Leave It To Weaver
 

Written by Lydia Woodward
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan

A truck slams into a coffee bar moments after head nurse Carol Hathaway, six months pregnant with twins, leaves it. At Chicago's County General Hospital, attending physician Dr. Mark Greene, gifted British surgeon Dr. Elizabeth Corday, er surgical trauma fellow Dr. Peter Benton, ambitious attending physician Dr. Kerry Weaver and senior resident Dr. John Carter treat the accident victims.
Rumors circulate that Chief of Staff Dr. Donald Anspaugh (recurring special guest star JOHN AYLWARD) wants to return to performing general surgery and appoint obnoxious Dr. Robert Romanoto replace him. At a meeting with department heads plus Anspaugh and Romano, Greene voices his reservations about Romano as Chief of Staff. But when other department bosses support Romano, Weaver expresses her endorsement as well. Romano gets the job and appoints Weaver as the permanent head of the er.
Because of her new appointment as chief, Weaver tells fourth-year medical student Lucy Knight that she can no longer mentor her. She also informs Carter he must move out of her basement apartment. Later, Carter has a rendezvous with Elaine Nichols (recurring special appearance by REBECCA DE MORNAY - "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle"), the former wife of one of Carter's cousins.
Physician Assistant Jeanie Boulet and second year pediatric er resident Dr. Cleo Finch treat an end-stage AIDS patient whose 9-month-old son is also HIV positive. Jeanie's boyfriend, police officer Reggie Moore (recurring special guest star CRESS WILLIAMS), proposes marriage. Croatian transplant Dr. Luka Kovac impresses Hathaway with the gentle way he treats a young patient. Benton and Carla (recurring special guest star LISA NICOLE CARSON) attend a meeting with a family mediator concerning their son, Reese. Greene's mother dies.

Last Rites

Written by Jack Orman
Directed by Felix Enriquez Alcala

After his mother's funeral, Dr. Greene comforts his father (recurring guest star JOHN CULLUM - "Northern Exposure") in San Diego. In Chicago, Romano surprises Corday by appointing her associate chief of surgery. Later, Greene discourages her from accepting the position, but she ignores his advice. Greene treats Amy Stehly (PAIGE MOSS), a 20-year-old with end-stage melanoma (skin cancer) with a "do not resuscitate" order. While her father (MICHAEL HARNEY) is away, the young woman regains consciousness long enough to tell Greene she doesn't want to die. She experiences labored breathing, so Greene intubates her. Her father returns and is furious. Weaver and Greene argue over further treatment. Amy dies.
Dr. Corday treats Elaine, Carter's lover, for breast cancer, recommending a modified radical mastectomy. After seeing Elaine with Corday, Carter inquires about her patient status. Corday divulges the diagnosis. That evening while making love with Carter, Elaine becomes furious when she realizes he knows about her cancer.
After hearing that the mother of the Ortega baby died, Jeanie volunteers to become his foster parent but gets rejected. She realizes she really wants to marry Reggie. Benton meets with a court-appointed therapist, Debra Wexler (BERTILA DAMAS), to determine what's best for Reese. Later, Carla informs Benton that he may not even be Reese's father.
Hathaway helps Vanessa Braga (MYRIAM TUBERT), a 70-year-old woman dying of congestive heart failure. Eventually the woman asks for a Catholic priest. Hathaway tries to locate one. When she returns to the room, she sees Kovac, a Catholic, administering a blessing to the woman who believes he's a priest. Later, Kovac feels Hathaway's protruding stomach as one of her babies kicks.
Easy-going Dr. Dave Malucci, a new second-year resident, and Carter rush to help at a construction-site accident less than two blocks away and get angrily reprimanded by Weaver.

