ER: Heal Thyself (Episode #315)

This is shaping up to be one of the best seasons of ER.  I would hope so seeing as how it is the final season, however bringing back Dr. Greene (Anthony Edwards) post-death was the greatest thing to happen on this show since George Clooney was on it.  FYI: rumors are he will be coming back before the show is over.  

We finally see why Dr. Banfield is so cold, while also learning a lot more about her as a person and a doctor.  The show opens with her and her husband arguing about something she refuses to talk about.  It seems the two blame each other for whatever "it" is they are referring to.  While on her morning run, Banfield notices a rescue team heading toward the waterfront.  She runs to see what is going on and realizes a little girl is drowning.  This stirs up some emotions in Banfield, who looks like she has seen a ghost.

Meanwhile, in the surgical world of ER, Neela is busy trying to clear the ER of patients.  She assigns Andrew to take a history on an older women with a ton of complaints, the least of which is how the jello turned her poop red.  This is no doubt going to come up again...Only, not when it should have.  Neela was too busy trying to be "efficient" that she wouldn't let Andrew speak.  This is not good.  The women has a massive GI bleed and ends up dying in the ER.  Andrew is scared for life.

Gates is still dealing with the war vet Max, whose memory is slowly improving.  Gates wants to run more tests and somehow convinces a spacey Banfield to sign the papers.  After showing her heart yet again to Gates, Banfield continues to go in and out of the little girl's room.  She has hypothermia and not really breathing on her own.  There is also something wrong with her brain.  While all this is going on, Banfield is having flashbacks of when her son got sick.  Ah Ha! And the secret is revealed.

After convincing Max to stay in the hospital for more tests, Gates feels pretty happy with himself.  Short lived however, Max takes off after the tests are performed.  Neglecting treatment can be very detrimental to his life, and Gates is flipping out.  Elsewhere, Banfield is thinking about happier times with her husband and son.  While remembering a trip to the park, we learn how her son got sick, he began seizing on the grass.  Banfield, being that she is a doctor, figured he would be OK because this has happened before.  However, after waiting about an hour to call an ambulance, things are not looking good for her son.  The ambulance arrives at County and who opens the doors? Dr. Mark Greene, back from the dead! Amazing.

Anyway, Dr. Greene, while listening to Banfield act like she knew everything, tries everything he can to save her son.  At the end of the day, it was impossible.  Her son ends up dying from Leukemia that went un-noticed.  It was interesting how they did the flashback at the time Dr. Greene was going through chemotherapy for his brain tumor.  He and Dr. Banfield, at the time just the mother of his patient, made a connection that obviously stayed with her.  After losing her son, Mark is forced by none other than the big ass himself, Dr. Robert Romano (the one who got his arm chopped off by the helicopter? Then actually got killed by one later on?) to go to chemo.  Mark allows Banfield to take the tube out of her sons chest and clean him up.  He promises to make it back before they take him.  Only, he didn't make it.  He did however, run into her outside the hospital.  He apologizes for not making it and tells her she will be ok.

Back in present times, Banfield refuses to let the little girl die.  Probably to make up for her son, but whatever the reason, she will not give up.  After helping her breath, warming her and making her heart beat, the girl still isn't responding.  Banfield asks the parents if there are any drugs she could have taken.  They then realize she has taken her grandfather's heart medication that is toxic to kids.  After the doctors figured it out, it was a matter of time before her heart started beating on its own.  

Morris and Banfield have a moment.  She tells him about her son, and that he died at County in trauma 1.  Morris can't understand how she can work there after that, but now understands why she is such a bitch most of the time.  Banfield walks past trauma 1 and sees her former self sitting there.  

Throughout the whole ordeal, Banfield never cried.  I find this interesting.  Apparently, so does her husband who confronts her at the end of the episode.  She finally breaks down and cries.