More the Merrier, The (2025)

[bunniefuu]

Oh, wow!

I'm so sorry.

Are you okay?

I'm fine. Really.

What did we say about

snowball fight rules?

Umm...

- No ice chunks.

- No throwing at faces.

How is that going for us?

It slipped.

Hi. I... you know what?

This one's on me.

I thought you were going to the airport.

I am, that's true. Yep.

And then I started a snowball fight.

I was aiming at Charlie.

She was aiming at me.

I'm so sorry.

I'm okay, really.

You have a very strong arm. Good work.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

- Merry Christmas!

- Bye.

All right, everybody, let's go back inside.

Aunt Barb made ambrosia salad.

And you...

And I will collect

the parents from the airport.

Thank you.

Can we set up a bike ramp?

I can't wait for you

not to set up a bike ramp

with the snowstorm coming.

Let's go.

You can never have too many

cookies to leave for Santa.

That's true.

My theory is Santa hates dairy.

Santa? No way.

All in on the eggnog lattes.

Wild for nutmeg, that guy.

No, I think Santa is lactose intolerant,

but just a really nice guy.

Can you believe this guy?

Let me see.

It's Alice.

- Yes.

- Okay...

I've got one more thing for you.

You all seem very ready for Christmas.

Yes.

Excited for some new beginnings.

Hmm. I understand that.

Okay.

Here we are.

I hear you guys have the best

Christmas cookies in town.

Well, let me show you what

we're working with here.

Uh... we got the stars.

We got reindeer.

This one's Donner.

You can tell by the right antler.

- Definitely, Donner.

- That's... yeah.

No, I picked that up.

And we got Santa.

All to dietary specifications.

These are so lovely. Thank you.

Eight dozen, are you, uh

you having a party?

Yes. Well, no. I mean, sor-sor-sort of.

These are a little...

- You good? You need help?

- Yeah, I'm good. Thanks.

- Okay. Okay.

- I got it. Yes.

Great, well, then

I am gonna start cooking.

Okay.

It's Christmas Eve,

aren't you closing soon?

Oh, no, we are.

But we also throw a sort of

island of misfit toys Christmas

for friends every year.

Yeah, and we've got

a professional kitchen, so

it goes quicker if we do it here.

Well, that sounds very cozy.

- Merry Christmas.

- Merry Christmas.

- Whoa!

- Oh! Careful.

I got it.

Everything okay?

Yes. Just...

Wow. Everything's about

to change, isn't it?

Yeah.

We still have a few weeks.

And we agreed to stay patient.

- Mm-hmm.

- I know, I'm...

I'm just so excited.

Hey.

We got this.

Let's get cookin'!

Good morning.

Hello.

Hi, there.

Um, I called earlier about the wreaths.

Right. Over here.

Oh, these are perfect.

Thank you so much.

Oh, thank you. We do not get a call

for wreaths this late in the season.

I'm going to need you

to pick them up, though,

because I cannot bend down right now.

Of course.

How far along are you?

Due just after the new year.

Excuse me. How much do I owe you?

Oh, I can't charge you for that tree.

It's one of our last ones.

It's crooked.

You as well, you're basically

cleaning up the place for me.

I think there's one over there as well.

Are you sure? I mean, I-I can easily pay.

Really. My parents left me the place.

They were always doing stuff like this.

Just

pay it forward to the next person.

It's what they would've done.

Okay. I-I'll agree.

But with this storm coming,

if it gets too bad,

I'll be back to plow your driveway.

Deal. Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Are you working out here

all on your own?

I live on the property.

Christmas Eve, we don't get

a lot of people up here,

so I sent the rest of the team home.

Don't worry, I will

get off my very swollen feet

very soon.

Good.

Well, Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

The storm is coming in fast, folks.

Massive amounts of snow

and wind on the way,

with near whiteout conditions expected.

All right.

Okay.

You gotta be kiddin' me.

Come on... come... oh!

- Whoa! Gosh!

- Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!

- Okay.

- Oh, wow.

Oh, boy.

- Um...

- Uh...

Save the boxes

and the cookies.

- Are you okay?

- Yeah, I'm okay. Theoretically.

You're gonna fall.

I'm okay, that's all right. I accept it.

All right.

Let it happen.

Yes!

Perfect display of teamwork.

All right, I got it. Here.

Thank you.

Let me help you up.

One. Two...

There you go.

Hi.

- Hi.

- Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

- Um, I can-I can take...

- Uh...

No, I don't think that we should risk that.

I mean, you should get on with

whatever Christmas Eve

you were having.

Counterpoint, you seem

kind of accident-prone

and maybe you need me.

Need is a strong word, but... okay.

Now you're just showing off.

- Hey.

- Hey!

Are you here early, or is it,

uh, later than I think it is?

Oh, a little of both.

I hear you're pulling a double.

Yeah, better than being

stuck out there in the storm.

Are these from Cookie Glory?

They are, but they're for patients.

Oh, you are a mean one, Mister Grinch.

You work here?

I do.

Here you go.

As, like, a decorator or...

Well, they decorated

most of the hospital,

but I like to help out.

Make that yourself?

Do you always ask strangers

so many questions?

You always dodge them?

Kind of.

Yeah. I do.

Well, I, um

thank you for the assist,

but I should get to my shift.

Dr. Rogers.

You are an ER doctor.

I am.

Uh, you're a little... clumsy, no?

It's remarkable, isn't it?

It is. Yeah.

- I'm B...

- He's Brian.

Dr. Rogers, this is my brother,

Dr. Brian Davis.

Dr. Brian Davis?

The renowned cardiologist,

Dr. Brian Davis?

The one they're gonna

put up billboards about?

I saw those pictures, by the way.

They're not that good.

Uh, you didn't tell anyone

that we're related?

It felt like bragging.

Aww.

Okay. Come on in. Oh, that's enough.

- Watch the baby.

- Right.

Uh, Dr. Sullivan couldn't make it in

from North Haverbrook, so...

So, my sister volunteered me to check in

on a patient that was just admitted.

Oof. On Christmas Eve?

You're here on Christmas Eve.

Yeah, but she volunteers for it.

Three years running.

Right.

And I should get these

to the break room.

So, I will see you at

the shift change meeting.

And it was nice to meet you, Brian.

Yeah. You too.

And, um...

Nice catch.

You're wearing a tie.

Mom gave it to me.

- It's terrible.

- I know.

Should I take it off?

Yes! We're a much different

hospital than you're used to.

Come on. Your patient's this way.

I'd also lose the sweater, hotshot.

Hey, you're here early.

Says Mother Christmas. Oooh!

I came early to finish decorating.

And I came to beat the storm.

- Good call.

- Yeah.

So, uh, what's in store for us this year?

Well, prepare to have your clogs blown

clean off, Monica.

I have a whole list planned.

So, how is the caroling coming?

Oh, uh, so far,

it's just you and me,

although Rich is staying

for an extra shift, so maybe we can

convince him to sing.

Uh, sing? Whoa! No.

No, thank you.

My-my Christmas caroling

move is generally

just to mouth the words

and be handsome in a scarf.

Please, Rich?

Fine. Fine.

I'm in, I'm in.

See you at the shift change.

Okay. I am Dr. Davis.

- Dr. Sullivan has asked that...

- Brian?

Davis?

Look at you.

Uh, I'm Ruth Camp.

I worked with your Aunt Marcia.

Head of Nursing. Right.

Wow.

I didn't recognize you,

I haven't seen you in ages.

My parents told me that you retired.

I did.

I'm with him.

Uh, this is my grandson, David.

Hi.

Has he been in any pain?

No. Uh, he was feeling dizzy.

Mmm, not really dizzy.

More like, just...

I see you had heart surgery

three years ago.

