Chicago Med (2015–…): Season 6, Episode 2 - Those Things Hidden in Plain Sight - full transcript
[dramatic music]
- This job
was hard enough before.
Now it's a nightmare.
- Well, you're the chief, right?
That's your job.
- Are you okay, Crockett?
- Every time I see kids
with leukemia,
I think about my little girl.
- Dr. Halstead?
Sabeena Virani.
We're running a trial at Med.
Dr. Ramsey recommended you.
- Thanks.
Another time
I might be interested.
I got a lot going on right now.
You said drug addicts can
replace drugs with romance.
- You think that's maybe
what happened here?
- I can't be the reason
you stay sober.
Well, a little more leeway
would've been nice.
All my stuff's packed up
and ready to go.
[sighs]
Fine, just let me know,
but don't go cashing
that deposit check.
That apartment I had lined up...
- Mm-hmm?
- It's infested with bed bugs.
- Ew.
Can't you stay at Hannah's
for few more nights?
- No, she let her lease go.
She's headed for the West Coast
when she gets out of rehab.
- Well, if you need
a place to stay,
there's always room at Club Med.
- There's no one in my life
I have to quarantine from.
It's just me and my stuff.
Here I am,
another failed relationship,
and no place to live.
I'm no further along than when
I was a first year resident.
- I wouldn't go that far.
With Lanik quitting,
you could be named Chief.
- Me?
- No attending's been in ED
longer than you.
You're a zealot
for your patients.
Why not you?
- Honestly, hadn't even
thought about it.
- Well, maybe you should start.
You might get that office.
Then you'll have somewhere
to put all that stuff of yours.
[beeping]
Incoming.
It's got your name on it.
[alarm blaring]
- What happened?
- Jerome Kirk, 56 years old.
Lost control of his car,
hit a lamp post.
Rapid tested negative for COVID
in route.
GCS 14.
BP low at 90/60.
No breath sounds on the right.
- Need an x-ray!
One, two, three.
[grunts]
[tense music]
♪
Yep, can't hear anything either.
- [murmuring]
Wrong turn.
- Easy, Mr. Kirk.
Let's get this x-ray and then
you can tell me all about it.
Clear!
Right-sided pneumothorax,
but there's air
in the mediastinum
between the lungs.
Strange.
Mr. Kirk, your right lung
has collapsed.
I'm gonna place a tube
to help it reinflate.
Kay, now what were you
saying before?
Something about a wrong turn?
- What did I say?
- I think you were trying
to tell me how it happened.
The accident.
- I was in a car accident?
- Maybe you hit your head
in the process?
No?
Right after this, let's send
Mr. Kirk for a panscan.
I wanna to make sure
nothing else is bothering him.
- My heart's doing great, Mama.
[heavy breathing]
- Is that true, April?
- We're on top of it.
We've established
a baseline echo,
we have her on
continuous monitoring,
and because of COVID,
we're paying
extra close attention.
- I found an article
on the internet
about what patients
with cardiomyopathy
need to know about
the coronavirus.
I'll send it to the doctors.
- You don't need to do that.
- Go ahead, Alejandra.
No harm in sharing an article.
- I should go.
My shift starts soon.
- Mama, you said you'd stop
working at the hotel.
- I have to work, Yesenia.
- Talk to you later, Alejandra.
Okay.
- Ah, she's so stubborn.
I know she takes off her mask
when it bothers her.
What if she gets sick?
Who will take care of her
while I'm in here?
- Hey.
Then we just have
to get you better
so you can go home, okay?
- [heavy breathing]]
- Hey, come on.
Goodwin is making
an announcement.
- As you all know,
Dr. Lanik has stepped down
as interim Chief of the ED,
and after careful consideration,
the board and I have come
to a decision
on his replacement.
So I am proud to announce
your new Chief
is Dr. Ethan Choi.
[cheers and applause]
[overlapping chatter]
- You okay?
- Yeah.
[somber music]
♪
.
- 24-year-old female, pregnant,
complaining of severe nausea
and fatigue,
started vomiting this morning.
Record shows she's at 37 weeks.
- Where'd they bring her
in from?
- Cook County Jail.
Name's Aisha Barnes.
- Okay.
Thanks.
Hey, are those cuffs necessary?
- We can remove them
at your request.
- But we prefer to keep them on
when dealing
with violent offenders.
- Oh, okay.
Um...
I'll let you know then.
Thanks.
Good morning, Aisha.
I'm Dr. Manning.
How are you feeling?
- Like I'm gonna explode.
- 37 weeks.
Not much longer now.
So it says here you started
feeling sick this morning?
- It didn't start this morning.
I've been feeling sick
for over a week.
- The nausea?
- Yeah.
And I get these insane
headaches, like, on and off.
I kept telling them
in the infirmary,
but they wouldn't listen til
I threw up in the mess today.
- BP 162/110.
- Okay.
162/110 is a little higher
than we'd like to see.
Do you have any history
of hypertension?
- I don't think so.
Doesn't it say in there?
- No.
No, it doesn't.
- You gonna get them
to take these cuffs off?
- Um, it's all right.
I can work around them.
- Yeah, you know,
I heard them out there
calling me a violent offender.
Just like the cop at my trial
told everybody
I was resisting arrest,
but all I did was push him
'cause he was harassing
my cousin,
and I served my time.
- I'm sorry.
Let's warm up the ultrasound.
- The only reason
I'm back in jail
is 'cause of a busted taillight.
Damn probation officer called
it a violation of my parole,
and I can't even get a court
date so a judge can weigh in.
- I'm sorry to hear that.
- [scoffs] Yeah, I can tell.
- Why don't we see
how your baby's doing, okay?
With your free hand,
would you mind
just lifting up your shirt
over your stomach for me?
- You a licensed OB?
- I specialize in emergency
medicine and pediatrics.
- I wanna see someone
who knows what they're doing.
- I am more than qualified
to perform a preliminary exam.
- I wanna see a licensed OB,
and you can't do anything else
until I see one.
- Okay.
I will send someone down
from OB.
All right.
- So that's subdural air,
a pneumocephalus.
- A what?
- There's pocket of air
trapped in the front
of your head, Mr. Kirk.
- Is that bad?
- Very.
- For that much air,
it's just hard believe
there's not any bruising
indicating blunt head
trauma from the car accident.
- It could be something else
causing it.
Previous surgeries,
tumors, infections.
However the air got there,
we have got to get it out.
- Right.
What's the best way?
- Burr a hole in his head.
- My head?
- Anything less invasive?
- I suppose we could put it
on hold for now,
put him on high flow oxygen,
and raise his bed 45 degrees,
see if venous drainage helps.
- Thanks, Sam.
- [sighs] Ah.
Here he comes.
The new Chief.
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
- It's Sam.
Seriously, congratulations, man.
Well deserved.
- Thanks, Will.
Appreciate that.
Hey, how's your case going?
- A bit of a mystery,
but I'll crack it eventually.
- Maybe I could help.
- Right now I'm good,
but thanks.
- Actually, Will, as Chief,
I'd like to take
a more hands-on approach,
help out where I can.
- Right.
I'm sending it to you now.
- Thanks.
- [clears throat]
So Mr. Kirk crashed his car
into a lamp post.
He had a pneumothorax
I treated with a chest tube,
but the CT shows air in
his mediastinum and his head.
- He had a pneumothorax
from the crash.
Big blunt hit like that,
the air could go
all kinds of places.
- Or maybe the air was there
before the car accident,
creating intracranial pressure.
- If the air wasn't there
from the crash,
then how'd it get there?
- Jerome's medical records show
he had a cardiac ablation
at East Mercy three weeks ago.
If the surgeon was overzealous
with the RF probe,
he could have burned
a microscopic hole
in his esophagus that's been
leaking air ever since.
- Interesting theory.
- So I'm sending him for
an esophageal scope.
See if we can find the hole
before having surgery scheduled
to repair it.
- Go for it.
Keep me posted.
