Épisode Le plus beau des cadeaux S07E09 - ER Saison 7

INT. ADMIT DESK AREA

It's pre-dawn. Haleh and Amira are watching a news broadcast on TV; the image is of a snowplow clearing the street. Around them, the ER's not looking very busy.

TELEVISION: If you're just waking up, give yourself some extra time to get to work... (the TV fades out)

HALEH: I know they didn't plow my street. First major snowfall, they always take three days to get their act together.

Kerry comes in from outside.

KERRY: Oh, God, it's freezing outside.

AMIRA: Hey, Dr. Weaver, any trouble getting in?

KERRY: No, I didn't even bother with my car. I just took the El. Hey, John, what are you still doing here? I thought you were off at three.

Carter has traded his lab coat for a suit coat, ready to leave. He puts some charts away on the rack.

CARTER: Five car pile-up on the expressway.

KERRY: How many did we get?

CARTER: Six out of eight. Three went up to the OR. two to the SICU and one's waiting on a monitored bed. Spent the last four hours catching up.

KERRY: How did our temp attending do?

HALEH: Worthless. Carter here had to keep the board running.

CARTER: Thank you, Haleh. Hey, what happened to the attending we had last week?

KERRY: Got a job in the Bahamas.

CARTER: (pulls on his coat) I knew that guy was too smart for this place.

KERRY: Where do you need me?

CARTER: I think we're through the thick of it. Those are the dispos. I signed out the rest to Malucci. (to Haleh) Oh, will you, uh, give Mr. Phelps a Bactrim and discharge him?

HALEH: Yeah.

CARTER: Thank you. And I think I am out of here.

Carter heads for the door. Kerry catches up to him on his way out, and stops him to talk.

KERRY: Hey! John. I'm sorry that I put you on nights so soon but with Mark gone the schedule's a mess.

CARTER: Hey, we all do our share of nights. You heard from him?

KERRY: Mark? No? They got there Tuesday. I didn't want to call. I mean, if it's good news...

CARTER: Yeah. Well, I will see you at four o'clock this afternoon.

KERRY: (heading back to Admit desk) Make it five, we'll cover for you.

CARTER: Thanks.

EXT. AMBULANCE BAY

Wide angle shot of the whole bay. There's a guy out there shovelling snow. Carter walks out the door and across the bay as the subtitle...

SUBTITLE: "The Greatest of Gifts"

appears. Soft, tinkly Christmas music plays. "The First Noel."

EXT. STREET

Carter walks along the sidewalk to the El station.

INT. CARTER'S BATHROOM/BEDROOM

Carter, wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, wipes condensation off the bathroom mirror (I guess he just had a shower), looks at himself in the mirror, rubs his eyes -- he looks tired -- shuts off the bathroom light, closes the heavy curtain against the sun that's now coming up, and flops into his 4-poster bed. He nuzzles the pillow a little, obviously happy to be there. He gets a solid 2 seconds of shut-eye before his pager goes off. He picks it up, looks at it, and flops his head back on the pillow in disappointment -- no sleep today.

INT. DELIVERY ROOM

Chen's in the bed, not having a good time of it. She's teary, tense, terrified and tired, but also trying. (See what I did there?) Dr. Coburn and a nurse are there. The nurse hangs up the phone.

NURSE: Anesthesiologist is on his way.

CHEN: (sighs) How long?

NURSE: A couple of minutes.

COBURN: Jing-Mei, I'm gonna need you to relax for a second, okay?

Coburn puts her (gloved) hand right up Chen's, uh, you know. Chen makes a noise in discomfort. Coburn takes her hand out.

COBURN: Yeah, I know, I know. (to nurse) Dilated to 4 centimetres, completely effaced, zero station. Start with the Pertosin at two per minute and up it every 20 minutes.

Carter, who's smiling) comes to the door, knocks, then slips into the room.

CARTER: Is it okay to come in?

Chen seems to be very glad he's here.

CHEN: Oh, John, I'm so sorry to call you.

He comes and takes her hand.

CARTER: It's okay, it's okay.

CHEN: I waited as long as I could, I didn't want to wake you.

CARTER: (reassuring) Don't worry, I'm not working.

COBURN: Jing-Mei, I'm going to rupture your membranes just to help you move along a little, okay?

She sticks her hand down there again.

CARTER: What time did you go into labour?

CHEN: Midnight.

CARTER: Where?

CHEN: At home, I took a cab.

COBURN: (takes her hand out) All done.

CHEN: Oh. You know, I thought I could do this by myself, but I can't...

She starts to cry. Carter puts an arm around her shoulders.

CARTER: (gentle) Oh, hey. It's okay, you don't have to.

Chen cringes in pain.

CHEN: Ah... Oh...

CARTER: Contraction?

She nods through she pain, and breathes rapidly.

CARTER: Okay, squeeze my hand... squeeze my hand.

COBURN: There you go, you're doing great Jing-Mei, you're doing great, we'll get the epidural working soon.

Carter and Chen both nod.

CHEN: Uh-huh.

CARTER: Have you taken any birthing classes?

She nods.

CARTER: Lamaze? Bradley?

She nods.

CARTER: Which one? Lamaze?

She nods.

CARTER: Okay, take, good, take a deep breath. In, in...

She does take a deep breath, then tips her head back to let out a scream of pain, which takes us to the...

CREDITS

INT. CLEO'S HOUSE - BEDROOM

Cleo and Benton are sleeping in the bed together. They're in spoon formation. Cleo's the Little Spoon. Cleo wakens when she hears indistinct voices coming from downstairs.

CLEO: Peter.

He doesn't really wake up. For the rest of this conversation, she's alert and worried, but he's groggy.

CLEO: (again) Peter.

BENTON: (sleepy) Yeah?

CLEO: Listen.

BENTON: What?

CLEO: Voices.

BENTON: It's Kynesha.

CLEO: Talking to herself?

BENTON: She's probably just watching TV.

CLEO: Peter.

BENTON: What?

CLEO: You brought her here.

She nudges him. He groans.

CLEO: Go.

BENTON: Mmm.

He forces himself out of bed.

INT. CLEO'S LIVING ROOM

Actually, it's more of a piano room, given the grand piano taking up most of the room. On the piano there are several framed pictures. Kynesha and another girl her age, named Tiny, are picking up broken glass pieces of a picture that seems to have fallen on the floor. We join them mid-conversation.

KYNESHA: No, no, no you don't. This girl stays uptight.

TINY: Can't be too uptight let you stay here by yourself.

KYNESHA: Get mad every time I turn on a light.

TINY: Place this nice, she's worried about the electric bill. Sure has straight teeth.

I'm not sure if that last sentence is a figure-of-speech or a reference to a photograph of Cleo. Anyway, they finish picking up all the larger pieces of glass, and Kynesha goes to put those pieces and the frame somewhere else. Benton comes down the stairs into the room, still in pajamas.

BENTON: (to Tiny) Who are you?

TINY: (re: picture frame) Uh, I was just looking at it.

BENTON: Where's Kynesha?

Kynesha comes back, carrying a broom.

KYNESHA: Hey, Dr. Benton.

BENTON: Kynesha, who's this?

KYNESHA: This is Tiny.

TINY: (smiles at Benton) Hey.

KYNESHA: Tiny got locked out. Her sister ain't coming home 'til seven.

