Note: This episode starts from the end of the story and tells the events that lead up to the conclusion by going backwards, scene by scene.  Each changing scene will be listed as a white flash of light during this summary.

An ambulance is four minutes out on it's way to the ER.  The paramedic driving tells Abby about the patients on board.  One is a young lady who is unresponsive and a man is with her.  In the ER, Frank is dressed in a Santa suit.  He asks Abby if she would like to come and sit in his lap and tell him what she would like for Christmas?  She tells him that she wants it to be January.  Frank sees a little boy and he yells to him, "Ho-Ho-Ho".  The boy screams and his mom tells him that it isn't the real Santa.  Abby tells Frank to quit scaring the kids.  He asks her, "Since when is Santa scary?" and Pratt replies, "When Santa looks like a fat, old, homeless dude".  Abby tells Pratt that there are tow patients on their way in and asks if he can stick around?  He replies, "What do I look like, Bob Cratchit"?, and then walks out.

Abby looks across and sees Susan staring at her from the exam room.  Abby goes to the young lady who is outside of the room and asks her if she is ready to go in?  She tells her that she is not sure, so Abby takes her on in.  The patient who is in the room with Susan and Chuny is Rick.  Susan tells the young woman that they will be taking him up to ICU.  The lady tells them that she just thought that he was burned out from finals and didn't realize how serious his condition was.  Rick is unconscious and the outer side of his mouth is covered with dried up blood.  The young lady sees his eye twitch and she asks Susan if that is a good sign.  Susan tells her that it is probably just a reflex.  Kerry comes down and walks through a group of carolers and sees Abby and Susan.  She asks them how Rick is and they tell her.  Kerry then wants to know where Dr. Kovac is.  Abby tells her that he went home.  She tells him to get him back there.  Abby tells Dr. Weaver that she thinks he needs a little time.  Kerry repeats, "Get him back" and then walks away.  Susan tells Abby that he shouldn't have missed it.  Abby defends Luka by saying that he is just a little burned out.

Jerry has come dressed up as Santa also and this has upset Frank.  Romano is getting a good laugh about it and is right in the midst of their disagreement.  Frank tells Dr. Romano to make Jerry go home and change.  Jerry tells Frank that he always does Santa and Frank tells him not since he has been there.  Jerry tells him that he has the perfect "Ho-Ho-Ho" and Jing-Mei tells Jerry that he sounds more like the "Jolly Green Giant".  The paramedics come in with their patient and Abby and the rest are surprised to see that it is Erin Harkins on the gurney being wheeled in.  Abby asks them what happened, was she alone?  The paramedic tells her that she was with one of their docs.  Abby turns around and sees Luka walking up the hall with his head bleeding.

The ER docs work on Harkins.  Susan asks the paramedic why she isn't on a back board?  The paramedic tells her that the doc (Luka) cleared her medically.  Gallant sees her and is upset, he then turns and looks at Luka.  Luka tells them that she was walking on scene.  Gallant pulls Luka away from standing near Harkins and tells him that he may contaminate the field, since he is bleeding.  Kerry tells them that she has a possible liver laceration and Romano goes to prepare an OR.  Gallant asks Dr. Kovac what happened?

