Gina comes over to see Joe. Over drinks, Gina tells Joe her friend, Claire, is sick and needs help. Joe is sympathetic but reminds her he can’t be in hospitals anymore.

Meg has a session with Harriet. She tells her about Claire and how afraid she is for her. After the session, Meg runs into Bobby at the park. They discuss Claire’s condition and admit they like each other more than expected.

After Claire finishes her treatment, Meg and Bobby take her to the hospital for new scans. They meet with her doctors all together. The tumor has shrunk, but it’s still too big to operate. Meg insists there must be something they can do. Claire interjects, demanding to know her prognosis. They give her six to nine months. While pacing around the room, Meg notices a photo on the wall of a group of doctors, including Joe. Claire’s doctor reveals that Joe is a renowned radiologist but left medicine after he killed his wife.

Back at home, Claire tells Meg she needs to stop fighting. She’s ready to tell Ali and Sam, and she needs Meg’s help. Suddenly, Claire collapses.

Back at the hospital, Meg stands by Claire’s bed. She calls Mama and explains the situation. Then she calls Claire’s friends to visit so Claire can say goodbye. However, she decides to tell Sam in person. On her drive up north, she thinks about Joe. She’s furious he didn’t tell her he was a doctor or offer her any real help when she told him about Claire. She stops at his house and confronts him. She remembers the story about him assisting in his wife’s death by suicide and was on his side. She says as much now. Joe insists he’s still guilty of killing Diana. He also explains he “can’t practice medicine anymore” (377), because his license has lapsed and he’s ashamed of himself. A furious Meg gives him Claire’s scans and insists he look at them. She storms out and drives to Sam’s, where she tells him about Claire’s prognosis.

The next day, the Bluesers, Sam, and Ali visit Claire at the hospital. Mama comes, too, but she struggles to be sincere. Claire and Meg realize that’s all she’s capable of giving.

Claire weakens over the following days. Meg and Bobby know she’s giving up. Then one day, they watch as Claire slips away. The doctors lose her heartbeat. Meg screams at Claire not to die, and she regains consciousness.

Joe tries to throw out the envelope but ends up studying Claire’s scans. He feels a rush of adrenaline as soon as he sees them. Upon careful inspection, he thinks surgery might be possible. He borrows Smitty’s truck and drives to Seattle. At Swedish Hospital, he meets with his former colleague, Dr. Li Chinn. They discuss Claire’s scans and condition and agree that Stu Weissman would be the only man for the job. Before Joe leaves, Dr. Chinn reminds Joe he’ll always have a place at Swedish Hospital. Afterward, Joe calls Stu, and Stu agrees to perform the surgery. He also exclaims at hearing from Joe again. Joe goes to Claire’s room and explains the situation. Dr. Weissman can operate, although it could result in paralysis or brain damage. Claire wants to live for Ali and agrees to the operation.

On Joe’s way out, he runs into Gina. They chat about everything that’s happening. Gina is glad for his help. Afterward, Joe finally returns to the house he and Diana shared. Gina kept it up for him as promised. He says goodbye to Diana and starts packing up her clothes.

Before the operation, Claire says goodbye to her loved ones. Meanwhile, Meg visits the hospital chapel. Sam joins her. They talk more about the past and agree to let everything go. Then Bobby enters and asks Meg to bring Ali in to see Claire. Meg then helps Ali say goodbye to her mom. She says goodbye to Claire, too, before she goes into the operating room. The family waits for hours. Finally, Weissman emerges and reveals that the surgery went well.

Claire recovers slowly over the following days. Finally, the doctors take new scans to assess the tumor. In their meeting afterward, Weissman reveals that they removed the entire tumor, which was benign. There’s a chance it could reemerge, but they aren’t sure yet. Claire interjects, insisting all she wants to know is that it’s gone. She races out and gives Meg the news. They embrace. Then they share the news with their other loved ones. Afterward, Meg and Joe take a walk together. They discuss Claire’s health and their relationship. They’re unsure of their future but feel as if they’ve already fallen in love.

One year later, Claire, Meg, Ali, Joe, and Sam attend Bobby’s concert. Bobby dedicates his first song to Claire. Then Claire teases Meg about Joe. Meg reveals that she’s thinking about marriage and wants a simple, country wedding, too.