Greene With Envy

Written by Patrick Harbinson
Directed by Peter Markle

Weaver introduces Greene to Dr. Gabriel Lawrence (recurring special appearance by ALAN ALDA - "M.A.S.H."), a distinguished-looking physician reputed to be a founding father of emergency medicine. Greene immediately dislikes him because Weaver never consulted Greene about hiring the new attending. Greene and Lawrence argue about ordering a test for a patient. Corday agrees with Lawrence, upsetting Greene, but later Greene and Corday have sex together for the first time. Lawrence fails to administer a pregnancy test on a pregnant 12-year-old girl and Greene finds the error.
Romano assigns Corday the task of giving newspaper reporter Paula Trancoso (CHRISTINE TUCCI) a tour of the er. Shocked to see Carter, a resident, practicing on patients--even though under Benton's supervision--Paula gets in the way of a trauma. Corday comforts Elaine about her mastectomy. The surgery goes well.
A teenager pretends to be a relative to gain access to a gunshot victim. In reality, he's the shooter and fires several shots then escapes. No one gets hit. Kovac treats Loren Johnson (JENNIFER MORRIS), a battered woman, for a broken arm. He antagonizes her husband who hits him. But later, the couple leaves together.
Benton is grateful because Cleo treats Reese for a fever and an earache. Despite Cleo's warning, the private physician and the parents of a young car accident victim insist on transferring the boy to a private hospital, and he almost dies.
Weaver summons Reggie and Jeanie as they leave for their wedding in New Orleans. Inside a room is baby Carlos Ortega. With Weaver's help, Jeanie has temporary approval as a foster parent. While holding Carlos, Jeanie marries Reggie at the courthouse.

Sins Of The Fathers

Truth And Consequences

Written by R. Scott Gemmill
Directed by Steve DeJarnatt

Multiple casualties arrive at the er due to an explosion in a high school science class. Several students and their critically injured teacher receive treatment. One student, Nathan Perez (ISAIT DE LA FUENTE), has a serious eye injury. His father (MIGUEL SANDOVAL) tries to attack Howie (PATRICK RENNA), the boy who changed the chemicals in class as a joke and caused the accident. Greene subdues Mr. Perez, but the man stops breathing. Carter and Greene work feverishly and revive the father. Malucci treats Quinn (BROOKE BLOOM), a distraught student with burns, but fails miserably at calming the girl. He asks Lucy for help and marvels at her excellent and natural communication skills. During the chaos of the many emergencies, Lawrence becomes noticeably confused and very agitated--something both Greene and Weaver witness.
The cafeteria job does not work out for Meg. Hathaway examines her and tests reveal Meg's drug problem. Hathaway secures a bed in the detox unit for Meg, a position originally promised to one of Lucy's patients, Jesse (VINCENT KARTHEISER), an attractive artist with a cocaine problem. But Meg leaves without any help.
Benton treats Benjamin Hearn (JEFF PETERSON), a 16-year-old with cystic fibrosis, who suffers a tear in his liver due to an accident. His father (JOHN DENNIS JOHNSTON) insists that he and his other son, Aaron (SCOTT FERGUSON), donate blood for Ben's surgery because all three men share the same blood type. But tests reveal that Aaron is HIV positive--something he's afraid to tell his father.
Elaine returns to the hospital and tells Carter that she's leaving the country to recover after her upcoming breast reconstruction surgery. Later, Carter visits Elaine at home and proves he still finds her sexually desirable.
Malucci asks too many questions about Weaver's leg.

The Peace Of Wild Things

Written by John Wells
Directed by Richard Thorpe

Members of the er staff administer to elderly people injured in a nursing home fire. Carter treats an old man who suffers from chronic heart failure. The man's wife, Jean Connelly (recurring guest star AMZIE STRICKLAND), reluctantly agrees to a "do not resuscitate" order, and he dies. While examining an older female patient, Malucci can't diagnose her problem until Haleh tutors him. A gas leak causes an explosion in the suture room. Amid all the chaos, a new clerk, Andrew (ANDREW BOWEN), who does celebrity impersonations, starts working at the front desk.
Hathaway visits Meg at Meg's new job at a pharmacy and witnesses a conversation between Meg and a drug dealer. With the help of Jeanie's husband, Reggie, the dealer and Meg are arrested. Later, Hathaway's co-workers give her a party for the babies.
Weaver speaks with Dr. Renee Spielman (GAIL STRICKLAND - "The American President") at the medical center where Lawrence last worked. She returns to County General and confesses to Greene that she can't terminate her mentor. Greene causes a situation where Lawrence makes a mistake, and the older doctor defiantly leaves. Lawrence later admits to Weaver that he takes medication for early Alzheimer's disease. He realizes that he can no longer practice medicine.
Benton obtains a paternity test kit and acquires specimens from Reese and himself. But he fails to submit the tests for results. Benton tells Carla that he is Reese's father no matter what. And Jeanie resigns because she wants to stay home and take care of her son.

