'Station 19' Hints At Andy's Tragic Past & It'll Break Your Heart

A lot went down in the premiere episode of Station 19, leaving many fans excited to see what happens next. But it also left viewers with plenty of questions. One thing many fans noticed was the absence of Andy's mom, and it wasn't until Andy was speaking to Ryan that it was revealed Andy's mom died. So how did Andy's mom die prior to Station 19?

During the first episode Andy was seen helping her father, Fire Chief Pruitta Herrera, around the fire house. She made sure he signed the right papers and drank a protein shake when she noticed he wasn't eating. In summary, Andy did everything she could to take care of her dad, something she's apparently been doing her whole life, based on his well-known Sept. 11 story about Andy taking a flight to New York when she was just 12 years old to bring him home.

Unfortunately, Andy couldn't protect her father from everything and when he was taken to the hospital after passing out during a fire, it was revealed that he actually has Stage 2 cancer, a secret he'd been keeping from Andy for some time. Of course, Andy was upset for a number of reasons, but it wasn't until she started talking to her lifelong friend, Ryan, that her true fear came out. "I can't bury another parent," she told him.

Ryan responded by saying that this time would be different because back then, they were only nine. So obviously Andy's mom died when Andy was pretty young, which unfortunately means she probably didn't die of natural causes. It's more likely something tragic happened to cause her mother's death. Although it'd be a terrible source of irony, it's possible her mom actually died in a fire. Maybe that's another reason why Andy wanted to become a firefighter just like a her father.

Whatever the reason behind Andy's mom's death, it's clear that for most of Andy's life it's just been her and her dad, which is why they're so close and why this cancer diagnosis is so devastating. It seems her dad is the only family Andy has left, though perhaps more family members will be introduced over the course of this season. For now though, Andy's only family is her dad, which is why she's terrified to lose him and angry for keeping such a big secret from her.

Perhaps the doctors at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital can figure out a treatment for him that can save his life, but for now things aren't looking so good for the chief. That's why he decided to step down and was going to promote Jack to be the interim chief until a replacement could be found. However, after her talk (and hook up) with Ryan, Andy decided to "step up" and throw her hat in the ring for the position. Now she'll be facing off against Jack, her quasi-boyfriend and almost fiancé, for the chief position, because that won't be awkward at all.

It'll be interesting to see how this dynamic between Jack and Andy plays out over the course of this first season. Hopefully we'll also learn more about what happened to Andy's mom and if Andy's dad will be alright. It's not all that surprising for a Grey's Anatomy spin-off to begin with a tragedy but for once can we maybe get a happy ending for the main character? Please? Fans will just have to keep watching to see what's in store for Andy and the rest of the characters on Station 19.

Check out Romper's new video series, Romper's Doula Diaries:

Watch full episodes of Romper's Doula Diaries on Facebook Watch.