07x16 - May Your Choices Reflect Hope, Not Fear

[bunniefuu]

I have no idea how you
kept your cool like that.

What good would I be to you
with a busted hand?

They are your second-best attributes.

I think our girl Milena
might be a drug dealer.

Lieutenant Regina Jeffords.

What the hell is going on here?

She's needed on the street today.

This was taken at your
Police Academy graduation.

Guess it takes one to know one, huh?

Dr. Shentu, I was wondering

if you'd like to go
to a concert with me tonight.

Yes. I would love to go.

Vasik settled with the feds.

As whistleblowers, you are entitled

to a percentage of the settlement.

Donated some, but, uh,
I decided to keep the money.

So word is you and Randall
got together on your day off.

Spill it.

We had brunch, it was fun.

But it's been a minute
since I've heard from him.

Maybe he's just busy?

I have a three-day limit when it
comes to ghosting. Gotta stick to it.

I get it... Don't want to get invested
if there's nothing there.

I don't hear from him today, moving on.

Too bad.

But I guess I would too.

Patient's Kayla Miller,
ten-day-old newborn.

Fussy, not eating, copious vomiting,

fever, distended abdomen.

- Labs?
- What you'd expect.

White count's high, sodium's low,

electrolytes all out of whack.

- How's the ultrasound look?
- Not good.

Was hoping a fresh set of eyes
will help.

And, uh, how are the parents doing?

Young and scared.

Kayla's their first, but they
know something's very wrong.

Right.

- [BABY CRYING]
- It's okay, Kayla.

Mommy's here.

Kendrick, Lucy, this is Dr. Marcel.

Hi, how are you?

You'll help our baby?

I'll do my very best, yeah.
She been crying a lot?

Yeah, it's been a couple days.

Yeah.

Okay, let's figure out what's going on.

- May I?
- Yeah.

Thank you... hey.

Hi, Kayla.

- Hi, sweetheart.
- [SOBBING]

I know, Kayla, you're uncomfortable.

I'm sorry.

This is my fault.

I'm breastfeeding her wrong

- or messing something else up.
- No.

Lucy and I,
we don't know what we're doing.

That's why Kayla's sick.

No, no, no. She has an infection.

This has nothing to do
with either one of you.

Hey, Dr. Scott.

Think I'm seeing the same thing you did.

Pneumatosis.

Mm-hmm.

So Kayla's bowel is dilated,

and there's air in the wall
of her small intestine.

I suspect there's a problem
with the blood supply.

- Why?
- I don't know.

But to find out, I'll have
to operate and take a look.

- Surgery?
- Yeah.

Oh, my God, no.

She's only ten days old.

Unfortunately, surgery's the only way

to figure out what's going on.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

Okay.

Is there anyone we can call for you?

Family?

We don't have any.

It's... it's just the three of us.

[KAYLA WHIMPERING]

No, no, I hear you,
and it sounds interesting.

But, uh, I gotta pass.

It's not for me.

No, Kevin, it... [PHONE BEEPS]

Okay, hang up on me.

Let me guess.

Your reward money is burning a hole

in other people's pockets?

Yeah, my cousin.

He's asking for a loan so he
can open a cannabis dispensary.

Huh.

Yeah, third one to hit me up too.

Mind you, not a peep from any of them

when I was living on
Jay's couch, though.

Well, you've said no.

Maybe word will travel.

No, no, don't get me wrong,
I wanna help.

It's just after taxes, med school bills,

malpractice insurance,

. million isn't nearly
as much as you'd think.

Still, that's a nice chunk
of change to play with.

No playing for me.

I'm getting out of debt,

locking the rest in savings,
and keeping it there.

[MACHINERY BEEPING]

- You seeing this, Dylan?
- Yeah.

A lot of purple.

Intestines are dead.

Yeah.

From the jejunum to the cecum.

All has to come out.

[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]

♪

Couple of days ago, I noticed
she was walking slower.

This morning, she stumbled
going up the stairs.