- Yeah.
- Thanks.
[door beeps]
- Dr. Marcel!
- Yeah?
- Just the man
I was looking for.
- Oh.
This about that directive
from Goodwin,
the shrink session?
- It's just a check-in.
You know, see how you guys
are all doing
given everything
that's going on.
- Right.
- Everybody in your department,
I have on the books
except for you.
If I didn't know any better,
I'd say you were trying
to avoid me.
- Eh, well, that's 'cause I am.
- Ha ha.
- Look, I appreciate the invite,
but I respectfully RSVP "no."
- Oh, so you decline?
- No offense, Daniel,
but talking about myself's
not really my thing.
- Buddy, we can talk about
whatever you want.
Sports, movies...
look, Thanksgiving's coming up.
I need a new stuffing recipe.
I'm serious.
You've got some fantastic,
ancient Cajun family recipe
you care to share with me?
- [laughs]
How soon
can I get this over with?
- Dr. Manning,
you needed a consult?
- Are you the new OBGYN?
- Angela Douglas.
Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
Thanks for coming down.
We've got a young woman in
from Cook County Jail.
I didn't draw any labs because
she requested a consult,
but I suspect
she's preeclamptic.
- How's the baby doing?
- She wouldn't let me do
an ultrasound,
but it looks
on the fetal monitor.
- Okay, I'll take a look.
- Thanks.
- Dr. Manning,
she's having a seizure!
[suspenseful music]
- Magnesium.
Ten grams IM.
- Damn it, why is this woman
still shackled?
- I was told she was
a violent offender.
- Officer.
Start an IV.
I need a CBC, CMP, uric acid,
LDH and a magnesium drip
of two milligrams an hour.
You're right.
She's eclamptic.
I gonna have
to deliver this baby.
I'll take it from here.
- Please let me know if there's
anything I can do to help.
- Transport!
Hurry.
- [gasping]
- Yesenia, talk to me.
Too hard to breathe?
- [panting]
- Dr. Stanton, I need you.
- Hey, what's going on, April?
- Yesenia's working
too hard to breathe.
We should intubate her now
before it's too late.
- She's not hypoxic.
Her arterial blood gas pH
is normal.
So is her PCO2 and her SaO2.
- No, she's using
accessory muscles to breathe.
She's gonna tire out.
I've seen this before.
- The numbers don't support
intubating her at this time.
Sorry.
- Go get another doctor.
- Excuse me?
- Get another doctor
who's willing to give Yesenia
the treatment that she needs.
- You can't talk to me
like that.
I know what I'm doing.
- No, you don't.
I swear to God,
you get another doctor,
or I will come out there
and get one myself.
- Help me suit up.
- Yes, sir.
- Don't think this is over.
♪
.
- I've been cooking for myself
every meal for about a month,
and all of a sudden,
it dawns on me:
I'm a terrible cook.
- [laughs]
- It relaxes me though.
I sleep better.
You sleeping okay?
- Oh, man, like a baby.
- Good.
- Yeah.
[phone dings]
Does that mean we're done here?
- [laughs]
You really don't like talking
about yourself, do you?
- I mean, come on.
Do you?
- I don't know.
In certain circumstances, yeah.
- Well, I guess I consider
myself more of a stoic.
- Interesting.
Big on hiding emotion.
Never let them see you sweat
no matter how much pain
and suffering they're in.
That you?
- Nope.
- No, I didn't think so.
But you did just describe
yourself that way.
- You're reading way too much
into a simple word.
I meant it more like laconic.
[phone dings]
You sure you don't need
to get that?
- I'm sorry, it's my daughter,
and she's saying
it's an emergency.
You mind if we cut this
a little short?
- Oh, man, as long as
it satisfies Goodwin.
- Just remember,
you ever need to talk
to anybody about anything,
I'm here.
- Thank you, man.
[door clicks shut]
- So Ethan's the new chief.
- Yep.
Hey, I feel for him.
All that administrative work.
Who wants the headache?
- You must be disappointed.
- Would've been nice
to have been asked.
But it's all good.
Ethan will do great.
- Big of you, Will.
Because if I were in your shoes,
guy comes in underneath me
then leapfrogs me to be my boss,
I'd wanna kill somebody.
- Any word on Jerome Kirk's
scope results?
- Not yet.
But Ethan's been asking too.
- You let me know as soon
as they get in.
Dr. Virani, good to see you.
Thanks again for that offer.
- I'm sorry you didn't take it,
Dr. Halstead.
- How's the clinical trial
going?
- Fine.
I'm about to meet a colleague
of yours.
Dr. Lyall.
- To be Co-P.I.?
- He came highly recommended,
and we had a good talk
over the phone.
Did a med school rotation
in cardiology,
so he's an excellent candidate
to study a heart failure
medication.
- Yeah, that's a good doctor.
Smart.
- Hey, Will.
- Excuse me.
- I just talked to GI.
Mr. Kirk's esophageal scope
was negative.
I forwarded it to you.
[dramatic music]
- Huh.
I see.
Well, you know,
the hole could be
more proximal,
higher up on the esophagus.
That's where the scope
would miss it.
We need to do a contrast study.
- A heart ablation accidentally
burned a hole in the esophagus?
It's kind of a stretch.
He came in
with a collapsed lung.
If there is a hole,
it's gotta be related to that.
I say send him
for a bronchoscopy,
and why overthink it?
♪
[knocking]
- [sighs]
- Where is she, Anna?
- She's in here.
- Daniel.
Oh, for God's sakes, Anna.
Really?
- Mom, you've been in pain
since last night.
You need a doctor.
- You should've asked me
before you called him.
- You would've said no.
- I can't believe this.
- You did the right thing,
sweetie.
- Daniel, no.
- So it's your stomach?
- I'm just constipated.
- Mom, it's not just that.
- Honey, I told you, if
I didn't feel better tomorrow,
I'd go to the doctor.
- Well, look, I'm here now.
Why don't you just let me
take a quick look?
- No.
- Mom, seriously?
- I think we should go
to the hospital.
Come on, we can be at Med
in ten minutes.
- Guys, look,
I've been managing it fine
with Ibuprofen.
- It doesn't really seem
that way.
- You are both making
way too much out of this.
Ooh.
Oh, I'm gonna be sick.
[retches]
- Mom, you're scaring me!
Can we please just do
what Dad said?
- Okay, go get your Mom's coat.
Honey...
honey, we'll take you
to the hospital
get you fixed up, okay?
- Okay.
- Stanton's a resident, April.
You have to respect that.
- Yesenia was falling apart.
I've watched it countless times.
COVID comes on so fast,
we can't get ahead of it...
- I understand,
but you set him off.
Now he's saying he won't
work with you anymore.
- Well, good.
He shouldn't be in here anyway.
Get him out of the COVID wing.
- Okay, I'll move him
somewhere else.
- Thank you, Ethan.
- But no more chewing out
the residents.
I know your heart's
in this COVID battle,
but you can't go it alone.
- Understood.
Have to admit,
it's nice having you
as the Chief.
- Funny enough, I was gonna
ask you to keep me in line.
You know I can be a bit of a...
- Hard ass?
- I was thinking more along
the lines of perfectionist,
but yeah,
I guess that's what I meant.
- I'll speak up if need be.
- You've made that clear.
- Hi.
Looks like everything went well.
- Yeah, Mom gorked out
a little on the valium
we gave her for the seizures,
but other than that,
no complications.
Aisha delivered a beautiful
and healthy baby girl.
- Mmm.
- This your first?
- She is.
- Mine too.
- [laughs]
You picked out a name yet?
- Mm-mm.
- Well, you got plenty of time
to think about it.
About 24 more hours of magnesium
to prevent any more seizures,
and you should have
a speedy recovery.
- Aisha?
What's the matter?
- When they send me back,
they gonna take her
away from me.
[somber music]
- Look, you still have
a couple more days
while you recover
from the cesarean.
Okay?
