Kim, Bob, Tom, and Margo gathered at Chris's bedside, and Kim agonized how something so serious could have happened so suddenly. Bob, however, understood that their son had been sick for some time but had concealed it from them. John Dixon entered the room and asked everyone to leave, as Bob asked how serious Chris's condition was. "Pretty serious," John responded, explaining that the virus had weakened Chris's heart considerably.

Bob asked everyone to leave so that John could get to work, but Kim questioned where Katie was. Chris asked his mother not to judge Katie harshly and asked Tom and Margo to stay behind for a moment. John cautioned them to be quick, so Chris asked his brother and sister-in-law not to pull any strings for his sake with the donor list for hearts. Chris felt that, as a doctor, he had to play strictly by the rules, and he asked his family not to interfere.

Outside the hospital room, Kim talked about their not recognizing any symptoms earlier. Bob began worrying about Kim's health issues, and she, in turn, was concerned about his. Kim finally agreed to take a break as long as Bob would stay with their son. Margo and John spoke with John, and Tom was determined to tap all his legal sources to find a usable donor heart for his brother. "Just don't tell me the details," warned John as Margo and Tom left.

At WOAK, Katie watched an old segment of her "Mommy and Me" show, the last episode that Chris had taped before he quit the show. She cried as she watched and listened to Chris's kind remarks about her. Kim walked in and each wondered aloud why the other wasn't at the hospital. Katie said she had seen them all in Chris's room, but she couldn't bring herself to go in. Kim understood in a way, but she still questioned why Katie couldn't be with him when Chris needed them. Kim said she worried that Katie was not ready for a new relationship after losing Brad, and her recent actions bore that out.

Kim said that if Katie loved Chris as she said she did, then she should consider staying away from him. Kim began to cry that she was terrified that Katie wasn't going to be supportive to her son. Katie asked for time, something Kim said they didn't have. Katie called Kim "unfair," and she swore she could help Chris through the trying times. Kim asked Katie to look deep into her heart and see if she could step up.

Luke found Reid ordering coffee in Java and chewed him out for running off Katie from the hospital when she most needed to be there for Chris. Reid claimed that Chris did not need any additional stress, and besides, Katie was still grieving for Brad and mourning Nancy's death, as well. Katie had to take care of herself. Luke pointed out that Reid was teaching Katie to do what he always did in a crisis -- run away. Luke put his head in his hands and muttered that he could not believe he had actually told Noah that he was in love with Reid. Luke ran out, followed by Reid hollering, "Hold the phone!" They sat outside on a bench, and Luke admitted that he told Noah that he was in love with Dr. Oliver. Luke also talked about Katie's feelings if she was not with Chris when he died.

Luke returned to Memorial and visited Chris, who still claimed that he did not want Katie to watch him suffer. Luke decided not to argue with a sick man any longer, so he said goodbye.

Reid discovered John Dixon in an office, reading Chris's medical file and notes. He accused the cardiologist of not "getting it in gear." John was angry at Oliver for putting him on the case blind with no clue as to the name of the patient or in what condition he was. Bob walked in, and John brushed off Reid to go treat his patient. Bob then lectured Reid for not informing him of his son's grave illness. Oliver said that Chris had requested that he tell no one, and as the treating physician, Reid had no choice. Bob understood, and he praised Reid for calling in John Dixon.

Bob went into Chris's room and asked how long his son had known he was ill. "A few weeks," was Chris's reply, "this time." Bob asked him to explain, so Chris said he had first gotten sick for a few weeks in Africa, but he had beaten it. He had decided to return to Oakdale because he thought he was cured. Bob was sorry that Chris had not told him of the illness, and he admitted that he had mistaken some of his son's symptoms of the disease as those of laziness and indifference. Bob encouraged Chris to be strong and fight very hard.

