Kate Walsh stars in "Private Practice"

Many of us get personally invested in the series we watch. We put ourselves in the shoes of our favorite characters -- we feel their joy and pain as if we've been friends, family and lovers for our whole lives.

When rumors circulate that one or a few of these friends could be getting hurt -- or worse, killed -- in the near future, we can't help but feel loss and remorse.

ABC's hit medical series "Private Practice" and its parent series "Grey's Anatomy" finish their seasons this week, and the entertainment world is abuzz with rumors about how the tear-jerking shows will end.

Creator and series writer Shonda Rhimes is known for her heart-wrenching plot lines and genuine characters who reach the audience in a way that many never thought possible.

"Private Practice" closes on Tuesday, May 15, and fans are waiting with bated breath about how the episode will play out. The episode title, "Gone Baby Gone" has many speculating that Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) may lose the baby she's carrying, or that Addison will exhaust the last of her options to become a mother. Sam struggles to cope with the impending death of Mason's mother, Erica, which would leave him as the sole caregiver for Mason.

In a recent special, creator Rhimes dismissed the rumor that Sam may get fatally shot.

"There are a lot of twists and turns in that finale," she told TVLine at an Academy of Television Arts & Sciences event, "An Evening with Shonda Rhimes and Friends." "There’s just a real sense of growth for our characters, a sense of change. A lot of things come to a head that I don’t know people were necessarily expecting to, and that’s exciting. There are some real heartbreaking moments and some surprises. There are many developments romantically."

The doctors at Seattle Grace finish their season two days later when "Grey's Anatomy" wraps up on Thursday, May 17. That episode title, "Flight", has stirred up even more rumors, and photos from the tapings show several characters at an airport, spawning discussion of a tragic plane crash.

Rhimes recently added fuel to the fire when she revealed that at least one of the cast members will not be returning for Season 9. According to WetPaint.com, eight of the main actors -- including Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey and Sandra Oh -- are at the ends of their contracts, and there's no word yet about any new deals. One of the show's storylines has several of the doctors applying for fellowships around the country, which leaves the gates open for their departure or return.

Dempsey stated in an interview with the Italian "Vanity Fair" that Season 8 will be his last appearance on the "Grey's" set, but the fate of the other players is still up in the air.

Ellen Pompeo stars in "Grey's Anatomy"

"It's gonna be my last. I do not know what's going to happen to the other characters, but for me it's done," he said. "Leaving will be bittersweet because it has been a great part of my life. But I can't see me doing it anymore."

With the departure of at least one of the major players on "Grey's," there will likely be some new cast members joining the roster for next season. "Practice" has had good luck with its cast change this season -- Audra McDonald did not return to her role as Naomi Bennett, and Benjamin Bratt stepped onto the set as Addison's new love interest, Jake.

Rhimes has a knack for intense finales. "Private Practice" itself stemmed from the third season finale of "Grey's Anatomy," when Dr. Addison Montgomery left Seattle Grace and joined her friend Naomi's practice in Santa Monica, Calif. The Season 3 finale of "Practice" left Dr. Violet Turner having her baby stolen from her -- literally cut from her body -- and last season ended with Pete having a heart attack.

Hospital dramas aren't exactly a new idea -- "ER" and "Chicago Hope" were both on TV for several years before Rhimes penned her first teleplay. Though "Mercy," "Trauma" and "Mental" weren't on the radar for long, networks have produced many major series about doctors and the patients they treat. "Scrubs," "Doogie Howser," "MASH" and "House" have blurred the lines of drama and comedy in dire medical situations, but "Grey's" and "Practice" are frequently causing viewers to reach for the tissues.

"Grey's" started in 2005 and followed a group of inexperienced interns as they started their new medical rotations at Seattle Grace hospital. Since then, the interns have grown into full-fledged doctors and hit pretty much every speed bump along the way. This season alone has seen custody battles, an unplanned pregnancy and the deaths of loved ones -- and that's just the tip of the iceberg. The medicine-based plots have included an explosion, spinal surgeries, unprecedented transplants and the separation of conjoined twins.