BENTON: (glances to door) You went out?

KYNESHA: No.

BENTON: So, someone else is wearing your boots, huh?

KYNESHA: I went to check on my mom. Tiny said she came back, was looking for me, was pretty messed up.

BENTON: All right, um... (to Tiny) You live in the building?

TINY: Yeah.

BENTON: All right, grab your stuff, I'll take you home. Kynesha, you better clean this up before Cleo comes down.

He turns to head back upstairs.

EXT. NEW YORK STREET

Elizabeth crosses a courtyard to bring Mark a cup of coffee, where he's waiting for her. She hands it to him. She has a hot beverage too.

ELIZABETH: Okay? There, you have you coffee. Now, let's go.

Mark doesn't move. He's looking past Elizabeth at something else.

ELIZABETH: Mark, I don't want to keep this man waiting. He's jammed us into his schedule.

We see what Mark's looking at -- two kids playing with a ball. One of them's wearing a red felt jester-style hat.

ELIZABETH: (notices his expression) What?

MARK: The kid with the red hat.

ELIZABETH: What about him?

MARK: I saw another kid wearing that exact hat three weeks ago. I was buying groceries for Thanksgiving dinner, now I'm in New York, waiting for a miracle.

ELIZABETH: Well, maybe it's a sign.

MARK: Either that or the Grim Reaper wears a red hat.

ELIZABETH: I didn't come with you to hear you talk like that.

MARK: I thought that was healthy.

ELIZABETH: Well, it's not.

MARK: I should just stick with denial?

ELIZABETH: I prefer guarded optimism until Dr. Burke maps the brain and gives us his opinion.

MARK: Yeah, then I can hear bad news twice.

ELIZABETH: If you really believed that, you'd have called Rachel by now.

MARK: Just call her up and tell her over the phone?

ELIZABETH: No, you could have flown out there for the day, but you didn't. Why?

MARK: I have a feeling you're going to tell me.

ELIZABETH: Yes, because deep down you really do believe that this technology and this surgeon can help you and you don't want to tell her until you know you'll be all right.

MARK: Yeah, or I'm desperate.

ELIZABETH: You've seen enough patients in your time overcome illnesses they shouldn't have to understand the importance of a positive outlook. Now you have to believe it's possible!

He looks at her. Then:

MARK: I think I'm a little nervous.

ELIZABETH: Well, me too.

They kiss. Not passionately, just in a nice, reassuring way.

INT. DELIVERY ROOM

Chen's looking a bit better. I guess the epidural's working. Carter's still holding her hand, and he strokes her hair. There's now a second nurse in the room, who's helping Dr. Coburn put on a gown. The nurse who talks, though, is still the original who was in the first scene. I'll call her "NURSE1". "NURSE3" is the one that comes in in this scene. "NURSE2" has no lines.

NURSE: Heart rate is 150 with type 1 dips.

CHEN: (concerned) Is that a normal decel?

COBURN: (no biggie) Yeah, that's good cardiac activity.

CARTER: I thought you got high honours in OB.

CHEN: (manages a smile) Oh, I did.

Door opens, and NURSE3 enters.

NURSE3: Excuse me, the adoptive parents are here, can I show them in?

COBURN: Yes.

CHEN: No! (looks to Carter) John, do you mind?

Carter nods. He releases her hand and goes to step outside.

INT. HALLWAY

The adoptive parents are waiting in the hallway. Their names are James and Linda. He's black and she's of Asian descent. Carter comes out to them.

CARTER: Hi, are you the adoptive parents?

JAMES: Yes, James and Linda. Are you the doctor?

He shakes Carter's hand.

CARTER: I'm a friend of Deb's.

JAMES: Who?

CARTER: (pardon me) Jing-Mei. (then) I'm John Carter.

LINDA: Is there a problem?

CARTER: (shakes head) No. She's starting to push, baby's healthy, could be any minute now.

JAMES: We should get in there.

CARTER: Well... she's feeling a little overwhelmed.

LINDA: She said we could be at the birth.

CARTER: I know, uh... Labour can be demanding and she really needs to focus.

LINDA: We jumped on a plane and travelled all night from Portland to get here.

CARTER: I understand... You can have a seat, right here.

He gestures to the seats right outside the room.

LINDA: (stares at Carter a moment, suspicious) Is she changing her mind? About giving the baby up for adoption?

CARTER: No, I think she's... a little embarrassed, just wants a little privacy.

JAMES: Look, we really want to be there for the birth of our son.

CARTER: I'll bring him right out to you, I promise.

Carter goes back into the room, leaving the prospective parents out there.

INT. ER - ADMIT DESK AREA

Randi, Kerry and Malucci are there.

RANDI: Hey, I heard Dr. Chen's having her baby upstairs.

KERRY: (looking at the board) Malucci, Exam One's been here since nine with reflux esoagitis.

MALUCCI: (busy) In a minute, Chief.

He walks off.

RANDI: Do you want to send her flowers?

KERRY: No.

RANDI: I could start a pool.

KERRY: No, leave her alone.

RANDI: Why?

KERRY: (annoyed) Randi, can you just drop it please?

Kim walks up. Kerry changes her tone to a nicer one.

KERRY: Hi, Kim.

KIM: Hi. You have a cyclothymic down here?

KERRY: Yeah, the guy in Exam Three trying to set a new world record doing sit-ups.

KIM: Got it.

KERRY: Hey, I tried to call you the other da--

She's interrupted by a hiccup. Kim laughs a little.

KERRY: Oh, excuse me.

KIM: I'm sorry. My machine's been acting up. I need to get a new one.

KERRY: Oh, well, I wish I'd known that sooner.

Kerry produces a wrapped Christmas gift from behind the counter, and hands it to Kim.

KERRY: I might have gotten you something different. Merry Christmas.

KIM: Oh, wow.

KERRY: Yeah, I happened across a copy over the weekend and couldn't resist. Hopefully you don't already have one.

KIM: Well, thank you.

KERRY: My pleasure.

Kerry nods. Kim smiles.

KIM: Should I open it now?

KERRY: Or later.

KIM: Okay.

Kerry hiccups again. Kim giggles.

KIM: You know, you should try drinking water. Upside down -- it always helps with me.

KERRY: Yeah, thank you.

KIM: See you.

The camera shifts its focus to Benton and Cleo, who exit the lounge and start walking down the hallway.

CLEO: You said one night, it's been a week.

BENTON: Look, I can't find her mother, what do you want me to do?

CLEO: Turn her over to Social Services. If her mother's been on a drug spree for a month, she needs to be in foster care.

BENTON: Cleo, she's 15 years old. She doesn't want to go in the system now.

They stop walking and look at each other.

CLEO: Well, I'm not adopting her, are you?

BENTON: No, of course not.

CLEO: I hate the thought of her being in my house alone, now she's bringing friends over?

BENTON: I'm sorry, that won't happen again.

CLEO: Peter, she's manipulating you.

BENTON: You know, I-I got a lead on another halfway house. I-I'll make sure she gets into that one.

CLEO: Two more days. After that, she's out.

Cleo walks off. Benton trails behind her.

BENTON: Cleo, I'm working on it.

CLEO: Good.

They've reached the stairs. Cleo heads up them. Malik breezes past Benton, and hands him some papers.

MALIK: Hey, L.F.T.s are back on room four -- Bilirubin's a little high.