It was like her legs just gave out.

Varsha, I told you,
I just lost my balance.

I should have used the handrail.

I'm sure there are other people
here in far worse shape.

Help them.

Indian mothers.

House could be on fire and she'd
still say everything's fine.

I think that's most mothers.

- You too?
- Oh, yeah.

Okay.

Can you press against my hand?

Okay, well,
your muscle tone feels normal,

but clearly, there's a loss
of motor function.

And it just started this week?

- Yes.
- Actually, my legs

have been feeling heavy this past month.

What?

- Are you serious?
- I'm an old lady.

This is what happens.

You get weaker.

Kiran, can you close your eyes for me?

Which foot am I touching?

I don't know.

What do you think's going on?

Not sure yet.

Could be a lumbar
or thoracic spine issue.

Or it could be autoimmune.

I'm just speculating,
but Guillain-Barrè Syndrome

and MS do come to mind.

Oh.

Mom?

I have a cousin with MS.

For real?

Apparently, I don't know
anything about you.

What's next here?

A scan of your spine
and a neuro consult.

I'm sorry to take up
so much of your time, Doctor.

Please, Ms. Patel, you have
nothing to be sorry about.

So Kayla has what's called
a necrotizing enterocolitis.

The condition inflames
the intestinal tissue

and causes it to die.

In Kayla's case, we suspect

it's the result of a birth defect

that prevented her intestines
from developing

the way they should have
during pregnancy.

I've removed most
of her small intestine,

but she's very sick.

These machines and tubes,

they'll fix her?

[SOMBER MUSIC]

No.

They're temporary, not a solution.

[MACHINERY BEEPING]

What is?

A transplant.

Kayla cannot survive
without new intestines.

Unfortunately,
infant organs need to come

from infant donors, and, uh...

They're in very short supply.

Oh, God.

My baby could die?

♪

Jack Baker, -year-old male.

Unrestrained driver, high speed MVC.

GCS , BP / , heart rate .

- Intubated in the ambo.
- That's a lot of glass.

- He go through the windshield?
- Yeah.

Fog on the Eisenhower.

Cars start slamming their brakes.

He doesn't see until it's too late.

Swerved, lost control,
launched off the road.

All right, transfer on my count.

One, two, three.

[GRUNTS]

All right, let's see what we got here.

Multiple lacerations,
face, neck, arms, legs.

All right, likely closed fractures.

Femur, forearm, God knows where else.

He wasn't alone in the car.

His wife, Rose,
was in the passenger seat.

Truck company is still
trying to extricate her.

All right, the story
just keeps getting better.

Breath sounds left clear,

right diminished.

Hey, Mike, can you please
set up for a chest X-ray?

Got it.

Belly is distended and firm,
that's a bad sign.

Quick fast.

BP is dropping, / .

Heart rate's at .

[TENSE MUSIC]

All right.

Well, that's because
there's a belly full of blood.

All right, trigger the MTP.

Start transfusing.

[MACHINERY BEEPING]

[EXHALES]

X-ray up.

- Clear?
- Clear.

All right, right side is whited out.

Hemothorax.

Doris!
- Chest tube.

Already on it.

♪

[GROANS] Okay.

Bought us some time, but not a lot.

Go to the hybrid OR and then
CT afterwards, all right?

All right, let's go.

Here we go.

Temp's , sats %
at liters per minute.

Okay, lean forward for me, would you?

Deep breaths, Mr. Hernandez.

[RAGGED BREATHING]

Lungs sound junky, don't they?

Mm-hmm.

That's how Dr. Cook in pulmonology

described them last time.

Not your first time here at Med, huh?

Nodes feel supple.

First visit was with COVID last year.

I spent three weeks in the ICU.

Since recovering, I've had bronchitis,

sinus infections,
pneumonia, you name it.

I'm sorry.

The COVID road's been
a long one for a lot of people.

I mask up, social distance, work remote,

barely leave the house, and somehow,

I'm always fighting something.

