Be Still My Heart

"Be Still My Heart"
Season 6, Episode 13
Air date	February 10, 2000
Written by	Lydia Woodward
Directed by	Laura Innes
Episode Guide
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"Be Still My Heart" is the thirteenth episode in the sixth season of ER. It first aired on NBC at February 10, 2000. It was written by Lydia Woodward and directed by series star Laura Innes. It has the ER staff trying without success to save the parents of two young children who were in a car accident on Valentine's Day. Carter and Lucy treat a law student, but at an unthinkable cost.

Plot

It's Valentine's Day in the ER, but it's a tough one as two young children have become orphans when their parents are killed in a car accident.

Elizabeth and Romano operate on Romano's dog. Later, Mark and Elizabeth have a double date with Mark's father and Elizabeth's mother.

Carter and Lucy treat a law student, Paul Sobriki who clearly shows mental problems and while the rest of the staff are partying for Valentine's Day, Paul viciously attacks Lucy and Carter with a knife.

NBC Description

NEARING VALENTINE'S DAY, DR. CORDAY'S IMPERIOUS MOTHER IS LOOSE IN THE HOSPITAL; LAURA INNES DIRECTS: As Valentine's Day nears, Dr. Corday (Alex Kingston) holds her breath when her domineering mother and surgeon (guest star Judy Parfitt, "Ever After") wants to "observe" her at work in the hospital while Lucy (Kellie Martin) cares for a combative young law student (guest star David Krumholtz, "Chicago Sons") whose headaches and erratic behavior might indicate schizophrenia.

Competitive medical students Chen (Ming-Na) and Malucci (Erik Palladino) jockey for first position but their increasing rivalry only hurts their patients, including a senior doctor (guest star Lenny Wolpe) with a dangerous tumor.

Following a severe traffic accident, Drs. Finch (Michael Michele), Kovac (Goran Visnjic) and Benton (Eriq La Salle) hope to save the lives of the parents of two quaking children (guest stars Anton Yelchin and Megan Corletto) who fear the worst.

An elderly woman (guest star Amzie Strickland) who lost her husband a few months earlier in the ER returns with a serious case of infection. Anthony Edwards, Noah Wyle, Julianna Margulies, Paul McCrane and Maura Tierney also star. John Cullum ("Northern Exposure") guest-stars.

Synopsis

It's Valentine's Day. Mark Greene and his father listen to old music while Mark is trying to shave. Mark's Dad argues with him over prescriptions saying that he needs new ones. Mark says he isn't going to give him a script. He later meets up with Elizabeth Corday and she asks if they are going to have dinner together that night. Mark says of course. He begins a snowball fight with her but promises to stop after she runs into the ER for protection. Chen and Malucci argue over a patient but Mark intercedes. They learn that their patient is a doctor and that he has a tumor. Chen and Malucci argue over what type of treatment to give him. Mark asks if they'd asked the patient what he wanted and they say no. Mark goes and tells their patient about the tumor. He recommends radiation but the patient decides to go with chemotherapy instead. Later, the patient starts to code so Mark orders radiation therapy despite the patient's wishes. Once the patient wakes up, he thanks Mark for going against his wishes.

Elizabeth is pulled into surgery with Robert Romano. She's surprised to learn that they are operating on his dog. She says that she doesn't think it's right for them to be doing this but Romano disagrees. He says he's the chief of staff and that he can do whatever he wants. After the surgery, Elizabeth jokingly asks if the dog has insurance. While on the way to the dog's room, they run into Elizabeth's mother whom she introduces to Romano. She heads to the ER after hearing about a traumatic car crash coming into the ER and her mom follows. Elizabeth works on the husband and her mother watches as she does compressions. Unfortunately, Elizabeth and Peter are unable to save the husband. Elizabeth goes looking for her mom and Mark tells her that she's across the street having coffee. She goes to meet her mom there and they talk about how Mark invited her to dinner. Later, Mark, Elizabeth, and their parents head to dinner. The two hit it off and spend the night talking to each other and singing on stage.

Abby Lockhart treats a patient who asks for Dr. John Carter. She goes and gets Carter who suggests a type of treatment that Abby disagrees with. Carter tells her to ask the patient what she wants to do. Abby's patient looks like she's on the mend and one of the nurses gave her a Valentine's Day card. She talks to Abby about her husband and how she misses him. Abby's patient isn't doing well. Carter reminds her that the patient didn't want any drastic measures taken. Abby is stubborn and insists on trying everything to keep her alive. Her patient is having trouble breathing and Abby wants to help her but Carter tells her it isn't about what she wants. Abby sits with her patient and is there when she dies in her sleep. Later, she heads up to the roof where Carter finds her. She says she isn't used to all this death and Carter says that you never get used to it. They decide to head down to Valentine's Day party.

Lucy Knight has a patient who is experiencing a bad headache. She tries to enlist Carter's help but he's busy with another patient. He steps in only after Mark tells him to. The patient has vomited and he is babbling. He leaves to get an LP kit. Lucy does a spinal tap but in the middle of it the patient wakes up and begins thrashing, seemingly in pain. She manages to complete the procedure. Lucy tells her patient that the spinal tap was negative but that she recommends an MRI. He tells her that he needs to return to the restaurant he was studying at. Lucy speaks with one of her patient's friends and learns that he's been acting weird lately, falsely accusing his friend and becoming withdrawn from their social circle. The patient is not happy to see his friend and argues with him in the hallway. Carter gets the situation under control but yells at Lucy for not taking better care of her patients. He tells her to call psych for a consult. He returns later and Lucy tells him that they still haven't come down. Before heading to the Valentine's Day party, Carter stops to check in on Lucy. He walks inside and is stabbed twice in his lower back by the patient. He falls to the ground and sees Lucy who is bleeding out from being stabbed as well. Carter can only lie there unable to move and seemingly helpless.

Luka Kovač and Carol Hathaway deal with multiple traumas after a car accident brings in an injured family. The kids are okay but the parents are severely injured. Luka and Carol work on the wife while Elizabeth and Peter Benton work on the husband. Cleo takes care of the children and asks if they're alright. They are but the daughter just wants to see her mom. She almost runs into the trauma area but Cleo manages to stop her just in time. Unfortunately, they are unable to save either of them. Luka and Carol go to tell the children about their parents. They both don't react although the boy asks to see them. Luka describes what he's going to see before he takes them. Luka and Carol take them to see their dead parent's bodies. The boy walks inside but the little girl runs away into a nurses arms. Luka and Carol watch as he hugs his mom's dead body.

Characters

• John Carter
• Lucy Knight
• Carol Hathaway
• Luka Kovač
• Elizabeth Corday
• Mark Greene
• Robert Romano
• Abby Lockhart
• Peter Benton
• Cleo Finch
• Dave Malucci
• Jing-Mei Chen

Trivia

• Laura Innes does not appear in this episode, despite having her name in the opening credits, however she directed this episode.