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Nico Kim

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Nico Kim was an attending orthopedic surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital and the ex-boyfriend of Levi Schmitt.

History[]

Nisha Chopri[]

When Nisha Chopri came into the ER with a bike attached to her after being hit by a car, Nico worked with Link on her. Link used his experience working at a bike shop to take the bike apart to free her. They then took her into surgery to put an external fixator on her broken leg. ("With a Wonder and a Wild Desire")

Link was later angry to learn that Jackson had taken Nisha into the hyperbaric chamber without notifying him. Link and Nico watched as Jackson worked on debriding her wound. When Nisha started coding, Link figured out that the source was her external fixator, to which the infection had spread. Unfortunately, it was too late and Nisha died in the hyperbaric chamber. ("Broken Together")

Arthur Krug[]

Nico examined Arthur Krug in the ER and told him that he hadn't broken any of the bones in his face. ("Gut Feeling")

J.J Williams[]

Nico worked on the case of J.J. Williams, who broke his arm trying to climb a fence. His arm was broken, which they confirmed with an x-ray. However, the x-ray also showed a mass, which a biopsy confirmed was cancerous. They told him and his mother and J.J. was worried about going bald, prompting Link to cut his own hair and let J.J. help him. ("Flowers Grow Out of My Grave")

Wind Storm[]

During the wind storm, Levi was sent to the clinic with Nico to clear it of patients. He and Nico argued over a patient as they worked, but Levi insisted he could handle it because he had experience. After taking a patient to peds, Nico came back to make sure Levi got back okay. After Levi said he'd wait it out in the clinic, Nico went to leave and got swept away as soon as he took one step outside. Levi crawled to him and then helped him get into a nearby ambulance. In the ambulance, Levi said he didn't know he was gay when he was young because he didn't have the opportunity to explore the feelings he had. After his speech, Nico kissed him again. Then they had sex in the ambulance. ("Blowin' in the Wind")

After the storm had calmed somewhat, they were startled when Alex came into the ambulance to escape the wind. They worried they'd be fired, but at the end of the day, Alex told them what they did was unacceptable and instructed them to use a room with locks in the future. ("Shelter from the Storm")

Elevator Accident[]

During the wind storm, the power went out, trapping people in elevators. However, when the power came back, the elevators did not immediately start working again. Dahlia and Jackson found the elevator where Phoebe Moss was trapped with Bailey and Taryn and, with Link's help, started trying to get the elevator open. Jed Lundberg tried to stop them until he learned that the elevator contained organs for Cece. He then helped them get the trapped people out. After they were out, he tried to haul himself out, but before he completely cleared the elevator shaft, the elevator started working again and came down on his legs. They were able to get him free with his legs still attached. Nico helped while Link and Jackson operated and found a way to let him keep both his legs. After his surgery, Jed had nerve function in his foot, which was a sign the surgery worked. ("Shelter from the Storm")

Natasha Deon[]

Nico worked on the case of Natasha Deon, who had fallen from a hotel balcony and broken her pelvis. In the OR, he helped Link repair the damage around the pelvis. ("Help, I'm Alive")

Holidays[]

He spent time with his family before Christmas. He told Levi he wished he had come and Levi promised to come next year with Hanukkah gelt. ("Girlfriend in a Coma")

Mass Overdose[]

Nico worked with Levi to prepare him for a hip replacement. However, the surgery was rescheduled to the mass overdose. Instead, they operated together on a woman who had broken both arms after overdosing and falling. ("I Want a New Drug")

Hunter Martinez[]

Nico was working on Hunter Martinez, who had osteosarcoma in his right femur. After three months of chemotherapy, he was ready to have a rotationplasty, to remove the cancerous portion of his leg and flip the lower part of his leg to make his ankle his knee. The surgery was successful and they were hopeful that he'd be able to continue to play baseball. ("Blood and Water")

Douglas Hall[]

Nico treated Douglas Hall in the ER. He had been in a car accident and had a broken clavicle and humerus. ("And Dream of Sheep")

