Dr. Greene is outside in the ambulance bay shooting baskets.  Carter comes outside and slams his clipboard down and is upset.  He tells Mark that he has just pronounced Blue Bertha dead.  He has admitted her ten times in the past six months for C.O.P.D. and she still did not quit smoking her two packs of cigarettes a day.  She always promised that she would quit smoking, but she didn't.  As Mark talks with him, they play a game of H-O-R-S-E.  Mark tells Carter that they offer their patients a service.  If they take their advice, it is up to them.  Mark is doing well at the game and Carter is already an H-O.  A young guy comes out and tells Carter that a rig is rolling in with an M.V.A. and a researcher from the Art Institute L.O.C. at work.  Carter introduces the guy to Mark.  He is Gregory Pratt, who just finished nine months in the VA.  He will be at County for three months on an internship and a resident in July.  Mark asks him if he will stay and he tells him only if the match screws him.  The ambulance pulls in and Carter offers for them to take it, but Mark says he will.  They have a museum lady to tend to.  On their way back in, Pratt offers to help Mark with his crossover later, but Mark assures him that he has got it.  Pratt tells him that he doesn't, he is palming it.  Mark shoots the basket and the ball misses.

Mark tends to a patient with a hurt ear.  Abby hands Mark some green tea to help with his immune system, but he doesn't like the taste of it.  Frank is giving Gallant a career quiz.  He is somewhere between a rock star and a lion tamer.  Gallant tells Frank he has a patient to see.  Luka asks if Gallant was cheating.  Carter is showing Pratt around.  Frank introduces himself to him and asks him if he has a first name.  Pratt tells him that at the VA they called him doctor.  Frank tells him that here, they will just call him junior.  Kerry tells Luka to take the chest pain in three and the kid with the UTI.  Luka tells her that he already has three critical.  Mark offers to take it, but she tells Carter to take care of the patients that she was going to see and she will take them.  Frank tells Abby that her landlord called.  Luka asks if it is his landlord and Frank asks him if his name is Abby?  Mark walks over and takes the patient coming in with the paramedics.  Kerry hollers for Carter, but Mark tells her that he has got it.  The patient is a forty-six year old woman in respiratory distress.  Her name is Nora Cruz and she has multiple sclerosis.  The paramedic tells Mark that she had a choking episode.  Kerry reminds the other docs that she wants them to lighten Dr. Greene's load.  Pratt asks why and they tell him that it is nothing.  Abby is having trouble putting a line in Mrs. Cruz.  Luka comes in with Jeffrey Cruz, her son.  Mark asks him about his mother and he tells Mark that they told him that she would be dead a month ago.  Luka tells Mark that he can take the patient and Mark asks him if he thinks that it his Mark's birthday or something?  He tells Luka that it should be okay for him to treat his own patients.  Mark asks Jeffrey if his mother has a D.N.R. and he tells Mark that he needs to wait for Linda.  Linda is his sister and she has handles all of the paperwork for their mother.  Mark tells him that they do not have time to wait, so he tells him to do the central line.  Carter and Pratt go to take care of Willa Goldman.  She is an Egyptologist from the Art Institute who has had a Syncopal episode at work.  Carter asks the guy who is with her if she has showed any signs and he tells him that it is the curse of the mummy.  She passed out in front of Nefertiti's tomb.  Chuny comes in and tells Carter that the guy in curtain one is hurting.  Pratt tells them that he will take it.  Carter tells him that it is a penile fracture, but this does not stop Pratt from going.  Chuny tells Carter that Pratt is going into the wrong room.  