Upamanyu Biswas
In the twelfth episode of ‘The Pitt,’ the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center has its hands full like no other time as the regular shift comes to an end with a bombastic new development. The last episode ended with news arriving of an active shooter at the Pittfest, a grave piece of information for Robby, who is worried about his stepson Jake’s safety. However, the motley medical crew, short of two seasoned residents, have their work cut out as the entire hospital becomes an emergency hub resembling a warzone. After hours of grueling and exhausting life-saving work, the doctors find themselves pushed to their limits as a contingent of new patients line up for help, and the destruction wrought by others becomes the responsibility of Robby and his team. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Robby Prepares His Crew For Their Biggest Challenge Yet
Robby is worried that he cannot get in touch with Jake via the cell phone. The entire PTMC holds its breath as news of an active shooter at the Pittfest reaches everyone’s ears. Robby and Gloria discuss moving patients out of the ER as a fresh wave of trauma victims are expected to be wheeled in due to the Pittfest shooting. It is a rare occasion to see them getting along. Doctor McKay throws in a random comment for Robby regarding David and if he has been found yet. The senior attendee prepares the Pitt crew for the upcoming emergency, as the shooting will undoubtedly lead to numerous cases for them to deal with. Plus, they are the nearest Trauma center. Dr. Jack Abbott comes in for his shift, which pleases Robby to no end, especially with the shortage of resident doctors since Langdon’s dismissal and Collins being sent home.
Disaster bins containing all the emergency kits are brought into the ER. Robby and Dana still can’t get in touch with Jake. He tells her to maybe try getting Collins back. Melissa calls home to say she may be late picking up her sister, Becca. Dr. McKay also calls up her mom and dad to come pick up Harrison as she cannot leave anytime soon. The residents discuss who will take over primary duties. Robby then splits the group based on different priorities of patient needs, with red bands being designated for the ones closest to death and pinks being the ones who will die under an hour without care. Other colors are also used for different types of situations. The entire PTMC turns into something resembling a response area for war victims. This is especially visible when Robby heads downstairs.
The PTMC Overflows With Trauma Victims
The protagonist runs into Theresa, who has the paperwork for putting David on a psychiatric hold. Robby signs it and tells her to go home as the PTMC is effectively closed. Theresa is worried David may have something to do with this, although she hopes against it. Robby informs a first responder to talk to Theresa as a way to comfort her and figure out what to do with David in case he is the shooter. Robby slaps the wristbands on the first wave of patients. A boy named Omar, with hearing impairment, is brought in. His mother, Sylvia, is also injured and readied for treatment. Melissa takes over Sylvia’s treatment, with the latter insisting that it is essential her son’s needs are met because he is deaf. The resident finds the boy in the ER and writes it down on his chart.
Robby has no time but to juggle different patients for who needs what. The ORs are filling up, so they have to move patients along as soon as they assess what they need and stabilize them momentarily. Shockingly, Robby discovers that Langdon is back in the ER, helping with the stream of patients flowing in. He confronts Langdon about it but can’t do much because of the need for qualified emergency doctors. A patient named Grayson Cooper, 68, is brought in. A bullet scraped his scalp, leaving a gash wound. However, he is alive, and Robby takes him in. Robby again assesses the situation with Dana, who tells him that their heads are still above water, but there is still no sign of Collins or Jake. Robby heads downstairs to check up with the first responder team, which is busy sorting patients based on needs.
Press reporters have already gathered at the foot of the hospital while a couple of cops are questioning Theresa. Upstairs, Javadi yells at her mom, Dr. Shamsi, for being an overbearing teacher, even in a difficult situation. Her mom reads the situation and leaves her daughter alone. Grayson Cooper chips in and tells the doctors to treat other patients as he holds the gauze to his scalp. Dr. King discovers that Sylvia is unconscious. After a quick assessment, they realize that she has an occult liver laceration from the car hit. They move her up to a pink wristband. Dr. King and Whitaker run into Langdon, who praises them for catching onto Sylvia’s issue. Chad enters the ER floor and is stopped by security. He tells the officer that he needs to get Harrison from the staff lounge. She lets him when she learns of his connection with Dr. McKay.
Chad is overwhelmed watching McKay deal with so many patients on the floor. She tells him to go to Harrison as soon as possible as he cannot be on the floor. Harrison tells his father he wants to stay with his mom. Chad decides to keep his son company for the rest of the night. Dr. Garcia walks in and Melissa hands over Sylvia’s case to her. She also learns that Omar will pull through from Garcia. Langdon takes care of an unresponsive patient who wakes up. Her name is Dawn. In an awkward moment, Dr. Santos runs into Langdon, who walks in with a patient. They don’t really interact much as their hands are too full at the moment. However, it is likely they will have to address the tension between them once the debacle is over. For the time being, it is all hands on deck.
Emergency Stocks Begin Running Low While Patients Keep Piling High
As Robby finishes intubating a patient, Dr. Mohan calls him for help with a patient with massive subcutaneous emphysema. Mohan cuts some holes in his chest to remove the air. Meanwhile, Santos realizes that a patient is missing from his wheelchair. She is flabbergasted as the patient was seemingly the victim of a gunshot wound. As she scours the floor, she finds out that he is up and about and filming what’s happening inside the hospital on his cell phone. Santos calls for security, and the man tries to stage an escape. He slips in a pool of blood and gets knocked out. Santos tells Langdon that the guy faked his injury to get into the ER so he could film everything inside. He is likely a reporter. She throws his phone in a bin full of blood.
Dr. Shamsi has to perform an unconventional procedure because the ER is out of chest tubes. Mateo, the co-brainchild behind the method alongside Javadi, calls it “genius.” Melissa discovers that Sylvia is still in a critical state and needs “O-neg,” meaning O-negative blood. The ER is out of O-neg packs, but Melissa volunteers to donate. Robby accepts her proposal as there are no other options. Other healthcare workers also step up as donors. Meanwhile, social worker Kiara and ward clerk Lupe also have duties of their own. They head for the lobby area, where distressed family members are waiting to be informed about their loved ones. Kiara tells them about a QR code and app they can use to help identify their loved ones. They can contribute by sending pictures of birthmarks, tattoos, or piercings – anything to help identify the mountain of patients inside.
Inside the ER, Melissa completes her blood donation. The resident then inserts the blood straight into Sylvia and applies pressure on the blood bag herself. Meanwhile, Santos comforts a wheelchair patient who got shot in her forearm. Elsewhere on the floor, Dr. Abbott and Robby take care of another patient. The former is also in the middle of donating blood while working. Because of the desperate need of the hour, Dr. Shamsi is still using the same method suggested by Mateo to intubate patients. Robby heads downstairs again and learns from the authorities that David’s cell was pinged around the region where the shooting took place. SWAT has also been called in because there are reports that the shooter might head the way of the hospital. Meanwhile, Robby is still concerned that he can’t get in touch with Jake and that his messages are not going through.
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