Ex-Life

Ex-Life is the sixteenth episode of the Season 2 and the 25th overall episode of Private Practice.

Short Summary[]

As Archer recoups from surgery, Derek has Addison work with his pregnant neuro patient. After Sam suffers a sudden asthma attack, Bailey and Naomi work together to find the root cause of Sam's sudden attack, and at Oceanside Wellness, Cooper, Violet and Pete work together to treat a mother suffering from postpartum depression.

Full Summary[]

Back at Oceanside Wellness Group, the remaining team worry about Archer, Addison, Naomi, and Sam. However, the four of them are enjoying themselves over a successful surgery with Mark and Derek.

Derek returns to the hospital after Jen develops breathing problems, and the rest, believing it to be about Archer, run back to Archer's bedside, only to find Bailey. Instead of Archer having a problem, Sam does instead, having an asthma attack and collapsing. Addison wants Sam to be on the surgical floor so at least Naomi and herself can monitor him, but Bailey tells her to find the Chief, as asthma is not surgical. Addison implies to Naomi that Sam isn't actually over her, while Bailey spends the day finding out what caused the attack. Sam doesn't respond to the meds as well as Naomi would like, but eventually discovers Sam's allergic to the generic asthma pumps, so it was an allergic reaction, not a panic attack over Naomi.

Cooper tells Charlotte about Archer and Sam, while Cooper tries to explain about the arrangement with Violet, but Charlotte doesn't want to hear it.

The Chief wants to publish Archer's case and use Archer's name. However, Archer feels Derek screwed up, and Addison requests Derek to order another CT scan, but he refuses, saying her brother's an ass and his post-op neuro exam was fine - no CT needed. Addison shouts at Derek, claiming this is unlike him, when he admits about clipping an aneurysm during Jen's surgery, he's ordered tests and they've all come back fine. Addison tells him to check the baby, and she does, indicating Mirror Syndrome: the baby's anemic, and so is the mother due to the blood transfusion during surgery and its incompatibility with the child's own blood type, causing congestive heart failure in both of them.

Cooper sees Rachel, who accidentally let her daughter, Cindy, fall into the tub while she answered the phone. Cooper notices she may have post-partum depression, and asks Violet to consult. To buy some time, Violet asks Pete to do some acupuncture to get her to sleep for a while. Pete goes to Violet, suggesting to her that this is more than some sleep deprivation, when Violet tells him that she believes it post-partum psychosis, annoying Pete as he now sees that he's been used while Violet rings her husband and pre-admits Rachel into the hospital.

Since Derek refuses to do a repeat CT on Archer, Addison goes over his head to the Chief, and considering he wants the paper published, agrees to order the CT and asks Bailey to do it.

When the results come back, Alex asks Addison if she was happy running away, to which she replies she walked away and then ignores the rest of the question, asking to repeat the tests. Derek, still feeling guilty, shouts at Addison for not telling him the first set of test results.

The test results come back, and Addison tells Derek she has to deliver the baby or they both will die. Jen refuses this, demanding to wait two more weeks. Derek undermines Addison by suggesting in-utero blood transfusion, and Jen immediately chooses that, but Addison is against it as the risks are far too high for her. Jen chooses the in-utero procedure, tying Addison's hands.

During surgery, Jen begins to crash, and Addison scolds Derek, just like the "Hot Dog Thanksgiving" where Carolyn breaks her wrist, Addison's never cooked a turkey in her life and Derek invites 34 people to their house for thanksgiving, giving her Nancy salmonella and Derek then cooks hot dogs and saves the day - same principle here, Derek gives false hope, Addison has to do the work and then Derek looks like the hero afterwards, until Addison successfully completes the procedure.

After the procedure, as Derek and Addison scrub out, Derek admits his mother did hate Addison, until Richard interrupts with the CT. Archer's seen the scan and see two persistent cysts. Derek didn't get them all, and he's going to die, so Archer breaks down, admitting to things he should have admitted to, such as sleeping with Mark's girlfriend, wrecking Sam's car, until Derek barges in, telling Archer he's wrong and that it is common for post-op neurosurgery patients to have a fluid build up.

Rachel wakes up, running to Cindy who's crying as she wants a bottle. Violet refuses to let Cooper or Dell give Cindy back to Rachel, when Rachel then admits she tried to drown Cindy. Violet begins to panic about her child: What if her baby doesn't sleep?

At St. Ambrose, Violet talks to Rachel's husband, until Rachel wakes up and wants to see her baby. Violet, again, refuses to let her see Cindy. Pete disagrees, and Cooper tries to get Violet see Pete's perspective. Violet comes round, letting Rachel see Cindy with her husband.

Pete confronts Violet about her baby, and telling her she is selfish for cutting him out of the baby's life.

Sam confides in Miranda that he thought he'd still be with Naomi, spurring Miranda to try and save her marriage, unlike Sam and Naomi.

Addison apologizes to Derek for second guessing Derek, and tells Jen and Rob the good news, the procedure worked and that both mother and son are OK, until Jen's speech becomes jumbled.