Previously: Alex told Luka that he already has a dad. Weaver told Shane West to clean up his act. Carter offered to walk out with Wendall. Chen got frustrated with caring for her father, which I'm not linking because it's happened in almost every episode. Luka invited Sam and Alex to move in.
A shadowy figure is taking a shower. Please be Luka. Please be Luka. Oh, it's Sam. You can totally see her naked figure through the frosted glass, by the way. And she's showering with the bathroom door open, which is just weird. Hasn't she seen Psycho? Luka walks in, home from work. Luka and Sam make small talk about work, and Sam asks Luka to pick up Alex from school. Alex stumbles sleepily into the bathroom and asks Sam for money for a class field trip. She agrees. I have to say, I don't consider myself super-uptight or anything, but I think it's a little weird that a boy Alex's age comes into the bathroom while his mom is showering. Especially in a shower with a glass door. Alex starts peeing, and Luka gives him a look, causing Alex to sass, "What, you've never seen a kid pee before?" This family has no boundaries. Especially considering that they're not really a family yet. ["My family had no boundaries either. Maybe it's a single-mom thing." -- Wing Chun]
Admit Desk. Neela writes a check that she mutters is going to bounce. Shane walks up and nosily says that there are a lot of zeros on that check. Who asked you, Johnny Not-ten? Neela says that tuition is expensive. Shane points out that she can defer paying off her loans, but Neela says that the check is to her father. She explains that her parents put her through school, and now it's her turn to put her brother through school. Shane asks why they don't wait until Neela completes her residency, when she'll be making "the real money." Neela asks Shane if he needs something. He asks her if she'll work Christmas for him. Shane says he'll work New Year's Eve for her instead, so that his family can be together on Christmas. I bet he doesn't even have a family. Shane offers to work Ramadan for her. Isn't that a whole month? And didn't it already happen? Neela says she's not Muslim anyway, and that she's a Sikh. Shane puns that he'll cover for her when she wants to take "a Sikh day." Groan.
Susan comments that something is unbelievable, and Abby breezes in and guesses that Weaver has a boyfriend. Huh? I mean, I know she was joking, but why was that supposed to be funny? Am I supposed to think that Abby's an asshole, or that the writers are stupid? I'm blaming the writers. Carter says that only 39% of the staff has had a flu shot, and Susan says that she doesn't want massive absenteeism. Well, plus the vaccine shortage, which is never even addressed in this whole sub-D plot. Abby's had a flu shot, and Neela promises to get one that day, leaving Shane to make an excuse about how he can't get one yet because his playing arm can't be sore. His playing arm? Really? Susan wants 100% compliance by week. Abby points out that Shane has been making lame excuses to get out of his flu shot for weeks. ["Plus, getting the flu shot gives you, like, a mild bruise. Fuck your 'playing arm,' Shane West, you douche." -- Wing Chun]
Chuny interrupts this stupid storyline by announcing that a police officer got shot and will arrive in two minutes. Carter starts preparing for the arrival, and everyone takes off to help. Shane sidles up to Abby and asks her to give him a flu shot today. Sigh. I thought we were done with this. Shane wants Abby to surprise him with the shot, because he has "a thing about needles." Abby doesn't even react to this stupidity.
A cop car pulls up as the doctors wait outside for their patient. The car nearly pulls right through the ER doors. The driver hops out and announces that the patient is Eddie Escobar, and that he "caught one in the neck." Susan opens the rear door and finds a bloody cop lying there, with another cop trying to apply pressure to the wound and comfort the patient. Susan and Neela take time out to berate the cops for failing to call a paramedic, but the cops claim that this was faster. The doctors get Eddie onto a board. Eddie tries to tell Gary, one of the cops, to take his keys and feed his dog. Eddie also wants them to find some papers in his filing cabinet. Backseat Cop assures Eddie that it will be okay, and wants Susan to join him in this reassurance, but Susan is too busy barking out orders to appease him as we crash to credits.
In the hallway, Abby examines a young girl who confesses that she threw up all over her friend's schoolwork. Abby reassures her that they get a lot of puking kids. Hey, that's Jordan from Showbiz Moms and Dads -- the one kid with a semi-normal parent! Nice to see she's still getting work. Jordan's mom (not her real mom, but her mom for this episode) arrives, and Abby says that the school sent Jordan in for vomiting and fever. Mom wants to take Jordan to see their normal doctor, but Abby tries to dissuade her. Jordan takes this opportunity to puke some more. Abby says it's probably just the stomach flu, but that they can run some tests to be sure. Mom wants to know how long that'll take, and Abby says it'll be about an hour. Mom asks for a real room, and Abby says she'll work on it as she walks off. Abby tells Sam to hook Jordan up with an IV, and Sam says she's kind of busy.
