HCTU WARNING: Spoilers ahead!
In episode five, we finally find out what led to Charlie’s coma. It happened three years ago, “the night everything went dark.” Charlie’s father, Nick, decided to take Charlie home after a party who got sick while in the car. In Nick’s efforts to help him, he took his eyes off the road to remove Charlie’s seatbelt and before they could even register what was happening, a truck hit them.
In the hospital, Jackson keeps Nick from bumping into Mandy, Charlie’s mother, and Charlie faces the threat of being transferred to a facility. Dash is moved up on the list for a new pair of lungs, and because Kara views this as competition for her own problems, he promises to help her if she helps him get into apartment 5C.
Ruben decides he’s going to travel to India and leaves a piece of himself with each of the teenagers. Interestingly enough, he gives the best gift to Jordi, and though Jordi can’t even drive, he allows him to take his luxury car for a spin. Unfortunately, Leo is forced to become the third wheel and bickers with Emma the whole time.
After the decision is made to have Charlie be transferred, Jackson argues with Dr. McAndrew over his fight for Charlie; she made a promise to stay by Charlie’s side. She remembers establishing a relationship with Charlie before he entered his coma, “when you wake up, I will be right here. I can promise you that.”
After much trouble, Kara gets Dash into the apartment complex and she quickly realizes what his actual motive is. He goes to the roof and makes graffiti art as his form of being remembered. Dash reveals to Kara that he may not receive the surgery, “it’s not like I’m gonna live forever. I just want to be remembered.”
Mandy finds out that Nick has been visiting Charlie after seeing origami on the dresser and feels betrayed by Nurse Jackson, who was once forced to mediate the former couple when Charlie first arrived at the hospital. When Mandy and Nick confront one another, Charlie’s needs automatically come first.
Leo tries to apologize to Emma but she declares that he loves Kara, “she’s the natural finish to your sentence.” Even though Emma insisted that they would stay friends, Jordi walks in on the two sharing a kiss.
Jackson apologizes to Mandy for not telling her about Nick visiting, but Mandy reveals a new thought. She believes that doing the best for Charlie may mean moving him to a facility. Leo informs Jackson of his between-life-and-death encounter with Charlie where he gave Charlie origami, which gives her the confirmation of his existence.
The show ends with the red band members having a toast to Charlie’s departure as they unknowingly look at Dash’s art. Jordi takes a hold of Emma’s hand as Leo watches, ultimately declaring war, and Nurse Jackson puts Charlie’s name on another person’s vile of blood. With all these cliffhangers, the next episode can’t come soon enough.