Previously on ER: Susan was named Chief of Emergency Medicine. Pratt told the interns to take on a real patient load. Sam asked Alex if he wanted to move in with Luka. Carter met Wendall the social worker.
Susan, whose hair looks terrific, arrives for a meeting with Weaver, but is sidelined by a phone call from Chuck. He wants to tell her all about how their kid ate his yams, but Susan rushes him off the phone. Weaver overhears the end of the call, so Susan overexplains about the yams, and how most babies don't like them at first. Weaver says curtly, "Henry loved yams, right from the get-go." Heh. Weaver launches into Susan's one-month performance review. She thinks Susan is doing well overall, but there have been "a few glitches": the average wait time to see a doctor is almost ten hours ["and if that's congruent to actual wait times at County hospitals in the U.S., everyone who ever shit-talked Canada's socialized medicine can shut it" -- Wing Chun], they have a record number of complaints from patients who left before being treated, and the number of bouncebacks is up, which indicates poor follow-up by the doctors. Susan thinks Kerry is trying to let Susan down easy, but Weaver says that's not it. She just wants Susan to show more leadership. Susan turns around slowly, looking bemused.
Carter looks at photos of Kem on the computer. Jerry asks about them, and Carter says they're new, and that he was going to print them up. Jerry says that she looks hot, and then backpedals, but Carter agrees. Shane West comes up and asks if the lady is anyone he should know, and Carter says that Shane isn't her type. Frank comes in and announces that the paramedics have arrived, and that Susan is in a meeting. Carter and Shane take off to handle the emergency. Malarkey walks in and spots the photos, and then growls that he could look at Kem all day. I include the mention of this scene because it sets up a later scene in the episode that will probably never be resolved, ever, so now I'm not sure why I bothered. I guess the point is that Kem and Carter are still emailing each other.
The paramedics bring in a sixty-year-old woman with multiple facial injuries, chest wall contusions, and injuries to both arms. Carter asks her name, and the patient is unable to speak clearly due to her facial injuries. Braids says that they think the patient's name is Louise. A cop explains that she was found in an alley with no ID. Carter asks what happened and the cop says she could have fallen from a window or been dumped from a car, but they don't know. Braids gives the vitals, and Shane wants to get an airway. Carter says they should clear Louise's neck first.
In Trauma Green, Carter and Shane inspect the X-rays and pronounce the neck clear. The cop wants to talk to Louise, but Carter says no. Luka and Sam enter, and Carter gives them the bullet. Sam helps another nurse to raise the head of Louise's bed. Louise tries to talk, but Sam tells her to be quiet if talking hurts. Carter is called away to deal with another patient. Shane is ready to intubate, but Luka feels Louise's face and says that they can't intubate due to her broken jaw. Louise continues trying to say something, but no one pays attention. Shane wants to crike her, but Luka tells him to observe quietly, and Shane rolls his eyes. Luka tells Louise that she has a broken jaw and broken bones in her face. Sam adds that they're going to put a tube in her neck, but that they'll sedate her first. Sam tries to use suction on Louise's mouth, but she keeps yelling, "Wait! Wait!" Sam removes the suction and Louise managed to get out, "I was raped." Another hilarious and joyous episode from the writers of ER, just in time for the holidays!
Sometimes when I'm watching the credits, I really miss that shot of Benton pumping his fist, even though I hated that shot when Eriq LaSalle was on the show.
Sam tends to a much cleaner and calmer Louise, who doesn't look anywhere near sixty years old. The cop enters, and Sam follows him out of the room. Outside, she hands him the rape kit. The cop says that the victim's full name is Louise Garvin, and that her apartment is right above the alley where she was found. Sam asks if anyone saw anything. The cop says that there were signs of struggle in the apartment, so Louise might have fallen from the fire escape while trying to get away from her attacker. Sam asks if there is any family, and the cop says they haven't found any yet. He adds that some detectives will be arriving shortly, and that they'll want to talk to Louise, Luka, and Sam. Sam asks Jerry to find her when the detectives arrive.