Pratt goes in to the room with Mark's patient with an earache.  Pratt tells the guy to pull his pants down.  The guy tells him that all he needs are some drops, but he pulls his pants down for him anyway.  Pratt examines him and the guy yells to him that all he has is an earache!  Pratt stands up and sees Carter and Chuny laughing at him through the window.  Mark walks up as Jeffrey is hanging up with his sister.  She is upset with him.  He tells Mark that his mother wanted to die at home in her own bed.  He should have never called the ambulance.  Mark tells him that it is okay if he is not ready to let his mother go.  Abby comes to get Mark.  Nora's stats have dropped.  Weaver is with her.  Mark asks if surgery has been down to see her and Abby tells him that Dr. Corday will be down to reevaluate her in four hours, depending on the D.N.R. status.  Mark asks Jeffrey what he wants them to do.  Jeffrey wants to wait for his sister, but finally tells Mark to save her.  Mark goes to intubate her, but is struggling to hold the tube.  Kerry tells him that she will do it.  Mark ends up leaving the room and heads toward the lounge.  Frank is giving Susan her career quiz and Carter is standing there with them.  Mark walks by and Susan tells him hi.  Mark replies with a hey and heads into the lounge.  Frank stops to tell him that his ex called and will meet him at 1:00.  Mark thought they were supposed to meet at noon, but Frank tells him that she is running an hour behind.  Mark goes into the lounge.  Susan asks Frank what Kerry's career will be and he tells her that she aint playing.  Susan tells Frank to give it his best estimate.  He tells them that she is somewhere between a beauty pageant organizer and a warden at an all women's prison.  Just then, Kerry walks up behind them.  She asks Carter where his intern is.  Carter replies and she tells him to find him and she heads into the lounge.  She asks Mark if he is feeling all right.  He complains about arthritis.  She tells him that maybe he should ease up a little.  He tells her that working is good.  She noticed that he couldn't hold the tube back there with Nora.  She wants him to take over Pratt's orientation.  This upsets Mark, but she tells him that if it was anyone else, she would have sent them home.  She knows that he knows his own limitations.  Pratt and Green tend to Mr. Seidel.  He is complaining of back pain and trouble urinating.  Mark and Pratt asks him some questions and he answers.  Mark asks him who his primary physician is and he tells him Dr. Allanson.  His doctor has not been giving him such good care.  Chuny comes to tell Mark that it is 1:00.  Mark and Jen go to Doc Magoo's and he orders a shake.  She tells him that Rachel can't quit crying.  He tells her that it is a lot for a teenager to handle.  Jen asks him if it is really that bad and he nods yes.  She tells Mark that Rachel is going to want to spend as much time as possible with him.  She also tells him that she is sorry that they had such a rough go with their marriage.  He tells Jen that they had some good times and that he wouldn't change a thing.  None of it.  She gets ready to head back home and he tells her that he has updated his will and wants to start a college fund for Rachel.  Jen starts heading for the door and doesn't want to hear it.  He tells her that he wants to also save money for Rachel's wedding, but she continues to block him out.  She gets her coat and tells him that she will see him in St. Louis in July when he drops Rachel off.  He tells her that he is not sure if he will make it then.  She says July, okay?  She says let's not do this, not today.  Mark tells her that he wants to make sure that his daughter is taken care of and she assures him that she will be.  She gets into the cab and says she will see him in July and she rides off, leaving Mark standing in the rain.