Job Interview and Surgical Error[]

Nearing the end of his fellowship year, Nico started to look into employment at other hospitals. He specifically scheduled an interview with a hospital in San Francisco. The day of the interview, he operated on Josh Sterman, injecting cement into his spine to stabilize it after a fracture. However, he made a mistake and Josh died. After this, Levi tried to console him, but he brushed Levi off and did his interview anyway. ("Head Over High Heels")

Nico continued to be cold to Levi, even while Levi tried to be there to support him. Levi ended up backing off when Link advised him that he needed to let Nico process what had happened on his own. ("What I Did for Love")

Nico was paged when Scott Carter fell and broke his coccyx and also ruptured his rectum. While they were operating, Taryn came in to update him on his patients and joked about the broken butt until Nico snapped at her and sent her away. Richard then talked to him about needing to find the humor in humorous patients, though he brushed it off. ("Drawn to the Blood")

When Kari Donnelly's finger twitched, a sign that the stem cells might have worked, Link asked Nico to keep an eye on her. Nico saw it as a punishment, but Link said he was trying to give Nico the chance to witness a miracle, hoping it would help his attitude - Nico hadn't made progress in processing his mistake and he was rapidly developing a reputation for being unpleasant to work with. Link said he was on the verge of failing his fellowship and this was his chance to save it. ("Jump Into the Fog")

Translating for a Patient[]

Nico was in the ER when he heard Soyoung Oh speaking Korean. He came over and told Amelia and Link that she was looking for her friend, a Bird. They had him help communicate with her as they treated her for dehydration. They later learned that Bird was actually Bertram Hollister, a fellow patient who had had heart surgery. They had fallen in love in Korea and lost touch. Nico continued to translate for them as they caught up on their lives. ("Reunited")

Halloween[]

On Halloween, Nico was supposed to meet up with Levi after he got off work, but Levi got roped into planning the peds Halloween event, so Nico came to the hospital to see him instead. ("Whistlin' Past the Graveyard")

Meredith's Hearing[]

On the day of Meredith's hearing to see if she would lose her medical license, Levi forgot his tie, so Nico went to his locker and retrieved his lucky tie, which he put on Levi. ("My Shot")

Bar Crash[]

Nico, being Levi's only friendly social contact after the hearing, was at the bar having drinks with Levi when a car crashed into the side. ("Let's All Go to the Bar")

Nico immediately jumped in to help the injured and tried to encourage a panicked Levi to calm down and help as well. When they noticed that Blake Simms was under some rubble, he helped Jackson remove it so they could free him. He got vodka to sterilize the area so they could stop the bleeding. Then when he heard that the back door was blocked, he attempted to kick it open before Pruitt could tell him that a large vehicle was blocking it. Nico continued to help tend to the patients until the firefighters finally removed the vehicle blocking the back door. Then he helped evacuate those who could walk. ("I Know This Bar")

Nico rode to the hospital in an ambulance with Simms. Once he was there, he ended up in surgery with Taryn Helm, helping Link fix her leg. Before they started, Levi collapsed in the OR, so once they were nearly finished, Link offered to let Nico leave to go check on Levi, but Nico insisted on staying, saying Taryn was Levi's best friend and he couldn't help Levi anyway. When Taryn coded as they were finishing, they called in Bailey and Richard to take over. Nico when went to be with Levi, who was told he just needed rest. ("Help Me Through the Night")

Sullivan's Scan[]

When Sullivan came into the hospital to see if he was eligible for surgery on his leg, Nico monitored his scans. When Sullivan couldn't stop moving due to the pain, Nico suggested getting a shot for the pain, but Sullivan asked him just to wait and he concentrated on keeping still. ("Eulogy")

Visiting Saul[]

Nico went with Levi to visit his Uncle Saul, who was in hospice care. When Saul died immediately after Levi came out to him, Levi was upset. He then said according to Jewish tradition, he had to stay with the body until someone else arrived to take over. Nico and Levi played card games as they waited. When Daniel Schwartz arrived, they were surprised to learn that Saul was himself gay and Daniel was his boyfriend. They shared stories and then Daniel helped Levi prepare Saul's body. After this, Levi went home and started packing, telling his mother that it wasn't accepting him if she continued to refuse to let him tell anyone else in the family. ("The Last Supper")

Treating Joey and Creating a Dance Floor[]

Nico treated Joey Phillips, who had come into the hospital with a broken clavicle.

