With the Pitt down a staff member, Robby relies on his team to pick up the slack. Later, Santos finally voices her suspicions.
Langdon and Santos made quick assessments of each other within hours of meeting. They are tasked with working cohesively in the Pitt. That's how Robby leads. He needs everyone to trust each other. That is the only way they are going to survive the chaos of this environment. The narrative crafted a way for the audience to be sympathetic to Langdon's approach. He doesn't see Santos as a team player. She picks cases she wants based on the procedures they could involve. She's not easing the burden on the system. She's driven by her own ego. She hasn't worked well with others. Of course, the audience has also seen more nuance in her perspective. That was especially true when she went rogue to confront the father allegedly abusing his daughter. She brings personal baggage to this job just like everyone else. She saw warning signs that others missed. She brings fresh eyes to the situation. Langdon's explosion at her was clear escalation. The two continue to clash. They don't trust each other. Langdon calls Santos out for her behavior. He has the privilege of authority. She is an intern who must respect the resident. She checked with others about her concerns with Langdon. Garcia shut her down immediately. Dana showed her how the system operates. When the time comes though, Santos is still tentative about actually reporting her concerns. That shows a willingness to want this system to operate how Robby requires it.
Santos was right as well. When Robby forces Langdon to open his locker, he finds the missing drugs. Langdon has been stealing from patients to get high. He has presented as a high-functioning addict. He's still stealing and covering up his crimes. The warning signs were much more apparent throughout the episode too. He notices every interaction between Robby and Santos now. He clocked her as the one person who could jeopardize his standing in this workplace. As such, he's much more tense around everyone even when Collins makes an innocent comment teasing him. Robby praises his teaching skills. He considered Langdon to be his best resident. And now, he has disappointed him. That trust and respect has been broken. Langdon lied. The severity of the situation is amplified by Robby referring to his friend as Frank. This is more than just a professional betrayal. Robby was deceived by his friend. Nothing Langdon does can offer any satisfaction for these concerns. He tries explaining. At first, he deflects. He uses humor to avoid answering the question. He doesn't deny the truth. He evades it. That's how he has carefully navigated the system up to this point. And now, he's been caught. He is forced to go home. Robby demands he leaves. It's the angriest he has been. This secret jeopardized the work. Robby can't tolerate that. He steps up in this moment to ensure nothing compromises the care given.
Hospital management has consistently pestered Robby about improving patient satisfaction scores. This is an example of him taking action before anything drastic occurs. He stepped in before something bad happened. The environment is chaotic enough without dealing with a doctor addicted to pain pills. Dana was assaulted by a patient. Tragically, that's commonplace amongst the staff. They all have stories to share. They bear the brunt of so much dysfunction and anger in the world. Fortunately, Dana doesn't sustain any major injuries. She's capable of returning to work by the end of the hour. This was still serious. Everyone jumped to care for her. It's a horrifying display of violence. Dana keeps this place functioning. Without her, people struggle to cope. She leads with so much empathy and compassion. She's firm when she needs to be. She manages people better than anyone else. No one wants to replace her. The job is impossible. She makes it seem easy. The wait times are still brutal. However, Dana provides some organization to the chaos. At this point in the shift though, everyone is counting down the hours until they can leave. Dana and Collins bond over the horrors they have endured during this shift. They've been nearly unbearable. Yet they don't contemplate going home. That wouldn't do any good. This is where they need to be. They have to laugh at the misery. Otherwise, it would break them.
It's daunting to think about all that has occurred throughout this shift. Cases that seemed significant early on have vanished into the background to face the new emergencies that roll in. Yet Theresa still remains in the Pitt. At first, Robby is furious that McKay reported David to the police. He ultimately took it as a learning moment. He recognizes that he was only considering this isolated young man. He didn't worry enough about the safety of the girls on his list. McKay trusted her instincts. Robby still wants to check in on Theresa before she leaves. Yet he keeps getting pulled into new traumas. His ability to reflect on his own shortcomings is impressive though. He rewards McKay by allowing her to relieve the pressure building behind Everett's eye after being hit with a baseball. She appreciates that. It's because of that perspective that he is willing to listen and take action on Santos' complaint. All of these stories inform one another. They emerge as a piece that explains the humanity of those who serve in this profession. They all bring their lived experiences into the work. Javadi can't help herself when she fears Everett's father isn't taking his fears seriously. It's informed by the doctor and patient being young prodigies. They had to grow up fast because of their superior skills. Now, they have to adapt to a world of so much pressure placed on them. McKay is still learning as well. She knows what Javadi needs to hear in the aftermath. It's not a big lecture. It's simply recognizing moments of growth that a doctor must acknowledge to move forward.
The narrative highlights the active listening skills required to excel in this job. Earlier, it was labeled a weakest in Mohan's ability to provide care. But now, she instinctively reacts with the appropriate treatment once a stroke patient reacts to the medication. Mel believes she knows the proper protocol to follow. She advocates for her course of treatment. It's not needed. Mohan's compassion makes her excellent. Mel looks at her with envy. She doubts herself. She shouldn't. She is so endearing and caring. She doesn't know everything. She's allowed grace in this moment. Whittaker does as well. He wants to remain hopeful that a burn victim will recover. Langdon is jaded about how realistic that is. Whittaker shares a farming connection with the family. He has natural instincts connecting with loved ones and keeping them updated. He follows directions well too. That can't change the inevitable outcome in this case. More details are provided about his background. He shares them to forge a connection. Meanwhile, McKay's family rolls into the Pitt. Her ex-husband broke his leg in three places after skateboarding with their son. These interactions provide greater insight into her life outside of work. She apparently has a relationship with Mateo. She's eager for Harrison to live with her once more. The ankle monitor comes from an incident with her ex's new partner. However, the moment of gratitude she expresses to Collins about not changing anything is a little heavy-handed given the personal loss Collins has suffered. The show has already adequately made that point. It doesn't have to continue expressing the sentiment so forcefully.