Benton takes a look a the labs and sighs. Then he sees a little girl scoot into storage closet (I guess) behind the stair well. He's just about to go investigate when he hears a woman (Shelly) start yelling.

SHELLY: (yelling desperately) I need help, please! Help me, someone, help me please!

Benton dashes over to her. The woman is kneeling next to her son (maybe eight years old) on the floor near the admit desk. She's holding a cloth to his face. It looks like his right cheek is bleeding pretty bad. Kerry has come over too.

KERRY: What happened?

SHELLY: A dog attacked my son! He's bitten all over; I can't stop the bleeding!

KERRY: What's his name?

Shelly removes the cloth so Benton can look at the face with his little flashlight.

SHELLY: Oh God! It looks worse!

BENTON: Laceration through and through. He cut his facial artery.

KERRY: Ma'am, what's your son's name?

SHELLY: Jeff! He was crying, but now he's quiet.

KERRY: Jeff, (hiccup) I'm Dr. Weaver.

BENTON: We need to secure his airway. What's open?

KERRY: Trauma One.

BENTON: (starts to pick up Jeff) Come on.l

INT. TRAUMA ONE

Kerry, Benton, Abby and a couple of other nurses are working on Jeff. They're all wearing yellow trauma gowns and goggles. Shelly's there too, not wearing a gown, trying to peer over people's shoulders to see what's going on.

KERRY: Get him on a monitor. I need suction and a pedes intubation kit. Draw 40 of sux and 5 of versed.

BENTON: Cut down tray. Move.

ABBY: Pulse ox is 86.

KERRY: Ten litres blow by.

BENTON: I need four-by-fours and merocel sponges.

ABBY: Sats are dropping.

KERRY: Get back, Peter. I need to intubate.

BENTON: (not moving from his vantage point) No, I think I can control this.

SHELLY: (panicky) What is it?

BENTON: All right, now let me get some suction here. (to Shelly) Ma'am I need some room.

ABBY: (to Shelly) We're going to have to ask you to step back, please.

BENTON: Damn it, if only I can tie off this bleeder.

ABBY: Heart rate's up to one-twenty, pulse ox is 82.

KERRY: He's not getting enough oxygen, we have to intubate.

SHELLY: (freaking out) What are you doing, why aren't you helping him?

BENTON: Got it!

INT. DELIVERY ROOM

Chen is ready to deliver. Her brow, and in fact her entire face, is shiny with sweat. She’s screaming pain as the contraction passes.

CHEN: Aah! Aah! Aah! Aah!

CARTER: (calming voice) All right, three, two, one.

Deb leans back against pillows.

COBURN: Okay, okay, one more should do it. I don't want to use suction, all right?

CHEN: (agony) I thought you said he was crowning.

COBURN: He is, just one more push.

CHEN: (shakes head) Oh I can't.

CARTER: Yes you can, just one more push, come on, now. You're doing great. You're doing great.

She starts pushing again.

CARTER: Ten, nine, eight, push! Seven, six...

COBURN: Okay, the head is out! I need you to stop, stop pushing.

Deb rests her head back. The worst of it’s over. She looks up at the ceiling. We hear the baby cry. It cries for the rest of the scene.

CHEN: Is it over?

COBURN: Almost.

CARTER: You’re doing great, Deb. You did great.

Still looking at the ceiling, Chen smiles.

COBURN: It's a boy. Nice and healthy. Want to hold him?

CHEN: No.

COBURN: Are you sure?

CHEN: Yes.

COBURN: (closed-capitioned, but not said) Time of birth, 10:46 a.m.

COMMERCIAL

INT. HALLWAY OF OB FLOOR

Chen is being wheeled in her bed to the post-partum room. Carter and a couple of nurses (one of whom is identified by the closed-captioners as "Marsha") are pushing her.

CHEN: I guess this was more than you bargained for?

CARTER: Well, you did all the work.

CHEN: No, I mean having to see all this.

CARTER: (laughs) It was a blur. Let's just say we're closer now.

CHEN: Surprised you, huh?

Carter half nods, half shakes his head.

CHEN: Yeah... I didn't tell you about the father.

CARTER: Yeah, kind of...

They both see the adoptive parents in the nursrey, wearing plastic gowns and cradling the baby.

CHEN: Are those the adoptive parents?

CARTER: Uh, yeah, you didn't meet them?

CHEN: Yeah, about two months ago.

CARTER: They still want to come in and see you.

CHEN: What did they do when you gave them the baby?

CARTER: They cried.

CHEN: They seem nice to you?

CARTER: Yeah, they seem great.

They arrive in the post-partum room.

MARSHA: Here we are. Any nausea?

CHEN: Uh, yeah, a little.

MARSHA: All right, we'll give you some ice chips. 'Til it passes.

CHEN: (to Carter) Hey, you know, you don't have to stick around.

CARTER: I'm fine.

CHEN: You have a night shift?

CARTER: Later.

CHEN: Okay, well, you should go. Rest, crash in the on-call room.

CARTER: We'll see.

MARSHA: All right, I'm going to change your pads, then we'll massage your uterus to firm it up a bit.

CHEN: Oh, you don't want to be around for that.

CARTER: No, not really. You okay?

She smiles and nods.

CARTER: All right, I'm going to come back and check on you later.

He kisses her on the forehead.

CHEN: Okay.

Carter starts to leave. She calls him back.

CHEN: Hey John?

CARTER: Yeah?

CHEN: Thank you.

CARTER: You're welcome.

He leaves.

INT. NEW YORK HOSPITAL

Mark and Elizabeth follow a technician down the hallway. The technician's name is Marty. It's a posh, up-scale hospital.

MARTY: The, uh, whole thing takes about an hour. You'll be doing language tasks as we map out the speech centres.

ELIZABETH: Is Dr. Burke meeting us?

MARTY: He'll stop by at some point.

ELIZABETH: Usually you meet the surgeon before he sends you off for a scan.

They enter the booth overlooking the MRI scan machine through a large glass window. The booth's nice too -- very spacious, with fancy computers, trendy sofa in the back, etc.

MARTY: Burke's one of the best in the world. He's busy. (to Mark) Uh, take off your glasses, watch, pager, cellphone -- anything metal, anything magnetic, right in here.

He's gesturing to a small basket. Mark starts taking off his various metallic ornaments.

ELIZABETH: Could you at least call Dr. Burke and let him know we're here?

MARTY: He likes to be notified when the renderings are up.

ELIZABETH: (under her breath to Mark) So as not to waste any time with the patients.

MARK: (warning) Elizabeth.

MARTY: (to Mark) Uh, don't forget the belt. (then) You'll have earphones, and we'll talk by intercom.

ELIZABETH: Well, can I stay for the scan, then? I am a surgeon myself.

MARTY: You can sit back there. (to Mark) Now, for the first run, we'll ask you to name objects you'll see projected on fiber-optic goggles.

MARK: Do I get to shoot down any aliens?

Marty barely acknowledges that dumb joke.

INT. CHAIRS OUTSIDE TRAUMA ROOM

Kerry is sitting with Shelly.

SHELLY: Will he have scars?

KERRY: The surgeons will do everything they can to minimize them. (hiccup)

Shelly stands up quickly when a woman (Mona) and her son, a boy about Jeff's age, approach. Kerry stands too.