♪
- Wait, you really need to put
those shackles back on her?
- Standard protocol.
- She just had
emergency surgery.
- Don't tell us how
to do our jobs.
- She's still breastfeeding
in there.
If that baby ends up
malnourished
because you were
just following protocol,
you might not have a job
to worry about any longer.
- We can wait until she's done.
- Thank you.
[dramatic music]
♪
- All these protocols,
and not one of them
prioritizes the health
of the people in their care.
- Aisha said her complaints
were ignored back at the jail.
- Oh, I don't doubt it.
And now she has a baby
they can't accommodate.
- Well, I assume family
services will care for the baby
until she's released?
- Sure, but Aisha and the baby
will miss out on weeks,
maybe months of bonding.
- Yeah.
- All this in the name
of public safety.
Yeah, right.
I've been down this road before.
I have another call
with the ACLU next week.
- What more can be done
for Aisha?
- Outside of dismantling
the entire penal system?
♪
- Mr. Kirk's bronchoscopy
results just came in.
- Send them to me.
- Mm-hmm.
- No hole in his airway.
I knew it.
Send him up to IR right now
for a contrast study
of his esophagus.
- Mm-hmm.
[alarm beeping]
Oh, no.
Mr. Kirk?
Can you hear me?
He's unresponsive.
- Sats down in the 60s.
Heart rate's dropping too.
54, 48, 42...
- We're intubating.
20 of etomidate, 100 of sux.
Damn it.
[tense music]
♪
I'm in.
Bag him.
It's the pneumocephalus.
We have to get
that air out of his head.
Get Abrams down here now.
- Should I call Ethan too?
- Ethan's not his doctor!
I am.
.
[dramatic music]
♪
- What's this?
- The air in his head was
compressing his brain
and causing him
to rapidly deteriorate.
He needed immediate evacuation.
- By sticking
a needle in his eye?
- Easy access.
- He was already sedated.
We would've wasted time
moving to the OR.
♪
- All right, I'm almost done,
but I'm just treating
a symptom here.
If you don't figure out
where that air's coming from,
next time I'm gonna have to
burr that hole in his skull.
- That won't be an issue.
He's going straight upstairs
for a CT surgeon
to locate and plug the air leak.
- You good?
Can I talk to you?
- Yeah.
You just wait for the surgeons
to figure it out?
That's the plan?
- Well, you said so yourself.
He was always gonna
need surgery to fix this.
- Yeah, but if you'd
let me do my job,
we might know where
the problem is.
You never let me finish
working up the esophagus.
- I'm sorry,
but he's too sick now.
There's no time.
- [scoffs]
But there was time
for your bronchoscopy?
- He came in with lung trauma.
It felt necessary
to scope his airway
instead of going on a wild
goose chase with the esophagus.
What's this really about, man?
- You meddling with
my patient's treatment.
- You sure?
It's not about the fact
that I made Chief over you?
- Oh, please.
The only things that matters
to me right now
is Mr. Kirk's wellbeing.
- Then you agree.
The only option right now
is to send him to surgery
so he doesn't die.
- [sighs]
- Dad, what are they doing?
- Sweetie, we gotta try
and give mom her privacy
right now, okay?
- Yeah, but what's
that long tube thing
they're getting?
- It's called an endoscope,
and they are gonna use it
to find out what's going on
in your mom's tummy.
- Dad, can we go in, please?
- Sweetie, I'm pretty sure
that she doesn't wanna
see me right now.
- Dad, I am freaking out
right now, okay?
Can we please go in?
[knocking]
- Dr. Marcel?
- Yeah?
- I don't know if they told you,
but the patient is my ex-wife...
- Yeah.
- And this our daughter, Anna.
- Hi, Anna.
- So you guys doing
a little endoscopy, huh?
- Yeah, the x-rays
weren't conclusive,
so we're trying to figure out
what's going on.
- What are you doing here,
Daniel?
- He cares about you, Mom.
- That's a change.
- Mom.
- It's okay, sweetie.
It's just the...
It's the anesthesia talking.
Why don't we let them
do their thing?
Thank you, Crockett.
We'll leave you to it.
- Sure thing.
- Dad, how long
is this gonna take?
- Well, that depends
on what Dr. Marcel finds.
- Well, it could be really
serious, don't you think?
- You know what, honey?
I think it's gonna be okay.
Let's get a little lunch.
Come on.
- [sighs]
- Mi cielito needs
a machine to breathe?
This can't be happening.
- Her lungs aren't working
properly, Alejandra.
She's in respiratory failure,
but I assure you, this is
the best option for now.
- [crying]
Mi cielito!
My baby.
Please, April.
Please help me.
- Aisha's broken taillight
was deemed a violation
of her parole.
I don't get how
a probation officer
can have that much control
over whether or not
she gets to see her baby.
Maybe someone can talk to him?
- Well, you could try,
but it won't do any good.
Her fate is in the hands
of the court now.
- Well, her court date
keeps getting pushed
because of COVID.
I mean, there is an argument
to be made here
about trying to get Aisha
a compassionate release.
- Compassion's not really
the name of the game
in the justice system.
Cops are promoted for the
number of arrests they make,
prosecutors for the number
of defendants they convict.
Look, I'm not sure
anyone will listen,
but let me make
a couple of phone calls.
[knocking]
- Come in.
- Hi.
So she has an ulcer.
I'm waiting for the biopsy
to detect H. pylori,
but I suspect the cause
might be an overuse of NSAIDs.
- Yeah, she did mention
she'd been taking them.
- Yeah, it's perforated
her duodenal wall.
So I'm gonna have to take
her up for an emergency lab.
- I'm sorry,
what does that mean?
- Mom just needs
a little surgery, honey.
- Surgery?
Oh, my God.
- I've done this hundreds
of times.
Your mom will be sore,
but before long,
she'll be good as new.
- How long a convalescence?
- She shouldn't stray too
far from home
for about eight weeks.
- Okay, thank you, buddy.
- Mm-hmm.
[door clicks shut]
She'll be fine.
Right?
She'll be fine.
- Hey.
- Did you check your iPad?
I sent you Yesenia Cruz's chart.
[sighs]
She's still on the vent,
but I don't think
she's gonna make it.
- Sorry to hear that.
- She's really close
with her mom.
It's just the two of them.
We should allow her mom
in here to sit vigil.
- You know there's strict
protocols in place.
- Yes, and the only two reasons
that we would make an exception
to them ever
are if the patient is a minor
or facing imminent death.
Yesenia's both.
- [sighs]
- Let her mom have
this one last moment.
- April, she's testing positive
for COVID
as recently as this morning.
That negates everything.
- Ethan.
She needs her mom.
- I'm sorry.
I really am.
But if the mother's exposed...
- It's a risk
she's willing to take.
- That's not a decision
she's allowed to make.
- Ethan.
- I'm sorry.
- You wanted to know when
you were being a hard-ass?
This is it.
.
- ASA Lake, we wanna
thank you for taking the time
to talk to us.
- Not a problem.
I'm on call for
the State's Attorney office
this week anyway,
and my boss asked me
to look into this directly.
- Well, it's about
Aisha Barnes...
- She was transferred
from Cook County today.
Dr. Douglas delivered her baby.
- I'm familiar
with Ms. Barnes's situation.
- She had a girl, by the way.
- So you're aware
that Ms. Barnes is in jail
on a parole violation?
- I am.
- We understand
how much the pandemic
must be clogging up
the legal docket,
so I'm sure her case
is just an oversight,
but in looking
at House Bill 1464,
it seems like Ms. Barnes
is a good candidate
to be offered
a compassionate release.
- That amendment
to the criminal code
only applies
to nonviolent offenders.
Ms. Barnes was convicted
of assault.
She put her hands
on a peace officer.
- It's our understanding that
she was defending her cousin,
and all she did
was push an officer.
- That's not how the cop
described it.
- Oh, and the cops never lie,
right?
- Dr. Douglas,
she was convicted by a jury.
