What Happens Next - Recap

Flashback: Charlotte had been raped during a break in in her office late one night, suffering injuries. She had been treated by Addison, who she entreated not to reveal to anyone, let alone her boyfriend, Cooper, that she had been raped and Addison, shaken, had agreed, but now regretted.

The show opened with Charlotte returning to work at the hospital, going into her office and suffering flashbacks of the violent rape and beating. She stood at the doorway of her office, looking over a restored room, but still feeling the effects of the event. She had a broken arm, broken hand, two black eyes, cracked ribs, etc., not to mention the emotional damage of the rape. Being a proud and very stubborn woman, Charlotte told the hospital staff to stay the hell out of her way and not ask how she was doing, to come check on her, to ask how she was, just to attend to their own work. This, of course, left the staff and her co workers shaken and shocked, because naturally they wanted to know how their female chief of staff was doing. They were all concerned for her safety and wanted to look after her. She was obviously in pain, but refused any painkillers when offered some by Addison. Violet, herself a former pill addict, approached Charlotte with the idea of the two of them perhaps attending a Narcotics Anonymous meeting together, which Charlotte immediately rejected and told Violet to go mind her own damn business. That didn't really bother Violet since she had gone through that sort of attitude herself in the past.

A middle aged couple, Rachel and Mick, came in for some marriage counseling by Doctor Wallace. Rachel was describing some symptoms that she had noticed about herself, telling Wallace that she had had breast cancer in the past but was confident that it had gone when she became extremely angry about something, cause unknown to her husband or Wallace himself. Wallace seemed to think that she might have a high level of testosterone which could fuel her anger and asked that tests be done for that and for returning cancer. During the anger session, Rachel had attacked Mick, who had held her off easily and taken her into his arms immediately after, trying his best to calm her down. Wallace observed this and when Rachel left the room momentarily, told Mick that he, in future, might not be able to fend Rachel off, that in Wallace's opinion, she might even prove very dangerous to Mick. Mick didn't agree with this, being a large powerful but very loving man. Wallace, nevertheless, offered that those tests he recommended, should be done as soon as possible, for the good of both husband and wife. Rachel, when told of this, agreed and the tests were done. The tests showed that she had possible cancer of the breast again, and that she would need an operation. The operation proved that she had terminal cancer and that there was little time left for her. Doctor Wallace said that she could be given testosterone blocking drugs, but that they would do little good, so that was out. Rachel wanted to go to hospice to pass away because she felt the staff there would care well for her, but Mick wouldn't hear of it until Rachel told him to do it for her. With tears in his eyes, he agreed to it and went to make the arrangements with help from Doctor Wallace.

A teen age Latino girl named Alisa and her father, Diego, were brought to the hospital where Alisa's cancer was to be treated with another round of chemotherapy, but the last round had left her totally exhausted and close to death. Her hair had all fallen out and she told the doctors that she did not want more chemotherapy. A drainage tube was inserted into the periocardial sac around her heart to drain excess fluid. Her father spoke up angrily, agreeing with her and telling the doctors that he would take her to a shaman, saying he just knew the shaman would cure her, even though her mother had died of cancer in the recent past. He had two younger children still at home and he did not want his daughter to die, too. Doctor Cooper angrily rejected the shaman idea and said that if he had to, he would get a judge to agree that Diego should be forced to get chemotherapy for Alisa. but Pete said that the shaman should be given a chance.

That night, with Cooper and Pete invited to the shamanic ceremony at the trailer court where Diego and family lived, Alisa lay on the grass just outside the family's trailer, surrounded by white lit candles, the female shaman shaking some feathers over the girl's head and all around her, muttering words of magic, the two younger children looking on. Cooper was not convinced by the shaman's actions, muttering that he would indeed get the judge the next day, but Pete told him to give the family a chance. The ceremony was nearly complete when Alisa went into shock, prompting Cooper to call for an ambulance. At the hospital, she was stabilized. The next day, when she was feeling better, Cooper summoned the judge to the girl's room, and with Diego and Pete present, the judge said that the family's religious beliefs had to be fully considered besides the fact that Alisa needed medical treatment. After much discussion, it was decided that the shaman could do her dancing and muttering over Alisa while the girl was attached to her chemotherapy, which was carried out that afternoon, thus ensuring that she got the much needed medical treatment while the family was satisfied with the shaman's efforts. All were left happy and smiling. Even Pete could not disagree with the judge's conclusion.

Charlotte, abed with love interest Cooper, could not get comfortable, and when Cooper reached over gingerly to touch and reassure her with a gentle caress, was met with a snappish reply of "Leave me alone!" That, the next day, prompted Cooper to seek best friend Violet's advice. She told him about her college days rape incident and that she felt that Charlotte had been raped which really upset Cooper.

Meanwhile, Addison, in bed with love interest Sam, finally confessed to him that Charlotte had told her she had been raped and what should she do about it? Sam just comforted her, but next day, he talked to Violet about the rape who went to Charlotte and told her about her own long ago rape incident. Charlotte, once she was alone, went berserk and crying wildly, trashed her once pristine office, knocking things from her desk and nearby table, upsetting chairs with her unbroken arm, etc. Once the storm was over, she sat on the couch and contemplated events. She called Violet back to her office and asked her if she was still up for that Narcotics Anonymous meeting? Violet said she was and Charlotte, grabbing her purse, said lets go! The two women walked into the hallway, looking determined.

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