ER: Let It Snow (Episode #316)

A winter storm is making things difficult around the ER this week.  Sam had to brave the storm to make it in for the night shift, even though things are pretty quiet.  For now anyway.

After calling Sam to make sure she made it to work safely, Gates is being Mr. Mom, refusing to let the kids go to a party on a Friday night so they can do homework.  Alex and Sarah beg and beg, promising to walk the five blocks to the party.  After all, their homework was done.  

Elsewhere at County, Neela has been in a deposition for four hours regarding the wrongful death suit.  Having a rather hard time keeping her mouth shut, Neela's attorney tells her to keep her mouth shut or risk losing her license.  She is not happy.  Taking out her anger on a more then willing Brenner, Neela tells him she fells incompetent.  Brenner tells her she is fully competent, but he will ease up on surgical consults to give her a break.  Not only is she dealing with the lawsuit, Neela also is trying to get the interns to like her.  Because, well, they really don't.  

Meanwhile in Omaha, Morris and Banfield are snowed in at an ER conference.  Not gonna lie, Banfield was not happy to see Morris.  Especially when their flights are canceled, they're pretty much stuck in a hotel bar (without an available hotel room), and the hundred other doctors there are all miserable.  Bring on the booze!  Back at the ER, Chaz also braves the storm to observe.  Even after Neela tells him to go home due to no patients, Chaz decides to stick around.  

Gates is trying to get a hold of Sam to talk to her about the party situation.  Just as Sam is going to call him back, a trauma is brought in.  A 16 year old girl, drunk, was in a car accident and thrown through the windshield.  Sam, attending to the young girl, gets called into another trauma.  Upon entering the room, all she knows is it's a young boy who was with the 16 year old.  Turns out, it's her son Alex, and he is pretty seriously injured.  Sam immediately assumes Alex and Sarah snuck out.  Sarah, who was also in the car, has just broken her wrist.  

Back in Omaha, Morris and Banfield are getting tanked when a lounge singer starts singing The Beach Boys.  Morris is thrilled, even grabbing the mike and singing Christmas carols much to everyone in the rooms dismay.  Especially, Banfield, who looks horrified.  Oh, how quickly the tables turn.  Banfield shouldn't have switched to wine.  Before you know it, she's up on stage singing 80's rock hits.  Entertaining everyone in the crowd, except a jealous Morris, Banfield calls Archie on stage to sing a duet.  Before they could start singing, "Walk This Way," Banfield begins falling all over herself and Morris removes her from the party.

At the ER, Sam is in her own personal hell.  Alex's shoulder is badly dislocated and he has a severe concussion.  When Sarah comes into the room to check on him, Sam flips out on her.  Meanwhile, yet another kid who was in the car is brought in, apparently tripping out on something.   While Neela takes care of him, Alex's CT comes back clean, however he has yet to wake up.  Sadly, he was doing the right thing.  Ashley, the 16 year old girl, was too drunk to drive her car, so Alex, only 15, said he would drive.  Even sadder, Ashley has just died in the next room.

Gates finally gets to the ER to calm a crazed Sam.  He takes her out of the trauma room to apologize for caving and letting the kids go to the party.  Even though he tried to call her, he still shouldn't have let them go.  Sam angrily pushes Gates away and runs back into Alex's room.  In other parts of the ER, Chaz is dealing with a seven year old boy named Tyler, Ashley's little brother.  The babysitter Ashely left him with dropped the boy off at the hospital and all he wants to do is see his big sister.  Chaz isn't sure what to say to him, especially after he learns Ashley's parents are in Europe, leaving the boy in his care until they fly in the following day.  Neela calls Chaz away for help, and Tyler takes off to find his sister.

Sarah and Gates are walking through the ER when she recognizes the other boy, Leo, who was in the car with them.  He took "trail mix," which is made up of prescription drugs kids steal from their parents.  Leo is overdosing on drugs.  Gates pulls Sarah away.  Neela and Brenner have to remove blood from around his heart to save him.  Neela, being the great surgeon she is, saves the young boy and Brenner gives her a pat on the back.  Meanwhile, Sam is having a breakdown, and Gates is feeling the wrath.  She fully blames him for what is happening to Alex.  

Morris and Banfield are now having a heart to heart. Banfield tells Morris after she lost her son, she got pregnant again but had a miscarriage.  That's when Banfield's phone rings: a room has opened up at the hotel, but only one room.  Morris obviously gives it up to Banfield, who can't leave Morris to sleep in a coffee shop.  The two put up pillows and shared the bed.  Banfield tells Morris this night never happened.  Morris smiles.

Alex is crashing, and Sam wants to give him a blood transfusion.  Gates thinks it's a heart arrhythmia, and he was right, saving Alex's life.  Sam looks thankful and it seems the two may be OK.  That is, until blood comes rushing out of Alex.  Things are not looking good.  Elsewhere, Chaz finally finds Tyler.  Standing at his sister's bedside, he asks why she won't wake up.  Chaz doesn't know what to say and asks Brenner for his help.  Brenner explains as best he can to a seven year old, what happened to his sister.  Tyler asks Chaz not to leave him alone.  Chaz promises not to.

The police officer who is investigating Alex's accident tells Sam and Gates things could have been a lot worse.  He says Alex swerved to avoid hitting another car.  Little consolation for Sam who is totally freaking out.  Brenner has to cut into Alex's chest to get to his heart.  Something is seriously wrong and Sam can do nothing to fix it.