Humpty Dumpty
 

Written by Neal Baer
Directed by Jonathon Kaplan

While at an accident site, Corday attends to a victim, Dean Rollins (recurring guest star LAWRENCE MONOSON). Detective Cruson (LEO ROSSI - "Analyze This") tells Corday that Rollins carjacked a vehicle with a woman inside, and the woman can't be found. Rollins has a life-threatening cut on his carotid artery and needs immediate attention. Corday coerces him into telling her the woman's whereabouts. Once at the hospital, Corday and Benton treat Rollins' multiple injuries. Rollins' victim is found and brought into the er. Weaver and Kovac administer to her multiple stab wounds but to no avail--the woman dies. Tests reveal she was raped. Corday feels conflicted about the heroic measures taken to keep the rapist alive. Later, Weaver offers Kovac a permanent position as Dr. Lawrence's replacement.
Dr. Theresa Chow (ROSALIND CHAO - "The Joy Luck Club") performs a neurological assessment on Dr. Lawrence. While he can remember some things, he forgets others. After his test, Lawrence removes his belongings from his locker. Sitting in the er, Lawrence watches as Carter treats a man experiencing seizures. Carter can't diagnose the problem and knows the man will die without proper medical attention. Carter enlists Lawrence's help and Lawrence saves the man's life.
Cleo treats 15-year-old Chad Kottmeier (EMILE HIRSCH) for possible drug use. Tests reveal no drugs in his system but a large amount of alcohol. Mrs. Kottmeier (ROXANNE HART - "Chicago Hope"), herself an alcoholic, refuses to seek any treatment for her son.
Hathaway visits Meg and her newborn baby in the hospital jail ward on Meg's request. Meg pleads with Hathaway to convince the authorities to release her so she can keep her baby, but because of Meg's drug problem, Hathaway refuses. Meg screams at Hathaway as they take the baby away, upsetting Hathaway.

Great Expectations
 

Written by Jack Orman
Directed by Christopher Misiano

Greene brings his father and his daughter, Rachel (recurring guest star YVONNE ZIMA), to Corday's for Thanksgiving dinner. Later, an embarrassed Rachel starts her first menstrual period, and Corday befriends her. And Mr. Greene falls and cuts his forehead. Corday stitches it in the er.
Kovac rescues Hathaway--who's experiencing severe childbirth pains--in a subway station. He carries her to the er where Weaver delivers Hathaway's first daughter. After transferring up to the Labor and Delivery department, she meets her obstetrics nurse, Abby Lockhardt. Greene, Hathaway's birthing partner, leaves Thanksgiving dinner and arrives while Dr. Coburn (AMY AQUINO) prepares for the birth of the next baby. Hathaway receives an epidural to alleviate the excruciating pain, but a crisis occurs. The second baby has a prolapsed cord--the umbilical cord is being pushed out before the baby, rendering the fetus incapable of receiving oxygen.
With no time to administer anesthesia, Coburn performs an emergency cesarean. Numbed by the epidural but awake, Hathaway is aware of the complications. Finally, her second daughter is born. But Hathaway experiences profuse bleeding, and Coburn prepares to perform a hysterectomy. Hathaway refuses and Greene insists that her wishes be obeyed. She survives intact and marvels at her two little miracles.
Malacci impresses Carter with his knowledge of a strange ailment and admits he attended a less than stellar medical school in Grenada.