- Sir, we're not asking
to relitigate the past.
We're simply asking
for your assistance
in getting her hearing
moved up on the docket.
- Listen, I know the most
politic answer I can give you
is that I'll promise
to look into it,
but the reality is,
we've got somewhere north
of 1,000 cases
waiting to clear because
of this COVID bottleneck.
And pretty much every one of
them takes preference to this.
I'm sorry.
It's just where we are.
[somber music]
♪
- How's it going in there?
- We found the hole.
Repairing it now.
- In case you're wondering,
it was in the esophagus.
I guess it wasn't a wild
goose chase after all.
- You were right, Will.
Good job.
Look, I hope you understand.
I feel I have to make
some changes around here.
Last week when Ms. Goodwin
and I discussed my new role...
- Last week?
- Yeah.
And we both agreed the ED
has not been running
as effectively as it could be.
I think that's because
of a lack of leadership,
and I believe a good leader
takes responsibility
for everything that happens
on his watch.
- That's true.
A good leader also
doesn't micromanage.
A good leader trusts
that those under him
know what they're doing.
Maybe even more than he does.
♪
- Your turn, honey.
- Hmm?
You know,
you could come over next week
and cook dinner for us.
Mom has always loved
your lasagna.
- Why don't we wait
and see how mom feels?
- She doesn't act like it,
but she actually
really needs you, Dad.
- Sweetie, Mom's gonna be fine.
I really don't want you
to worry.
- Don't you wanna be there
for her?
- I'm just a phone call away.
You know, if Mom needs me,
she'll call.
- Dad, she's moving us
to Arizona.
- What?
- Yeah.
- Move?
Why?
[stammering]
Did she say why?
- She was acting weird one day,
so I got into her computer
and...
- You broke into her computer...
- No, no, no!
I know, I know.
But I found all of these emails
from this realtor in Phoenix,
and he's been sending
her listings, Dad.
I don't wanna go to Phoenix.
- Okay, sweetie, look.
Hasn't happened yet.
We're gonna figure it out.
Okay?
- Walkie.
Hey, April.
You still think it's a good
idea to bring in the mother?
- Yeah, I do.
- All right.
Tell her it's okay.
- Really?
- As long as she's dressed
in full PPE.
- I'll make sure of it.
I promise.
Hang in there, okay?
We'll get your mom.
[line trilling]
Pick up.
- Hey, mamas.
Hey, my love.
- Hey, how are you two doing?
- I decided on a name.
Nuru.
- Aw.
- It means "born in daylight."
Isn't that pretty?
- Yeah, it is.
- Yeah.
That's your name, Nuru.
My Nuru.
[knocking]
- We're gonna have
to return this child
back to the nursery temporarily.
- Why?
- My partner
just ended his shift,
so I'm on my own until I can
get a replacement to sub in.
- So?
- So when there's
just one of us,
protocol dictates that
the inmate remain shackled
at all times.
- Okay, cuff me if you have to,
but leave my baby.
- It also states that there
are no visitors allowed.
- Are you kidding?
You don't have to do this.
- I'm just following orders.
Do it.
- No!
- Dr. Manning...
- Wait outside.
- I really don't want to have
to do this myself, ma'am.
- Then don't.
- I'm gonna need you
to step out of the way.
- This baby is not
going anywhere.
- I don't have time...
- No!
- Natalie?
[tense music]
♪
.
- It's not gonna happen again,
and I appreciate you guys
understanding this.
Are we good?
Thank you, thank you.
Well, I always say
negotiations are like
temperature checks.
Cooler heads prevail.
- Sorry, Dr. Manning.
- It's okay, Earl.
So they're not pressing charges?
- I didn't have to do
much saber-rattling.
Sheriff's department
really didn't want
to make this an issue.
Let's not do this again,
okay, killer?
[soft dramatic music]
♪
- You okay?
- Seems so.
- Hmm.
Convinced a lawyer at the ACLU
to look into Aisha's case.
- That's great news.
- Yeah.
That's what I was coming
to tell you
before you went Wonder Woman
on that guard.
- [laughs]
We both assault an officer,
she gets separated
from her baby,
I get a slap on the wrist.
- I wonder what
the difference is.
- You think it would've been
different if you pushed him?
- I don't know.
I'm a doctor.
I may get some leeway.
Maybe I'll do the shoving
next time, and we'll see.
- [chuckles]
You know, hopefully someday
our kids won't have
to deal with this.
- Yeah.
Well...
[sighs]
We're nothing without hope.
♪
[line trilling]
- April, help me
with this intake.
Alejandra Cruz, 50 years old,
collapsed at the hotel
where she works.
Just tested positive for COVID
upon arrival.
- April.
Maybe I wasn't so careful
after all.
- Easy, Alejandra.
Save your energy, okay?
- [heavy breathing]
Please don't tell Yesenia.
I don't want her to worry.
- Yes?
How can I help you,
Dr. Halstead?
- Would you be willing
to talk about
how you and the board
decided on Ethan as Chief?
- Um, sure.
As we went through
our list of names,
the one thing
we kept coming back to
was Dr. Choi's
military experience.
His familiarity with that sort
of structured system,
especially when you're filling
a managerial position...
We thought it put him over
the top.
- Makes total sense,
but as a doctor,
all due respect, Ms. Goodwin,
I have more experience,
I'm a better diagnostician...
- Oh, you have a real talent,
Dr. Halstead.
No question.
- I wish I would've been
considered more seriously.
I mean, I've been here longer
than almost anyone.
- Well, there are a lot
of other factors
that come into play
when you're making a hire
like this.
- Well, the job should've been
mine to lose, so why?
Is it because of Dr. Asher?
Because I fell in love with
someone struggling with drugs?
- Well, since you bring it up,
that didn't help.
You know, sometimes you make
very poor decisions.
- I admit, I have made
some mistakes in the past.
- It's not what you've done,
it's how you've done it,
Dr. Halstead.
You're impulsive,
you break the rules,
you trust your gut over
everything and everyone else.
And hey, sometimes it works,
but it's just not the way
to run an ED.
The truth is,
I didn't even consider you
for this job.
- I understand.
Thank you for your candor.
[reflective music]
♪
Dr. Virani.
Dr. Virani, hold up.
- How you feeling?
- Okay.
- Extra ice chips.
- Oh, thank you.
- Well, you must've been
popping a whole lot of NSAIDs.
- [laughs] I know.
I've been getting
migraines lately.
- I remember when you used
to get those from stress.
- Mm-hmm.
[laughs]
- Like the time we moved
to Hyde Park.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
Yeah, moving can be stressful.
Especially long distances
to say, someplace like...
Like Arizona.
- How did you know?
- Anna saw some of your emails.
- She's been snooping
in my computer?
- When were you gonna tell me?
- Look, they've been talking
about transferring me
to Phoenix.
It's a great opportunity.
- I supposed you'd be
wanting to take Anna with you.
- You know, if it happens, yes.
Do you think this is
an easy decision for me?
[laughs]
I knew this was gonna go
like this.
- Well, what do you expect?
You're taking my daughter
to Ari-freaking-zona.
- Dan, please, can we...
[knocking]
- Mind if I interrupt?
- No, that's perfect.
- I was just leaving.
Well, take care of yourself.
- Okay.
- All right,
we'll talk some more.
- Okay.
- Hey, Daniel.
Sorry, man, I didn't mean
to get in the middle of that.
- Middle of what?
- Well, you know,
I know what it's like.
I got an ex myself.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
- Congratulations.
[laughs]
- So if you ever need
someone to talk to...
- [chuckles]
- I'm available.
- I appreciate that.
- Hey, I mean that.
- No, really, I do.
- Okay?
All right.
[soft dramatic music]
♪
- Hey.
Just came from the COVID wing.
Saw Alejandra Cruz
was admitted across the hall
from Yesenia.
- It isn't fair.
- We just...
have keep doing
everything we can.
- It's never enough.
