It appears a Hope-Zion run by Shahir involves a strict use of caffeine and if I were working there, I probably would find another hospital to work at with no restrictions. Lack of caffeine isn’t the only thing to go down but we get Charlie perhaps finding a kindred spirit, Dana receiving some bad news and the Shalex friendship in danger.
Dana
Cassie asks how Dana is doing and she tells her that she is just waiting for the test to come back to see if the cancer has returned or not. Dana’s patient is Elizabeth Grant, the acid burn victim we had met a couple of episodes ago. It seems that Elizabeth’s skin grafts are doing well and that she is ready to go back to her life. Elizabeth does not look to thrilled at that prospect. We also learn that Elizabeth has quit her job as a social worker. Dana is surprised as she loved that job and the kids she helps depend on her.
Dana then gets news that her cancer is indeed back and shrugs off Cassie when she goes to comfort her.
Dana tries to tell Alex but instead gives advice on how to handle Shahir on her case (see Alex section for more).
Elizabeth and Dana bond a bit over their love of reality TV and talk about facing their new realities to make it their new normal. Elizabeth finds it hard to do. As Elizabeth is ready to go home, in the hallways of Hope-Zion, a young girl sees her burned face and gets scared. I am going to call this girl Kira since she is played by Skyler Wexler best known for playing Kira on Orphan Black. Elizabeth goes to cover her face with her silk scarf but then starts to comfort Kira. Kira’s mom is in the hospital because she poured boiling water over herself and is now seriously burned. Kira wants to know if it hurts and Elizabeth gets her to touch her skin to know that her mom will be okay. Kira wants to know how that is possible. Elizabeth tells her that even though she is burned, she is still her mom and gives Kira her silk scarf. It seems this moment has helped Elizabeth re-find her purpose.
Wendy Crewson as Dana Kinney
Later on, Dana tells Alex about her cancer and doesn’t want sympathy or her to tell anyone till she can wrap her head around it. Dana also has not told daughter Molly. We then see Dana offer Alex some comfort.
As Alex leaves to go home, she finds Cassie to say she is glad that she was there for Dana. Cassie says that now Dana has both of them to be there for her.
Alex
Alex’s patient is Dixie a 28 year old who is the primary caregiver for her grandfather. Unfortunately, Dixie has an inoperable brain tumor. Cassie is a bit blunt in giving Dixie the bad news and she is wondering why Alex lied about there was hope in telling her about an experimental viral therapy. Alex says there is hope and is going to use her friendship with Shahir to get them to agree to this surgery that involves injecting the polio virus into the tumor so the body will fight it and the cancer at the same time.
However, Shahir says the procedure is too experimental and refuses to give his permission in fear of ruining the reputation of Hope-Zion. Taking Dana’s advice, Alex plays on Shahir’s emotions by syaing Dixie’s life mirrors that of his grand mother. Alex even takes Shahir to see Dixie care for her grandfather. This gets Shahir to agree to the procedure. Dixie’s grandfather is a bit hesitant at first but after learning that this is the only chance to save Dixie’s life, he agrees.
Before the surgery. Alex thanks Shahir and they go over what is involved. Later we see the virus being pumped into Dixie’s brain. All seems well at first until Dixie can no longer seeing the playing cards in front of her.
It seems that when the body started to fight the polio virus, her brain started to swell and pushed on her optic nerve. Shahir manages to reduce the swelling and Dixie can see again, which her grandfather is grateful to Shahir. Alex says that they don’t know if the tumor growth has slowed but Dixie will need round the clock care. Dixie’s grandfather is more than happy to do so.
Later, we see Shahir break his caffeine rule as Alex visits him in the chief’s office. Alex wants to be sure their friendship is okay. Shahir says they are and team Shalex is stronger than ever.
Charlie
Michael Shanks as Charlie Harris and Erica Durance as Alex Reid
As Alex is going on about the three birthday parties that baby Luke has been invited to, Charlie is abit distracted by a spirit who keeps on asking if she will see her cat on the other side. Alex wishes that the spirits would give Charlie a day off so he can spend time with his girlfriend.
The cat lady spirit and Alex will have to wait as Charlie called into the ER.
Charlie’s patient is Cal, a football coach with a pretty bad broken clavicle. Cal starts to bleed out pretty badly and is rushed into surgery. Cal’s son, Ty is worried about his dad and tells him how is dad was a football player but didn’t make it so Ty is playing the sport for him. When Charlie goes to the doctor’s lounge to find scrubs for Ty, he sees a woman admiring herself in the mirror.
Nicole Underhay as Kristine Fields
At the hospital coffee shop, Charlie meets Christine a nurse in palliative care. Their talk is interrupted by the appearance of cat lady that distracts Charlie. As Charlie tries to leave, Christine mentions a cat lady and he realizes that perhaps someone else shares his gift.
Michael Shanks as Charlie Harris and Monika Schnarre as Spirit Caroline
Meanwhile at Cal’s bedside, Ty is wondering why is dad has woken up yet. Ty then confesses to hating football but plays for his dad. The woman from the doctor’s lounge appears again and shouts at Ty and asks why he didn’t just tell her. Charlie learns that Cal is a transgender woman and wants to be called Caroline. Caroline doesn’t want Charlie to tell her son that his dad is transgendered.
As Charlie finishes talking to Caroline by pretending to be on the phone, Christine says she uses that trick all the time until the phone actually starts to ring. Charlie pretends not to know what Christine is talking about. Christine walks away confused.
Cal starts to crash and Maggie and Charlie are trying to figure out why. Charlie wants to know if Cal was taking any pills so Ty starts to rummage through his dad’s bag. Caroline doesn’t want her son to look at the bag but too late, pills were found. Cal is taken into surgery and Charlie reams Caroline out for not saying she was taking hormone replacement pills as that could have killed her.
Maggie fixes the clot and Caroline realizes she will be okay and is not looking forward to be back as Cal. Being in the spirit world as Caroline is the first time she has felt herself in a long time. Charlie encourage Caroline to tell Ty as he can take it. However, later something is wrong with Cal as he starts to crash and Maggie and Charlie are unable to save him.
Ty is mourning his father and blames himself that if he told his dad sooner about hating football that he wouldn’t have been on the field. Ty asks if pills where steroids and we see Caroline give Charlie permission to tell the truth. Charlie says the pills weren’t steroids and Ty figures out the truth about his dad and says that he had secrets too. When Ty says that he loved his dad so much, Caroline’s spirit disappears at those words.
Michael Shanks as Charlie Harris and Nicole Underhay as Kristine Fields
Later while doing paper work, Charlie is interrupted by Christine who asks about her day. Charlie is not in the sharing mood so Christine decides to blurts out she can see ghosts and knows he can too. Charlie then opens up about Caroline.
So do we think Christine can see spirits too? Sound off in the comments.