Luka almost gets run over by an orderly pushing a gurney down the hall.  Luka tells him to slow down, but he is too busy listening to his Walkman.  Luka sees Abby in the drug lock-up and she tells him that the orderly is Enrique and that he is new.  Luka asks her what the landlord had to say.  She tells him that Brian has moved back to Idaho and that he has offered her old apartment back to her.  She thanks Luka for his hospitality and he tells her to take her time.  He wants her to wait to make sure that Brian is really gone.  She tells him that she has mooched off of him too long as it is.  Dr. Greene comes in and sees Dr. Chen with a Mr. Ervin.  She tells Mark that he is having trouble with his feet and she can't get him to remove his shoes.  Mr. Ervin is glad to see Dr. Greene.  He tells Mark that she has touched his cart.  Mark tells her not to touch his cart again.

Al Ervin is a junk dealer that Mark has been taking care of since the first episode of ER.  Pratt has walked up to work with Dr. Greene.  Al leans over and tells Mark that there are ghouls everywhere.  Pratt hears and suggests a Psych. consult.  Al looks at Pratt and says, Screw you junior!  Mark gets Al to remove his shoes for Dr. Chen and tells him that he will be right back.  Mark tells Pratt that he should stop showing disdain to the frequent flyers.  He tells Pratt to go back in and give it another try.  The paramedics roll in with Freddy Garrison who looks to be about thirty-years-old.  The girl with him says that he is twenty-eight.  Pratt tells Mark that he will just hang with him.  Mark tells him to go get Al's old chart and to also start a new one.  The paramedic fills Mark in on Freddy's condition.  Carter comes in and tells Mark that he can handle this.  Mark tells him that he has it.  Abby administers some drugs and Freddy perks right up.  Freddy starts asking about his wallet.  His girlfriend, Shane, is mouthing off to them about stealing his clothes.  Freddy gets up and heads to the hall looking for his wallet.  Shane runs behind him.  Mark tells Carter to help catch Freddy and for someone to call security.  The new orderly comes down the hall and knocks Shane to the floor.  Freddy turns back and starts to rough the orderly up, but security stops him.  Shane tells them that her baby is coming out.  They get her to the exam room and Luka comes in to help.  They ask her what her due date is and she has no idea.  Luka says that she looks to be about twenty-eight weeks.  She is having contractions.  Mark goes in to help Carter with Freddy in the adjoining exam room and he almost slips on some water that has dripped on the floor.  Abby comes in after Mark and tells him that Shane is crowning.  Mark tells Shane not to push.  He tells them to call the NICU.  Mark delivers the baby and they try to get him to breathe.  Luka takes care of Shane.  Mark asks her what drugs she is taking and she tells them that she is clean.  He tells her that he wants to help her baby.  The baby starts pinking up and Mark has to help Carter.  Mark slips and falls on the wet floor, but he gets back up.  Freddy has blood in his airway and is having trouble breathing.  Mark goes to intubate him and Carter wants to crack him.  He notices Mark using his left hand.  Mark is able to get the tube in and Carter says nice save.  Mark assures him that he was just lucky.  Abby shows Mark Shane's tox screen.  They are ready to take the baby up to the NICU and she tells them not to steal her baby.  Mark gets on to her for being high and for using drugs while being pregnant.  She is also drunk.  She tells him to stop it when he lists all the things that can be wrong with her baby boy.  She tells him to STOP IT!  He replies to her, Congratulations, your a mother.

Mark goes in for his chemotherapy.  Marni asks him if he is a basketball fan.  She saw him playing earlier from her window.  He tells her to hit the vein the first time and she tells him about her grandson and the Bulls game she took him to.  She tells him that doctors are the worst patients.  Mark looks on at the other patients in the room with him getting their chemo. treatment.  He sees Marni on the phone.  She comes back in and tells him that it is the ER on line two.  It is Pratt and Mark tells him that he will be right down.  Mark heads down with the IV still in his arm.  Mark sees that the problem is with Al.  He has barfed on Pratt's shoes and they can't get him to calm down.  Mark asks Al if he took his insulin.  Carter looks at Pratt and asks if he is diabetic?  Pratt replies that it is news to him.  Mark asks Pratt if he took his history?  He told him to check his old chart.  Al stops breathing, but Carter bags him and he starts back up.  Mark pulls Pratt aside and gets on to him for not following his instructions.  Mark tells him that if he doesn't like the way he is doing things then he can start walking.  Carter explains to Pratt that Mark is a good doctor.  Pratt wants to know what is problem is and Susan tells him about the brain tumor.  Kerry walks by and doesn't catch all of the conversation, but she tells Pratt that Mark is a good teacher.  Mark and Pratt look at Mr. Seidel's lab results.  What they see is disturbing and Mark calls the guy's primary physician.  Pratt apologizes to Pratt for what happened earlier.  He tells Mark that he was a hotshot at the VA and has to get use to being in a different place.  Mark realizes that Pratt knows about the tumor now.  Mark speaks with the doctor, who is on vacation.  He learns that he has not even examined Mr. Seidel in two years.  The guy has prostate cancer and he tells the doctor to get down to the ER.  They will wait to tell him.  Mark goes in to Mrs. Cruz's room where her daughter and son are arguing.  Elizabeth is there also.  The daughter wants to know why they intubated her and she tells them that she wants it removed.  Mark asks to see the DNR and she shows it to him.  He tells Elizabeth to go ahead and remove it and he walks out of the room.  Marni is down in the ER to finish Mark's treatment.  Elizabeth goes to check on Mark.  Mark explains to her that he had been called down from oncolgy and Marni is there to finish up his chemo.  Al is crying for Mark to find his cart.  Mark is in the bed next to him.  Al continues for Mark to help him.  Mark gets up and tells Marni that he is not doing this.  Marni tells him that she is not going to come back.  Mark tells her that she doesn't have to, he is finished.