♪
[sighs]
♪
.
[dramatic music]
♪
[wolf howls]
- This job
was hard enough before.
Now it's a nightmare.
- Well, you're the chief, right?
That's your job.
- Are you okay, Crockett?
- Every time I see kids
with leukemia,
I think about my little girl.
- Dr. Halstead?
Sabeena Virani.
We're running a trial at Med.
Dr. Ramsey recommended you.
- Thanks.
Another time
I might be interested.
I got a lot going on right now.
You said drug addicts can
replace drugs with romance.
- You think that's maybe
what happened here?
- I can't be the reason
you stay sober.
Well, a little more leeway
would've been nice.
All my stuff's packed up
and ready to go.
[sighs]
Fine, just let me know,
but don't go cashing
that deposit check.
That apartment I had lined up...
- Mm-hmm?
- It's infested with bed bugs.
- Ew.
Can't you stay at Hannah's
for few more nights?
- No, she let her lease go.
She's headed for the West Coast
when she gets out of rehab.
- Well, if you need
a place to stay,
there's always room at Club Med.
- There's no one in my life
I have to quarantine from.
It's just me and my stuff.
Here I am,
another failed relationship,
and no place to live.
I'm no further along than when
I was a first year resident.
- I wouldn't go that far.
With Lanik quitting,
you could be named Chief.
- Me?
- No attending's been in ED
longer than you.
You're a zealot
for your patients.
Why not you?
- Honestly, hadn't even
thought about it.
- Well, maybe you should start.
You might get that office.
Then you'll have somewhere
to put all that stuff of yours.
[beeping]
Incoming.
It's got your name on it.
[alarm blaring]
- What happened?
- Jerome Kirk, 56 years old.
Lost control of his car,
hit a lamp post.
Rapid tested negative for COVID
in route.
GCS 14.
BP low at 90/60.
No breath sounds on the right.
- Need an x-ray!
One, two, three.
[grunts]
[tense music]
♪
Yep, can't hear anything either.
- [murmuring]
Wrong turn.
- Easy, Mr. Kirk.
Let's get this x-ray and then
you can tell me all about it.
Clear!
Right-sided pneumothorax,
but there's air
in the mediastinum
between the lungs.
Strange.
Mr. Kirk, your right lung
has collapsed.
I'm gonna place a tube
to help it reinflate.
Kay, now what were you
saying before?
Something about a wrong turn?
- What did I say?
- I think you were trying
to tell me how it happened.
The accident.
- I was in a car accident?
- Maybe you hit your head
in the process?
No?
Right after this, let's send
Mr. Kirk for a panscan.
I wanna to make sure
nothing else is bothering him.
- My heart's doing great, Mama.
[heavy breathing]
- Is that true, April?
- We're on top of it.
We've established
a baseline echo,
we have her on
continuous monitoring,
and because of COVID,
we're paying
extra close attention.
- I found an article
on the internet
about what patients
with cardiomyopathy
need to know about
the coronavirus.
I'll send it to the doctors.
- You don't need to do that.
- Go ahead, Alejandra.
No harm in sharing an article.
- I should go.
My shift starts soon.
- Mama, you said you'd stop
working at the hotel.
- I have to work, Yesenia.
- Talk to you later, Alejandra.
Okay.
- Ah, she's so stubborn.
I know she takes off her mask
when it bothers her.
What if she gets sick?
Who will take care of her
while I'm in here?
- Hey.
Then we just have
to get you better
so you can go home, okay?
- [heavy breathing]]
- Hey, come on.
Goodwin is making
an announcement.
- As you all know,
Dr. Lanik has stepped down
as interim Chief of the ED,
and after careful consideration,
the board and I have come
to a decision
on his replacement.
So I am proud to announce
your new Chief
is Dr. Ethan Choi.
[cheers and applause]
[overlapping chatter]
- You okay?
- Yeah.
[somber music]
♪
.
- 24-year-old female, pregnant,
complaining of severe nausea
and fatigue,
started vomiting this morning.
Record shows she's at 37 weeks.
- Where'd they bring her
in from?
- Cook County Jail.
Name's Aisha Barnes.
- Okay.
Thanks.
Hey, are those cuffs necessary?
- We can remove them
at your request.
- But we prefer to keep them on
when dealing
with violent offenders.
- Oh, okay.
Um...
I'll let you know then.
Thanks.
Good morning, Aisha.
I'm Dr. Manning.
How are you feeling?
- Like I'm gonna explode.
- 37 weeks.
Not much longer now.
So it says here you started
feeling sick this morning?
- It didn't start this morning.
I've been feeling sick
for over a week.
- The nausea?
- Yeah.
And I get these insane
headaches, like, on and off.
I kept telling them
in the infirmary,
but they wouldn't listen til
I threw up in the mess today.
- BP 162/110.
- Okay.
162/110 is a little higher
than we'd like to see.
Do you have any history
of hypertension?
- I don't think so.
Doesn't it say in there?
- No.
No, it doesn't.
- You gonna get them
to take these cuffs off?
- Um, it's all right.
I can work around them.
- Yeah, you know,
I heard them out there
calling me a violent offender.
Just like the cop at my trial
told everybody
I was resisting arrest,
but all I did was push him
'cause he was harassing
my cousin,
and I served my time.
- I'm sorry.
Let's warm up the ultrasound.
- The only reason
I'm back in jail
is 'cause of a busted taillight.
Damn probation officer called
it a violation of my parole,
and I can't even get a court
date so a judge can weigh in.
- I'm sorry to hear that.
- [scoffs] Yeah, I can tell.
- Why don't we see
how your baby's doing, okay?
With your free hand,
would you mind
just lifting up your shirt
over your stomach for me?
- You a licensed OB?
- I specialize in emergency
medicine and pediatrics.
- I wanna see someone
who knows what they're doing.
- I am more than qualified
to perform a preliminary exam.
- I wanna see a licensed OB,
and you can't do anything else
until I see one.
- Okay.
I will send someone down
from OB.
All right.
- So that's subdural air,
a pneumocephalus.
- A what?
- There's pocket of air
trapped in the front
of your head, Mr. Kirk.
- Is that bad?
- Very.
- For that much air,
it's just hard believe
there's not any bruising
indicating blunt head
trauma from the car accident.
- It could be something else
causing it.
Previous surgeries,
tumors, infections.
However the air got there,
we have got to get it out.
- Right.
What's the best way?
- Burr a hole in his head.
- My head?
- Anything less invasive?
- I suppose we could put it
on hold for now,
put him on high flow oxygen,
and raise his bed 45 degrees,
see if venous drainage helps.
- Thanks, Sam.
- [sighs] Ah.
Here he comes.
The new Chief.
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
- It's Sam.
Seriously, congratulations, man.
Well deserved.
- Thanks, Will.
Appreciate that.
Hey, how's your case going?
- A bit of a mystery,
but I'll crack it eventually.
- Maybe I could help.
- Right now I'm good,
but thanks.
- Actually, Will, as Chief,
I'd like to take
a more hands-on approach,
help out where I can.
- Right.
I'm sending it to you now.
- Thanks.
- [clears throat]
So Mr. Kirk crashed his car
into a lamp post.
He had a pneumothorax
I treated with a chest tube,
but the CT shows air in
his mediastinum and his head.
- He had a pneumothorax
from the crash.
Big blunt hit like that,
the air could go
all kinds of places.
- Or maybe the air was there
before the car accident,
creating intracranial pressure.
- If the air wasn't there
from the crash,
then how'd it get there?
- Jerome's medical records show
he had a cardiac ablation
at East Mercy three weeks ago.
If the surgeon was overzealous
with the RF probe,
he could have burned
a microscopic hole
in his esophagus that's been
leaking air ever since.
- Interesting theory.
- So I'm sending him for
an esophageal scope.
See if we can find the hole
before having surgery scheduled
to repair it.
- Go for it.
Keep me posted.
- Yeah.
- Thanks.
