- Cathy seeks a second opinion, causing a strain on her relationship with Dr. Todd; Sean learns about his sister's cancer while adjusting to life with a pregnant Rebecca; Adam sees a therapist against his will.
- Cathy's course of aggressive chemotherapy isn't working, but is having negative side effects. As she doesn't agree with Todd's assessment that they deal with the side effects and wait, Cathy decides to get a second opinion with a Dr. Atticus Sherman, who she has heard has previously cured a stage 4 patient. Todd encourages her to get that second opinion, but doesn't want her to do so only if because of his less than professional feelings for her. This matter may further complicate their relationship. Being able to get that appointment with Dr. Sherman may be an entirely different and difficult matter, about which Cathy takes an extreme measure to rectify. Meanwhile, Cathy and Paul analyze Adam's every behavior believing that his nonchalant behavior toward her illness means something. As such, they have entered into family therapy against Adam's wishes. And Rebecca and Sean have entered into a relationship following her news that she's pregnant. Cathy still has to find a way to tell both of them her news, Sean about who she is more concerned.—Huggo
- Fall
Cathy and goes jogging with Sean, trying to tell him something. Suddenly, Marlene (Phyllis Somerville) is on her heels -- even though, as she reminds us, she's dead. Dr. Todd (Reid Scott) blows a kiss at Cathy as she runs by. Cathy runs through the streets to her storage locker, but it's locked. Marlene has the key -- and a hole in her head.
Cathy wakes up in the hospital.
Sean and Rebecca (Cynthia Nixon) have some vigorous pregnancy sex. He tells her he likes her a lot, then says the same to her belly. Then he gets up and leaves, even when Rebecca asks him to stay.
He turns out to only be walking out the front door of Marlene's old house, to his tent set up in the yard with water bottles all around to catch rain.
Cathy visits Dr. Todd. She tells him she has a head ache and is hallucinating. He wants to prescribe her a pain killer and muscle relaxer. He also suggests she try pot for the pain.
She asks about the schedule for the next round. He tells her they shouldn't bother. Her kidneys have gotten worse but her cancer hasn't shrunk. She wants a second opinion and mentions Dr. Atticus Sherman. Paul read that he cured a woman with stage four cancer.
She wants someone who won't give up on her, like she feels like Dr. Todd is doing.
Back home she waits on hold for Dr. Sherman for the umpteenth time. She sees Marlene sitting comfortably in her sink. She thinks she's seeing her so Marlene can pull her to the other side. Marlene tells her it's not so bad, and there's just a little bit more red tape for offing yourself. Cathy doesn't think that makes what Marlene did a good idea.
Adam (Gabriel Basso) asks to go to his friend's house, but Cathy wants him to keep his shrink appointment. He farts robustly on his way out of the room and blames it on Cathy.
Paul (Oliver Platt) comes in and is upset to learn that Cathy still has a headache. She tells him about Dr. Todd's pot suggestion.
Adam meets with his shrink and complains about being there and just wants to hang out with his friends.
Later, the shrink tells Cathy and Paul that Adam really just wants to hang out with his friends. He says unless Adam's been doing anything different or disturbing.... "He's been aggressively farting, pointedly and aggressively," Paul offers. "He even fart-framed Cathy."
"When you say 'aggressive' was anybody hurt?" the shrink asks. He advises them not to take Adam's actions too seriously. Cathy asks for advice on telling her unmedicated manic-depressive brother. The shrink just suggests she wait until he's calm.
Back home, they find Sean reading a pregnancy book. He's super excited about the process and proclaims that he feels like his blood is carbonated. Sean thinks he should deliver the baby himself. He thinks hospitals are scary and doctors are bad. He is not calm.
Adam asks to go to Mia's house and pointedly farts in front of his mom and Sean on the way out, asphyxiating them.
Cathy grinds her pills up and sprinkles them on a tuna fish sandwich. She talks to Dr. Sherman's office on the phone and is less than thrilled she's on their cancellation list. She'll just tell her tumors to stop growing until someone calls, she says.
She knocks the bottle over and Thomas, Marlene's dog, gobbles up a few before she gets to them. Cathy freaks out. Paul calls the vet with a "basset emergency."
Rebecca strolls into the chaos. She recognizes the drug names on Cathy's painkillers and starts asking questions. Cathy tries to comfort the dog as Paul asks questions to rely answer to the vet. Rebecca asks why Cathy's taking the pills and reaches for the laced sandwich. Cathy gets flustered and tells her it was for Sean to make him calm. When Rebecca won't stop asking questions Cathy blurts out that she has cancer.