Sam walks into Trauma Yellow with two bags of blood for Eddie, the wounded cop. There's a huge crowd of cops congregating outside the room. Neela says that the bullet missed the spinal cord and the trachea, and Backseat Cop -- who is still standing right there, totally in the way -- says that's good. Sam tells Susan that the Eddie's sats aren't so hot, and Susan says that he needs intubation. Shane steps up as Susan explains the procedure. Neela orders the necessary drugs. Eddie asks if they got the perp, and Driver Cop says that the perp took two bullets to the chest. Susan asks what happened, and Driver Cop explains that it was a convenience-store holdup, and that they chased the guy into an apartment building, where he started shooting out the window. Shane can't intubate because there's too much blood in the throat. Susan offers to take over, and Shane says he can do it. Neela notices a wound on Backseat Cop's hand and asks if he cut himself. He says it's nothing, but Neela encourages him to get it looked at.
Susan says that Shane can have one more chance at intubation. Shane fails because he can't see the cords. Neela offers to try, and Driver Cop thinks Susan should try. Should the other two cops really be in there? Shane wants to perform a tracheotomy. Susan asks for the trach light, and no one understands what she's going to do. The cops get nervous and ask who's in charge of this thing. Susan says that she is, and that they can only stay if they're quiet. I love Susan In Charge. I want Susan in charge of my days and my nights. Not in the dirty way. Susan inserts the light into Eddie's throat and asks for the lights to be turned off. She can see the light through Eddie's neck. Shane still thinks they should be prepping the neck, but Susan ignores him and completes the intubation successfully. Sam is impressed. Shane suggests another procedure, which Susan okays. Sam manages to get a dig in by suggesting that Shane has tiny hands. I guess that's a dig. Frankly, I expect better from Sam.
Another cop shows a lady into the room and introduces her as Eddie's fiancée, Mallory. She starts crying. Susan says that Eddie is doing okay, although he's sedated. Susan encourages Mallory to sit with Eddie and holds his hand.
Pratt examines a guy who got a booboo while wrestling with his nephew. He has a sore shoulder and ribs. Pratt thinks it's just a bruise to the ribs and a strained shoulder. After a perfunctory exam, Pratt promises to have the nurse bring the discharge papers as he walks off and meets Chen walking in. Chen complains that her alarm didn't go off. Pratt asks if she's okay, because she looks exhausted. She insists that she's fine, and Pratt offers to let her discharge his patient. Chen asks for five minutes first. Man, it's a good thing they brought Ming-Na back to the show, since she's had so many interesting and exciting scenes lately. Except for the "interesting and exciting" part. I mean, I guess the car crash was sort of exciting, but the fact that it was Chen in the car, and not Abby or Carter or Sam or someone, didn't really add anything to the storyline.
Abby tells Jordan's mom that the labs are fine. Mom wants to leave, but they hear Jordan crying from inside the room, so they rush in. Jordan says that her side hurts, and points to her appendix. Abby promises some pain relief, and tells Mom that she needs to run some more tests. Mom is pissed that Abby said it wasn't serious, and Abby says that sometimes appendicitis presents as stomach flu, and that she'd like to get a surgical consult. Mom says that Jordan can't have surgery at County. Abby assures her that it's a simple procedure. Mom wants Abby's word that she won't do surgery without consent, because she needs to talk to her husband first. Abby says that they should take one step at a time, and that she'll run more tests while Mom talks to Dad.
Abby runs into Shane in the hallway as he bursts through the crowd of cops outside Trauma Yellow. He bitches about Susan taking away the intubation procedure (because he was doing such a bang-up job), and says that Eddie is stable. Shane wants to know what's in Abby's hands, as he makes sure she's not hiding a flu shot. She says that she didn't promise to give him the shot. Pratt runs through, asking if they've seen Chen, which they haven't. Shane asks Abby if she has plans for New Year's Eve, and she says that he's not her type. Shane laughs that his band has a gig, and he wants to know if she'll work his shift. Abby scoffs, and Shane says that, this way, she won't have to "go to a square dance by [herself]." That doesn't even make sense. Abby says she'll do it if he gives a med-student lecture for her in January, and they have a deal. So Shane got out of working the two major winter holidays. Nice work. Until Abby and Neela converse and discover what Shane's done, and get more pissed off than usual.