Susan is lecturing the interns about the long patient wait time, and they all look like they would love an excuse to skip out on this particular meeting. Neela remembers that she needs to put in some sutures and takes off. Susan starts telling them how to prevent bouncebacks, but Heleh interrupts to remind Abby about a patient, and Abby takes off. Shane spots Malik nearby and uses it as an excuse to leave on the pretense of following up on some labs. So it's just Malarkey left, and Susan seems to understand that there's no use in telling him anything.
Abby greets a young patient named Mi-Cha Pak, who is complaining of belly pain. The second they showed this girl, I knew she was pregnant. Young girl. Belly pain. She's either pregnant, or has an STD, or both. I've learned some things from watching eleven seasons of this show. Mi-Cha shows Abby where her pain is, and says that it comes and goes, and that she thinks it's a kidney stone because her father had one. Malarkey wheels a gurney through and bumps Mi-Cha twice. What was the point of that? To show us, once again, that Malarkey is a screw-up? If that doesn't pay off soon, I'm going to be really annoyed. I thought we were headed somewhere last season before Romano got smushed, with the pot-smoking and the firing, but then it all got dropped. Anyway, Abby asks Mi-Cha if she's had vomiting or fever. Mi-Cha thinks she's all better, and Abby says that as long as Mi-Cha's there, they might as well take a look.
Chuny teases Sam about moving in with Luka. Another nurse thinks that Sam is lucky. Sam says that it just made sense, but that they haven't even unpacked yet. Frank thinks that living together is for wimps, and that they should get married. Malik says his girlfriend agrees. The detective interrupts the coffee klatch to ask about Louise.
Sam shows the detective to Louise's room and explains that Louise will soon be moved up to the ICU. The detective asks if Louise said anything else, and Sam explains that she can't speak because of her crike tube. In Trauma Green, Sam introduces Louise to the detective, who expresses sympathy to Louise and wants to ask some questions. He asks if she knew her rapist at all; Louise did not. Louise starts coughing, so Sam removes the crike tube to suction out some mucus. Yum! Man, that is gross. Sam replaces the tube. The detective finds out that the rapist was alone, and that Louise feels she could identify him if she saw him again. Sam stops the detective and says that's enough for now. The detective asks when Louise will be able to talk, and Sam tells him to ask Luka.
Abby continues to examine Mi-Cha, who has "a gravid abdomen." Mi-Cha cries out in pain, and Abby moves to begin a pelvic exam. She asks about Mi-Cha's last period, and Mi-Cha doesn't know when it was. Abby asks if Mi-Cha had a gush of water today, and Mi-Cha says she might have. Abby checks and discovers that Mi-Cha is fully dilated and effaced. I like that the writers seem to remember that Abby was an OB nurse before she came to the ER. Haleh offers to call OB as Abby tells Mi-Cha not to push and to pant when she has a contraction. Abby calls Chuny over to help with the gurney. Chuny asks if Mi-Cha is having a baby, and Mi-Cha insists, "I'm not pregnant."
Luka tells the detective that Louise can't talk because her pulmonary contusions are getting worse. Sam translates that Louise was punched so hard in the chest that her lungs are bruised and swelling. Luka cuts her off and says that Louise's condition is critical, and that it could get worse. The detective wants to talk to Louise, but Luka doesn't think it's possible. The detective says that Louise's statement could help catch the guy, who's been raping women all over the north side. Louise is the first one who got a good look at him. Sam asks if there is something they could do. Luka looks at her sharply and snarks that Louise could blink in Morse code. He explains the healing process Louise needs to go through, which will take a week or so. There are ways of communicating without talking. It might take a while, but they could like point to letters on a board and she could blink when they hit the right one. In fact, I feel like I've seen that done on this very show before.
Abby and Carter wheel Mi-Cha to the elevator as Abby explains the history. Mi-Cha insists that she's not pregnant. Abby, Chuny, and Haleh all show Mi-Cha how to breathe through the contraction, and Abby realizes that they're not going to make it up to OB. Carter offers her the delivery, but Abby passes. Carter talks through the delivery and tells Mi-Cha when to push. People nearby are totally trying to pretend they're not watching a baby be born. The baby comes out and Carter announces that it's "a beautiful, healthy baby boy." He holds the squalling baby up for Mi-Cha to see, and Mi-Cha says calmly, "That's not my baby. I didn't have a baby." Abby and Carter look at her like, "Jigga wha?"
