Fallback

Air date

December 1, 2015

Runtime

42 minutes

Production information

Series information
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Fallback is the third episode of Season 1 and the third episode overall of Chicago Med. It aired on December 1, 2015.

Summary[]

Connor treats a patient who is a family friend, and tensions arise when his father comes in and tries to get him off the case. Will and Natalie treat a young woman musician with vertigo who needs to have surgery. Ethan treats a man who shows markers of diabetes but doesn't have it, and tries to solve the case with the help of Dr. Charles.

Cast[]

Main Cast[]

Crossover Cast[]

Recurring Cast[]

Guest Cast[]

Stephenie Park as Dylan
Jared Canfield as Trevor Jackson
Amber Page as Lauren Jackson
Steve O'Connell as Russell Rollins
Bradley Petty as X-ray Tech
Brian Christensen as Jack

Plot[]

The episode opens in the Dolan Rhodes Department Store, as a woman and man are watching staff hang up a large glass chandelier. The chandelier slips, falling and impaling the man with shards of glass. The man is taken to Chicago Med in agonizing pain with the shard still in him, where Dr. Connor Rhodes identifies him as Russell Rollins, an employee of his father, and an old childhood friend of his. He also recognizes the woman as his sister, Claire Rhodes. The staff, including Maggie Lockwood then realise that Connor is a part of the immensely-wealthy Rhodes family, with Dr. Daniel Charles jokingly calling Connor a "prince in disguise".

Connor works with Dr. Samantha Zanetti, the attending trauma surgeon, to remove the chandelier pieces from Russell's body, assisted by Dr. Sarah Reese. As they do so, they struggle to control the bleeding from Russell's many wounds. Connor tells Claire that Russell will need surgery, and she is impatient with him. Connor questions her hostility, and she tells Connor that she understands he had to leave their father to get away and study medicine, but that it meant he left her, too. Will comes in to observe, telling Connor that it was an unusual case. He offers Will his opinion, telling Connor he should try SNAP imaging to identify the location of the injury. Connor does not know what this is, and Will tells Connor he should keep up with his journal imaging. Will makes a sarcastic comment about Connor's family's department store, telling him that the only thing Will could afford there was a pair of socks. Connor tells Will that if Will's solution works, he'll buy Will a tie as well, and Will laughs. Connor uses the SNAP imaging, and tells Claire Rhodes and his father, Cornelius Rhodes, that while they can fix Russell's wounds, the surgery may not be covered by insurance and that Russell will need a long hospital stay. Claire assures him that they will cover the costs, but Cornelius refuses, saying that their company cannot pay for every employee, and telling Connor that he's not a part of the decision. Overhearing, Dr. Daniel Charles, the Head of Psychiatry, tells Connor that fathers like Cornelius keep him in business, which makes Connor laugh.

Cornelius Rhodes goes over Connor's head, talking to Sharon Goodwin, and tries to get him removed from Russell's care. He first argues that Connor has a conflict of interest, and when that doesn't work, disparages Connor's abilities to Sharon, telling him that he wants the best possible care for Russell, which Connor is not capable of providing. Sharon disagrees with Cornelius, calling Connor a "first rate surgeon," and refuses to take him off the case. When Cornelius tells Sharon he is a substantial donor to the hospital, but Sharon is not swayed. Cornelius tells her that if anything happens to Russell, he will sue the hospital, and implying that he will have her fired. Sharon is summoned by the CEO of the hospital, Barry Lindheim, who tells her Cornelius Rhodes has complained to the board about her. Sharon refuses to be swayed by the fact that the Rhodes family has previously donated to the hospital, pointing out that Cornelius himself has personally not made significant donations, despite talking about donating to them. She tells Barry that even Cornelius Rhodes did make donations, it should not entitle him to determine surgical decisions. While Connor and Dr. Zanetti use the SNAP imaging to locate the glass pieces, Sharon mentions to Connor that she met his father, and when he sarcastically asks if she was charmed by him, she says, "Not exactly."

Connor and Dr. Zanetti tell Claire and Cornelius Rhodes that they are taking Russell for surgery, and Cornelius demeans Connor in front of Zanetti again. Zanetti calls Cornelius a "tube steak," and warns Connor not to let his emotions affect him during surgery. They perform the surgery, which requires very complex and careful work to ensure the glass doesn't break inside Connor's body. Connor lacerates a vein while removing a glass piece, and Dr. Zanetti says she can't see clearly to repair it. Connor asks her if he can do it, telling her, "I've got this." She reluctantly allows him to do so, and he succeeds in controlling the bleed. After the surgery, Connor tells Claire, Cornelius and Sharon that the surgery was successful, and Cornelius responds by telling Sharon that he never doubted Connor's abilities. Sharon tells him she feels the same way, and shared this opinion of Connor with the Chairman of the Board as well, signaling to Cornelius that his attempts to go over her head have not panned out. Connor asks Sharon if Cornelius gave her a hard time, and she tells him it was nothing she couldn't handle. Connor tells her that his grandfather, who founded the business, used to warn Connor that he would have to work harder than anyone else, so that he would be able to subvert people's expectations and not turn out like his father. He tells Sharon that it took him a while to learn that message. Sharon congratulates him, implying that he has not turned out like his father at all.

