeah, well, she's one of a kind.
Not letting her get away.
Good plan.
[chuckles]
Hey... K...
If it's a boy, Kalani.
If it's a girl, Kiersleigh.
What do you think?
- Pass.
- Ulch.
Any word from the cath lab about Melody?
No, but I should hear something soon.
[sighs] Okay, I have an OB appointment.
Should be fast, though...
20 minutes, tops.
I can push it.
Or I can text you if I hear something.
Because of the TB,
Dr. Lee likes to see me every two weeks.
- You'll text me about Melody?
- Mm-hmm.
Now go, don't be late
for your appointment.
[sighs]
We haven't officially
met. I'm Dr. Reese.
Hi. Edward Thompson.
That was quite an entrance, Edward.
Yeah, I could imagine.
The suit, elderly woman in my arms.
- Yeah. [laughs]
- How is she?
- Uh, doing well...
- Oh.
Thanks to you getting
her here so quickly.
Oh, that's great.
How are you? How are you feeling?
Okay, I think.
But I never passed out before.
What... uh, what happened?
Uh, your labs and EKG are normal,
so I think you were just
so excited in the moment
that when it was over, you fainted.
And where are my clothes?
A nurse said she'd get 'em,
but she never came back.
Unfortunately,
we had to cut off the costume,
so that we could examine you.
Cut it off?
You mean... it's destroyed?
Uh, yes.
Oh, God.
You had no right. I...
[panting] I need it.
Edward, breathe.
Breathe.
All right, nice and s-all right, here.
- Hey, look at me, look at me.
- [steady breathing]
Just like this. Two seconds in.
Four seconds out.
Two seconds in.
Four seconds out.
♪ ♪
I need it.
♪ ♪
33 stories. God.
Massive subdural hemorrhage.
Significant left shift.
Big mass effect is crushing
his brain inside of his skull.
Well, he did fall off a building.
Craniotomy, right?
To what end? He's coagulopathic.
I go in and take out the clot,
it'll just re-accumulate.
No, I don't think so.
I'm actively giving him plasma,
platelets, and cryo.
Which improve his overall
chances of survival
from 1% to 2. I'm not
opening up his skull.
I question whether he's even
strong enough for this CT,
but that was your call.
If the pressure in his
brain isn't relieved,
it's over. That's 100%.
I got him this far.
He'll get through surgery.
♪ ♪
All the king's horses and
all the king's men...
guess they should've gone to you.
[door opens, closes]
- Full costume?
- Cape and all.
When Edward learned
it had been destroyed,
he was so distraught,
he could hardly even breathe.
That's a pretty extreme reaction,
but, you know, wardrobe and self-esteem
can be deeply intertwined.
The costume...
Ultimately, it's just a symbol
that represent something
crucially important to Edward.
Our job's to figure out what.
The inciting incident
that made it necessary...
The origin story.
You know,
because we're talking about a superhero.
- Uh-huh.
- Like...
like when Tony Stark became Iron Man.
Why did Billy Batson
become Captain Marvel?
Nice. Pickle.
Urinalysis is clean,
so your infection isn't from a UTI.
Clear.
[X-Ray whirring]
Not pneumonia.
- Meds?
- Aspirin, midodrine, tramadol.
No steroids, immunosuppressants.
No red flags.
I'll check the D-dimer.
It could be a DVT.
- Yeah.
- Deep vein thrombosis?
D-dimer's negative. No clots.
Abscess then.
The hot spot would be the sacrum.
- I-I can't...
- Yeah, I got you.
Nothing dermal.
It must be hiding deep down.
The, uh, scar...
I'm thinking of getting
a tattoo to cover it...
He and she stick figures riding POPS.
It's a surf spot in Waikiki.
We took a lesson on our honeymoon.
We stood up on our first wave.
[solemn music]
[groans]
Did you feel something?
♪ ♪
Um, I don't know.
Maybe.
♪ ♪
Let's get a CT chest,
pelvis and abdomen.
Infection may be abdominal
or in a deep space.
Yeah. Hang tight.
- We're getting closer.
- We'll be back.
- You felt that?
- [laughs]
- Good hemostasis.
- No new bleeds.
He tolerated the surgery well.
Appears luck's on your side today.
If that's how you wanna put it.
There's no heartbeat.
No.
No, no, please, look again.
I'm so sorry.
No.
- Wh...
- You'll need a D&C.
If there's a room available,
I can do it now.
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
[sniffling] Okay.
I need to get back to work.
April, no one would expect you to...