Maybe I'm being too cautious.

No, no, I like what you're doing.

Unfortunately, nothing's foolproof.

All right, let's run some tests,
see what we're dealing with.

CBC, CMP, blood and sputum
cultures and chest X-ray.

Got it.

Hang in there.

- [ELEVATOR DINGS]
- So Tara's pregnant?

- [LAUGHS]
- You're kidding.

- You're gonna be a grandma?
- I know, right?

My baby's gonna be a mother.

- How far along is she?
- weeks.

How am I just hearing about this now?

Well, Tara just gave me the okay.

I've been dying to tell you.

So, boy, girl?

Oh, she doesn't know.

But she's already finished
decorating the nursery,

she's planning her own baby shower.

Basically, I'm a spectator.

Well, you know, she has always been

a take charge kind of gal.

I wonder where she gets that from.

- [CHUCKLES]
- Yeah.

Congratulations.

- Seriously, to both of you.
- Thank you, Daniel.

Thank you.

Afternoon, Dr. Taylor.

Hey, Dr. Charles.

There he is.

He b*at the deadline?

Yeah, we texted a little while ago.

So you're gonna see him again?

You're dating Dr. Shentu?

Not dating.

We just hung out.

But I'm not sure it's gonna go anywhere.

Busy schedules like ours,
I know how that plays out.

Never ends well, but it is what it is.

Bright side,
always new faces on the apps.

[CHUCKLES]

Millennial romance.

Complicated world.

All those dating sites,
it's like a tyranny of choice.

Mm, you have no idea.

Dr. Taylor.

Your patient, Kiran Patel,

there's nothing neurologically
wrong with her.

Really?

Residents.

[SIGHS] I reviewed her scan.

Normal CT, normal MRI.

No thoracic or lumbar abnormalities.

No autoimmune issues.

So yeah, really.

But she can't move her legs,
doesn't feel any sensation?

Nevertheless, it's not mechanical.

I'd go back through her chart,

- look for zebras.
- I already did.

There's no medical explanation

to explain her symptoms, either.

Well, she doesn't need me

and she doesn't need you...

have at it, Dan.

This is Jack Baker, he was
in a car crash this morning.

I was able to take out his spleen

and control the bleeding,

but the post-surgery head CT was bleak.

Head injuries are extensive.

CT Angio?

Mm, no flow.

He's also fixed and dilated.

Neuro's gonna give him an apnea test

soon as he lands in the ICU,
but I'm pretty certain

it's gonna confirm he's brain dead.

You called me,
I assume he's an organ donor?

Yeah, card carrying.

Make sure he saves a lot of people.

[PENSIVE MUSIC]

- Hey.
- There you are.

I texted you.

Yeah, sorry, I was upstairs.

Peds patient.

You good?

Yeah, catch me up.

Incoming! [ALARM BEEPING]

- Crockett!
- Yes.

Hey, come on, I need you
right now at Baghdad.

Go, trauma comes first.

Okay.

This is Jack's wife?

Yeah, Rose Banks, ,

passenger, high speed MVC.

GCS , BP / , heart rate .

- All right.
- CPR in the field

but got ROSC,
we intubated without dr*gs.

All right, transfer on my count.

One, two, three.

All right, how long was she down?

Don't know.

Took the truck company minutes

to clear enough space
to squeeze into the vehicle.

Bagged her as soon as we reached her.

She came back with one round of Epi.

Hey, Rose?

Rose, can you hear me?

No response to painful
and verbal stimuli.

[TENSE MUSIC]

Feeling a step off in her neck.

No obvious leg fractures.

Let's cut these clothes off.

Pupils are fixed and dilated.

No, no, no, no, no, give me
the shears, give me the shears.

Oh, my God, she's pregnant.

All right, ultrasound.

[EXHALES] No free fluid.

All right.

Placenta appears intact.

Based on femur length,

fetus is approximately weeks.

Volume all the way up.