A cop asks Carter whether the perp that shot Eddie has come into the ER yet. Carter says that they don't have any news, and the cop says they'll be with Eddie's family, so that they can be notified when the perp arrives. Abby rushes up and gives Carter the bullet on Jordan, which Carter immediately diagnoses as a rule-out appy. As they talk, a woman walks through with a miniature horse. Abby gives them a look like, "The hell?" Carter missed it.
Pratt finds Chen crashed out on the couch in the lounge, so he wakes her up. She apologizes and says that she was waiting for the coffee to brew. They need Stop and Serve, or Pause and Sip, or whatever my coffeemaker has that lets me pour a cup while it's brewing. Pratt asks if she's okay to work, and she says that she is, so he explains his nephew-wrestling case. Chen barely glances at the chart before signing off on it. Pratt asks if she wants to see the patient, and Chen says that she trusts him. Bad move. And she of all people should know that by now. Pratt asks after her father, and Chen says that he has a nurse sixteen hours a day, and then she cares for him alone all night. Malik bursts in and says that the perp from the cop shooting is coming in. Chen sighs and stomps out. Yeah, stupid people getting hurt and taking her away from her nap.
The paramedics wheel the perp in. Braids straddles his chest, does compressions, and explains that he has multiples GSWs to the chest and abdomen, and had no pulse in the field. Backseat Cop runs up and verifies that it's the guy that shot Eddie. Neela asks how long the perp was down, and Braids says that the cops had to secure the apartment building first, which took forty-five minutes. Chen and Neela complain about the delay, but Backseat Cop points out that if there had been a second shooter, the paramedics would be at risk. Yeah, I'm sure that was totally the reason why the cops took their time saving the life of someone they think shot one of their own.
The perp is wheeled into Trauma Green. Chen tiredly calls for two units of O-neg as they try to transfer the perp to the table. Malik notices that the patient is cuffed to the gurney, so no transfer is possible. Neela asks for the key, but the cops deny any knowledge that keys even exist in the world. Chen is disgusted, and tells Neela to handle the thoracotomy, but Neela can't do the procedure until the guy is uncuffed so that she can access his side. Finally, a key shows up. Neela asks Backseat Cop if he really needs to be there, and he says that as long as the suspect is uncuffed, he's sticking around. Yeah, this half-dead guy is a real threat to society. And aren't there crimes going on in Chicago? It seems like every cop in the district is waiting for Eddie to recover. I get that they are worried, but can't they be worried while they drive around and stop crime? Neela points out that the patient isn't about to hop up and shoot someone, and Chen tells the cop to back off. Backseat Cop asks if the guy has a chance, and Neela mutters, "Why do you think they're letting me crack his chest?" Good point.
Frank and Abby argue over whether or not the miniature pony can stay. I bet you can guess what side Frank is on. Remember when Frank had a heart attack and he was nice for, like, three minutes? Carter walks up, and Abby introduces him to Mrs. Gelden, a blind woman, and her guide horse, Ruby. I half expected Carter to have a flashback to that old dude, Ruby, played by Red Buttons. Strange name choice by the writers, because I can't be the only longtime viewer that made that association. Carter strokes the horse's mane for a minute and tells Frank that the horse stays.
As Carter walks off, a cop comes up and tells him that Eddie's son has arrived. Carter promises to check and see if Eddie is able to accept visitors. The cop walks back over to the son, who's fifteen, and his mom, Eddie's ex-wife (hereafter "The Ex").
Dubenko is working on Eddie, and determines that he can't operate because Eddie's wound is too close to the skull and they can't control the bleeding. Carter enters and announces that the son has arrived. Mallory is happy to hear that Arlo, the son, is there, and clarifies for the doctors that she's not Arlo's mother. Arlo and The Ex walk in. Mallory reassures Arlo that it's not as bad as it looks. The Ex gets all pissy that Mallory is allowed in the room, so I guess it wasn't an amicable divorce. I would even venture a guess that Mallory might have had something to do with the split, based on the animosity. Arlo tries to calm things down until Susan takes charge and announces that Mallory should step outside, and that they can each take turns sitting with Eddie. She orders Arlo to say hello quickly so that they can take X-rays of Eddie. Arlo walks up to Eddie's head and says hello. Susan explains that Eddie can't talk, due to the tube. Arlo assures Eddie that he'll be fine, and that he's tough. Susan dispatches Shane to take Arlo and The Ex to the family room, and to answer their questions.
door, Chen, Dubenko, and Neela are working on the perp, who is fading fast. The doctors confer, and Chen calls the time of death. Backseat Cop says that the doctors saved the taxpayers a lot of money in trial fees and prison costs. Isn't that part of the Hippocratic Oath? I think right after "First, do no harm" comes "Second, try to save the taxpayers money." Okay, I just looked it up and "First, do no harm" isn't even in the Hippocratic Oath, but let's just pretend for a minute. Carter asks Backseat Cop about his wound, and Backseat Cop shrugs it off. Carter tells Neela to take care of Backseat Cop. She tries to back out, because the guy's a jagoff, but Carter insists.
