This week’s Chicago Med, ‘Some Things Are Worth The Risk’ is a crossover episode with Chicago Fire and showcases Dr. Choi (Brian Tee) and Dr. Archer (Steven Weber) having to go in the field to aid a victim on-site, Dr. Charles (Oliver Platt) dealing with a complicated patient. In addition, when Carol’s (Margaret Colin) condition worsens, Natalie (Torrey DeVito) is willing to do whatever it takes to get her mom feeling better.
The episode begins with Dr. Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) in bed with Sabeena Virani (Tehmina Sunny) and he is on his phone jotting down notes for his meeting in the morning, stating that he wants to make a good impression. The scene ends with them embracing and kissing.
Back at Chicago Med, Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) enters the lobby with his teenage daughter Anna (Hannah Alligood) who is complaining about going to work with him while she’s grounded. He informs her that they need to talk about her sneaking out at night. As they near his office, they are accosted by Ramona (Cordelia Dewdney), the obsessive patient we previously met in episode 9. She explains that she has her psych appointment and claims she just wanted to stop by to say “hi.” She then goes on to explain that she doesn’t feel the treatment is helping her, but Charles encourages her to keep going and tells her that 3 weeks isn’t very long for this kind of treatment. Ramona is obviously fixated on Dr. Charles’ daughter, but agrees to leave and go to her therapy. After she leaves, Anna whispers, “she’s weird” to her father as they enter his office.
After briefly chatting about Manning’s mom’s health, Halstead and Manning (Torrey DeVitto) are called to an emergency as it is brought in. Halstead is disappointed to see that the man brought in is one of his trial patients. Unfortunately even after their heroic measures, the man passed away. They discover the trial medication on him and it is set aside to be returned to the pharmaceutical company.
Dr. Manning joins her mom, Carol (Margaret Colin) in her appointment for her heart condition, along with Dr. Marcel and the news isn’t good. Her heart is getting worse and she requires more testing and possibly a heart transplant. After the appointment Manning and Marcel discuss the case and Manning decides to ask Halstead if her mom could be added to his trial. Marcel reminds her that her mother COULD receive the placebo medications, but Manning is determined this is their best and only option.
Manning approaches Halstead about the trial. He tells her that there are no openings but assures her that he will discuss it with Virani.
Dr. Marcel works on an emergency case of a woman who is having problems breathing after covid-19. The woman explains that they were trying to get pregnant prior to covid and her husband is concerned that there’s something wrong with her heart. Marcel assures him that they’re just covering their bases.
Dr. Choi discusses an accident in the field that requires them to go out with Dr. Dean Archer (Steven Weber) who agrees to gear up and go with him. In the rig, Archer is visibly anxious and Choi notices.
Halstead is on another case and it’s Ramona who was brought in for persistent vomiting. Halstead asks her if she took something to make herself sick and she acknowledges that she did, but refuses to tell Halstead what it was as she demands to see Dr. Charles. Halstead orders a bunch of tests as Ramona continues to demand to see Dr. Charles.
Dr. Charles is seen walking in the hallway with Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) explaining that Ramona did not go to her psych appointment and that she must have gone home and taken something to make her ill instead. Goodwin is alarmed that Ramona approached him in front of Anna. Charles explains that once he gained her trust, he became the new “Dr. Bridges”. He tells Goodwin that he has no choice but to speak with her against her better judgement and Goodwin convinces Charles to wait and see what the tox-screen detects before meeting with her.
Choi and Archer arrive at the scene with members of Chicago Fire already there. Sylvie Brett tells the duo about the patient in her rig, but informs them that the victim still trapped in the basement of the building is in way worse shape. Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso) briefs the two doctors on the case. The men were doing renovations and the whole floor caved in on him. He was holding a circular saw that cut him during the cave in. Violet (Hanako Greensmith) is with the victim and gives the two doctors all pertinent information. Dr. Choi immediately gets to work on the large abdominal wound which exposed his intestines. The doctors wrap his intestines with saline and explain that they will put them back in his body when they get him back to the hospital.
Back at Chicago Med Marcel informs the covid “long hauler” that her heart is normal. She asks why her heart is beating so fast and has difficulty taking in a deep breath when Marcel takes a listen. They inform the patient that she might have a pulmonary embolism, which is a common occurrence in covid survivors and Dr. Marcel orders a chest CT.
Ramona is having difficulty breathing, herself and Halstead orders a breathing treatment as he demands to know what she took. Once again Ramona refuses to divulge and insists on seeing Dr. Charles.
Back at the scene of the renovation mishap, Chicago Fire works tirelessly to free the victim as Choi and Archer struggle to keep the man stable. As soon as they get the man freed and onto a backboard, shots ring out and all parties involved have to stay down as bullets fly through the windows. Joe informs Choi that Chicago P.D. has told them that the entire area is on lockdown because a gang battle has erupted in the area. Choi tells him that the guy will die if they don’t take him to the hospital and Joe tells him that it’s his call to make. Archer discovers there is a laceration in the man’s liver as he is visibly fighting his own possible PTSD issues.
Marcel tells his patient that her chest CT also came back normal and she is not suffering from a pulmonary embolism. The doctor deduces that the breathing difficulties she’s experiencing might be anxiety induced and encourage her to speak to their psychiatrist.
