Written by Lydia Woodward
Directed by Christopher Chulack
When enthusiastic third-year medical student, Lucy Knight, begins her emergency
room rotation at Chicago's County General Hospital, she quickly learns that her
book knowledge does not necessarily help her perform procedures correctly.
Although she impresses doctors with her ability to answer medical questions, her
attempts to help patients are clumsy.
Lucy meets Dr. Maggie Doyle (JORJA FOX) and works with second-year resident Dr.
John Carter. She also encounters Bernard Gamely (VINCE VIELUF), a lanky
24-year-old medical student. Head nurse Carol Hathaway notices Lucy's lack of
confidence and befriends her.
Placed on probation, Hathaway's fianci, Pediatric Emergency Fellow Dr. Doug
Ross, must report every procedure he needs to perform to Acting Chief of
Emergency Medicine Dr. Kerry Weaver. Meanwhile, a paramedic asks Dr. Mark
Greene, chief resident, to consider acting as the district medical director for
EMS (Emergency Medical Service), a voluntary job. Greene's daughter, Rachel
(YVONNE ZIMA), is living with him for the summer.
In search of a new fellowship, surgical Resident Dr. Elizabeth Corday returns
from an interview in Denver and reunites with her lover, Dr. Peter Benton.
Benton tells Corday that his son's hearing test is postponed due to an ear
infection. Benton hopes the baby's hearing loss is due to the infection. And
attractive Roxanne Please (JULIE BOWEN), an insurance agent injured during her
exercise workout, receives treatment at the emergency room.
Written by Carol Flint
Directed by Christopher Misiano
A child dies after not receiving proper treatment at the scene of a karate
accident. This motivates Greene to become an unpaid EMS director. A jubilant
Hathaway gets a salaried registered nurse for her clinic. She chooses Lynette
Evans (PENNY JOHNSON), a friendly, no-nonsense nurse practitioner.
To save rent money, Carter lives in a medical student dormitory as a resident
advisor. But his responsibilities to the students cause him not to get enough
sleep. At the hospital, Weaver approves Carter's salary request. Carter confides
to Weaver that his goal is to become chief resident next year.
While visiting Corday at her apartment, Benton meets her father, Charles Corday
(PAUL FREEMAN). Charles Corday wants his daughter to return home with him and
join his cardiothoracic practice. Later, Corday flawlessly performs surgery
while operating the Aesop robotic computer with Dr. "Rocket" Romano assisting.
She realizes that the only way she can stay at County General is to start over
as an intern, which she eventually decides to do. The audiology test on Reese,
Benton and Carla's infant son, reveals a severe to profound hearing loss. He'll
need digital hearing aids. Benton is deeply disappointed and a little bit in
denial.
Two teenage boys with gunshot wounds are rushed to the emergency room. One of
the boys, B.G. (KAREEM GRIMES), has a non-serious scalp laceration. But the
other one, Lil 'Toine (CORY C. HARDRICT), sustained a severe wound which will
require a colostomy. Trouble occurs when both of B.G.'s girlfriends visit him at
the same time.
Weaver appears disappointed when Ross' 30-day probation period ends. He gets an
offer to do a rotation in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
They Treat Horses, Don't They?
Written by Walon Green
Directed by T.R. Babu Subramaniam
Chief of staff Dr. Donald Anspaugh (JOHN AYLWARD) informs a disappointed Weaver
that her official title has changed from acting chief of emergency medicine to
interim chief. Greene agrees to be on the search committee to consider
candidates to fill the interim position permanently. Despite Weaver's
objections, Ross gets the job as the new pediatric emergency room attending
doctor. He discovers a teenage girl, Dana (ASHLEY JOHNSON), has cancer of the
leg and must defend her rights to her parents who want to amputate.
Jeanie Boulet returns from her vacation ready to work. Benton discusses Reese's
deafness with Carla ( LISA NICOLE CARSON). Corday watches them and mistakenly
thinks they're reuniting until Benton reluctantly tells her about Reese.
Greene's daughter, Rachel, pleads with Greene to help a horse in a trailer
outside the ambulance bay. He administers an enema. Rachel is proud of her
father for helping the horse. Greene's first assignment as an EMS director
places him in danger as he treats a dynamite-wired assailant with gunshot
wounds. Greene wears a bomb suit and examines the patient. After paramedics rush
the bomber to the hospital, Benton works on him, but the patient still has a
detonator box entangled in his intestines. When the box starts to hiss, Benton
cuts the intestines, removes the box and throws it in a corner. It explodes. No
one is hurt.