SHELLY: (to Mona) What are you doing here?!

MONA: I am so SORRY. I was worried.

SHELLY: He almost died, Mona.

MONA: But he'll be all right?

SHELLY: You're putting that dog down.

SON: Mom --

MONA: (ignoring Son) He's a sweet dog, usually.

SHELLY: What are you talking about?!

Kerry decides to interfere, but isn't very forceful.

KERRY: (to Mona) Okay, maybe this isn't the right time.

MONA: (ignoring Kerry) Jeff must have provoked him in some way.

SHELLY: Provoked him?! That animal mauled my son. You're putting him down. I want that animal destroyed!

Shelly storms off.

MONA: Shelly...

KERRY: You better leave it alone for now.

SON: Mom. Are they going to fill Winston?

MONA: I don't know, honey.

KERRY: Why don't we find a place for you to sit down. Here we go.

Kerry guides Son towards a chair. Mona follows. Benton heads out of the trauma room and says as he passes Kerry:

BENTON: There's good hemostasis. The repeat crit is 39.

KERRY: Great Peter, thanks.

BENTON: Yep.

Benton heads to the elevator and hits a button. As he's waiting, he remembers the little girl he saw go into the storage closet, He heads over there. Looking through the window he sees the girl sitting with her hands around her knees looking upset. We can see she's wearing a hospital arm-band.

BENTON: Hey.

She doesn't look up.

BENTON: You're not supposed to be in there.

She still doesn't look up.

BENTON: What's your name?

GIRL: (softly, without looking up) Taylor.

BENTON: Well. Come on out here Taylor.

She looks up now.

TAYLOR: I hurt my foot.

BENTON: If you come out here, I can take a look at it.

She's reluctant.

BENTON: I'm a doctor.

She doesn't seem to want to come out, so Benton comes in.

BENTON: Okay. Let's take a look at it.

He kneels down beside her.

BENTON: Are you a patient here? (re: wristband) Let me see this. (he looks, then) Hey, you're supposed to be up in the blood bank. (he looks at the foot as he talks) You having a blood transfusion?

TAYLOR: I don't like needles.

BENTON: Yeah, well, none of us do. But, sometimes we gotta use them to make you feel better,

TAYLOR: I'm not sick! Nicole is.

BENTON: Who's Nicole?

TAYLOR: She's my sister. She has leukemia.

BENTON: Ah. And you're donating bone marrow.

TAYLOR: (shakes her head) I did that when I was little. Now they want to take all my blood and wash it through a machine.

BENTON: Ah. Yeah, I see.

TAYLOR: Every time Nicole gets sick, I have to go to the hospital, too.

BENTON: I'll tell you what. You come with me, I'll make your foot feel better.

TAYLOR: You won't take my blood out?

BENTON: No. Come on.

He holds out his hand to help her up. She takes it.

INT. ON-CALL ROOM

Carter is wakened when his pager goes off. He sighs, then gets up.

INT. POST-PARTUM ROOM

Deb is dressed and walking around gathering up all her things to go. She pins her hair up. She’s a little uncomfortable walking The social worker and Marsha are present.

CHEN: Where are my shoes?

SOCIAL WORKER: Jing-Mei, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, you should just think about it.

CHEN: I have thought about it

Carter enters.

CARTER: What's up?

CHEN: John, I'm leaving. Can you give me a ride home?

MARSHA: You can't leave until Dr. Coburn gets here.

CHEN: I'll sign out AMA, just get the form.

MARSHA: We keep all post partum mothers for 24 hours.

CHEN: (rueful) Well, I'm not a mother.

SOCIAL WORKER: I suggested that she see the baby.

CHEN: John, can we leave please?

CARTER: I think the observe you for a reason Deb, I think we should sit down and relax.

CHEN: Well, I'll come back for a blood test.

SOCIAL WORKER: Don't run away from this, Jing Mei. It’s better for the adoptive parents, better for you if you meet your son, hold him, say good bye.

CHEN: (sits heavily on the bed and sighs) I don't think I can.

SOCIAL WORKER: Can what?

CHEN: Say goodbye.

INT. TECH. BOOTH

Elizabeth's sitting on the sofa in the back as Marty goes through the procedure. Mark's face is shown via a video camera on one of the monitors.

MARTY: (into microphone) The last run is word fluency. For, uh, each object, name a word that goes with it. If you see a dog, you might say, "bark."

MARK: Okey-dokey.

MARTY: Okay, here we go.

A picture of a tree appears on one of the monitors.

MARK: It grows.

A broom.

MARK: Sweeps.

A house.

MARK: Live in it.

The camera angle changes so we don't see the monitor with the images anymore.

MARK: Writes. (another image comes up) Blossoms.

The door to the tech booth opens, and two surgeons come in. They pay no attention to Elizabeth. As the surgeons talk, Mark continues naming verbs in the background. Marty focuses his attention on that.

SURGEON ONE: Hey, Marty. This the frontal GBM?

MARTY: Base line scans are up, but not the frontal renderings.

SURGEON TWO: Well, Burke's not gonna want to cut this one out.

SURGEON ONE: I'll take him.

SURGEON TWO: For the carboplatin trial?

In the background, Elizabeth stands up, and slowly walks towards them. She's taking in every word of what they're saying.

SURGEON ONE: Yeah.

SURGEON TWO: No, you had the parietal GBM for that. He's a good gamma knife candidate.

SURGEON ONE: Come on, the best you can offer is a twelve month survival...

As he's talking, Surgeon Two's cell phone goes off.

SURGEON ONE: (continues) We're seeing up to fourteen with an inter-arterial protocol.

SURGEON TWO: Yeah, and what an enjoyable two months it is. (into phone) Hello? Okay, I'll be right up.

She puts her phone away.

SURGEON TWO: SVC syndrome in the unit. We'll duke it out in tumor board.

She leaves.

SURGEON ONE: (to Marty) Page me when the renderings come up.

MARTY: Dr. Burke gets the first look.

SURGEON ONE: No, he won't be interested.

He leaves, too.

MARK: (still going with the verbs) Entomb. Hang.

MARTY: (into microphone) All done, I'll be right in.

Marty leaves Elizabeth alone in the booth.

MARK: How'd I do?

Elizabeth takes a minute to come back to Earth after listening to the surgeons, but then approaches the microphone.

MARK: How'd I do?

ELIZABETH: You did brilliantly, Mark.

We see him smile and nod on the screen, reassured. Elizabeth stands up straight, not reassured herself.

INT. ER - EXAM ROOM

Taylor's seated on the bed as Benton and Cleo tend to her foot.

TAYLOR: Can I go home after this?

BENTON: We'll see.

Lily comes in.

LILY: Cleo, you have a call on two. Girl named Kynesha. Something about your car.

CLEO: My car?!

LILY: She was talking really fast.

Cleo hurries out to the phone in the hallway.

CLEO: (into phone) Kynesha?

We hear Kynesha talking really fast, but not distinct enough to make out what she's saying.

CLEO: (into phone; exasperated) Just gone? Did you see anybody? I'll call the police.

Benton comes out.

CLEO: (into phone) I'll call the police. Stay near the phone.

Cleo dials the phone.

BENTON: What happened?

CLEO: Kynesha says my car is missing. Didn't see anything.

Benton sighs.

CLEO: (into phone) Chicago Police Department, main number please.