Dizziness likely doesn't have

anything to do with his heart.

His recovery been okay?

Well, I mean

the patient is right here,

so perhaps we should ask him?

It's been good.

They just told us

to keep an eye on things,

and today I wasn't feeling great.

Right, the dizziness.

Huh.

Um. Is, uh.

- I-i-is something wrong?

- No.

Nothing's wrong.

It's good that you stopped in.

I just wanna get a quick scan.

Why?

We should see if there's

anything to worry about or not.

I'll get the order drawn up.

David.

- Hi, Rich.

- Hey, bud.

How you doing?

- Good.

- Yeah? Good.

Right. Christmas Eve with Dr. Rogers.

Revels in the bells.

Katherine, be nice

to the sweet lady.

She brought us cookies.

Do you need a hand?

Thank you, Monica.

We already have decorations.

The adding more just feels like

a bit much.

If you end up in the emergency room

on Christmas Eve,

or even tomorrow, Christmas Day,

do you want it to look like any other day?

Well, if you're here,

it's likely not the best day

you've ever had.

I don't think anyone even notices.

So, for Christmas, we try to change that.

Staff changeover meeting. Ready?

Yes.

Are you okay?

Mmhmm.

The baby is just doing some

sort of solo Christmas pageant

performance art in there.

All right, let's make this quick.

The snow has picked up.

This storm will be measured

in feet, not inches, people.

Let's talk beds. Capacity?

72 percent of our beds are filled.

Uh, waiting room is currently cleared.

Thank you, day shift.

ICU is at 50 percent,

and we have two patients

currently in the ER.

Oh, and, uh

there's one minor waiting for a scan.

Everyone, this is Dr. Brian Davis,

our new cardiologist.

Dr. Davis will start

in earnest in the new year,

and as it happens,

is the brother of Dr. Spencer.

Dr. Spencer, who's going off shift,

and will be on-call for labor and delivery.

And I'm not worried.

Christmas is the second rarest birthday.

Which one's the first?

February 29th.

Only happens every four years.

Right behind that though,

Christmas Day.

Mmm! And speaking of Christmas,

Dr. Rogers has planned her annual

Christmas Eve events.

Yes, we will be caroling

in the chapel at some point.

And I also found extra

decorations for the tree

in the waiting room.

And she's also brought us cookies

from Cookie Glory!

Oh, sorry. Those are not for us.

At midnight, we will be

sneaking into rooms

and delivering cookies to patients.

We do need to label them according to

dietary restrictions,

so, if anyone wants...

Uh...

All of this while you're the attending.

ER doctor overnight?

A hospital is a tough

place to spend Christmas.

- We try to make it nice.

- Right.

But...

With the storm, aren't we

worried that there's going...

If there's a problem, we attend to it.

We've already ordered extra

supplies be shipped down

because of the storm.

And we've checked the generators.

Now, you are welcome

to check them all on your own,

if-if you would like.

No, I'm good.

Okay, have a good shift everyone.

Okay.

Good night. Merry Christmas.

Stay warm out there.

Anything pressing?

Bays one and two

are probably good to go.

They just need to be discharged.

I'll start there.

Oh, whoa! Oh, sorry.

Sorry. All right.

Okay, how did a small-town

hospital like this end up

with a full-time cardiologist?

Part of a program with other hospitals.

He's based here, but he'll

serve through other areas.

Word is, he took a huge pay cut for this.

And he definitely has

a thing for Dr. Rogers.

How can you tell?

Well, she watches General Hospital

and Grey's Anatomy, like, constantly.

Dr. Rogers isn't the type

for a workplace romance.

Okay, but how would we know?

She's been here, what, three years

and we hardly know anything about her.

That is not true.

She is a good person.

She's a great doctor.

She's from...

She's from, um...

She has no idea.

Okay, well, she's got hobbies.

Like, she...

Yeah. Okay.

We don't know much about her.

Dr. Mystery.

- Dr. Mc-Arms-length.

- Oh.

Dr. Rogers!

Rooms one and two

are ready to go home.

What's room three?

Possible torn meniscus.

Ambulance is prepped

and ready for the storm?

Well, last we heard,

one ambulance was in the shop,

so we're down to one,

but let's just all hope

that it stays nice and quiet around here.

- Oh, wait.

- What? Shh. No.

- Did you just say that out loud?

- Don't say that word.

Inside voices.

- Let's not jinx us.

- Sorry. I...

I'm gonna check out bay three.

- I didn't mean to...

- Richard.

Sorry!

Santa?

Hurt my knee!

Dare I ask how?

Slipped.

Throwing a sack of toys into a sleigh.

If you can believe it. h*-h*-h*.

I've always believed in you, sir.

Dr. Rogers.

Dr. Rogers to labor and delivery.

That can't be right.

I really do mean you, Dr. Rogers.

Okay. Uh, Rich

will take you down to ultrasound.

We're gonna get a good look at it.

Are there any children here?

I'd love to stop by if I can.

Let's get you healed up first.

You've grown!

Yeah, you got me lifts

last Christmas, remember?

So, I did.

Is it high?

It's been good, but I know

it can change quickly.

It's fine. Really.

What? You're kidding.

Labor? Right now?

Contractions started a few hours ago.

I thought maybe it was Braxton Hicks.

Oh, let's start timing 'em.

We should probably get some steroids

in case the baby's lungs...

If the baby's lungs aren't...

- You're okay.

- I'm gonna have to walk you...

We've all trained for this.

- I got you.

- Ahh!

What are you doing here?

I thought you were

going to Mom and Dad's.

I was waiting for test results

from Dr. Sullivan's patients

and someone told me you're in labor.

Yes, I'll be fine, but the baby's early.

You're 36 weeks, that's late

pre-term, you're okay.

Okay. We're gonna need

to get an IV line set

up in case the line for...

Ok, Dr., I need you

to give us some space here.

I appreciate you wanting to step in,

but right now, you're family.

Uh... well, have you ever

delivered a baby before?

- Have you?

- Okay.

That is fair, but I just mean have...

Can you just get a hold of Jim?

He's probably still on a plane,

but if he's getting texts...

And make sure to tell Mom

and Dad, because I can't...

Okay. Okay. Right now, I need everyone

to take a deep breath.

- Okay.

- That's it.

One more.

That's it.

There we go.

Thank you.

I'm okay.

Mm-hmm.

Actually...

I'd feel better if Jim were here.

Brian's gonna get on that.

Right now, let's get you some ice chips.

Thank you.

- Call Jim.

- Yep.

We're gonna get you ice chips.

Whew.

That's it.

Yeah. Uh, no.

I will keep you posted, I promise.

Yes, Jim knows, but his flight is delayed.

No, no, no. You don't need

to come down here.

Please do not drive in this.

Promise me.

Okay?

Great.

Merry Christmas, Mom.

Natalie is fine.

But she's gonna be a while.

Baby's not too early?

The baby's early,

but not dangerously early.

Okay.

Look, um...

- You understand w...

- This is my kid sister.

And so far, this hospital seems...

It's just, with all of the decorating

and the Christmas...

What do you have against Christmas?

Nothing. It just...

It seems like a bit of a distraction.

Okay, this hospital

is in the center of a really small town.

So, if you're here on Christmas,

you're missing family dinners,

midnight mass,

a whole host of fun parties.

So, this is for the staff then.

And the patients.

Like I said, we know

a lot of the people we treat.

By law of lightning strikes,

Natalie's already in labor,

so we don't expect any more babies.

So we'll do our best to handle

whatever bumps and bruises

and scrapes come our way.

Because he bumped his head!

It's just a quick trip to the ER.

We'll be home by the time

you get back from the airport.

Whatever happens.

Whatever the night brings.