Kim approached Reid at the hospital and mentioned that he must be "very happy." Reid did not understand until Kim clarified that Dr. Oliver no longer had any competition for the chief of staff position at Memorial. Bob overheard his wife's comment, and he spoke sharply to her. Kim began to weep and accused Dr. Oliver of taking advantage of Chris's illness, but Bob set her straight. Bob explained that their son had forced Reid to keep silent and that Reid had gone to the golf game to watch over Chris and had even taken him in when Chris collapsed. Kim, still weeping, apologized to Reid, as Bob urged her to stay strong.

John saw Luke in Old Town and asked him about Reid Oliver. John particularly wanted to know if the man was trustworthy, and Luke answered that he was sure that Oliver would not let them down. John thought about that and then walked on.

Kim apologized to Bob for verbally attacking Reid, but he told her that Oliver could take it. Bob took a call from Tom, who was calling from Springfield. He told his dad that he had a lead on a possible donor at Bay City General, and he would be checking it out. Kim was thrilled to have some hopeful news.

Katie was at home, looking at the framed photo of her and Brad. Then she took out a more recent picture of her and Chris together, and she dissolved into tears. Reid walked in and told Katie that she should never have listened to him when it dealt with romance. Katie cried that she was very frightened, and Reid said he had learned that very day that it was "stupid" to be afraid of love. He told her, "Dry your eyes, blow your nose, and get your butt back to the hospital where you belong." Reid also credited his attitude turn-around to Luke, who had slapped him around earlier. Katie thanked him.

Katie first went to Brad's grave and spoke to him about falling in love and moving on. She implored him to help her handle the ordeal with Chris.

Reid returned to the hospital and met Luke outside of Chris's room. Reid said he'd had a change of heart and so had Katie. Luke smiled and said that Reid really knew how to surprise him.

Kim sat by Chris, and Bob joined her. They talked about their son as a young boy, and suddenly a loud alarm went off in the room. Everyone ran in, as Bob and John Dixon immediately began CPR on Chris.

At Tom and Margo's house, Alison and Casey looked at the memorial photographic tribute they had created for Nancy Hughes. When Casey again offered his great-grandmother's ring to Alison, she answered that they just couldn't spring their engagement on their families because it involved their moving to Carbondale, which would create even more sadness. Alison said that was all about remembering Nancy. Casey, however, was not satisfied with just an hour's church service for the family, even though that was what Nancy had expressly requested.

Casey gave it some thought and then grabbed Alison's hand and pulled her out the door. They were surprised to find that Lucinda had already arrived for the family gathering, so Casey invited her in and urged her to make herself comfortable while he and Alison ran an errand.

Kim, Bob, and Margo gathered in Tom's office, waiting for him to read Nancy's will, per her instructions. Kim was unhappy that they were not doing more to honor the memory of her mother-in-law, someone who had meant so much to all of them. She got upset and had to leave the room, so Bob followed her. Margo and Tom also mused about how they, like the rest of the family, had no chance to say goodbye to the matriarch of their family. Bob escorted Kim back into the office, and Margo suggested that they name something important in Oakdale for Nancy, and Tom flashed back to when his grandmother had lost Dan, her second husband, and Tom had realized for the first time that Nancy was not indestructible.

Chris and Katie returned to her house after the funeral, and Chris received a text message from John Dixon asking why Chris had not yet checked himself into Memorial Hospital. Chris told Katie that he could not do that without first telling his family, but he was not prepared to further burden his folks with bad news on that day. He also asked Katie to please not treat him like an invalid, so Katie offered to tell him about her dearly departed friend, Nancy. Katie had enjoyed an unusually close relationship with Nancy, and she shared some stories with Chris. That only made Katie more fearful of losing him, as well, so Chris asked Katie to help him through the day, and said that the next day, they would tell everyone about Chris's illness.

Barbara could not reach Lisa by phone, so she went down to Fashions but found the place closed and locked. She left Lisa a message to meet them at Tom and Margo's, but Lisa, who was grieving inside the store, did not acknowledge it. Finally, Lisa had to answer a persistent pounding on the door, and she found Casey and Alison standing there. Casey said he felt terrible that people were so sad, and he asked Lisa what one last present Lisa would give Nancy if she got the chance. Lisa said that Nancy was not about "things;" instead she spoke of Nancy's "loving spirit" that went right into action when people needed help.

