Working in the emergency room at Toronto’s York Memorial is never dull, with life-threatening injuries being met with lightning-quick medical decisions that are less “the ultimate cure” and more “the best we can do and hope will work.” It is pressure that could wear down even the most hardened of frontline medical workers and the reality in this Transplant  (Wednesdays at 10/8 MT on CTV) episode hits even harder given our real-world current climate.When we last saw Dr. Mags Leblanc (Laurence Leboeuf), she was biting off more than she could chew when it came to patients’ concerns, and ER boss Bishop (John Hannah) was telling her she needed to cool it and be more efficient with cases. Now, it seems she’s impressed her stoic superior because he offers her a presentation slot at a medical symposium. That’s a big deal to the second-year resident, but the symposium also happens to be tomorrow, leaving her exactly no time to prepare. Mega-yikes. Under pressure to stay in Bishop’s good graces, we watch Mags push herself to the limit, with dire consequences.

Emergency in the Emergency Room

While a steady stream of patients flow into the ER, Mags tries to figure out treatments while stealing seconds to types up notes for her presentation on her phone. She doesn’t pause for a drink of water, a bite to eat, or a lungful of air—she’s running on sparse sips of strong black coffee, which is cool if you’re a caricature of a working person, but not if you’re an actual human being.Mags' situation is a bleak reminder of what’s currently going down in ERs, ICUs and dedicated COVID-19 units in hospitals across Canada right now. Frontline healthcare staff are working around the clock to battle a global pandemic but they also need to attend to their own health (and bodily functions) to be able to care for ours. They’re no good to us or anybody if they’re run into the ground. And that’s literally what happens to Mags as she suddenly collapses in the medical store room.[video_embed id='1948991']RELATED: 'Transplant' star is 'super proud' of show for donating PPE to Canadian healthcare workers[/video_embed]She’s okay (phewf!) and luckily it has nothing to do with her pacemaker. Bishop tells her that her high blood pressure was caused by exhaustion and dehydration. “Unless you can strike a balance, maybe emergency isn’t for you. Consider a change,” he suggests, but we get the very distinct impression that it’s not really a suggestion. He wants to switch her to internal medicine and she’s absolutely devastated. We’re left wondering about Mags’ uncertain future.

Undocumented fears

Bash (Hamza Haq) is also put in the proverbial pressure cooker when his old friend Khaled (Fayçal Azzouz) is seriously injured. Khaled previously had his asylum request denied and was ordered by immigration officers to return to his home country of Libya. Facing certain death if he returns home, Khaled is currently living in Canada and working at a construction site undocumented. When he comes to Bash (who’s promised to look out for him) with a wounded arm, and three broken ribs, he claims he fell at work, but something in his eyes tells viewers that isn’t the whole truth.

It won’t be home to us without you Mags. ? #Transplant pic.twitter.com/3nDK0j4CPv

— Transplant (@TransplantCTV) April 30, 2020

Bash insists Khaled come to the hospital for treatment, but he’s petrified it will mean alerting authorities to his status. Once again, we see Transplant tackling the uncomfortable issues of Canada’s immigration landscape—it’s hard to blame Khaled for his fear of the system when it has let him and many other asylum seekers down. So Bash, being the loyal friend he is (sometimes to a fault!), grabs some medical supplies and treats Khaled under a bridge.

Justice for the undocumented?

Khaled’s fears about police interference become a reality when a cop shows up asking for him. When Bash confronts the officer, it turns out he actually wants to help Khaled. He knows Khaled was pushed from the construction site (with witness statements to prove it!) and the foreman is known for exploiting undocumented workers. The officer knows Khaled is the victim, and needs his statement to charge the foreman.Colour us surprised. If you remember, in the very first episode we saw an officer relentlessly pursue Bash and accuse him of running a van into a building when he was actually a victim of the collision. It’s nice to see the authorities on Bash’s side for a change. But hey, Transplant is great at the art of the plot twist and that’s why we keep coming back.Watch Transplant Wednesdays at 10/8 MT on CTV.[video_embed id='1914821']BEFORE YOU GO: ‘Transplant’ star Ayisha Issa has superhero ambitions and the moves to back it up[/video_embed]