Ben learns that his father is being hospitalized with liver failure. He reluctantly goes to the hospital and meets Lauren, a friend of Mr. Covington's from A.A. She tells Ben that his father does not have long to live. Mr. Covington gives Ben power of attorney, and declares that he does not want to be hooked up to machines. He also insists that he will not take any pain medication because he has been sober for 67 days and does not want to use drugs of any kind. Ben postpones a ski trip that he and Felicity had planned for her birthday after his father's condition worsens. Ben is surprised to learn that Mr. Covington was very helpful to Lauren when he served as her sponsor. She says that his dad talks about Ben all the time. Ben goes against his father's wishes and puts him on a ventilator because there is a slim chance that he could regain enough strength to undergo a transplant. Felicity suspects that Professor Cavallo is coming on to her. He denies this, but she grows uneas

Felicity worries that Ben is drifting away after she observes his reaction to a sonogram of his son. She has trouble concentrating as she works on a term paper for art history. The thirty-page paper is due the following day, but she has not even picked a topic. Meghan suggests that she just copy a dissertation from the library, and assures her that she could never get caught. Ben agrees to attend Lamaze classes with Lauren in the hopes of convincing her to stay in New York. Felicity becomes very depressed and decides to copy a paper. She fears that she is busted after the professor asks to speak with her. However, Professor Carnes instead tells Felicity that she loves the paper and has submitted it for publication. Meghan advises Felicity to destroy the dissertation and tell the professor that she doesn't want to be published. A library worker catches Felicity trying to throw out the book, but Meghan later cuts a deal with him and steals it. Professor Carnes informs Felicity