Romano approaches. The scene shifts away from Cleo.

ROMANO: (irate) Always the diplomat, Peter!

BENTON: What?

ROMANO: Dr. Duhlstrom just called me ranting. Says you stole one of his leukocyte donors and you won't give it back.

BENTON: (crosses his arms across his chest) It was a little girl that I found scared hiding under the stairs.

ROMANO: Finders keepers, is that it?

BENTON: She cut her foot. I told them to send her parents down.

ROMANO: Well, if you hadn't hung up on Duhlstrom, you'd know that Dad is at the airport picking up Grandma and Mom is a little busy right now comforting her other daughter who's puking her guts out from chemo, so, do me a favour -- hurry it up, suture the foor, and ship her upstairs.

BENTON: Has anyone even bothered to explain this procedure to this little girl?

ROMANO: They've done a few hundred of these, Peter.

BENTON: Well, she's scared right now, and feeling a little used.

ROMANO: (mock sympathy) Oh. Th-th-that's terrible. You know, the sister's a little scared, too. She's scared of dying! And it's not like they're trying to take out a lung.

BENTON: Well she has point tenderness over the distal malledus.

ROMANO: Okay, Peter, you wanna play ER doc, that's fine. I'll tell you what. I'll tell the mother to abandon her child upstairs, come down, and calm this kid down, but if she's not strapped in for leukopheresis by two-thirty, I'm strapping you in.

Romano walks off. Benton gives him a salute, probably in jest.

INT. OB - NURSERY

Linda and James are there, as is the social worker. Linda and James are wearing those plastic yellow gowns. Linda is sitting in a rocking chair, rocking the baby. James sits beside her. Carter comes in, and everyone in the room looks at him.

LINDA: What did she say?

CARTER: Okay, she said that she would see him, but she doesn't really want to. Are you sure you want to force this on her?

LINDA: We have three days until she has to sign the papers. And if she doesn't see him, she might regret it... and change her mind about the whole adoption.

CARTER: Okay, well, she's waiting.

SOCIAL WORKER: All right. Why don't you bring him in to her, and the Reeds and I will follow you in a few minutes so Jing-Mei can hand the baby back to Linda.

Carter dons a yellow gown himself, and Linda hands the baby to him.

CARTER: Okay... I got him. Okay. (he smiles)

James puts his arm around Linda.

INT. POST-PARTUM ROOM

Carter enters with the baby. Chen's back to wearing a hospital gown, and is sitting in a rocking chair waiting.

CARTER: Ready?

Carter gives Chen the baby and she holds him. Chen begins to cry.

CHEN: Oh, Carter.

She can't control her crying.

INT. NEW YORK HOSPITAL - WAITING ROOM

It's very posh, with padded chairs, natural light, and a fish tank. Elizabeth and Mark are the only ones there. He paces. She sits in a chair. There moods are the opposite of earlier -- he's optimistic, but she's more subdued after hearing those surgeons talk in the tech booth.

MARK: I hope it's like a jury. The longer they deliberate the better chance I have of getting off.

ELIZABETH: (dry humour) They could still be waiting for Burke.

MARK: I'm starting to think that he doesn't exist. Maybe he only meets people that he can help.

ELIZABETH: Mark...

MARK: I know, I know, positive, positive... That MRI tech sure thought I was a goner.

ELIZABETH: He just runs the machine. He can't offer a prognosis.

MARK: You know that those techs can read a scan better than most surgeons. No offense.

ELIZABETH: (sits up in her seat) Do you want to get something to eat?

MARK: (he sits behind her, so they're back-to-back) No. No, nope.

He leans back in his seat and sighs. Elizabeth sits back in her seat.

MARK: Can't believe they call it a tumour board.

ELIZABETH: Why? They discuss tumours.

MARK: I know, but... you'd think they'd come up with something a little more esoteric.

ELIZABETH: Like what?

MARK: I don't know. "You're completely boned" board.

ELIZABETH: (small smile) I heard they used to call it the "poor bastard" board, but too many people were showing up.

MARK: Someone told me that they tried the "take me out back and shoot me now" board for a while.

ELIZABETH: It didn't stick?

MARK: No, surprisingly. Too many letters, I guess.

ELIZABETH: Pity.

They're both quiet for a moment.

MARK: Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH: Mm-hmm.

MARK: Will you have the baby either way?

ELIZABETH: What?

He turns to face her.

MARK: If that man comes out of that room and tells me he can't do anything... that there's no way I can beat it... will you still have the baby?

Elizabeth's answer comes naturally to her.

ELIZABETH: (simply) Yes.

Mark smiles a little.

INT. ER - ADMIT DESK

Kerry's there. She's applying pressure to her nose, apparently still trying to stop the hiccups. Abby approaches her.

ABBY: I've got a twelve-year-old in Four that swallowed a pair of toe-nail clippers on a dare. I think he's gonna need to be scoped. (sees what Kerry's doing, bemused) Are you okay?

Kerry hiccups again, and gives up that technique.

KERRY: (explanatory) The hiccups.

MALIK: I thought they went away.

KERRY: They did.

ABBY: Teaspoon of sugar is supposed to help.

KERRY: It didn't. Is Luka coming back on the 26th or the 27th?

ABBY: The 26th, I think.

MALIK: Where'd he go, Croatia?

ABBY: Yeah, he went to visit his dad for Christmas.

Abby leaves again.

MALIK: (to Kerry) Yo, my mom told me that if you stand on your head and swallow, hiccups, gone.

KERRY: Thanks, Malik.

MALIK: Hey, no problem. Works every time.

Malik leaves as Kim comes up to Kerry.

KIM: You paged me, Kerry?

KERRY: (pulls out a chart) Oh yeah. I got a bad dog-bite in Trauma Two. Little kid who might need to be plugged in for some out-patient therapy.

KIM: Sure.

KERRY: Did you open it?

KIM: What?

KERRY: The present.

KIM: Oh, no. Not yet, no.

KERRY: I'll go with you.

They walk to Trauma Two. Kerry hiccups. Abby comes up to Kerry from behind.

ABBY: You want a shot of Reglan?

KERRY: For what?

ABBY: Hiccups.

KERRY: No, they'll go away.

ABBY: Uh, what about my toenail clippers?

KERRY: Malucci, get him.

Kerry walks off with Kim as Abby bumps into Carter, who's rounding the corner and rubbing his eyes tiredly.

ABBY: Hey.

CARTER: Hey.

ABBY: You're here early.

CARTER: I was helping Chen with her baby.

ABBY: Is there a problem?

CARTER: No, she didn't have a coach.

ABBY: You were her coach?

CARTER: (smiles) Mm-hmm.

ABBY: How'd you do?

CARTER: I did fine. She had a rough time of it.

ABBY: Should I go up...

CARTER: No, she doesn't want any visitors. I'll fill you in later, I got to catch some Zs.

He's about to enter the on-call room, when James comes storming down the hallway.

JAMES: Dr. Carter! Dr. Carter! They told me you were down here. (he starts talking fast) She's breast feeding! She gave the baby back after seeing him, then we talked for awhile, then we went back to the nursery and then the nurse came in and said she wants to see him again, that she wants to breast feed.

CARTER: Oh, okay, slow down! What?

JAMES: The nurse has to give the baby back when she asks for him. So she did. My wife is frantic.

