ER Episode 14.09 Skye's the Limit

Sarah asks Gates if she can have a slumber party with a few friends, and he offers to pick up videos and pizza. Abby nurses a hangover, and doesn't take kindly to Niko telling her to go back to sleep. He wants to spend more time with her so he can tell everyone in Croatia how extraordinary she is, but Abby doesn't seem too thrilled by the prospect.

Without a chief, the ER is in chaos. Anspaugh appears to announce that Moretti isn't coming back. Skye explains they need a new chief today, so Anspaugh names her Acting Chief, even though she truly doesn't want the job - she's just a moonlighter making money for her surf trip. Morris is pissed off, thinking laid back Skye has been playing them all along. Morris and Abby meet an ambulance containing Mike Murphy, whose arm got crushed in a cannery conveyor belt.

Skye asks Pratt for his help, since he's been there longer than her. Frank thinks Skye is an angel sent from heaven, but Pratt feels passed over. Cannery cleaning woman Dolores Salazar is brought in with minor injuries, and put in the bay next to Murphy. Murphy's wife and hotheaded son, Kate and John arrive, and Dubenko wants them to consent to surgery, which may result in the loss of Murphy's arm. John flames out, claiming it's all that "dumb spic's fault," and demands a second opinion.

While Skye, Gates and Sam attend to Dolores, Chuny translates. Dolores saved Murphy from being chewed up by the machine. She takes comfort when her son Manny arrives, a handsome pre-law student. Morris offers to help Sam with strength training for transport qualification, showing her his fitness balls - which Sam can't be paid to touch. Morris commiserates with Pratt on not being named Chief. Pratt realizes Anspaugh must think he's too young. Morris comments that it's not like Pratt will quit in protest.

When Murphy starts bleeding again, Dubenko demands a decision from Kate on surgery, but she's still waiting on a second opinion. Morris pulls Skye into the hallway to yell at her for backseat doctoring - why is she siding with Dubenko when it's his case? Skye tells Morris to get a life and walks off. Dan brings in his sensitive son Tate, who needs stitches from a kick in the face during karate class. Tate tells Gates that he doesn't want anesthesia, so he can prove to his skeptical Dad that he's not a wimp.

Dubenko leaves Neela to finish a tricky surgery. She wants details about Harold's homecoming date, but he maintains that a gentleman never tells. Luka arrives to pick up his mail as Dolores is being released. John meets her at the door, claiming that she crippled his father, and should go back to Mexico, even though Manny points out that she's from El Salvador, and he's American. When John threatens to have Dolores deported, Manny starts a physical fight, and Luka and Pratt have to break it up.

Skye asks Pratt and Morris for their advice on how to handle John, ultimately deciding to go with Morris, and allow John to return to his father's side. Gates tells Dan that Tate has refused anesthesia, which he doesn't think is a good idea. Dan thinks it's fine if Tate wants to man up, and Gates shouldn't tell him how to raise his kids. Anspaugh tells Kate that Murphy's arm is dead, and if they leave it, it could take his life. She signs the consent forms for surgery and John storms out.

Pratt tells Luka that he was passed over as chief, and asks for a recommendation, because he's thinking about getting his resume out there. Luka maintains that there's no better place to learn if Pratt wants to become chief one day, and he should become proactive - show Anspaugh how he can make things better. Pratt promises to think about it. Gates asks Sam to set up an inhaler with pain meds for Tate. She hesitates, but after he explains that Dan is a jerk and no one will know, she complies.

Abby is happy to see Luka, until he tells her that Niko is at home setting up their Christmas tree. A tense argument begins about how tough it's been for each of them, but Abby thinks that Luka had it easy in Croatia and is having tons of fun with his brother - is it wrong to want him to herself? Luka points out that he was taking care of his father, which Abby thinks is unfair. He doesn't want to "do this" and threatens to put Niko in a hotel, as an ambulance arrives and Abby has to go back to work.

The ambulance contains a guy who's taken a baseball hat to the head. When Dolores runs up, Sam realizes that it's Manny. The team works on Manny for 50 minutes, but he's gone. Still Skye insists they keep working. Sam runs into Murphy's room to get something and overhears John telling his father that he avenged his crippling at Dolores' hands. Murphy insists that Dolores saved him - what has John done?

Sam asks Pratt to get security right away, then resumes work on Manny. Skye finally declares him dead, devastating Dolores. Gates brings pizza home to the slumber party, and sits down with the girls, but Sarah asks if they can have some privacy and sends him upstairs. Neela rejoices after her successful surgery, but Harold is sad, admitting that his homecoming date left the dance with another guy. Neela tells him not to feel bad, emphasizing their success, but Harold thinks success sucks if there's no one to share it with.

Abby asks Neela if she can pick up some stuff at her apartment and leaves early, to watch TV and drink vodka. After commiserating about Dolores, Sam congratulates Skye on her first day, and thanks her for suggesting the transport program. John is led away in handcuffs for Manny's murder. Dubenko shows Skye to her new office, and she lays her cards out. She loves the one she's with, and if he can deal, they can get it on, which they do, on her new desk.

Abby comes home after two to find Luka waiting up for her. Why didn't she answer her cell phone? She counters, asking why Luka didn't pick up his phone in Croatia when Joe was hurt. And why does he drink in front of her? Luka doesn't want to fight, and Abby flames that it's always about what he wants - what about her? He promised they would do it together, and she needs to talk now. Luka announces that his father is dead and goes upstairs.