Carter saves an elderly woman and places her on a ventilator. He later finds out
she is a DNR (do not resuscitate) and reluctantly removes her from the
ventilator. A confused Lucy observes as Carter stays with his patient, who
eventually dies. Roxanne Please returns to have her foot examined by Carter. She
flirts with him. Later, at Carter's dorm room, Roxanne competently assembles his
expensive stereo system and the young couple share a romantic moment as they
slow dance.
Jimmy Smith - Ruby
Written by Jack Orman
Directed by Lesli Glatter
Weaver interviews for the job as permanent chief of emergency medicine. Greene
gets bitten by a dog when he helps the paramedics at an accident scene. Hathaway
discloses to Ross that she might be pregnant but later discovers she's not. Lucy
misplaces a dead body as she transports it to the morgue. Her inability to start
an IV is revealed during a crisis. Carter angrily reprimands Lucy for lying to
him.
Assigned to obnoxious surgical resident Dale Edson (MATTHEW GLAVE), Corday
realizes that her abilities exceed what will be demanded of her as an intern.
She corrects Dale's wrong answer when queried by Romano during surgery.
Hathaway and Evans disagree on how to control a gang member, Bo (JERMAINE
MONTELL), with multiple stab wounds who refuses to cooperate with police because
he wants to exact his own revenge. He leaves the hospital and later returns with
serious gunshot wounds.
Jeanie treats a transplant patient experiencing liver rejection. The man is on
the list for another transplant, but his blood alcohol level tests positive. If
she divulges this knowledge to the transplant authorities, he most certainly
will not receive a new liver. She also cares for a child with a heart problem,
but because he's an illegal alien, he can't get the treatment he needs. Jeanie
tells Ross she'd like to be his physician assistant in the pediatric emergency
room.
While Romano prepares to amputate Dana's leg, Ross succeeds in postponing the
surgery for a few more days in order to better manage her post-surgery pain.
This infuriates Romano.
Benton keeps Reese's hearing disability a secret from his coworkers. During his
first therapy session with his son, Benton realizes how difficult it will be to
help Reese.
Written by Samantha Howard Corbin
Directed by Steve DeJarnatt
On Halloween night, Greene escorts an arrogant candidate for chief of emergency
services, Dr. David Litvak (PHILIP CASNOFF), around the emergency room. Greene
later divulges to Weaver that, even though Greene voted for her, Litvak has been
elected as chief. Greene neglects to order a pregnancy test on an unmedicated
schizophrenic mother-to-be, Coco (SHEILA KELLEY), and administers a drug that
can cause birth defects. To add to his terrible day, Greene discovers that his
ex-wife, Jennifer (CHRISTINE HARNOS), and his daughter, Rachel, plan to relocate
to St. Louis, Missouri. Greene realizes he's become very devoted to Rachel in
the summer she has been with him.
Ross enacts strict policy procedures for the pediatric emergency room that
become impossible to enforce due to the huge volume of patients. Ross relents
and allows Weaver to work on some of his patients. Weaver asks Carter to give a
presentation the following day on one of his former cases. Carter shares
responsibility for Lucy's inability to start an IV and is no longer mad at her.
He places Lucy in charge of the Halloween party at the dormitory so he can do
research for his presentation. But trouble occurs when two medical students take
drugs with alcohol and almost die. Once again, Carter is disappointed in Lucy.
Test results surprise Benton, Romano and Dale when Corday reports that the
little girl they are operating on is genetically a boy. Later, Corday, anxious
to celebrate Halloween, gets a pleasant surprise from Benton, who dresses like
the '70s film character John Shaft for a special date.
Written by Neal Baer
Directed by David Nutter
Because of the Halloween fiasco, Carter is terminated as resident advisor, and
he packs his belongings in preparation for moving out of the dormitory. Roxanne
helps Carter in his search for a new place to live. When Carter answers a
newspaper advertisement and visits a house, he is surprised to see Weaver open
the door.
While on a paramedic ride-along, Greene risks his life rescuing a battered,
homeless teenage male prostitute named Kevin (CHAD E. DONELLA). Greene tries to
help Kevin reform his personal life and encourages him to take medication to
help with a dangerous medical condition, but the teenager refuses. Anspaugh
realizes that Corday is overqualified to intern with Dale, who knows less than
Corday does, and agrees to let Benton take over as her resident. Benton's
reluctant due to their personal relationship.
When Weaver learns that Dr. Litvak refused the job as chief of emergency
services, she becomes increasingly optimistic, knowing that she's the board's
second choice. Anspaugh informs Greene that the committee wants a chief with a
national reputation who can acquire research grants. Greene ultimately informs
Weaver about the board's decision to reopen its search. Insulted, Weaver removes
herself from the search and resigns as interim chief. Weaver refers Benton to a
hearing specialist, Dr. Lisa Parks (deaf actress PHYLLIS FRELICH), for Reese.