Later, Haleh reports to Carter that Abby's having a hard time breaking through Mi-Cha's denial. Carter acts uninterested and suggests a Psych consult. After some egging on from Haleh, Carter agrees to check in with Abby shortly. Luka walks behind the desk and Frank brings up that he heard about Luka and Sam moving in together. Luka seems slightly amused, and then spots the detective nearby, on a pay phone.
Luka walks into Trauma Yellow, where Sam is cleaning up, and wonders why the detective is sticking around. Sam roughly tells him not to be so dismissive of her in front of people. Luka says that Louise deserves privacy, and Sam says that she also deserves a chance to help police find her attacker. She reminds Luka that there are other options, like deflating the crike balloon so that Louise can whisper. Luka can't believe that Sam wants to take Louise off the vent, and Sam says that she does it every time she has to suction Louise's chest anyway. Luka agrees that it's technically possible, but wonders why they would risk it. Sam thinks Louise wants to help, and Luka asks if Louise wants to help or Sam wants to help. He adds softly that Sam is sensitive about these kinds of cases, and always wants to stand up for women who have been assaulted. Sam retorts that Luka does too, and Luka hesitates and asks if it's because of her relationship with Steve. Sam says, "Steve never raped me." Luka asks if there was physical abuse, and Sam changes the subject and says it's irrelevant. She kicks it promo-style: "There's a violent rapist out there. How are you going to feel in two days, two weeks, a month from now, when we get another woman like Louise in here?" Sam stares at Luka real hard. Malik bursts in to report on another one of Luka's patients, and Sam tells Luka to go, then juts her lower jaw out defiantly.
Abby fills Carter in on Mi-Cha's mother, who is waiting in the family room. Carter lectures that teenage denial can be "fairly intransigent," and that you can't attack it head-on. Remember when Abby was good at her Psych rotation? The writers apparently don't. Carter bursts into Mi-Cha's room, and Mi-Cha lisps that it's hard to sleep with the baby crying. She wants to go home, and Carter says they're still waiting on some test results. Mi-Cha wants to leave because her parents get mad if she's not home after school. Carter asks Mi-Cha if she's checked out the baby, who is nearby. Mi-Cha wonders why everyone keeps asking her about the baby. Abby asks if she likes babies, or ever wanted to have one. Mi-Cha says maybe when she's married, but seems confused. Carter offers to let her hold the baby. Mi-Cha asks why she would, and adds that his mother should be dealing with him. Carter tells her to calm down, and he and Abby leave. Mi-Cha asks if she'll get to go home soon, and Carter cheerily says that he hopes so.
Once they're outside, Abby asks if Mi-Cha is pretending to be confused or if she really doesn't understand that she just gave birth. Carter doesn't know. Abby reminds him that she can't break confidentiality and tell the mother about the baby. Carter spots Mrs. Pak walking toward them. Can't they tell Mi-Cha that her mother is there, though? At least then she'd stop worrying about getting home before her parents. Carter tells Abby to call his crush in Social Services, as well as Psych. He greets Mrs. Pak.
Neela finds a paramedic wheeling in a Girl Scout with a head bandage. The paramedic gives the bullet, which includes the nugget that the patient is forty-three years old. Uh, no she's not. It takes Neela a minute to catch on. Shane West greets another incoming patient, who is described as a twenty-eight-year-old male with a penetrating injury, except she's a twelve-year-old girl on a cell phone. Shane West catches on to the discrepancy right away. Malarkey gets the fake patient and asks what's going on. The inspector or whatever marches in and asks Malarkey if he's the incident commander. God, no. She explains that this is a drill, and starts her stopwatch. Malarkey yells for Dr. Lewis.
The detective approaches Sam and says that he got some background on Louise. She's been a widow for five or six years, and has no children or other family. Sam thanks him and turns to leave. The detective says that the rapist uses the same MO, and has attacked four women in the last five weeks by posing as a pizza guy who is confused about the apartment number. The detective sighs and advises Sam not to open her door to anyone she doesn't know. Sam asks if the other victims are going to be okay. The detective says that the guy rapes them, but also beats them severely; one died and the other three are in bad shape. The detective says resignedly that each victim has helped the cops to get closer, and that if Louise dies, they'll just have to wait for the one.
