Summary
San Francisco pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Rowan Fielding knows Elena's adoptive mother's cancer is back. When Rowan's chief surgeon refuses to help her get Elena into a clinical trial, she imagines a vein inside her head and he collapses. Rowan's belief that she caused the accident was rejected by Elena, who secretly called Talamasca for help. Empath Ciprien Grieve, the Talamasca agent assigned to Rowan, assures Elena that the "man" is still in New Orleans. Rowan is angry and this time the man she is arguing with is dead. In New Orleans, Dr. Vernon Lamb secretly blocked Thorazine from catatonic Deirdre Mayfair so he could give his new patient a proper psychiatric examination. Elena dies and the Lasher unit attached to Deirdre appears to Rowan. Deirdre was previously closely guarded by her aunt Carlotta, but Mayfair Cortland hired a young man to seduce her. She became pregnant and was rescued from suicide by a "man", a unit known as the Mayfairs Lasher. Deirdre gave birth, but Carlotta handed Rowan to her niece Elena, stating that she was missing and would not return.
The sad Rowan realizes that Elena is lying about trying to find her birth parents and move on. Despite being advised by Talamasca to follow only Rowan, Ciprien approaches her and promises to respond as the turmoil around her escalates. He touched her and collapsed out of sympathy. Rowan looks at his phone and sees photos of Deirdre and Elena. Ciprien woke up in an ambulance and fled. Rowan travels to New Orleans while Deirdre wakes up pretending to be catatonia for Carlotta. Dr. Lamb promises to help release her, but Deirdre can't wait. Lasher, who is closely linked to Deirdre due to her drug addiction, ensures that her daughter remains Life and come to her. Maid Mayfair Delphine lets Deirdre escape to Cortland, where she uses magic to see Rowan's whereabouts through Lasher's eyes. Carlotta was surprised when the bright Deirdre entered the Pontchartrain Hotel. Deirdre rejects Carlotta's attempt to bring her home, reminding Carlotta that if she wakes up, so does Lasher. Ciprien prepares to meet Rowan at the hotel. On her way to the reception to meet him, Rowan came face to face with Deirdre, who suddenly fell and hit her in the throat.