On Christmas Eve morning, after a graveyard ER shift, Xavier met his friends Jesse, Mike, and Chris at Donna’s diner. They joked about his viral notoriety, then noticed how exhausted he was. Xavier explained he had been working seven days a week, picking up ER shifts for holiday overtime to afford flights to see Samantha, since her finances and caregiving duties limited her travel. He admitted the distance was brutal and they would miss both Thanksgiving and Christmas together, though Samantha would visit on December 26 for a cabin trip.

The friends discussed an incoming snowstorm that might affect travel, and Jesse mentioned that Xavier’s estranged father was being audited, which mildly pleased Xavier. While waiting for food, Xavier checked Samantha’s work account, Murkle’s Mustard, and saw a sold-out holiday gift basket she had successfully marketed, making him proud of her.

Xavier left early for the clinic to review lab results. There, staff members Maggie and Tina hinted at a “good idea” and introduced an elderly man in reception, Dr. Hank Brekken, their former employer. In a private exam room, Hank said he wanted to work at Xavier’s clinic despite being retired, explaining he had 55 years of experience, had closed his practice due to age, partnership retirement, and to care for his wife, who had died four months prior.

Hank emphasized he did not need money and sought purpose and community, offering to work for free or just enough to cover gas, two to three days a week and not on Sundays. Xavier recognized that Hank’s help would let him extend trips to see Samantha, rest between ER shifts, avoid closing the clinic during absences, and increase capacity on overlapping days. He accepted, welcoming Hank to the team.

When Xavier and Hank shared the news, Maggie and Tina celebrated and embraced them. In that moment, Xavier received a call from Samantha. She was crying and told him that her grandmother had died in her sleep that morning, ending the chapter on a sudden personal loss.