How The Finch Stole Christmas
 

Written by Linda Gase
Directed by Fred Einesman

On Christmas Eve, an exhausted Hathaway attends to her 6-week-old daughters, Tess and fussy Kate. Hathaway brings them to the er where Kovac examines Kate. Kate has a fever but will be okay. Haleh and Kovac care for the twins while Hathaway gets some rest.
Meanwhile, rapist and murderer Dean Rollins taunts Corday as she administers to him. The police have found evidence linking him to another murder. Corday discovers that Rollins has a blood clot, but he refuses necessary surgery. Even though she doesn't want to help him, Corday convinces him to have the surgery.
Valerie Page (MINDY CRIST), a 24-year-old heart transplant candidate, gets treated by Lucy who updates Valerie's status because she is critical and needs immediate help. Even though no heart is available, Lucy learns that a special procedure can be performed that may save Valerie's life. Unfortunately, Romano is the only doctor at the hospital who can perform it, and he refuses her request because he is off duty. Lucy barges into his home and convinces him to help.
Carter collects gifts from staff members to secretly give to one another. He tends to a wounded gang member, Taylor Sparks (KENTE SCOTT), and confiscates a gun from the youth. Later, Carter gives Taylor one of the gifts in exchange for the gun he took. Other gang members visit the hospital to trade their guns for gifts. Carter's proud of his accomplishment until a child is killed by one of the gang members who got another gun.
Cleo treats a drunken Chad Kattmeier for a fractured ankle suffered during a party his mother hosted. His mother gave him beer, so Cleo contacts the authorities and forces Chad to enter the hospital's alcohol treatment program immediately, missing Christmas day with his mother.

Family Matters
 

Written by Patrick Harbinson
Directed by Anthony Edwards

A police detective asks Corday to talk with Dean Rollins about where he hid the body of a girl he raped and murdered. Rollins fails to reveal any information. Later, Rollins tells Corday he wants to die. She promises to administer a lethal dose of morphine if he discloses the dead girl's location. She gives him the injection as he's about to confess.
While Carter treats a difficult patient, new er resident Jing-Mei Chen assists him. Carter recognizes Chen, previously known as Deb, a former County General medical student who quit medicine and recently returned. Later, the strong-willed Chen tries to assist a gay female runaway whose parents want to send her to a treatment center for gender identity.
Kovac administers to 18-year-old Dillon (BRIAN HOOKS), accompanied by his 14-year-old developmentally disabled brother, Jake (ANDREW FOGENAY WILSON). The two boys live alone. Kovac tries to help them, but Weaver calls social services, and Adele Neuman (recurring guest star ERICA GIMPEL - "Profiler") insists Dillon can't care for Jake properly. She takes a frightened Jake away. Kovac tells Weaver that his wife and children died in the Bosnian war. He does not believe in separating family members.
Cleo and Benton help high school basketball player Tamara Davis (GABRIELLE UNION). Overwhelmed by her parents' pressuring her to succeed, Cleo realizes that Tamara just needs a rest. Meanwhile, Malucci competently repairs Weaver's car but fears dealing with his young patient, who is dying of cancer and must be told.
After escaping from his retirement facility, Greene's father barricades himself in his home in San Diego. Greene asks his father to move to Chicago and live with him.

The Domino Heart
 

Written by Joe Sachs
Directed by Lesli Linka Glatter

Valerie Page returns to the hospital for a heart transplant. However a fever, probably due to an infection caused by the equipment pumping her heart, jeopardizes the surgery. Despite possible complications, Lucy encourages her to go ahead with the much-awaited heart transplant, and Valerie does. Afterwards, Valerie apparently suffers a stroke and remains brain-dead. Her new heart will now be donated to someone else.
Greene treats Michael Mueller (JUSTIN LOUIS), who is accompanied by his homosexual companion, Curt Oberg (HANK STRATTON). As a result of an asthma medication overdose, Michael suffered a seizure. But Greene realizes that Curt physically abuses his mate and encourages Michael to seek help. Later, Curt becomes critically injured when Michael backs the car into him.
Chen administers to elderly Mrs. Duffy (PEG PHILLIPS) patient with Parkinson's disease. Her primary caregiver and exhausted daughter, Louise (DIANE BAKER), hopes Chen will admit her mother, but Chen refuses. Later, Carter admits Louise for medical tests after she falls--forcing Chen to order a bed for Mrs. Duffy.
Linsey thanks Corday for successfully getting Rollins to reveal the location of the body of Linsey's murdered sister. Corday tricked Rollins, and now he's being transferred to county jail.
Speaking fluent Spanish, Malucci helps Cleo treat two patients suffering the after-effects of taking Mexican drugs, banned in the United States and obtained through unlawful prescriptions. Malucci gathers evidence about the illegal pharmacy.
Hathaway returns to work after giving birth but experiences postpartum depression. Benton asks a clueless Cleo on a date.

