Mercy Episode 1.10 I Saw This Pig and I Thought of You

Veronica, Sonia and Chloe man Mercy's Community Health Awareness booth at a winter street fair, and it's cold. Sadly, everyone's more interested in carnival food than health, including the girls. After Sonia gives Nadia Marchand and her daughter Cydie free hand sanitizer, Veronica rallies the troops to go in search of samosa. They've just taken a few steps when Veronica spots Mike with an attractive woman. She's just hatching a plan to figure out if the woman is a friend or a date, when the screech of tires on black ice pierces the night air. Nadia and Cydie have been hit by a car while crossing the street.

The next day, Cydie wakes up in the hospital without a spleen, just like Sonia, who lost hers in a treehouse fall. When mom Nadia can't breathe, Sonia hits an alarm, and Jelani comes running. Sonia tends to a scared Cydie as Nadia is wheeled off to surgery. Meanwhile, Veronica has emptied the fridge in the nurses' lounge in hopes of containing a whole pre-roasted pig that she ordered for Mike's birthday. However, now that Mike's kicked Veronica out, he's not getting jack. Veronica tries to sell her pig to the doctors, but they make fun of her -- what kind of gift is a roasted pig, anyway?

Veronica teases Sands about a recent outdoorsy outing with Jelani on the way to check in with Mark Gunther, who's about to undergo surgery for his lung cancer. Mark's wife Melissa asks Sands to lead them in prayer, which he does, awkwardly, with a little help from Veronica. It's clear to the Gunthers that neither Veronica nor Sands pray very much. Dr. Harris returns to work in a wheelchair, still feeling surly about his mystery paralysis. He sends a reluctant Chloe to deal with the Mercer family. Elderly patriarch Warren is on his last legs, and it's time for his children to reach a consensus and sign a DNR.

Warren's children Beverly, Adrienne and Robert are quick to argument, despite Chloe's best efforts. When Robert explains that ever-practical Warren wouldn't want extreme measures to stay alive, they are just about to sign the DNR, when baby sister Lena arrives, full of melodrama. How can they unplug daddy? Upset that she's been left out merely because she was on the road with her band, Lena declares that she'll never agree to sign off on killing her father.

Sonia and Angel lament the death of Nadia from pulmonary embolism, just as social worker Lorraine shuffles up. Nadia's New Mexico license was expired, and she's on the hunt for any info that may identify Cydie's next of kin. Sands and Veronica are on hand when Mark wakes up from his surgery, with news that he went into cardiac arrest during the procedure. Luckily, Sands was able to restart his heart. Mark insists that he couldn't have died, because he didn't see the tunnel and the light or God. When Mark starts getting upset that God ditched him, Veronica decides to summon the chaplain.

Sonia and Lorraine peruse Nadia's chart, which contains no next of kin info. Sonia has a revelation, per the blood types listed on the chart: Nadia can't be Cydie's biological mother. When Cydie finally wakes up, Jelani and Sonia are on hand to deliver the bad news about Nadia's death. Cydie asks when it will be dark, because she wants to go on the roof and look at the sky. Daddy Al says that when people die, they float up into the sky to become stars.

Reverend Richard Todd is unwilling to buy Veronica's pig, but promises to straighten out Mark in no time. When Veronica enters Mark's room, he's just swatting Todd with his Bible, breaking his nose. Mark believes that Todd is peddling lies; God is a sham and there's nothing on the other side. When Veronica asks what's Mark's problem, he explains that despite all the misfortune he's experienced, being laid off, lazy sperm so no kids and now lung cancer, he always told himself that God had a plan. But now since there's no plan and life is apparently meaningless, he's going to do whatever he wants. Veronica agrees that he can, as soon as he's out of her hospital.

Cydie's Daddy Al, a tattooed trucker, finally shows up to Cydie's great relief. It's not long before Sonia and Lorraine pull him into conference to explain that he may have no claim on the girl he's raised as his daughter for the last six years. Lorraine is apologetic, but Nadia and Al were never married and he never petitioned for adoption, so now the Department of Children and Families will decide custody, even if there's no one else. Al can help by bringing in Cydie's birth certificate and adoption papers. Al reels; he's just lost the love of his life and now Cydie is adopted?

Sonia explains that the blood types preclude Nadia from being Cydie's biological mother, and Al admits that Cydie was already two when he got together with Nadia. But what judge is going to turn over an 8-year-old girl to a tattooed trucker? Sonia explains that they'll help, and that judges hand over kids to people that love them. Al agrees to come back tomorrow to talk to the DCF rep.

Veronica drives Sonia and Chloe over to Mike's house for a little old fashioned spying. Chloe offers to throw the pig through Mike's windshield just as he exits the house with the chick from the street fair. Sonia tells the girls to scootch down, but Mike clocks Veronica, so she gets out of the car, telling him it's cool if he's got a new lady, which it's not. Just at that moment, a couple emerges from the back of the house, and Mike is forced to admit that Trisha is a real estate agent, and he's just testing the waters. Veronica is immediately incensed that Mike is planning on selling the house without consulting her, and gets back in the car, telling the couple that a double suicide took place in the house.