Parks, who is deaf, uses sign language and an interpreter to communicate.
Ross becomes overwhelmed by his paperwork responsibilities for the pediatric
emergency room. Jeanie treats a girl who keeps getting injured while competing
for world records with her father. Evans and Hathaway disagree on a
birth-control issue. HARVEY KORMAN guest stars as Stan Levey, a cantankerous old
man Hathaway treats in the clinic.
Betty Carter - I Can't Help It
Written by David Mills
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan
Now living in Weaver's basement, Carter awakens to her loud music from upstairs.
At the hospital, Carter hesitates to evaluate Lucy's performance because he
wants to be fair. Lucy records her thoughts concerning difficulties with Carter
into her palmtop computer. Carter finds the computer, unintentionally hears
Lucy's private notes and becomes very defensive. Greene forces Carter and Lucy
to confront their problems with each other.
Weaver derives enjoyment from seeing Anspaugh muddle through as interim chief.
The committee interviews Dr. Amanda Lee (MARE WINNINGHAM), who appears to be the
first choice for the position as chief. At Corday's urging, Benton speaks with
ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) specialist Dr. David Kotlowitz (DENNIS BOUTSIKARIS),
who advocates cochlear implants. But Kotlowitz's fanaticism only confuses
Benton. An exhausted Corday, awake for over 24 hours, administers a potentially
fatal dose of magnesium to a patient, who almost dies. This mistake gets Benton
and her in trouble.
Disappointed that she's not pregnant, Hathaway administers a laboratory test to
make sure her hormone levels are normal. Meanwhile, a streetwise pregnant woman
fakes pain in order to obtain a free ultrasound at the clinic. When the patient
discovers the sex of her baby, it becomes obvious she'll get an abortion. A
furious Hathaway yells at her.
Jeanie solves the mystery of a sick baby. Pediatric anesthesiologist Dr. Alex
Babcock (DAVID BRISBIN) argues with Ross over setting policy in the pediatric
emergency room. Greene enjoys the male camaraderie at the fire station with the
paramedics and fire fighters until they try to initiate him with a hazing
ritual. Greene stays with Hathaway and Ross for the night while asbestos is
removed from his apartment.
Written by Jack Orman
Directed by Christopher Chulack
This special episode primarily concerns one case. A father and daughter involved
in a motor-vehicle accident arrive at the emergency room. The father, Gemmill
(JOHN THADDEUS), received a minor scalp laceration. But his 7-year-old daughter,
Corinna (NICOLETTE LITTLE), has a ruptured spleen and may need surgery. Carter
administers to the little girl and begins a blood transfusion. Gemmill tells
Lucy to call the girl's mother in Cleveland.
During the transfusion, Corinna unexpectedly loses consciousness. The staff
realizes that the blood was typed correctly but it wasn't cross-matched, and
Corinna is having a hemolytic reaction--her immune system is destroying the red
blood cells. When Lucy tries to talk to the father, he's gone!
After talking on the telephone to Corinna's mother in Cleveland, Ohio, Lucy
discovers that the father's real name is Nelson. Currently, in a bitter divorce
battle with his wife, Nelson gave a false name to avoid prosecution for
kidnapping his daughter. Meanwhile, the laboratory results show that Corinna has
a cross reaction to minor antigens. Her mother's blood type doesn't match, but
her father's blood is a perfect match--a 1-in-50 million chance. Nelson must be
located in order for Corinna to survive. Carter's shift is over, so Greene takes
the case. But Carter can't stop thinking about Corinna and searches all over
Chicago for Nelson.
Meanwhile, Lucy also tries to locate Nelson after her shift ends. Corinna's
condition worsens, and Benton needs to operate or else she will die. Benton
performs surgery without the blood. Lucy and Carter team up and search all over
Chicago, encountering dangerous situations including Carter's possible exposure
to TB (tuberculosis). They eventually locate Nelson directly across the street
from the hospital at Doc Magoo's, the local diner. Corinna finally gets her
life-saving transfusion. The total team effort of the emergency room staff of
Chicago's County General Hospital might save Corinna's life.
Written by Lydia Woodward
Directed by Rod Holcomb
Greene continues to stay at Hathaway's house. Ross queries Greene about his date
with the new Chief of Emergency Services, Amanda Lee. Hathaway handles a case
involving an 8-year-old boy, Wilson (JESSE JAMES). Wilson sustains minor
injuries when hit by a car while riding his bicycle with his 8-year-old friend,
who was shot to death. Wilson claims a man chased them. But later Hathaway
discovers bullets in Wilson's belongings, and he confesses to shooting his
friend, who refused to give Wilson his boots. Wilson displays no remorse.
Since today is the hospital's 100th anniversary, Lee arranges for Carter to
escort a woman, Ruth Johnson (ANNE PITONIAK), who was born 100 years ago today.