At Tom and Margo's, Susan Stewart and Barbara joined Lucinda, and they laughed about their "bus ride from hell" that involved many of the women of Oakdale. Soon Margo and Tom, plus Bob and Kim, arrived, and Bob reminisced about a Christmas many years before when Tom was just a boy, and Nancy had urged him to call his mother, who was no longer married to Bob. Chris and Katie rang the doorbell, and before long, Casey and Alison arrived with Lisa in tow.

Alison and Casey said they had decided to do what Nancy, herself, would do if she were there, and that was to help other people. They asked everyone to take two hours to volunteer somewhere where they could make a difference in the community. John Dixon surprised everyone by showing up, and he began talking to Kim and Bob as if they knew about Chris's illness. John thought the gathering was for Chris to tell his family about his condition, and he was stunned to learn of Nancy's death.

Chris took John aside and explained, but John made him shake his hand so he could check Chris's pulse. Lucinda surprised John and walked up behind him, and the two traded barbs. Casey announced that it was time for everyone to take off for his volunteer duty, and they made plans to meet in Old Town in two hours.

Bob and Kim, along with Chris and Katie, went to Nancy's apartment to begin packing up things to be donated to the women's shelter. Kim, however, decided that was a job for the younger generation, so she and Bob left on their own mission. Katie was upset that Chris was so stubborn, but they began going through Nancy's treasures. Katie found Nancy's marriage license to Chris and the bronzed shoes of their first child, Susan, who had died in a swimming accident as a teenager. Chris also found an album of pictures that showed 50 years of happiness, and it inspired the younger lovers to kiss.

Margo and Tom went to Nancy's favorite school and endowed a Nancy Hughes Memorial Scholarship. They remembered how Nancy had mentored Kira, an illiterate teen, who had captured Nancy's heart with her enthusiasm for learning.

Kim and Bob packed up some of the many books that Nancy had loaned the hospital, and Kim suggested that they set up a mini-library in her honor at Memorial. Lisa took Susan and Barbara to the bar at the Lakeview and ordered them two regular Pink Ladies and one virgin one. They sat at a table, and Lisa told them how loving Nancy had been during the first few months of Lisa and Bob's marriage. Then she informed the women that they were "buying" their own drinks by donating a large amount in Nancy's name to a local charity of their choice, and they toasted Nancy.

John Dixon and Lucinda sat at the bar at Yo's, and John griped that Lucinda had conned him out of donating free medical services to Luke's foundation and then had taken him there for a lousy beer. Lucinda blurted out that Lily was no longer speaking to her, and she had been praying for a solution but was having a hard time believing that John Dixon was the answer to her prayers. John reminded his old friend that children were more important than anything, particularly pride.

Alison and Casey volunteered at the Legal Aid Society, and then they went to Old Town to distribute memorial candles to the group. Casey couldn't stand it, and he took out Nancy's engagement ring and slipped it onto Alison's hand. They kissed, and Alison stopped resisting. Everyone joined them to light the white tapers, and Bob began reciting his mother's favorite Thanksgiving prayer, which soon was taken over by Nancy's voice. Chris showed up late, but Katie was not with him. She had returned to Nancy's apartment alone because she remembered how comforting Nancy had been when Katie had lost Brad. Katie cried out to Nancy to help her deal with the crisis with Chris.

Reid Oliver walked into Java and found Noah sitting at a table. He inquired about Noah's vision and got a good report. Then Reid asked when Noah was heading to Los Angeles, and the young man replied that he would be "out of Luke's life" by the end of the week. Reid wrote down the name of a colleague in L.A. for Noah's follow-up exams, even though that doctor was "not as brilliant" as Dr. Oliver. Noah was not inclined to take the name, however, particularly from someone who had stolen his boyfriend. Luke walked in just in time to hear that statement from Noah.

