The Crane family keeps a tense vigil while Niles has open-heart surgery, each remembering various experiences they've had in hospitals.
Tropes:
- Flash Forward: The episode ends with Niles and Daphne in the hospital just after Daphne gives birth to a daughter, who is being introduced to her older brother.
- The Ghost: Maris again, but also Hester who is referenced, and we see the doctor consulting Martin about one of her x-rays before she died, but she never appears on screen, even though many flashbacks are of her injured sons.
- Gossipy Hens: Maris hears about Niles's situation from Jaime over a game of squash. She then gets upset on also hearing that Niles had gotten married and hadn't told her. Niles suggests she should take this up with Jaime.
- Hate at First Sight: One flashback shows Martin introducing Frasier to Niles. Frasier's first comment? "I don't like him."
- Innocently Insensitive: Martin deals with his anxiety by denying there's a problem and Frasier tries to reassure himself and everyone with an overly detailed report on the surgery and people performing it. Eventually Daphne loses it and reminds them that there is a very good chance her husband could die and the boys trying to distance themselves from it isn't helping her.
- Insufferable Genius: Frasier's pretty awful in this one, even arguing with the doctors about how best to perform Niles's surgery simply because he has a degree from Harvard (Harvard, thank you!)Doctor: Maybe you should perform the surgery yourself!Frasier: Maybe I should!Niles: (weakly) Daaaaaad!Martin: You are not performing surgery on your brother!
- Not Listening to Me, Are You?: As Frasier muses philosophical, Martin's too busy reading a Cosmo knockoff and its tips on how to please your man. Apparently, whatever it is they advise was something Martin used to arrest people for.
- Pet the Dog: In a rare moment of selflessness, Maris calls to check on Niles just before he goes into surgery. The call does end with her complaining that she hadn't been told about his marriage to Daphne, but the fact that she even bothered to reach out to him at all shows she has managed to grow a little.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Eventually the doctors discover a way to deal with Frasier's egocentricity; on determining who he is, leave without saying another word. It works, too.
- Tears of Fear: After snapping and calling out that Niles could die, Daphne breaks down crying, telling everyone how much she hates hospitals.
- The Unreveal: One flashback has Niles visiting Maris post-surgery. Naturally, she's bandaged to the nines, so we don't see her face.
- Vengeful Vending Machine: Martin tries getting a Chunky from a hospital vending machine, but it gets stuck. Daphne liberates it by smashing the glass open with a nearby fire extinguisher.
- Whole Episode Flashback: Zig-Zagged. The entire episode isn't a flashback but is composed with many flashbacks to when the Crane family was in the hospital.