Carter gives a tour to Ruth and over 20 members of her family, including a very
pregnant great-granddaughter. After the party, the great-granddaughter delivers
a baby and names the girl after her nana, Ruth Johnson.
Corday answers questions concerning the magnesium overdose. She blames the
system for the accident because she had been working for 36 hours straight.
Since the patient survives with no bad aftereffects, Corday is cleared of any
wrongdoing and the system remains intact. However, her relationship with Benton
ends.
Benton observes a cochlear implant operation (the procedure Benton is
considering for Reese) that Dr. Kotlowitz performs on a 3-year-old boy.
Kotlowitz schedules the same surgery for Reese. Later, Benton reconsiders and
cancels the surgery. Lee encourages Greene to supervise a study on a new pain
medicine, and he agrees.
Written by Paul Manning
Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter
On Christmas Eve, Jerry becomes suspicious of Lee when he sees her closing
Greene's locker and Greene's personal items later turn up missing. No one
believes Jerry, but he's right. Lee is obsessed with Greene.
Corday treats David Gardner (TOM AMANDES), an attractive 44-year-old symphony
trumpet soloist concerned that the surgery needed to remove his prostate cancer
will make him sexually dysfunctional. She adeptly calms his fears. Aware of
their mutual attraction, the two share supper at Doc Magoo's.
Paramedics transport an 18-year-old flatlined boy. After Carter successfully
resuscitates him, the teen's heart beats, but he's brain dead. Later, a
16-year-old girl with liver failure, who desperately needs a transplant, enters
the emergency room. Her type AB blood matches only two percent of the
population--but it is the same blood type as the brain-dead boy. Carter gets his
Christmas miracle when the boy's mother, Mrs. Richards (LAURIE O'BRIEN), agrees
to donate her son's liver to the girl.
Benton cannot have dinner at his sister's house because Romano, as usual, gives
his own work to Benton to complete. After Romano leaves, one of his patients,
Mr. DeMisa (TRAVIS McKENNA), requires emergency surgery, but Romano doesn't
respond to his page. Benton begins surgery, and Romano finally arrives--drunk.
When Benton won't let him operate, Romano threatens to terminate Benton's
residency. Fortunately, Benton proves Romano's intoxication with a blood test.
After a hectic day, Benton cheers up when Carla brings Reese to the hospital to
see him.
Hathaway and Ross' different religious beliefs become apparent when Ross and
Hathaway disagree on how a pregnant 13-year-old should deal with her situation.
However, after refusing to attend Mass with Hathaway's family, Ross reconsiders
and goes.
Nobody Doesn't Like Amanda Lee
Written by Linda Gase
Directed by Richard Thorpe
Hathaway assists Joi Abbott (VALERIE MAHAFFEY), who faints in the cafeteria.
Tests reveal Joi has anemia. Joi attends to her son, Ricky (KYLE CHAMBERS), who
has a degenerative neurological disease. Hathaway persuades the exhausted mother
to accept some outside help.
Lee tells Greene many fascinating stories about her past and tells Hathaway
about Greene's incredible sexual exploits. A curious Greene discovers Lee's a
fake and that Anspaugh never checked her credentials. When Lee realizes Greene
is suspicious, she locks him in the cat scan room with an agoraphobic patient
(NANCY LENEHAN). A disappointed Hathaway learns Greene never had sex with Lee.
Greene receives an application from NASA to become an astronaut. He discovers
that a fellow medical school alumnus is part of an upcoming mission and
recommended Greene for the team. Carter's exposure test to TB (tuberculosis)
proves positive, and he must take medication for six months. Lucy agrees to go
on a date with Dale, who confides to Carter that he hopes to have sex with her.
A woman (SARA MORNELL) about to give birth is rushed to the hospital by her
husband (SCOTT MOSENSON), who crashes into another auto en route. The driver of
the other car is also transported to County General and dies. The husband gets
arrested because his blood alcohol level is above the legal limit, and he misses
the birth of his child.
Benton successfully performs an appendectomy on Dr. Parks' 8-year-old
granddaughter, Gwen (TARA KLEIGER). A day-care worker suggests to Benton that
Reese requires a "special needs" environment because he's exhibiting problem
behavior. A cop, Reggie Moore (CRESS WILLIAMS), who Jeanie treats for a minor
injury, asks her on a date. Eventually, she accepts. And the staff prepares to
work on victims in a commuter plane crash--but there are no survivors.
Written by Carol Flint
Directed by Dave Chameides
Anspaugh informs Greene he'll consider him for full tenure in three years if
Greene doesn't pursue the NASA offer. Greene attends a speech by an astronaut
and later realizes he wants to stay at County General.
