The Pitt Episode 12 “6 PM” on MAX transforms the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital ER into MASH unit. A mass shooting event at PittFest means that the hospital will now be inundated with countless victims, all of whom need to be triaged and treated in record time. The crisis also means that all hands are on deck. Nightshift staff and familiar faces like Dr. Jack Abbot (Shawn Hatosy) arrive just in time to assist Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) and his already drained daytime team.

Of course, Dr. Abbot isn’t the only familiar face who comes back to The Pitt this week to help save lives.

**Spoilers for The Pitt Episode 12 “6 PM,” now streaming on MAX**

Dr. Frank Langdon (Patrick Ball) also shows up.

Fans of The Pitt will recall that just two weeks ago, Dr. Robby kicked his long-time friend and protege out of the ED because it was confirmed Langdon had been stealing prescription painkillers from patients. He shouldn’t be working at the Pitt anymore, and yet, Robby lets him stay and work because it’s a mass casualty event. They need the help.

When DECIDER spoke with Pitt star Patrick Ball a few weeks back, we asked if Langdon’s return to the ER was completely altruistic.

“I think he does what needs to be done. I think there’s a bunch of people dying,” Ball said. “It doesn’t take a tremendous amount of empathy to say there’s a bunch of people that are going to die and I give them a better shot than almost anybody. Yeah, and so I’m going to be there.”

“Whether I’m fired or not, whether I have a career or not, whether this builds a bridge or earns trust or not, what needs to be done right now is that life needs to be saved, and that bullet hole needs to be plugged, and I’m the man for the job. So that’s what he does. And we’ll deal with the rest of it later.”

While Dr. Robby is less than thrilled to see Langdon back in action, Dr. Mel King (Taylor Dearden) is over the moon to see her mentor. “You’re here!” she exclaims with an excited gasp, oblivious to all the drama that has been going on behind-the-scenes at PTMH in the last ninety minutes.

The Pitt star Taylor Dearden revealed to DECIDER that Mel “never” finds out this season what went down between Santos (Isa Briones), Robby, and Langdon.

“I think it’d freak Mel out, but Mel never finds out,” Dearden said. “It’s kept amongst the people involved, which is smart and how workplaces usually work anyway.”

“But yeah, no, I never know. I’m just, like, kind of missing my buddy the whole time. ‘Where is he?‘” she said in a small voice.

Some fans have started to ‘ship the married Langdon and young Dr. King together, which Taylor Dearden told US Weekly was “really funny” since she saw Mel as “asexual.” Patrick Ball told DECIDER that he sees their bond more like they’re “cut from the same cloth.”

“I think Langdon sees in Mel very early on that she has the right stuff. You know?” Ball said. “She’s competent. She’s smart. She has a stoic sensibility about her. She has an ability to compartmentalize this work and understand what the job is.”

“I think he sees like, yeah, she is not fully aware of her own super power. Maybe she needs to have it reflected back to her and maybe needs to be encouraged.”

So don’t expect Langdon and King to get cuddly on The Pitt, although Langdon will continue to potentially encourage the younger doctor. Their friendship is strictly professional and one of total respect.