ER

Greene and Corday contract poison ivy after a romantic outing together. Dr. Chen keeps her pregnancy a secret. Carter finishes a drug rehabilitation program. Romano appoints Benton as a new surgical attending physician. Because Abby's husband failed to pay her medical school tuition, she gets temporarily deleted from the program. Members of two rival high school football teams and some of their fans cause a disturbance in the ER while a player gets treated.

Carter encounters Abby at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, and, later, Abby reluctantly agrees to serve as his sponsor. An elderly diabetes patient who refuses to be consistent with dialysis appointments needs surgery. Romano refuses to treat the man. Benton clashes with Romano over this decision. Chen divulges her pregnancy to Weaver. Kovac and Weaver are frustrated when the life partner of a comatose woman is unable to legally make a decision about the woman's care. Dr. Greene proposes to Corday and surprises her with a new house. Abby spends time with a couple and their extremely premature baby, who they are aware has only a few hours to live.

Romano vindictively terminates Benton after being fined for a matter that Benton reported to the county inspector. Abby and Kovac share a kiss. Malucci insists on finding out the father of Chen's baby. Carter takes care of an amazingly competent young paraplegic. An accident at a science-fiction convention sends an eccentric group of patients into the ER. And a new desk clerk causes trouble by telephoning his policeman friend and having patients arrested for outstanding warrants.

Benton is unable to find a job after Romano negatively influences local hospitals. He reluctantly agrees to accept Romano's demeaning offer of a per diem job at County with no benefits. Kovac and Abby are attacked by a mugger with a steel pipe. Injured, Kovac protects Abby and smashes the robber's head on the ground repeatedly. Later, the man dies in the emergency room. Benton's sister, Jackie, worries about the dangerous teenagers that her son, Jesse, is associating with through his girlfriend.

Greene flies in a helicopter to a remote area of Indiana to rescue a heart transplant patient. The helicopter develops problems, and Greene arranges for paramedics to transport the patient to County. Because Weaver is gone for the day, Romano appoints Benton in charge of the ER. Kovac is plagued by the death of the mugger. Abby comforts Kovac and makes love with him. Carter treats a teenage boy who is unaware that he is HIV positive.

Corday rushes through a surgical procedure in order to take off on a romantic weekend with Greene. She is later called back to the hospital after her patient suffers complications. Abby's mother, Maggie (SALLY FIELD), who suffers from bipolar disorder (manic-depressive) and refuses to take her medication, unexpectedly visits Abby at the hospital and wreaks havoc on Abby's life. Benton's nephew dies from a gunshot wound. Chen decides that she will give her baby up for adoption after it is born.

Tests reveal that Greene has a brain tumor, but he hides the news from Corday. Corday finds out that she is being sued for malpractice. She also reveals to Greene that she is pregnant. Abby's mother refuses to leave. Abby expresses resentment over her difficult childhood to her mother but resignedly brings her home for Thanksgiving dinner. Weaver shares an intimate dinner with a female psychologist from the hospital. The psychologist reveals that she is a lesbian.

Maggie's emotional instability worsens. She refuses her medication, becomes combative and flees the hospital. Abby finds solace with Kovac. The gang member girlfriend of Benton's deceased nephew knows who killed the dead boy who was hated for his antigang stance. Corday undergoes questioning in a malpractice suit and lies under oath to hide her error. Greene finds out that his brain tumor is malignant and inoperable, giving him eight weeks to live. He is forced to reveal his devastating news to Corday.

Chen gives birth, but insists on breastfeeding the infant before she gives it to the adoptive parents. Greene and Corday consult a brain specialist in New York City who believes the tumor can be safely removed. Stressed and tired, Carter impulsively swallows two painkiller pills but intentionally vomits them. He confesses to Abby. After Legaspi receives a gift from Weaver, Legaspi confesses she wants more than friendship from her and kisses her.

An overbearing father (JAMES BELUSHI) is guilt-ridden after injuring his son in a car accident. But the accident is a result of the father's undetected heart condition, and he undergoes heart bypass surgery. In New York City, Corday comforts Greene as a brain specialist removes the tumor. Although Greene experiences a minor seizure, the operation is a success. The gang members who killed Benton's nephew receive a 10-year sentence.

Benton and Cleo clash over his deceased nephew's girlfriend. They finally agree to call a social worker. Benton confesses his love to Cleo. The spinal surgery malpractice suit is settled by employing a technicality: the equipment used was later recalled by the manufacturer. But Corday now doubts her abilities as a surgeon. A bishop (JAMES CROMWELL) becomes interested in Kovac's faith. After receiving a splendid review from Weaver, Carter finally admits he almost violated his drug treatment. Weaver confesses to Legaspi that she is romantically interested in her.

