Private Practice Episode 6.09 I'm Fine

This one is all about Sheldon. He's been keeping the fact that he has prostate cancer a secret from his colleagues. We jump back in time to see that he spills the news to his ex-wife, Laura, as they've been meeting for a romantic rendezvous every so often. Whatever relationship they were trying to rekindle is now gone. Later, Sheldon heads over to the hospital which is abuzz with activity. We're witnessing the night Sarah, the young girl we met in "You Don't Know What You've Got Till It's Gone," went missing.

Sheldon has a brief encounter with a woman at a candy machine the night Sarah disappeared. It's nothing he would likely remember 37 days later at a session with his therapist, Diane (guest star Kathy Baker). Sheldon has a lot on his mind like the fact that he believes his troubled patient, Nick, may have snatched up Sarah. Then there's the cancer. No one knows he's being treated except for the woman his sits with in the waiting room. It's the same lady he met at the vending machine awhile back.

Sheldon's patient, Nick, starts seeing him again. The guy says he's been controlling his urges for young girls. His new friend, Alyssa, has been helping him in this area. He hopes their relationship will become romantic at some point. Sheldon has no choice but to ask how old this girl is. Two weeks later, he lets his therapist know that he's concerned because Nick hesitated before saying his new friend is 25. Sheldon suspects that Alyssa may, in fact, be Sarah.

Sheldon realizes the woman he's been chatting with in the chemotherapy waiting room is the same person he met at the vending machine. Her name is Miranda (guest star Diane Farr) and she's not interested in bonding with any fellow cancer patients. Sheldon agrees to her rules of nothing more than chitchat whenever they are together. This is easier said than done, as Sheldon can be quite charming. Miranda can't help but be drawn to him. She eventually lets her chitchat pal know that her cancer has spread to her brain.

Sheldon almost lets Charlotte in on his cancer secret, but opts to keep her in the dark. He also blows off Miranda when she hints at wanting to have lunch with him. Sheldon lets his therapist know that he likes this woman, but he's afraid to take the next step. Then one day he shows up for his treatment and Miranda isn't in the waiting room. Disappointment and regret engulf his face.

James reveals that arrest has been made in Sarah's kidnapping case. However, the little girl remains missing. Sheldon notices a change in Nick when he speaks of ending things with Alyssa. He lets his police pal, Joe, know that they may have the wrong man in custody. Unfortunately, there's no probable cause to investigate Nick. Sheldon takes matters into his own hands. He makes sure Nick meets him at the office at the same time as Sarah's parents show up for a session with Violet.

As Violet tries to help Sarah's parents deal with the agonizing emotions they are still feeling about their missing daughter, Nick says he believes Sarah is still alive in another room. Sheldon pushes him for details about Alyssa. He believes this person he speaks of is actually Sarah. A nervous Nick tries to flee the office, but two cops are waiting for him in the lobby. Sheldon orders him to be committed. He then lies to Joe by saying Nick confessed to taking Sarah. That's probable cause.

The cops break into Nick's place. They find a hidden room in the basement. A frightened Sarah is hiding under the bed. Sheldon assures her that she's safe now. He lets her hold onto his hand. Sheldon sings her a song to help pass the time. He has "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" on his mind thanks to an earlier conversation with Miranda. After so many days of searching, Sarah's parents are finally reunited with their little girl. This joyous moment wouldn't have been possible if not for the heroic actions of Dr. Sheldon Wallace.

Sheldon is glad that Sarah has been found, but he's upset with himself for not figuring things out sooner. It took three months to find a little girl who was being held less than a mile away. Sheldon realizes that time is a valuable commodity, so he doesn't waste any with Miranda. He plants a long, passionate kiss on her. He wants to be with her. Miranda reminds him that she's dying. Sheldon responds, "Not today." This leads to another long, sweet kiss smack dab in the middle of the waiting room.