Mark, Pratt and Chuny are with Willa Goldman.  She is feeling embarrassed about the mummy's curse.  She tells them that the people at work will never let her hear the end of it.  She says that she is sick because she works all the time.  It is like the Joni Mitchell song where it says, You don't know what you got 'til it's gone.  Chuny tells her that she likes that song, Mark tells them that he hates it.  Elizabeth catches up with Mark on his way out of the room.  She tells him that she spoke with oncology and told them that he would be back up.  He tells her that she shouldn't have and they go into an empty exam room.  He tells her that he has had enough and that he is finished.  This upsets her.  He tells her that this is the last most important decision he can make.  She tells him to give himself more time.  Give it to her, Rachel and Ella.  He tells her to be realistic.  He would rather have two good months than twice that time being chained to his meds with all the other clock watchers waiting to die.  He doesn't want it to end like that.  Pratt comes to tell Mark that Mr. Seidel is awake.  Mark tells Elizabeth no alternatives; he wants to die the way he lived.  She shakes her head yes and he kisses her gently on the forehead.  He tells her that he will see her at home and that he loves her.  Mark sees Pratt looking in on Mr. Seidel.  He asks Pratt if he is ready?  It is not the easiest news to give a patient.  Pratt tells Mr. Seidel about his prostate cancer.  He is shocked.  His doctor never said anything about cancer.  He starts to ask about treatments and Pratt begins to struggle.  Mark begins to tell their patient that the cancer is too advanced and that he will need to be admitted.  He needs to be prepared for the worst.  He tells him that he knows what he is going through.  Pratt walks out and is upset.  Mark sees Dr. Chen trying to keep Al from leaving.  Al tells them that he wants to go.  He doesn't want to be there.  Mark asks him if he has any family that he can go to and he tells him no.  Mark tells him that he would be better off staying at the hospital.  Al tells him that whatever is going to happen, he wants to happen outside.  Mark tells him okay.  A lady yells out about how long she is going to have to be here.  Mark sees that it is Mrs. Raskin and he tells her that it has been a long time (Mark took care of a hangnail for her in the Pilot episode of ER "24 Hours").  She tells him that she has a hangnail and that it is very painful.  He tells her that he has a brain tumor and it is inoperable.  She says, What?  He says, I win!  A man is complaining that he and his daughter have been waiting for over two hours.  Mark goes to see them.  His daughter Katie has a splinter under her nail and it hurts.  She tells him that she doesn't want a shot and Mark assures her that he will not give her one.  Mark tells her to close her eyes and that they will play a game.  He asks her what she sees.  She tells him that she sees Orion's Belt.  She tells him the story about how he couldn't beat the scorpion so he jumped into the sea.  Artemis put him in the sky where the scorpion would never get him.  Mark tells her that he didn't know that.  He tells her that he is all done.  He thanks her and tells her that she just became his very last patient.  The dad asks if his shift is over and Mark tells him yeah.  Mark tells Haleh to give the lady with a hangnail a cast shoe and tell her to never come back.  Pratt tells Mark that he set up an appointment for Mr. Seidel's biopsy and thanks Mark for his help.  He learned a lot today.  Mark tells him to good and to come back tomorrow.  Mark goes into the lounge where Kerry is working on the ER schedule.  He opens his locker to put up his coat and Kerry asks him how Pratt is doing.  He tells her that he is a little eager and cocky, that he should fit right in.  She asks Mark if Pratt would want to take on a few extra shifts and he tells her that it would be a good bet.  He takes down some of his personal pictures and removes some of his things from his locker as Kerry asks him how many shifts she should put him down for next month.  He hesitates and then tells Kerry not to let her work become her life.  Live a little.

Mark heads out of the lounge and sees Carter dozing off at the admit. desk.  Carter tells him that he has been on since 4:00.  Mark goes over the board with Carter and tells him about the patients that are still in the ER.  Carter asks if anyone is actually sick and Mark tells him, just the doctor.  He glances over and sees Susan tending to Mrs. Raskin before the curtain is pilled around them.  Abby and Luka come in with the paramedics and a patient.  Abby turns to Mark and tells him goodnight Dr. Greene.

He replies, bye.  She looks back at him and smiles.  Carter and Mark head outside and Mark continues to tell Carter about the rest of the ER patients.  Mark mentions that it has stopped raining and the sky is clear.  Carter asks him if he is on tomorrow and Mark picks up the basketball and tosses it to him.  Mark tells him that his ball needs air.  Carter tells him that it is not his ball.  You set the tone, Carter.  Carter replies, What?  Work on your jump shot.  Mark walks off in the distance and leaves Carter holding the ball.

Reviewed by Tony Conner on April 08, 2002

This episode continues in the episode "On the Beach".

ER viewer Scotts693's opinion of this episode:

"I believe this episode reveals a lot about Greene's regrets and outlook on life.  His decision to discontinue treatment and give up all hope for recovery is a disappointment to all fans and is an "easy" way out.  Greene also spent time persuading others to give up treatment because of his "ego".  I believe this was very selfish and un-doctor-like.  I would have liked him to talk to Kerry more personally and longer."