Greene returns to work but confuses words and displays uncharacteristic anger. Eager to get out of his per diem situation, Benton agrees to a full time position. Carter visits his cousin, who became paralyzed after a drug overdose. A workplace disaster results in numerous injuries and fatalities among illegal immigrants. Corday regains her self confidence after she successfully performs a difficult surgery. After an unpleasant day, Weaver finds comfort with her new lover, Legaspi.

Weaver becomes concerned about Greene's cognitive skills and surrepticiously calls for an official evaluation of his competency. Corday plans her wedding to Greene. Bishop Stewart (JAMES CROMWELL) returns, and Kovacs realizes the man has a terrible disease. Dateless for a charity function, Carter invites Abby to attend with him. Kovac pretends he's not jealous. While there, Abby has a terrible encounter with her ex-husband and his young girlfriend.

As the new director of diversity, Benton studies medical school applications and discovers that his own academic record did not qualify him--he was admitted because of affirmative action. Weaver feels uncomfortable amongst Legaspi's lesbian friends. Carter treats an unvaccinated child who contracted measles. Kovac undergoes an epiphany as he administers to the terminally ill Bishop Stewart. An investigator recommends extensive physical and mental compentency tests for Greene.

In the series' 150th episode, a massive train wreck mobilizes the emergency room doctors. Corday, Carter and Kovac rush to the scene. Corday falls and injures her back, bringing on contractions in only her 25th week of pregnancy. While amputating the legs of a fallen firefighter, Corday stops because of her pain. She accompanies an injured boy and rides back to the hospital in a helicopter. Meanwhile, Carter finished the amputations. Abby helps the contractions safely subside. The bishop helps Kovac reconcile with his past before the bishop dies.

Weaver fears for her own reputation when Legaspi is accused of sexual harassment. Afraid to reveal her relationship with Legaspi--for both personal and professional reasons--Weaver fails to support her during the investigation. An infant is abducted from the hospital and later found on a train platform. Greene and Corday are overjoyed by his competency assessment: Greene is deemed capable of working.

A demented patient causes a shootout in the emergency room. After terrorizing people in the ER with a gun, she gets shot by a policeman. She soon dies. Benton later discover her dementia was caused by an aftereffect of his surgery that he and Cleo should have detected. Carter pursues a cute intern. After a particularly long surgery, Corday decides to take her maternity leave. And April Fool's pranks abound in the ER.

Numerous mishaps threaten to mar Corday and Greene's wedding day. As the very pregnant Corday becomes increasingly agitated, the presence of her bickering divorced parents does little to improve her mood. With the intense rain, Greene has a difficult time making it to the church. But, evenutally, he arrives and they joyfully wed. The emergency room is inundated with female prisoners whose bus crashed.

Abby and Carter travel to Oklahoma to rescue Abby's mentally ill mother (SALLY FIELD) and bring her back to Chicago. In Chicago, Maggie suffers from a sleeping pills overdose. At County General, Kovac frantically revives her. Benton treats a college student injured in a fraternity prank. Benton also treats his former high school teacher, who first awakened his interest in science. Corday gives birth to a beautiful girl, Ella.

Maggie contests Abby's attempt to institutionalize her. Weaver treats a few bizarre patients. When Legaspi returns to work after being exonerated of sexual harassment, Weaver tries to reconcile with her. Benton injures his hand while transporting his former teacher to the hospital and must contend with the teacher's wisecracking elderly buddies (TOM BOSLEY and TOM POSTON). Carter treats a young woman who is bleeding profusely. Carter is outraged when he learns that the patient's boyfriend secretly gave her herbs to induce a miscarriage.

Cleo and Carla clash after Reese gets hurt while in Cleo's care. Weaver and Kovac cannot save the life of a developmentally challenged woman's only caregiver. Abby goes to a therapy session with Maggie. Later, Abby confesses to Maggie that she is afraid to bear children because they might be bipolar like her mother. Weaver tells both Carter and Chen that they will not be chief resident next year. Weaver is hurt to learn that Legaspi is already dating another woman. And Greene has a 7-year-old child abuse victim placed in protective custody, infuriating the boy's father Derek Fossen.

Cleo breaks a vial of AIDS-tainted blood, which pierces her skin. Carter gives Chen a good peer review and applies for a job elsewhere. Kovac submits Abby's application to reenter medical school without informing her. A rampaging gunman kills and injures over one dozen children and adults. Greene realizes the killer is Derek Fossen, the father of the little boy Greene had placed in protective custody. The vengeful Fossen killed his son's foster caretakers and shot a cab driver en route to his next destination--Greene's house. But police wound Fossen and bring him to County General. Greene transports Fossen to surgery. Alone with the conscious but restrained mass murderer in an elevator, Greene purposely allows him to go into cardiac arrest and die.