Noah explained that he and Reid were just "balancing the books," trading the name of a neurologist in L.A. for -- Luke. Noah smacked the doctor on the arm and walked out while Luke looked to Reid for answers. He told Reid that he would meet him at the hospital, but it was important that he say goodbye to Noah first.

Luke caught up with Noah, and they talked. Noah said that going west without Luke was not the dream he had always envisioned. He said Luke had been at his side for every major milestone in his life, and he wasn't sure he could make it alone because he was still in love with Luke. Luke responded that he would always love Noah, but he was in love with Reid. Noah talked poorly about the doctor, but Luke reminded him that he had cut Luke out of his life after the accident. Luke felt that he and Noah were no longer right for each other, but they would always have a connection. Noah said he could never be "just a friend," and he ran off.

John Dixon ran into Chris in Old Town and said he was hoping Chris was buying books to read in the hospital, which was where Chris belonged. Chris said he was looking for Katie, who was very upset by the death of Nancy Hughes. John pressured Chris to go immediately to Memorial, but the young man argued that his folks had suffered enough heartbreak for one day. John protested loudly as Chris winced in pain and begged John to help him find Katie. John would not hear of any other solution, so he hustled Chris straight to Memorial. He parked Chris in a lounge while he went to get someone from admissions. Chris walked towards his dad's office, hoping no one was there.

In Bob's office, Bob finished up some work as Kim said how much she had liked the candlelight service in Old Town in Nancy's memory. Bob got a text message reminding him of a golf date with Leland Pierce, the chairman of the board of trustees of the hospital, in about an hour. Kim suggested that if Bob didn't feel like playing golf so soon after his mother's death that he send Chris in his place because it was Nancy's fondest dream that her grandson be chief of staff when Bob retired. Kim viewed the golf game as a great opportunity for their son to get to know the chairman of the board, and vice versa.

When Chris opened the door to his dad's office, he was surprised to see both his parents there, and Kim commented that he did not look well. Bob asked if something was wrong, but Chris denied it. Bob asked his son if he would like to take Bob's place in the golf game with Leland Pierce, and Kim encouraged Chris to take advantage of the opportunity. Chris agreed to play nine holes, and he left, hiding his severe chest pains.

At Nancy's apartment, Katie continued to go through old photos and wondered how her friend had kept going after losing a daughter and two husbands. She cried, as Margo walked in and offered her big sister shoulder as comfort to Katie. Margo tried to cheer up Katie by telling her to concentrate on her "amazing future with Chris," but that sent Katie into sobs again. Margo was puzzled and asked Katie to verify that she and Chris had been about to announce their engagement to the family, but Katie was stunned. Suddenly Tom walked in, and Katie took that as an excuse to escape out the door.

When John Dixon returned to admit Chris, he was puzzled to find his patient gone. A nurse said that young Dr. Hughes had left saying he would be back in a couple of hours. John saw Dr. Oliver and explained that he had been admitting Chris, but he had disappeared. John took off to search for him, and Reid cornered Kim and Bob, who were just leaving. Reid asked about Chris, and Bob said that his son was playing golf. Reid took off fast.

John went to Tom and Margo's, looking for Chris or Katie, but they had just gotten home. John told them to tell Chris to meet him at the hospital immediately if they saw him, and that prompted many questions from Margo. John lamented that he had ever returned to Oakdale, where everything was complicated. When he refused to give his daughter any answers, he asked them to go with him in order to understand.

Luke went to Katie's, looking for Reid, but he ran into Katie, who was just home from Nancy's. Luke expressed his sympathy for Katie's loss of a dear friend and advisor, and something in his tone also told Katie that Luke knew about Chris's illness. Katie began to cry, so Luke hugged her. Katie was worried that she would lose Chris, and for the very first time, she said out loud that she loved him. Luke said she should not worry about Chris's health because Reid Oliver was on the case. He finally talked Katie into leaving for the hospital.