Abby Road
 

Written by R. Scott Gemmill
Directed by Richard Thorpe

Hathaway's obstetrics nurse, Abby Lockhart, shows up for work in the er--not as a nurse. Abby's a third-year medical student starting her er rotation. She learns working in the er differs greatly from working in the obstetrics department after a patient bites her arm, and Abby makes a misdiagnosis on a patient who eventually suffers a heart attack.
Cleo treats 13-year-old Marty Dorset (CHRISTOPHER MARQUETTE), a boy who is noticeably small for his age. An examination reveals bruises on his back, and Marty explains that the kids at school beat him up because of his size. Marty also suffers from infected needle marks on his thighs as a result of taking human growth hormones he obtains off the internet. But the needles he keeps reusing may be responsible for bacteria in his bloodstream causing a serious heart infection.
Because Medicaid refuses to cover the treatment, Benton arranges free plastic surgery on a girl with a severe facial disfigurement from a dog-bite. But Romano refuses to allow free use of the hospital operating room. When Romano becomes too ill from kidney stones and can't finish a surgery, Benton completes it for him. Benton expects a favor in return--operating room time for the girl's surgery. Romano doesn't object.
Kovac and Hathaway administer to a chronically ill 3-year-old boy. Hathaway proves that his mother, Kathleen Brant (GIULIANA SANTINI) intentionally induces the boy's symptoms. Isabelle Corday (recurring guest star JUDY PARFITT) arrives in Chicago as a guest lecturer and meets with her daughter, Elizabeth. Cleo shows Greene that she can play basketball as well as a man.

Be Still My Heart

Written by Lydia Woodward
Directed by Laura Innes

Abby experiences a difficult time obeying a patient's request. Eighty-one-year-old Jean Connelly has a life-threatening infection but doesn't want any heroic measures taken to prolong her life. Carter insists Abby obey the patient's wishes. Abby stays with the woman until she dies. Malucci and Chen work on Dr. George Hudson (LENNY WOLPE), but the two residents compete so much with each other, they don't listen to their patient.
A family of four is involved in a car accident. Cleo and Haleh take care of the two mildly injured children, ages five and eleven. Members of the er staff work hard to keep the parents alive but to no avail. Hathaway and Kovac tell the kids that their parents did not survive the car accident.
Romano operates on his beloved dog, Gretel, while Corday assists. Isabelle arrives at the hospital just in time to witness her daughter working on the dog. Later, she observes as Corday performs CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on an accident victim. Corday finally impresses her mother. Greene, Corday, David Greene and Isabelle go out for a special dinner, and David Greene and Isabelle sing a duet onstage.
Lucy treats Paul Sobriki (recurring guest star DAVID KRUMHOLTZ - "Liberty Heights"), a 23-year-old law student. Initially Lucy believes he only suffers from a migraine headache, but the patient later exhibits altered mental status and begins babbling. Lucy believes he's schizophrenic, requests a psychiatric consult and waits with her patient. As Lucy's supervisor, Carter needs her to attend to other patients. When he enters Sobriki's exam room, Sobriki viciously stabs Carter in the back with a large knife. Carter falls and sees Lucy lying on the ground soaked in her own blood.

All In The Family

Written by Jack Orman
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan

Irritated by a raucous Valentine's Day party in the admittance area as she comes on duty, Weaver attends to a few situations before entering the horrifying examination room where Carter and Lucy lie in massive amounts of blood, almost dead from numerous stab wounds. The police close off the crime scene and search the premises for the presumed attacker, Lucy's schizophrenic patient Paul Sobriki.
Benton helps Weaver perform an emergency tracheotomy on Lucy, but he must soon deal with Carter's possible spinal injury and uncontrollable internal bleeding from lower abdominal injuries. Barely regaining consciousness but aware of his situation, Carter takes comfort from Benton. Greene and Corday rush to the er after being paged during a night out with his father and her mother. They assist Weaver as she saws through Lucy's chest bone to repair her heart and liver wounds. But Romano and Corday must later remove Lucy's severely lacerated spleen. In the next operating room, Anspaugh convinces Benton to try another tactic before removing Carter's kidney; the maneuver works.
Finally, after Romano and Corday stabilize her, Lucy awakens. As she thanks the emotional Corday, Lucy suffers a pulmonary embolism. The doctors again open her chest to clear the clots. But despite their heroic efforts, Lucy dies. When Carter recovers, his relief at not being paralyzed is dampened by the news of Lucy's death. Gradually, Lucy's co-workers learn the terrible news as well.
During the chaos, Greene and Weaver realize that Paul got the butcher knife from a cake tray at the Valentine's Day party. The disoriented and paranoid Paul is soon brought in and arrested after being hit by a van while running naked from the hospital. As multiple trauma victims continue to arrive by ambulance, the mourning doctors go on with their work, minus one of their own.

