underrated mel king scene that makes me want to hurt myself and others is when a patient asks her how she deals with "all this death and carnage" and her voice breaks when she eventually admits "i dont know."
mel who has been surrounded by loss for so long. her parents are both dead, and she didn't have a single family member to turn to when it came to taking care of becca. she watches people die every day. she masks her sadness as best she can when she's around becca, but even becca is starting to spread her wings and leave, too.
i think that's why what frank says to her in season 1 resonates with me (and lots of other people) (and mel as well) SO deeply. the ED can be a tough place for people like mel but it needs sensitive people like mel. it needs her to be sensitive. everyone else in that ED is jaded in some way and needs mel to toughen up but not langdon. he needs her the way she is. needs her.