You really think you can handle all that?

It's Christmas!

We got this.

All right, so,

you need to stay off it.

That means no wrangling of reindeer

or construction of bicycles.

h*! I have elves for that.

I'm sure you do.

But seriously, do you have a ride?

h*! Again, elves.

- 'Kay.

- Don't worry about me!

All right, Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas! h*-h*-h*!

Hey, that storm's getting worse.

We need to make sure

the entrance gets plowed.

I already called 'em.

How are we on the ambulance?

Mmm, slow goings.

But they said they'll be able

to get where they need to.

How are you doing?

You need anything? Hungry?

Nope. I'm good.

- Thank you.

- All right.

- Hey.

- Hey!

Let me know when it's time. In maternity.

I love being in the room when it happens.

I will.

Uh... David's chart.

Can you file that, please? Thanks.

How is he?

Um, I'm still waiting on some tests.

Do you know where Ruth Camp is?

Because I wanted to ask...

She's upstairs with Natalie.

Wanted to see how she was doing.

So, labor can take a while.

If you have somewhere

to be on Christmas Eve.

This is my kid sister

that we're talking about.

I think I'll stick around.

Plus, you're short-staffed.

You have nurses already

staying for a second shift.

Maybe I can help out.

You have emergency experience?

Oh, well, I've got that

big month-and-a-half

from med school.

Good. Well, actually,

I could use some help.

- Okay.

- There's cookies

in the break room that need labeling.

There's a list of patients

and food restrictions.

- Cookies?

- Yeah.

Merry Christmas. See you soon.

Bye. Oh, and say hi to your dad for me.

Bye.

Forty-three pies, twenty-dozen

cookies and seven cakes.

I could sleep till New Year's.

Well, you better get used to it,

'cause two weeks from now...

- We meet our baby.

- Mm-hmm.

I still can't wrap my mind around it.

What will they be like? Who are they?

Yeah, well, whoever they are

they're perfect.

You know, we always say.

Family can be who you choose.

Oh! Which reminds me.

We still have a feast for 12 to cook.

Put me to work.

All right. This is the direction

we're going right here.

Into the kitchen. It's gonna be fun.

We're gonna have a good time tonight.

Hey.

Still caroling later?

Absolutely.

Doctor Rogers to the ER.

Kid bumped his head. Bay five.

Oh. Also, Dr. Davis...

You'll see.

Did he fall far?

Did you fall far?

He says no.

- Hi. Oh.

- Oh. Uh...

Dr. Davis.

Dr. Rogers, this is Dr. Rogers.

She'll take over from here.

- Um...

- Here you go.

- Yeah.

- Yeah. Look, I'm sorry.

- I was just...

- No, it's okay.

I was at the front when they came in.

- It's fine.

- I got it.

So, we bumped our heads on a...

wait a second.

You hit me with a snowball earlier.

I really am sorry.

How about this?

I'm gonna take a look

at your brother's head,

and that can be the last time

you apologize for something

you didn't do on purpose.

Deal.

All right. Charlie, right?

Follow my light.

Does it hurt? One to 10.

Like, a six.

I think...

Ooh, you are gonna have

a pretty big goose egg.

But here's the thing.

Geese are actually Christmas birds.

Christmas Carol.

You know, Scrooge,

he throws the shilling out the window,

and he trusts the little kid -Oh

to buy that bird -I know that one.

For the family, right?

You're laughing, so I think you're good.

But I want to get an X-ray just to be safe.

X-ray?

X-rays are fun.

And then you can have a fancy

Christmas cookie after.

Can I have a fancy cookie?

Do you wanna get your head X-rayed?

Absolutely.

Okay, you can't be in there

when he gets his head X-rayed.

But if you walk him to the X-ray,

Christmas cookies for everyone.

How does that sound?

All right, Katherine will be in shortly.

Oh, wow. You are astoundingly pregnant.

I didn't notice with the coat.

Twins. Number six and number seven.

There are more of you?

Well, congratulations, Mrs...

Elena, please.

A nurse is gonna be in shortly

to take you to X-ray,

and you're gonna be out of here

in the shake of a jingle

or something, you know,

something like that.

Anyway. Just, like, super fast.

Thank you.

You know, you are really good with kids.

You know you can talk

directly to them, right?

Kids understand a lot,

even complicated...

Okay, you know what?

None of my patients

are under the age of 40.

Didn't you just have one tonight?

Technically, that's not mine.

And at my last practice,

I was a specialist.

I mainly dealt with adults.

People of all ages can have heart issues.

That is true.

So, you chose this hospital

coming from New York.

Why?

You looked me up.

You changed the subject.

Better hours. Closer to home.

Why did you come here?

Okay, see?

There you go again.

You know, you ask a lot of

questions for someone

who does not like to talk about herself.

Did you bag and wrap

all the Christmas cookies?

Also changing the subject, but... okay.

And it actually is a good

system that you have here

because the reindeer have no dairy,

the stars have no sugar.

And Santa

he's got no salt.

- Oh!

- Oh.

- Oh, gosh.

- Wow.

I am a little clumsy.

I guess I don't need that extra coffee.

Yeah, no, I think you're,

uh, you're cut off.

I just, um...

None of my business.

I applied for some jobs.

Yeah, it looks like you got one.

I just don't know

which one I'm taking yet.

Which one?

How many offers did you get?

Wow.

Must be hard being so wanted.

Turns out popularity's hard.

Those kids in middle school

made it look so easy.

Thanks for the cookies, by the way.

Yeah.

Wait.

So... you're leaving?

Can we keep that to ourselves?

I'm not giving notice till

the beginning of the new year.

Attention, staff.

Genesee County has ordered

all roads closed

within the next hour.

We are in Code Grey.

I repeat, Code Grey.

The Code Grey doesn't

really apply to you

since you're just stepping in.

It just means the rest of

the hospital staff has to stay

till we're relieved.

My sister's in labor,

I think I'm going to stay.

What kind of brother would I be?

Okay then.

I guess we're both stuck here.

I guess we are.

I sent the kitchen staff

home an hour ago.

I've been with this hospital 20 years.

You don't think I can

see a Code Grey comin'?

And you can manage by yourself?

Oh, I already am.

I mean, I can't promise that

we're gonna have our, uh,

regular Christmas brunch

that we usually do, but...

I can get breakfast

to the patients by the morning.

That sounds like a huge job, Harold.

Oh, it is.

But, you know what they say.

The head chef goes down with the ship.

Th-that is not how the saying goes.

Pretty sure it is.

Okay.

What is this?

Neat.

Hey, Ruth.

I didn't know you were in here.

Still waiting on some test results.

I gotta hear all about it.

David's online with his HeartMates.

What's that?

Abbott has this program

that we're part of.

Honestly, it's a godsend.

- The health care company?

- Mmm.

They made his device, right?

One in the same.

We've met a lot of kids with heart issues.

The kids meet up online or in person.

They swap stories.

Helpful for families too.

Merry Christmas.

I'll be at the huddle next week.

Bye.

I-I'm just waiting for

someone to get out of X-ray,

so I thought I'd put up these ornaments.

Do you guys wanna help?

Yeah, sure. That sounds like fun.

Oh, my goodness.

Some of these ornaments

predate even my time here.

There's some fun ones in here, David.

Sweet.

Hi. There you are.

David is all good.

Uh, he's a little dehydrated,

which probably accounts

for the dizziness.

Are we good to go?

Unfortunately, not with

the way the roads are.

Mmm...

Well, while we wait for

the roads to clear up.

Dr. Davis, would you like to join us?

Okay.

Okay.

That's two more people spending

Christmas Eve at the hospital.

I guess it's a good thing

that someone planned

some distractions.

