When Chicago Med season 10 episode 19 came to a close, it became clear that tensions between the hospital and the nurses' union were about to reach a boiling point. It all began when Maggie put her faith in Goodwin by getting the union to agree to an extension to the negotiations, preventing a strike, only for Goodwin and the board to bring in scabs to help replace the nurses should the strike happen.
As episode 20 begins, Ripley sends Doris home when she’s not feeling well. It’s not long after that Maggie fakes a cough and heads home too, and it becomes clear to Goodwin that the nurses have staged a sickout, leaving the E.D. short-staffed. Goodwin calls in temps and the traveling nurses brought in to help, and calls for an all-hands-on-deck approach as she scrubs in alongside the E.D. doctors to help treat patients.
Later, we see Maggie and the nurses meeting up to talk through their plan and learn that it was Maggie who devised the plan. As they talk, Goodwin walks in and calls the group out in so many words, making it clear she knows this is a sickout. Goodwin pulls Maggie aside and expresses her concerns about what could happen if it's found out that the nurses aren’t really sick, something that could cost them their jobs. She begs Maggie to come back to work, but Maggie refuses to cave.
After her conversation with Maggie, Goodwin tells Peter Kalmick, Head of the Legal Department, and board member Miranda, that they should consider deferring ambulances due to the staff shortage and they ask Goodwin if she can confirm the nurses aren’t really sick. Goodwin says she’s not able to confirm this and convinces them to meet the nurses halfway with a new deal. The board woman tells Goodwin they can give it a try, but it will be the best offer they’re willing to extend.
Goodwin meets up with Maggie to share the terms of the new deal. As they chat, Goodwin makes it clear that this is the best deal the board is willing to make as she leaves Maggie to think things over. Just as Goodwin exits, one of the other nurses enters the frame and tells Maggie that this is likely just another ploy by the board. She mentions that they likely sent Goodwin to try to use Maggie’s soft spot, and that they should hold the line.
Later, we see Frost drop by the restaurant where the nurses have gathered to treat them to lunch on Archer’s behalf after he won a friendly bet back at Med. As Frost is about to ask Maggie to chat, likely to acknowledge the role she played in helping him confront his past, Maggie is pulled aside by the same nurse who confronted her earlier about Goodwin trying to use their relationship to sway Maggie. She tells Maggie that the hospital has gone radio silent on them, cancelling their next sitdown, and tells Maggie she needs to reach out to Goodwin to try to get answers.
We then cut to the hospital, where Goodwin sees Peter, Miranda, and the board dispersing from a meeting. It seems the board isn’t about to wait for the nurses to reach their terms and is actively making plans to move on from the nurses. Goodwin threatens to hand in her resignation if they don’t realize how important the nurses are to the hospital, to which Miranda tells her that if she can think of a way to make the nurses feel valued without higher raises, to let her know.
Goodwin meets with Maggie again and tells her that the board has agreed to give an active nurse a seat at the table on the advisory board. This could help make it so that the board is no longer exclusionary and always ending in deadlock, giving the nurses the chance to be a deciding vote. Maggie makes one final request in asking Goodwin to see about having the hospital make a simple gesture in allowing the nurses to have free lunches similar to what the doctors get.
It’s a simple gesture that makes all the difference as the nurses come back to work, having accepted the deal.
After returning, Maggie goes to see Frost, and he apologizes for the way he acted when she brought up Aisnley, telling her that friends don’t talk to one another in the way he talked to her. He says the truth is she knew him a little too well, and it scared him. Maggie says it hurt her to see him in pain, and he thanks her for helping him to see something he had been trying to ignore for so long. He thanks her and tells her he confronted Ainsley about things, as the pair mend their friendship.
Hayes is not who we thought he was
Early in the episode, Lenox is seen excitedly getting ready for her trip to Myrtle Beach with Hayes. When the nurses stage their sickout, she tells him that she might have to miss the trip, and he invites her to assist him with a surgery. When they meet up to practice the technique, he gets flirty, and they end up kissing before she heads out.
After Naomi spots Lenox walking out of the lab with Hayes, she confronts Lenox about not knowing who Hayes really is.
Confused by the exchange, Lenox goes to speak with Naomi and Naomi tells her about Hayes touching her inappropriately while walking her through a technique for a surgery. It’s the same thing he did with Lenox, only it was not consented in both instances, and while we thought it was a result of his budding flirtation with Lenox when it occurred earlier, it seems that Hayes is not who we thought he was.
Naomi tells Lenox how he gaslit her into thinking he did nothing wrong when she finally pushed him away, and she’s been struggling ever since. Lenox says she’s going to report it to the board, but Naomi begs her not to. As the episode ends, we see Lenox rightfully angered by the news and the promo confirms she indeed reports Hayes to the board which is about to set the stage for a heated showdown as the season comes to a close.
Charles seems to suffer yet another loss
Early in the episode, Ripley begins to treat a man who has come into the E.D., and we find out that the man happens to be the fiancé of Charles’ estranged mom. We learn that they met three months ago, and the speed at which they got engaged doesn’t sit well with Charles, who confronts his mom about rushing into things.
Charles eventually inserts himself into treating his mom’s fiancé, suggesting he consult to rule out neurological issues. He then uses that as an opportunity to question the fiancé. This leads to a heated exchange between Charles and his mother as he unloads on her about not attending his wedding, hinting that she didn’t attend because his wife was Black, and accusing her of being the reason his dad took his life.
Luckily, they’re able to treat her fiancé and Charles goes to give his mom the good news only to find her unresponsive in the waiting area. Ripley and the team race into action to try to save her life, but it seems Charles’ mom passed away which is sure to haunt him in the final episodes of the season.