To make up for others taking his rounds so he could look after his senile mother, Dr. Peter Benton (ERIQ LA SALLE) is on duty for 48 hours. The staff worries about him, particularly attending surgeon Hicks (CCH POUNDER), who orders him to rest. As a result, Benton is even more cantankerous, particularly with John Carter (NOAH WYLE), who expresses concern about Klein (legendary acting teacher SANFORD MEISNER, 93 years old), a dying older patient.

Unfortunately, Benton and his colleagues have more work ahead of them due to a double trauma accident that occurred when a young boy shot a cop and the cop shot back. Benton's stresses worsen after he falls asleep while watching his mother, only to have her fall down the stairs. She's rushed to County General as Benton anxiously waits to learn the extent of her injuries.

After assisting with the intense double trauma, Dr. Mark Greene (ANTHONY EDWARDS) has a trauma of his own when he learns that his wife, Jennifer (CHRISTINE HARNOS), wants a divorce.

Meanwhile, Nurse Carol Hathaway (JULIANNA MARGULIES) decides to adopt AIDS child Tatiana (MILANA VAYNTRUB), only to learn that her attempted suicide has thwarted the adoption. She allows Dr. Douglas Ross (GEORGE CLOONEY) to comfort her (though nothing sexual happens...this time). When Ross treats a young girl whom he suspects of being abused, the girl's mother (NANCY YOUNGBLUT) accosts him, scratching his face before the police can arrest her. Later, Ross hopes his romantic luck will change with hospital risk management executive Diane Leeds (LISA ZANE).

Finally, Dr. Susan Lewis (SHERRY STRINGFIELD) is fascinated by an MIT efficiency doctor, Koch (ROBERT CARRADINE - "Revenge of the Nerds," "The Player"), who is building a hospital of the future. However, she later learns that he is actually an unrestrained mental patient from upstairs. Also, a con man (DANNY DAYTON) scams his way through the ER.