Yeah, I have not done this in years.

Decorate a tree?

No. Who has the time?

Well...

You make time.

Dr. Rogers to ER, please.

So...

This all looks great.

I just wanna do one last check.

Can you follow my light?

You seem to be okay. No concussion.

Just a solid bump on the head.

Thank you, doctor.

And, hey, you're welcome

to come by for some cookies

on your way home.

You're in the greenhouse

on the corner, right?

Yes.

The one with the 'for rent' sign?

Where are you going?

Are you moving?

Katherine, how are the roads?

They're closed, but they may reopen

once they've been plowed.

But no one's going

anywhere for now, sorry.

Hey, I got 745 people

in my kitchen right now.

I am more than happy to wait

for a little while.

And bright side, there is a Christmas tree

in the waiting room,

a kid your age is decorating.

Go.

I should go check on Dr. Spencer.

Oh, can I come? I'd love to say hi.

Sure. She's in Maternity.

- This way.

- Great.

That was very sweet.

Thank you.

Who could that be?

It's 11:00.

Yeah.

Oh, hi.

Uh, I'm just out plowing for

some folks who need it,

and I saw your lights on.

Oh, well, come on in. Come on.

- Come out of the cold.

- Thanks.

Oh, yeah, we should've

gotten out there earlier.

Now we're elbow deep in side dishes.

Yeah.

Well, I can plow you

out of here if you want.

Free of charge.

Oh, no, no. We'd insist on paying you.

Oh, come on, it's Christmas Eve,

and we haven't had a storm

like this in a long time.

Plus, I'd, uh...

I'd really like to pay

forward an earlier favor.

Well, then we'd insist on providing

the baked goods and cocoa.

Ah...

I'm Samantha.

Hi, Samantha.

- And this is Max.

- Hi Max.

- And we absolutely insist.

- Yes.

And I would love some. Thank you.

I'm Jake, and it's very nice

to meet you both.

- Let's get you fed.

- Yeah, come on.

Sure.

Okay.

My due date is before yours,

you weren't supposed to win this race.

Yeah, you're more

than welcome to go first,

I... I thought I was prepared, but...

- Oh, no!

- Oh...

Oh, honey.

I just know it...

It's just...

It's just a rush of emotion.

I'm fine, I just...

It's so nice of you to be here, Elena.

It's snowing like crazy out there

and you came to visit me.

Oh, honey. No.

You know how often

my kids end up in the ER.

You think they take a break

on Christmas Eve?

I'm sorry.

- I'm so sorry.

- Don't apologize.

The most powerful thing

a human being can do.

And you're like, "I'm sorry".

I don't think so, my friend.

I figured everyone could

use a little boost.

Hot chocolate all around.

Except for Natalie.

I'm afraid it's ice chips.

Now I know how that feels.

Are my kids behaving down there?

Well, they were when

I left them with Brian.

Dr. Davis? Really?

I mean, come on.

If he's gonna live in a town this size,

He should probably get used to

the idea of being around them.

So, are you two in the same grade?

Eighth grade. Yeah.

What about sports?

- I play the tuba.

- I'm on the track team.

We have different friends, actually.

We don't really hang out.

Oh.

I always wanted to join band.

But... couldn't make it work

for my schedule this year.

Cool.

Yeah, so-so different, uh, yeah, different

friend group. That's, uh...

You know, I-I... I ran track

too, you know, in high school.

David went to State.

Yeah?

Huh. That's cool.

Did you?

No, I didn't, uh, get that far.

Yeah. What?

Wha... I didn't say anything.

No? Oh, I thought you were...

Okay.

Dr. Davis

to Maternity, Dr. Davis.

That's, uh, that's me. I, uh...

It's been fun. I gotta go.

Hey! Hey, hey, hey.

Uh, yeah, it's, uh... Rich.

- Rich.

- Right. Yeah, Rich. Brian.

Uh, listen, do you think maybe

you could entertain them

for a little bit while I go...

Ah, I was about to go on break.

What, entertain? Like what?

Juggle? Magic?

Yeah, if that's what you wanna do, sure.

Okay.

Well, it is Christmas Eve.

What do you say we find

some stuff with sugar in it?

I'm in.

Oh!

You are doing so good.

Is there anything I can do to help?

We're gonna take her to delivery.

Why don't you go find a comfy seat?

Oh!

All right, Nat. You're having a baby.

Let's do this!

Promise me it's gonna be okay?

I promise.

I promise you everything

is gonna be just fine.

No! Not you, Brian.

I love you, but get out.

Nobody wants to do this

in front of their brother.

Then why did you page me?

I didn't!

- That was me.

- I didn't!

I-I thought you'd want family around.

Pass!

- Okay!

- Okay, okay.

Hey, hey, listen to me.

You've got this Nat.

You're gonna be just fine.

Let's make you a mom.

Okay.

Oh, boy.

Merry Christmas, sweet girl.

- Oh, look at her.

- Merry Christmas.

Everything checks out.

You have a healthy baby.

- Oh...

- In a festive stocking.

Oh...

Look at her all wrapped up

like a Christmas present.

Welcome aboard, kid.

Merry Christmas.

Oh, she's so beautiful.

Merry Christmas.

Aww...

Oh, she's perfect.

She's perfect.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

Oh...

I had a Christmas baby.

She made it by one minute.

Okay, here we go.

Brian, are you out of your mind?

Do you think that Mom and Dad,

and your husband, and

probably the local news,

everyone we know,

won't be furious if there

aren't photos of this?

Bri-Brian! Here. Come on.

Get in here. Come on.

Okay.

There we go.

- Okay.

- Okay.

- You ready?

- Yeah.

- Say Christmas.

- Okay.

We could always say cheese.

- Beautiful.

- Christmas!

Oh...

It's a good picture, don't worry.

It's a good picture.

It's a good one.

It never gets old.

That was amazing.

I've assisted in deliveries

before, but that...

That felt different.

Interesting.

What?

I've never heard you talk

about your feelings before.

We worked together for, what, a

a year and a half?

Well, in all that time,

I never once heard you

talking about yourself.

Despite your warmth,

nobody really knows anything about you.

You know what they call you?

Dr. Unknowable?

That's a new one.

Before I retired, it was, um...

Dr. Who?

That's a good one.

It's pretty good.

It was seeing a family like that.

Natalie, her brother, and

suddenly the next generation.

It's astonishing how beautiful that is.

It took me by surprise, I guess.

Did you know that I was an OB nurse

when Natalie was born?

- Really?

- Brian too.

When that baby comes into the world

to be there for something so

momentous.

For a-a friend, a colleague.

Honestly,

for a stranger, even.

Makes you feel connected.

Makes you feel like...

Family.

Family.

Okay, kids.

Keep your eyes closed.

No peeking! Oh, hey.

Now, hidden in this room somewhere

are three candy canes,

three Christmas cookies,

and three vanilla cupcakes.

Mmm, mmm, mmm.

Contestants, please open your eyes.

Now, the first of you to find one of

each of these sweet treats will win

a bowl of...

What's it gonna be?

Organic vegetables.

Are you serious?

Okay. All right. Fine, fine, fine.

I'm kidding.

You get to keep whatever you find.

You ready?

Get set.

Go!

Yes.

What is going on here?

Uh, just having a little fun.

If you need me at all, I told Katherine

- to come find me.

- No, no. You're good.

Thank you for keeping

the Christmas in Christmas Day.

Carry on, little elves.

Yeah.

I found a cupcake!

Whoo!

Cupcake! Cupcake! Cupcake!

Well, at least your plane made it in okay.

Yeah, my-my flight got in okay.

But now I'm stuck at the airport.

This storm is way worse

than we thought.

But I will get there as soon as I can.