Pratt wanders the hallways and gets updates on the drill participants, who are all prepubescent Girl Scout types. Two of the girls start complaining that they were told they could stay together, even though Pratt tries to send one of them away. The drill inspector looks on with raised eyebrows.
Susan reminds everyone to call his or her consults, because response times are being tracked as well. She trails off when she realizes that she's talking to herself. Haleh tells Carter that Wendall is there to talk to "the Korean virgin birth girl." Luka asks Frank about Jerry's whereabouts. Jerry has disappeared to avoid the Drill of Annoyance. Luka comments on how crazy the drill is, and Susan agrees. There's a way too long scene between them that seems totally ad-libbed until Shane West walks in, so I think he was late on his entrance. He wants to help a real patient. Chuny runs up and asks Susan if she really wants all the red tags in Trauma One. Susan doesn't. A Paris-type scout (read: bossy and assertive) walks up and introduces herself as Trina. Frank gives Susan the phone because the lab wants to yell at her. Susan tucks her still-awesome hair behind one ear and heaves a sigh.
Wendall talks to Mi-Cha about her high school's football team as Abby watches. Carter walks in and stands near the baby. Do you get it? THE BABY! And Carter's BABY just died! Mi-Cha reveals that some of her friends have boyfriends, but that she doesn't. I think the actress playing Mi-Cha is, like, twenty-five, and her idea of playing younger is to hunch her shoulders up under her ears and use a baby voice. It's annoying. Abby asks about Mi-Cha's parents and her curfew, and Mi-Cha says she has to be home for her brother, because she takes care of him. He's twenty-three. Wendall, Abby, and Carter all look up like, "Oh, shit. Incest." Wendall pursues the brother angle. Abby asks what they do together, and Mi-Cha gets all defensive and asks if she can take a nap. Abby tells her to get some rest, and they all leave.
Carter the rocket scientist suggests that they check out the brother. You think? Abby says that Mi-Cha's mom is still waiting, and Wendall says that she'll talk to her, and that they can designate the baby as a Safe Haven if necessary. Carter is all upset that they're going to put the baby in foster care when there's a mother and grandmother right there. Abby points out that the mother won't acknowledge the baby, and that they don't know anything about the family circumstances. Seriously. If they do suspect that the brother is the baby's father, do they really want to send the baby home with them? Carter thinks they should find out more. Wendall reminds Carter that he can't break confidentiality.
Carter walks the Stride of the Righteous down the hall as he goes to save the baby. Because he couldn't save his own baby! But he can sure as hell save this one! Carter thinks Mrs. Pak is reasonable and concerned. He bursts into the family room and asks Mrs. Pak if she's noticed any changes in Mi-Cha's condition. Mrs. Pak hasn't, and wants to know what's wrong. Carter asks if she knew her daughter was pregnant. Mrs. Pak is like, "Blink, blink." Abby and Wendall are like, "Bastard!" Carter says that this morning, Mi-Cha gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Mrs. Pak says that her husband will flip, and asks how long Mi-Cha has to stay there. Carter says it'll be a couple of days. Mrs. Pak just walks out of the room. Carter stands up, in disbelief that his brilliant plan didn't work out.
Sam walks into Louise's room, where Chuny reports that Louise is awake. Chuny leaves to help with the Girl Scout drill. Sam sits down and tells Louise about her attacker's crime spree, and explains that they might be able to help her talk to the detective. Sam uses a prop to show how she can deflate the crike balloon and allow Louise to whisper, but explains that it's risky because Louise's lungs would be deprived of oxygen. Sam assures Louise that if there were a problem, the balloon could immediately be reinflated. Sam asks if Louise understands. Louise nods. Sam says they'll need to clear it with Dr. Kovac (which we all know won't happen), and that Louise will need to consent. Louise nods again, and Sam nods in return.
