ER Episode 13.11 City of Mercy

Archie cracks jokes at a bible study group that Hope invited him to. When he gets serious, the others don't appreciate his thinking on the subject of "virtue" and "purity," but Hope is impressed.

Kovac and Abby return from a Christmas party in the children's' ward and share a romantic moment before going back to work. They're interrupted by a police officer who tells Kovac that Ames got a restraining order issued against him. Abby is not pleased with this aituation, especially when she learns that Kovac threatened to kill Ames.

Gates and Ray go at it as they wheel in Rufus Taylor, trauma victim who crashed going 60 on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Ray's shift was over, but he couldn't leave because Gates wasn't there.

While attending to a frostbite victim named Lenore, Sam plays hard to get when Ben reminds her about that drink he'd like to buy her. Lenore was recently at City of Mercy for a few days; she tells Ben and Sam that the hospital dumped her back out in the streets when they thought she had recovered from being sick.

Gates, Ray, and Neela prep the Taylor for an operation to stop the bleeding in his abdomen. Neela hears Teller, a homeless kid, standing in the corner. Teller tells Neela that Lizzie's sick and she has to come help. Neela goes to tell Gates and finds him arguing with Ray.

One of Archie's kids shows up at the hospital after running away because her mom's new husband won't let them celebrate Christmas, so she decided to spend the holiday with her real dad.\

While filling out the forms for surgery, Taylor pours his heart out to Neela about his past addiction to crystal meth and how it ruined his life and took his family from him. He asks Neela to send them something if he doesn't make it through surgery. During the operation, the Taylor loses a lot of blood when it doesn't go as smoothly as planned.

Gates, Ray, and Teller to tend to Lizzie in a filthy basement in a horrible part of town. Surrounded by other homeless kids, Gates and Ray see that she's pregnant and the baby is crowning. They go into action and help deliver the child as everyone watches. Teller tries to stop Gates from calling the ER until Gates promises not to call foster care or social services.

An administrator from City of Mercy comes to collect Lenore, who has been cleaned up and is doing much better. However, Samantha accuses the rep of dumping homeless people on the street and insists that she arrange to take Lenore to her parent's in Gary or she'll expose this practice.

Gates goes back on his word and calls child services. A child services rep arrives and Gates makes him promise to keep all the kids together at a group home. Teller is incensed when and goes running. When Neela and Gates tell him that his friend Paulie died and that Lizzie agreed to go, Teller gives in. Gates offers to be there for him whenever he calls.

At home, Abby tells Kovac that she's scared what the Ames situation is doing to him and "to us." She's scared that they're going to lose the lives they've worked so hard to build for each other. He assures her that he'll never let anything take away what they have.

When Taylor wakes up from surgery, Neela gives him some presents to give to his family: it was touch and go for awhile so Neela called them to come to the hospital, and Taylor reunites with his kids for the first time in years.

Dubenko gives Neela a touching Christmas gift and tells her that she's a really good surgeon and will be great in just a few more years. He makes her promise not to repeat what he said to anyone as he sets off to spend Christmas with his disabled older sister.

Throughout the day, Archie works some holiday magic to convince his daughter to return home. Hope tells him how impressed she was with his actions throughout the day and asks if he wants to get a drink after work. It's torture for him to do so, but he declines because he doesn't want the night to lead to regret or to get in the way of a deeper relationship in the future.

Over drinks, Ben tells Sam that he called the nursing director and has signed on for another month at the hospital. Sam seems pleased with this bit of Christmas cheer.