Oh, sweetheart, just be safe.

We'll be here waiting.

Can I see her again?

Yeah.

Wow.

I love you.

I love both of you.

Love you too.

I will be there soon, I promise.

Bye.

Bye.

- Hey.

- Hey.

Hi.

You know, I'm glad you're here.

Me too.

Yeah, but not just tonight.

I mean here, in town.

And I know Mom and Dad are too.

Which also means you have

to hang out with them more

and make sure they don't

fall down in that house

they bought with...

With so many staircases! Why?

Why? I have no idea.

I know the divorce was hard, Bri.

Yeah, and I'm actually in

a pretty good place with it now.

More looking forward to a fresh start.

And you can get back out there

in a fresh dating pool.

Alice is single.

All right, just cool it.

- First off, Alice is leaving.

- Wait, what?

- What?

- What?

Oh! Uh...

You're leaving?

Um...

I think I just let it slip

that you're leaving.

Where are you going?

Okay, I should be elsewhere.

But we'll talk about this later.

Yeah. Um...

Go!

- Go!

- Okay.

Uh... hey.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Look, I-I'm really sorry.

I didn't mean to.

I wanted to give notice

before I told anyone,

and I didn't want to do that

until after Christmas was over.

I get that.

She just made some crack

about me asking you out.

She just had a baby,

and her first thought

is we should go out sometime?

She's always been that way.

I haven't been on a date in...

Oh, I get it. ER doctor hours.

No social life, right?

That's not true.

Katherine's married. She has three kids.

Monica has two. Rich dates a lot.

I'm sure you charm all sorts of...

Uh, not since the divorce.

- Oh...

- Three years.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

It's okay.

Yeah, break-ups are

sad.

Then you get to this place that...

When a relationship's over

and you've had some time

to look back on it,

you realize how much

you've learned from it.

Well, then, I'm sorry.

And, um...

I'm glad you learned.

Me too.

Well, I...

I should get on

with, you know,

- things while it's quiet.

- Um...

I hate to be the bearer

of bad news or good news,

and, uh, I'm sorry to interrupt,

but I think I might...

Elena? What's wrong?

- I think I might be... oh... yep.

- Oh!

- I'm in labor.

- Are you sure?

Like, right now, right now?

Five kids, I'm sure.

- Okay. Um...

- Oh. Uh...

Here. Here we go!

Okay.

Right here.

There you go.

Everything's gonna be fine, yeah?

Of course!

What's two more Christmas babies?

Easy peasy.

Oh, boy.

Not so easy.

Or peasy.

Elena, honey.

I know everyone is sleeping.

I just wanna come stay

with you for a few hours.

Mason, the roads aren't safe.

It's too dangerous.

And it's gonna be hours

before the babies come.

Just stay with the kids.

Generators are up.

It's fine, your parents are with them.

I want to be there.

I know you're there for me,

and I will have them call you

if anything changes, I promise.

I love you.

I love you too.

Merry Christmas. Ahh!

Merry Christmas.

And lo, the shepherds saw a light.

Hey, uh, generators are back up

except for the ones in maternity.

We can't get them going.

But Rich and Katherine are on it.

One thing I will give your nurses.

They are good at seeing in the dark.

First of all, the nurses are not mine.

If anything, I belong to them.

They keep this place running.

Right.

Look, I'm really sorry about earlier,

when I let it slip to Natalie...

It's okay, I should've

made a decision by now.

Four job offers.

- Norwalk, Ohio.

- Mm-hmm.

Incline Village, Nevada.

Chicago, New York City.

They all have their own advantages.

Something different to learn. I just...

I have to choose.

Okay.

So, what's holding up the decision?

Wait, you can't even

answer a simple question.

I just bared my soul to you.

Oh, really? Is that what you're calling it?

I thought I was very open and honest.

- Did you?

- And also,

I helped a patient

decorate a Christmas tree.

- So?

- So!

That is way outside of my comfort zone.

I still think that

you should have boundaries

between you and your patients.

And that's important. It's really important

because otherwise

your patients might start

seeing you as a human.

No, no, no, no.

See, I know what you're doing.

Don't turn this around on me,

we're talking about you.

Dr. Rogers.

The generator in maternity

still isn't working.

We should get some blankets up there.

I'll take a look.

Do you think that's a good idea?

Yeah. I'm actually handier than I appear.

Hey.

Hi.

Merry Christmas.

- I brought an extra blanket.

- Okay.

How are the generators coming?

Um, we have our best

people working on it.

Good. Okay.

Oh. You know, it's okay.

I've got it.

Just get some sleep, okay?

Yeah.

Hi, sweetheart. Okay.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Hi.

I'm your Uncle Brian.

Yeah, this is our first Christmas together.

This is actually our first day together.

How do I love you this much

when we've just met?

You know what the really

good thing is, is...

I get to hang out with you,

and I get to make sure that you're safe.

You really lucked out with your parents.

They're great.

Yeah.

And the best part

about being an uncle is...

I get to help.

Hi.

Everything under control in here?

Yeah.

I want a turn.

That ball is for labor,

and I'm sure it's a violation of some kind.

It's Christmas,

I think we can bend the rules.

How's everyone doing in here?

It's like Midnight Mass, honestly.

We will get these babies into the world

if we have to use headlamps.

That's not my plan.

I've been working on it.

These babies are hours away,

that I can tell you.

I'm gonna check back in

with you soon, okay?

Katie, it's 1:00 in the morning.

You maybe wanna

go sleep or something?

Here?

I can help with that.

Shall we, my lady?

Of course.

All right, come on.

Let's go let your mom get some rest.

Thank you.

- Hot chocolate?

- Oh, thank you.

Okay, uh

your entrance is plowed

all the way to the street.

I'll work on the surrounding

streets some more.

Thank you so much.

And you're okay? You're not too tired?

No, no, I'm fine, thank you.

We cannot have you exhausted

on Christmas morning.

Well, uh, it's just me these days, so...

I-I help out when I can.

Hot chocolate?

Uh, no, I've had plenty.

Thank you, thank you.

You folks just, uh,

keep up the good work.

Why does he look so familiar?

I saw him earlier.

Jake, he... he lost his wife

a couple years back.

Oh... that's right.

He was here a lot.

Okay.

I'm off on a few rounds.

Where is he now?

Oh.

It says Santa's still in the air.

But he doesn't show up

until we're asleep, though.

That's a rule.

Are you sure Santa comes to hospitals?

There aren't any chimneys.

He does.

I've spent a few

Christmases in hospitals.

Santa comes, believe me.

How about I tuck you in, huh?

Oh. Yeah.

Thanks for being so nice to her.

It's all good.

So.

When you were, like, out of school

and in the hospital,

sorry I never reached out or anything.

It's chill.

We didn't...

I mean

we're not really close friends.

I know, I know. But

maybe that was scary for you.

It's really okay.

I had a problem with my heart,

and I had it repaired

with a small device that fixed it.

Right.

I'm glad it worked out.

Thanks.

I mean, it was scary at first,

but

now I'm good,

and I'm back to living my normal life.

And I get to dust my competition in track.

And you wanna join band?

What instrument did you play?

Trombone, of course.

- 'Kay. Good night.

- Night.

Dr. Rogers

and Dr. Davis to ER.

We got a STEMI, two minutes out.

ST elevation myocardial infarction.

Let's prep for a heart attack and...

Activate the cath lab.

Looks like we do get to

work together after all.

Looks like I get to see

some of that superhero

cardiology in action.

Dr. Rogers, contractions

are speeding up.

We're gonna need you upstairs.

It's okay, I got this. Go.

Okay.

Is there power to maternity yet?

No, not yet.

Those generators have always

been a little tricky, but...

I have an idea.