Carter asks Jerry for the status on one of his consults, and Jerry complains that the fake patients have everything backed up. Carter, still pissy that his confidentiality breach didn't turn out to be all sunshine and roses, yells at Jerry, and then at Frank for good measure. Sam shows up, looking for Luka, and Frank warns her away from Carter, who has "his panties in a twist," and while usually I'm all, "Shut up, Frank," he hit the nail on the head with that one. Sam tells Frank to find her when Luka returns. She also finds out that it'll be about an hour before Louise gets an ICU bed. The detective strolls by and tells Sam he's leaving for a while. Sam says that Louise is awake now, and the detective says he'll catch up with her later, implying that since she can't talk, she's of no use to him right now. The detective starts to walk out, and Sam hesitates before telling him, "There is something else we could try."
Weaver castigates Susan for keeping the drill a secret. While Susan tries to pay attention to the tongue-lashing (not like that! She's married! To a guy! Dirty!), Trina the Annoying Scout runs up and keeps offering to help. Susan tries to get her to go back to her area. Susan says that she thought the drill was supposed to be a surprise. Weaver says that a hint wouldn't hurt, and Susan needs to learn when to bend the rules. Susan says that she needs clarification on which rules can be safely ignored. From what I've seen in the last few seasons, all of them, especially if a colleague agrees to cover for you. Neela and Shane West both interrupt the conversation. Susan nearly gets knocked aside by a group of damp Girl Scouts running through the hall, followed by a soaking-wet Malarkey, who explains that he was trying to pretend decontaminate the girls in a pretend shower, but it turned into a real shower. Ha? Am I supposed to laugh at the idea of Malarkey in the shower with a bunch of eleven-year-old girls? Weaver understates that this is chaos, and Susan asks for her help with the green tags.
Weaver enters a room full of Girl Scouts, who are all talking on cell phones and braiding each other's hair and suchlike. Weaver tries to get their attention verbally, and when that doesn't work, she slams her crutch on a tray. Everyone shuts up. Weaver thanks them for their attention.
In Trauma Green, Sam pulls the blinds on the window and then prepares to deflate the balloon so that Louise can speak. Once the balloon is deflated, Louise whispers, "Okay."
Luka returns to the ER, and Frank says that Sam was looking for him. Chuny interrupts to ask him a question. Luka checks a patient's chart, and then starts to enter Trauma Green, about to totally bust Sam and her crike deflation maneuver. With his hand pushing the door open, he decides he needs to check on Chuny's patient, and doesn't actually enter. Whew! Except not really.
In Trauma Green, the detective talks slowly, which is dumb, since time is of the essence. Spit it out, dude! As far as I know, Louise's hearing and brain function are fine, so you can talk at a normal rate. Louise manages to supply that her attacker was white, and then she starts coughing and an alarm goes off. Sam asks if they should stop, but Louise shakes her head and says that the guy was medium height. The detective is all nodding thoughtfully instead of rapid-fire asking questions. Dummy.
Carter stalks into the admit area, looking for a worker's comp claim form, for some unknown reason. Frank points him in the right direction. Abby reports that Mi-Cha's brother is coming in. Carter feigns nonchalance. Abby says that Mi-Cha's family sounds kind of scary in the traditional Old World sense. Abby adds that Wendall had to leave, and asks if Carter wants to talk to Mi-Cha. Carter acts like he's not involved with the case at all, and then asks Frank why there are printouts of Kem's photos in a folder under the desk. I'm wondering why the ER has a printer that can produce photo-quality 8 x 10s at the admit desk. Frank says he doesn't know what's going on, but that Malarkey was looking at the pictures. Carter takes off to find Malarkey, who is entering the elevator with some Girl Scouts. Carter yells, "What the hell are you doing downloading pictures of my girlfriend?" Malarkey is confused, and the elevator doors close before it can be pursued further. And it won't be. At least not in this episode, or ever, probably.
