Cynthia Hooper starts as the new desk clerk. Benton and Carla disagree over whether or not their son should be circumcised. Al gets in an accident at work.

Because of benzene that's been spread, the ER has to close. Weaver gets felled and Carter has to take the lead.

Ross treats a 6-month-old recovering from methadone withdrawal. A televangelist and his wife, who's suffering from an infection, plan a broadcast from the ER. Del Amico's old boyfriend arrives, and Jeanie fears her health is rapidly declining.

Mark goes to a trauma scene with the EMTs, where he treats a gunshot victim who has a bomb strapped to himself. Later, Mark’s daughter persuades him to treat a horse with colic, and Jerry gets the bad end of the enema. Carter intubates an elderly woman who is DNR. When her HMO declines to admit her, Carter either has to find a relative quickly or let her die. Kerry finds herself more and more frustrated when Anspaugh suggests that they're not considering her for ER Chief, and she discovers she’s the last to hear that Doug was made a pediatric attending. Corday serves her last day as a surgical fellow. Benton meets with Carla to discuss getting Reese hearing aids. Jeanie returns from vacation. Carter goes out with Roxanne, the insurance saleswoman he treated.

Greene flies in a helicopter to a remote area of Indiana to rescue a heart transplant patient. The helicopter develops problems, and Greene arranges for paramedics to transport the patient to County. Because Weaver is gone for the day, Romano appoints Benton in charge of the ER. Kovac is plagued by the death of the mugger.