CARTER: Okay, I'll... I'll go talk to her.

Carter and James head back up to the OB ward.

INT. TRAUMA TWO

Jeff is in bed, with bandages on his face. Kim's sitting beside the bed, talking to him. Kerry's there too, doing doctorly things.

JEFF: Is my dad coming?

KIM: I'm not sure.

KERRY: (hiccup) Your, uh, Mom went to call him.

KIM: Is that a problem?

JEFF: He's going to kill me. I was going to put it back without him knowing.

KIM: Put what back?

JEFF: Is Winston going to be okay?

KIM: The dog?

JEFF: (nods) They're not going to put him to sleep, are they?

KIM: That would be very sad. But any dog that would attack you for no reason...

Kerry hiccups again.

KERRY: Excuse me.

JEFF: I didn't mean to.

KIM: What?

JEFF: I opened my Christmas present early. I knew what it was. A BB gun

KERRY: Did you shoot at the dog?

JEFF: I was just trying it out.

INT. OB WARD - HALLWAY

Linda and the social worker are there. Linda is, as James mentioned, frantic.

LINDA: Why would she need to breast feed?

SOCIAL WORKER: It's not unusual.

Carter and James arrive on the scene.

JAMES: Does she still have him?

LINDA: She's changing her mind, I know it.

SOCIAL WORKER: There's no need to panic.

LINDA: Why did we have to force her to meet him?!

SOCIAL WORKER: Because she's giving up her child. There's a maternal instinct she can't avoid and shouldn't try to. We'll give her some time and have you rock the baby in front of her.

JAMES: Won't that make it worse?

SOCIAL WORKER: No, she needs to know at a very basic level that the baby will be loved.

LINDA: (to Carter) Can you talk to her, find out what's going on, what she's thinking?

CARTER: Yeah... I can try.

Carter leaves.

LINDA: (to James) I can't lose another baby.

INT. POST-PARTUM ROOM

Carter opens the door.

CARTER: Chen?

Chen is breast-feeding the baby, and smiling at it. She's sitting in the rocking-chair.

CARTER: What are you doing?

Chen pauses, thinking of what to say and how to phrase it.

CHEN: You know, they say breast-feeding is good for them in the first twenty-four hours. It's mostly colostrum, which boosts their immune system.

Carter pulls up a seat beside her.

CARTER: Deb, are you having second thoughts?

CHEN: I've always had second thoughts.

CARTER: What's changed?

CHEN: I saw his face. I'm being selfish. I have the money to raise him, there's no reason why I can't.

CARTER: (gestures to hallway) There's a couple out there who desperately want to raise a child. And you're giving them a great gift.

CHEN: What happens, eighteen years from now, when he shows up looking for an explanation?

CARTER: Well, you tell him the truth, you know. Tell him that you wanted to provide the best home possible for him.

CHEN: Do I tell him I was a coward? That my bigoted parents were more important to me than he was?

CARTER: Deb, I think you have to keep your family out of this. If you want to keep the baby, keep the baby. But if you don't or you can't, then you want to make sure he goes to someone who's going to love him, who's going to want him. And know that you aren't abandoning your baby. You're creating a family.

Chen looks down at the baby and smiles and cries.

INT. ER - HALLWAY

Benton and Cleo walk toward the elevator.

BENTON: Did you find it?

CLEO: Four blocks away with a burnt-out clutch and busted headlight.

BENTON: Well, you lucked out. I mean, they could've completely stripped it.

CLEO: Hello, Peter. My car wasn't stolen by a thief who doesn't know how to drive a stick! Kynesha and her friend took the car out for a joyride!

BENTON: What are you talking about? I gave Kynesha's friend a ride home myself.

CLEO: Just Kynesha then.

BENTON: Kynesha's the one that called you.

CLEO: So she's not completely stupid.

BENTON: Cleo...

CLEO: Get her in here now, I want to talk to her.

Cleo gets on the elevator, getting ready to end the conversation.

BENTON: Why don't we just...

CLEO: (interrupts) Either get her in here, or I'll have the police talk to her.

BENTON: Cleo, I...

The elevator door closes. Benton sighs and starts walking back into the ER, when a woman coming down the stairs calls out to him.

WOMAN: Excuse me? Are you Dr. Benton?

BENTON: Yeah.

WOMAN: I'm Melissa Walker. You found my daughter.

BENTON: Oh, yeah. she's in Radiology. We just wanted to get an x-ray of her foot.

MRS. WALKER: (concerned) Oh God.

BENTON: No, no, no, it's nothing serious. Just wanted to rule out a fracture. Uh, she has three stitches.

MRS. WALKER: (knowingly) Did she fight you? She's afraid of hospitals.

BENTON: (also knowingly) Yeah. (then) You know, uh... I think it might be more than just the needles.

MRS. WALKER: The leukopheresis requires a big one in each arm for five hours.

BENTON: Taylor feels the only reason you had her was to help Nicole.

MRS. WALKER: We love both our daughters. And if you had a child who was dying of leukemia and there was no bone marrow match, what would you do, huh? We were planning on having more children anyway, but I am so tired of having to explain to you people like we did something wrong.

BENTON: I was just telling you that Taylor feels...

MRS. WALKER: I know how Taylor feels. She's my daughter. And I love her, okay? I love her. Now where is x-ray?

BENTON: Mrs. Walker...

MRS. WALKER: (interrupts) Where is x-ray?

BENTON: Down the main hall to the right.

MRS. WALKER: Thank you.

She heads off down the hallway. Benton watches her go.

INT. POST-PARTUM ROOM

Chen is holding the baby. Carter is looking at him. They both smile, at the baby and at each other. The door opens, and the social worker comes in with the adoptive parents.

CHEN: (smiles at James and Linda) Hi.

JAMES: Hi.

CHEN: What's his name?

JAMES: Michael, Michael Alexander.

CHEN: (smiles at baby) Hey Michael.

Chen starts to hand the baby over. Linda comes and sits down on the bed, and takes the baby. Linda smiles and rocks the baby, as everyone looks on. Carter holds Chen's hand.

LINDA: (softly) It's okay. Shh, shh... (she begins to sing "Baby Mine") Baby mine, don't you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes. Rest you head, close to my heart. Never will part. Baby of mine.

Linda finishes singing. Chen sheds a tear as she watches.

INT. NEW YORK HOSPITAL - WAITING ROOM

Mark's leaning over, watching the fish in the aquarium. He straightens up when Elizabeth approaches.

MARK: What'd he say?

ELIZABETH: I may go to trial.

MARK: I thought you were going to be able to settle.

ELIZABETH: So did I. (then) Rachel called. She wants to come out a day early for Christmas.

Dr. Burke approaches them.

DR. BURKE: Mark Greene?

He holds out his hand for a shake. Mark shakes it.

DR. BURKE: Dr. Burke. Nice to meet you.

MARK: You too.

DR. BURKE: (to Elizabeth) And you are?

ELIZABETH: Dr. Elizabeth Corday. Dr. Greene's fiancee. DR. BURKE: (smiles) Oh. Congratulations.

He shakes Elizabeth's hand too.

ELIZABETH: Thank you.

DR. BURKE: Sorry to keep you waiting. I met some resistance in tumor board.

MARK: Is that good or bad?

DR. BURKE: The oncologists and radiologists are having trouble embracing the future.