White flash of light

A car has crashed into a deserted street alley.  Bruce Springsteen's version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" is playing on the car radio.  Luka asks Harkins if she is okay and if she hit her head?  She tells him that she hit her side and he asks if she has any neck pain?  She tries to get out of the car, but the door will not open.  Luka hands her his cell phone and tells her to call 911.  He is going to see about the other car.  She replies, "We hit someone"?  Luka stumbles as he heads out into the empty street.  He can see a homeless person with a buggy scampering away.  He goes to the driver of the other car and tells him to stay still, that he is a doctor.  The man tells him that he can't move his leg.  Luka tells him that the paramedics are on their way.  The driver tells him that it was the other guy's fault.  He was driving like a maniac.  Luka looks at him with guilt for a second and then tells him that he thinks he has dislocated his hip.  The driver asks if the people in the other car are okay?  Luka tells him yes and then he runs over to check out the man's son who is on the passenger's side.  His name is Dwayne and he is having trouble breathing.  His dad asks Luka how bad it is and he tells him that his collar bone may be broken.  This is blocking his airway.  Luka runs back to his car to get his toolkit, but he can't find it.  Erin tells him that the ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) for the paramedics is less than five minutes.  She tells him that she can't believe he did this.  He is looking for pliers, but all she has is a suture kit.  She runs back to the car with Luka to help the boy.  Erin gets a little dizzy when she gets to the car.  Dwayne isn't getting any air and is passing out.  Luka will have to cut his throat area with a scalpel, but the father is worried that it will be painful for the young boy.  He wants to wait for the paramedics, but Luka tells him that they do not have any surgical instruments with them.  The boy begins breathing after Luka performs the procedure.  The paramedics arrive and take the boy and his father to the ER.  Another ambulance has arrived, Unit forty-three, and Erin has collapsed to the ground.  They get her and Luka and head to the ER.  They are about six minutes away and the roads are icy.  Erin is unresponsive and Luka wants to put a angiocath into her.  He is worried that she will arrest.  The paramedic tells him no because Luka has had a blunt head trauma.  Luka tells him to do it then, but he won't.  Luka performs the procedure and Harkin's heart rate stabilizes.  The driver asks if he needs to pull over and Luka tells him "NO", Keep driving".

White flash of light

"It's not your fault", Erin tells Luka.  "I should have been more careful", he replies, as he is speeding down the road.  "Could you slow down"?, she asks him.  "Things like this happen", she tells him.  Luka replies, "Two months in the ER doesn't make you an expert ok"?  She tells him that she is upset and she asks him again to please slow down.  "These things don't just happen; not if you know what you are doing", Luka says.  Luka speeds up and takes a corner.  Harkins tells him to pull over and let her out.  They see a homeless person crossing the street while pushing a shopping cart.  Harkins yells, "Luka" and he swerves and hits the front of the shopping cart, before he crashes.

White flash of light

Dr. Chen tells Luka that they are ready for Jane in the OR.  He tells her "okay, thanks".  She asks if he wants to talk with them?  He tells her that she can and then walks off.  Jing-Mei looks at him with a confused look, then walks over to speak with Jane and her father.  She tells them that they are going up to the OR to have the clot removed.  Jane asks if the cute doctor is still there and Jing-Mei asks, "Dr. Kovac"?  Abby walks up and asks Chen if she has seen Luka?  She tells her that he is on his way out.  The father of the girl asks Jing-Mei to thank Dr. Kovac for them.  He made radiology give her the CT.  Abby finds Luka in the lounge at his locker.  She asks him what is going on?  She is very upset with him.  "Do you even care"?, she asks him.  He turns toward her from his locker and she can see that he is hurting inside.  Outside as Luka is leaving, Harkins catches up with him.  She tells him that Dr. Lewis told her that she should go home.  She would like to know if he would like to go get some coffee or something with her and talk?  He apologizes for what happened in the elevator earlier and she tells him that it is okay.  "It's a crappy day", she says.  He tells her that maybe he gave her the wrong idea last night.  "Not at all", she replies.  He tells her goodnight and starts to walk away.  She asks him to at least give her a ride.

White flash of light

Harkins and Susan are with Rick.  He is not conscious and is not well at all.  Susan asks Abby how long he had been waiting?  Abby doesn't answer.  Susan tells Harkins that she might as well go on home.  Harkins wants to stick around, but ends up leaving.  Abby tells Susan that Luka thought he had the flu and didn't realize how serious he was.  Susan tells her that he should have been more thorough with him.

