Charlie was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, stage 2A. There are tumors in a number of lymph nodes above his diaphragm so Dr. Rabin scheduled 6 weeks of radiation. So now, radiotherapy starts for Charlie in the first scene of the episode. Very well set, he walks through the hallway of the hospital and gives his health information: 6 feet 2 tall (1,88 m, same as Matthew Fox), 175 pounds (79 kg), 28 years old, no family history of Hodgkin's, date of diagnosis: November 5th 1997. Considering he's already 28, this info tells his birthday was one of the last days off screen (check 6x08 to estimate the date), some day of early December. This scene was perfect and shown in a very realistic way. Next morning, his family wants to help him to take care of Owen, move wood stuff from the shed (so Julia and Griffin can move in there), manage the restaurant and do household chores, but he doesn't let them. He tells Claudia that so far he doesn't have any side effect of radiation so he wants to buy groceries, take and pick up Owen from daycare, work in the restaurant. Then he explains to Bailey, who insisted in helping, that he wants to do things, work, as long as he can, that when he needs something from him he'll ask. The next day of treatment, he was scheduled at 4 pm but he waits for almost an hour. The receptionist tells he has to wait, and he says that he has no time because he needs to pick up his "kid" in daycare and open the restaurant at 6 pm. A fellow patient with Hodgkin's, an attorney called Mr. Pitzer, talks him in the waiting room, kindly asks him which restaurant he manages. He says he ate a couple of times at Salinger's, and praises the food. He asks Charlie if food smell doesn't cause him nausea so he says no. Charlie tells he's on 2nd week, so Mr. Pitzer says that's when the side effects starts: dry mouth, exhaustion/fatigue, nausea, sore throat, etc. The food smell causes nausea to him so now he only eats orange and ice cream. He explains that he worked really hard but after a few weeks of treatment, he is so weak that his wife takes him to the hospital everyday and waits upstairs in the gift shop because the radiation floor scares her. When Mr. Pitzer is called for treatments, he offers orange to Charlie but he refuses. He just says "hang in there" and leaves. That single scene was one of the greatest of the episode and this storyline. Shows the human side of the disease, even mentioning how a worried, loyal and loving wife takes her husband every day for the treatments, obviously afraid of his prognosis. It's certain that if Charlie and Kirsten were together, she'd be doing the same. When he takes the treatments, the nurse asks him about side effects, so he denies each one. Then, at Salinger's, Charlie tells Bailey about the radiation and how he hopes it's doing something despite that he can't feel it or smell it. He also tells about the fellow patient he met, but he thinks he's gonna be in the 10 % of patients who doesn't feel the side effects because so far he's fine (here, he needed a lecture on reality). Bailey answers not convinced "yeah, why not?". Anyway, at night, Charlie puts garbage in the container and goes to clear the shop boxes from the shed. There he feels nausea and reaches the container to vomit. That way, little by little, he starts to suffer the side effects. Next morning he insists he's ok because now he knows how it feels, so he holds Owen to drive him to daycare. In the night, he interrupts Griffin and Bailey in the shed, and sends them out saying he'll go through moving his wood and shop stuff. Julia tells that they need to move in the shed and asks to let them do the chores because he's sick, but Charlie refuses to take her lecture on reality (this time, I'm on his side, I know how it feels). The next day, while driving Owen to daycare, and listening his fingerprints wishes, he feels exhaustion so he decides to return home. At the end, he shares a great scene with Griffin (something rare considering their past): he talks to him about a special piece of wood from Costa Rica. He says that he always liked strong wood (seemingly similar to mahogany), but it's too dense to work with, twice as heavy as oak. It wouldn't have worked for a chair. Griffin gets it, he recalls a special bike he has in the shop, so Charlie tells him to move it carefully to the basement, along the rest of the shop stuff. All this storyline was excellent. Portrayed in a realistic way, shows how a person with cancer deals with radiation, his daily routine. And it's more significant since the patient is Charlie, the "father" of the Salingers, the leader of the family. And was great that he did his chores as long as he could. The moment when he realized he had to stop was when he felt fatigue while driving Owen. There was no one else who could convince him to stop. Owen is like Charlie's son, so he wouldn't risk him for anything in the world (he said this in 4x02). In this episode, he knew when to work and when to stop.
On the other hand, Julia gets a job with low pay, so Sarah convinces her to take one better, even if she doesn't like it. Charlie is surprised that she quit so fast the other job, so she says she needs a real job. Later, she is hired at Taylor's where she has a better pay, yet the job is unpleasant. She also struggles in moving into the shed, having some discussions with Claudia. The younger sister is upset because Griffin fired Reed from the bike shop, so she gives him a job: drive and help her in the store. Although Reed isn't interested romantically with her, he helps her because he knows that she is dealing with Charlie's cancer (Griffin told him). He says she can talk about it if she wants, so she won't deal with this alone. These stories served to light up a little Charlie's dramatic side, were not great but entertaining.
As for Bailey, he feels useless with Charlie, so he decides to help Annie to get a better job. Here is showed Bailey's selfless side, he just wants to do something for someone else, instead of taking care of himself. He pushes Annie too hard but he can't change himself, he is who he is. Sarah can't believe he's doing a lot of work so Annie can be an insurance adjuster. Initially, Annie refuses to take the test and refuses his help, so he complains to Sarah about this and Charlie's stubborn behavior. Sarah coldly says it's weird that he makes everything about him when Charlie's sick and Annie has a lousy job (moments like this remind me why Bailey and Sarah are not a perfect couple, they might be good together, but not that good). Anyway, he finally convinces Annie in the laundry room to take the test, comforting her about all her struggles as a single mother, recovered alcoholic. Today Bailey was a little harsh on Charlie but he did the right thing with Annie. He saw her needing help, feeling bad, so he assisted her. As long as he can help someone, he will, even if he leaves behind other people in the process (like Sarah now).
On the other hand, Julia gets a job with low pay, so Sarah convinces her to take one better, even if she doesn't like it. Charlie is surprised that she quit so fast the other job, so she says she needs a real job. Later, she is hired at Taylor's where she has a better pay, yet the job is unpleasant. She also struggles in moving into the shed, having some discussions with Claudia. The younger sister is upset because Griffin fired Reed from the bike shop, so she gives him a job: drive and help her in the store. Although Reed isn't interested romantically with her, he helps her because he knows that she is dealing with Charlie's cancer (Griffin told him). He says she can talk about it if she wants, so she won't deal with this alone. These stories served to light up a little Charlie's dramatic side, were not great but entertaining.
As for Bailey, he feels useless with Charlie, so he decides to help Annie to get a better job. Here is showed Bailey's selfless side, he just wants to do something for someone else, instead of taking care of himself. He pushes Annie too hard but he can't change himself, he is who he is. Sarah can't believe he's doing a lot of work so Annie can be an insurance adjuster. Initially, Annie refuses to take the test and refuses his help, so he complains to Sarah about this and Charlie's stubborn behavior. Sarah coldly says it's weird that he makes everything about him when Charlie's sick and Annie has a lousy job (moments like this remind me why Bailey and Sarah are not a perfect couple, they might be good together, but not that good). Anyway, he finally convinces Annie in the laundry room to take the test, comforting her about all her struggles as a single mother, recovered alcoholic. Today Bailey was a little harsh on Charlie but he did the right thing with Annie. He saw her needing help, feeling bad, so he assisted her. As long as he can help someone, he will, even if he leaves behind other people in the process (like Sarah now).