Abby treats Mrs. Gelden's arm wound and apologizes for the misunderstanding with her horse. Jordan, sitting in a nearby bed, asks whether Ruby is wearing sneakers. Mrs. Gelden explains that sneakers keep Ruby from slipping. Jordan nods as if this totally works for her. Jordan's mom bursts in and says that her husband wants Jordan moved to Mercy. Abby says they'll need to get a surgeon at Mercy to accept Jordan before Abby will okay the transfer. Ruby starts licking Mrs. Gelden's wound, and Abby pushes her away. Mom wants Abby to talk to her husband, so Abby walks off and orders a nurse to reprep the wound and tie up the horse.
Outside, Abby takes the phone and talks to Jordan's dad, who is driving back from Detroit. Jordan's dad is angry. Shane West walks up, sees Abby holding the giant syringe she was using to irrigate Mrs. Gelden's wound, and turns and walks the other way. Does he really think they use giant syringes for flu shots? No wonder he's scared of them. Abby continues to assure Dad that they'll transfer Jordan as soon as Mercy accepts her. Wendall walks up, and Abby waves her over to Mom. Meanwhile, Dad totally hangs up on Abby.
Neela prepares Backseat Cop for sutures. He comments that it "must be a pain in the ass having to waste all that time trying to save a scumbag's life." I think that's part of the Hippocratic Oath too: "First, do no harm, unless your patient is a scumbag. Then, who the fuck cares?" Driver Cop sees Neela's look of disgust and says that the perp held up a mini-mart. Neela says that the perp looked about fourteen, although I'm not sure what that has to do with the price of rice. Neela, from working in the ER, should know that age has little to do with potential to be a scumbag. Anyway, Neela notices a foreign body in Backseat Cop's wound. She asks if it was possible that he was shot. Backseat Cop doesn't think so, but says that he scraped his wrist as he fell.
Carter does an ultrasound on Jordan's belly, looking for her appendix, as Abby tries to help. Mom bitches that she left messages with three surgeons at Mercy, and Abby promises that they'll call back, and that they can wait eight to ten hours before it becomes a problem for Jordan. Carter can't find the appendix. Mom asks what that means. My first thought was that it ruptured. Carter says that an enlarged appendix is usually easier to find. Mom asks if Jordan really has appendicitis. Abby says it's possible. Mom is pissed that she can't get a straight answer. Carter is sure it's appendicitis, based on symptoms. Mom points out that Abby originally said it was stomach flu. Wendall walks in and says that the transfer center from Mercy wants to talk to the Attending. Carter walks out to take the call as Mom continues bitching. Abby and Carter remain remarkably calm in the face of Mom the Super Bitch Who is Totally Implying that County General Sucks. Which it kind of does, but she could be a little less unpleasant about it.
After her mom leaves, Jordan asks Abby if she needs an operation. Abby nods. Jordan asks if she needs it soon. Abby says yes. Jordan wants to have it at County. Abby explains that Jordan's parents want her to have it at another hospital. Jordan is worried that it will take too long, and asks why she doesn't get to decide. Abby says that kids have to let their parents decide what's best. Jordan flares her nostrils.
Shane explains, to Arlo and his mom, the procedure they are about to do on Eddie. They plan to blow up a balloon in Eddie's artery to stop the bleeding. Eddie asks how they get blood to Eddie's brain. Shane explains that two carotid arteries supply the brain, and that when one gets blocked, the body has a detour that allows blood to circulate to both sides. The ex asks if Eddie will recover, and Shane says that their first priority is to stop the bleeding. Susan asks them to leave so that they can shoot an X-ray. Shane promises to get Arlo when they've finished.
Frank walks in and says that Luka called, and Alex was suspended from school again. Sam says she might have to leave to handle it, and Susan tells her to hold on. Neela walks in with Driver and Backseat Cop. Is everyone allowed in the Trauma Rooms now? This is like Grand Central Station. Neela explains that she removed a plastic BB from Backseat's arm, and that she was concerned that it was the same thing that hit Eddie. Susan doesn't think a BB would be enough to sever a carotid artery. Susan produces the metal slug they got from Eddie's neck, and asks if it's what the suspect used. Backseat doesn't think so. Driver Cop says that it matches a cop's standard-issue weapon. Interesting.