White flash of light

Rick is crashing and Luka, Susan and Harkins are working on him.  He is bleeding a lot from his mouth.  Luka is having a hard time traching him and can't see well.  Susan sees that Luka didn't do the trach. properly and has to step in.  Harkins sees that Rick has brain damage.  Susan tells Luka that she will go and tell Rick's girlfriend.  Luka tells her that he will go do it.  Luka tells the girlfriend that Rick has Leukemia.  She has no idea that he was that sick.  Luka explains to her what happened.  She wants to know if it is impossible for Rick to get better.  Luka tells her that it is not impossible.  She is upset because they had been waiting a long time before they were ever even seen by a doctor.  "Why did we have to wait so long"?, she asks.  "He should have received better care", Luka tells her honestly.  "Do you believe in God?  Do you believe He punishes people"?, she asks Luka.  Luka tells her that it wasn't God.  "Would you pray with me"?, she asks.  He tells her that he can get a hospital chaplain if she would like.  She takes his hand and she begins to pray.  Abby watches on from a distance.

White flash of light

Harkins tells Luka that Rick's stats are dropping.  They have just intubated him and Luka tells her to give it time.  Chuny tells Luka that he looks tired and asks if he would like to have some coffee.  He tells her no.  Susan walks in and asks if this is his kid with the flu?  She sees that something is not right.  Luka has intubated into his esophagus.  She tells them to remove the tube.  Luka tells her that it was hard for him to see the cords.  He tells Susan that maybe the tube moved when the nurse taped it.  Chuny gives him a look.  As they remove the tube, Rick's throat fills with blood.  Susan looks at his lab results and sees that he has leukemia.  "No wonder he is bleeding so much", she tells him.  He is septic and Susan tells Harkins to open a crike kit.  Luka tells her that there was no indication of leukemia, he presented with a simple fever.

Luka checks on Rick Kendrick.  He is a young man who is rundown and has flu like symptoms.  His girlfriend is with him and is worried.  She has been busy getting their apartment ready for Rick's family who is coming to visit for the holidays.  Luka tells them that they shouldn't be there too long.  Rick looks healthy and should rebound quickly.  Luka walks out of the exam room and Abby comes after him.  "What do you want"?, she asks him.  Who calls out some tests that need to be run and she asks him if he wants a Hemocue done?  "He looks a little pasty", she tells him.  Luka tells her no, he just needs to get hydrated.  Abby asks him if they are okay?  "About what"?, he asks.  "Last night in the bedroom", she reminds him.  "Did I do something stupid"?, he asks.  Abby replies, "You don't remember"?  "I had a couple of drinks", says Luka.  Abby remarks, "A couple dozen".  Abby tells him okay, as long as we are all right.  He tells her to let him know when the tests results are back on Rick.  "I'm concerned", Abby tells him as he walks away.  "He's got the flu Abby", is what Luka replies, not realizing that she is concerned about him.  He tells her that she worries too much as she watches him walk away.

White flash of light

Luka has been punched in the face by a man dressed as one of Santa's elves.  Abby asks him what happened and Luka replies, "A vicious midget".  The man is concerned that Luka is going to press charges.  Abby introduces Luka to Laura Ruiz.  She is Rick Kendrick's girlfriend she tells him.  Laura thanks him for looking after of Rick.  The little man tells Luka that he was just reaching up.  Luka replies, "With clinched fists"?  "I am 4', 11", my fists are always clinched", he exclaims.  Susan tells Luka that she will fix him up.  Abby checks Rick's temperature.  His girlfriend is worried about Rick's family coming in for the holidays.  Abby tells them that she doesn't expect that Rick will have to stay overnight.  Laura tells Abby that Rick's parents are kind of scary.  They are lawyers, she explains.  Rick tells Abby that his parents think that they are too young to get hitched.  He has given Laura a ring at the library.  He looks at Abby and jokingly tells her not to let Laura know that it is a cubic zirconium.  "Shut-up, it is not", Laura tells him.  Abby asks how old he is and he tells her nineteen, Laura tells her that she is twenty.  They met at church.  They are going to elope on New Year's Eve in Reno.  "Congratulations", Abby tells them.

