Chicago Med pediatric resident John Frost (Darren Barnet) has settled in quite nicely at Gaffney Medical Center, but he already has his work cut out for him.
Season 10, Episode 2 (“Bite Your Tongue”) was intense as Frost’s moral compass came in direct conflict with hospital protocol. It all began when Joe Thomas and Gina Thomas (Crystal Lee Brown) brought in their teenage son Max (Kevin Jones), an athlete complaining of rib pain. Medical drama aficionados may recognize Max’s father as ER star Sharif Atkins, who played Dr. Michael Gallant from 2001 to 2006 on the NBC medical drama. But in Med‘s latest, Atkins flipped the script after he found himself visiting the E.D. as a concerned father whose son seemed to be experiencing a minor medical concern.
“And it turns out that it’s something a lot more devastating,” Atkins shared with NBC Insider ahead of the episode. As Frost reviewed Max’s CT scan, a routine check-up quickly led to a heartbreaking update: Max’s cancer had returned, and he only had two to three months left to live. There was one surgery they could consider, but it would render him in a wheelchair, drastically jeopardize Max’s quality of life, and it wouldn’t vastly improve his odds of remission.
As if the stakes weren’t high enough, Dr. Frost became flabbergasted after discovering Max’s parents had no intention of telling their son he was terminal. NBC Insider chatted with Atkins about his emotionally-charged One Chicago guest appearance. Find out what happened, below.
Dr. Frost had some heartbreaking news for ER’s Sharif Atkins
It’s a hard day in the E.D. any time a doctor has to deliver bad news to parents. Still, Dr. Frost found himself at a particularly challenging crossroads after speaking with the Thomas parents about their son’s cancer returning. They were shattered over the news, clinging to any possible option. Frost strongly discouraged the parents from the surgery due to the toll it would take on Max, but they remained hesitant to accept the alternative.
Just as the doctors prepared to tell Max the dreadful update, Frost was shocked when Max’s parents interrupted to tell their son that with just one more surgery, he’d be cancer-free. Even better, he’d likely be able to compete in the spring season. Dr. Frost was mystified, pulling his parents into the hallway to ask them why they were lying.
“Doc, I know,” Joe told him. “We just decided, after all he’d been through, we couldn’t tell him he’s terminal.”
“We just wanted to keep his hopes up,” Gina explained.
“His hopes, or yours?” Frost asked, pointing out how they were grossly misleading Max. However, as legal guardians, Max’s parents were entitled to disclose or withhold whatever details they wanted.
“We’re gonna need you to refrain from discussing any of this with him,” Joe warned Frost. But the Gaffney newbie wasn’t going to give up that easily.
“You’re considering bypassing the parents?” Dr. Caitlin Lenox (Sarah Ramos) asked him after Frost took his concern to the new E.D. co-chief.
“I’m fairly certain I’m well within my rights as a patient advocate,” Frost offered.
“In a vacuum, maybe,” Lenox said. “But in this circumstance, the parents expressly requested that you not communicate the drawbacks of the surgery to their child.”
Upon overhearing this, fellow E.D. co-chief Dr. Archer (Steven Weber) flagged Frost down.
“Personally, I prefer my residents have as much autonomy as possible to make decisions for themselves,” Archer said, all but winking and nudging as he explained himself. “As long as they’re not stepping over any bright lines. I mean, what do I know?”
“Great,” Frost said, taking the hint and running with it. “Thanks, Dr. Archer!”
“We come into a bit of a clash with Dr. Frost, who believes our son, who is almost of age, should have all of the information he needs to make an educated decision,” Atkins told NBC Insider. “And we’re of the mindset because of the diagnosis and how just devastating it is that no, you know what? Let’s refrain from sharing certain information with him… That’s really where the drama begins, and it becomes this heartbreaking battle of doing our best to keep our son hopeful about his future.”
Dr. Frost and a Joe Thomas fight after a tough decision
After Frost’s conversation with his co-chiefs, he decided to ignore Joe’s request and tell Max the truth that his cancer was back. Max was naturally heartbroken; not only was his cancer terminal, but his parents had lied about his odds. Frost assured Max that his parents were motivated by wanting more time with him, but after his parents found their son sobbing in his hospital room, it didn’t take long for them to realize Frost had let the cat out of the bag.
Joe was outraged by Frost’s blatant disregard for their wishes, punching the resident in the face in a fit of fury. But as the guards bum-rushed Max’s father, Frost told them to back down. He had no intention of pressing charges — he empathized with Joe’s anger and understood the reaction he’d get after telling Max the truth.
“That’s the last thing any parent wants to consider for themselves,” Atkins told NBC Insider while discussing Joe’s decision. “[That] their child would leave this earth before them.”
Following the explosive argument, Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) called Frost and her E.D. co-chiefs into her office. Archer took the blame, while Lenox said Frost operated “within his rights as a pediatric EM resident.” Before they could discuss the matter further, they learned Max was being prepped for surgery at that very moment.
Frost insisted on speaking with Max before the procedure when he learned it was ultimately Max’s decision to go through with the surgery despite knowing the challenges it would bring. Frost implored him not to go through with it just because it was what his parents wanted. Max explained that when he was initially diagnosed, he created a list of things he wanted to do in his life. Over time, the list got pretty long.
“Now it looks like I’m not going to be able to accomplish much of any of it,” Max told him. “The only thing I know for sure I can accomplish in the life I have left is to make my parents happy. I can still do that. It’s going to have to be enough.”
Knowing that, Frost conceded and said tearfully, “I think you’re making the right decision.”
With Frost’s help, Max could make an educated decision and choose a path that aligned with his wishes. That was all that Frost ever wanted — for Max to be given a voice and a choice in the matter.
Watch Season 10 of Chicago Med on Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC or stream episodes the next day on Peacock.