Halstead meets with Charles and Goodwin and is desperate. The tox-screen didn’t show what she took and her vitals are deteriorating rapidly. Charles realizes that they are out of options and goes in to meet with Ramona. He immediately asks her what she took and she says she will only tell him if he agrees to be her doctor. He tells her that he IS her doctor already, but he isn’t equipped to deal with her regularly. He then manipulates her into telling him that she took insecticide. Halstead orders something to counteract the poison and informs Charles that she should improve soon. Charles asks to be notified when she’s out of the woods.
The covid “long hauler” deteriorates and begins coughing up blood and her angry husband yells, “does this look like anxiety to you?!?!”. Halstead orders her to be sedated so they can scope her.
Halstead brings Virani coffee and approaches the subject of adding Manning’s mom to the trial. Virani explains that adding her could taint the data they have already collected. He tells her that Carol is an old friend and that their medication could save her. Virani reminds him that they’re not even sure if she would receive their medication or the placebo. He tells her that he knows their medication works and admits he “unblinded” a patient a while back because he had to for the sake of his patient. He tells her that he told her this in confidence and she is infuriated by his actions. She tells him that she doesn’t know what she’s going to do about him, but she’s definitely NOT going to allow Carol to enroll in the trial.
Halstead approaches Nat and tells her that Virani refuses to allow Carol into the trial. Manning asks if she should talk to Virani and Halstead tells her that she was firm with her decision. He apologizes and says he wishes there was more that he could do.
Now that Ramona is stable, Dr. Charles meets with her for a session and she immediately compares him to her own father. He asks her about her family and she tells him that her mother left when she was 5 or 6 years old. He seems to have struck a chord with her when he says she didn’t have to share him with anybody after she told him that she doesnt have siblings. When she begins to shut down, he offers her a snack and she changes her demeanor when she asks for orange Jello.
While pinned down by gangs battling outside, Archer struggles through his PTSD while tending to the victim. Choi has to calm him down and get him breathing while his hands are literally inside the man’s body cavity. Joe comes down and says the situation outside has deescalated and it is safe for them to leave and transport the patient to Chicago Med just as Archer manages to clamp the bleed that was threatening the man’s life.
Dr. Marcel has inserted a scope into his patient so he can attempt to discern what is causing her difficulty breathing. He sees some lesions and takes a sample for biopsy. It is discovered that she has endometriosis in her lungs. Marcel informs the couple, who were trying to have a baby, that their best course of action is to induce early menopause. The woman immediately declines, reiterating that they want to have a baby. Her husband tells her that they should do whatever it takes to save her life. Marcel says that he could remove the portion of the lung that’s already affected by the endometriosis, but it’s a temporary fix and explains the long term risk associated with this temporary fix. The husband begrudgingly agrees and they begin to prep her for surgery.
Charles and Ramona are back to discussing her father after eating their orange Jello together. Ramona becomes defensive and doesn’t want to talk about her father. She says once she grew up he didn’t like her anymore because she couldn’t please him and she wasn’t good enough for him. She claims that he couldn’t stand to be around her. Ramona is brought to tears and then says it’s “no big deal”. As soon as we have this breakthrough, Charles is interrupted and told that his daughter needs him and that it’s an emergency. Ramona tells him to tend to his daughter and that she could use a moment to herself anyway. He tells her that he’ll be right back and goes to his daughter who only needed him for the wifi password. By the time he returns to Ramona, she is already gone and was able to slip away while the orderly was attending to a combative patient in the next room.
Manning sees the package containing the deceased trial participant’s leftover medication and makes a split second decision to take it for her mother as the courier arrives to take it. She lies to the courier and tells him it’s already been picked up.
Halstead and Virani are meeting with the pharmaceutical trial big-wig in a swanky bar. They each sing each other’s praises and the man offers Halstead a full time position and asks him to leave the emergency department. Virani attempts to block the offer, but knows she will have to throw herself under the bus if she outs Halstead’s mistakes so she remains silent as Halstead says it’s something he would consider.
Choi confronts Archer about his PTSD outside of the room of the man they rescued with Chicago Fire. Archer denies it’s PTSD and claims he was “just a little rattled”. Choi admits that the things they saw in Afghanistan “rattled” him too and that he has made great strides by seeing Dr. Charles. Archer dismisses the idea of therapy and Choi continues to try and convince him that mental health is just as important as physical health. They continue to disagree and Choi pretty much tells Archer that he HAS to contact Dr. Charles and set up an appointment. In front of Choi, Archer pretends to text Dr. Charles, but as soon as Choi walks away, Archer puts his phone back in his pocket and goes about his business.
Anna feels responsible for Ramona’s escape and Charles sits down with her and tells her that it’s not her fault and that all he wants is for her to be safe. The interaction ends with a hug between father and daughter.
Manning gives her mother the medication she stole. Carol questions it and Manning tells her that they’re from another doctor who looked at her chart. Carol takes the medication, lays down on the couch, and the episode ends.
This installment, was directed by multi-talented One Chicago alum Carl Weathers.
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“Chicago Med” is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment.
Executive producers:
Dick Wolf, Diane Frolov & Andrew Schneider, Matt Olmstead, Michael Brandt, Derek Haas, Michael Pressman, Stephen Hootstein, Arthur W. Forney, Peter Jankowski
Created by:
Dick Wolf & Matt Olmstead
