ER Episode 12.15 Darfur

Dr. Carter arrived in Darfur to help Dr. Dakarai treat the hundreds of disease-infested people of Darfur. Carter learned very quickly that a peaceful sleep did not exist in the war-torn region. At night, the sound of gunshots and violence could be heard from the nearby rebel troops. At daybreak, the sun rose to the sound of chaos in the village. It was just another day for the medical staff working in Sudan. Carter also learned that Dakarai had been carrying on an affair with Debbie, a fellow American doctor working in Sudan.

Dr. Weaver congratulated Abby on her pregnancy. Abby had wanted to keep it a secret, but Dr. Morris spread the news around the E.R. when people started gossiping about Abby's weight gain. Abby and Dr. Kovac were surprised when Weaver told them the news of Dr. Clemente's return to the E.R. Kovac believed that it was too soon for Clemente to return to work, especially after his girlfriend had been shot in New Jersey and he was a suspect in the case. Weaver ordered her staff to treat Clemente as if nothing had happened, citing that all the staff have personal issues they would rather not discuss or bring to work.

Clemente returned to work to find that he was off the schedule. He confronted Kovac about the reason behind his day off. Kovac reminded Clemente that he is the chief of the E.R. and it was his decision to think of the patients and remove Clemente from the schedule.

Carter comes to the aid of a tribal woman whose children he had treated earlier. The woman had been badly beaten and savagely raped by members of the rebel troop, the Janjaweed. Carter and Dakarai fought desperately to save the woman's life.

Pratt and Kovac treated a teenage boy, Jose Rodriguez, for broken bones and fractures after he was the victim of a hit-and-run. As soon as Jose arrived in the E.R., Pratt was called away to treat another patient — his friend Darnell. Darnell had gotten into a fight and wanted Pratt to stitch him up before his son saw him. Pratt accused Darnell of drinking after he had promised Pratt he would stay sober for the sake of his son and his safety. Darnell became concerned when he saw the doctors working on Jose.

Carter made the mistake of taking his patient's husband, Lwendo, to see her. Carter had been warned ahead of time to not tell the husband of his wife's rape. In Sudan, they called it "shamed." In most instances, the husband would leave the wife if he found out she had been raped. Carter made sure to not tell Lwendo of the rape, only telling him that she was badly beaten. When Lwendo viewed his wife's wounds, he noticed a slash on her inner thigh. Lwendo left the emergency tent and ignored Carter's pleas for him to return. Dakarai told a dumbfounded Carter that the wound on the inner thigh was a sign from the attackers that the patient had been raped.

Dr. Rasgotra and Pratt came to blows while treating Jose in the emergency room. Pratt grilled Rasgotra in front of all her peers and Abby came to her defense. Rasgotora was taking Jose for a scan when the police arrived, hoping to question Jose on who had hit him. Pratt overheard Jose describe the familiar face and truck that hit him.

Pratt confronted his friend Darnell about the hit and run. Darnell reluctantly confessed to hitting the boy after driving his truck while intoxicated. Pratt became infuriated with his friend, especially when Darnell showed few signs of remorse for his victim.

Carter felt guilty about Lwendo leaving after finding out about the rape. He was determined to find Lwendo after he discovered Lwendo went after the Janjaweed, the troop responsible for attacking his wife. Dakarai warned Carter that he could get killed if he left the camp, but Carter ignored the warning. Dakarai agreed to follow Carter to the site of the Janjaweed.

While waiting for Jodie's condition to improve, Clemente got a disturbing call. The caller was Jodie's ex-husband, Bobbie, confessing that he shot her and enjoyed watching Clemente get blamed. Clemente warned Bobbie that Jodie was going to wake up and she was going to start to remember who shot her.

As Darnell was leaving the hospital, Pratt stopped and confronted him. Pratt warned Darnell that what he did was a serious thing and that his victim could have died. Pratt urged his friend to set an example for his son and turn himself into the police. Darnell rejected Pratt's pleas and told Pratt there would be no way he was going to jail.

Pratt watched with Darnell's son, KJ, as Darnell was being arrested for the hit-and-run accident that put Jose in the hospital. KJ was disappointed to hear that his father might be facing prison time for his actions. He later thanked Pratt for making his father owe up his mistakes and for taking responsibility for his drinking problem.

While in hiding, Carter and Dakarai watched helplessly as members of the Janjaweed beat Lwendo, leaving him bloodied and battered. Carter wanted to take the risk of coming to the rescue of Lwendo, but Dakarai quickly reminded him that the Janjaweed would kill him, too. When Carter made a sudden movement, the Janjaweed heard him and drew their weapons and began to shoot. Carter and Dakarai managed to avoid being hit by the rapid gunfire. Lwendo wasn't so lucky; before the Janjaweed took off, they shot him three times in the back. Carter and Dakarai rushed to his aid, but it was too late. Lwendo had died.

Jodie woke up from her coma to find Clemente waiting by her side. At first, she couldn't recall how she got in the hospital. With the help with Clemente, she remembered being shot by Bobby.

Pratt confessed to Rasgotra that he changed the blood work on Darnell's alcohol test weeks earlier, so he would get out of a drunk driving violation. Pratt said he felt guilty because if he hadn't done that, Jose wouldn't have been hit by Darnell and in the condition he was in. Rasgotra agreed with Pratt and also felt he should follow his own advice and tell Kovac what had happened.

Kovac congratulated Clemente on the condition of Jodie, and invited him back on the work schedule on one condition: Clemente had to agree to come in for a series of medical, drug and psych tests. Clemente walked away and got another disturbing phone call from Bobby. Clemente told him that Jodie was awake and talking to the police. He was shocked as he approached the street to see that Bobby was actually in town. Clemente tried to run after his car, but couldn't catch up as Bobby sped away.

Carter and Dakarai brought Lwendo's lifeless body back to the site where his wife and children were waiting for him. Later on, Carter and Dakarai attended the funeral with friends and family of Lwendo held on the outskirts of the village.