I have to. I...
There's a... a patient
I'm worried about.
Are you sure?
♪ ♪
Okay.
Well, you know the nurses up there.
You just give them a
call when you're ready.
The sooner the better though.
♪ ♪
End of the day.
Tomorrow at the latest.
♪ ♪
[elevator bell dings]
♪ ♪
Hey, April.
Cardiology make a diagnosis?
Viral myocarditis.
She's only in the E.D. until
a bed opens up in the CCU.
She needs cardiopulmonary support.
Infection's that bad?
Well, the hope is partial bypass
will rest her heart enough
to let the antiviral
meds get the upper hand.
♪ ♪
That's doing most of my heart's job now.
I know.
It's hard to keep your mind
from racing to that dark place.
Is there anyone I can call? Uh, family?
My parents are divorced.
Mom's in Idaho. Dad's in New Hampshire.
I'm not ready to deal with all that yet.
But I don't want to be alone.
Will you sit with me?
♪ ♪
As long as you need.
Thank you.
♪ ♪
What was her name?
Rachel. Way out of my league.
[chuckles]
I've always been the quite one.
She was the opposite.
Hm.
I rode her coattails,
yet she still loved me.
And then it was over. My wife was gone.
When did Rachel pass?
Last year... Ovarian cancer.
It took her so fast.
I couldn't help her.
I couldn't ease her pain.
I could only watch.
I was useless, weak.
- And the suit?
- Stumbled across it online.
I don't know why I ordered it.
But when it came, I tried it on, and...
I felt different, stronger.
I just want to be useful.
I just wanna be able to help.
I understand. Uh...
we'll come up with a plan.
Let me talk to my supervisor.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
Hey, how was your ultrasound?
It was fine.
I was just thinking about Melody.
She thought she only had the flu.
Yeah. Okay.
- Hey, walk with me.
- The CPS working?
A-line pulsatility is decreasing.
Heart's beating less
and less on its own.
But it's only been a few hours.
The meds need awhile
to build in her system.
And we can't speed up the process?
We can?
IVIG and plasmapheresis.
It's method to block
Melody's immune system
from attacking heart muscle
as it tries to clear the infection.
- Well, why aren't we doing it?
- The science is unproven.
The unknowns worry me.
The risk of anaphylaxis,
additional infections,
- inflammatory side effects.
- Well, she already coded.
Another one could be
right around the corner.
Isn't it worth trying anything?
Not if it does more harm than good.
[elevator bell dings]
Yes, and the suit
was how Edward dealt
with his wife's death.
See, I'm concerned that if he leaves,
he's just gonna go get another one,
and that will lead him right back here.
Some knucklehead will
see him in that costume,
and pick a fight.
"Let's see how tough
you are, Super-guy."
Hm, it's possible, but...
is he having any suicidal thoughts?
No.
And he's certainly not
a danger to others.
He literally presented
saving a woman's life.
I mean, he just doesn't
meet the criteria
for a psychiatric hold.
[sighs]
Okay.
- There you go.
- Thank you.
Dr. Rhodes? Dr. Rhodes, wait.
Can you tell us about the
miracle patient, Justin Pepper?
- I...
- Please, anything.
The people want to know.
Well...
the craniotomy we
performed was successful.
His blood pressure is steady.
The bleeding in his chest
and belly has slowed,
so, fortunately,
we've been able to back
off of the transfusions.
Is he gonna pull through?
Well, it is still too early to tell,
but we are fighting the good fight.
Now, if all continues to go well,
Ortho will be able to start
treating his bone fractures
tomorrow.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I've got to get back to my patient.
[tense music]
What the hell was that?
My patient's doing well.
I didn't see why the
press shouldn't know.
Any interaction with the
media goes through me.
I wouldn't have let you come out
here and grandstand like that.
What if the patient dies?
You gonna hold a press conference then?
♪ ♪
- Hey.
- Hey.
Thoracic hardware's
stabilizing the spine
on the T4 fracture.
Otherwise, everything looks normal.
Colon has descended.
It could be a colonic
pseudo-obstruction.
They are common in paraplegics.
Yeah, but I don't see
any free air or fluid.
Hm, the infection's gotta
be hiding somewhere.
Let's try a white blood cell scan.
Tag some of his own
infection-fighting cells
with a tracer dye,
and see where they go.
Let his immune system show
us where the hot spot is.
Good idea. I'll get on it.
- Hey, Nat.
- Yeah?
Uh, when I pressed on Nick's abdomen,
I was below a sensory loss level.