At the golf club, Chris met his golf partner, Mr. Leland Pierce, and they began talking about Memorial Hospital and its future. Suddenly Reid Oliver ran up and introduced himself to Mr. Pierce. Then Oliver asked them to make the golf game a threesome, so Pierce agreed and left to notify the starter. Chris turned to Reid and said, "What the hell are you doing here?" and Reid called him "an idiot." Oliver also said that John Dixon was correct that Chris was in danger of heart failure. He refused to leave because, Oliver said, Chris might need CPR at any time.

It soon was obvious that Dr. Oliver had never even held a golf club before, but Mr. Pierce, a very serious golfer, could not talk him out of attempting to play. Reid grabbed a driver, a ball, and "one of those little toothpick thingies" and smacked a drive right up the fairway. A bit later out on the links, Chris experienced stabbing chest pains, so Reid went into extreme mode. He loudly accused the chairman of the board of moving his ball illegally and called him "a cheater." Pierce made rude remarks back to Oliver and quit the match. Reid grabbed Chris's arm and headed to the hospital.

Kim and Bob grabbed a coffee at Java, and Kim realized that his mother's death had finally hit Bob. He described how he had found Nancy sitting in her favorite chair, waiting for him. He felt guilty for not being with her when she'd died, but Kim said that Nancy was surrounded by all their love.

Back at Memorial, Kim and Bob returned just in time to see John, Tom, and Margo arrive. Tom said that they were waiting for Chris, who according to John, had something of great importance to tell them. Bob began pressuring John to tell them, and John was close to revealing the secret when Dr. Oliver and Chris walked in. Reid was helping support Chris, and everyone wanted to know what was wrong. Chris refused to say, so John Dixon asked a nurse to help Dr. Oliver get Chris in a bed. He also stalled the family and shouted to them to let him do his job.

John went in with Chris and asked Dr. Oliver to go talk to the family. Bob realized that Reid had contacted John to treat Chris, as Reid called the family into the room. Katie and Luke also arrived then, and Reid urged her to go with the family, but Katie panicked and bolted. Luke was upset that Reid had undone all his supportive talk to Katie, but Katie changed her mind and sneaked back to look through the window into Chris's room.

Kim, Bob, Tom, and Margo gathered at Chris's bedside, and Kim agonized how something so serious could have happened so suddenly. Bob, however, understood that their son had been sick for some time but had concealed it from them. John Dixon entered the room and asked everyone to leave, as Bob asked how serious Chris's condition was. "Pretty serious," John responded, explaining that the virus had weakened Chris's heart considerably.

Bob asked everyone to leave so that John could get to work, but Kim questioned where Katie was. Chris asked his mother not to judge Katie harshly and asked Tom and Margo to stay behind for a moment. John cautioned them to be quick, so Chris asked his brother and sister-in-law not to pull any strings for his sake with the donor list for hearts. Chris felt that, as a doctor, he had to play strictly by the rules, and he asked his family not to interfere.

Outside the hospital room, Kim talked about their not recognizing any symptoms earlier. Bob began worrying about Kim's health issues, and she, in turn, was concerned about his. Kim finally agreed to take a break as long as Bob would stay with their son. Margo and John spoke with John, and Tom was determined to tap all his legal sources to find a usable donor heart for his brother. "Just don't tell me the details," warned John as Margo and Tom left.

At WOAK, Katie watched an old segment of her "Mommy and Me" show, the last episode that Chris had taped before he quit the show. She cried as she watched and listened to Chris's kind remarks about her. Kim walked in and each wondered aloud why the other wasn't at the hospital. Katie said she had seen them all in Chris's room, but she couldn't bring herself to go in. Kim understood in a way, but she still questioned why Katie couldn't be with him when Chris needed them. Kim said she worried that Katie was not ready for a new relationship after losing Brad, and her recent actions bore that out.

