Robby handles an ultimatum from the hospital. Mel, Javadi and Collins each handle unique mother-daughter dynamics.
Robby, Collins and Abbott were committed to honoring Kristi's wishes about terminating her pregnancy. They helped make it possible by tampering with the records. They did so believing they understood the facts of her home life. This was a decision she was making. She had the support of her mother. In reality, her aunt was impersonating her mother. The true parent is outraged. She cannot allow this to happen. The doctors leave the room to give mother and daughter the privacy to discuss the situation. Nothing ultimately changes over the course of the hour. The drama still plays out in the Pitt. It could have been avoided if Collins used her own measurements to deny this care for Kristi. Instead, everyone remains in this location. Kristi locks herself in the bathroom. She is begging for help. Her mother refuses to listen. It's so tragic. The mom comes in making lots of comments. She scoffs at the idea her daughter will need medication to handle the side effects of pregnancy. She toughed it out when she was pregnant. She expects the same of her daughter. She doesn't want life to be more nurturing and kind to her. She wants to exact the same kind of punishment. Generational trauma is inflicted. The aunt is aware of that cycle. She speaks out against it. And yet, nothing changes. Kristi grows increasingly desperate. That's dangerous especially if she feels she has no good options left.
The staff can't avoid these heightened emotions and difficult situations either. They have to bear it all completely. They have to maintain composure to ease loved ones who are suffering. Robby knew John and Lily's son was braindead. He was never going to recover. He must guide them through this process. It has been slow and agonizing. They need time to cope with this jarring development. They have just lost their only child. The doctors see the good that can come from organ donation. They want to start that conversation. The family isn't there yet. Lily freaks out the moment it's suggested. The hospital has the resources to help loved ones manage these disasters. Robby leans on that support. Everyone has a role to play to ensure this place functions. And yet, he's threatened by hospital management with the prospect of an outside group coming in to enhance the bottom line. It's so dispassionate. Robby understands the role of connecting with people. He knows the only way to cut down wait times is to hire more staff. The hospital refuses to do that. That means he must embark on other ventures to prove his worth in this department. He has job security. People want to collaborate with him. He's carrying pain. Some understand that. But the system still treats all of this as a business that demands more efficiency.
Robby wants the staff to prioritize discharging. That's the most effective way to keep the system running. He provides insight into how meeting patients at their eye level helps build trust. He also wants all the charts to note every thought the doctors had and ruled out when determining care. It's a way of padding the records. It's not clear and concise. It's all about inputting value. The staff have to make quick decisions about the best course of care. They encounter so many people with so many different emergencies each shift. The doctors really can't linger on anything for too long. It's pointless to mock Javadi for fainting because so much has happened since then. Meanwhile, Whitaker shouldn't be made to feel bad for losing a patient. Of course, Santos weaponizes both of those events in order to put down her fellow students. She remains so arrogant and cocky. Confidence is necessary in this job. When she makes mistakes, she beats herself up just as fiercely. This isn't a competition. She was so eager to put in a chest tube. She wanted to enact the procedure even when it wasn't necessary. She had to be patient before the opportunity presented itself. Garcia gave her grace during their previous encounters. This remains a dangerous environment. One where accidentally dropping a scalpel immediately compromises someone else's health.
It's important for the staff to take a moment to reckon with everything that has happened. The shift isn't even at its halfway point yet. The newcomers wonder when they will have time to eat. The chaos never stops. It's crucial to find moments of peace amongst all of it. It may seem foolish for Mel to schedule a time to call her sister. That serves as a crucial reminder. It's a connection to her life outside work. She shared a few details while treating Ginger. She fears telling her patient that her daughter has abandoned her in the Pitt. Mel feels responsible for that decision. She knows what the struggle is like. She found a new arrangement that works for her and her sister. They remain close. She too deserves some grace during this shift. It's her first day at this hospital. Dana checks in on her. She remains the glue that keeps the place running. That's reflected in her title as charge nurse. She looks after the well-being of the entire staff. She connects with them when they need someone to confide in. The issues they face on the job can only be understood by their colleagues. Everything has the potential to change moment to moment. Some cases take up a lot of time. Some patients remain in the Pitt because no other department will take them. The staff have to juggle it all while facing down a waiting room of impatient people who need to be seen.
Levity is offered with the reveal that Collins won the bet over who was responsible for stealing the ambulance. Fraternity brothers did it as a joke to seem cool. Things got out of hand. An airway is compromised for a moment. The doctors have the skills to remedy it. Arrests are still made. It all seems stupid and foolish. Javadi once again makes comments that ultimately demean the situations her patients find themselves in. She doesn't want to be seen as the daughter of a revered surgeon at the hospital. She also lacks the emotional maturity to be confident in every aspect of this job. She has the intelligence to make it through medical school at such a young age. The practical experience is much more crucial. It's all about connecting with people. She believes McKay is pulling them from triage because of what happened with the unhoused patient. It's standard to shift from different areas throughout the day. Every job in the Pitt is important. It's necessary for the newcomers to see every aspect. That provides for a fully-rounded education. That's what Robby's job entails at the teaching hospital. He's happy with the progress Mohan has made. He appreciates her dedication and commiserates over the strange things they see. These characters contain multitudes. They are all on display during one shift. Disaster may still loom on the horizon. The churn of patients has to intensify to bring new stories in. However, several overarching concerns remain active - like Theresa still not being able to get in contact with David.