Later, when Levi had a patient who was dying of metastatic cancer, Nico helped him turn the cafeteria into a dance floor so his patient and her husband could share a last dance together. After watching them dance, Levi told Nico that he was looking for a dance partner like that. ("Save the Last Dance for Me")

Job Offer[]

When Link decided to turn down the offer to return to his job with the Mariners, he suggested that Nico apply and offered to recommend him and help him prep for his interview. This excited Nico, who was thrilled with the idea of taking the job. ("Give a Little Bit")

PRT[]

While Ben had the PRT parked at Grey Sloan, Nico peeked in and said it looked cool. Ben said he was welcome any time he wanted to take a shift in it. ("No Days Off")

Covid-19[]

A month into the Covid-19 pandemic, Nico was still working at Grey Sloan. After finishing a surgery, he came outside to tell the patient's wife, but couldn't find her, so he left the message with Levi, who said he hoped that Nico was doing well, though he himself wasn't. ("All Tomorrow's Parties")

When Bailey's ankle was hurt when two patients' fathers fought, Nico came and certified that it wasn't broken, just sprained. ("The Center Won't Hold") He later confirmed with her that it was feeling better. ("You'll Never Walk Alone")

Dave Oyadomari[]

When Dave Oyadomari came back into the ER after falling off a stepladder and injuring himself, Nico ended up on the case due to him having a broken collarbone. Due to his being Asian, Mabel quickly realized he'd been misdiagnosed with appendicitis during a prior ER visit and instead had right-sided diverticulitis, which had perforated after he was sent home. Owen allowed Mabel to scrub in due to her catching the correct diagnosis. After Dave's surgery, Mabel went to talk to Owen about how his medical care, which was centered on European norms, had led to Dave being seriously injured, causing him a month off work that would otherwise have been avoided. However, before she could confront him, Nico sent her out of the room, having previously advised her not to risk her residency over it. Instead, he confronted Owen himself. ("You'll Never Walk Alone")

Consoling Levi[]

When Andrew had been stabbed following Opal, Levi blamed himself for having seen her in the ER and not stopping her. Nico assured Levi that there was no way he could have known. He also encouraged Levi to get someone to replace him on Andrew's case, knowing he would be too distracted to be a good doctor. ("Helplessly Hoping")

After Andrew died, Levi confided in Nico that he felt guilty and sad and angry over Andrew's death, but his go-to emotion was guilty. Nico said his was numb, which they recognized was what was wrong with their relationship. Later, they attended Andrew's memorial together and held hands as they watched the video. ("It's All Too Much")

Treating Erika[]

Nico treated Erika Swift, a patient who had broken her leg while rollerskating. He put her leg in an bandage and said she'd need a cast for about six weeks while it healed. ("Good as Hell")

Maggie and Winston's Wedding[]

In April 2021, Nico attended Maggie and Winston's wedding as Levi's date. ("Someone Saved My Life Tonight")

Undies Bike Race and Teddy and Owen's Wedding[]

Nico helped treated Nadi Correa, who was injured when she flew off the back seat of a tandem bicycle she and her wife were riding after they collided with a priest. She had numbness in her legs, leading them to suspect spinal fractures. They ended up operating on the fractures as well as a tethered spinal cord she'd likely always had. At the end of the day, he attended Teddy and Owen's Wedding at Emerald City Bar. ("Here Comes the Sun")

Thanksgiving[]

