Strangers in Paradise #22

In "null," Marie enlists Katchoo to paint her as Mary Midnight, a request that stirs tension with Francine. Meanwhile, Tambi uncovers a clue about David’s mysterious headaches, and Casey takes a bold step by asking David out for a night on the town.

In "null," tensions simmer as Katchoo confronts the truth about Casey and David, her emotions boiling over when she breaks her hand in a fit of jealousy. Meanwhile, Pia struggles with her eating, Franice grapples with Brad’s absence, and David collapses at home—Tambi tending to him as the quiet undercurrents of connection and distance deepen.

In "null," David's illness weighs heavily as Tambi presses him for the truth, forcing him to confront Casey with the painful reality of his failing health. With quiet resolve, David entrusts Tambi to break the news to Katchoo, knowing she deserves to know—though he can’t bring himself to say it.

In "null," David faces a harrowing diagnosis: a tumor the size of a banana lodged in the center of his brain, leaving him with only nine to fifteen months to live—choices narrowed, surgery ruled out. When Pia collapses at a club, Casey and Katchoo are summoned to the hospital, where the weight of the moment begins to shift. Tambi, honoring a promise, enlists an actress named Annie Graham to help David in ways that blur the line between truth and performance. As Casey shares a piece of her past with the others, Katchoo makes a choice that will ripple through their lives, changing everything.

In "null," Francine confronts the unsettling truth about Brad’s whereabouts—far from the hospital he was supposed to be in—while Casey and Katchoo navigate the shifting dynamics of their evolving connection. Amid the tension, Griffin’s life ends abruptly in a moment that leaves the others reeling.