Kim said that if Katie loved Chris as she said she did, then she should consider staying away from him. Kim began to cry that she was terrified that Katie wasn't going to be supportive to her son. Katie asked for time, something Kim said they didn't have. Katie called Kim "unfair," and she swore she could help Chris through the trying times. Kim asked Katie to look deep into her heart and see if she could step up.

Luke found Reid ordering coffee in Java and chewed him out for running off Katie from the hospital when she most needed to be there for Chris. Reid claimed that Chris did not need any additional stress, and besides, Katie was still grieving for Brad and mourning Nancy's death, as well. Katie had to take care of herself. Luke pointed out that Reid was teaching Katie to do what he always did in a crisis – run away. Luke put his head in his hands and muttered that he could not believe he had actually told Noah that he was in love with Reid. uke ran out, followed by Reid hollering, "Hold the phone!" They sat outside on a bench, and Luke admitted that he told Noah that he was in love with Dr. Oliver. Luke also talked about Katie's feelings if she was not with Chris when he died.

He returned to Memorial and visited Chris, who still claimed that he did not want Katie to watch him suffer. Luke decided not to argue with a sick man any longer, so he said goodbye.

Reid discovered John Dixon in an office reading Chris's medical file and notes. He accused the cardiologist of not "getting it in gear." John was angry at Oliver for putting him on the case blind with no clue as to the name of the patient or in what condition he was. Bob walked in, and John brushed off Reid to go treat his patient. Bob then lectured Reid for not informing him of his son's grave illness. Oliver said that Chris had requested that he tell no one, and as the treating physician, Reid had no choice. Bob understood, and he praised Reid for calling in John Dixon.

Bob went into Chris's room and asked how long his son had known he was ill. "A few weeks," was Chris's reply, "this time." Bob asked him to explain, so Chris said he had first gotten sick for a few weeks in Africa, but he had beat it. He had decided to return to Oakdale because he thought he was cured. Bob was sorry that Chris had not told him of his illness, and he admitted that he had mistaken some of his son's symptoms of the disease as those of laziness and indifference. Bob encouraged Chris to be strong and fight very hard.

Kim approached Reid at the hospital and mentioned that he must be "very happy." Reid did not understand until Kim clarified that Dr. Oliver no longer had any competition for the Chief of Staff position at Memorial. Bob overheard his wife's comment, and he spoke sharply to her. Kim began to weep and accused Dr. Oliver of taking advantage of Chris's illness, but Bob set her straight. Bob explained that their son had forced Reid to keep silent and that Reid had gone to the golf game to watch over Chris and had even brought him in when Chris collapsed. Kim, still weeping, apologized to Reid, as Bob urged her to stay strong.

John saw Luke in Old Town and asked him about Reid Oliver. John particularly wanted to know if the man was trustworthy, and Luke answered that he was sure that Oliver would not let them down. John thought about that and then walked on.

Kim apologized to Bob for verbally attacking Reid, but he told her that Oliver could take it. Bob took a call from Tom, who was calling from Springfield. He told his dad that he had a lead on a possible donor at Bay City General, and he would be checking it out. Kim was thrilled to have some hopeful news.

Katie was at home looking at the framed photo of her and Brad. Then she took out a more recent picture of her and Chris together, and she dissolved into tears. Reid walked in and told Katie that she should never have listened to him when it dealt with romance. Katie cried that she was so frightened, and Reid said he had learned that very day that it was "stupid" to be afraid of love. He told her, "Dry your eyes, blow your nose, and get your butt back to the hospital where you belong." Reid also credited his attitude turn-around to Luke, who had slapped him around earlier. Katie thanked him.

Katie first went to Brad's grave and spoke to him about falling in love and moving on. She implored him to help her handle the ordeal with Chris.

Reid returned to the hospital and met Luke outside of Chris's room. Reid said he'd had a change of heart and so had Katie. Luke smiled and said that Reid really knew how to surprise him.

Kim sat by Chris, and Bob joined her. They talked about their son as a young boy, and suddenly a loud alarm went off in the room. Everyone ran in, as Bob and John Dixon immediately began CPR on Chris.