Okay, there you go.

And then, um, I remembered

that Ruth had once told me

that this waiting room

used to be the maternity ward

before the remodel.

So, power supply, oxygen,

everything was still set up.

Hi, there.

Hello.

How you feeling over there?

Oof, you know, old hat.

How are my kids doin'?

Fast asleep.

Ruth is keeping an eye on them,

so you get some rest.

- You still got some time.

- Okay.

Hi, baby.

Thank you.

All right. Patient is stable.

Let's get him admitted to the ICU.

Right.

Everything okay?

Yep.

Dr. Davis, thank you.

Patient is fine, stable,

will fully recover.

I kinda snapped at your nurse in there.

Again, you have to stop saying

the nurses belong to us.

Yeah, I know. It's a bad habit.

So, what happened?

Sometimes when things get a little hairy,

and it did, for a moment back there,

I can become terse.

Okay. And at your last hospital?

I know that people had an issue with it,

but no one ever really questioned it.

Okay. Piece of advice.

We are a community hospital.

It says it in the name.

So, you're gonna run into everyone.

The doctors, the nurses, the patients

at the grocery store.

So, I'm gonna have to be a human?

Okay. In my defense,

I'm actually right about that.

Plus, they're putting

your face on billboards.

Like it or not, you're getting

a whole new life this Christmas.

Looks like we both are.

Then we should make the most of it.

There's still some time

before Elena delivers.

We have more Kris Kringling to do.

Let's go. Come on.

Okay. Favorite Christmas movie?

And please don't say Die Hard.

That's what people say when

they wanna sound controversial

or like a real man.

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas.

- Yes! See?

- Yes.

Real men love whimsy.

Merry Christmas.

Okay.

Favorite Christmas snack?

See, you know,

you ask a lot of questions

for someone who does not

like to talk about herself.

Fine. What do you wanna know?

Okay, so all of the talk of the people here

and the community.

Why are you so keen to leave?

I'm not.

It's just... I move, I stay nimble.

I move every few years.

I grew up a military brat.

We moved all the time.

So, you are telling me

that you're just so used to

new places that you just

can't help yourself?

Okay, I...

I...?

Tell you what, why don't you

come up with an answer

while I continue our mission.

And

to see Scrooge's heightened,

and excited face,

would've been a surprise

to his business friends

in the city, indeed.

Oh.

Thanks.

Rich is in there and

he is reading to a patient.

Mm-hmm.

And this place, man, I have to admit,

it feels pretty good.

Okay.

So, it's not just that moving is who I am.

There's also this.

I keep being in the right place

at the right time.

Wait, what do you mean?

Well, every place I have ever worked,

I have stories of some day

or night or hour

where I am there

for exactly the right reason.

- Like tonight?

- Yes.

And three babies on Christmas.

I mean, that has to be a record.

Maybe that's why I'm here.

And maybe whatever

happens in the next place,

that's why I'm going there.

It's the part I like the best.

I get to help.

No. You know what? No.

No, I'm-I'm sorry, I just...

I don't buy it.

Maybe that doesn't work for you,

but moving around, it-it does.

It works for me.

- Yeah.

- It's...

It's a great way to avoid

letting people get close to you.

No, no. No, sorry...

Dr. Rogers

to labor and delivery.

But... the makeshift waiting room one.

- I was...

- It's okay.

Well

despite a full power outage,

we still managed to get

everything done by

3:45 in the morning.

I can't believe how late it is.

And you made fun of me for getting

that little generator, but

the lights are on.

Hmm? I saved the day.

- You saved the day.

- Yeah.

What?

Uh...

I know everything's gonna change.

And...

I'm definitely gonna feel

different about this later, but

I've been looking forward

to being up with you

at 3:45 AM for so long.

You're waxing poetic

about us staying awake

to feed a baby in the middle of the night?

Yeah.

Well, they say babies are so beautiful

and you're just so

tired all the time, and...

I can't wait.

You're the best man I know.

Now, come on, let's get

this home so we can sleep

before our house is invaded

by everyone we know.

Hello? Is anyone there?

Hi.

I saw your lights were on.

I thought I could drive

myself to the hospital

and quickly realized I...

Oh. Oh!

- Are you all right?

- Oh. Oh, my goodness.

Yeah, um...

Contraction, I think.

Contraction?

- Oh, come in. Come in.

- Yeah. Okay.

- Uh, yeah. Yeah. Um, come on.

- Thank you.

Okay.

Oh...

How's everything going in here?

I think it's time.

Okay.

Let's do this.

Wait.

Before we do this,

I just wanna say thank you.

This is a room full of

very, very good women.

You ready to meet

two more of your kids?

You got it.

Oh, look.

The children were snuggled

asleep in their beds.

While visions of sugarplums

danced in their heads.

Does Ruth watch her grandson full time?

Where are the parents?

You know, that's all we've ever been told.

Ruth's good at it.

Makes sure he gets

the right care and support.

We help out where we can,

but two out of every five people

care for a family member

without any pay or help.

Just on their own.

Just relying on their community.

Hang in there, Elena.

You got this.

Whoa, somebody call Mason

and tell him this is it.

No need. I'm here.

Mason!

You didn't think I'd miss

six and seven, did you?

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go!

Oh, here they come.

Whoo!

Oh!

Merry Christmas, sweet girls.

Can I have one of those cookies now?

- Oh, I'll get you one.

- Oh. No, no.

I got it. You stay here.

No, I got it.

Why don't you go take a break?

Thank you. I actually have more

Christmas tricks up my sleeve.

As long as we don't have

any more surprise babies.

Uh... about that.

You've got to be kidding me.

This is Dr. Rogers.

I jinxed it.

Hi. My name's Zoe.

I'm a patient of Dr. Spencer's.

I know it's Christmas

morning and all, but I...

Don't worry about that.

I'm covering for Dr. Spencer.

I will absolutely check in with her.

Okay. Sorry, I didn't know what to do.

No, no. You're good, you're good.

Okay, so talk to me.

Tell me how you're feeling.

Well... I'm having contractions.

They're about 45 minutes apart.

And, I mean

shouldn't I be there already?

No, no, no, you're still good.

If contractions start coming sooner,

I want you to call me right back, okay?

Okay.

I know this can be

overwhelming, but trust me,

you're gonna be okay.

Okay. Thank you.

I'll call if anything changes.

Good.

Hang in there, Zoe.

Okay.

Hey.

You're out here.

I was thinking about making a snowman.

Three babies.

Actually, the fourth is on the way.

- Four? Really?

- Yes.

Oh, okay.

Well, the more the merrier.

Everyone's pretty excited in there.

I guess you guys have only

ever had one Christmas baby.

And now you guys

are gonna break a record.

I'm really sorry. Okay?

Because I wasn't trying to accuse you

of holding people at a distance.

I guess that's something

we both can relate to.

Yeah, I could probably

be softer with patients.

It's just

that's not what I want

in a doctor, because...

I've had my own heart challenges.

And...

I want someone

who's gonna level with me.

Tell me more.

I'm a cardiologist with some

tricky cardiac things.

I had a procedure a couple years ago,

and now I need to monitor

my blood pressure,

my lipid counts.

Lipids? Did you just say lipids?

Well, that's just flirting.

And to a patient like this,

I would tell them

you need to reduce your stress levels.

But

our jobs are stressful.

So, that's why you moved here?

Small town.

Less stress.

Fresh start.

Yeah, but then I spend one night here

and I watch you handle

all of the challenges.

And I'm starting to think that maybe it's

not the place, but it's...

It's me.

Well, if it is you,

that's just a skill issue.

You learn it.

I think you're gonna be great here.

I mean, you're gonna have to come down

off your fancy pedestal

and work amongst

the little people. Can you do that?