Be Patient

Written by Sandy Kropf
Directed by Ken Kwapis

Kovac witnesses a car hitting 10-year-old Laura Williams (KAYLI and KELSI DeGREGORIO) then speeding away. Unable to wait for an ambulance, Kovac enlists a plumber to rush the young victim, via the plumber's truck, to the hospital while Kovac administers to her. At the hospital, Benton operates on Laura's life-threatening liver laceration. Benton believes the girl would not have survived if Kovac had followed procedure and waited for the paramedics.
Much to the chagrin of Corday, her mother and David Greene are having a sexual relationship. Corday and Isabelle resolve some of their disagreements. After reading his father's x-ray, Greene learns that his dad suffers from incurable lung cancer. Isabelle, David, Corday and Greene go bowling together. Later, Greene talks to his dad, who admits he already knew about the cancer.
Hathaway tries to help two young, sexually active schoolgirls, Andrea (CARA DELIZIA) and Terri (RACHEL CRANE). A medical test reveals 14-year-old Andrea's cervical cancer, which is due to infection from a sexual partner. Hathaway informs her that she needs surgery. But Andrea doesn't want her parents to discover her sexual promiscuity and leaves with Terri. Later Andrea attempts suicide and returns to the er. Andrea survives, and Hathaway tries to convince her to tell her parents.
Carter goes through an excruciatingly painful physical therapy session and then returns to his wheelchair. Barbara Knight (GWYNYTH WALSH - "The Crush"), Lucy's mother, removes Lucy's belongings from her locker. She visits Carter and talks with him about her daughter's final moments of life. Benton and Cleo go out on another date.

Under Control

Written by Neal Baer and Joe Sachs
Directed by Christopher Misiano

On crutches, Carter hobbles back to the emergency room for the first time since his life-threatening attack and tries to overcome the intense pain from his injuries in order to perform his job. He treats diabetic patient Adam Pulido (KEITH LANGSDALE), who attempted suicide by taking an overdose of drugs, and prescribes a controversial new procedure for him without permission.
Meanwhile, Greene supervises a chaotic er shift while being distracted by his father, who refuses treatment for his incurable lung cancer. Rushed to the hospital because of labored breathing, Mr. Greene chooses Corday instead of his son as his attending physician and confides to her about the cancer. Greene treats a patient who has a poisonous gila monster attached to his hand.
Chen administers to the handsome male ICU (Intensive Care Unit) head nurse, Frank Bacon (MORRIS CHESTNUT - "The Best Man," "Under Siege 2: Dark Territory"). Believing his fainting episodes mean nothing, Frank helps Chen with her patients. Chen finally diagnoses his illness and admits him.
While performing a procedure, Abby makes a mistake that accelerates the death of terminal cancer patient Kim Tadlock (CAL GIBSON). She later visits the morgue and practices the procedure on a cadaver--Kim. Meanwhile, Hathaway is plagued by innocuous calls from her nanny. Corday attempts to keep a brain-dead patient alive in order to harvest organs, and Benton and Cleo enjoy a sensual game of billiards.

Viable Options

Written by Patrick Harbinson
Directed by Marita Grabiak

Two men involved in a car accident arrive at the er by ambulance. Chen administers to one of them, Terry Waters (MITCH PILEGGI - "The X-Files"), a belligerent 46-year-old. Waters' daughter arrives and discusses with Chen personality changes her father has recently undergone. Later, Chen diagnoses him with Huntington's disease, a progressive neurological disorder--a genetic disease. But Waters refuses to disclose the illness to his daughter even though she might also harbor the disease.
A kidney becomes available for transplant, and Kovac preps a patient. But tests reveal the man suffers from unstable angina. The next candidate arrives at the hospital and discovers she's 8-weeks pregnant. Since she chooses to keep the baby, she can't have the transplant. A third candidate tests positive for cocaine. While Kovac waits for a fourth candidate, Corday takes the cocaine user upstairs for surgery out of fear that the kidney will be damaged if surgery gets delayed.
Weaver treats a severely retarded, 14-year-old girl with San Filippo Syndrome who can't even feed herself. Her foster mother does not have the authority to give Weaver permission to do the necessary procedure. Romano believes Weaver is simply prolonging the girl's life and forbids her from performing it. Weaver defies him and Romano suspends her.
David Greene expresses a desire to move out on his own. A prescription mix-up almost kills a patient. And Kovac barbecues dinner at Hathaway's house--during a snowstorm.

