When dozens of critical patients flood the ER, Robby and his team struggle to keep up amid quickly diminished supplies.
The entire system moves swiftly into action the moment the alert comes in of an active shooter at PittFest. The staff have no idea what to expect. However, they have to prepare for the worst. They've dealt with cases stemming from the music festival throughout the shift. They never took over the entire emergency department. Now, everyone must report for duty in the Pitt. They are all needed in the hopes of providing the best care possible. All surgeries must be cancelled to free up as many operating rooms as possible for these traumatic injuries. The doctors and nurses want to save as many lives as they can. They must enact different protocols. Robby lays out the procedures right away. He gives everyone five minutes to call their loved ones and gather themselves for what's coming. The waiting room must be emptied. All the patients in the Pitt have to be sent to other departments or hospitals. The staffing shortages are still apparent. But the Pitt has to suddenly prioritize the victims from the shooting. That's the only way they can survive. The hospital administration has annoyed Robby throughout the shift. But now, he appreciates all the resources Gloria is providing. The team has to work in tandem. They have no room for ego or prior animosity. It's all about immediate treatment. As such, the narrative elevates the chaos even further than what it has already presented this season.
Robby appreciates seeing Dr. Abbott so early in the hour. Abbott responded after hearing about the shooting on a police scanner. That's the type of person he is. As such, the Pitt is staffed with its two leaders. Moreover, the physicians from the night shift come in early. That allows more bodies to direct traffic and provide care. Robby needs all of that. No one on his team is leaving any time soon either. They were all preparing for the end of their shifts. Those expectations have suddenly vanished. They must stay and be of service. Robby wants to call everyone in to work. That decision is most visceral as it pertains to Langdon and Collins. Robby suddenly sees Langdon working again. They have no time to discuss whether that is appropriate. Robby is expected to trust his senior resident. He can't send him home when he's willing to work during this tragedy. Meanwhile, he needs Collins and she possibly took his advice of turning her phone off. That was the right thing to say after hearing about her miscarriage. She deserved time to decompress and experience everything she's feeling about this personal loss. But now, the Pitt needs her. She has the skills to make a difference in this environment. Everyone must step up. That means the characters take on different leadership positions that weren't as typical throughout the rest of the shift.
Robby sees Mohan and Mel as capable of commanding triage zones. He relies on them to keep the system moving. They don't have time to rely on tests and labs. They must make quick initial assessments. A system is in place to track what has been done with each patient and how to monitor them. However, Kiara must still work with people to identify their loved ones. No one is allowed in the Pitt either. They must wade through the uncertainty and work alongside people who are just trying their best to provide answers as quickly as possible. No answers are forthcoming from the attack either. Everyone has questions. How many victims are there? Has the shooter been identified and detained? Does the Pitt have enough resources? Immediately upon hearing the news, McKay asks if the police found David. That's the initial instinct. He fits the profile of who everyone theorizes the shooter being. The police only share that David's phone was in the area of PittFest. That doesn't clarify anything. The staff doesn't have the luxury of thinking about what this means. They have to focus on the patients in front of them. Chad is determined to take his son away from his mother. Yet he's in shock the moment he witnesses the scale of the disaster. He sees McKay in action. He refers to her as his wife. He wants to change the narrative. He's not entitled to that. His concerns have to be set aside for the greater good. He's slow to realize that. He arrives at that point when just trying to be there for Harrison.
Meanwhile, Mel isn't paralyzed with fear once she's in the thick of it. In fact, she advocates for donating her own blood in order to save a life. She receives details about a mother and son being separated. He's deaf. They both need surgery. Those are some of the only personal details communicated about the patients. The focus elsewhere is largely on the injuries. Of course, the doctors need time to acknowledge the humanity of the people they are treating. They are in shock. Santos receives that moment of catharsis. Her job is more than simply monitoring symptoms. It's about connecting with people at a time of great disaster. It's overwhelming. The hour goes by so quickly. The supplies run out even faster. Robby knew that was going to happen. The hospital waits on transfers from nearby facilities. Those resources arrive eventually. Victims are still declared deceased during this tragedy. The staff hoped everyone would emerge alive following this news. Sadly, that isn't the case. Multiple victims have died. That's not from a direct impact of what the staff could or couldn't do in this moment. They were too far gone when they arrived. The pain of that news still stings. It means all of this will likely get worse before it gets better. That's a startling realization too. So many people were injured. Robby can't get in contact with Jake. He fears for the worst. He doesn't have any clarity yet. These stories may get more personal before the season ends. The narrative already details personal growth after a season of development. Javadi uses the tools taught to her in the Pitt to help her mother respond when the proper tools are already gone. That's impressive. Some moments like that provide affirmation for all of these characters being precisely where they need to be. It remains absolutely grueling to endure though.