Carter turns around and spots the BABY! He walks into Mi-Cha's room and suggests that she look at the beautiful BABY BOY. Carter picks up the BABY! and tries to get Mi-Cha to hold him, but Mi-Cha asks why he keeps talking like that. Carter goes on and on about the BABY!, and how he's a miracle, and Mi-Cha is so lucky. Wendall walks in but doesn't speak. Carter approaches the bed with the BABY! and tries to get Mi-Cha to hold him. Mi-Cha is freaked out, and Carter is getting choked up over the BABY! Wendall says sharply, "Dr. Carter! They need you down the hall." She gives him a look like, "Are you insane?" Carter tries to pretend he had the best interests of the mother in mind as he walks out, all sweaty.
Louise is still whispering responses. The detective asks another question, but Louise starts coughing and actually vomits. Alarms start beeping frantically. Sam holds Louise forward and quietly orders the detective to fetch Luka.
The detective runs down the hall, and Luka knows right away what's wrong. He enters the room, and Sam reports that Louise vomited. Luka says that she aspirated the vomit into her lungs. A quick shot of Louise shows vomit bubbling out of her crike tube. That's a new low for the Vomit Comet. The detective asks if Louise will be okay, and Luka explains what happened, adding that there will be no more questions. So he totally knew what Sam was up to. Sam cuts her eyes at Luka like, "I'm so busted."
Sam leans against a wall in the hallway as Luka quietly castigates her for doing such a risky procedure. She says tearfully that she didn't expect the vomiting, and that she was just trying to help because it's what Louise wanted. Luka says that it's what Sam wanted. Sam is silent. Luka asks if anyone else knows what she did, and Sam says it was just the cop.
Chuny calls them back into Trauma Green, because Louise's vitals are dropping. Luka looks at a chest X-ray, and declares it a whiteout. Sam asks if it's from the contusions or the aspiration. Luka snits, "Does it really matter at this point?" Sam looks chagrined.
Abby tells Carter that Mi-Cha's brother is here. Carter is back to pretending he's not involved. Abby reports that the brother is twenty-three but developmentally delayed, and that Wendall is talking to them now. She invites Carter to join her. Carter's not interested. He claims.
Abby enters Mi-Cha's room and introduces herself to the brother. He talks through his daily routine, and Abby keeps her eye on Mi-Cha's reactions. Wendall asks what they do when Mi-Cha gets home from school. The brother hesitates and then rapid-fires, "She stays home with me she doesn't go out ever she never leaves." Mi-Cha asks what he's doing and the brother whispers that he didn't tell anybody. Abby asks what they're talking about. Mi-Cha asks why he's there. The brother says he came to see her and the baby. Mi-Cha is confused. The brother stands to look at the baby. Mi-Cha slowly gets out of bed and starts walking toward the baby. The brother promises that he didn't tell anybody, just like she said. Mi-Cha stares at the baby. The brother starts crying and repeating that he didn't do anything wrong. Haleh and Wendall lead him out of the room. The baby starts crying.
Susan walks through the curtain areas, followed by Trina, who is assessing the fake patients. Susan tries to help an actual patient and tells Malik to get rid of all the fake patients. Trina tries to treat one of the fake patients, but ends up hurting her. Susan begs Trina to get back to her gurney. Trina starts listing all the badges she's earned until Susan yells that she doesn't care. Susan walks down the hallway, then turns and yells at everyone to get out, including the drill inspector, who protests that Susan can't do that. Susan -- not knowing that all of the staff members are standing behind her -- yells that she's the chief of emergency medicine, and they don't need the drill. She concludes, "We had a helicopter crash in our ambulance bay, for God's sake. So you can take your little clipboards and your little Ranger Scouts, and hit some other sucker hospital, because my doctors and my nurses need to get back to treating real patients with real problems. You got it?" The inspectors look at each other and shrug. Susan turns and notices everyone staring at her, so she smiles and tells them to get back to work. Jerry leads the group in a round of applause.
Pratt catches Chen exiting the elevator with her father, who is on a gurney. Chen says that her father has been in the hospital with pneumonia for three weeks, but that she thinks he's better off at home. Mr. Chen starts moaning in Chinese, and Chen comforts him. Susan breezes through and tells Pratt that she dismissed the fake patients, and that they need to see real patients within fifteen minutes of signing in. Chen comments that Susan seems to take the chief thing very seriously.