[door beeps]
- Dr. Marcel!
- Yeah?
- Just the man
I was looking for.
- Oh.
This about that directive
from Goodwin,
the shrink session?
- It's just a check-in.
You know, see how you guys
are all doing
given everything
that's going on.
- Right.
- Everybody in your department,
I have on the books
except for you.
If I didn't know any better,
I'd say you were trying
to avoid me.
- Eh, well, that's 'cause I am.
- Ha ha.
- Look, I appreciate the invite,
but I respectfully RSVP "no."
- Oh, so you decline?
- No offense, Daniel,
but talking about myself's
not really my thing.
- Buddy, we can talk about
whatever you want.
Sports, movies...
look, Thanksgiving's coming up.
I need a new stuffing recipe.
I'm serious.
You've got some fantastic,
ancient Cajun family recipe
you care to share with me?
- [laughs]
How soon
can I get this over with?
- Dr. Manning,
you needed a consult?
- Are you the new OBGYN?
- Angela Douglas.
Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
Thanks for coming down.
We've got a young woman in
from Cook County Jail.
I didn't draw any labs because
she requested a consult,
but I suspect
she's preeclamptic.
- How's the baby doing?
- She wouldn't let me do
an ultrasound,
but it looks
on the fetal monitor.
- Okay, I'll take a look.
- Thanks.
- Dr. Manning,
she's having a seizure!
[suspenseful music]
- Magnesium.
Ten grams IM.
- Damn it, why is this woman
still shackled?
- I was told she was
a violent offender.
- Officer.
Start an IV.
I need a CBC, CMP, uric acid,
LDH and a magnesium drip
of two milligrams an hour.
You're right.
She's eclamptic.
I gonna have
to deliver this baby.
I'll take it from here.
- Please let me know if there's
anything I can do to help.
- Transport!
Hurry.
- [gasping]
- Yesenia, talk to me.
Too hard to breathe?
- [panting]
- Dr. Stanton, I need you.
- Hey, what's going on, April?
- Yesenia's working
too hard to breathe.
We should intubate her now
before it's too late.
- She's not hypoxic.
Her arterial blood gas pH
is normal.
So is her PCO2 and her SaO2.
- No, she's using
accessory muscles to breathe.
She's gonna tire out.
I've seen this before.
- The numbers don't support
intubating her at this time.
Sorry.
- Go get another doctor.
- Excuse me?
- Get another doctor
who's willing to give Yesenia
the treatment that she needs.
- You can't talk to me
like that.
I know what I'm doing.
- No, you don't.
I swear to God,
you get another doctor,
or I will come out there
and get one myself.
- Help me suit up.
- Yes, sir.
- Don't think this is over.
♪
.
- I've been cooking for myself
every meal for about a month,
and all of a sudden,
it dawns on me:
I'm a terrible cook.
- [laughs]
- It relaxes me though.
I sleep better.
You sleeping okay?
- Oh, man, like a baby.
- Good.
- Yeah.
[phone dings]
Does that mean we're done here?
- [laughs]
You really don't like talking
about yourself, do you?
- I mean, come on.
Do you?
- I don't know.
In certain circumstances, yeah.
- Well, I guess I consider
myself more of a stoic.
- Interesting.
Big on hiding emotion.
Never let them see you sweat
no matter how much pain
and suffering they're in.
That you?
- Nope.
- No, I didn't think so.
But you did just describe
yourself that way.
- You're reading way too much
into a simple word.
I meant it more like laconic.
[phone dings]
You sure you don't need
to get that?
- I'm sorry, it's my daughter,
and she's saying
it's an emergency.
You mind if we cut this
a little short?
- Oh, man, as long as
it satisfies Goodwin.
- Just remember,
you ever need to talk
to anybody about anything,
I'm here.
- Thank you, man.
[door clicks shut]
- So Ethan's the new chief.
- Yep.
Hey, I feel for him.
All that administrative work.
Who wants the headache?
- You must be disappointed.
- Would've been nice
to have been asked.
But it's all good.
Ethan will do great.
- Big of you, Will.
Because if I were in your shoes,
guy comes in underneath me
then leapfrogs me to be my boss,
I'd wanna kill somebody.
- Any word on Jerome Kirk's
scope results?
- Not yet.
But Ethan's been asking too.
- You let me know as soon
as they get in.
Dr. Virani, good to see you.
Thanks again for that offer.
- I'm sorry you didn't take it,
Dr. Halstead.
- How's the clinical trial
going?
- Fine.
I'm about to meet a colleague
of yours.
Dr. Lyall.
- To be Co-P.I.?
- He came highly recommended,
and we had a good talk
over the phone.
Did a med school rotation
in cardiology,
so he's an excellent candidate
to study a heart failure
medication.
- Yeah, that's a good doctor.
Smart.
- Hey, Will.
- Excuse me.
- I just talked to GI.
Mr. Kirk's esophageal scope
was negative.
I forwarded it to you.
[dramatic music]
- Huh.
I see.
Well, you know,
the hole could be
more proximal,
higher up on the esophagus.
That's where the scope
would miss it.
We need to do a contrast study.
- A heart ablation accidentally
burned a hole in the esophagus?
It's kind of a stretch.
He came in
with a collapsed lung.
If there is a hole,
it's gotta be related to that.
I say send him
for a bronchoscopy,
and why overthink it?
♪
[knocking]
- [sighs]
- Where is she, Anna?
- She's in here.
- Daniel.
Oh, for God's sakes, Anna.
Really?
- Mom, you've been in pain
since last night.
You need a doctor.
- You should've asked me
before you called him.
- You would've said no.
- I can't believe this.
- You did the right thing,
sweetie.
- Daniel, no.
- So it's your stomach?
- I'm just constipated.
- Mom, it's not just that.
- Honey, I told you, if
I didn't feel better tomorrow,
I'd go to the doctor.
- Well, look, I'm here now.
Why don't you just let me
take a quick look?
- No.
- Mom, seriously?
- I think we should go
to the hospital.
Come on, we can be at Med
in ten minutes.
- Guys, look,
I've been managing it fine
with Ibuprofen.
- It doesn't really seem
that way.
- You are both making
way too much out of this.
Ooh.
Oh, I'm gonna be sick.
[retches]
- Mom, you're scaring me!
Can we please just do
what Dad said?
- Okay, go get your Mom's coat.
Honey...
honey, we'll take you
to the hospital
get you fixed up, okay?
- Okay.
- Stanton's a resident, April.
You have to respect that.
- Yesenia was falling apart.
I've watched it countless times.
COVID comes on so fast,
we can't get ahead of it...
- I understand,
but you set him off.
Now he's saying he won't
work with you anymore.
- Well, good.
He shouldn't be in here anyway.
Get him out of the COVID wing.
- Okay, I'll move him
somewhere else.
- Thank you, Ethan.
- But no more chewing out
the residents.
I know your heart's
in this COVID battle,
but you can't go it alone.
- Understood.
Have to admit,
it's nice having you
as the Chief.
- Funny enough, I was gonna
ask you to keep me in line.
You know I can be a bit of a...
- Hard ass?
- I was thinking more along
the lines of perfectionist,
but yeah,
I guess that's what I meant.
- I'll speak up if need be.
- You've made that clear.
- Hi.
Looks like everything went well.
- Yeah, Mom gorked out
a little on the valium
we gave her for the seizures,
but other than that,
no complications.
Aisha delivered a beautiful
and healthy baby girl.
- Mmm.
- This your first?
- She is.
- Mine too.
- [laughs]
You picked out a name yet?
- Mm-mm.
- Well, you got plenty of time
to think about it.
About 24 more hours of magnesium
to prevent any more seizures,
and you should have
a speedy recovery.
- Aisha?
What's the matter?
- When they send me back,
they gonna take her
away from me.
[somber music]
- Look, you still have
a couple more days
while you recover
from the cesarean.
Okay?
♪
- Wait, you really need to put
those shackles back on her?
- Standard protocol.
