Transcripts - Forever Dreaming

[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 dr*gs 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 cr*ck 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 b*rned 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 k*ll 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 b*rned 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 as*ault.

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, k*ller?

[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 as*ault 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 m*llitary 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 dr*gs?

- 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]