Sam calls Luka, who says that he can pick Alex up, and that the school didn't tell him anything about what's going on. Sam, puzzled, asks Luka to call her after he meets with the principal. Neela walks up with a tetanus shot for Backseat, and Sam says they're being "interviewed about the friendly-fire thing." Neela asks if it was definitely a cop's gun that shot Eddie, and Sam reports that they found a pellet gun to the suspect at the scene, so it wasn't him.
Neela spots Arlo staring at the dead perp in Trauma Green, and tells him to go to the family room. Arlo asks if that's the guy who shot his dad. Neela delicately says he was the suspect they were pursuing. Arlo wants to go in and see him. Neela tries to dissuade him, but Arlo marches in anyway, and is shocked to find that the perp is so young. Arlo wants to know why that kid would shoot his dad. Neela breaks the news that Eddie may have been accidentally shot by another cop. Backseat and Driver walk in and ask to talk to Arlo, who immediately asks which one of them did it. The two cops hem and haw, and Neela says that they should go sit down somewhere. Arlo pushes past all of them to walk out of the room, and bitterly says that it's not their fault, and that the risk of being shot comes with the job. Neela chases after him.
Dubenko successfully inflates the balloon in Eddie's artery to control the bleeding. Shane is psyched that it stopped the bleeding, but Dubenko points out that Eddie is still "comatose with a flaccid paralysis." I think they have drugs for flaccid paralysis now. I saw Mike Ditka doing a commercial about that. Shane asks if they can repair the carotid artery. Dubenko thinks it would do more harm than good, and that he wouldn't do it without consent. They run through the family tree until they reach Arlo, the only blood relative, who is also a minor. Did they even check whether Eddie has living parents or siblings? Dubenko asks whether Arlo could be classified as "a mature minor," which Sam explains means he could be authorized to make medical decisions. Shane promises to talk to Arlo about it, and Susan tells him to get Wendall involved. I mean, she's on the cast payroll, so you might as well get her some screen time that doesn't involve sucking face with Carter.
Abby runs in and asks Dubenko to come with her, which he does. As they walk, Abby tells him that Jordan is septic, meaning that her appendix has probably burst. Wendall catches up to them and explains that the family wants her transferred to Mercy. Dubenko states flatly that it ain't happening. As they reach Jordan's room, Mom starts complaining that they need to make the transfer. Dubenko examines Jordan and explains that she needs surgery immediately, and that they need consent. Mom says that Abby said they could wait, and Abby says that this is an unusual case, in which the infection has spread rapidly. Wendall asks again for consent. Mom wants to wait for her husband. Dubenko retorts that it's life-threatening. Mom says nothing, so Dubenko declares that they will "double doctor it." He signs, and Abby signs, so they start rolling Jordan upstairs. Wendall explains to Mom that two physicians can override parental consent. Mom complains that it goes against their agreement, and Abby apologizes. She asks Dubenko whether he's ever done this before, and Dubenko disappears into the elevator as he says, "No one ever gets in trouble for acting in the best interests of the patient." Abby mutters, "Tell that to Dr. Corday." Heh.
Shane explains to Arlo, The Ex, and Backseat Cop what's going on with Eddie. Wendall walks in and introduces herself. The ex-wife wants Backseat to stick around for this, and Arlo says it's okay. Shane explains that they have two treatment options. They can use a catheter to plug up the artery, which would give Eddie a 15% chance of getting better. Define "getting better." Awake, but paralyzed? The second option is surgery, which would give Eddie a 30% chance of improving. The Ex thinks that sounds better, until Shane says that surgery is more risky, and then she's against it. Wendall asks Arlo whether he understands the choices, and he says that they both kind of suck. Wendall asks Arlo to explain them back to her, and The Ex gets annoyed and says she'll make sure Arlo understands them. Arlo says that they can play it safe and have a small chance that Eddie will improve, or risk the surgery, which would offer a better chance of improvement, but also a bigger chance that Eddie will die. Wendall nods. Shane tells Arlo that it's his call. The Ex is shocked. They didn't tell them that Arlo was the decisionmaker before explaining the options? The Ex complains that Arlo can't handle it, but Arlo thinks he can. Wendall explains that the law says that the decision has to be made by a blood relative. The ex asks, "How can this be right?" I still find it hard to believe that Eddie doesn't have (a) a living will or health-care proxy, as someone who works in a high-risk field, or (b) another living blood relative.
