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Look Back at April Sexton's Role on Chicago Med
The beloved nurse became a nurse practitioner, but left after six seasons.
April Sexton (Yaya DaCosta) served as a nurse in Gaffney Chicago Medical Center for many years, under the watchful eye of Maggie Lockwood (Marlyne Barrett). Throughout her time on Chicago Med, April was known for operating well under pressure and providing top-notch care to her patients. She also had tight bonds with the rest of the Emergency Department nurses, which were shaken a bit when she began dating Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee).
Revisit April's full storyline on Med, including her unexpected departure.
When did April Sexton join Chicago Med?
April was in the pilot of the show, where the entire Med team dealt with a massive train derailment that meant triaging dozens of patients.
In that first season, April began seeing Tate Jenkins (Deron J. Powell), a retired NFL player whose son had been treated in the Emergency Department after he'd swallowed magnets, threatening his internal organs.
At the end of the season, in Episode 18 ("Timing"), April was treating a drunk sports fan when he pushed her away, slamming her into a door. She sustained only minor injuries but spent the day with aching ribs, prompting concern from Tate and her colleagues. Dr. Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss) treated April in the ED after her injury, and an X-Ray revealed that she had tuberculosis.
April and Ethan's Relationship
After April parted ways with Tate, it became clear in Season 2 that she and Ethan had chemistry.
"What's with you and Dr. Choi?" April's brother, Noah Sexton (Roland Buck III) said after seeing intense eye contact between the two in Season 2, Episode 23 ("Love Hurts"). April denied that anything was going on but, later in the episode, she and Ethan shared their first kiss — along the Chicago River, no less.
RELATED: Nick Gehlfuss Reveals Why He Left Chicago Med — and If He'll Come Back
The beloved couple became official in Season 3, though April attempted to hide their relationship at work due to her own fear of being judged by fellow nurses. As time went on, they decided to have a baby together, which posed a new set of complications for their relationship. Ethan's excitement about being a potential father made April feel a lot of pressure to get pregnant, and they decided to begin IVF treatments... all of which came to a halt when April told Ethan that she had kissed Dr. Crockett Marcel (Dominic Rains).
In Season 5, Episode 19 ("Just a River in Egypt"), Ethan broke up with April. "It was so easy for me to see Crockett as the problem," he said. "The real problem was always right here... between us. Whatever it is you want, it isn't me."
He left to stay at a hotel, giving April the space until she found a new apartment, and the pair spent much of Season 6 at odds with each other all while dealing with the Covid-19 crisis.
Why did April first leave Chicago Med?
At the end of Season 6 — after she had spent months in the Covid-19 unit treating sick patients who were separated from their families — April left Gaffney to pursue her education in order perform more procedures than her nursing position allowed. In Episode 16 ("I Will Come to Save You"), she interviewed for the Nurse Practitioner program, and the interviewer told her she was a stellar candidate.
RELATED: Is Maggie (Marlyne Barrett) Leaving Chicago Med?
Unsurprisingly, at the end of the episode, she learned she was accepted into the program, and she was not present at the beginning of Season 7.
April Returned in Season 8
April returned to Med in Season 8, Episode 1 ("How Do You Begin to Count the Losses"). After Ethan's father tragically died, he found April at the cemetery, paying her respects (seen in the video at the top of this post). She told him that she had finished her NP program and asked, "You didn't get married or anything, did you?"
Luckily for fans of the couple, Ethan was still single, and their reunion became much more than a quick hello. In Episode 5 ("Yep, This Is The World We Live In"), April made her return to Gaffney's ED to check in on everyone, and happened to see Ethan involved in a scary altercation with an intoxicated and violent patient. She and Ethan teamed up to treat another patient, where Ethan surprised her by being less "black and white" than he had previously been.
At the end of the episode, the two met up on the dance floor and shared a flirtatious moment. Episode 6 ("Mama Said There Would Be Days Like This") began with Ethan leaving April a note while she slept, implying that they'd spent the night together. "Can't wait to see you tonight," he wrote at the end.
Did April and Ethan get married?
April's final moments on Med happened in Season 8, Episode 9 ("This Could Be the Start of Something New"), when she married Ethan. After the success of reigniting their connection, the couple invited their fellow Gaffney friends and family to their wedding.
Ethan told Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) that he and April were going to open a mobile medical clinic serving people on the go, and they had already invested in the project. The doctor made it clear that he and April would begin their new jobs right after their honeymoon. "Are you giving me notice?" she asked Ethan. "Yes, ma'am," he said.
Fittingly, April and Ethan rode off at the end of the episode in their "Docs on Wheels" van, leaving to begin their happily-ever-after.
Watch April's full storyline by streaming all of Chicago Med on Peacock.