Ross jeopardizes a liquid pain medicine study by surreptitiously giving some of
the drug to Joi's son, Ricky. Greene discovers the secret and informs Weaver.
They decide not to tell Anspaugh because, by violating protocol on a federally
funded trial, the hospital would be unable to obtain research money and Medicare
payments for years. Ross is upset that Hathaway believes he made a mistake. But
Hathaway helps an end-stage cancer patient who needs to smoke marijuana in order
to get relief from his pain. Hathaway also clashes with Evans, who obtained a
grant for a seminar at the clinic without consulting her.
Lucy begins her surgical rotation under Benton and Corday. Romano offers to get
Corday's fellowship reinstated and asks her to assist him in surgery. Weaver
interrogates Corday, asking if Romano ever sexually harassed her. Corday denies
it and concludes that Doyle must have filed charges. Doyle explains to her that
it's a matter of self-respect. Later, Corday admits to Weaver she might be of
some assistance in the investigation.
Greene makes sure Pickman (EMILY WAGNER) isn't reprimanded for a mistake she
made while working under a new paramedic policy. A man who claims to be
140-years-old and "conjured" insists on having Benton perform surgery on him. A
12-year-old girl cut off the tip of her finger and needs plastic surgery. Jeanie
chides plastic surgeon Graham Baker (CARL LUMBLY) for rushing his consultation
with the girl. She later accepts a date with him. Benton and Lucy share dinner
with Carter at Weaver's house.
Written by Lydia Woodward
Directed by Christopher Chulack
Weaver interviews Corday about being sexually harassed by Romano. Later, Romano
warns Corday that Benton could be dismissed for having sex with Corday while he
was her supervisor. Corday tells Weaver she refuses to testify against Romano.
Weaver reluctantly informs Romano that the investigation is closed, but the
reports are in the file. At Weaver's suggestion, Romano agrees to change his
negative evaluation of Doyle. He volunteers to become acting chief of the
emergency room, and the harried Anspaugh gladly accepts.
Benton takes Reese to sign-language class but feels uncomfortable there. One of
Carter's medical students, Dudzik (STEVEN PETRARCA), discovers a large lymph
node on another student, Strauss (DAVID HORNSBY). A biopsy proves that Strauss
has Hodgkin's Disease, a treatable form of lymphoma. After administering to an
adopted man who knows nothing about his genetic history, Weaver decides to find
her birth parents. Greene befriends a Nigerian hospital worker, Mobalage (DJIMON
HOUNSOU).
Hathaway treats an older woman, Alice (BARBARA TARBUCK), who must be admitted
because she has a dangerous embolism. However, Alice has many dogs in her van
that must be cared for. The staff take the dogs to their homes.
Weaver and Greene tell Ross they won't report the lapse in protocol Ross caused
when he gave Joi's son the study medicine. Joi returns to the hospital with
Ricky, who is near death. Joi wants him to die at home. Ross suggests a
patient-controlled analgesic administered intravenously. An unsuspecting
Hathaway orders the equipment, which will assist Ricky in dying, through her
clinic.
Written by John Wells
Directed by John Wells
In an effort to communicate with his son, Benton takes a costly sign-language
class under the tutelage of Alycia (MARLEE MATLIN). Romano overhears Benton
complaining about his lack of funds and suggests a program whereby Benton would
substitute for vacationing doctors at rural hospitals for high pay. As acting
chief of emergency services, Romano delegates a plethora of responsibilities to
Greene and Weaver. Lucy and Carter share a romantic tryst while on duty. Greene
treats hospital worker Mobalage for impotency.
Meanwhile, paramedics transport terminally ill Ricky to the emergency room as
they try to resuscitate him. His father, David Abbott (CONOR O'FARRELL), a
lawyer with the state attorney's office, insists on keeping the boy alive. When
Ricky never recovers, Abbott accuses Ross of killing his son. Later, Sullivan
(JAMES HANDY) questions Greene about Ricky's death. Sullivan also works for the
state attorney's office and opens an investigation into Ricky's death at
Abbott's request. He interviews Ross and explains that the boy's death could be
first-degree murder.
Police visit the emergency room. Ross confesses to Greene about getting the
equipment with Hathaway's help and showing Joi how to override the dosage
counter and administer more medicine than the machine normally allows. Furious,
Anspaugh closes Hathaway's clinic despite her innocence, and Hathaway gets angry
at Ross. Greene refuses to let Ross ride in the ambulance to a school bus crash.
Ross drives himself and Jeanie, the only colleague who agrees with what he did.
On this day, the worst of his medical career, Ross loses control of his Jeep on
the icy road and crashes into a concrete bridge abutment.