[ULTRASOUND WHIRRING]

Hush, shh!

Fetal heart tones are steady.

.

All right, baby's holding.

All right, let's go back to mom.

Run to CT, I want a panscan.

Let's go.

♪

So?

Yeah, Ms. Patel is pretty
resistant to the idea

that her paralysis is in
any way psychological.

Kind of repeatedly downplayed
her condition in general.

You know, I'm gonna leave her
alone and see if

maybe after a little rest, she opens up.

Her daughter Varsha's
in the waiting room.

I'll let her know.

Oh, wait, there she is.
Varsha, this is Dr. Charles.

I'm sorry, I was speaking
with Arjun, my fiancé.

Told him about my mom.

He wants to come visit.

Sure, that's okay.

No, you don't understand.

I've never met him before.

This would be the first time.

You're kidding, the first time?

It's an arranged marriage.

It's sweet of him
to want to come, but...

I don't know if it's best
to meet him like this.

I better talk with my mom.

[PENSIVE MUSIC]

Wow.

Arranged marriage.

Yeah, I guess so.

I mean, letting your parents decide

who you end up with
for the rest of your life?

That's... wow.

Well, I mean, it is a tradition

that's survived
for thousands of years, right?

Across numerous cultures,

so there's gotta be something to it.

Yeah, but I mean,
this culture is Chicago, .

I've been on a few blind dates,
and they're terrifying.

And that was just for coffee.

I can't imagine the anxiety

that Varsha's feeling right now.

You know what?

I don't know a whole lot
about arranged marriage,

but I'm betting you're right.

It should be Varsha who's feeling

all the pressure, all the stress, right?

And yet...

It's her mother who's
in the hospital bed

with symptoms we can't explain.

Yeah.

Your girl did this?

Stabbed me with scissors.

That's my fault, really.

Things got a little more passionate

than we had anticipated.

All right, vitals are stable.

Let's get ready for an X-ray.

Taking you down.

- Kathleen.
- Yep.

Clear.

[MACHINERY BEEPS]

Okay, looks good.

Nothing metallic retained.

Cool, so only a flesh wound?

Maybe. Maggie, let's get a DPL kit.

You got it.

Just sew me up and I'll go.

Yeah, sorry.

We gotta see what we're working with

before we let you roll out of here, man.

[SCOFFS] Man, I hate hospitals.

Better dial down the passion,
then, lover boy.

Mm.

[MACHINERY BEEPING]

[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]

Rose's scans revealed
a C- on subluxation.

Her spinal injuries
caused her to stop breathing.

And the lack of oxygen and blood flow

led to a catastrophic stroke.

There's no brain activity.

So Rose is gone?

I'm very sorry.

[SOBBING]

What... what... what about the baby?

Well, there's, uh,

there's no way to know if the fetus

was injured until it's born.

Right now, the heart tones are steady.

However, the situation is fluid.

So... so what do we do?

Well, there are two options.

Steroids to help mature the baby's lungs

followed by a C-section to deliver.

Or we wait.

[SOBBING]

Wh... what's better?

It's hard to say.

Delivery would put us out in front

of any potential future problems.

But at only weeks,
the baby would be facing

the challenges of a premature birth.

Yeah, waiting gives more time in utero.

But Rose's trauma was severe.

So if she decompensates,
so will the baby.

If we... we deliver,
what happens to Rose?

Rose is a registered organ donor.

Her organs would be given
to those patients in need,

and then she would be
taken off life support.

[SNIFFLES] David, you decide.

[SOBBING]

[MACHINERY BEEPING]

I... I guess deliver.

That a good decision?

Yes.

Dr. Archer and I support it.

- Okay.
- Okay.

We'll give you some privacy
with your daughter.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

- [KNOCK AT DOOR]
- Hey, Rudy.

You remember Dr. Cook?

You just couldn't stay away, could you?

Believe me, Dr. Cook, I tried.

- [COUGHS]
- Who's that little guy?

My nephew Harley.