ELIZABETH: Meaning?

DR. BURKE: (gestures to a computer) Come over here.

They all go over to the computer. Dr. Burke starts to log on.

DR. BURKE: They see a lesion like yours, they jump to the conclusion it's inoperable.

ELIZABETH: But it's not?

DR. BURKE: Not in my hands. (an image of Mark's brain comes up on the screen, some parts coloured) There's your tumor. (points) Now, as you were doing verbal tasks, there was increased blood flow to language centres. Those light up in orange. As you can see, while the tumor's adjacent to Broca's, it hasn't invaded yet.

MARK: That's not what th neurosurgeon in Chicago said.

DR. BURKE: That's why you're here.

ELIZABETH: So you'll operate?

DR. BURKE: Mm. Yeah. We'll do an awake craniotomy. You'll be conscious and talking while I map out Broca's and resect the tumor. But the real bonus is my ability to insert high-dosage chemotherapy wafers into the tumor cavity and use the cavity and use the malignant cells themselves to create a cancer vaccine.

ELIZABETH: Thank God for second opinions.

DR. BURKE: Those idiots on the tumor board are satisfied with twelve month survivals, where most of the patients on my protocol are disease-free for twenty-four months and counting.

Elizabeth starts to smile. Mark seems too stunned to speak.

ELIZABETH: So when can you fit him into the schedule?

Dr. Burke goes back to the computer.

DR. BURKE: How about December thirty-first? You can ring in the New Year with a load off your mind. (apologetic) Brain surgeon humour.

Mark's very happy, and starts to smile.

MARK: Right.

DR. BURKE: You okay?

MARK: Yeah. Sure. It's good news.

DR. BURKE: It's very good news.

Mark and Elizabeth knit their hands together.

DR. BURKE: You came to the right place, Mark.

Mark smiles, relieved.

COMMERCIAL

INT. ON-CALL ROOM

Carter is woken up by his pager. As he turns it off, there's a knock at the door, and Randi enters.

RANDI: Dr. Carter! Wake up, Dr. Carter!

He rolls over to look at her.

RANDI: Multi-victim MVA coming in. Hell's Angel versus a mini-van.

CARTER: (groggy) What?

RANDI: Motorcycle hit a mini-van. Let's go!

INT. ER - HALLWAY

Carter, Malik, a paramedic (who the closed-captioners call "Pickman"), an anonymous paramedic and Dori are wheeling the Hell's Angel toward a trauma room. Carter, Malik and Dori are wearing yellow trauma gowns.

PICKMAN: Forty-ish year old male. Closed head trauma. Altered at the scene.

CARTER: No helmet?

PICKMAN: You kidding, this moron was driving a hog in the middle of winter.

INT. TRAUMA ROOM

The biker is hefted from the gurney to the bed. The IV falls off in the move.

MALIK: Whoa, lost the IV.

CARTER: Put another one in. Cut the gap collection off. Get him on a monitor.

DORI: Uh. Scissors can't cut through this.

CARTER: Use wire cutters. (shining light in patient's eyes) Pupils are poorly reactive.

MALIK: (re: knee) Check this out. This ain't his first crash.

CARTER: Ah, he's got brain fluid in the right ear. Let's get him in line for A CT.

MALIK: Oh, that's a nasty scar.

DORI: (pulls 3 prescription pill bottles from the patient's pocket) Well, that probably explains this Vicodin for pain, Hyzaar for high blood pressure and Lipitor for cholesterol.

CARTER: Yeah, I heard the Hell's Angels are on the Pritikin diet.

Lily sticks her head in.

LILY: Carter, Weaver needs you. It wasn't a mini-van, it was a van-van. About a dozen kids got hurt on the way to a Christmas pageant.

CARTER: Okay, I'll be right there.

EXT. SIDEWALK

Benton and Cleo are walking up to Cleo's building.

BENTON: Yeah, you see, that's why I want to handle this thing in person.

CLEO: Peter, she's not your responsibility.

BENTON: I know that, Cleo, but... I don't want her bothering Jackie. I just... I don't want to...

They reach Cleo's place. Kynesha's sitting forlornly on the front step, letting snow fall on herself.

CLEO: Kynesha?

KYNESHA: I'm sorry, Dr. Finch. I didn't take your car. But I think Tiny did. Your keys was missing, so I lied to you. I was afraid you was gonna kick me out. (plaintively) I don't have nowhere to go.

INT. ER - HALLWAY

Carter is helping a little boy named Hank who's dressed as some kind of bird (hen? partridge?). Abby's across the hallway with another kid.

CARTER: Okay, Hank, can you press against my hand?

HANK: Is my mom all right?

CARTER: Abby, have you seen this guy's mom?

ABBY: Weaver has her. Seatbelt injury.

CARTER: CBC and UA here!

Pam the paramedic comes running up to Carter.

PAM: Dr. Carter!

CARTER: Yeah, what do you got? (to Hank) I'll be right back, Hank.

Carter follows where Pam's leading him.

PAM: Nine-year-old MVA. Head lac from broken glass. No LOC. One-fifty of saline in the field. Open-tib fib fracture on the right.

They reach the child lying on the gurney in the hallway.

CARTER: Hi, sweetheart, what's your name?

ELISE: Elise.

CARTER: Elise? Yeah, does your neck hurt?

ELISE: Yes.

CARTER: Okay, let's go to trauma two.

They start walking down the hallway.

CARTER: What kind of costume is that?

ELISE: Milk maid.

CARTER: What?

ELISE: Milk maid.

CARTER: Oh, yeah. You mean like "Twelve Days of Christmas."

ELISE: I'm missing our play.

They get to trauma two. Dori's still in there with the biker.

CARTER: What's this guy still doing in here?

DORI: Oh, CT just called for him. They had a code on the table.

CARTER: (sigh, to Paramedic) All right. Well, take her to Curatain Three until this room's cleared out. Come on, come on. CBC, C-spine, right tib-fib, five of MS for pain and a gram of Ancef. Don't worry, Elise! Everything's going to be fine, sweetheart!

Dori leaves with the paramedics and Elise, leaving Carter alone in the trauma room (well, except for the unconscious biker). He sighs, and goes over to the cabinet to get some supplies. He rubs his temples in exhaustion.

CARTER: Oh, God.

He sets the supplies out on the counter. He notices the bottle of Vicodin, and with hardly a moment's hesitation grabs it, opens it and downs a couple of pills.

INT. ER - HALLWAY

Carter emerges from Trauma Two, heading for Curtain Three. Lily's tending to one of the kids in the hallway.

LILY: Hold still. You have to let me look.

KID: It hurts... ow.

LILY: I know, I know.

Malik pushes a boy in a gurney down the hallway.

CARTER: (to Malik) What do you got?

MALIK: Three more minors from the van. This is Eddie. He probably cracked his collarbone.

CARTER: I'll be right with you. Eddie.

MORALES: Hey doc?

CARTER: Yeah?

MORALES: Piper number one. Seat-belted. No obvious trauma but complains of belly pain.

CARTER: (hands the supplies he got from Trauma Two to a nurse walking by) Hey, give these to Dori in Curtain Area Three.

NURSE: Got it!

CARTER: (to Morales) Take him to Curtain Area Two, give me a set of vitals.

MORALES: I already did. BP one-ten over seventy, pulse ninety.