Written by John Wells
Directed by John Wells
Greene and paramedics treat children involved in a serious school bus collision
with a snowplow. As the paramedics work to save the young victims, firefighters
struggle to remove the impacted snowplow from the bus. The firefighters succeed,
and paramedics rush the injured kids to County General. At the er, hospital
staff members feverishly work to save some of the extremely critical youngsters.
As a result of the combined efforts of paramedics, firefighters and hospital
personnel, all of the children miraculously survive.
From his own accident, Ross receives a gash to the head. Jeanie, his passenger,
who was not wearing a seatbelt, has contusions to the forehead, face and
abdomen. Paramedics rush her to the hospital, where Benton administers to her.
Tests reveal a serious condition, but not from the accident or from her
HIV-positive status: Jeanie has Hepatitis C.
Carter and Lucy refrain from sexual relations with each other due to hospital
policy. Ross resigns from the hospital and decides to move to either Portland or
Seattle. He asks Hathaway, his fiancie, to join him, but she declines. Sullivan
does not file charges against Ross for Ricky Abbott's death. Anspaugh agrees to
keep the clinic open, as long as Evans manages it--not Hathaway.
Mobalage's wife, Kubby (AKOSUA BUSIA), tells Hathaway she does not want her
husband to have the surgery for erectile dysfunction. She confides to Hathaway
that in Nigeria 10 soldiers raped her and Mobalage does not know it. Hathaway
urges Kubby to tell her husband. Later, paramedics rush Kubby to the hospital
with stab wounds. Mobalage checks on her and collapses on the ground as security
approaches him.
Written by Carol Flint and Neal Baer
Directed by Jonathon Kaplan
Benton travels to Mississippi to earn extra money working as a "locum tenens"
doctor--a visiting temp--at a rural hospital in a small town. Instead of a
hospital, Benton finds a rural clinic run by Maureen (CELIA WESTON), a nurse
practitioner and Catholic nun who needs rest after a leg injury. The
accommodations are considerably less than Benton expected. He sleeps in a
cramped trailer, has very little to eat because he is a vegetarian and Maureen's
meals contain meat, and visits sick people's houses by boat in a swamp.
Benton quickly learns that some of the white folks don't trust an
African-American doctor. Administering to patients at the clinic, Benton notices
that the white people visit Maureen at her house for treatment. Since Benton
doesn't believe he's making a contribution and finds it difficult to work due to
racial intolerance, he decides to leave. On the way out of town, he sees a
tractor overturned in a ditch. After rescuing the white farmer and reviving the
farmer's 3-year-old son, Benton decides to stay a while longer.
On another case, Benton uses ether on a pregnant woman as he handles a very
difficult and complicated birth. Later, a shrimp boat explodes, and Benton
demonstrates his competent surgical skills to save a man's life. Through his
determination and expertise, Benton slowly gains the respect of most of the
townspeople. He meets Adelina (PORSHA PALMER), an athletically gifted
13-year-old girl with uncontrolled diabetes. Benton drives Adelina and her
Gramma Deane (BARBARA ROBERTS) to a hospital 40 miles away for tests. Besides
the diabetes, Adelina has a small hole in her heart--something Benton didn't
detect. When Benton returns to Chicago, he brings Adelina and her grandmother so
the girl can have the necessary surgery to repair her heart.
Before Benton left on his trip, Jeanie was no longer a patient at the hospital.
Upon his return, he discovers Jeanie is readmitted and receiving a plasma
transfusion. A sympathetic and tender Benton tells Jeanie he'll help her through
this medical setback.
Written by Joe Sachs
Directed by Felix Enriquez Alcala
Carter enjoys his ride-along with paramedics until they rescue an injured
landlord who turned off the heat in his building. Tenants mob the ambulance and
endanger all inside. Carter climbs to the driver's side and tries to depart. The
ambulance runs over a 17-year-old male, crushing his pelvis. Rushed to the
hospital and treated, the teenager survives. On another run, paramedic Audia
dies from a gunshot wound received while driving the ambulance. Carter believes
the bullet was intended for him.
Hathaway complains about her headaches to Greene. He worries that she may have a
brain tumor or carbon monoxide poisoning. But Hathaway knows the real cause of
her headaches--she's pregnant--and confides her secret to Corday. Weaver treats
Kornberg (NILS ALLEN STEWART), a huge, muscular professional wrestler with a
knee injury who graciously signs autographs and visits children in the pediatric
ward.
Now working on her medicine rotation, Lucy administers to an old Chinese woman,
Chan-Yu Fong (BEULAH QUO), experiencing seizures. Tests reveal that Chan-Yu has
advanced lung cancer that has spread to her brain. The patient's son and
daughter-in-law refuse to let the woman know her true diagnosis. Lucy
reluctantly obeys their wishes.
