'Chasing Life' Recap: 'One Day'

On the season one finale of Chasing Life, April learns that she’s relapsed, The Post begins laying off writers, and Leo makes a shocking step in his relationship with April.

April is sitting in Dr. Hamburg’s office, where Dr. Hamburg is explaining that April’s numbers dropping has caused a relapse. She’ll need a bone marrow transplant and will have to spend another month in the hospital. April will also have to start chemo again, because her cancer has become extremely aggressive. If treatment doesn’t start immediately, she’ll only have two to six weeks to live.

Cue opening.

Once April leaves Dr. Hamburg’s office, she makes an urgent call to Leo.

Meanwhile, Sara catches up with George, saying she’s felt bad she hasn’t seen him in a while and he shares similar sentiments. Soon after, Sara meets George’s new girlfriend, May, but the exchange is interrupted by a call from April.

Back at the Carver house, April breaks the news to Brenna and Emma. They want to do whatever they can to help April. Leo is also there and does all he can to be supportive of his girlfriend, since he’s recently gone through treatment himself. April needs to break the news to Beth and her co-workers at The Post and is late for work. She also makes plans to have some alone time with Leo later. She visits Beth, who is bummed that her cancer is back, but tries to remain optimistic.

At The Post, tensions are high when Paul freaks out over being laid off and threatens to start his own newspaper. He looks for support from his fellow co-workers, though no one seems willing to give it. April seems visibly concerned for Paul, growing that much more worried when Raquel disappears inside her office. Unfortunately, Paul is not the only one in danger of being laid off as the rest of the office panics about their job security.

Meanwhile, Sara desperately tries to get home to April with George in tow.

At the hospital, a young male cancer patient named, Finn learns he has a potential match for his transplant. The donor has chosen to remain anonymous and could be living anywhere throughout the United States.

Brenna and Natalie visit Dr. Hamburg. Brenna is freaked out by hospitals and Natalie is still brooding over her fight with April. Dr. Hamburg questions whether or not Brenna wants to continue going through with the bone marrow testing and she agrees.

At The Post, Mallory also feels despondent after being laid off and April tells Dominic that she’s relapsed.

Meanwhile, Sara and George are still detained at the airport. They discuss April’s cancer, Emma dating, and Sara’s recent fling gone wrong. George tells Sara about his new beau, May.

Finn does a round of chemo. April has a meeting with Raquel to assess her place at The Post and shares the news of her relapse. Raquel says she’ll be in touch with further information on whether or not The Post will decide to keep April on their staff.

After April leaves work, Beth takes her boating since their upcoming trip has to be put on hold due to April’s relapse. They discuss Graham and April’s fears about losing her job.

Later, April helps Brenna celebrate her birthday early. Brenna promises to be by April’s side as much as she can, admitting how difficult April’s first round of treatment was for her. April buys Brenna a camcorder to document life in the Carver house while she’ll be holed up in the hospital. While out, the girls get a call from Sara, who says she’s on her way home with George.

In the meantime, April and Leo share a last moment of romance prior to April’s treatment while at Leo’s apartment. Later, they discuss the early Thanksgiving dinner April’s family is planning for her. April cuts out to go to The Charles and make things right with Natalie. She admits that Natalie dating Dominic is the least of her problems and also asks her to look out for Brenna in case she doesn’t beat the cancer this time around.

That night, April, Leo, and her family minus Sara and George prepare for Thanksgiving dinner and Leo struggles to be on the opposite side of things, where April’s treatment is concerned.

Back at the airport, Sara and George talk about Sara’s response to April’s treatment and she reassures George she didn’t want the way they ended their relationship to keep him apart from the family. They get the news that their flight is canceled.

At the Carver house, Thanksgiving dinner is in full swing when Emma announces Sara and George won’t make it in until morning, much to April’s dismay. A few minutes later, Raquel shows up at the Carver house, letting April know where she stands with her job. The Post considered laying April off, but a lawsuit could’ve been filed due to her relapse, so they decided against it. She could potentially keep her job by default, but that would involve laying off Danny instead. Caught at a crossroads, April decides to quit. Raquel apologizes for putting April in such a tough situation.

The next morning, when April wakes up, she decides to cut her hair. Later, at the hospital, before April is admitted to treatment, Dr. Hamburg pulls her aside and tells her she’s being strong for her family and she needs to stop. Dr. Hamburg questions whether or not April’s cancer coming back makes her so angry that she needs to be destructive and also lets her demolish part of a run-down wing of the hospital. Later, Sara and George finally arrive at the hospital and Brenna has a near run-in with the boy who she could potentially save with her bone marrow while on the phone with April.

Back at the hospital, April and Leo have a heart-to-heart and April admits she’s scared she might not live to see what could become of her life. Following April’s lead, Leo proposes to her and she accepts.

Chasing Life airs every Monday at 9 p.m. on ABC Family. The series will return with new episodes in the summer.

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