At the hospital, Bob ushered Kim from the room as Chris went into cardiac arrest. Reid rushed in to assist, and Luke comforted Kim in the corridor. Henry and Barbara arrived to offer their support, and after Barbara took Kim to the waiting room, Henry was surprised to learn from Luke that Katie wasn't at the hospital.

Sitting by Brad's grave, Katie sobbed, confessing her love for Chris. Though it was different from her love for Brad, it was real. Katie asked Brad to help her muster the strength to be there for Chris, because she was a coward. "The hell you are," Henry said from behind her.

Katie asserted that instead of being with the man she loved, she was talking to stone. Henry confided that he did it all the time. He'd even passed out beside the grave after "drinking with Brad" one night. Henry thought it took more courage to keep Brad alive in her heart than to blot his memory from her mind.

Katie sobbed to think of having to let Chris go, too. Henry explained that Brad's love was still with her, and Chris's would be, too. People died, but the only way to escape mourning was to lock oneself away. Henry said that they weren't getting weaker and more afraid; they were getting stronger and braver. Katie asked Henry to take her to the hospital.

Back in Chris' room, a groggy Chris asked what had happened. John, Reid, and Bob explained that they'd revived him after a cardiac arrest. Bob decided to have Chris moved up on the transplant list, and John suggested installing an LVAD (left ventricle assist device) to help Chris' heart pump. "No way. Forget about it," Chris responded. He refused to die while hooked up to a machine.

John and Bob believed that Chris was a good candidate for a new heart, but Chris replied that if he were any other patient, they'd tell him that there were no guarantees. Reid stated that Chris wasn't just another patient, and if they didn't keep him alive, the heart search would be meaningless. Chris stated that Katie deserved a man who'd enrich her life, not one who'd be hooked up to a machine. "No machines. I'm not gonna do it," he concluded.

Kim and Barbara entered, and Bob explained that Chris was refusing a life-prolonging treatment. "Christopher, is that true?" Kim asked in a motherly tone. Chris refused to allow Kim and Katie to watch him waste away. He didn't want to be remembered that way, either. Kim demanded that he stop thinking about dying and start thinking about living. Barbara implored him to do it for his parents. Entering with Henry, Katie asked if Chris wanted her opinion.

"How dare you sacrifice yourself for me! You think I can't handle you being a little sick?" Katie asked. She said that Chris had three capable doctors, and he needed to listen to them, so that she and Chris could have as much time together as possible. Katie felt that he wasn't nearly sick enough to give up the fight, and doing so would be cowardly.

Chris uttered that his heart was giving out, and he might not get another one. Katie told him that they'd deal with that, if it happened. She implored him to at least try, because she and Jacob needed him. "Nobody who loves you wants to be spared," she said.

Pledging her support, Katie imagined that they'd take Tango lessons after Chris recovered, and they'd give Barbara and Henry a run for their money on the dance floor. She said they'd build a meaningful life together, and Chris wouldn't want to miss a moment of it. Chris thanked Katie for reminding him of what he had to fight for, and he agreed to the treatment.

In the corridor later, Bob called Tom to ask about the heart that had become available in Bay City. Aside, Barbara figured that Katie would need Henry, and Barbara promised that they'd dance rings around Chris and Katie once Chris recovered.

In Chris's room, Kim hugged Katie and thanked her for knowing what to say. Barbara, Henry, and Bob returned, and Bob announced that a heart had become available.

At Al's Diner, Alison suggested a wedding in Las Vegas, and Casey figured that she was ashamed of what had happened at the last wedding. Glancing at Nancy's ring, he said he believed in them, just as Nancy had. Alison insisted that she'd had the big wedding already. It had been a disaster, and she wanted something completely different the next time. Casey gave in, because the only thing that mattered to him was having her as his wife.

Luke entered, and they noticed that he looked troubled. Luke gave the couple the bad news about Chris, and Casey realized that he needed to get to the hospital. He asked Alison to join him, because it was her family, too.