Match Made In Heaven

Written by R. Scott Gemmill
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan

While treating Eli (MATT DOHERTY - "The Mighty Ducks" films), a 16-year-old auto accident victim, Cleo realizes that the boy's small bowel may be perforated. She wants Corday to do exploratory surgery, but Corday disagrees with the tentative diagnosis. Cleo enlists Benton to do the surgery instead. When Corday finds out, she becomes furious at both Benton and Cleo. After punishing Benton by performing the surgery herself, Corday tells Cleo that the boy had no abdominal injuries.
Abby administers to Lynn Parker (KERRI LEE GREEN), an exhausted mother of five small children, who fainted in a grocery store. When tests confirm Lynn's pregnancy, Abby concludes Lynn is starving herself in order to induce a miscarriage. Abby suggests an abortion. Lynn undergoes the procedure but doesn't want her husband to know.
With Weaver on suspension, an overworked Kovac initially suspects his patient, Rick Simpson (DAN LAURIA - "The Wonder Years"), suffers from an anxiety disorder, but tests reveal he has leukemia. Later, Kovac shows Hathaway a tattered photo of his deceased wife and daughter.
Carter shoves Chen out of the way and takes over when he believes Chen fails to intubate a patient fast enough. Carter sadly discovers that Lucy got accepted as a resident to the psychiatry program at County General.
Greene's apartment resembles a hospital room as his father's health rapidly deteriorates. A hired nurse cares for Greene's dad when Greene is at work. Greene lovingly administers to his father, but David hates being a burden to his son.

The Fastest Year

Written by Lydia Woodward
Directed by Richard Thorpe

Millicent Carter (recurring guest star FRANCES STERNHAGEN - "Cheers") encourages her grandson, Dr. Carter, to seek professional help. Carter, who has been living with her since his traumatic attack, can't sleep. He consults with Dr. DeRaad (JOHN DOMAN), County General's chief psychiatrist. Later, Carter meets with his attacker's wife.
Abby treats Delia (DAKOTA FANNING), a 5-year-old car accident victim. Tests prove a recurrence of Delia's leukemia. A previous search for a bone marrow donor netted no results. Her father, Avery Chadsey (STEVEN FLYNN - "Ulee's Gold"), is not a match. Abby discovers that Avery has a child, Jessamyn (JULIE MARIE BERMAN), with his first wife. Against Avery's wishes, Abby meets with Jessamyn and convinces the 16-year-old to test as a donor.
Cleo and Benton visit Jackie's (recurring guest star KHANDI ALEXANDER - HBO's "The Corner") house. Although Jackie likes Cleo, she warns her brother that Cleo appears uninterested in a serious, long-term relationship. Weaver returns to work after her suspension. Carter administers to 76-year-old Ruth Pooler (RUTH MANNING), an asthma patient with high blood pressure. Unable to afford her own prescriptions, she took her husband's medication and became ill.
After his father is treated for pneumonia and released from the hospital, Greene takes Greene Sr. to Lake Michigan. Here, Greene Sr., a former naval officer, goes on his last boat ride.
Kovac helps Hathaway purchase a used car at a dealership. Later, he recounts to her how his wife and children died during the Bosnian war. Unfortunately the car stops working. They sit on the car and share their first kiss.