At the beginning of the episode, Dr. Natalie Manning is in conflict with Dr. Will Halstead after he previously suggested that her medical judgment was impaired by the fact that she is pregnant. Will attempts to make up with Natalie, asking her to consult with him on a difficult case involving a 24-year-old woman, Dylan, who has trouble with vertigo, as Natalie has expertise on vertigo. He tells Natalie that he has also sent her a gift, as an olive branch, and apologizes. Natalie and Will examine Dylan, who is a musician, and plays the violin. Natalie shares that she also studied the violin, but gave it up in favor of medicine, and they bond over it, with Dylan inviting Natalie to a future concert. Will is surprised to learn that Natalie once wanted to be a musician. Natalie and Will notice that there is some impairment in Dylan's ear and eye. Will finds tumors pressing against Dylan's inner ear, causing her vertigo and other symptoms. He tells Dylan that surgical removal is the only option, but that she is likely to lose her hearing. As a musician, Dylan is devastated, and initially refuses the surgery. She asks to speak with Natalie. Natalie talks to her, and tells Will that Dylan won't take the surgery until her next recital. Natalie tells Will he has to respect the patient's wishes, and they argue, before Will confesses that he always wanted to be a doctor, but is shocked by the amount of loss he faces on a daily basis. Natalie brings her violin into the hospital, and she and Dylan play together, so she can have a recital before her surgery. Natalie tells her that despite the potential loss of hearing, she can still play the violin after, as her body will remember what her ears cannot hear. They play together, with Will watching, and then Dylan goes for the surgery.

Dr. Ethan Choi treats an Army Ranger, Captain Trevor Jackson, who got into a car accident. Trevor is accompanied by his wife, Lauren Jackson. Dr. Choi and the Jacksons bond over their shared experience of military service, with Ethan telling them he was active duty in the Navy before joining the reserves. Ethan initially diagnoses Trevor Jackson with possible diabetes, which infuriates Trevor, as it will prevent him from serving on active duty. He appeals to Ethan to check for other diagnoses, and Ethan agrees. Later, Dr. Natalie Manning goes to pay her respects to Trevor Jackson, telling him that her husband Jeff Manning was also a Ranger who died not long ago, on active duty. Ethan finds Natalie crying, as she grieves for Jeff. Ethan's tests show that Trevor Jackson has several broken bones in his back but has not said anything about the pain, in addition to the diabetes. He consults Dr. Daniel Charles, asking if Trevor could be suffering from depression, which might cause high sugar, given how insistent he is about returning to active duty. Dr. Charles goes to speak with Trevor, who reacts badly to meeting a psychiatrist, telling them he doesn't "need a shrink" as he is "not crazy," or a "coward" trying to avoid service. He attempts to walk out the E.R., but collapses as he stands up. Dr. Daniel Charles later talks with Lauren Jackson, who confesses that she is afraid of losing her husband on his next tour of duty, but that she knew what he signed up for.

Dr. Charles and Dr. Choi review Trevor Jackson's symptoms, identifying the cause of his diabetes. Dr. Charles talks to Lauren Jackson that he thinks that Lauren knows what is causing her husband's diabetes. Lauren initially denies knowing the cause, but Dr. Charles tells her that she can tell her husband the truth, or he can do it. Lauren goes to talk to her husband. Dr. Charles tells Sharon that they have a case of domestic abuse, and that Lauren has been poisoning her husband with prednisone, as they hear Trevor Jackson yelling at his wife, asking her why she did it. Lauren tells Sharon, in Sharon's office, that she has had ten years of nightmares, worrying about her husband and just wanted him home. She talks about Natalie, saying that Natalie's husband died, and she doesn't want to lose her husband. Sharon tells Lauren that what she did was a crime, and she has to report it. Ethan talks to Trevor Jackson, telling him that they will taper off the prednisone, and that his health should stabilize. Trevor sees Lauren being escorted off the premises, and tells her that they will get through this together, before leaving with her.

During the episode, Dr. Sarah Reese struggles with placing IVs, seeking Maggie Lockwood's help repeatedly. At the end of the episode, Maggie tells Will that a messenger left him a gift, of an expensive tie. Will is surprised, having believed that Connor's offer to buy him one if his theory proved right was just a joke. Maggie, not knowing it is a gift from Connor, tells Will that the gift is a sign that someone likes him. Will smiles and says, "Yup," before taking the tie. Maggie then summons Sarah to a patient room, telling her that golfers sometimes get the "yips", a form of performance anxiety, and that Sarah has the yips when it comes to needles. She offers to allow Sarah to practice on her, to get over her anxiety, and talks her through it.

Dr. Zanetti intercepts Connor, telling him that taking over from an attending aside during an operation is an audacious move. When Connor apologizes tentatively, she tells him never to apologize, and smiles. Will and Natalie check in on Dylan. Will tells Natalie that while the surgery to remove the tumors is successful, Dylan has lost her hearing. Natalie communicates this to Dylan in writing, and Dylan writes back to Natalie that she will remember, referring to Natalie's advice. Natalie and Will talk about the package he sent her, and Will tells her he sent her three bars of chocolate (dark, milk, semi-sweet) ,and a jar of olives ,which he knows she has been craving. Natalie jokes about the gift as an 'olive branch,' and tells Will he is forgiven.

Notes and Trivia[]

This episode was originally titled "Fallback Plan".