It's Halloween, and Frank is dressed as Julius Caesar, much to Banfield's disapproval. She tells Gates that he won't be mentoring Daria today, putting him on the culture list, i.e. pus control. Morris laments another Halloween, which will predictably be filled with pumpkin carving accidents, candy corn puke, and sloppy drunks dressed as Frankenstein. Tracy shows up for work in a crippling mermaid costume, only to learn that Daria set her up. Eighteen-year-old Michael Leary is wheeled into the ER with a fork protruding from his chest from a cafeteria fight.

Everyone marvels at Daria and Andrew's rapport - they seem totally in sync. Banfield calls Brenner out of the trauma room, surprised that he's opened up his schedule. He admits that he's trying to be more of a team player, so she tasks him with scheduling guest speakers for grand rounds. Morris narrowly misses being puked on by a kid dressed as a bee, while Frankenstein waits for him. Brenner acknowledges Laverne's good work on Leary, as 14-year-old Danny is brought in with his older brother Scott, who glares at Leary. After a fight at school, Danny's nose won't stop bleeding, and he keeps throwing up. Scott thinks its fine that their mom can't be found, but the doctors need her consent to treat Danny. Gates tends to little princess Jenny, as her mom, Mrs. Mode, and silent, sullen brother Owen look on. Even though birds aren't allowed in the ER, Gates relents to allow Owen to take his pet cockatoo Trevor out of his cage. Despite her patient load, Gates sends Sam off on a "no-brainer" errand rather than send an intern, insulting her. Laverne encourages Danny to explain the fight. Apparently the other kid said something really bad about Danny's mom, so he hit him. The other kid's friends piled on, and Danny doesn't remember anything after that. Morris insists that Neela take care of Frankenstein. After claiming that he needs a brain transplant, Frankenstein finally takes off his mask - it's Ray!

Brenner tries to impress Neela, claiming that he will get Atul Gawande to speak at grand rounds; afterwards a bottle of champagne to celebrate? Brenner invites Neela to a lecture, but she blows him off in favor of spending time with Ray, who comments that both Brenner and Banfield seem like jerks. Gates and Daria treat bowler Jablonski, whose wife put glue in his bowling ball because he loves it more than her. Gates offers Sam a mnemonic device, claiming it may help her pass the test for her nurse anesthetist program. Daria explains what a mnemonic device is - luckily, Franks calls Sam out before she can respond. Danny's mother Sandy has finally shown up. Danny projectile vomits on Laverne and alarms sound; Brenner orders a surgical consult. Ray tells Neela what he's been up to as a resident for the Injured Soldier Task Force. He admires her hot doctoring skills. When a couple of carts crash with a bang in the hallway, Trevor flies off. Gates and Owen take off in search of him and wind up locked out of the hospital in a maintenance area. Morris and Ray catch up in the lounge. Ray apologizes for missing Pratt's funeral; he was having skin grafts. Morris lets it be known that no, Neela isn't seeing anyone. Meanwhile, Sandy can't figure out why Danny would get in a fight - it's not like him. Scott suggests that Danny didn't like hearing the rumors. In front of everyone, he calls Sandy out for being a drunk and sleeping with Leary. Neela punches out, handing Danny over to neurosurgery. Instead of coffee, Ray suggests they work out together. Ray puts on his Cheetah running prosthetics and proposes a race around the lake. Neela is amazed, watching Ray pull ahead of her.

Laverne and Brenner explain that Danny's got blood pressuring his brain surface and will need to be cleaned out in the OR to prevent permanent damage. When pressed, Scott admits that Danny attacked Leary when he bragged that Sandy was "an easy lay." Sandy can't believe that Leary would say that, and runs to the next trauma room to confront him. When Leary badmouths Sandy, Scott rushes in to attack. Brenner follows to break up the fight, leaving Daria to finish intubating Danny. Freaking out, Daria can't continue, so Sam steps in to do the job - she doesn't need a mnemonic. Meanwhile, everyone searches for Gates, who is still stuck outside the hospital with Owen. Now dressed in scrubs, Tracy wheels in James Mackey, costumed as a gangster. He was at a Halloween party gone wrong and got shot in the chest. They have a cop escort because allegedly, Mackey fired on a cop before the cop shot him. Brenner sutures Scott's hand while Danny undergoes surgery. Scott thinks his mother is a whore. She lets the kids drink at home, then starts flirting with their friends. Now that Danny and Scott go to the same school, Scott can't protect his brother from their mother, whom he hates. Brenner advises Scott that hating Sandy won't get him anywhere. Ray and Neela relax with beers at her apartment. They both admit to having been lonely. Neela thinks it must be nice for Ray to have his mother nearby, but he claims his mom doesn't understand him. A long time ago, he freaked his mom out by trying to kill himself with Vicodin. But those days are gone; now he feels strong.

Banfield watches Tracy intubate Mackey, as Officer Mark Downey enters the trauma room. In his 20 years on the force, he's never fired his gun before. All he saw was Markey pointing a weapon at him. Banfield assures Downey that he did what he had to do. Downey confesses: Markey had a toy gun, a part of his gangster costume. Banfield spends time with Downey, letting him talk. Their jobs are alike; things can turn on you real fast. Downey's young partner Flores shows up to try to take him home. If the brass sees them, they're in big trouble. Downey refuses to leave, since it's all his fault. As Flores pleads with him to keep quiet, Banfield promises to keep him informed. Sam rushes out to go to class. Finally back in the hospital, Gates hurries after her. She lays into him for his sexist view of nurses, only supporting her when it's convenient and making her look small in front of Daria. Overhearing this, Tracy tells Daria to stop crushing on Gates. Besides, isn't Daria married to Andrew? Claiming that she merely likes the way Gates teaches, Daria explains that Andrew is her brother. Brenner warns Sandy to stop screwing up her kids. She claims that Leary is 18 and he loves her. When Brenner informs her that he's called Social Services, Sandy tells him to go to hell. Meanwhile, Neela and Ray are getting more intimate. They're about to kiss when someone knocks on the door. Neela opens the door to find Brenner, who was hoping to celebrate getting Gawande to speak at grand rounds. He leaves, but the moment is ruined, and Ray decides to go, leaving Neela crying and alone. Back at the hospital, Banfield tells Downey that Mackey will be fine, encouraging him to leave out the side door with his partner.

Reviewed by Jocelyn on October 31, 2008