Jeanie receives a copy of Al's lab test results proving he did not give her
Hepatitis C. Jeanie concludes she contracted the disease from a patient. She
tells Dr. Baker and Reggie that she is dating someone else. And a county jail
sheriff transports a dehydrated Mobalage to the emergency room. Kubby awakens
from a coma and explains that she stabbed herself. The District Attorney
dismisses the charges, but Mobalage, who was tortured in his native country of
Nigeria, awaits a deportation hearing for forging his visa.
Written by Christopher Mack
Directed by Christopher Misiano
Benton forfeits the opportunity to visit a total communication school for Reese
because Romano changes the time of an operation being performed by
cardiothoracic guru Dr. Gary Weinstein (MATTHEW FAISON). Weaver visits a
70-year-old woman in a board-and-care home whom she believes is her biological
mother. Extremely ill, the woman has a DNR (do not resuscitate) order, but
Weaver calls the paramedics anyway and accompanies her to the emergency room.
Weaver medically treats the dying woman. Later, Weaver realizes the woman cannot
possibly be her mother.
Carter acts as "senior-for-a-day" in a program designed as part of his chief
resident application. He doles out work in the emergency room. Carter believes a
4-month-old infant he's treating is a victim of child abuse, but he later
discovers the baby has a brittle bone disease, causing her bones to break
easily. Lucy begins her psychiatric rotation, but the patients don't take her
seriously because she's so young.
Corday discusses a trauma surgery fellowship possibly offered out of the
emergency room with Benton. Corday hopes she gets it and becomes angry when she
discovers afterward that Benton expressed an interest in it to Weaver. Benton
now realizes the fellowship was Corday's idea. Denise Dwyer (ANNA GUNN), a
public defender immigration attorney, visits Greene to discuss Mobalage's
upcoming deportation hearing. Mobalage must testify about his torture, or he
will be deported. He recalls his abduction but not the horrible torture. Even
psychiatrist Dr. Sadowinski (PETER RATRAY) cannot help Mobalage remember. Afraid
that Mobalage will be deported, Greene figures out a way to get Mobalage to
remember.
Coco, a paranoid schizophrenic that Greene recently treated, delivers her baby
on the street, and both are rushed to the emergency room. She stopped taking her
medicine in order to insure the health of her baby. Coco is afraid the
authorities will take the baby away from her. Hathaway becomes involved in the
case. Finally, Hathaway makes an appointment to consult an obstetrician about
her own pregnancy.
Written by David Mills
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan
Romano assigns Carter the responsibility of showing Antoine Bell (COREY PARKER
ROBINSON), a student at a math-science magnet school, around the emergency room
as part of a mentoring program. The teenager impresses Carter with his desire to
learn. Romano becomes furious when he hears that Benton also applied for the
emergency room trauma fellowship.
With amnesty granted, Mobalage now pursues a civil engineering license and
leaves his job at the hospital. Concerned, Benton urges Jeanie to get tested to
insure the hepatitis medications work. She treats Reverend Matthew Lynn (ROSCOE
LEE BROWN) for a bruised thumb. In return, he offers some healing prayers for
her. Test results reveal her liver functions well.
Evans confronts Hathaway about social services making the clinic responsible for
monitoring Coco and her baby--a deal Hathaway arranged without Evans's (the
clinic administrator) permission. Coco proves her ability to care for the baby.
Lucy interviews Michael McKenna (MIKE DOYLE), a law-school student who smashed
his car with a baseball bat. By using her talent to make people feel comfortable
around her, Lucy gets him to reveal that he hears demons. Seth Willows (VINCENT
BERRY), a troubled 10-year-old foster child, kicks Hathaway. Lucy does a
psychiatric consult with him and realizes he's overmedicated. Later, Hathaway
experiences abdominal cramps and tells Greene she is pregnant. Greene urges her
to call Ross and let him know. She obtains an ultrasound, and the baby's heart
beats normally.
Corday is scheduled to give a panel presentation at a meeting of the Chicago
Society of Trauma Physicians. Greene accompanies her, but they have
transportation problems and don't arrive in time. Instead, they join a wedding
reception and dance a tango together.
Written by Carol Flint
Directed by Laura Innes
Romano observes the emergency room by following Greene around all day. Romano
makes sexist comments about a few female staff members, including Corday and
Hathaway, to Greene. Lucy begins a second emergency room rotation under Carter's
tutelage. An elderly patient, Dottie Armstrong (ANNE BELLAMY), is brought to the
hospital by her neighbor, Gladys (JEAN SINCERE), against the wishes of Dottie's
husband, Army Armstrong (FORD RAINEY). Army insists his wife suffers from
Alzheimer's disease. Lucy examines Dottie and treats a bedsore. Against Carter's
advice, Lucy orders a psychiatric consult for Army because he exhibits symptoms
of depression. The psychiatrist agrees and notes Army's suicidal tendencies.
