Chicago Med Season 1 Episode 7 Review: “Saints”

The theme of the week is what you believe in. Whether it’s the power of self-sacrifice or making the hard choices, this week’s Chicago Med will give you something to believe in.

A multi-vehicle trauma comes into the ER. The victims are a couple on their first date and another man. Rhodes and Sam Zanetti successfully stabilize the girl while Dr. Choi treats the boy. Zanetti and Rhodes plan on celebrating but are postponed when Zanetti hits her elbow and Connor insists she go to Ortho and have it checked out. Zanetti has a bit of a problem relinquishing power in the operating room when she is told she can’t operate. She gets defensive, Connor gets angry, but eventually they work it out. They’re both such alpha professionals, but I hope they find ways to communicate and make it through.

Will is one of the leads on the trauma, treating the man who hit the couple. The man, Walter Blevins, hit the couple with a car he carjacked. His condition deteriorates, and he admits to Will that he is dying of cancer. It isn’t until Will pays a visit to Natalie that the pieces start to fit together. Mr. Blevins was a convicted felon, but hadn’t committed a crime in 18 years and he doesn’t have healthcare. He purposely carjacked so that he could be sent to prison and receive the treatment for free. Will doesn’t condone what his patient did, but he does understand it. Doctor-patient confidentiality also protects that conversation, so Blevins will get the care he needs, and he will do the time for the damage he has caused. At least one part of this story has a happy ending. The couple on their first date form a strong bond after their shared trauma, one which will hopefully last.

April treats a patient that inspires her. Bobby is a homeless man who gave away his gloves and boots to those even less fortunate than him. Dr. Charles is called in for a psych consult to make sure Bobby isn’t putting himself at risk. Bobby actually only became homeless recently. He was a regular guy with a corporate job, then one day decided he would spend the rest of his life giving everything he owned to those less fortunate. April likes the idea of how saintly Bobby is, but Dr. Charles tells Bobby he was significantly changed because he had a stroke. It’s irreversible, but not life-threatening, so the hospital is happy to send him on his way back to the shelter where he can continue to help people. Unfortunately Bobby has another stroke which once again drastically alters his personality, this time for the worse. His temperament is now such that he can no longer be left alone, so he must be sent to facilitated care.

Christy Pierce, another longtime beloved Chicago Med patient, is set to receive a bone marrow transplant. Maggie and Sharon are thrilled until the hospital board pulls the plug on the transplant. Christy’s brother has been raising money for the donor’s hospital fees, but it could look like a bribe. Bribing medical donors is against federal law, so the hospital is worried about liability and their accreditation as a transplant site being pulled.  All Sharon can do is tell the family, and start a desperate search for a new donor. She tries to appeal to the board to no avail as Christy continues to get worse. When Christy reaches her peak worst, Sharon makes the call to do the transplant, and she’ll take full responsibility for any liability. Christy pulls through, and Sharon knows she did the right thing.

Natalie proudly settles into being a new mom. Her mother-in-law is in heaven being a new grandmother, but she has to take a deep breath when Natalie’s parents come to visit. Focused on her grandson she is fine, but alone she breaks down at the thought of Natalie and Owen moving away to live with Natalie’s parents. Natalie wasn’t even considering it, but this fear profoundly affects Helen’s perspective. You can see the wheels in her head turning. Her once less than cordial attitude towards Will is replaced with kindness. In Helen’s mind now, Will + Natalie =grandson stays in Chicago. The woman lost her only child, so it’s not as if her intentions are malicious. Truth be told Natalie and Will seem like they would be great together, so I’m all for it.

What did you find to believe in this week?

[Photo credit: Elizabeth Sisson/NBC]