That made Eloise more than a patient; she was someone Hannah enjoyed hanging out with, and now she was gone… and worse, Hannah might blame herself.
Eloise showed symptoms of distress earlier that Hannah dismissed as typical post-pregnancy reactions, which was the same thing other doctors did that made Eloise distrust Hannah in the first place.
Eloise’s seemingly unnecessary death was heartbreaking enough for Hannah, but it was made worse by everything else that was going on.
In that same episode, Hannah dealt with Ripley castigating her for “going behind his back” to save him from throwing his career away for Scully.
Lenox was also questioning her about whether the ED really needed a full-time OBGYN, implying that Hannah might be the next to be laid off.
With all of that other stress, it’s not surprising that Hannah became overwhelmed with grief after Eloise’s death.
It wasn’t just that she lost a patient or that the patient’s daughter would now grow up without a mother; it was that, on top of everything else that she had lost in this episode.
What Might Happen Next For Hannah After Chicago Med Season 10 Episode 3’s Heartbreaking Ending?
The pain, guilt, and grief that Hannah felt at the end of the episode is likely to be long-lasting.
The idea of a person with an addiction problem relapsing during tough times is somewhat of a tired TV trope, but it would work in this case.
Hannah’s powerful emotions over Eloise’s death, especially coupled with the other problems she’s dealing with, could tempt her to use to numb the pain.
I can’t say I like the idea, per se.
Someone close to me died of a drug overdose, and I’ve dedicated a good portion of my life to helping others avoid the same fate, so I don’t enjoy it when characters I love succumb to their addictions.
But it would be strong drama that would also send the message that even the strongest people could relapse in times of stress.
That’s important, because sometimes people get overconfident and assume that if they haven’t used in years, they’re done with that behavior, so they don’t have a plan to protect themselves from temptation.
Even if Hannah does go this route, she’s likely to have some serious mental health issues as a result of losing Eloise, and that will probably continue through the rest of the season.
If Hannah becomes a liability in the hospital’s eyes, she could lose her job, even if she doesn’t use again.
Her relationship with Ripley is also up in the air. He was about to try to reconcile when the emergency happened with Eloise, but now their roles might be reversed, with Hannah being the one to push him away.