Lucy reexamines Dottie's wound and realizes it is actually a bullet hole. Gladys
inadvertently stopped Army from murdering his confused wife and then killing
himself.
Carter tells Roxanne he doesn't want to have a relationship with her anymore
after she tries to sell insurance to Phyllis Farr (HOLLAND TAYLOR), a patient
who markets synthetic pheromones. Hathaway finally decides to send Ross a letter
informing him about her pregnancy, but she does not want him to return to
Chicago just because of the baby. A terrible storm causes a power outage. The
facsimile machine ceases to function as Hathaway tries to send her letter to
Ross. Auxiliary generators power up the critical equipment. After awhile, the
backup generators fail, and the staff works frantically to keep patients alive.
A 20-year-old comatose female patient from another floor is beaten, sexually
assaulted and left at the emergency room. Corday saw a man dressed as a
technician deposit the woman. Later, Corday identifies the dead body of the same
man--he hanged himself. After the power returns, Greene takes Corday to a video
arcade.
Written by Jack Orman
Directed by Christopher Chulack
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents Lance Carmichael (NATHAN LeGRAND)
and Robert Clayton (JOHN ROSENFELD) bring Amber (SANDRA TAYLOR), a stripper, to
the hospital with a gunshot wound to her chest. Carmichael and Clayton insist on
total secrecy and take all papers containing her test results with them. Greene
refuses to transfer Amber to another facility, but the men take her anyway.
Later when FBI agent Hoffman (GEORGE McDANIEL) arrives at the hospital searching
for Amber, Greene realizes that Carmichael and Clayton were not really
affiliated with the FBI.
Carter watches Lucy swallow a pill and confronts her. She admits she uses
Ritalin, a medication for attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity in
children. She's been taking the prescription ever since she was in the fifth
grade. Carter suggests it's time for her to quit. Due to Hathaway's behavior,
Weaver concludes that Hathaway is pregnant. Weaver tells her to opt out of
treating any patients that might be a risk to the baby. Hathaway calls Ross to
tell him she's pregnant and is disappointed when he tells her he won't be
returning to Chicago.
Three teenagers involved in a car accident get rushed to the emergency room.
Sixteen-year-old Shannon Mitchell (MAGGIE LAWSON) experiences paralysis below
the waist from a spinal cord injury. The 18-year-old driver, Justin Casey
(NATHAN WEST), sustained minor burns from pulling 17-year-old Travis Mitchell
(ERIC CHRISTIAN OLSEN) out of the vehicle after the gas tank exploded. Mitchell
suffers severe burns with a slim chance of surviving. Casey's blood alcohol
tests positive, but he insists the accident occurred as a result of wrestling
over what music to play on the compact disc player--not alcohol. Just when
Romano thinks he's convinced Benton to join his cardiothoracic team, Benton gets
selected for and accepts the trauma fellowship.
Written by Lydia Woodward
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan
A distracted Lucy fumbles with her notes and appears uninformed when she
performs hospital rounds with Romano, Carter and others. Off Ritalin for two
days, she displays her ineptness with a child patient in the psychiatric
department. She resumes taking the Ritalin. Carter's former protigi, Antoine
Bell, comes to the emergency room with minor injuries. His wallet was stolen. He
later returns--beaten--having retaliated against the thug who robbed him. Now,
Antoine's arms will have to be placed in a cast, and he will be unable to
interview for the summer science lab program.
A patient, Celinda Randlett (TERI GARR), says she is medically empathetic (she
feels what is happening inside other people), and she accurately diagnoses the
patients surrounding her in the emergency room. Celinda asks Hathaway--in the
presence of nurse Lydia Wright (ELLEN CRAWFORD)--when the baby is due. The staff
deduces that Hathaway is pregnant. Greene and Corday perform an ultrasound on
Hathaway that reveals she is bearing twins. Later, the emergency room staff
gives Hathaway an impromptu baby party.
Weaver rescues an abandoned, drugged 2-year-old boy. Romano introduces a
complicated telephone code to the emergency room employees, and Anspaugh becomes
furious with him because of it. Romano offers Corday the cardiothoracic
fellowship that Benton rejected. And Carla informs Benton that she got married
last week and plans to move to Germany with her new husband and Reese. Later,
Benton goes to Carla's apartment, takes Reese from the baby-sitter and brings
him home. Jeanie realizes she cares for Officer Reggie Moore and tells him she
has contracted hepatitis C. They have a meaningful talk. And Greene and Corday
share their first kiss.
This site is not affiliated with NBC or Warner Bros. © 2002 The ER Site