Susan is stitching Luka's head from the incident earlier with Santa's elf.  She asks him, "Shouldn't you be gone by now"?  He tells her that he keeps trying to leave.  She then tells him to never host a party when you have to work the next day.  She wants to know if he is going to be there through the holidays?  She is going to work through them.  "Us single people get the short straws", she explains.  The people with family, partners, etc. always get the holiday times off.  He tells her that Christmas isn't the same.  He explains how things use to be back home when his family was still alive.  "Sounds perfect", she says.  She invites him over for Christmas.  He doesn't show much interest, but she tells him that he is invited anyway.  Abby comes in and tells Luka that Rick Kendick's BP is down to eighty.  "Who", he asks?  "Your flu kid; he's been waiting all morning", Abby tells him.

White flash of light

Luka and Pratt are tending to an old man who has been attacked by another old man.  His daughter Hannah has arrived.  She is concerned about his attack.  She gets upset when she learns that the attacker is also being treated in the ER.  Pratt tells her that the man knew her father from before, but Luka interrupts and tells them that it doesn't matter.  Luka tells her that she can wait there until his x-rays come back.  Pratt and Luka are protecting the man who attacked him.  They see Frank in an altercation with two elves.  They are trying to pull the Menorah from Frank's hands.  Frank asks them, "Don't you have reindeer to milk"?  "That's it", the elf exclaims.  He draws back to punch Frank, but Frank ducks and he hits Luka instead.

White flash of light

Harkins finds Abby in the drug lockup.  She has come to get Luka some pills for a patient.  Abby doesn't have what she asks for, but gives her something else that is near the same.  Abby asks her if she has been practicing her suturing.  Harkins thanks her for the kit.  "You got home okay last night"?, Abby asks.  "Yeah, I did", Harkins replies.  Abby tells her to be careful.  There is a lot of gossip going around the ER.  Nothing is going on she tells Abby.  "He's a doctor, your a med. student", Abby explains.  "Abby, there is nothing going on", she assures her.  Abby explains to her that Luka doesn't think things through a lot of the time.  She doesn't think it will be good for either of them.  "Thanks for the pill", Harkins says as she walks back to the exam room.  Luka and Pratt are working on the old guy who was attacked.  Gallant is working on the attacker in the next room.  Luka asks what it is that Harkins has brought him.  It is not what he had asked for.  She explains that Abby gave that to her instead.  The patients scream across to each other form their exam rooms.  Gallant has to take his patient to the OR for a liver laceration that needs to be repaired.  Their patient tells them that that man is a madman and that he is crazy.  Pratt and Luka don't know what to think.

White flash of light

Harkins and Luka examine a hockey player named Jane Irby.  She took a hard hit during practice and her helmet flew off.  She don't want them to tell her father because he is real protective of her.  Luka tells Harkins to make sure that she gets a head CT and tells Jane that they just want to make sure to get her better.  Luka walks out as Jane's father comes in with some hot cocoa for her.  Harkins follows after Luka.  She asks him if he is leaving now?  He tells her that he will wait until the young girl has been dispo'd.  She asks if he would like her to get Dr. Chen and he tells her to just make sure she gets the CT and he walks off.  Gallant sees Harkins and tells her about a patient he has been tending to.  "How long did you stay at Susan's"?, he asks.  "Not very", she replies.  He tells her that he missed their dance and she promises next time.