Still haven't met him in person yet.

So what's the damage?

Literally?

Fungal pneumonia.

So going to admit me?

Yes, Dr. Cook will take over.

Short term, we're gonna start you

on antibiotics and anti-fungals,

get a CT to help better
define the infection.

A CT?

You already know I have pneumonia.

Yeah, I know, CTs aren't fun.

That's putting it mildly.

I've had a bunch.

And I'm claustrophobic.

Worst part, the CTs never seem
to show anything new.

Well, Rudy, then maybe we can skip it.

There's no red flags with his labs.

And check out
this chest X-ray from today

compared to the one taken
from the last time I saw him.

Yeah, lung scarring is unchanged.

I think we can get by today
without the CT.

- [GROANS]
- Dr. Halstead?

Well, if Dr. Cook is okay
with it, I guess I am too.

It was nice meeting you.

Take care.

- You too.
- Thanks.

[KNOCKS] Ms. Patel, how we feeling?

[SIGHS] You again.

I understand that, uh,
congratulations are in order.

Your daughter's getting married.

Yes, she's actually
talking to her fiancé

on the phone right now.

Huh.

Look, I just had
a couple more questions.

I promise to be very quick.

- All right.
- Okay.

So I've been looking at
your chart, and apparently,

your legs started to feel
heavy, what, about a month ago?

Now, were there any other symptoms

that... that you can describe to me?

Or has it just been the legs?

A while ago, I noticed that
my foot was tingly.

But it would come and go, I managed.

Okay.

And this tingling, when did that start?

I'm not sure.

Maybe a year?

And what was happening
in your life back then?

Any big events jump out at you
that you can remember?

Not really.

I had cut back on working.

I was volunteering
at the temple's soup kitchen.

I just started reviewing
husband profiles for Varsha.

Reading bios,
comparing astrological charts.

So choosing Arjun,

that was then pretty much
down to you and your husband.

[MACHINERY BEEPING]

He's deceased.

Oh.

- Okay.
- It was...

my decision.

As her mother...

[BREATHES SHAKILY]

That's what I'm supposed to do.

Right.

And that's...
That's a really big decision

for one person to make, isn't it?

[BREATHING SHAKILY]

[BEEPING ACCELERATING]

Ms... Ms. Patel, are you all right?

[MACHINERY BEEPING RAPIDLY]

[PANTS] They can't get married.

They can't get married.

Okay, look at me,
look at me, look at me.

Breathe with me, all right?

- In through the nose.
- [INHALES THROUGH NOSE]

- Out through the mouth.
- [EXHALES SHAKILY]

- In through the nose.
- [INHALES THROUGH NOSE]

- Out through the mouth.
- [EXHALES]

There you go.

[BEEPING SLOWS]

[BREATHING SHAKILY]

[MACHINERY BEEPING]

Fetal heart rate dropping.
[ALARM BEEPING]

Our baby's in trouble.
Fetal heart rate falling.

to , ah, damn it.

Pull the OB from scrub! Let's go.

We need a neonatologist in OR , stat!

Dr. Patchefsky!

[ALARM BEEPING]

Splash and crash! Betadine! Pour it!

- Betadine.
- Perfect.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪

Oh, there he is.

Breathe, breathe.

♪

Come on.

Breathe.

Come on, cry for me.

Please cry for me.

What about Tyler?

I think Rose and Jack
would've liked that name.

Mr. and Mrs. Price, do you understand

the explanation
the doctors just gave you?

Tyler just needs more time to develop.

No.

No.

There was a complete
abruption of Rose's placenta.

The baby's blood flow
and oxygen were cut off.

His heart b*at was restored.

Neurologically, though...

But he's on life support.

That will help like
he's still inside Rose.

I'm sorry, but his condition
is unrecoverable.

He can't survive off the ventilator.

But maybe if we wait
just a little longer?

Why don't we give them some time

to spend with their grandson.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

I can't imagine what
they're going through.

Let's give them space for now.