He shouldn't have felt anything.
His abdominal wall is inflamed.
When you applied pressure,
it fired off a signal.
If anything, Nick felt nausea,
but nothing tactile.
He couldn't have.
Yeah, I guess not.
[device beeps]
103.5
[groans] It's gone up.
[pants]
What about my heart?
Improvement?
Unfortunately,
it's not responding the way I'd hoped.
[sighs]
I Googled myocarditis.
Severe cases,
people needed heart transplants.
Am I one of them?
Possibly.
But we're not there yet.
There is another
procedure we can try...
IVIG and plasmapheresis...
But I have to warn you,
there are some risks.
What do you think?
If your heart stops beating again,
it may never come back.
[solemn music]
This procedure...
is it an operation?
No, an infusion.
It can be done right here
in the treatment room.
I'll be with you the whole time.
[panting]
Okay.
Okay.
♪ ♪
Gram-negative bacteria? What is that?
It's a common germ found in water,
soil, plants,
the digestive tract...
Sometimes the skin.
They don't always lead to illness,
but when they invade somewhere
they are not endemic to,
you can get pretty sick.
So what did these germs get into?
The muscles surrounding your spine.
There's an abscess at the T4 vertebrae.
- Is it treatable?
- Yes.
A surgeon will make an incision
in your back, and drain it.
The hardware may need
to come out as well.
Do it today,
you'll likely feel better immediately.
- We're good, babe.
- [laughs]
We're all good.
There is something else, though.
In addition to the bacteria,
the biopsy showed
a cluster of cells that are not native
to the paraspinal muscles.
The lab is still trying to figure out
exactly what these cells are,
but they shouldn't be there,
nor do they... They come from my body.
So, what are you guys not telling us?
They're stem cells.
We've been going to
Mexico to get injections
to reverse the paralysis.
I'm gonna walk again.
I know that look.
You think we're crazy.
Abandon a state-of-the-art hospital
for a clinic in Veracruz,
but what Nick needs, we can't find here.
And between the FDA and
constantly changing politics
- and social taboos, we just...
- But leaving the country?
There is no oversight.
The bacteria that caused your abscess
likely came from a treatment.
To ditch the wheelchair, it's worth it.
You touched Nick's
abdomen, and he felt it.
He felt it.
I'm gonna walk again.
And Julia and I are gonna
get back to the life
that we dreamed of...
The one that she deserves.
Okay.
We'll set up the surgery to
have the abscess drained,
then go from there.
♪ ♪
Okay.
♪ ♪
[groans]
Sir, is everything okay?
[wheezing]
Nurse? Somebody?
Oh, my God. Uh, breathe, sir, breathe.
Breathe. Look at me, look at me.
Two seconds in, four seconds out.
Slowly. I need some help!
Here, here, here. What happened?
Uh, he... he suddenly grabbed his chest
- and was short of breath.
- All right, possible MI.
- Uh...
- We gotta move.
Thank you.
♪ ♪
Edward, are you okay?
Yeah, I think. Uh, he needed help.
Okay, well, I saw. You saved him.
And look, in a hospital gown, no less.
Let me... let me help you back to bed.
♪ ♪
[machines beeping]
What's happening?
Asystole. Crash cart and a chest tray.
Got it.
[beeping continues]
Take over compressions.
Scalpels? You're operating here?
There's no electrical
activity in the heart,
so I can't shock it back.
Internal CPR is my only option.
Oh, my God.
[dramatic music]
[grunting]
♪ ♪
All right.
♪ ♪
[grunts] Come on, beat.
Amp of epi.
One amp.
♪ ♪
Come on.
[machine beeping]
Come on.
♪ ♪
[monitor beeps]
All right, we've got a rhythm.
He's back. He's back.
[sobs]
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
Uh, quite a turnaround.
I know, right?
I was worried I wouldn't
be able to pull it off
as smoothly as you, but it worked out.
It's a new world for Edward.
Is it?
Deception breaks doctor-patient trust.
We don't manipulate. We guide.
Your ruse provided Edward
with a moment of revelation,
not the framework to
build his future on.
I mean, trust me, the costume
is not yet a thing of his past.
Okay, discharge papers for Edward.
I'm gonna need a little more time.
Oh, okay.
He feels cold.
His blood pressure is very low.
We're pushing meds,
but his heart is really struggling
to circulate blood through his body.
Justin is a climber.
He always has been.
Wow.
Uh, a few years ago,
he realized that rock
faces weren't enough.