"I'm just so stunned," Rebecca says. "You're going to be my first really good friend who has had cancer. I'm going to be forever changed," she says.
"Hopefully for the better," Cathy says. She makes Rebecca promise not to tell Sean until she has a chance to.
Paul gets off the phone with the vet, who says the dog should be fine.
Paul drives Cathy to get her weed. Cathy goes over to a parked car and trades the guy some money for a baggie. She's so proud of herself she flashes it all the way back to the car.
Back home Paul and Cathy get high in their bedroom. "I can't believe that the guy I used to score weed from 20 years ago still has the same pager number. And that I remembered it was listed under 'bicycle parts' in my address book," Paul says.
Cathy appreciates that he helped her. Paul promises to get her in to the other doctor. He's worried that Todd is too young. Cathy giggles and wants to tell Paul a secret. She tells him that Todd kissed her. When he asks where, she says Canada. But he meant on her body. They both dissolve into fits of giggles, although Paul vows at some point he's going to be really mad about it.
Cathy comes downstairs in the morning and finds Thomas not moving at the bottom of the stairs. She's worried. She bends over and touches him. He gets up. She's relieved and opens the door to let him out.
She sees Sean in his yard putting up a big sign that says "Cathy is my cancer."
She goes across the street, where Sean is full of venom. He calls her selfish and mean. He rants hatefully. She tries to remain calm and tells him she wants to take him to the doctor.
"It's no wonder you got cancer, Cathy. You're so full of lies and evil, you gave it to yourself," he says.
Cathy is stunned. "You know what Sean, from now on I'm fighting for my life, not yours," she tells him. She picks up the spray can and writes "is done" under her name.
Paul confronts Dr. Todd in the parking lot. "It is not ok for you to kiss my wife," Paul announces before socking him.
Dr. Todd apologies. He's already talked to his mentor and his therapist about it. Paul doesn't want to hear about his journey. Paul says they don't want him because he's a rookie and they don't want to be part of his learning curve. Dr. Todd warns them anywhere else Cathy will just be the sum of her data.
Cathy has coffee with Rebecca, who says it's too bad she can't help because drug reps have great access to doctors. She says only told Sean because he stayed inside for the first time and she felt like a couple and couples tell each other things.
When Rebecca leaves Cathy sees Marlene again and rants at her that she's fighting to live and not taking Marlene's way out.
Later, Cathy strolls into Dr. Sherman's office in business clothes, pulling a suitcase to pass for a drug rep. The receptionist lets her by but soon asks her to leave. Cathy refuses, saying she'd rather not spend two hours a day of the little time she has waiting on hold with their office.
She addresses the people in the waiting room and congratulates them on getting appointments with Dr. Sherman. "If any of you maybe in stages one through three would consider maybe letting me go first..." she says.
She's interrupted by her ringing cell phone. Behind her, the receptionist makes a call. They end up talking to each other. Cathy has an appointment next week. Dr. Todd got her in.
Paul brings Thomas food at home. Thomas doesn't budge. Paul holds his hand in front of the dog's face and feels nothing. Uh oh. Paul picks up a blanket and drapes it over the dog then backs away.
Cathy waits in Dr. Todd's waiting room. She thanks him for making the appointment. She tells Dr. Todd that no matter what Sherman says she wants to keep seeing him. He tells her he can't see her as a patient because he doesn't see her as a patient. They say good bye.
Cathy comes home to see Sean building a tiny section of fence in front of his house. He shouts that he's disowning her. Adam comes out on his way to a friend's, but says she can hug him first if he needs to. Cathy tells him he doesn't have to see a shrink, but he hopes he'll find someone to talk to if he needs to.
She gives him a big hug and he makes a face when a big fart is ripped. "Mom, that's gross," he tells her. Cathy enjoys her stinky revenge.
She goes inside to find Paul waiting for her. "Hey there, want to get high?" he says excitedly. She tells him no, that her headache is gone and she has an appointment with Sherman. She jumps up and down and hugs him.
He hopes that great news will take some of the sting out of the bad news. He tells her that Thomas died. She bursts into tears, thinking she killed Marlene's dog. He reassures her that Thomas is with Marlene now.
As they're hugging and consoling each other Paul looks over her shoulder...and sees Thomas loping in calmly with the blanket still over his head.
"If you ever think I'm dead, do me a favor and get a second opinion," Cathy tells Paul. She hugs the dog. We see Marlene appear behind her. Cathy smiles peacefully.
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