Loose Ends

Written by Neal Baer
Directed by Kevin Hooks

A weary Greene takes care of his dying father at home. Corday visits, and David gives her the pearls he presented his wife on their wedding day. After taking an afternoon nap, Greene wakes up and discovers his father is dead. Corday returns and comforts a grief-stricken Greene.
Kovac gives Hathaway a bouquet of flowers for her birthday. But it's the gift Ross sends that makes her the happiest--dozens of boxes of animal crackers.
Chen administers to a 4-year-old boy experiencing a long, violent seizure resulting in brain damage. Tests reveal a rare metabolic disorder. County General doesn't routinely perform the test that shows this ailment when a baby is born. Chen starts a petition to rectify the situation and gets a reluctant Romano to sign it.
Benton argues with Kovac concerning the treatment Kovac gave Chet Fulton (LINCOLN KILPATRICK) over one month ago. Now Benton's patient, Fulton needs a below knee amputation due to vascular insufficiency and the lack of proper preventive treatment. Benton blames Kovac for failing to perform the type of follow-up Benton does.
Weaver reprimands Carter for doing a dangerous procedure without consulting Kovac. She also talks to Hathaway about Hathaway's lack of focus on the job. And while treating a 6-year-old patient involved in a minor car accident, Malucci and Cleo discover the girl has been sexually molested recently by her father.

Such Sweet Sorrow

Written by John Wells
Directed by John Wells

A sleep deprived Carter experiences mood changes, and Chen worries about him. He gives a patient the wrong intravenous medication. When the patient experiences a drug reaction, Carter administers the antidote but doesn't admit to the error. Chen implores Greene to talk to Carter. Remarkably, Carter willingly agrees to see a therapist.
Hathaway takes care of a 38-year-old, end-stage cancer patient, Shelagh O'Brien (RACHEL SINGER). Shelagh's husband, Steve (LOUIS MUSTILLO), and their two young daughters accompany Shelagh. Shelagh has a DNR (Do Not Rescucitate) order. Later, with Steve at her side, Shelagh stops breathing. Steve begs Hathaway to help bring her back because his daughters need to say good-bye. Hathaway enlists Kovac's help without telling him Shelagh is Weaver's patient. They successfully resuscitate her. When Weaver finds out, she's furious at both Kovac and Hathaway. And Kovac becomes angry at Hathaway. They resolve the problem and kiss. Later, Hathaway confesses she still loves Ross. Shelagh dies with her family by her side. After witnessing the wonderful, close family bond Shelagh and Steve shared, Hathaway realizes she must see if she and Ross are meant for each other. She travels to Seattle, Washington, and reunites with her soul mate, Dr. Doug Ross. The happy couple embrace and kiss.
Greene boxes the unused medical supplies in his apartment. Corday explains to Malucci that the hospital staff doesn't respect him as a physician, and he needs to get serious about his commitment to medicine. Under Malucci's supervision, Abby fails to properly diagnose a woman with a tubo-ovarian abscess, and the patient almost dies. Corday encourages Greene to give his mother's pearls to Rachel. The gift delights his daughter.

May Day

Written by Jack Orman
Directed by Jonathon Kaplan

Benton and Kovac rush via helicopter to a school where a shooting has occurred. The two dedicated physicians argue about which patient gets airlifted first. Kovac transports 11-year-old Nicholas Rosato (KYLE SULLIVAN) forcing Benton to stay with the critically wounded adult gunman. At the hospital, the boy's injuries prove to be much more serious than previously thought. So when Benton finally reaches the hospital after the gunman expires, his argument with Kovac proves unfounded. Benton and Corday successfully perform simultaneous but different surgeries on Nicholas causing Cleo to feel a little jealous.
Paramedics transport 18-year-old college student Gloria Milton (EMILY BERGL - "The Rage: Carrie 2") bleeding from a knife wound. She's 8-months pregnant, and Kovac deduces she stabbed herself to induce a miscarriage. Since the monitor reveals fetal distress, Kovac and other doctors encourage Gloria to undergo a Cesarean section, but she refuses. Kovac tries in vain to get a court order for the procedure. Gloria delivers a stillborn.
Carter administers to Gary Mednick (DON TOOK), an agitated car accident victim with a dislocated hip. Carter gives Mednick an injection of fentanyl (a narcotic painkiller). But Carter doesn't give him the full dosage. Later, Abby witnesses Carter covertly injecting himself with the remainder of the fentanyl. She reports her finding to Greene. Greene, Weaver, Abby, Benton, Chen and Anspaugh perform a drug intervention. Greene gives Carter an ultimatum--seek professional help for drug addiction or be terminated. Benton accompanies Carter on the plane to a drug addiction facility for physicians in Atlanta, Georgia.

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