Luka meets with Alex's principal in the darkest office ever. I know schools are suffering from budget cuts, but could they not pay the electric bill? The principal explains that he doesn't think this is a big deal, but that "the school board has a zero-tolerance approach to what they consider pornographic." Luka is shocked, so the principal holds up a copy of Maxim and says that Alex brought it to school to show the other kids. Luka stifles a giggle. The principal points out Luka's name on the mailing label ["ew, Luka subscribes to Maxim? Now I like him a lot less. I'd still French him, though" -- Wing Chun], and asks if Luka's the stepfather. Luka says he is not, exactly. The principal asks if Luka takes an active role in child-rearing. Luka says that he drives Alex around and plays sports with him. Luka says he's been living with Alex and his mom, but then admits that they've only been doing so for about a week. I refuse to believe that this is the worst home situation the principal has ever heard about. Yes, Luka needs to consider exactly what role he plans to play in Alex's life, but come on. The principal is acting all shocked and disapproving.
Shane buys Arlo a hot chocolate from the Roach Coach. Arlo apologizes for his mom's freakout. Shane asks if Arlo is okay making decisions for his dad. Arlo says that, last year, he was afraid to ask some girl to the prom, but that his dad convinced him to take a chance. Shane smirks that Eddie sounds pretty cool. Arlo is convinced that his dad would want the risk of surgery. Shane says that they can make that happen. Arlo is worried that his mom will freak out, and Shane assures Arlo that it's his decision, and promises to back him up. Arlo looks incredibly relieved that Shane will be there for him. Not for long!
Chuny wheels in a patient. It's the nephew-wrestler that Pratt treated this morning. Chen yells for someone to find Pratt. The patient explains that he got dizzy a few hours ago, but that he didn't come back because Pratt said it wasn't serious. They wheel the patient in to a room and prep for an ultrasound. Pratt walks in, and Chen bitches that he sent home an unstable patient. She barely touches the ultrasound to the patient's belly before discovering that he has a lacerated spleen. She calls Pratt to the side and looks at the chart, realizing that she signed off on him. Pratt says that it didn't seem serious, and that the guy didn't mention belly pain. Chen asks if Pratt even checked a crit, and Pratt points out that it would have been normal. Chen checks the chart again and notices that the patient had shoulder pain. She explains to Pratt that free blood irritates the diaphragm and causes shoulder pain. She accuses him of missing it. Pratt turns it around and says that Chen missed it because she was too tired to examine the patient properly before signing off. Chen has no response to that one.
Admit Desk Central Station. Sam talks to Luka on the phone, but he won't give her all the details until she gets home. Shane walks in and announces that Arlo consented to surgery, and that he's called the proper departments to make it happen. Susan loudly announces that she needs to pump her breast milk. Do her co-workers really need to know that? I know it's natural and all, but still. Abby walks through and says that Jordan made it to the OR. Carter notes that Wendall was busy today. Carter turns around to see if anyone is nearby, and when he sees they are alone, asks Wendall if she has plans after work. She does, but she's quick to say that it's not a date. Wendall says, "You could come along, but I have to warn you, it's pretty physical." Carter pops a boner, but stops to sign a chart for Shane, who totally checks out Wendall's rack as he waits for the signature. Shane tells Abby that he's out of there, as he removes his lab coat to reveal a sleeveless t-shirt. What the hell month is it supposed to be there? Abby complains about the patients Shane is signing over to her, but he shrugs it off. As he walks out, Abby tells him that he forgot something, and when he pauses, she sticks him with his flu shot. Well, at least that semi-justifies the sleeveless t-shirt.
Chen, Pratt, and Chuny work on the nephew-wrestler, who is feeling much better. Frank sticks his head in and asks if it's okay if the nephew comes in. Chen says it's fine. She takes a medical history, and the nephew-wrestler asks how this could happen. Chen says it's unusual, and that you need enough force to break a rib and have it cut into the spleen. The nephew wrestler says that his nephew is a tough kid. Pratt chuckles, and the nephew walks in. He's gigantic. And not in the sense that my nine-month-old nephew is gigantic. This guy is like André the Giant gigantic.
Abby spots Neela and asks if she's seen Susan. Neela says that Susan signed out, and asks if she can help. Abby says that she can't believe Shane dumped this on her, because she's supposed to be helping Arlo, but she doesn't know the details of the case. Neela wonders why Shane signed Arlo out to Abby, and Abby sighs that she happened to be near him when he was leaving. Frank walks up and introduces Abby to Jordan's dad. Abby explains that they had to take Jordan up to surgery, and Dad gets pissed and demands to see her now. Neela asks what's up with Arlo, and Abby says that he's upset. Neela offers to take it over, since she knows the case.