They just lost their daughter
and son-in-law.

They're not yet ready to accept

the loss of their grandchild as well.

Yeah.

Your patient from earlier, Kayla?

Been a hard day.

What's all this?

Atwater bought a small
apartment building.

So Jay thinks I should
get into real estate too.

He found this place in Canaryville,

you know, the old neighborhood.

Wants me to check it out
before it sells.

Well, real estate's hot,
I'll give him that.

And it seems more your speed
than a cannabis club.

Yeah.

[CHUCKLES]

Your patient was just admitted.

E.D.'s slow. Go take a look, I got you.

All right.

For Jay, but I'm not
bringing my checkbook.

[CHUCKLES]

Yeah, I dunno.

Hey, gotta go.

So we're good?

Not gonna die, am I?

You're not gonna die,
but we do need to talk

about your DPL results.

All right, they're scaled,

the magic number being , .

Under , , you can go home.

And over it, you need surgery.

Okay, so, give it to me. How'd I do?

, .

Where do I sign so I can go?

Wh... here's the thing.

, is beneath the threshold,

but I'd feel a lot more comfortable

if the surgeon took a look
at the wound from the inside.

Do me a favor, all right?

Take a little more time, think about it.

Yeah? Okay.

Hey. Everything's okay?

Uh, yeah, yeah.

Oh. Milena.

- , I should've known it was a cop.

You okay?
Something wrong with the valve?

No, I'm not here about me.

Your patient, Stefan?

I need him discharged.

Why?

He undercover with you?

A CI?

Okay, you want me to help you,

but you're gonna leave me in the dark?

Working a DTO. You know the rules.

Yeah, I got rules too. Do no harm.

All right, well,
he got stabbed with scissors.

He's not exactly dead man walking.

[APPREHENSIVE MUSIC]

All right.

Stefan's brokering a meet tonight.

If he's not there, it doesn't happen,

and my case takes a big hit.

So because you're jammed up,
you're jamming me up.

Well, I... I wish I didn't have to.

Honestly.

Really?

But bad guys can't win, Dylan.

How's my mom?

I suspect that's she's
suffering from something

called Conversion Disorder,

which is a mental condition
that occurs when

unresolved or unconscious
mental conflict

manifests itself as physical symptoms.

Mental condition?

- Her weakness is real.
- It... it's very real.

What I'm saying is,
I don't think it's being caused

by some kind of
underlying neurologic disorder.

By what, then?

Very likely stress.

You know, I believe that your mom is

bottling up emotions so tightly

that it's literally attacking her.

It's attacking her body.

Why?

Varsha, I think that she's

very conflicted about
your upcoming marriage.

The ceremony's in two weeks.

Family's flying in from India.

Why, all of a sudden,
is she against the marriage?

I don't know.

But figuring that out is
crucial in treating your mom.

There you are.

Stefan said that
he's gonna have the surgery,

so I'm gonna call upstairs and
see if there's an OR available.

Uh, hold up.

You win, doc.
Just go ahead, cut me open.

Uh, look, um...

I thought about it, and you're stable.

You're clearly not in pain,
haven't had any complications,

so if you don't want
to have the surgery,

I'm not gonna fight you on it.

[CHUCKLES] My man.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪

What was that?

I changed my mind.

All of a sudden, just like that?

I'm gonna go grab
the saline and a gauze.

Can you get the discharge
paperwork ready, please?

♪

[SOMBER MUSIC]

♪

Mr. and Mrs. Price.

You wanted to see me.

We just said goodbye.

Ah.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Jack and Rose believed
in organ donation.

We think that's what they
would want for Tyler as well.

So how do we help somebody else?

Well, I'll contact
Organ Donors of America

and ask them to come by here
and speak with you.

Okay?

- Thank you.
- You're welcome.

♪

Come back to get your checkbook?

Nah.

Building has potential, but still,

too much of a gamble for me.

Hmm.

It's the ICU.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪

- What happened?
- Rudy's fever spiked,

he started coughing up blood.