When Casey, Alison, and Luke arrived at Memorial, Reid told them about the heart match for Chris. Alison and Casey went into Chris's room, and Reid told Luke that the timing was perfect, because Chris wouldn't have lasted much longer. Reid tried to be nonchalant about the heart news, but Luke got him to admit that it was incredible.

As they waited for the heart, Henry drank coffee to prepare himself for the long night of surgery. Barbara guessed that he'd convinced Katie to be at the hospital, and he said that Barbara had married a wonderful guy. She agreed, hugging her husband.

Bob asked Alison to scrub up for surgery, because he wanted his best people in the operating room. Kim noticed Nancy's ring on Alison's finger, and Casey and Alison explained that they hadn't found the right time to announce their engagement news. An elated Kim advised them not to hide their joy, if they were ready to be married. Casey stated that they were more than ready, and with hugs, Bob and Kim welcomed Alison into the family.

Watching the foursome, Luke told Reid that things were looking better. "It ain't over till the nurse in pediatrics sings," Reid replied. The couple spotted John on the phone and saw him grimace. John headed back to Chris's room, and they followed. John told the family that Chris and the heart were a perfect match; however, a young cardiologist at the Bay City hospital had taken the heart for one of his own patients.

Chris figured that they'd fall back on the LVAD plan. Katie said she wanted to check on Jacob, but when she left the room, she went to the lounge to cry. Barbara followed her, but Katie didn't want to have a pep talk. Barbara said things didn't always turn out well, but Chris had a lot of support. Barbara realized that she never would have survived her warehouse ordeal without all the people who'd been fighting for her return. Katie said that Henry had been relentless in finding Barbara, and Barbara replied that it was Katie's time to be relentless for Chris.

Back in Chris's room, Chris asked to talk to Reid alone. Chris congratulated the new chief of staff. "Oh, shut up. You know I don't want the job that way," Reid said. Reid admitted that he'd stolen a medical grant from Chris once, but he planned to beat Chris for the hospital job fair and square once Chris recovered. "Take care of Katie for me," Chris uttered.

Katie entered, and Reid went into the hallway. He watched Chris and Katie from the viewing window. After a long look at Chris's loved ones, Reid strode to his locker. Luke asked what Reid was doing, and Reid replied that he was driving to Bay City to get the heart that rightfully belonged to Chris.

Luke said that even Dr. Reid Oliver couldn't walk into some hospital, toss a heart into a cooler, and walk away. "Watch me," Reid replied and raged about the arrogant doctor who'd stolen Chris's heart. Luke replied that he'd once known the same kind of doctor, and Reid rhetorically wondered what had happened to that doctor.

In the parking lot, Luke tried to go with Reid, but Reid insisted upon handling it alone. Luke got Reid to admit that he wasn't merely upset about the pompous doctor in Bay City. Reid confessed that he wanted to get the heart for Bob, Kim, and Katie. Reid warned that he was still the same jerk he'd always been; he just couldn't pass up the opportunity to throw his weight around-especially when he had a good cause.

Reid asked Luke not to tell anyone about the trip. Before he got into his car, Reid turned and said, "I love you. There I said it." The men kissed, and Reid drove away.

After Reid left, John told the Hughes family that Chris's heart wasn't strong enough for the LVAD procedure. John said they needed a new heart right away. Luke returned, and Casey told him the news. Luke said they wouldn't need the procedure because Reid had a plan. Luke confided in Casey and Alison that Reid had gone to Bay City for the heart. Casey wondered if Reid could just take the organ. Luke doubted it, but he'd never seen Reid not get his way.

In the car, Reid argued with the Bay City cardiologist on the phone. He said he'd be there in ten minutes, and he warned the doctor not to release the heart to someone else. As he drove, Reid tried to speed over a train crossing, but his car stalled on the tracks. An oncoming train roared, and Reid tussled with his seatbelt. He reached for his door latch, and he froze, locking his eyes on the train.