Neela finds Arlo, who wants to see Shane. Arlo is understandably upset to learn that Shane is gone for the night, since Shane promised to help him to deal with his mom. Neela says that she can help Arlo to explain his decision to his mom, and walks into Trauma Yellow, where Backseat and The Ex are waiting.
Dubenko performs the appendectomy on Jordan. Abby leads Dad into the viewing room and explains what's going on. Mom tells Dad that everything is fine. Dad wants to know who the surgeon is, and Abby explains that it's the chief of surgery. She turns on the intercom to let Dubenko know that the parents are there. Dubenko say that they caught the appendix before it burst, so clearly I have no idea what I'm talking about. I assumed that since they couldn't find it on the ultrasound, it had already burst. An alarm beeps, and Dad freaks out, but Dubenko explains that one of the probes slipped off, as a nurse replaces it and the beeping stops. Dad explains that he brought his own father into County for back surgery, and he died on the table because some junior doctor botched the job. That sounds familiar, but I'm thinking of the dude that Elizabeth put in a wheelchair. Abby assures Dad that everything will be fine. Dad says he hates this hospital. Abby blinks, because what can you say to that?
Neela tries to help Arlo in talking to The Ex. Backseat Cop is pissed that Shane took off. Neela prompts Arlo to reveal that he wants them to do the surgery. The Ex immediately says it's too risky. Arlo thinks it's what Eddie would want. Backseat Cop angrily says that it's better to have his dad around than to chance losing him forever. Is it? Is it better to have him around in a vegetative state? I guess that's for each person to decide, but it seems like they aren't even considering Eddie's quality of life. Arlo is pissed that Backseat Cop is there, and the Ex defends his presence, since he's Eddie's best friend. I'm getting the vibe that there's something going on between The Ex and Backseat. Arlo argues with his mother, and Neela says that, legally, Arlo has the right to make the decision, regardless of what everyone else thinks. Arlo continues to insist that Eddie would take the risk. The Ex says that Eddie liked to take chances, and that's probably what got him shot. Arlo still insists on the operation. The Ex goes for the guilt and asks how Arlo will feel if Eddie dies, and whether he's ready to accept responsibility for his father's death. Neela stands there, silent. Throughout the scene, you can see Mallory standing outside the door to the Trauma Room, watching what's happening but not being allowed to participate.
Chen calls home and checks in with her father's nurse. As she talks, she grabs some vials out of the drug room. Over her shoulder, we see that Pratt is watching her. Chen gets the nurse to agree to stay late, and hangs up. Pratt walks up and apologizes for what happened with the nephew-wrestler. Chen takes responsibility for signing off on the chart too quickly, and tries to get the hell out of there. Pratt asks why she took so much potassium. Chen, busted, says that it's for her dad. Pratt reminds her to go easy on that stuff. The unspoken bit is that a potassium overdose can be lethal. Chen lies that it's for her father's diarrhea, and that the supply should last a few weeks. Pratt watches her walk off, not fooled.
Carter walks out of the bathroom at a rock-climbing gym, wearing a harness. Why did he have to go into the bathroom to put on a harness? It goes over your clothes. Wendall greets him and explains that she's in training for a triathlon. Isn't that running, biking, and swimming? When did they add rock climbing? Wendall starts her climb, and the male attendant, who clearly knows Wendall, suggests that Carter start out on the beginner wall. Carter asks if he has the harness on right, and the attendant says it'll work out great if he wants to hang upside down by his balls. Hey, don't knock it until you've tried it.
Neela steps outside of Eddie's room to make a phone call. Mallory approaches and asks what's going on. Neela says that the family has decided not to have the surgery. Mallory is upset that, after three years, she's not considered family. Neela makes the call to cancel the surgery. Inside the trauma room, Arlo sits to Eddie, upset. Meanwhile, Backseat Cop and the Ex murmur to each other.
Wendall easily scales the wall, while Carter struggles. The attendant asks if Carter and Wendall are dating, and Carter says they're just friends. The attendant reveals that he dated Wendall for a few years. Carter looks alarmed that his life is in the hands of Wendall's ex. The attendant continues, saying that he thought they'd get married, but then Wendall wanted to see other people. Carter asks if the rope is supposed to be that loose, and the attendant tightens the slack.
