Mercy Episode 1.06 The Last Thing I Said Was

Sonia finds Veronica stuffing syringes into her purse. Veronica explains: its tailgate season, time to barbecue, and the syringes are handy for marinating meat. Mike and her brothers are throwing a party at the Flanagan house tonight to test their recipes and Sonia's invited. After burying his wife in Minsk, Harris returns with gifts of honey and sturgeon, thanking the staff for their support in his time of need. He hands Veronica an envelope containing a $3,000 invoice for his windshield. Chasing down Harris, Veronica is waylaid by Chloe, who confesses that she spilled the beans about Veronica's affair to her brother Ryan.

When Veronica learns that Sands told Chloe about their affair, she confronts him in the scrub room. It's time that they let each other go. Sands doesn't want to let go, which he demonstrates by pulling Veronica into a passionate kiss. When Sonia barges in, the couple finally let go of each other. Veronica asks why he kissed her. Sands explains that life is short, and he's obviously running out of moves.

Veronica tracks down Harris, begging him to let her float in oncology -- she needs a change of scenery. Harris balks, so Veronica offers to pay for his windshield along with a complimentary polymer paint sealant, and the deal is struck. They agree; it's nice to know they still hate each other, and some things never change. While suiting up in sterile garb to visit acute leukemia patient Lucy, Harris warns that the treatment leading up to her bone marrow transplant is very brutal, and could kill her.

Harris and Veronica are greeted at the door of Lucy's sterile room by her gowned sons, seven-year-old Max, and five-year-old Henry. They're pretending to be space cadets in a game created by their mom to help deal with her situation. Dr. Harris is the leader of Mommy's space mission, and now it's time for the boys to return to mission control at their grandma's house. Henry hands Veronica a teddy bear in a sterile plastic bag to use in case of loneliness, as Lucy prepares for her toughest day of chemo yet.

Sonia and Harris visit elderly Estelle Thalberg, who's just had her hip replaced, and her husband Joe. Estelle hates to be without her make-up, so Sonia offers to help as Joe asks Sands when they can get back to schtupping. The couple's 65th anniversary is coming up, and they have a tradition of going to the club for trout almandine and a few foxtrots before going home to make whoopee. When Sands reels at the mental image of geriatric sex, Joe asks if he's got someone special of his own. Sands admits he's working on it, earning a dirty look from Sonia.

Sonia finds Chloe outside the hospital, smiling. Her ex-boyfriend Carl, now a Manhattan dentist, wants to get together, and Chloe's excited by the prospect of a little sex with no strings. Sonia invites Chloe to Veronica's party, then spies Nick rolling up in his unmarked cop car. He can't make Veronica's party because he has a work thing, which he can't talk about. When Sonia leans in for a kiss, Nick refuses -- no kissing in the cruiser, it's just not done out of respect for the job. Miffed, Sonia threatens to look for another cop who doesn't have such silly PDA rules.

Sonia demands to know why Veronica was kissing Sands. Veronica claims it was all Sands, she's just trying to end it. Things are going really well with Mike, unless you count the fact that she's hiding a big secret. When Sonia insists that Veronica tell Mike, Veronica points out that Sonia already told her not to. According to Sonia, the only way to end things with Sands is to tell Mike everything and make a fresh start. Just then, Mike walks in with kisses and the insurance card Veronica has been forgetting to put in her wallet. This just drives Sonia's point home. Veronica agrees, she'll tell Mike.

Veronica delivers two finger paintings from mission control, then intuitively grabs a bucket to catch Lucy's vomit. Veronica is surprised that Lucy can even talk with her ulcers and offers to up her pain meds, counseling her not to be brave. Veronica can only help if Lucy's honest. Lucy admits that she's not used to dropping her poker face on account of her kids. When Veronica suggests she tell the kids the truth about her cancer, Lucy refuses, explaining that the truth may set you free, but it usually beats the crap out of someone else.

It's mayhem at the Flanagan house, where the guys are holed up in the kitchen, marinating meat. Mike sends Tim's little girls Laura and Katy to sit with their mom Heather, Veronica and Jeannie. Jeannie pesters Heather about her weight, and sends the little girls to refill her drink. Veronica diverts the girls, telling them to go play dress up in her room, just as Sonia arrives to ask when she's going to come clean with Mike. When Veronica insists there's been a change of plans, Sonia pulls her outside for a talk.

Veronica explains herself, invoking Lucy'struth-may-set-you-free speech. Sonia reminds Veronica that a lot of people know about her affair with Sands and most of them drink, just as a drunken Ryan exits the house. Veronica makes him promise not to tell anyone else, but he's already told brother Tim. Veronica decides to gather everyone who knows about her "desert liaison" in her room, where the girls are playing dress-up. Veronica apologizes to everyone and exacts their promise to keep her business to themselves. In return, she'll spend the rest of her life making it up to Mike.

Hearing salacious dialogue, Sands pops in on Estelle and Joe. Joe is struggling to put on Estelle's stockings, a trial run for their anniversary outing. Sands explains that Estelle can't leave the hospital until she can do a lap around the floor in her walker, so dinner is off. Joe reminisces about the couple's golden days as Estelle applies lipstick. Sands perks up when Estelle smears lipstick onto her face and her right eyelid droops. She's having a stroke! Joe insists that his wife is just playing, but she can't talk. Sands sounds the alarm, and a swarm of personnel wheel Estelle away, leaving Joe by himself to worry.

