This episode of Chicago Med is an emotional rollercoaster, packed with intense rescue efforts, deeply personal moments, and a heart-stopping conclusion that leaves everyone shaken.
It all begins with Dr. Ripley driving down a dark road, music blasting through his car speakers. His phone rings Frost is calling but instead of answering, Ripley turns up the volume, choosing to ignore it. The road is barely visible, and in a split second, he crashes into a car stopped in the middle of the road. When he steps out to check, he realizes the vehicle is empty. Confused and uneasy, he scans the area and notices an open field nearby. As he calls out into the darkness, a voice responds, saying, “I can see you.”
That voice belongs to Sadie Smith, who, along with her young daughter Amelia, has fallen into an abandoned water well. Dr. Ripley immediately takes control of the situation, assessing their conditions. Sadie is trapped, her leg twisted and numb, while Amelia, stuck a few feet below, is scared and in pain. Despite her injuries, Sadie stays focused on keeping Amelia calm, following Ripley’s guidance. The rescue team arrives and starts working on a plan, digging a parallel tunnel to reach them. The cement walls make it a slow, difficult process, and the tension steadily rises as time ticks away.
Back at the hospital, Dr. Frost is caught off guard when he unexpectedly runs into Ainsley Town, a former co-star from his television days. Maggie is there to witness the interaction, immediately recognizing Ainsley from Nick of Time, the show where she played Frost’s mother. Ainsley is in town filming a movie, and their reunion is lighthearted at first, offering a much-needed contrast to the intensity of the rescue operation. She mentions how her latest project is a dramatic role rather than a holiday movie, and Maggie jokes that she should shadow her for a day to get a crash course in real nursing. Despite the laughter, there’s an undeniable weight to their conversation. As their exchange winds down, Frost invites Ainsley to dinner, suggesting they catch up after his shift. She agrees, but just as their plans are set, Frost gets news of Ripley’s situation, and the mood immediately shifts.
Meanwhile, Dr. Hannah Asher has a heartfelt conversation with her sister, who senses that something is weighing heavily on her. Hannah finally opens up, revealing that she has been too scared to tell anyone—but she is almost a doctor. Her sister is shocked and overjoyed, reaching out to hold Hannah’s hand. It’s a vulnerable, emotional moment between them, but before they can fully process it, news of the tunnel collapse reaches the hospital.
Back at the rescue site, the team manages to lift Amelia to safety, but Sadie refuses to be rescued until she knows her daughter is okay. Ripley reassures her, but she grows more distressed, realizing she won’t be leaving the tunnel intact. With no circulation left in her leg, amputation is the only option to save her life. Ripley gently explains that she won’t feel anything during the procedure, and when she wakes up, she’ll be back with Amelia. Sadie tries to remain brave, reflecting on how much her daughter means to her. She shares that before Amelia, she felt lost, like she had nothing to live for. But the moment she became a mother, she knew she would always find a way forward. Ripley reminds her how lucky Amelia is to have her, but she lightens the mood by teasing that he may not feel that way when he finds out she crashed into his car. He laughs, telling her it’s a small price to pay.
Just when it seems like the situation is under control, tragedy strikes. As Sadie is pulled up toward the surface, Mouch calls out to Ripley just as the tunnel collapses on top of him.
The scene immediately cuts to Sharon Goodwin addressing the hospital staff, breaking the news that Dr. Ripley was the one who discovered Sadie and Amelia and called for help, but now, his condition is unknown. Radio contact was lost after the collapse, and CFD is desperately trying to dig him out. Everyone at the hospital is visibly shaken, knowing that one of their own is trapped underground.
At the same time, Frost is forced to cancel dinner with Ainsley. When she hears what happened, she tells him not to worry and
asks if there’s anything she can do. He appreciates the sentiment, but there’s nothing anyone can do but wait. As he struggles to process the situation, Ainsley tells him she misses him. He admits he feels the same, but he knows he needs to get back to work.
Down in the rubble, the rescue team manages to reestablish radio contact with Ripley. His voice is weak but steady, and he confirms that Sadie made it out safely. When asked about his condition, he admits that he’s buried up to his chest and can’t feel his legs. He attempts to dig himself out, but he’s warned to stop, as he needs to conserve oxygen. The walls of the collapsed tunnel are unstable, and any unnecessary movement could make things worse. Ripley, always one to downplay his struggles, cracks a joke about how the situation might be a little claustrophobic. The team reassures him that they are working as fast as they can, but he has to stay calm and breathe slowly.
As Ripley’s condition worsens, he begins to hallucinate. He sees a figure standing in front of him his deceased brother, Danny. Danny smirks, calling Ripley a sorry sight, and mocks him in the way only a sibling could. Their banter is dark, tinged with regret and unresolved guilt. Danny reminds Ripley of the pain he felt when he got out of juvie and thought Ripley had abandoned him. Ripley, now fighting to stay conscious, insists he never stopped thinking about him, that he still tortures himself over what happened. Danny, however, tells him to stop wasting time.
“You have to save yourself,” he says. “I was dragging you down, and you let me. But when I heard you were in med school, I couldn’t stop smiling.”
Danny tells Ripley he owes him—because despite everything, they are brothers, and that doesn’t change just because one of them is gone. When Ripley starts slipping again, Danny becomes more aggressive, demanding that he fight.
Ripley gasps, trying to hold on, but his body is failing him. The team at the surface panics as his breathing slows. Dr. Charles calls out to him over the radio, but there’s no response. Hannah arrives just in time to hear the silence, and she screams for him, desperately pleading, “Mitch, do you hear me? Please! I love you too!” But Ripley’s eyes close.
The episode ends on a devastating cliffhanger, leaving Ripley’s fate uncertain and the entire hospital reeling from the collapse. It’s an episode packed with tension, emotion, and heartbreak, balancing high-stakes action with deeply personal moments. Whether it’s Sadie fighting to stay alive for her daughter, Frost reconnecting with Ainsley, or Ripley facing his past in the most unexpected way, this episode of Chicago Med is one that will stay with viewers long after the credits roll.
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