As Chicago Med season 11, episode 15 opens, Dean and Charles are in the elevator as Goodwin pulls Charles aside to go over the psychology reports. We learn he’s been helping volunteer on a suicide hotline and burning the candle at both ends.
Dean and Naomi are called to treat a woman named Gayle who fell off an acupuncture table. When they ask her about giving her pain meds, she consults a Magic 8 Ball before agreeing. This is when the case is handed off to Charles.
Charles goes to see her and asks about her Magic 8 Ball which she’s named Chuck. She says Chuck helps her make decisions involving other people, as they can’t be trusted. She notes that people don’t see things as they are. With Chuck there are no lies or ill intentions, just fate. He asks about the back spasms she’s been having, and he wants to run some tests to see if this might be it.
Charles and Theo run some scans and it seems she has the early onset of a brain disease called corticobasal degeneration. After running the scans, they share the diagnosis with Gayle and let her know they can work to slow the disease’s progression, but there is currently no cure. She asks if she can chip in to fund the research, and Charles explains the funding is quite substantial, to which she notes she can give them $150 million.
Turns out she won the lottery years ago. She began using her Magic 8 Ball when people started coming out of the woodwork to try to get money from her, which is when she lost faith in people. Charles worries that no amount of money will be able to lead to a cure in time to help her, but Theo is confident with the funding he can find a cure in five years. Theo suggests it would be morally wrong to pass on the offer, as there would be other patients to consider as well, but Goodwin notes they need to be straight with Gayle and let the chips fall where they may.
Charles and Theo go to see Gayle. Theo admits that they will use the funding to find a cure, as Charles notes, they cannot guarantee it. He notes that research is close, but they can’t guarantee it will help her as Charles steps away. She leaves it in the hands of Chuck. It didn’t go in their favor, as she chose not to give them the money.
As the episode ends, Charles' friend, Howie, comes to see him and informs him that he’s stepping away from his teaching position. Charles asks if he’s found a replacement, and Howie tells Charles he’s already found the best replacement: Charles. Howie suggests it’s time to move to his next chapter and recalls how the med students who shadowed him hadn't been able to stop talking about their experience. Howie makes it clear the job is his if he wants it, and Charles assures him he’ll think about it.
Elsewhere…
Frost makes a major decision to help save his father’s life
Early in the episode, Frost rolls up with his parents and meets Doris out front of Gaffney. It turns out his dad fell during their hiking trip, and with his MS, Frost wants to get an x-ray to make sure nothing is broken. The x-ray proves there is a hairline fracture and slight break in his ankle. Naomi impresses Frost’s mom, who asks if Naomi is single, to which Naomi quips that she is not before she exits.
Later, Frost asks Naomi about her boyfriend, and she says she met a guy, and they had a few dates, and so far no red flags have come. He asks what red flags might look like as she jokingly describes Frost. Their conversation is cut short as they hear a crash and find Frost’s dad on the ground; he can’t feel his arms, leading them to think this isn’t MS they're dealing with.
Their suspicions were true, as we learn James doesn’t have MS; he has a mass on his spinal cord. Abrams comes in and reveals that the only option is an immunotherapy drug in the trial phase at the Mayo Clinic. Without treatment, the mass will continue to grow and become fatal, giving James less than six months. Frost assures his dad he can speak with Goodwin about getting him in the trial.
Goodwin makes some calls, but she does not get far. It turns out, his dad was diagnosed last year. He confronts his dad, who admits he was lying to himself, as he was scared about the possibility of a terminal diagnosis, and that’s what made him come to Chicago to reconnect with Frost.
Naomi goes to see Frost to check in on him and see how he’s doing. He admits he’s confused and not sure what to do. He’s in a place where he has to decide whether to take care of them financially, as his parents are in debt from bad choices, or walk away.
After their talk, Frost calls his former Nick of Time co-star and tells him he’s been thinking about the reboot. He asks if the offer is still on the table and tells him to tell the producers he’s in, as Frost makes the decision to return to acting in order to get the money to help pay for his father’s medical treatment.
Dean and Hannah help Jeremy and Esme become parents
Jeremy and Esme come to Gaffney after her water breaks, and it quickly becomes clear that Jeremy is not doing well, and his time is limited. As they get the pair settled into a room together, we learn that Jeremy has been recording videos for their daughter to watch at different points in her life.
As Hannah and Esme walk through the halls, Hannah informs her that her OB is tied up and notes that she’ll help look over her while she can. As they walk, Esme tells Hannah about how she and Jeremy first met, recalling the letter Jeremy wrote to her and how she waited months after breaking up with the man she was dating at the time before giving Jeremy a chance. Esme wishes she hadn’t waited as long as she did, as she’d give anything to have that extra time with him – a sentiment that seems to resonate with Hannah.
Dean goes to see Jeremy to check on how he’s doing. He’s getting worse, and there is nothing more they can do. If they sedate him, he may never wake up again, so Jeremy turns down additional medication as he wants to see his baby as Esme questions whether they can do a C-section.
As Dean talks about things they can do to help Jeremy make it to his daughter’s birth with Kingston, he misspeaks and said “his daughter” rather than "Jeremy's daughter." It’s clear this case is hitting close to home for Dean, who is questioning his own mortality.
Hannah performs the c-section. The baby isn’t breathing on her own at first, and they have to race into action, but we learn that the baby is okay. Esme takes their daughter, Daisy, to meet Jeremy. He asks Hannah to grab his phone, and she begins recording as he films one final video. This last one he wants Esme to play on her wedding day; it’s for her father-daughter dance, and he tells her he hoped she found someone magical.
In the closing moments of the episode, Dean admits he started doing the math after he found out about the baby. Today reminded him it's not about what he’s going to miss, because he’s going to get to raise a daughter with Hannah. Dean steps away to head out with Kingston, as Hannah is left alone, likely to ponder Esme’s thoughts about the time she missed out on by not calling Jeremy earlier. Perhaps Hannah will be inspired to come clean about her true feelings for Dean as they prepare to become parents.