That's more than just pneumonia.

Yeah, think so too. I'm getting that CT.

Damn it.

I should've pushed for it earlier.

I nixed the scan.

This isn't on you.

♪

Appreciate the solid.

All right, this is how
it's gonna go, okay?

Stefan spikes a fever,
starts sweating too much,

anything off, you bring him back.

You got it.

Milena.

I gotta assume that's your cover.

What's your real name?

When the case is over.

[PENSIVE MUSIC]

♪

- Hey.
- Hey.

- It's Rose's heart.
- Yeah.

It's on its way to Green Bay.

Between her and Jack, it was organs.

That's lives.

It's been a hell of an afternoon.

Yeah, well, it's not over yet.

Rose's parents agreed to organ donation.

He's an HLA match for my patient Kayla.

That's wonderful.

- Let's go.
- Hey.

I want to lead the surgery.

- And I assist?
- Yeah.

Crockett, it's a pediatric transplant.

It's a newborn.
- Yeah, I know.

Pamela.

I need to run this one.

You'll be right there in the room.

- Okay.
- Okay.

No, Dr. Charles.

I'm exhausted, no more doctors today.

I completely understand.

But I do think that,
uh, that Varsha wanted

to have a quick word.

Ma...

Help me understand.

[MACHINERY BEEPING]

Ma...

Talk to me.

I mean, you and Dad were arranged.

You were together till the day he d*ed.

[BREATHES SHAKILY]

Please, Ma.

Why don't you want this marriage for me?

Because my marriage was horrible.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

Your father loved you.

He never loved me.

And I was unhappy
from the moment I walked

the seven circles around
the fire and became a wife.

And I am terrified...

That you will suffer the same fate.

[SOBS]

But...

if you felt this way,

why did you propose arranged
marriage in the first place?

That's all I've ever known.

I am so sorry, Varsha, I am so sorry.

It's okay, Ma.

I'm not upset.

Everything's gonna be all right.

[SNIFFLES]

You don't have to marry Arjun.
We'll call it off.

No.

I'm still going through with it.

Oh.

I want this marriage.

I do.

- [BREATHES SHAKILY]
- I swear.

♪

Cavity in my lung.

- More damage from COVID?
- Yes.

And it was hiding below the scar tissue,

which is why
we couldn't see it on X-ray.

And this cavity... [COUGHS]

It's why I'm getting sick so often?

It's a breeding ground
for bacteria, viruses,

and in this case, an aspergilloma.

It's a mass of fungus.

But it's treatable, okay?
You have two options.

The first is CT-guided
antibiotic infusion.

It's a line of meds inserted
directly into the mass.

But there's a catch.

So the meds will clear up
the current infection,

but they won't address
the root of the problem,

the cavity.

Option two?

A lobectomy.

It's a surgery
that would remove the mass

as well as the damaged area
of lung where the cavity is.

No more cavity,
no place for germs to roost.

[EXHALES] I won't lie.

Surgery scares me, but...

Okay.

Let's take a chance.

Roll the dice.

Surgery.

Okay.

[PENSIVE MUSIC]

♪

Okay, SMV anastomosis complete.

Onto the artery.

We got this, Kayla. We got this.

Varsha?

Hey, this is none of my business,

but listen, are you just getting married

to make your mom feel better?

No.

Not at all, I'm doing it for me.

Look on your face.

- [CHUCKLES]
- I had the same reaction

when the idea of arranged
marriage first came up.

But then I thought about it

and realized my dating life...

the apps, the games, the fix-ups.

Yeah, I know, I know the world.

With Arjun, though,
it's a different path.

Same goal, build a love over time.

I'm all in.

Oh. That's Arjun.

- Hmm.
- He's taller than I imagined.

- [CHUCKLES]
- [CLEARS THROAT]

[WHISPERS] Excuse me.

Hello, Arjun.

Hi, Varsha.

So nice to finally meet you.

There are for your mom.