CARTER: (panics because he didn't hear him) What?

MORALES: BP one-ten over seventy, pulse ninety.

Carter realizes he has to get rid of the Vicodin. He takes off down the hallway, bumping in to Weaver on his way.

KERRY: Whoa, whoa.

CARTER: (doesn't stop) Sorry.

KERRY: Slow down. Are you okay?

CARTER: (doesn't turn around) Yeah!

KERRY: The kids in Exam Four need their necks cleared!

But Carter's gone, into:

INT. ER - MEN'S WASHROOM - STALL

Carter barges in, and locks the door of the stall behind him. He kneels down before the toilet and sticks his finger down his throat. He gags for a little, then manages to vomit. He fishes the two pills out of the toilet bowl. He looks at thetm in his hand, and almost starts to cry, then sighs.

INT. ER - HALLWAY

Abby helps a little boy. She's looking a cut on his hand.

BOY: Does it need stitches?

ABBY: I don't know. I have to get an x-ray and make sure there's no broken glass in there.

BOY: Is my mom coming?

Carter walks up to Abby.

CARTER: (urgent) I need to talk to you.

ABBY: Okay, just a sec.

CARTER: Now!

BOY: Is my mom coming?

ABBY: (stands) Yeah, somebody called her. (gives the boy some gauze to hold over his hand) Can you hold this for me? Press down, but don't make it hurt. (to another nurse) Lizzie, can you...

Abby follows Carter into a closet that's around the corner.

ABBY: What?

CARTER: I took two Vicodin.

ABBY: What?

CARTER: I took two Vicodin. I... Then I panicked and ran into the bathroom, I stuck my fingers down my throat.

ABBY: You vomitted them up?

CARTER: Mm...

He hands them to her.

ABBY: How'd you sign them out?

CARTER: I didn't. I didn't. This biker comes in with a full bottle!

Abby pockets the pills.

ABBY: Okay, well, good. You didn't actuallly...

CARTER: I don't even know what I was thinking. I didn't want to take anything, I didn't plan on taking anything, I just saw them and I...

ABBY: It's okay. It's okay. Are you going to tell Weaver?

CARTER: I can't.

ABBY: I think you have to.

CARTER: Well, then, I'm done. I mean, best case scenario, I-I'm back in Atlanta! I mean, does it count? I was never in my system.

ABBY: All right, I'm off in ten minutes. Let's go to a meeting.

CARTER: I just started.

ABBY: Well you're sick. You threw up. Go tell Weaver you have to go home.

CARTER: You have to be at death's door before Weaver will...

ABBY: (firm) Well, go convince her.

He strides out of the closet. Abby pauses, then follows him out.

INT. MEZZANINE OVER-LOOKING ROCKEFELLAR CENTER SKATING RINK

Mark and Elizabeth munch pizza as they watch skaters. “Let it Snow” plays.

ELIZABETH: So you’ll tell Rachel and Jen now?

MARK: Yeah, I’ll fly out there Friday. You like it?

ELIZABETH: What?

MARK: Pizza.

ELIZABETH: (nods) Mm...

MARK: You know, it tastes just like it did when I was eight years old. It’s weird how that works. I wouldn’t have been able to remember it if I hadn’t tasted it again. It’s good though.

ELIZABETH: (surprised) You lived in New York?

MARK: Couple of months. Dad taught me how to skate backwards on this rink.

ELIZABETH: You never told me that.

MARK: Well, you never came to see me play hockey.

ELIZABETH: No, that you lived here, I mean.

MARK: Well, I can’t tell you everything. I have to keep you interested.

She chuckles.

MARK: You didn’t sign up for this, though.

ELIZABETH: It’s called marriage, Mark.

MARK: We’re not married yet.

ELIZABETH: You really believe that?

He doesn’t answer.

ELIZABETH: Didn’t think so.

MARK: (re: rink) Hey, check it out. There’s another kid in one of those hats.

The camera angle changes to show us that there is, indeed a kid on the rink wearing the same hat as before.

MARK: They must be on sale someplace.

ELIZABETH: Guess it blows you theory.

MARK: Yeah.

ELIZABETH: It was a good day.

He nods.

INT. ER - ADMIT DESK AREA - EVENING

Malucci is wearing his coat and pulling on mitts as he heads for the exit, leaving for the night. Kerry and Randi are at the admit desk, and Kerry calls out to him.

KERRY: Hey! Malucci!

MALUCCI: I'll catch you later, okay, Chief?

KERRY: Yeah, Carter went home sick. I need you to stay.

MALUCCI: Oh, come on, Chief.

He heads back to the desk anyway, though.

RANDI: It's part of being a resident.

MALUCCI: He's not sick, he's just tired. He stayed up all day with Chen.

KERRY: All the more reason for you to lend a hand. I just need you for four more hours. (hiccup) These stupid hiccups. (grabs a chart) Okay, I've got an eighty-five-year-old with abdominal pain, headaches and dizziness.

MALUCCI: This sucks, man.

KERRY: Yes, it does.

Kerry heads into the lounge.

INT. LOUNGE

Kerry is sitting a the table. Kerry lights a match, tosses it into a glass of water, and proceeds to drink the entire glass in one gulp. As she's doing this, Kim comes in.

KIM: I saw the patient in seven. She agreed to voluntary admission.

KERRY: (finishes drinking, then) Thank you. (coughs a little) Mm, hiccups.

KIM: (re: match and water) Does it work?

KERRY: I don't know. I'm desperate. Now I'm listening to Randi. (sees that Kim's holding a particular book) Did you like it?

KIM: Yes. First edition. (she sits down beside Kerry) Must have been expensive.

KERRY: Well, what's the point in working like a maniax if you can't spend a little money on your friends?

KIM: Friends.

KERRY: (hiccup) Damn it.

KIM: I don't think we're in the same place on this?

KERRY: On-on what, Christmas?

KIM: No. Us. I don't need any more friends.

KERRY: Oh. Okay. Okay. I understand.

KIM: Do you?

KERRY: No. No, I like you, and I respect you, and I thought we really hitting it off.

KIM: Well, that's the problem. You're straight and I'm not, and, I've done this before, and it didn't work out, and I am not going to do --

KERRY: Yeah, but I'm not asking for that from you. I mean, we're comfortable together, we have a lot in common, we have fun togeth...

Kim puts her hand on Kerry's cheek to stop her, then pulls her in for a kiss. Kerry takes a few seconds to stop it.

KIM: That's why I can't be your friend, Kerry.

Kim leaves.

INT. POST-PARTUM ROOM - NIGHT

Chen is in bed. Marsha is there, but Carter, Linda, James and Michael are gone. The phone rings.

MARSHA: Want me to get that?

CHEN: Um, yeah, could you?

MARSHA: (into phone) Room nine-one-four. Yeah, hold on. (to Chen) It's your mother.

Chen shakes her head.

MARSHA: (into phone) She's sleeping right now, can I take a message? I don't know. Okay.

She hangs up.

MARSHA: She wants you to call her.

CHEN: Could you put a "do not disturb" on the phone?

MARSHA: Sure.

CHEN: Thank you.

Marsha leaves. The same version of "The First Noel" as from the opening sequence of the episode starts to play as Chen clutches her blanket. The camera slowly moves away, until we're outside looking in at Chen through the window.

END