After Natalie’s son was shot, she returned to the Windy City ready to do anything to save Owen.
Fans were elated to welcome back Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) to Gaffney in Chicago Med’s 200th episode, but after tragedy struck, viewers were left desperate to learn more about the fate of the young Owen Manning, Natalie Manning’s son.
Torrey DeVitto’s Natalie Manning would do anything for her son, so as soon as she learned Owen had been shot during Med’s October 8 episode (“A Game of Inches”), she jumped on the first plane to Chicago. Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) picked her up from the airport, happy to greet his former Gaffney colleague and congratulate her on the pregnancy despite their harrowing circumstances. Once Natalie arrived at the hospital, she found a shellshocked Halstead, who grappled with the guilt of having brought Owen to Gaffney. Had Halstead gone to the Bears game like they had planned for some bonding time, Owen wouldn’t have been shot.
To make matters worse, Owen’s surgery revealed a big snag: one of his kidneys had been damaged by the bullet. In contrast, they discovered that Owen’s unharmed kidney had an abnormality, leaving him at risk of being placed on dialysis if he didn’t find a transplant immediately. NBC Insider chatted with Med fan favorite DeVitto about Natalie’s role in the Gaffney mayhem — here’s what happened.
Are Natalie Manning and her son going to be OK?
Halstead eagerly got tested to see if he was a match for a kidney transplant, but was devastated to learn he wasn’t a candidate. Natalie wasted no time getting tested herself, soon learning she was viable. But Halstead was concerned about Natalie’s decision. A mid-pregnancy kidney transplant posed several risks to their baby boy on the way.
After Natalie insisted on the surgery, she and Halstead got into an explosive argument as Natalie got defensive about Halstead’s hesitations. She even accused Halstead of prioritizing the life of his own son more than Owen’s.
“I think you’re in such a hard place when you’re pregnant and want to protect your unborn baby, but then you have a child who is here and [in medical trouble],” DeVitto told NBC Insider. “You will do anything to save your child. And, you know, I think she weighs her odds and if she can help in any way, she’s going to help. I think you just see her in full mama bear survival mode.”
Halstead was stunned by Natalie’s accusation, asking his longtime mentor Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) if Natalie was right. Halstead had been struggling to connect with Owen, so he worried he was subconsciously neglecting him.
Goodwin assured Halstead that he was just worried about Natalie and shouldn’t worry about his tension with Owen. After giving Owen a journal to help him connect with Halstead better, she recovered his backpack after the shooting and found an entry she felt Halstead should see. After Halstead opened up the journal, he was brought to tears after Owen admitted that he was worried about his baby brother coming because he didn’t want to miss out on time with his dad.
“He’s never called me dad before,” Halstead choked out.
Surrounded by a trusted team of doctors, Natalie went into surgery, and Halstead waited with bated breath to see if the transplant would take.
Dr. Will Halstead is officially adopting Natalie’s son, Owen
After Natalie woke up from her surgery, she was elated to learn the transplant went well, the baby was OK, and Owen would wake up soon. Natalie apologized to Halstead for their fight, telling him that she knew he loved Owen and that they appreciated his role in their lives. Halstead then asked Natalie a very important question, visiting Owen’s hospital room once he got an answer.
After Owen woke up, Halstead confessed that he’d read his journal and had added an entry of his own. After thumbing through the pages, Owen found a page asking him if he wanted to be officially adopted by Halstead as his son, with an option to check yes or no. Halstead assured Owen he could take some time and think about it, but Owen was eager to answer.
“Do you have a pencil?” Owen asked, soon checking yes and bringing a massive smile and tears to Halstead’s relieved face.
DeVitto tells NBC Insider that she thinks Halstead, Manning, and Owen are long over-due for their happily-ever-after, but “it’s time.”
“I think it’d be really great to see them happy. I feel like Natalie has been shooting for the stars for this happy ending. And she lost her first husband, saw she was pregnant, then all the things that happened with her and Will and this and that…” DeVitto said, referring to Manning and Halstead’s rollercoaster relationship, which has evolved into a stable foundation in recent seasons.
“It’s like, can she just have a calm life now?” DeVitto laughed. “I think it’s time.”
Watch Chicago Med on Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC and the next day on Peacock.