As opposed to a trip to Delaney's, the girls pick up a six-pack and head for the ice rink where Bobby works. Concerned for his job, Bobby warns there's no food or drink on the ice, but before long the beer is open and Veronica's slapping pucks into the pig box in an attempt to drown her sorrows. The girls talk her down. Neither Mike nor Veronica wants to live in the house, so they should sell it; they could use the money. Veronica admits that if she stops being mad, she has to get sad, and nobody wants that. Chloe suggests that Veronica just bypass sad and go straight on through to happy.

Nick agrees to run Nadia's info through his magic cop computer, in exchange for a botox consult, as he's upset about a new furrow in his brow. Shocked by Nick's vanity, Sonia threatens to break up with him, then tells him to hurry up and fail to find next of kin so Al can get custody of Cydie. Meanwhile, Veronica discovers Mark with a big bottle of vodka in the arms of hooker Charmaine. Mark explains that he's been starving his appetites and now it's time to feed the beast. Escorting Charmaine out of the hospital, Veronica tries to sell her the pig. Charmaine thinks a pig is a terrible gift. If Veronica wants to keep her man, she should give him a present they can do together, like Springsteen tickets.

Veronica bumps into Sands and tells him about Mark's crisis of faith. After what they saw over in the sandbox, she doesn't have a lot of faith in faith; what got Sands through the war? Sands admits that it was his faith in Veronica, his faith in them as a couple that got him through. Chloe checks in on Warren to find the family in mid-trauma, as Lena plies Reiki and healing crystals. Beverly and Adrienne are siding with Lena, who wants to bring Warren to an alternate medical facility. At wit's end, Robert asks Chloe to explain what happens if Warren goes into cardiac arrest -- it's not pretty.

When Lena suggests bringing in a healer, Robert has finally had enough. Lena needs to quit creating chaos and making everything about her. She hasn't seen her father in years and what she's doing is cruel and senseless. Humbled, Lena walks out. Meanwhile, Nick calls Sonia with bad news. Nadia's ID is fake, and Al did four years in Florida for selling coke to the DEA. Sonia calls security to restrain Al, then runs to Cydie's bed, which is empty.

Nick puts out an APB on Al and an Amber Alert for Cydie, telling a furious Sonia to leave catching bad guys to him. Veronica finds Mark smoking on the terrace and stamps out his cigarette, then sits to talk about her own experience of faith, which she lost in Iraq. She cared for a 19-year-old who ran into fire to save a little girl. So much courage and grace under fire is truly a miracle, and maybe that's enough. Later, Chloe finds Lena on the terrace. Lena admits that Robert was right. She was just the flaky daughter who dropped out of college to be a rock star; now she's just a temp with a guitar. Chloe reminds her that there are no second chances, and now it's time to find a way to say good-bye.

Rather than wring their hands, Lorraine and Sonia decide to check the national website for missing and exploited children for signs of Cydie's abduction when they bump into Al. Sonia immediately calls security, but Al insists that he's come to help. After all, this explains why all the bills were in his name, and why Nadia wouldn't let Cydie play with other kids. Al produces a photo of Cydie as a baby, which includes a man wearing a T-shirt reading "Hamel's Swimming Pools." But if Al didn't take Cydie, where is she? Sonia has an idea, and runs up to the roof to find Cydie looking for her mom among the stars.

Lena shares a memory of her parents slow dancing in front of the fire, then picks up her guitar to sing Otis Redding's "That's How Strong My Love Is." Everyone is surprised by Lena's beautiful song, during which Warren finally passes peacefully to the other side. When Robert breaks down full of remorse, Lena is able to comfort him. Later, Chloe wheels Harris to his car. She's been thinking it's time for him to let go of Yelena and walk again. When Harris admits that he blames himself for her murder, Chloe advises him to let himself off the hook, and offers to help pack up Yelena's stuff.

Veronica helps Mark pack up to leave the hospital. Melissa shows up in a dither. She needs Mark to get his act together because she needs her husband back. It may be a miracle, but she's pregnant. His faith restored just a little bit, Mark thanks Veronica and leaves the hospital with his wife. As Al plays with Cydie, Sonia, Nick and Angel review the case. Apparently, Nadia used to babysit for the Hamels, and just up and kidnapped Cydie one day. Meanwhile, Harris wakes up in the middle of the night to find that he can move his toes.

Cydie doesn't want a new mom and dad, but a determined Al pushes her wheelchair down the hall to meet her grateful birth parents. He explains that Cydie is shy right now, but she wants them to know that she's happy to meet them. He promises that he'll be back to visit, but not until after Cydie gets settled in her new old home. Cydie warms up to the Hamels, and Al hurries to leave, breaking down in tears when he's finally out of earshot.

Veronica rings Mike's doorbell to present the pig, its carton now a little worse for wear, and hockey pucks. Everyone thinks it's the dumbest present ever, but when Veronica saw it, she couldn't help thinking of Mike. Flattered, Mike admits it's the best present ever; Veronica must love him. She does, and he loves her, too. But maybe a pig isn't enough to bring them back together again... After a birthday hug, Veronica consents to sell the house -- it's the right thing to do -- gets back in her car, and drives off into the night.