Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
Mark Greene's promotion to attending physician does not make his family life easier: his marriage ends after Jen's affair, and the divorce becomes final. His friendship with Doug Ross is strained when Doug treats an HIV-positive child against hospital protocol and faces dismissal. Doug accepts another job, then rescues a boy trapped in a storm sewer; the public recognition that follows gives County reason to reconsider. The rescue marks a reprieve at work, while his attempt to reconnect with his estranged father ends in another rejection.
Susan Lewis is left raising her infant niece, Susie, after Chloe disappears. Balancing the baby with residency nearly overwhelms Susan; she considers adoption but cannot let Susie go. Chloe later returns with a new husband and seeks custody. Susan fights the decision, then hands Susie back when the court makes clear she is unlikely to win, and Chloe leaves Chicago with the child for Phoenix. Susan is devastated by the separation, even as her work earns Mark and Kerry Weaver's respect.
Carol Hathaway's quick relationship with paramedic Shep turns painful after Shep and his partner Raul are burned rescuing children from a house fire. Raul dies, and Shep's grief hardens into volatile behavior that Carol cannot manage; when he refuses help, they separate. Carter, meanwhile, begins dating fellow student Harper Tracy and wins a surgical internship, but the death of an elderly patient leaves him carrying guilt about his role in her care. After her affair with Benton ends, Jeanie learns that her estranged husband Al has HIV and warns Benton to get tested.