Carter begins the first day of his internship with the difficult task of filling in for Benton as the ER surgery consult. Haleh and the other frustrated nurses teach Carter a lesson. Jeanie makes a difficult decision regarding her HIV-positive status, while Benton's test comes back negative. The ER staff is buzzing regarding a rumor that a Chicago hospital may be closing. Weaver implements an incoherent system for tracking patients. The ER staff plays in a Fourth of July softball game, where Carol runs into Shep and his new girlfriend. Benton runs into an old friend, Carla Reese, at Jackie and Walt's barbecue.

Mark is befuddled by an invitation from Susan to go on a joint vacation to Hawaii. The ER is filled with more refugees from Southside, Drs. Maggie Doyle and Abby Keaton among them. Benton decides to join Keaton's pediatric surgery team. Carter gets on Anspaugh's bad side when he exaggerates a patient's condition to book an operating room. Jeanie tries to keep her HIV status a secret in the face of Weaver's queries. Jerry tries to trap a loose kangaroo. Mark spends his entire day working on one patient, against Anspaugh's decree that ER attendings and residents should handle 2.5 patients per hour. Carter's apartment building burns down.