On Thanksgiving, Myrna Schmitt brought Thanksgiving dinner to the hospital for Levi and Nico. She knew they were busy, so she said she'd set up the food and they could come eat whenever they had time. Nico quietly told Levi he didn't technically have to work and could sit with her, but Levi said his mother would never let Nico leave if he did. Despite this, Nico later went and sat with Myrna, who told him stories about Levi as they ate together. When Levi finally made it to the cafeteria, Myrna left and told them both they should visit her. Nico and Levi then had their own Thanksgiving with Jo, Bailey, Richard, and Luna. ("Everyday Is a Holiday (With You)")

Owen's Surgery and Levi's Loss[]

Nico scrubbed in on Owen's surgery and helped repair his leg, which was severely broken in a car accident. After that surgery, he learned that Levi had lost a patient and had scrubbed his hands until they bled afterward. He found Levi sitting outside the hospital up against the building and came to sit next to him. ("No Time to Die")

M&M[]

Nico attended the M&M that was held after the death of Devon Gomez. After Levi spoke, he walked out, over Bailey's objections that the M&M wasn't over. Nico went to Levi's mom's house to see him and reassure him. Levi brushed him off saying he wasn't returning to work and they were over. ("Living In a House Divided")

Alice Tom[]

Nico treated Alice Tom after she was attacked at a bus stop for being Asian-American. While he and Michelle Lin were operating on her, they talked about their experience growing up Asian in the US and feeling like they'd never be American enough. BokHee assured both of them that their faces were American. After her surgery, he punched a hole in the wall of an on-call room. Levi came to check on him and brought him ice for his hand. ("Stronger Than Hate")

Blood Shortage[]

During the hospital's blood shortage, he helped the residents get the word out on social media that they needed blood, drawing in several donors. ("You Are the Blood")

Leaving Grey Sloan[]

After breaking up with Levi, Nico left Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital to take a job with the Seattle Mariners. ("All Star")

Return[]

Nico came back to Grey Sloan with his partner and their surrogate, Erin, who was pregnant with their son. While he was there, he introduced his partner, Jason, to Levi. He later privately told Levi that he had been caught off guard when he met Jason and it changed things for him. Jason had always wanted children and was in the process of having one on his own when he and Nico met, so Nico joined him and they were soon expecting. They came to the hospital for an exam and had to wait while Erin was tested for gestational diabetes. ("Walk on the Ocean")

Relationships[]

Romantic[]

Levi Schmitt[]

His romantic relationship with Levi Schmitt began when Nico winked at Levi while operating, confusing Levi. ("With a Wonder and a Wild Desire")

Later, at Joe's bar, Nico bought him a beer after a rough day. Levi wanted to pay him back and grabbed his wallet, but Nico touched his hand to stop him and said Levi could buy the next one. Nico then left, with Levi staring after him. ("Broken Together")

Nico later came into the residents' locker room to shower despite having access to the fellows' lounge and Levi was shocked and distracted by seeing Nico with no shirt. ("Gut Feeling")

Later, Nico then asked Levi if he would be willing to get that drink that evening, but Levi said he might have plans later. Nico just said he'd be at Joe's if his thing got canceled. Later, Levi came to the bar for that drink, but Nico mostly brushed him off, confusing Levi. ("Everyday Angel")

After working together on J.J. Williams, Levi and Nico ended up in an elevator together and they kissed. They stopped when someone else got on the elevator, but once they were alone again, Nico apologized for what he'd done. Levi said it was fine and also that it was his first time and he was happy to learn. However, Nico said he didn't want to teach him since he had already dealt with his coming out and didn't want to go through it again. ("Flowers Grow Out of My Grave")

After being trapped together in an ambulance during the windstorm, Levi talked about having feelings for men before, but never exploring it because he was a nerd and never considered sex much at all. After his confession, Nico kissed him and the two of them had sex in the ambulance. ("Blowin' in the Wind") They have been in a relationship since.