White flash of light

Pratt is with an old man who is concerned about if the police are coming.  "Didn't you attack Mr. Doric, Luka asks him.  The man asks if Luka is Jewish.  He then goes on to explain that he saw the man walking in his neighborhood.  He hadn't seen him for almost sixty years.  The man tells them what happened years ago.  The man that he had attacked use to work for the Utasha he tells them.  Pratt looks confused and Luka explains a little on who the Utasha were like.  This was during the Holocaust period in Croatia.  Doric was the man's neighbor.  He had told the utasha where they could find his family.  When they came, he ran into the woods, leaving his family behind.  They got his mama, dada, and sisters.  They took them to a Jasenovac camp and the man never saw his family again.  Harkins comes in and interrupts.  She tells Luka that Dr. Chen was called away on a penetrating trauma before she could do the workup on Jane.  Luka looks at her confused and she reminds him that Jane is the hockey girl.  Luka tells her okay and that he will be right there.  The old man finishes by telling them that he saw Doric in his neighborhood at the bus stop and he was laughing and happy.  He couldn't control himself, and he just attacked him.  Pratt asks him how he knows that it was the same man after all the years.  "Some things stay in your head forever", he replies.  He is concerned that they are going to call the police and that he will be taken to jail.

White flash of light

Abby walks out to the ambulance bay to await an arrival.  She sees Dr. Chen coming in.  Abby thought she was off, but Jing-Mei tells her that she got the call from Weaver.  She asks Abby what the deal is with Luka and Harkins.  "They left together", Chen tells her.  "She probably needed a ride home", Abby says.  'The y were dancing at Susan's", Chen exclaims.  "So what, I danced with Yosh", Abby says back to her.  Luka is on his way out as Chen makes her way in.  He tells Dr. Chen to keep an eye on the girl in Exam three.  Mat Gutter is being taken out of the ambulance.  He was running away from an altercation is what Paramedic Zadro tells them.  They can't understand much of what he says.  Luka here's his name and asks if he is Croation.  Luka is able to communicate with him.  Luka tells them that the man doesn't want the police to get involved.  Abby sees that Luka is concerned about the man, but she tells him that he had better go before he gets sucked back in.  Luka watches as they head inside with the man.  He stops awhile and then heads back in to the ER behind them.

White flash of light

Weaver asks Abby what time Luka said that he was coming in.  Abby tells her that he didn't.  Gallant tells Weaver that Tobermen's scan was negative.  Carter asks Abby if she is sure that she doesn't want to meet him in Boston.  She tells him that he needs to spend some quality time with his old man.  He tells her that she will be missed.  Weaver sees Luka coming in and Harkins is with him.  She tells him that it will only be two to three hours top.  "Just get us through the rough patches", she tells him.  The staff, with the exception of Abby and Gallant, begin to gossip about Luka and Harkins.  Gallant tells them that she is not like that.  Carter fills Luka in on the patients that are waiting to be seen.  Jane Irby is a twelve-year-old girl who presented with a migraine.  Her father brought her right in from hockey practice.  "You want to scan her", Luka asks.  Carter replies, "Your call".  Carter asks him how he is doing?  Luka tells him that he is a little tired.  "Serves you right for being a party animal", Carter jokingly tells him.  "Thanks for coming in", he adds.  "Not my choice, Anything else"?, Luka replies.  Carter tells him yeah, Rick Kendrick is a college kid in curtain two.  It looks like he may have influenza and Carter tells Luka that he may need to check it out.  Luka watches as Abby kisses Carter goodbye.  Rick comes up and asks Luka if he is the doctor taking over?  Luka tells him yeah.  He tells him that he is feeling better and that he is just going to tough it out.  "Stick around 'til we are sure, we will get to you soon", Luka replies.