I don't know if you can do that.

Well, you know what?

It would be a lot easier if this

really awesome ER doctor

that I met was sticking around.

Now, that's actual flirting.

Is it working?

I'm leaving.

Okay.

So, go out with me and then leave town.

I'm a lot of fun.

I bet you are.

Dr. Rogers.

- Back at it.

- Uh-huh.

My car still won't start.

I tried calling the tow trucks,

but they're helping everyone

on the highway.

The hospital said they would

send an ambulance

as soon as possible.

Oh, good.

We have some hot chocolate for you.

- Oh, great.

- Oh, wait.

Can-can you have hot chocolate

when you're in labor?

Maybe just water.

- Yeah.

- Right. Okay.

I'm sorry.

We just

we didn't learn a lot about

this labor stuff with, um...

Well, with the adoption.

Adoption?

Yeah.

Our baby will be here in two weeks.

Congratulations. Wow.

Thank you.

You know, I've only been

in here once before.

It's cozy.

Thank you.

Christmas morning.

I guess it is Christmas morning.

Here you go.

- Thanks.

- Yeah, no problem.

My grandma brought me in

just to get something checked out.

Sorry, I can't be there for you guys,

but for once, it was a snowstorm

making me spend Christmas

in a hospital.

We just wanted to be safe, you know?

Turns out I'm fine.

Of course you are.

Uh... hey.

Uh... hey.

Do you wanna meet my friend?

Sure.

Just like you to make friends

while trapped in a hospital.

Charlie, this is...

How-how are you talking to

Damar Hamlin on your iPad?

Well, he's my HeartMate.

I was supposed to hang out with him

and some of the others today.

Nice to meet you, Charlie.

Merry Christmas.

Uh, I'm sorry.

H-how do you two know each other?

I had a pretty big health situation

during a football game.

I'm not sure if you saw it.

Everyone saw it.

After that, things got pretty wild.

And I wanted to meet other people

who had gone through this.

So, I teamed up with

Abbott's HeartMates community.

It helps to talk it out sometimes.

Speaking of, I'm here with Zeke

and some of the others.

Dave!

Merry Christmas, man. We miss you.

Miss you too.

I'll see you next week.

All right. We should get back to it.

But glad to hear you're doing well, David.

Merry Christmas.

Um... Merry Christmas, sir.

Call me Damar.

Merry Christmas.

I lead a cool life. What can I say?

Did Santa come?

Do you wanna see

what Santa brought you?

- Yes!

- Come on.

They're so cute.

Hey, Alice. Alice.

Look, I-I'm really sorry

if I was too forward there.

- I didn't...

- No. I, um...

Dr. Rogers to ER.

Dr. Rogers.

I think I'm in a fight

with that loudspeaker.

I think you might be.

- Hey.

- Hey.

So, good news or bad news first?

Well, it's Christmas,

so let's go with good news.

Well, the ambulance got

pulled out of the snow

by some Good Samaritans.

That's great news.

But it broke a fuel line in the process.

So, we're down an ambulance.

Can we get one from Shelbyville?

Not until the roads are plowed.

Right.

Okay.

- Okay.

- Okay. Yeah.

- Take it easy.

- Oh.

- You got it.

- Oh.

You're definitely getting closer.

You're 20 minutes apart.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Listen, I don't mean to pry, but...

Is there someone we should call?

Oh, uh...

No.

No. I-I'm okay.

I'm okay.

Got it. Enough said.

Can I ask you a question?

Do you know the birth parents?

Oh. Uh...

Well, we

we went through an adoption agency.

It's... it's weird.

We don't know who the birth mother is.

Yeah. All-all we know is that,

uh, she's a single mom,

and she lives close by.

And she's giving us a gift

we've waited so long for.

Hey, guys, check it out.

Yeah.

- For you.

- Thank you.

Kids are building a snowman.

Turns out snow woman.

Katie told me.

She lives in Palm Springs.

She's an author.

And she has to stay

in the air conditioning.

- Okay.

- Mm-hmm.

Wow, kids really imagine things

the whole way.

Did you ever want them? Kids?

Uh.

Well, my ex and I said that we didn't.

But she's remarried now

and expecting her first.

Wow.

No, it's okay. I'm happy for her.

People are allowed to change.

What about you?

I think there are people

in this world that are meant

to focus on other things.

You're one of those people?

Before tonight, I...

I would have said so.

I mean, I pour a lot

of my energy into my work.

But

like you said,

people are allowed to change.

Yeah, I think that they are.

For now, I'm really excited

about being an uncle.

'Cause you get to have all the fun,

twice the sugar, and then you just

give 'em back.

You're a monster.

Come on.

So, I gave it some thought.

About...

Oh, and you've decided where

you're going to work next.

'Cause I say it's going to be Chicago,

and I-I think that there's a wager

going on in the break room, so...

No. You asked me to dinner.

Yeah, I know.

But I kinda sensed a rejection coming,

so I thought I'd just

charm my way through it.

- Is that what you were doing?

- Uh-huh.

Okay.

But I'm...

I mean, I'm moving.

And I've gotta decide

between five places.

- I thought it was four.

- It's four.

- Yeah.

- Right.

But I'm flattered.

And were I to stay in town, I

would love to giggle my way

through that really good

burger place with you.

I understand.

I keep waiting for someone to

page me or tell me that I... well...

Dr. Rogers.

Harold in the cafeteria would like a word.

You can set your watch by it.

Harold!

- Hey!

- Hey.

What was... Ruth. Jake.

What are you guys doing here?

Well, I stopped by to plow

the emergency room driveway.

Ruth asked if I wanted some coffee.

One thing led to another, and...

I can spare ten minutes

to help with the oatmeal.

The three of us play cards

twice a week because...

None of us cares for pickleball.

None of us care for pickleball.

I like pickleball.

Listen, I've been meaning to ask you.

Do you still wanna do

the Christmas breakfast

for the staff?

Oh, Harold. I would love to, but

you've been here all night.

I mean, you don't have enough staff.

It's already Christmas morning,

and we've gotta get

breakfast to the patients,

I think it's best we call it.

You sure?

Right now we can't even

get an ambulance

to a woman in labor stuck

at the Cookie Glory Bakery.

I don't know when the next

shift will arrive.

Well, we've already made all of this.

I mean, I'll hand them out when I can.

I guess we'll try again next year.

Right.

Wait. What?

We'll try again next year.

Yeah.

Merry Christmas, Harold.

Merry Christmas.

- Hello.

- Hey.

Dr. Spencer.

Here's Zoe's chart.

Oh. Wait, Nat.

You're working? You just had a baby.

- Oh...

- Okay.

We're gonna need to get in touch

with the adoptive parents.

Rich is just

waiting for your signature.

Okay, let's talk next steps.

No. No, he's sort of right.

As much as I hate to admit it.

We've got this.

Tell me you didn't already

upset one of the charge nurses.

All right, I always thought that if I was

a strong enough leader,

if I was confident enough...

How are you so good

at talking to people?

Wait.

- Am I?

- Yes.

You are a great doctor, Nat.

You're the best, even when

you're doing it from a bed.

- What is going on with you?

- What do you mean?

You get that crease in your forehead.

Fine, here. There. Is that-is that better?

It's much worse.

Okay. Gotta get that fixed.

All right.

When Sara left...

I knew that she was right

about how much I worked

and about my stress levels.

Yeah. So you moved here.

Less cases, less stress?

Yes.

But I think if I'm being honest,

I actually came back here to get

better at that.

At-at this.

You know, people stuff.

You mean human emotion?

- That's the one.

- Hmm.

Sounds like being pretty grown up to me.

Yeah, I don't know.