When Levi's mother called while he was hooking up with Nico, Nico was upset when Levi shushed him. Levi tried to explain why his mother didn't know about Nico, but Nico wasn't persuaded and left. Later that day, Levi explained to Nico that his mother likes to talk about everything as if it's going to hurt him and he wants to lock Nico in his own eyes before inviting his mother's criticisms because Nico's his first love. Hearing that Levi loved him, Nico kissed him and they started to walk away. Levi asked if he's not going to say it back. He said he would, but he wanted to make Levi sweat for a minute first. ("Blood and Water")

Levi learned that Nico had an upcoming job interview with a hospital in San Francisco, and expressed worry about a long-distance relationship through bringing up sports teams. While together on a case in which Nico had to fill the man's body with cement, Levi continued complaining about Nico's proposed move. Later, it was revealed that Nico made a mistake during the surgery, and the patient collapsed. Bailey ordered Levi to fix the man, as he was the grandson of a friend of hers, but things didn't go well, and the patient died. Later, Nico was about to do a Skype interview with his new prospective boss, and Levi attempted to persuade him to leave and re-schedule the interview. Nico spoke sharply to Levi, saying that he was not a failure, and implied that Levi is, which broke his heart. Levi was angered when Nico started the interview and slammed the door behind him. ("Head Over High Heels")

Nico was annoyed that he is relegated to simple tasks in the wake of his surgical error. Levi, on a high due to him saving the Seattle Fire Chief, ran to tell Nico about it. However, Nico didn't want to hear it and was rude to Levi, and demanded Levi's help in fixing a shoulder dislocation. Later, Link told Levi to leave Nico alone, and that if he wanted to talk, he should wait for him to say so. ("What I Did for Love")

Nico later realized via Link that his past behavior had been unacceptable, in the wake of a fog throughout Seattle, which led to a massive car pile-up on the freeway. He tracked Levi down, only for Levi to give him the cold shoulder, which immediately turned into lecturing on Levi's end when Levi informed him that he missed him. Levi told Nico about his day, and Nico listened, which culminated in Levi informing Nico that he loved him, but he still deserved better than how Nico had treated him. Nico came clean about his anger due to his failure, and that he was jealous of other doctors in the hospital, Levi especially, due to their ability to bond with patients and have successful moments. Levi immediately told Nico that he could help him, and wanted to. Later, the two tearfully watched My Girl in Levi's basement, and his mother came downstairs with chicken noodle soup. She was very welcoming towards Nico, but called him Levi's "friend". Levi immediately informed his mother that Nico was his boyfriend that Nico was the one who had been having a bad day. Mrs. Schmitt then offered up the chicken soup to Nico, after he informed her that he liked it, telling Levi that they would talk later. Nico told Levi that he was "amazing," and Levi put his head on Nico's shoulder. ("Jump Into the Fog")

After the other residents learned that Levi had been the one to turn Meredith in, they started ignoring him, which upset him. He didn't want to go to work because of it, so Nico promised him a reward after he got through the day. At the end of the day, they were having a drink at Joe's and Nico said he could have his reward after they got some food. However, this was interrupted when a car crashed into the bar. ("Let's All Go to the Bar")

Nico chafed when Levi started staying with him after moving out of his mother's place while looking for a place of his own. Nico didn't feel they were ready to cohabitate and told Levi that. Later, after seeing Irene Sholman dance with her husband, Levi told Nico he was looking for his dance partner. ("Save the Last Dance for Me")

Their relationship was further strained when Nico didn't want Levi to meet his parents, even though they were in town. Levi said he could take the criticism, but Nico admitted he'd never told his parents he was gay, despite having told Levi he didn't want to live in Levi's shame spiral. ("A Diagnosis")

Their relationship continued to struggle, with them only having sex and not talking about the situation they were in. Levi expressed his desire to have a relationship that was more than just sex, but Nico blew up at him, saying that he didn't want to talk about his feelings and he didn't understand why Levi couldn't just accept that. He said if Levi wasn't okay with that, they should end things. Levi said no, he could be okay with it and they proceeded to have sex. ("Snowblind")

