'Chicago Med' Season 5: Can Dr. Natalie Manning count on Dr. Will Halstead's support after her actions in the last episode?
Things did not quiet down on 'Chicago Med' after the intense annual crossover event that saw Dr. Will Halstead heroically working with the CDC and medical researchers to find a cure for the raging flesh-eating bacteria that was spread by a man angry about the cutting of funding for his research.
Not only did Will confront the culprit while the latter was destroying the cure samples, but his bright thinking also led them to realize that they had a small amount of the cure untouched — the sample they used for microscopic viewing.
While Will was the hero of the crossover, Natalie became downright villainous in the episode just after the crossover.
Ever since she came back to work after the accident that gave her head trauma, doubts have been following her as to whether she can take on the same amount of work as before.
Will has been keeping a close eye on her after the parents of one patient doubted her abilities to care for their child in an earlier episode of the season.
While in that case Natalie was proven eventually right, last Wednesday saw her crossing the line. When a patient comes in with a nosebleed, Natalie meets the parents who only believe in using natural remedies.
Each time Natalie wants to do something, she pushes the parents just a little — first for drawing blood for tests, then an intravenous solution to help with the child's dehydration, and then an x-ray, the last of which required Will's help.
Though Natalie doubted a sinus infection first, she changed her diagnosis to pneumonia.
When the x-ray proved inconclusive and the parents would not let her give the child antibiotics, Natalie locked herself in the room with the child and forcibly administered the antibiotics, with the parents watching and screaming at her to stop.
What Natalie did amounts to assault and, in the promo for next week's episode, we see that the police are at the hospital for Natalie — and the administration, save Sharon, does not want to take Natalie's side in this mess.
Whether Natalie saved the child or not we are yet to see, but either way, things are looking bad for her. There is one person she can count on for support though — Dr. Will Halstead, her ex-fiancé.
Though Will has been tough on her following her accident — especially since he is suspicious of the circumstances of her engagement to Phillip — Will has been through something similar when he disobeyed a patient's DNR in season one and a lawsuit was pursued against him.
The lawsuit was eventually dropped, but it gave him a tough first season. It is likely that Natalie will go through the same thing and here is where Will, if he intends, can repair his relationship with her.
What she would need right now isn't more pushing and doubting from him, rather, just his unequivocal support. Admittedly, what Natalie did was wrong and there need to be consequences for the consent violation she committed.
It may also push her to reveal that the way she acted does mean that she is still suffering from the consequences of the accident. 'Chicago Med' airs on NBC on Wednesday nights.