That was a great ending. No stupid cliffhanger, with Carter running off and us wondering for five months what happened, but finally, some resolution with Carter. They acknowledged the problem (drugs not bipolar), confronted him, and in the end, it was Benton who came through. I'm so glad he got on the plane with him. I wonder what Carter's going to be like, after this? He has been through more life-changing experiencs in the past two months than most of us go through in several years.

Things that had been predicted, and I'm sooo glad didn't happen: Chen and Romano share a passionate kiss (ick); a nurse is raped in the hospital, and they believe a doctor is responsible. Phew, just ugly rumors.

About the pregnant girl; how could she DO that? And can you imagine how awful it was to deliver a dead baby, especially knowing that he could've been saved.

Frank, the temporary desk clerk from last week, is still here. I liked him, maybe he'll stay.

Anyone notice the green-eyed monster show up? Cleo didn't like Peter and Elizabeth's joking comaraderie, not one bit. I hope they don't break Elizabeth and Mark up, though.

-- Felicity (felicity08@juno.com), May 18, 2000

Answers

I really don't think they will break up Elizabeth & Mark. They still seem pretty close. It seemed Lizzie and Benton were just sharing work cameraderie, because they have known each other for so long.

I agree about the pregnant girl - at first I was like how could she NOT know she was 8 months pregnant? Then when Luka claimed it was a self-inflicted stab wound, it made sense. It didn't make sense how they could deliver it naturally when it was dead, but not when it was alive. She could have given it up for adoption like they said.

I am also glad none of those silly rumors from the Star came true. (Although they were right about some things.) I LOVED this episode. It's good that they went with the drug addiction thing with Carter. It makes sense, with the family history of his cousin being an addict and all that. Boy, those Carters sure do have trouble asking for help!

-- Melanie (msintn@hotmail.com), May 18, 2000.

Oh, and did you notice how Kerry said "I'll go get Malucci" when Carter had trouble with the guy's leg? She seems to have a kind of cameraderie with Dave now, with the way she trusts him to do certain things. I mean, she has done that in several episodes before where she asked him with help on something. Maybe it's because he was nice enough to try and fix her car back in the fall. I don't mean they have a romantic thing going on - I wouldn't even want to see that!! Just respect at work.

-- Melanie (msintn@hotmail.com), May 18, 2000.

I'm also as shocked about the girl who refused to have the baby, even after she was told it was a boy. Personally I feel she would have to be incompetent in more ways than one and should have been declared incapacitated by the Psych consult. It was really disturbing. Someone asked how she could be delivering naturally after the baby died and not before -- they would have probably induced labor on her because of the onset of infection to the mother after the baby died. To that point, she was never in labor, only in fetal distress. Very heavy stuff for Kovac to indure that day on top of the shooting.

-- Marcy (marcy@cbt.net), May 18, 2000.

i, myself could not have watched or helped deliver that dead baby!!! hey maybe they would've had to fire me, but i just wouldnt be able to do it!!

-- ALexis Springer (lexicat1@webtv.net), May 19, 2000.

A comment on why the baby could be delivered naturally after it died but not before: the lady had a problem (a clot?) with the placenta that was keeping at least some blood and oxygen from getting to the baby. It certainly would have died during the labor process even if they had induced labor. That's why they needed to do the C-section. Once the baby was dead they didn't have to worry about that anymore. What a sad story :-(

-- Lynn (lynn@wordsmyth.org), May 19, 2000.

I usually lurk on this site - love to read all the comments and hypotheses. However, last night's story (in all it's many facets!) struck a chord. As I watched that young woman reject her unborn baby, my own baby (due in about 6 weeks) turn somersaults in my belly. (Maybe she knew what was happening??) Well, I admit, I cried (hormones...yeah) I would not want to have been anyone in attendance, let alone poor Luka. I am curious to see how his story line evolves - he cares so much - maybe too much??

I would also like to add that the final scene with Carter and Benton was one of the most powerful I have see recently on ER. I was literally shouting at the TV - Hug him Benton! And I loved the kiss on Carter's head - just priceless! It's going to be a long summer (ah, well, I do have another activity planned!)

-- Stacy (kistro@yahoo.com), May 19, 2000.

Why does everyone FREAK OUT when a C-Section is mentioned. Years ago it was a scary thing, but now about 25% of delveries are by C- Section. I had one myself last year and I would do it again if necessary.

-- Lisa (lisayas@yahoo.com), May 19, 2000.

Lisa, who is freaking out?

-- ALexis Springer (lexicat1@webtv.net), May 19, 2000.

Lisa, if you mean the "mother" freaking out, she had a problem with being cut, but also obviously a lot of other problems also (I'd already thought she'd hurt herself before Luka said it). She didn't not have the c-section because she freaked, she didn't want the baby and wanted it to go away. We may never hear anymore about her, but then we might because of the impact it had on Luka. He was great in last night's epi!

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), May 19, 2000.

Carter has more problem than just taking drugs for pain. Don't forget that Carter has PTSD and survivors guilt beside chronic pain which caused him to use drugs legally in the first place before it got out of hand.

-- Brenda (jckwfan@aol.com), May 19, 2000.

she didnt want the c-section , because it would produce a healthy baby. she did not want a baby!!! that is why she freaked out, that is why she stabbed herself, to get rid of the baby!!!

-- ALexis Springer (lexicat1@webtv.net), May 20, 2000.

If it weren't for the C-Section they MAY have been able to talk her into delivering and put the baby up for adoption. But the c-section was definitely out because she would not been able to hide the fact that she had been pregnant. Could they have induced labor (if the baby's life wouldn't have been at risk from it) without her consent?

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), May 20, 2000.

I think the reason she didn't want the c-section is because the recovery is EXTREMELY painful and I just don't see any way she could have avoided her parents finding out. Although I guess the doctors could have made something up. . . anyway it's a lot to go through for a baby she didn't want anyway. . .not that I agree with her actions, mind you. She disgusted me.

-- joy (joygirl01@yahoo.com), May 20, 2000.

I haven't seen where anyone else has said this, so I will. I am so GLAD they did not show the baby after he was born. I knew the mother wouldn't look at him (she'd denied his existence), but I kept thinking the camera would pan toward him and I couldn't have stood that. Even Luka pronouncing the time of death was hard to see.

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), May 21, 2000.

As a Labor and Delivery nurse, this episode was really disturbing to me too. This girl wanted her baby to die. Period. It wasn't the c- section that was freaking her out, although she wouldn't be able to hide the fact that she had be pregnant as well. As to the question of how she could deliver the baby naturally after the baby was dead as opposed to when it was alive, an abruption usually causes the uterus to become very irritable--in other words to contract. The woman can loose a lot of blood and sometimes it's all internal so a c- section would make sense not only to save the baby but to also prevent further blood loss in the mother. However, if the mother doesn't consent, the medical staff can't touch her otherwise they could be charged with assault and battery. And, unfortunately to act on behalf of the baby requires getting a court order that can take too much time. Poor Luka was ready to risk his license and possible arrest to save that baby but he probably realized it was too late to have an "intact" baby--one that didn't already have brain damage from prolonged fetal distress and that was what changed his mind. I know exactly how he was feeling when he delivered that baby too--absolute rage at that patient and impotence that he couldn't show it overtly and still had to TAKE CARE OF HER (he showed remarkable restraint as he asked if she wanted to see her baby). And to top all this off--he didn't have even Carol to talk to.

-- (cmniekamp@aol.com), May 23, 2000.