ER Episode 15.15 The Family Man

It would appear that Brenner and Neela haven't left her apartment for days, ordering take-out yet again. Since they're both due back at work, Brenner suggests they ride together, but Neela prefers to be covert, claiming it's sexier. Neela takes a call: Duke wants to interview her this weekend! She didn't think any of her preliminary interviews would pan out. Warning Neela that everyone is going to be interested in her now, Brenner dresses in a hurry, and leaves Neela feeling confused.

At work, Morris is eagerly anticipating his first date with Claudia, which she has planned; he's going in blind. Rushing to clock out, Morris tries to hand off responsibility for his patient Mr. Jensen, whose HMO doesn't want to approve a much-needed MRI. Sam and Gates talk. Gates thinks it feels weird, working together after their break-up, but Sam thinks weirdness is to be expected.

Out sick, Banfield has left instructions to get patient satisfaction scores up, and Gates is in last place. Brenner assigns him combative 78-year-old Leo, and bribes Dawn to make sure Gates' scores improve. Brenner asks Sam about switching weekend shifts on short notice -- it's all a function of Banfield's mood. Realizing that Brenner has started a new relationship, Sam advises him to keep it casual.

A car speeds into the ambulance bay, smashing into a rig with Zadro inside. Zadro claims he's fine. The car's driver, Joanie Moore, claims something's wrong with her hip, and is relieved to find that her daughter Lucy just has a burn on her arm from the airbag. Gates insists on stitching up a laceration on Zadro's forehead, while Dawn strong-arms him into signing an already filled out patient satisfaction form.

Morris tells single mom Joanie that she's broken her hip joint socket. She'll need surgery and a week's stay at the hospital. Does Joanie have any family that can look after Lucy? Joanie admits that she has a brother who works at a local bar, but the last time she saw him, several years ago, he stole cash and their mother's wedding ring. She prefers to ask her neighbor to take care of Lucy.

Gates and Dawn tend to cantankerous Leo, who fell down at home and passed out. Leo is none too happy to be at the hospital, and tries to leave, despite abdominal tenderness. His daughter should have let him go to assisted living, but instead she installed cameras to monitor him at home. Brenner finally allows Morris to leave for his date, promising to call if Mr. Jensen's MRI isn't approved.

Neela asks Sam how she's dealing with the break-up. It's hard, but Sam's trying not to let it affect her work. From now on, Sam resolves to keep her work life and personal life separate. When Joanie's brother Stuart shows up, she is furious to learn that Brenner called him. They fight; she doesn't want him to take care of Lucy. Brenner and Sam catch Stuart on the way out. How can he leave his niece? Stuart confesses that Lucy isn't his niece, she's his daughter.

Unable to care for Lucy, Stuart left her with Joanie without asking six years ago. Now he plays guitar at a bar, and isn't set up to take care of a nine-year-old. When Stuart leaves for work, Brenner tells Sam to call Social Services. Neela informs that Leo has air in his abdomen. It's probably a perforated ulcer, and will need a routine surgical fix. After watching his wife waste away for two years from complications after a routine surgery, Leo refuses treatment, despite the risk of his own death.

Sam watches over Lucy, bringing her to watch Joanie get an MRI. Joanie is worried that Stuart might try to blackmail her for custody of Lucy, whom she never formally adopted. Sam assures Joanie that Stuart left for work and isn't coming back. Gates tells Leo's daughter Nancy that he's refused surgery. Sometimes people make these kinds of decisions when they're depressed, so he's scheduled a psych consult.

Morris knocks on Claudia's door with flowers, shocked to find that her large extended family is gathered for her nephew Philip's birthday party. Neela and Gates argue about Leo. Neela points out that Leo has the right to decide his medical treatment, and they should respect his wishes. Bumping into Brenner, Neela admits that she's already got the weekend off and has bought her plane ticket. She claims it's no big deal, but Brenner seems worried.

Stuart returns to the ER as Sam screams for help. Joanie has gone into congestive heart failure. Lucy freaks out and Brenner has to carry her out of the trauma room as Joanie is revived. Joanie has fulminant myocarditis, which has damaged her heart and will postpone her hip surgery. Sam squares off with Brenner; she doesn't think Lucy should go home with Stuart -- after all, he abandoned her once. Nevertheless, Brenner convinces Stuart to take Lucy for the night.

Brenner introduces Lucy to Stuart, leaving them to sing songs together when Liz Dade from Social Services shows up. Despite Sam's protests, Liz insists that Stuart is a candidate for temporary custody, with Joanie's consent. Meanwhile, Claudia calls Morris into service when Superhero Gary fails to show up at the birthday party. Dressed in a spandex superhero suit, Morris fails to convince the kids, who pelt him with candy.

Brenner tells Joanie, Stuart and Lucy that most of Joanie's heart muscle has been irreversibly damaged and she may need a transplant. It's a waiting game. Stuart promises that he can take care of Lucy, asking Joanie to let him prove it. Lucy tells Joanie that she wants to stay with Stuart. Meanwhile, Leo passes his psych review with flying colors. When Gates tries to scare him into surgery, citing the suffering he'll put his family through, Neela pulls him out of the consult.

Gates apologizes to Leo, but gives it one last try. Does Leo want to see his granddaughter Alyssa graduate from college or what? In costume, Morris arrives in the ER with Claudia's large family; nephew Philip has dislocated his shoulder. Liz approves Stuart as Lucy's temporary guardian, and explains his responsibilities. After Stuart signs the papers, Brenner sends him down the street to grab some dinner.

Morris gives Claudia's family a tour of the ER, shocked to find that Mr. Jensen, who still hasn't had his MRI, is going into crisis, and will need immediate surgery to prevent paralysis. Claudia's family watches in awe as superhero Morris saves the day. Later, Claudia finally says goodbye to her family, and then playfully handcuffs Morris for impersonating a superhero, with the promise of an eventful night.

Joanie says good night to Lucy, making sure she's ready to go home with Stuart. Sadly, Stuart hasn't returned. Brenner finds Lucy outside in the ambulance bay with Stuart's guitar, waiting. Brenner tries to reassure Lucy, but holding back tears, she knows that Stuart isn't coming back.