ER Episode 15.16 The Beginning of the End

It's 5:00 a.m., and Morris is already enjoying the best Valentine's Day ever. Claudia dresses for work -- as a rookie detective, she has to toe the line. Morris pulls Claudia back into bed, as Brenner and Neela snuggle, remembering past Valentine's Days. Noticing a framed photo of Venice's Bridge of Sighs, Brenner suggests taking a trip. When Neela immediately gets concerned with practicalities, Brenner promises to take care of everything.

Waiting for an ambulance with Morris and Gates, Sam gets a call from Alex: he wants to stay home from school because his new girlfriend dumped him. An ambulance arrives with Jackson, who has a tire iron stuck in his abdomen after a brawl at an after hours club. Another ambulance unloads Teddy Lempel, who was to officiate over a Midsummer Night's Dream themed-wedding at dawn. Teddy had a bronchospasm, so the wedding revelers accompanied him to the ER.

Sam gives Jackson more morphine before Gates orders it. She's getting used to being more autonomous in the OR. Gates reminds her that in the ER, his ass is on the line, not hers. Morris breaks it up, sending Gates to tend to Teddy. At home, Banfield and Russell discuss their baby options. Banfield is scared of adoption, and wants to try an egg donor. Her niece Lara would give her an egg, and they share the same DNA.

Morris and Sam are preparing to intubate Jackson when Claudia arrives with her partner Mallory to investigate. When Neela rushes in, Jackson freaks and pulls the tire iron out of his chest. Blood gushes as the crew fight to contain the bleeding and speed Jackson to surgery. Banfield bumps into Brenner, waiting for Lucy's foster father to drop her off -- Lucy's mom Joanie is getting a new heart today!

Brenner and Neela explain procedure to Joanie and Lucy. While Joanie has some tests, Neela will pick up the heart and return to attend Joanie's transplant surgery. Gates apologizes to Sam for snapping at her earlier. He supports her new autonomy, but asks that she tell him before doing stuff on her own. They move off to tend to Teddy, who is a mushroom expert, beloved by Chicago's finest chefs. Teddy has concocted a love potion which he claims is responsible for the wedding.

Morris receives a candy heart Valentine from Claudia, and Neela receives a CD from Ray. Brenner watches as Joanie hands a heart locket to Lucy. Gates watches Sam across a crowded hallway. When he turns, Sam watches him. As Banfield welcomes her niece Lara to a booth in the Jumbo Mart, John Carter drives up to ER to survey how much it's changed and stayed the same.

Carter walks through the ER, but no one recognizes him. He wanders up to the desk as Teddy presents Gates with a bottle of his love potion. Teddy's chest films have come back, and Gates is a bit annoyed when Carter steps into the consult. Finally, Zadro recognizes Carter while bringing in an unconscious 19-year-old from the brawl, escorted by cop, Salter.

Banfield wants Lara to consider her proposition carefully, but Lara is positive -- she would do anything for Banfield. Carter finds Morris as he and Tracy tend to the 19-year-old, who supposedly took one punch during the brawl. Carter might stick around Chicago for a while -- who should he speak to about picking up some shifts? Morris directs him to Banfield, and continues talking Tracy through intubation.

Brenner finds Neela searching for a scopolamine patch. The operation will be in 40 minutes, and she's about to board the helicopter to pick up Joanie's heart. Tenderly placing the patch behind Neela's ear, Brenner wonders if she gets seasick, too? Morris and Tracy send the 19-year-old for a CT scan. Morris questions Zadro -- is he sure this was just one punch? Zadro explains that he got the report from the cops, who saw it happen.

Morris tells Claudia and Mallory that something's not right. The 19-year-old is sicker than he should be. Mallory admits that the incident happened at the station house. Claudia looks down as Mallory explains that the cops weren't watching closely enough and a drunken thug attacked the 19-year-old in a holding cell.

After catching up with Sam and Jerry, Carter asks Banfield for a few minutes of her time. When Brenner wheels past with Joanie in crisis, Banfield tells Carter to take a number and rushes off to help. Morris shows Mallory and Claudia the 19-year-old's brain scan, which indicates multiple blows to the head -- whoever's telling his back story is lying. Mallory explains -- he's the one telling the story.

Mallory and Claudia watch through the window as the 19-year-old goes into crisis, herniating. Since there's no hope of a neurosurgeon, Sam pushes Morris to do a risky ventriculostomy, panicking Tracy. Still, it's the only chance. Meanwhile, Joanie's L-VAD stops pumping blood. Figuring the electric pump might be broken, Grady introduces a hand pump and saves the day. Joanie is wheeled upstairs for the transplant.

Claudia continues to watch as Morris drills into the 19-year-old's brain to save his life. Alex stops by the ER after leaving school early. He's sick, but refuses to discuss his broken heart with Sam. Meanwhile, Jerry drinks Teddy's love potion and seems to be developing a crush on Carter. Banfield catches up with Carter for an impromptu and rigorous interview. After putting Carter through his paces, Banfield asks when he can start.

Claudia pulls Morris aside to tell him the real story of what happened to the 19-year-old. She discovered three cops including Mallory "tuning up" the 19-year-old in interrogation. Eventually they let her call 911. She tries to explain the "blue wall of silence," but Morris doesn't get it -- is she just going to ignore what happened? Claudia insists that if she's going to be a detective, she has to learn to deal with stuff like this.

Brenner finds an exhilarated Neela scrubbing for surgery after her helicopter ride -- transplant surgery is a total rush! Brenner sits with Lucy while transplant surgeon Robbins directs Neela to sever the aorta on Joanie's heart. Neela is just holding Joanie's heart in her hand when the phone rings -- there's been a mistake -- they have the wrong transplant heart!

A very sober Neela consults with Lucy, Brenner and Banfield. Joanie's transplant heart was mislabeled, a mistake that was only discovered when her old heart had been removed. She'll have to stay attached to a cardiac bypass machine until they find a new heart. Lucy stays strong, reassured to learn that at least Joanie will know that she's there.

Morris meets with Mallory and Claudia to report that the 19-year-old's condition is still critical. He's required by law to report the incident, triggering a formal investigation. When Mallory asks what Morris thinks he's doing, he answers simply --he's doing his job. Gates plays basketball with Alex in the ambulance bay, recommending the best way to get over a broken heart: channel energy into something positive.

Banfield finds Lucy making a valentine for Joanie in the break room. Lucy always knew that Joanie wasn't her real mom, but it never mattered. Gates and Sam inform Teddy that he has mushroom worker's lung, and that he should stay for treatment. Knowing that the only real treatment is to stay away from mushrooms, Teddy and his entourage leave to conduct the wedding by sundown.

Claudia lays into Morris -- why did he put the squeeze on Mallory? She was going to handle the situation herself, in her own way. Morris claims he was just trying to help, but Claudia tells him to stop -- the last thing she needs is Mallory thinking she opened her mouth. Mallory is just around the corner. It turns out there was an incident, but it's being handled. Morris will receive a full report.

On the way out, Carter chats with Morris and Neela, whom he'll be seeing more of now that he's back working in the ER. Lucy gives Joanie her valentine. Sam wistfully watches Gates play basketball with Alex. Jerry hands Neela an envelope from Brenner containing a map, leading her to a cold spot by the river. Brenner waits with tickets for a trip to Venice. Neela concedes that this qualifies as a romantic gesture; Brenner insists it's only the beginning.

Carter dusts off a plaque bearing his son's name in the soon-to-be-opened Carter Center, then visits the spot on the river where he once scattered Joshua's ashes. Afterwards, he reclines in a quiet room, hooked up to a dialysis machine, looking sad and frightened.