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"Sex is better than BBQ potato chips and orange soda." — Damian Spinelli, Night Shift
With his escapades with Jolene in last week's episode weighing so heavily on his mind, Spinelli questioned whether or not he's becoming a sex addict after overhearing Dr. Archer talking to Dr. Kelly about her obsessive condition. The real theme of the week, however, was love. The things we will do – or are not willing to do – in the name of it, the fear of losing your heart to it, and how desperately it hurts when your heart is broken were what wrapped this week's episode into a neat little tear-inducing package.
The episode opened with Andy trying to talk Kelly into going to a 12-step program for her sexual addiction. Though she admitted it has caused her problems, especially at work, she was too embarrassed to seek help, as is the case with most addiction. What's been interesting about these two over the course of the season is how their mutual addictions have bound them, each trying to help the other. Later in the episode when Andy was dosing himself with anesthetic again and student nurse Jolene raised the IV flow to a lethal amount, it was Kelly who saved him and tried to convince him his addiction could cost him his life.
Jolene was acting under the order of MedCam's attorney Mr. Lowell, who wanted another accident to help further along the HMOs attempts at taking over General Hospital. When he discovered which doctor she had chosen to target though, he was less than pleased. It was not an accidental death he was looking for, but a negligent one. He did have something to be happy about, though it wasn't because of anything Jolene did.
Lainey began the episode at her father's bedside. Still on life support, he was only alive because of the machines that were breathing for him. After Dr. Ford informed her they would have to move him to County because his insurance ran out, Cody also stopped by. Lainey confided in her one time patient and now friend that she knew her father wouldn't want to continue to live like this, but she didn't have the strength to let him go. Later, when Lainey left his room to go for a walk, Cody slipped back in. He told Mr. Winters he knew it was what he would want, saluted him one more time, and turned the respirators off. Lainey passed him in the hall as she came back, knew immediately what he had done, and rushed to her father's side, stopping any efforts to resuscitate.
When Cody was brought back by hospital security to be questioned (on the basis that he often visited Rodger Winters) Lainey gave him an alibi, saying she had seen him at the vending machines on her way back into ICU, adding she didn't know who turned her father's machines off, but she was glad they had. MedCam did push to spin it as a mercy killing, and Dr. Ford informed Lainey the police would have to be called because of it.
This is another twosome that has been incredibly interesting to watch over the season. Cody started as her patient, a troubled Iraq war vet who was addicted to pain pills. He became a confidante and calming presence to her father, and then through the tragedy a comfort to Lainey. We've been told all storylines will wrap up at season's end and I'm anxious to see where they take this one. I'm also keeping my fingers crossed we see more of Cody on General Hospital.
Robin failed to control her personal feelings over her separation with Patrick and ordered Layla to clean and restock the supply closet. She also wrestled with the realization that she was loosing Stacy's baby to her father. Curtis had left strict orders; Robin wasn't even to be allowed to hold the child he had renamed Rebecca. In a moment of desperation, she took the infant up to the roof, where she could have a few moments to say good-bye.
When Curtis discovered the child was gone, he created a scene, demanding the police be called and Robin be arrested. Patrick jumped to her defense, chided Curtis from taking the baby though he never wanted her to begin with and defending Robin. Again, I will say the strong parallels drawn between these two are obvious, and I was waiting for Patrick to realize what a jerk he's been the last two weeks and run to the rooftop to comfort Robin. But he didn't. It was Jason who found her, comforted her, and told her it was time to turn the baby over to her father.
Patrick also got back Toussaint's test and had to inform the wise, kind janitor that he has an aneurysm. He said he would have to run more tests to determine if it was operable. Visibly shaken, Epiphany apologized for the way she had been fawning over him like a groupie at the stage door in the past weeks. He admitted to her he had enjoyed remembering his time in the spotlight. As she turned to leave, he began humming one of his songs and she turned back.
The closing scenes were backed with her singing "Broken Dreams," supposedly the last big hit the Saints had. As her beautiful voice swelled, we saw Patrick turn to Layla's arms, Lainey fall into Cody's comforting embrace, and while Jason watched, Spinelli – broken-hearted – left the hospital knowing that as much as he cared about Jolene, she didn't return his feelings. Jason observed Jolene who, after watching a dejected Spin leave on the elevator, fled the nurse's station and broke down in an empty room. Has she finally realized all the pain she's caused in the name of making the doctors more accountable? Or is her pain and grief over losing her father so overpowering, she feels justified in it?
Maybe it's true that only fools fall in love, or give their hearts to passion. I think most would agree, however, the pleasure gained outweighs the pain of losing it. As Robin advised the infant child before turning her over to her father, "Don't be afraid to give your heart away. And when it gets broken, don't be afraid to give it away again."
With only two weeks left in this inaugural season of General Hospital: Night Shift I think we will see some hearts mend, and others open up to love. Hopefully, those who have been trying to take the hospital down will also be stopped.