There's just something about this place,

the last 12 hours.

I feel like I'm in the right place

at the right time.

Sorry. There.

Those creases.

- Gotta get them checked out.

- I know.

Okay, those... those are

getting a lot closer together.

Are-are you sure there's

nothing we can get you?

A hot water bottle?

- Uh, a... a blanket.

- A cookie.

You guys really don't need

to go through all this trouble.

Of course we do.

We like to treat every customer

like a return customer.

That's just good business.

Yeah, exactly.

Plus, our kids will be the same age.

We could swap babysitters.

That's right.

Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, sorry.

Who could that be?

Look, honey, I know there's

a lot going on right now, but...

Hey.

Is everything okay?

There's something you should know.

Okay, okay. Uh, thank you.

Thank you so much. Okay. Bye.

Uh, what is it, Max?

What's... what's wrong?

That was the hospital.

The birth mom's gone into labor.

- What?

- Yeah.

- Really? Really?

- Yeah.

We're having a baby.

We're having a baby.

- I love you.

- I love you.

So, we should talk.

So, what's it gonna be?

You heard.

Well, you know how

things are around here.

Telegram. Telephone.

Tell a nurse and everybody knows.

Tell me the truth.

Do you really wanna go?

Or.

Are you afraid to stay?

Sometimes it's hard

getting to know people.

I don't mean like...

I have a hard time with it.

But the ER is a place

where sometimes we lose people.

Yes.

Every once in a while,

someone walks through the ER.

And you know them.

You love them.

I mean, to work in the ER,

you sort of have to love

everyone in the world.

But the more people you know and love

sometimes we can't save them.

And you're

you're afraid that that's going to

happen here if you stay?

I'm afraid that will happen anywhere I go.

It will.

And I know that's a

that's a hard truth to carry.

But maybe if you try to remember

that a hospital is also

a place that welcomes

new people into the world.

I mean, three new people tonight alone.

I mean, the delivery room

is a magic portal.

Everyone in there is beaming

because they know

they're about to witness a miracle.

And we can hold on to loss

and hope at the same time.

It isn't easy.

But

it is possible.

Thank you.

Sorry.

Jake just called for you, Ruth.

Oh.

I should, uh...

Hey, you volunteer for this same shift

every year too, right?

Yeah.

Um...

My family,

they live, like, an ocean away.

And I live a very different

life than they do.

And every year, all my

uncles and aunts are like,

oh, but it's Christmas.

You can't be alone.

You shouldn't be working.

And I try to explain to them...

That you're not alone.

See?

Who says you don't reveal

much about yourself?

I'm not alone.

- May I?

- Please.

We weren't sure if we should

push to ask more questions or...

I appreciate that you didn't, I...

It's complicated, and I-I...

- Oh!

- Oh, no.

Oh...

Those are getting closer together.

- Okay.

- Okay.

Okay. Just-just breathe.

Yeah.

Hey.

Look who turned up.

Heard you folks could use a ride.

I gotta hand it to Ruth and Jake.

Snowplow was a good idea.

Mm-hmm.

- Hey!

- What's goin' on?

Another Christmas baby and you think

we were gonna miss it?

Um...

This is for you.

What's this?

Harold had a key to the gift shop.

Chocolate.

Well, Monica and Rich

told me they're your favorite.

Thank you.

Dr. Clark please

report to the maternity ward.

Dr. Clark to the maternity ward.

Okay.

Zoe! You're here.

Um, my contractions

are one minute apart.

The doctors here will help you.

You're gonna be fine.

Don't leave me.

- We won't.

- We're here for you.

You got this. Come on, now.

- Okay.

- Take a deep breath.

Nice and slow.

The community provides.

The first Noel.

The angels did say.

Was to certain poor shepherds

in fields as they lay.

In fields where they

lay keeping their sheep.

On a cold winter's night

that was so deep.

Sorry, do you have a name

for the birth certificate?

We'd like to name him Jacob.

Jake for short.

- Aww.

- Oh, Jake.

- Oh.

- Hey.

Hello.

Merry Christmas, Jake.

Um

We actually got the heat

back on in maternity.

So, we can start moving you

to private rooms.

Could we just

stay a little longer?

Okay, yeah.

Um...

I'll see what I can do.

- Dr. Rogers.

- Yeah.

Hi.

I just wanted to talk to you about, um...

Are you trying to talk me out of leaving?

What? No.

I mean, I'd miss you, but...

I think people should go where they want

and be who they are.

That's no one else's business but yours.

I actually thought,

since we had a very busy night,

and you had this plan to

provide Christmas for everyone.

I did get the tree decorated

in the waiting room

and we handed out the cookies.

The only thing we

missed was the caroling.

But I guess we did get the caroling.

So, we just missed

the Christmas breakfast

we usually do.

Right.

Yeah, um...

About that.

I have something to show you.

I like your new friend.

Okay.

Dr. Davis.

You know what?

Why don't we go with Brian

from now on.

I am going to be your new cardiologist.

And you know, the town is not very big,

so I figured I should

probably start to take in

a few track meets every now and then.

- I'd like that.

- Yeah?

Good.

Look, I know that you

didn't wanna spend Christmas here.

You probably don't wanna

spend any time here at all.

And I

know a little bit about that myself.

Cool.

So.

If you have to come back here,

I promise you I will do

every single thing that I can

to make sure that

it's... it's not too awful.

You can be a HeartMate too.

Yeah, I just reached out to sign up.

All right.

David, come meet the twins.

What is all this?

Well, with a lot of our

day shift making their way in,

we figured that we'd

pitch in before we leave.

Oh, also

there is another surprise.

Come on.

Thank you!

I told you we could do it.

h*-h*-h*! Merry Christmas!

Santa!

Oh, hello, little one.

That's for you, this one here.

Merry Christmas.

What is all this?

Oh, and the big lad.

We've got one for you as well.

Well, you went through all the trouble.

I figured I'd call and check in on him,

and he insisted on coming back.

Nice work, Katherine.

Oh, thank you! Merry Christmas!

Hi, honey.

Hi.

Jim.

Hi.

Come meet your daughter.

She's perfect.

Hi, little one.

Erin.

We're going with Erin?

Just like your mom.

Hi, little Erin.

I'm your dad.

Hi. Oh, my gosh, let me look at her.

Brian.

Congratulations.

- Thank you for being here.

- Yes.

Um... everyone.

Uh...

I just wanted to wish

you all a very Merry Christmas

and to thank you, all of you,

who were here overnight,

and especially those who,

honestly, just came

dashing through the snow.

We are always taught to keep

learning, keep growing,

and that's important to me.

I've studied under brilliant doctors,

I've moved to work at

incredible hospitals,

and the time has come...

The time has come for me

to stay put for a while.

Now, I know that may not

make sense to all of you,

but this community of people

should be proud of itself.

Now it's Christmas morning!

So, let's get this holiday started

and get you all home with your families.

Hey, Alice. Alice.

- Hey.

- Hey.

I'm really glad you were here tonight.

Right place at the right time.

Can I ask you

what made you change your mind?

Brian

do you really not know?

It was you.

And when we're married one day...

Uh...

I'm just kidding.

- Oh...

- It wasn't you.

It had nothing to do with you.

I'm sorry.

Hey, that's a... That is a relief.

And also, uh

kinda sad.

I saw a lot of people

be their best self tonight.

That's what Christmas

does best, actually.

Babies even cooperated.

I think I've spent so much time

running towards what's next.

I never stopped to think

what would happen if I arrived

where I actually belong.

Right place at the right time.

This is the place.

Who wouldn't wanna

see where a life here goes?

So, is that a yes to dinner?

That's definitely a yes to dinner.

Merry Christmas, Brian.

Merry Christmas.