Chloe and Carl have a drink at Delaney's. Chloe's ready for some action and wants to get the check. When Carl finally understands what she's after, he announces that he's getting married, causing Chloe to choke on her mozzarella stick. Carl fails to respond, so Chloe hurls herself against the bar to dislodge the food, then lands flat on her back on the floor. Hearing the commotion, fireman Petey makes his way through the bar to help Chloe to her feet. Chloe lays into Carl for being a jerk, and asks him to leave. Carl asks Chloe how she'll get home. Sensing his opportunity, Petey promises to drive Chloe home.

Chloe drinks beer with Petey, who asks about Carl. Chloe broke up with Carl in college; he wasn't too good in bed, despite all her attempts. Nevertheless, she thought Carl would always be there for her, kinda like an argyle safety net. Petey wonders why Chloe would try so hard to hang onto something lousy when she could hang on to something great. When Chloe asks where she might find something great, Petey gives her the sexy eyes. Within minutes, the couple is busting through the door to Chloe's apartment to rip each other's clothes off.

Trying to get to work, Sonia plows through a crowd of cops gathered outside the hospital. Inside, Jelani informs her there was an undercover raid at a crack house and four cops were shot dead. Fear grips Sonia's heart as she dials Nick, and her call goes straight to voice mail. Later, Sonia complains to Veronica. The cops won't tell her anything. Having called cop brother Tim, Veronica knows that one of the dead matches Nick's description, but Sonia shouldn't jump to conclusions -- it could be anyone. Sonia is obviously in love with a cop, and the only way to get through it is not to worry until there's a reason to worry.

Ready to do the bone marrow transplant, Veronica wheels a cart of supplies into Lucy's room, only to find her on the floor in a fetal position. When Veronica discovers that Lucy has pulled her IV out and is laying in a pool of poisonous chemo fluids, she hits an alarm, then picks up Lucy. Lucy fights, begging to be left alone, as orderlies rush in to help get her back in bed. Veronica tells Lucy to think about her boys waiting back at mission control, but Lucy insists the space ship has crashed. She just wants to die.

Joe walks into the chapel with two boxes of candy he bought per habit, finding Sonia curled up on a pew. The last thing he said to Estelle was that it was time to trade her in for a new model. What kind of husband says that? Sonia can empathize, and explains what she said to Nick. Now all they can do is sit and wait. Joe hands Sonia a box of candy; they can sit and wait together.

Veronica finds Harris in the hallway. He's overwhelmed, having just got out of a meeting with his wife's estate attorney. Veronica wants Harris to slow down Lucy's treatment so she can get her strength back, but Harris explains that it's impossible. When Veronica insists that Lucy will die if Harris doesn't do something, he gives Lucy a rousing pep talk, explaining that the doctors call the day she receives her marrow her "birthday," since she'll literally be reborn without her disease. It's going to be all uphill, but he won't let her die. Reinvigorated to face the pain, Lucy gives Veronica the go ahead to start treatment.

Looking for Veronica, Sands bumps into a sexually satiated Chloe on the terrace. She asks if she can tell him something as a friend, admitting that when anyone says that to her, she usually wants to throttle them. But he should let go of Veronica, who's totally committed to Mike. Invoking Petey's words, Chloe suggests that maybe Sands is holding onto something that was great before, but isn't now. Besides, letting go can feel pretty damn great, which Chloe knows since she let go of her crush on him. Sands' pager goes off and he rushes to Estelle's room.

Sonia and Joe are crowded around Estelle, who has opened her eyes and moved her hand. Sands begins his examination with a few questions. Does Estelle know where she is, the day of the week, etc.? Estelle can't answer his questions, but she can scold Joe not to look at her -- she needs make-up! Later, Sonia is in the locker room when Veronica rushes in. Lucy has inspired her. Tired of being scared, she's going to be brave and tell Mike everything right now.

The rowdy Flanagan tailgate party is underway in the packed parking lot of Giants Stadium. Mike is at the barbecue as Veronica makes her way through the crowd. Katy asks Uncle Mike if they can have laze-on for dessert, and Laura clarifies: its dessert liaison. When Katy yells to Tim that Laura has spilled Veronica's secret, Mike demands confirmation of the affair, just as Veronica shows up, asking to talk. Mike freaks out, hurls his spatula, and roars off in his truck, destroying the party and telling Veronica not to come home.

Sonia's phone rings and she rushes out of the hospital to find a shell-shocked Nick parked outside. His buddy Sam was standing next to him and took a bullet in the neck. Nick offered to break the news to his wife. He would have called sooner, but he was afraid that he'd fall apart if he heard Sonia's voice. Nick starts crying and Sonia runs to hug him tight, promising everything will be alright; Nick's with her now. Meanwhile, Veronica returns to the hospital to check on Lucy and tuck her in for the night.

Sands checks in on the Thalbergs, who are celebrating their anniversary with trout almandine and a little wheelchair dancing. Joe got trout almandine for Sands and his girl, whoever she may be. Sands laments that his gal may be out of the picture. Estelle advises him to keep chasing, but Joe thinks love should be easy. Sands spies Veronica, but decides not to share his fish with her, offering it to Jelani instead. Veronica heads to the Crash Room, surprised to find Harris, who can't sleep at home yet. Learning that Mike kicked Veronica out of the house, Harris pulls out a bottle of vodka from Minsk and offers to share.