- She just had
emergency surgery.
- Don't tell us how
to do our jobs.
- She's still breastfeeding
in there.
If that baby ends up
malnourished
because you were
just following protocol,
you might not have a job
to worry about any longer.
- We can wait until she's done.
- Thank you.
[dramatic music]
♪
- All these protocols,
and not one of them
prioritizes the health
of the people in their care.
- Aisha said her complaints
were ignored back at the jail.
- Oh, I don't doubt it.
And now she has a baby
they can't accommodate.
- Well, I assume family
services will care for the baby
until she's released?
- Sure, but Aisha and the baby
will miss out on weeks,
maybe months of bonding.
- Yeah.
- All this in the name
of public safety.
Yeah, right.
I've been down this road before.
I have another call
with the ACLU next week.
- What more can be done
for Aisha?
- Outside of dismantling
the entire penal system?
♪
- Mr. Kirk's bronchoscopy
results just came in.
- Send them to me.
- Mm-hmm.
- No hole in his airway.
I knew it.
Send him up to IR right now
for a contrast study
of his esophagus.
- Mm-hmm.
[alarm beeping]
Oh, no.
Mr. Kirk?
Can you hear me?
He's unresponsive.
- Sats down in the 60s.
Heart rate's dropping too.
54, 48, 42...
- We're intubating.
20 of etomidate, 100 of sux.
Damn it.
[tense music]
♪
I'm in.
Bag him.
It's the pneumocephalus.
We have to get
that air out of his head.
Get Abrams down here now.
- Should I call Ethan too?
- Ethan's not his doctor!
I am.
.
[dramatic music]
♪
- What's this?
- The air in his head was
compressing his brain
and causing him
to rapidly deteriorate.
He needed immediate evacuation.
- By sticking
a needle in his eye?
- Easy access.
- He was already sedated.
We would've wasted time
moving to the OR.
♪
- All right, I'm almost done,
but I'm just treating
a symptom here.
If you don't figure out
where that air's coming from,
next time I'm gonna have to
burr that hole in his skull.
- That won't be an issue.
He's going straight upstairs
for a CT surgeon
to locate and plug the air leak.
- You good?
Can I talk to you?
- Yeah.
You just wait for the surgeons
to figure it out?
That's the plan?
- Well, you said so yourself.
He was always gonna
need surgery to fix this.
- Yeah, but if you'd
let me do my job,
we might know where
the problem is.
You never let me finish
working up the esophagus.
- I'm sorry,
but he's too sick now.
There's no time.
- [scoffs]
But there was time
for your bronchoscopy?
- He came in with lung trauma.
It felt necessary
to scope his airway
instead of going on a wild
goose chase with the esophagus.
What's this really about, man?
- You meddling with
my patient's treatment.
- You sure?
It's not about the fact
that I made Chief over you?
- Oh, please.
The only things that matters
to me right now
is Mr. Kirk's wellbeing.
- Then you agree.
The only option right now
is to send him to surgery
so he doesn't die.
- [sighs]
- Dad, what are they doing?
- Sweetie, we gotta try
and give mom her privacy
right now, okay?
- Yeah, but what's
that long tube thing
they're getting?
- It's called an endoscope,
and they are gonna use it
to find out what's going on
in your mom's tummy.
- Dad, can we go in, please?
- Sweetie, I'm pretty sure
that she doesn't wanna
see me right now.
- Dad, I am freaking out
right now, okay?
Can we please go in?
[knocking]
- Dr. Marcel?
- Yeah?
- I don't know if they told you,
but the patient is my ex-wife...
- Yeah.
- And this our daughter, Anna.
- Hi, Anna.
- So you guys doing
a little endoscopy, huh?
- Yeah, the x-rays
weren't conclusive,
so we're trying to figure out
what's going on.
- What are you doing here,
Daniel?
- He cares about you, Mom.
- That's a change.
- Mom.
- It's okay, sweetie.
It's just the...
It's the anesthesia talking.
Why don't we let them
do their thing?
Thank you, Crockett.
We'll leave you to it.
- Sure thing.
- Dad, how long
is this gonna take?
- Well, that depends
on what Dr. Marcel finds.
- Well, it could be really
serious, don't you think?
- You know what, honey?
I think it's gonna be okay.
Let's get a little lunch.
Come on.
- [sighs]
- Mi cielito needs
a machine to breathe?
This can't be happening.
- Her lungs aren't working
properly, Alejandra.
She's in respiratory failure,
but I assure you, this is
the best option for now.
- [crying]
Mi cielito!
My baby.
Please, April.
Please help me.
- Aisha's broken taillight
was deemed a violation
of her parole.
I don't get how
a probation officer
can have that much control
over whether or not
she gets to see her baby.
Maybe someone can talk to him?
- Well, you could try,
but it won't do any good.
Her fate is in the hands
of the court now.
- Well, her court date
keeps getting pushed
because of COVID.
I mean, there is an argument
to be made here
about trying to get Aisha
a compassionate release.
- Compassion's not really
the name of the game
in the justice system.
Cops are promoted for the
number of arrests they make,
prosecutors for the number
of defendants they convict.
Look, I'm not sure
anyone will listen,
but let me make
a couple of phone calls.
[knocking]
- Come in.
- Hi.
So she has an ulcer.
I'm waiting for the biopsy
to detect H. pylori,
but I suspect the cause
might be an overuse of NSAIDs.
- Yeah, she did mention
she'd been taking them.
- Yeah, it's perforated
her duodenal wall.
So I'm gonna have to take
her up for an emergency lab.
- I'm sorry,
what does that mean?
- Mom just needs
a little surgery, honey.
- Surgery?
Oh, my God.
- I've done this hundreds
of times.
Your mom will be sore,
but before long,
she'll be good as new.
- How long a convalescence?
- She shouldn't stray too
far from home
for about eight weeks.
- Okay, thank you, buddy.
- Mm-hmm.
[door clicks shut]
She'll be fine.
Right?
She'll be fine.
- Hey.
- Did you check your iPad?
I sent you Yesenia Cruz's chart.
[sighs]
She's still on the vent,
but I don't think
she's gonna make it.
- Sorry to hear that.
- She's really close
with her mom.
It's just the two of them.
We should allow her mom
in here to sit vigil.
- You know there's strict
protocols in place.
- Yes, and the only two reasons
that we would make an exception
to them ever
are if the patient is a minor
or facing imminent death.
Yesenia's both.
- [sighs]
- Let her mom have
this one last moment.
- April, she's testing positive
for COVID
as recently as this morning.
That negates everything.
- Ethan.
She needs her mom.
- I'm sorry.
I really am.
But if the mother's exposed...
- It's a risk
she's willing to take.
- That's not a decision
she's allowed to make.
- Ethan.
- I'm sorry.
- You wanted to know when
you were being a hard-ass?
This is it.
.
- ASA Lake, we wanna
thank you for taking the time
to talk to us.
- Not a problem.
I'm on call for
the State's Attorney office
this week anyway,
and my boss asked me
to look into this directly.
- Well, it's about
Aisha Barnes...
- She was transferred
from Cook County today.
Dr. Douglas delivered her baby.
- I'm familiar
with Ms. Barnes's situation.
- She had a girl, by the way.
- So you're aware
that Ms. Barnes is in jail
on a parole violation?
- I am.
- We understand
how much the pandemic
must be clogging up
the legal docket,
so I'm sure her case
is just an oversight,
but in looking
at House Bill 1464,
it seems like Ms. Barnes
is a good candidate
to be offered
a compassionate release.
- That amendment
to the criminal code
only applies
to nonviolent offenders.
Ms. Barnes was convicted
of assault.
She put her hands
on a peace officer.
- It's our understanding that
she was defending her cousin,
and all she did
was push an officer.
- That's not how the cop
described it.
- Oh, and the cops never lie,
right?
- Dr. Douglas,
she was convicted by a jury.
- Sir, we're not asking
to relitigate the past.