So Kayla's gonna be all right?

Well, the surgery went very well.

She'll need to stay here in the NICU

for the next three or four weeks,

but I have every reason to believe

she's gonna make a full recovery.

Mr. and Mrs. Miller,
I have David and Alice Price,

grandparents of the donor infant.

They've asked to meet Kayla.

Okay.

Yeah?

[SENTIMENTAL MUSIC]

♪

Thank you.

[SNIFFLES]

Looks like a brand new family.

Yeah.

[PHONE BUZZES]

What's up?

My offer's been accepted.

I changed my mind,
I'm buying that building.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Listen, your patient Rudy, upstairs?

He's asking for you.

Rudy?

He's already out of surgery?

Hey, Rudy.

CT infusion?

You didn't have the surgery.

No.

Techs came to wheel me
into the OR and I thought,

"Rudy, what the hell are you doing?

You could bleed out on the table."

Spur-of-the-moment decisions,
especially risky ones.

No... [COUGHS]

No, that's... that's not me.

You were right.

No problem with playing it safe.

Thanks, Dr. Halstead.

Yeah, glad I could help.

So Kiran is wiggling her toes,

chatting with Varsha and Arjun.

Off to a good start.

Glad to hear it.

Well, listen to this.

I did a little Googling,

and I found a study that
said that the divorce rate

for arranged marriages in this country?

Less than %.

Whereas marriages where people
chose each other?

% ended in divorce.

How about that?

I'm deleting my dating apps.

No kidding.

Oh.

Uh-huh, so I guess you decided to, uh,

hang out a little bit more.

Or... or it's a date.

Not sure yet, but, uh, I guess I'm gonna

give us a chance to find out.

Okay.

[TENSE MUSIC]

-something male, GSW left lower chest.

Two holes, through and through.

GCS T, BP / .

Heart rate , sats %.

Intubated in the field.

Oh, man, Stefan.

- He the only victim?
- Just him on site.

Ah, I never should've let him go.

Who is this guy to you?

No one, I just met him today.

You were really dialed in
this afternoon.

You owned that OR.

Yeah.

Case hit close to home.

Oh?

I had a daughter.

Harper.

Lost her too soon.

Leukemia.

I'm sorry.

[SENTIMENTAL MUSIC]

You know, for a long time...

The memory of her was my...
My greatest weakness.

Well, today, it seemed like
a source of real strength.

♪

Hey, there, sorry I'm late.

I just had to make a detour

to the gift shop.

Look at you.

My dad, you know, he was
a very old-fashioned guy.

He always used to say,

"A box of chocolates, son,
it's the way to go."

I'm like, "That's so corny."

But I don't know, now I'm thinking

maybe some traditions are
worth hanging onto, you know?

I hope there's some caramels in there.

Should be at least a couple left, yeah.

[CHUCKLES]

For the record, I'm still
on the fence about her.

Well, I'm not.

She just completed an ED
fellowship at LA County.

High volume, high risk cases.

Just like Med.

I'm sure that looks good on paper.

We're implementing
an emergency OB/GYN service

into the ED, and we need
an experienced attending

to get it off the ground.

She's the one.

Oh, here she is.

[LAUGHS]

Ms. Goodwin.

It's nice to see you again.

It's good to see you too.

You look well, Dr. Asher.

That post rehab glow.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

I appreciate you always
checking in with me

while I was away, it was very kind.

I always wanted you to know
you weren't alone.

And this is Dr. Archer,
he's the chief of our ED.

Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Asher.

Please.

Thank you both.

I'm looking forward to coming
back and for this opportunity.

Well, I don't mean to be
insensitive, Dr. Asher,

but I do have to ask.

Are you sure Med
is the best place for you?

Given your history.

You mean my addiction?

It's a fair question.

I am almost two years sober

and committed to doing whatever
it takes to stay that way.

I'm ready for this, both
personally and professionally.

[SERENE MUSIC]

Welcome back, Dr. Asher.

♪