Abby and Carter observe Mi-Cha, her brother, and the baby hanging out together. Abby says that she doesn't know if it was the brother's visit, or their mistaken belief that the brother was the baby's father, but Mi-Cha snapped out of her denial. Carter expositions that Mi-Cha had a boyfriend across the street. Abby says that she used her brother as cover. Carter says it was good work, and walks off. Wendall walks out and wonders why Carter didn't come into the room. Abby says it was a bit rough on him, because of what he went through last spring. Wendall hasn't heard about the BABY!
Pratt helps Chen wheel her father outside while she says that she's planning to return to work the day. Mr. Chen gets more and more agitated and starts crying. Chen tries to comfort him while explaining that he gets confused. Mr. Chen reaches down and tears out his feeding tube, and Chen starts screaming at him in Chinese before blurting out, "Son of a bitch."
Cut to Luka saying, "Son of a bitch." Tandem cursing! I approve. Louise is crashing. Sam starts compressions and uses the defibrillator, to no effect.
Pratt helps Chen to put her father in soft restraints. A nurse asks if she should register Mr. Chen first, and Chen tells her not to bother. The nurse looks at Pratt for confirmation and Chen gets all offended that her authority is being questioned. The nurse leaves, and Chen snaps on some gloves. Pratt says gently that her father should be in a nursing home. Chen says she'd never do that to him. Pratt doesn't think she should have to do this, either. Chen asks Pratt to watch her father's hand as she jams the tube into the hole in her father's stomach. I hope this whole "Chen's father is abusive and Chen is abusive back" thing pays off at some point. I appreciate that, in real life, these situations can last for years, but they keep hinting at more going on, and I'll be annoyed if it is dropped like so many other percolating storylines.
Louise is not responding to treatment. Susan walks in and gets the report from Luka, and comments that aspiration shouldn't result in cardiac arrest. Luka "theorizes" that the balloon on the crike must have burst. Susan kind of looks at him like, "What kind of crazy Croatian medicine are you practicing?" Luka says, "It happens." Sam continues treatment, to no avail. Luka tells her to hold compressions, and he calls the time of death. Sam stares off in shock, and says hoarsely that she'll clean Louise up. Everyone else exits the room. Luka says that it's a coroner's case. Sam says that when they do the autopsy, they'll see that the balloon didn't burst. Luka morosely walks over to the cabinet and takes out a syringe. He injects air into Louise's tube and says, "No. They'll see that it did." Sam looks torn between being touched that he would cover for her and worried that she put him in that position. And also upset that she basically killed Louise. Luka stomps out, passing the detective on the way. Sam closes her eyes, guilty.
Through the window, Carter watches Mi-Cha with her BABY! Wendall spots him looking, and walks up to him. Carter asks if Mi-Cha is going to keep the baby. Wendall says that she's holding him, and that they're taking it slow. Carter clears his throat and apologizes. He explains, "A few months ago, the woman that I'd been with...we lost a baby." Wendall says that she heard, and asks if he's getting help. Carter says he's working on it. By taking it out on his patients. That's the ER way! Wendall smiles and walks off.
Sam prepares Louise for the morgue. Luka walks in and says he thought she'd be gone by now, and Sam explains that the morgue is backed up, as usual. Sam thought Luka was with a patient, and Luka says he's in the OR. Sam stares down at Louise's face, crying. Luka says that Sam doesn't need to clean her up. Sam knows. Luka points out that there are other nurses. Sam knows that too. Luka asks, "Sam?" Sam's face crumbles as she says that she shouldn't have done it. Luka says that Louise could have died anyway, due to the severity of her injuries. Sam repeats that she shouldn't have done it. Luka says softly that she was trying to help the patient. Sam shakes her head and says, "When I deflated that balloon, Louise was still so traumatized. He kept asking her all these questions, and the only thing she could remember was, 'White guy, dark hair.'" Luka moves over and puts a hand on Sam's back. She says, "I did what I did for 'white guy, dark hair.'" Luka pulls her into his chest and makes everything better. I wonder if this will affect their relationship. Then again, Carol and Doug did illegal things together all the time (dirty!), and they ended up together anyway. Oh, Doug. How I miss you.