Later, when Link decided to recommend Nico for the job with the Mariners, which Link himself was turning down, Levi decided it was time to end things between them, as Levi felt he was always the one making sacrifices for their relationship. ("Give a Little Bit")

After the start of the pandemic, Nico went to Levi. He apologized for not being a good boyfriend, but offered to provide Levi with help de-stressing, starting right away in the supply closet. ("The Center Won't Hold")

Nico's arrangement with Levi developed to the point where they had essentially resumed their relationship, to the point where the pair were comfortable joking about their history. After some weeks, Levi finally told Nico he was upset that Nico was unwilling to give any space in his apartment to Levi, even a drawer. In response, Nico told Levi he loved him and asked him to move in. In a complete reverse of their feelings months earlier, Levi made an excuse to leave the conversation without answering. ("Good as Hell")

After this conversation, Levi avoided Nico for several weeks. Nico confronted Levi, asking if they were breaking up, if he wanted to see other people. Levi said he didn't. After the doctor who administered his vaccine for the vaccine trial flirted with him, Levi went to Nico's place, where he learned that Nico had been lighting candles every night in the hopes that one of those nights, Levi would show up. He confessed his love to Levi and they kissed. ("I'm Still Standing")

After Levi did two laparascopic cholecystectomies in one day, he and Nico had sex in a supply closet. ("With a Little Help From My Friends")

Levi ended things between them after losing a patient in surgery, also telling Nico that he wasn't going back to work. ("Living In a House Divided")

When Levi returned to work, the two of them had an awkward moment in an elevator. At the end of the day, Nico reminded Levi that Levi had told him to go. Levi said he had had a rough time and the difference between the two of them was that when Nico was having his own rough time, Levi kept coming back. ("Should I Stay or Should I Go")

After treating Alice Tom, an Asian-American woman who'd been attacked by a racist, Nico punched a hole in the wall of an on-call room. Levi checked on him and then brought him ice for his hand. ("Stronger Than Hate")

They never reconciled afterward and Nico took a job with the Seattle Mariners. ("All Star")

Jason[]

He is involved with Jason. When they met, Jason was interviewing surrogates to have a child. When Nico found that out, he fled out the back of the restaurant, but he changed his mind and he and Jason continued seeing each other and are currently expecting a son via surrogacy. ("Walk on the Ocean")

Familial[]

He spent Christmas with his family. He describes them as very critical of him, which is why he's never come out to them. ("A Diagnosis")

Professional[]

As part of his training, he works closely together with department head Dr. Atticus Lincoln.

Career[]

Nico was an attending orthopedic surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic, with his fellowship ending soon, he was offered an interview to take over Link's old job with the Mariners. He either ended up passing on the job or decided to stay on as an attending at the hospital to help out during the pandemic.

Eventually Nico left Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital to take a job with the Seattle Mariners. ("All Star")

Notes and Trivia[]

  • He is the first openly gay male surgeon in the show's history. Although Levi was introduced earlier, he didn't realize he was gay until after Nico came on to him.
  • He is also the first orthopedic surgery fellow in the show. Dr. Callie Torres followed a specific orthopedic surgery residency, eliminating the need for a fellowship, and all other known orthopedic surgeons were introduced as attendings. The only exception was Dr. Eliza Minnick as she trained as a general surgeon and followed-up with an orthopedic surgical fellowship.
  • As an attending, he wears a personal scrub cap. It is brown and has white and light blue patterns on it.
  • He speaks English and Korean.[1]
  • He does Tae Kwon Do.[2]
  • He doesn't like raisins.[3]

Gallery[]

Episodic[]

Episode Stills[]

Appearances[]


References[]

  1. ↑ Reunited, 16x03
  2. ↑ I Know This Bar, 3x01 (S19)
  3. ↑ Walk on the Ocean, 20x03
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