Sam arrives home to the Apartment of No Electricity and gives Luka a kiss. She sighs and asks where Alex is. Luka says he's in his room, and offers her a beer. Sam asks if she needs one to handle the upcoming news. Luka shows Sam the Maxim and says that Alex took it to school. Sam doesn't think it's a big deal, and asks where the magazine came from, and then notices that Luka has a subscription. Luka says that a friend of Alex's had the magazine in the bathroom. He adds, "In the stall...at school." Sam still doesn't get it, so Luka makes a jerking-off motion. Sam is stunned. Luka tries not to laugh. Sam asks whether Luka thinks that Alex does that. Luka shrugs. Sam says she thought it would be a year or two before she had to deal with this. She concludes that she needs to talk to Alex, and then makes puppy-dog eyes at Luka.
Carter and Wendall walk out of the gym. Wendall says that Carter is welcome to join her in rock climbing any time, and they banter about her ex, the attendant. Wendall asks if Carter's hungry, and Carter says he's not. Wendall practically begs him to join her. They walk outside and try to decide what kind of food to get. Carter wants pizza, but Wendall complains that it has too many carbs. Oh, live a little. It's not like he invited you to eat at the White Bread and Potato Palace. Although that would probably be my new favorite restaurant. Wendall picks up the one remaining phone book from the one remaining pay phone in Chicago and tells Carter to close his eyes and pick a place. Carter is doubtful, but plays along. Carter picks Uncle Vito's Mongolian Barbecue. Wendall isn't happy with the choice. Are you kidding? Mongolian Barbecue is awesome! You bring up a bowl of meat and they fry it up using giant sticks. It's make-your-own stir fry! Plus, Wendall can avoid carbs. Everyone wins. Carter convinces her to go through with it, and they take off. Wendall hopes they have tofu. Well, they did at the one I used to go to in Ann Arbor. Not that I ever ate it.
Neela finds Backseat Cop and says they're moving Eddie up to the ICU. Backseat thanks her. Neela sees Arlo walking out and chases after him. The Ex stops her and says it's fine. Neela thinks that Arlo looked upset, and The Ex promises that he'll get over it. Neela thinks about talking to him, but The Ex says that Arlo gets too emotional, and that there's no talking to him. The unspoken sentiment here is that The Ex knows that if Neela talks to Arlo, he might start insisting on the surgery again. Neela asks if they want to think about it some more, but The Ex has made up her mind, and says that Arlo is too confused. Neela says that she heard him express a strong opinion more than once. The Ex says they both know it was the wrong choice, and that Arlo was hoping for something that would never happen. She thanks Neela for her help. Neela isn't sure she helped. The Ex says Neela did the right thing by letting them work it out together. Neela doesn't look convinced.
Alex reads a comic book in bed. Looks like the only lamp in the place is in his room. Luka knocks and walks in. He sits down and brings up the subject of school, and stammers as he asks if Alex has any questions about what his friend was doing. Alex is all, "Spanking the monkey?" Luka says it's normal, but that you shouldn't do it at school. Alex asks, "You think I'm stupid?" Well, now that you ask. Luka says that the issue can be confusing, and that Alex can talk to Luka about these things. Alex mulls it over for two seconds and agrees. He goes back to his comic book. Luka wishes him good night. I think it's interesting that the writers didn't show us if Luka volunteered for that job, or if Sam asked him to do it. I think it would have told us a lot about where they are in their relationship if we knew. Oh well. I think we're also supposed to assume that Alex is totally okay with Luka's taking a fatherly role in his life.
Neela gets out of a taxi on a street somewhere. She marches up to Shane, who is standing outside a club talking to some guy, and asks how he could just leave like that, because he abandoned Arlo. Shane protests that his shift was over, and that he signed out his cases. Neela says that the case got complicated. Shane can't believe that it got complicated, because Arlo knew what he wanted. Neela breaks the news that Eddie isn't having the surgery, because Arlo got pressure from his mom. Shane turns it around and says that Arlo just needed a little handholding, which Neela should have been able to provide. He conveniently forgets that he signed the case out to Abby, so Neela didn't need to provide jack shit. Neela launches into an awesome tirade: "Don't turn this around on me. You promised to help him. It's not my job, or anyone else's, to keep your promises. He was counting on you." Shane protests that his shift was over and he had a gig. Neela yells, "Screw your gig. Medicine isn't a day job." Shane points out that Neela was selling hot dogs three months ago, which doesn't even make sense, because it's not like she was selling hot dogs and also working in the hospital. Shut up, Shane. Neela says that she and Abby were both off at the same time as Shane, but that they stayed and took care of their patients. Shane says that they would never leave the hospital if they tucked in every patient. Neela spits, "I'm not talking about every patient. I'm talking about one kid. It was the most important decision of his life. He trusted you! And you left." Neela turns and walks back to her cab, leaving Shane there to stew in his jackassery. Awesome.