Oh, he loved his life.
It's not over.
But his heart will fail again, won't it?
If it does, I'll restart it.
I'll keep restarting it.
That last resuscitation was...
so violent.
Your son still has a chance.
Does he?
Please...
no more heroics.
♪ ♪
Dr. Rhodes, I admit,
I wanted you to be the hero today.
And I know you did too.
But maybe it's time to stop.
♪ ♪
- Hey.
- Hey.
Got an update from the
neurosurgical floor.
They just got started on Nick.
These foreign clinics...
$30,000 a treatment, sometimes more.
The stem cells are shipped
in from all over the world.
There's no way to prove
they're even authentic,
and the success rates
on their websites...
- Totally unverifiable.
- Scary, I know.
But still,
stem cell research is making huge leaps.
Yeah, maybe for
neurodegenerative diseases.
But spinal cord injuries like Nick's?
That tech is years away.
Yeah.
[beeping]
Just give me a second.
Will... Will, I need you in here.
All right, I gotta go.
Melody's A-line
pulsatility is fluctuating.
- This just start?
- A couple minutes ago.
[device beeps]
Is my heart getting worse?
Uh, no, better.
101. Your temp's gone down.
It means your body's
starting to fight back.
I'm gonna be okay?
Well, we'll get another blood test,
and if your white cell
count has improved as well,
and your heart continues to strengthen,
then I'll dial down the support.
Oh, my God.
Oh, God, I thought for sure...
Thank you, April.
You saved my life.
Whew.
Oh, God, I was so scared.
You're good.
I should call my parents.
Of course.
♪ ♪
Yeah, I gotta say, I did not expect
IVIG and plasmapheresis
to be so effective,
let alone that quickly.
You know, maybe coupling
it with the CPS...
or perhaps, you know, maybe the meds
just finally worked on their own.
You know what? Who cares.
- It worked.
- Yeah.
- Yeah?
- We got the win.
Yeah...
- You don't seem excited.
- No, I am.
It's just a long day.
Yeah, but a good one.
Nice job.
♪ ♪
[sobbing]
[monitor beeping]
[extended beep]
[sobbing]
[device beeping]
♪ ♪
Neurosurgeon said everything went well.
I feel much better.
It's like night and day.
Mind if I take a look?
All good back there?
Yeah.
No surprises.
Great. Ready to put today behind me...
[laughs] No pun intended.
Nick, when I was examining your abdomen,
you thought you felt something.
You didn't, did you?
Just my wife's eyes
desperately wishing I could.
These treatments you're
getting in Mexico...
They're not working.
And given your injury,
the chances of paralysis
being reversed is almost zero.
I can't give up.
Stem cells can turn into
any part of the body.
Instead of curing you,
they could form a mass or a tumor.
Please, don't get anymore injections.
I have to.
I love Julia more than anything,
but there are...
intimacies that I can't provide.
Our bond is built on hope.
It's what holds us together.
So it doesn't matter if you believe
the treatments won't work. Julia does.
- That's enough for me.
- But you're risking your life.
She is my life.
I don't want you to share
your concerns with her.
[solemn music]
Okay.
Good luck.
♪ ♪
Good luck?
- [sighs]
- Ethan, are you kidding?
Nat, I've met combat vets
who have been paralyzed.
The feelings of inferiority
can be overwhelming.
If you told them a bottle of snake oil
might help them walk again,
they'd drink it every time.
So you agree with what Nick's doing?
I understand it, Nat.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
It wasn't real.
The situation was staged,
but your response was absolutely real.
But I shouldn't have tricked you.
I thought building
you up from the inside
would help you connect
to your true self,
but I realize now...
you've always known exactly who you are.
The real goal is making
sure others can see that.
- What's that?
- A hospital volunteer vest.
I know it's not as flashy
as your other outfit,
but around here,
there are a lot of people in need.
Seeing you in this,
they'll know you're someone
they can depend on...
Someone who can help them.
Think about it.
♪ ♪
Hey.
♪ ♪
Surgery?
I have Procedure Room 3 open.
I'll schedule you in. Come on up.
♪ ♪
April?
April...
♪ ♪
I saw your name on the list for a D&C.
♪ ♪
It was my ultrasound.
There wa... there wasn't...
♪ ♪
I-I don't... I don't know when.
I-I don't... I don't know why...
♪ ♪
My baby's...
heart...
it stopped...
It's okay.
♪ ♪
It stopped beating.
[both crying]
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Hey.
♪ ♪