After a staff debrief from Robby, Dana defuses a waiting room brawl and Whitaker finds common ground with "The Kraken."
The Pitt strives to debrief as a team to help process all the complicated emotions that come from a devastating loss. Robby notes how the pain of losing a child will never go away. He recalls the same experience happening to him on his first day as a resident. It lingers. Moreover, the team doesn't have the time to examine the case to see if they could have done anything differently. The next emergencies roll into the Pitt. They have to keep working. They need breaks to care for their mental health . They still have jobs to do. They can't be out of action for too long. Collins confides in Dana about the miscarriage. Dana advises her to go home. Collins can't do that. She can't return to the emptiness. She wants to remain busy. She blames herself for buying a stroller. She was excited for the future. That has been cruelly taken from her. She got that confirmation. She did the exam herself. She keeps finding herself assigned to cases handling children or mothers. That makes this job even more personal. She doesn't want to lose her composure. Yet part of her spark has disappeared. She teaches. She provides feedback. She remains dignified. She shouldn't have to. That's the role she fulfills. She bears it all. She doesn't have the luxury of losing her cool. Robby notices everything. His time is better spent punishing those who act out in harmful ways.
Langdon and Santos have clashed multiple times throughout this shift. He has contempt for her arrogance. He pushes her hard because he has low expectations. He doesn't believe she has the skills that match her confidence. Meanwhile, Santos has been desperate to cover up any perceived mistakes. She's quick to blame other things when something delays her ability to do the job. She doesn't take much personal accountability. It's clear she has had to harden herself to cope with life. That creates a brash personality. One that doesn't mesh well with others. She's also convinced Langdon is abusing the system. She's suspicious of his every action. She believes he's secretly doing something. She's also more than willing to take the blame because his opinion of her isn't going to change. Her experiences have merit in this environment. Her instincts were right while treating an MDMA overdose from the nearby festival. Mohan was more cautious. Santos took a different approach. It was driven by evidence. It was not her being skeptical of Langdon's treatment methods. She's punished for questioning him and for following his instructions no matter what. His outburst shouldn't be tolerated whatsoever. That highlights his fragile ego. Emotions are raw. It's all informed by the recent loss of a child. Langdon needs to hear from his own in order to keep working. He still gets riled up easily.
Doug has been in the waiting room the entire shift. He demands to be seen by a doctor. He needs someone to explain what is going on with him. He's not the only one causing trouble in the waiting room. A fight breaks out between two parents. One happens to be an anti-mask conspiracy theorist. She requires surgery after punching the other woman. Langdon makes a point about the necessity and safety of masks while operating. He's condescending. In this moment, it's appreciated because he's in the right. That allows him to believe he's always operating in good faith. He isn't. He inserts himself into the drama with Doug as well. However, Dana is the one who exerts control over the waiting room. Everyone is impressed by how she restores peace. It's only temporary. That makes it devastating when she is attacked. Doug can't just leave against medical advice. He needs to assault the system. He believes that's what has been done to him for the past nine hours. He was demeaned and belittled. He expected more because he has health insurance. He wants pristine treatment. The doctors have nothing for him while waiting for his test results. They are concerned about a silent heart attack. The mention of that probably guarantees he will be back at some point. He will return as the man who punched Dana though.
The narrative carefully navigates the demands of characters coming in and out of the story. It's not necessary for each patient to be seen every episode. Robby finished treating Theresa. He couldn't do anything else. He called in a favor for her to see a therapist right away. She finishes that appointment. She still can't get in contact with David. That remains concerning. The action pointedly shows McKay observing the drama whenever this story is brought up. It escalates with the sudden presence of police. They too have had frequent calls at the Pitt. No clarity is provided right now. Meanwhile, Whitaker receives a heroic moment by catching and killing one of the rats on the loose. They haven't been seen in awhile. Yet Collins freaks out the moment one appears. That requires an entire room to be cordoned off. Similarly, Whitaker running out of scrubs that fit him is noticed. He's offered help in exchange for seeing Milo Krakozhia. He prepares for the worst. Instead, he sees the glory of all the services this hospital provides. The street team meet the community where they are. He's interested in joining. He can provide medicine for the unhoused when they need it the most. They don't have to experience dire emergencies to receive care. Preventive aid is available. People just need to recognize its importance and step up.
McKay is a member of the street team too. She mentions it while trying to get her potential trafficking victim to open up. Piper doesn't confide in her. The only resource she takes is a pen. It holds the number for a service equipped to help her no matter what. McKay feels defeated. She could have done more. It still takes others to listen and reach out for help. The doctors can only do so much. Moreover, they make mistakes too. McKay treated Paula earlier for a UTI. The patient returns to the Pitt after crashing her car. She goes into sepsis. Her body is shutting down. She's suffering from a postpartum infection. McKay didn't wanted to strain the system by making Paula wait all day to be seen for a pelvic exam. She thought she knew what the case required. Collins fears McKay overlooked several crucial details. They engage in a fascinating conversation. McKay doesn't believe she was biased in her treatment. Collins offers it up as a possibility. It's not meant to condemn her either. It's an offer for growth and reflection. It's taken as such. Collins sees things others do not. She maintains that excellence. She's respected. She's still required to step up and take responsibility over treatment going forward. That's the demand of the job. McKay has been seen as capable previously. She knows how to connect with people. However, she struggles to believe she has made a difference. Mel has felt that way too. She receives a pep talk from Langdon. This environment needs sensitive people. It helps everything operate more smoothly. It just makes the losses and misses sting even harder.