White flash of light

Frank comes in with his Santa suit in hand.  Kerry tells them that triage is packed and Mission's hospital is on diversion.  She asks Abby if Carter can stay on?  "He's catching a plane at ten", she replies back to her.  Kerry tells Abby that she has an administration meeting upstairs and wonders who is available to come in.  Kerry suggests Kovac and tells Abby to call him.  Abby tells her that she doesn't think that it is such a good idea.  He looked as if he were coming down with something last night she tells her.  Kerry picks up the phone and hands it to her.  The phone rings and we see Harkins coming out of Luka's bathroom half dressed.  She answers the phone and Abby asks if Luka is there?  Harkins tells her that he is sleeping.  Abby asks who she is and Harkins tells her one moment and hands the phone to Luka, who she has to wake up.  Luka looks up and sees Harkins hading him the phone.  Abby asks him who that was that answered the phone, but Luka doesn't answer.  He asks Abby, "What"?  She then tells him that Weaver wants him to come in for a few hours.  He tells her that he can't, but Weaver picks up the phone and tells him to get in there.  Abby tells Luka to be careful, the roads are icy.  Harkins tells Luka, "I shouldn't have answered that, right"?

White flash of light

Susan has opened her Secret Santa present.  It is edible panties.  There is a party going on at her house.  Abby and Carter are sharing a chair.  Gallant is sitting in a chair across from them with Harkins on the floor at his feet.  Jing-Mei and Pratt are sitting cozy together on the sofa next to them.  Chuny and another worker are there also.  Chuny gets up and hands Carter his gift.  It is a pair of red hand-cuffs.  Jing-Mei finds this funny and sexy.  She growls like a tiger toward him.  They have apparently been given a lot of gag gifts.  It is time for Abby to open her present.  She tells them that she still has her rubber sheets from last year.  Pratt and her the gift.  She opens it up and it is a snow globe.  They are not sure who it is from.  Carter and Abby get up to leave.  Carter has to go in to work that night.  Abby asks Susan what did she do with her coat?  Carter tells them all Merry Christmas.  Abby searches through a stack of coats in the bedroom.  Luka walks into the room from the bath room.  Abby sees that he has already opened his gift.  She tells him that someone knew him well.  He got a pair of fuzzy dice.  He asks her what she got and she hands him the musical snow globe.  He winds it up for her.  She asks him if he is all right.  He tells her that they don't talk much anymore.  "Like we don't know what to say", he explains.  "We will have to fix that", she tells him.  "We could get a cup of coffee or something, or you can come over for dinner and I can order a mean pizza", she jokes.  Luka caresses her shoulder and tells her that he misses her.  She can see that he has been drinking.  "Maybe we should talk about this some other time", she tells him.  "You don't look happy", he says.  She then tells him that she should go.  He tells her that he made a lot of mistakes.  She tells him not to make another one.  Carter comes in to see what is taking Abby so long.  Abby asks Luka if he is working tomorrow.  Luka tells her no.  Carter tells him, "Lucky you".  Luka replies, "Lucky for the patients".  Abby wishes him a Merry Christmas as she walks away.  He whispers back, "Merry Christmas", and then takes another sip of his drink.  Harkins comes in to where Luka is and reminds him that there is still a party going on and that he needs to mingle.  She tells him that Dr. Lewis has the dance floor going.  He tells her that Luka don't dance.  She would like to see some of those Croatian moves she tells him.  "Maybe in a minute", he replies.  She tells him that she will be there, she isn't going anywhere.

Harkins helps the drunk Luka into his apartment.  She asks him where the bedroom is.  He thinks that she is being frisky, but she tells him that he needs to get some sleep.  He makes a move and kisses her.  She tells him that he is going about this the wrong way.  He is suppose to get the girl drunk.  He tells her that he though that she was drunk.  She again asks him where the bedroom is.  He tells her that he thinks that it is upstairs.  She drags him into the room and he flops down on to the bed.  He asks her if she is going to stay and she tells him yes.  She is going to stay on the couch.  She wants to make sure that he isn't working tomorrow and he assures her that he is not.  He asks her why she wants to be a doctor.  She tells him that she is good at science.  He tells her that he became a doctor to help people.  "You do, everyday", she tells him.  He then says, "But strangers, only strangers, and not tomorrow".

Flash back to earlier in the episode

The ER docs work on Harkins.  Kerry tells them that she has a possible liver laceration.  Gallant asks Dr. Kovac what happened?  Luka replies, "She needed a ride home".