1978 (#4) - Snapper's loneliness, the job at the hospital and the encounter with Casey

The events of the previous year regarding Nancy, Ron and Karen's failed adoption attempt, as we know, left deep marks in the marriage life between Chris and Snapper, who as we know started dating Nurse Cynthia. Chris, after all, decided to leave and go away a few months ago to find herself, without staying in touch with the man and in fact separating from her husband. In all this time, Snapper has been focusing on his family, which as we have seen he tries to protect and guide like the family father they no longer have, and on work, on which he focuses all his energies. Despite this, it is clear that Snapper misses his wife and feels very lonely. As he is no longer able to live in his matrimonial home, Snapper decides to move into one of the apartments near his clinic in order to stay closer to work and forget his private life. Not being able to establish with Cynthia the feeling he had with Chris, Snapper decides to break off the relationship, thus starting a new life as a single man, even if he remains formally married. In the meantime, Snapper gets to know and make friends with Casey Reed, a young doctor who works at Snapper's clinic and who is actually his neighbor, as well as Cynthia's rival, despite the fact that she has already been left by Snapper and only after some vain attempts to get back with the man she drops the idea of being with him.