We're simply asking
for your assistance
in getting her hearing
moved up on the docket.
- Listen, I know the most
politic answer I can give you
is that I'll promise
to look into it,
but the reality is,
we've got somewhere north
of 1,000 cases
waiting to clear because
of this COVID bottleneck.
And pretty much every one of
them takes preference to this.
I'm sorry.
It's just where we are.
[somber music]
♪
- How's it going in there?
- We found the hole.
Repairing it now.
- In case you're wondering,
it was in the esophagus.
I guess it wasn't a wild
goose chase after all.
- You were right, Will.
Good job.
Look, I hope you understand.
I feel I have to make
some changes around here.
Last week when Ms. Goodwin
and I discussed my new role...
- Last week?
- Yeah.
And we both agreed the ED
has not been running
as effectively as it could be.
I think that's because
of a lack of leadership,
and I believe a good leader
takes responsibility
for everything that happens
on his watch.
- That's true.
A good leader also
doesn't micromanage.
A good leader trusts
that those under him
know what they're doing.
Maybe even more than he does.
♪
- Your turn, honey.
- Hmm?
You know,
you could come over next week
and cook dinner for us.
Mom has always loved
your lasagna.
- Why don't we wait
and see how mom feels?
- She doesn't act like it,
but she actually
really needs you, Dad.
- Sweetie, Mom's gonna be fine.
I really don't want you
to worry.
- Don't you wanna be there
for her?
- I'm just a phone call away.
You know, if Mom needs me,
she'll call.
- Dad, she's moving us
to Arizona.
- What?
- Yeah.
- Move?
Why?
[stammering]
Did she say why?
- She was acting weird one day,
so I got into her computer
and...
- You broke into her computer...
- No, no, no!
I know, I know.
But I found all of these emails
from this realtor in Phoenix,
and he's been sending
her listings, Dad.
I don't wanna go to Phoenix.
- Okay, sweetie, look.
Hasn't happened yet.
We're gonna figure it out.
Okay?
- Walkie.
Hey, April.
You still think it's a good
idea to bring in the mother?
- Yeah, I do.
- All right.
Tell her it's okay.
- Really?
- As long as she's dressed
in full PPE.
- I'll make sure of it.
I promise.
Hang in there, okay?
We'll get your mom.
[line trilling]
Pick up.
- Hey, mamas.
Hey, my love.
- Hey, how are you two doing?
- I decided on a name.
Nuru.
- Aw.
- It means "born in daylight."
Isn't that pretty?
- Yeah, it is.
- Yeah.
That's your name, Nuru.
My Nuru.
[knocking]
- We're gonna have
to return this child
back to the nursery temporarily.
- Why?
- My partner
just ended his shift,
so I'm on my own until I can
get a replacement to sub in.
- So?
- So when there's
just one of us,
protocol dictates that
the inmate remain shackled
at all times.
- Okay, cuff me if you have to,
but leave my baby.
- It also states that there
are no visitors allowed.
- Are you kidding?
You don't have to do this.
- I'm just following orders.
Do it.
- No!
- Dr. Manning...
- Wait outside.
- I really don't want to have
to do this myself, ma'am.
- Then don't.
- I'm gonna need you
to step out of the way.
- This baby is not
going anywhere.
- I don't have time...
- No!
- Natalie?
[tense music]
♪
.
- It's not gonna happen again,
and I appreciate you guys
understanding this.
Are we good?
Thank you, thank you.
Well, I always say
negotiations are like
temperature checks.
Cooler heads prevail.
- Sorry, Dr. Manning.
- It's okay, Earl.
So they're not pressing charges?
- I didn't have to do
much saber-rattling.
Sheriff's department
really didn't want
to make this an issue.
Let's not do this again,
okay, killer?
[soft dramatic music]
♪
- You okay?
- Seems so.
- Hmm.
Convinced a lawyer at the ACLU
to look into Aisha's case.
- That's great news.
- Yeah.
That's what I was coming
to tell you
before you went Wonder Woman
on that guard.
- [laughs]
We both assault an officer,
she gets separated
from her baby,
I get a slap on the wrist.
- I wonder what
the difference is.
- You think it would've been
different if you pushed him?
- I don't know.
I'm a doctor.
I may get some leeway.
Maybe I'll do the shoving
next time, and we'll see.
- [chuckles]
You know, hopefully someday
our kids won't have
to deal with this.
- Yeah.
Well...
[sighs]
We're nothing without hope.
♪
[line trilling]
- April, help me
with this intake.
Alejandra Cruz, 50 years old,
collapsed at the hotel
where she works.
Just tested positive for COVID
upon arrival.
- April.
Maybe I wasn't so careful
after all.
- Easy, Alejandra.
Save your energy, okay?
- [heavy breathing]
Please don't tell Yesenia.
I don't want her to worry.
- Yes?
How can I help you,
Dr. Halstead?
- Would you be willing
to talk about
how you and the board
decided on Ethan as Chief?
- Um, sure.
As we went through
our list of names,
the one thing
we kept coming back to
was Dr. Choi's
military experience.
His familiarity with that sort
of structured system,
especially when you're filling
a managerial position...
We thought it put him over
the top.
- Makes total sense,
but as a doctor,
all due respect, Ms. Goodwin,
I have more experience,
I'm a better diagnostician...
- Oh, you have a real talent,
Dr. Halstead.
No question.
- I wish I would've been
considered more seriously.
I mean, I've been here longer
than almost anyone.
- Well, there are a lot
of other factors
that come into play
when you're making a hire
like this.
- Well, the job should've been
mine to lose, so why?
Is it because of Dr. Asher?
Because I fell in love with
someone struggling with drugs?
- Well, since you bring it up,
that didn't help.
You know, sometimes you make
very poor decisions.
- I admit, I have made
some mistakes in the past.
- It's not what you've done,
it's how you've done it,
Dr. Halstead.
You're impulsive,
you break the rules,
you trust your gut over
everything and everyone else.
And hey, sometimes it works,
but it's just not the way
to run an ED.
The truth is,
I didn't even consider you
for this job.
- I understand.
Thank you for your candor.
[reflective music]
♪
Dr. Virani.
Dr. Virani, hold up.
- How you feeling?
- Okay.
- Extra ice chips.
- Oh, thank you.
- Well, you must've been
popping a whole lot of NSAIDs.
- [laughs] I know.
I've been getting
migraines lately.
- I remember when you used
to get those from stress.
- Mm-hmm.
[laughs]
- Like the time we moved
to Hyde Park.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
Yeah, moving can be stressful.
Especially long distances
to say, someplace like...
Like Arizona.
- How did you know?
- Anna saw some of your emails.
- She's been snooping
in my computer?
- When were you gonna tell me?
- Look, they've been talking
about transferring me
to Phoenix.
It's a great opportunity.
- I supposed you'd be
wanting to take Anna with you.
- You know, if it happens, yes.
Do you think this is
an easy decision for me?
[laughs]
I knew this was gonna go
like this.
- Well, what do you expect?
You're taking my daughter
to Ari-freaking-zona.
- Dan, please, can we...
[knocking]
- Mind if I interrupt?
- No, that's perfect.
- I was just leaving.
Well, take care of yourself.
- Okay.
- All right,
we'll talk some more.
- Okay.
- Hey, Daniel.
Sorry, man, I didn't mean
to get in the middle of that.
- Middle of what?
- Well, you know,
I know what it's like.
I got an ex myself.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
- Congratulations.
[laughs]
- So if you ever need
someone to talk to...
- [chuckles]
- I'm available.
- I appreciate that.
- Hey, I mean that.
- No, really, I do.
- Okay?
All right.
[soft dramatic music]
♪
- Hey.
Just came from the COVID wing.
Saw Alejandra Cruz
was admitted across the hall
from Yesenia.
- It isn't fair.
- We just...
have keep doing
everything we can.
- It's never enough.
♪
[sighs]
♪
.
[dramatic music]
♪
[wolf howls]