ER next season spoiler!

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"Life After Death" takes place after an event that has left several people injured in an ambulance explosion - in particular, Pratt. The timeline of this episode seems to cover at least several days.

Abby has hurt her hand, but she seems fine. She is treating Jasmine, a little girl who was in the back of a burning car. Jasmine is a precocious 8-year-old who suffers from asthma and is rather educated about her condition.

Jasmine seems stable at first, and Abby's attention is split because she is worried about Pratt's condition in the other room. Jasmine's mother thinks the child is not acting right, and eventually Jasmine's condition deteriorates. Abby suspects cyanide poisoning from the burning car interior and gives the antidote in time.

Another patient, Rose, had a 10 foot fall down an access well and was rescued by Norman who jumped the 10 feet, broke his leg, but brought Rose out. Norman is a real talker, telling his story to most everyone who will listen. He even gives Abby his mantra, "When you feel like hope is gone, look inside your and be strong, and you finally see the truth, that a hero lies in you." Rose is critical at the end of the day and Norman is in a cast.

Chaz brought Norman in and doesn't know that Pratt was injured in the ambulance explosion. Gates takes Chaz to see Pratt.

Pratt is hurt and needs to be intubated, but the staff is able to stabilize him. The U.S. Marshal from the finale is there, and he and Pratt share a thumbs up, which seems to indicate that the events had something to do with Art/Arnie, the patient in the witness protection program.

Soon, a bulge starts growing at the base of Pratt's jaw, and his condition deteriorates also. Neela comes to address the mass, and her efforts appear successful. But just as Abby is stabilizing Jasmine in Trauma 2, things turn grave again for Pratt in Trauma 1. Gates starts CPR and they order a by-pass machine. The neurologist explains to the staff that Pratt appears brain-dead, probably from an air embolus. The neurologist wants to test Pratt over the next four hours. Betina is called. At the 2 hour mark, things still don't look good for Pratt. Gates mentions to Chaz that Pratt has a organ donor card.

Small things include that the staff thinks Dubenko has quit his job at County, and Brenner is actually teaching a med student who is actually pretty bright.

However, several days later, it seems Pratt's funeral has taken place. Many of the staff are back at the ER, with Betina. Morris takes Betina to the break room as a trauma comes in. Chaz is there as well, and is angry at Gates, it appears, because the staff is going to get together at Ike's.

The incoming trauma is Norman, the hero, and he's septic. But the staff saves him, and Brenner reunites him with Rose who is now recovering.

Elsewhere in a city park, Neela and Dubenko, dressed in funeral attire walk along talking. Dubenko is dark and distant. Neela says she heard from Ray Barnett who wanted to come but had more surgery and could not. Neela's feeling quite adrift after all that has happened. Later, after saving Norman, Brenner asks if he should wait for Neela to escort her to Ike's, but she declines.

Later, at Ike's, there is Frank, Sam, Gates, Abby, Morris, Malik, Zadro and Bardelli.

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episode 2:

This episode introduces Dr. Bancroft, the new Chief of the ER, plus Andrew (who is a new Surgical intern) and new ER interns, Isabelle, Tracy and Ryan. But Andrew and Isabelle are brother/sister.

We begin with a haggard-looking Morris greeting the new interns at 730am. Tracy is ambitious and in 3 inch heels, Isabelle is beautiful with wet hair, Andrew is all-American, and Ryan is attractive but nervous, Hispanic but doesn't speak Spanish and is married. Brenner sizes up the new interns. (Yeah, I bet. TEE) After meeting Gates, Sam and then Frank, plus the earlier arrival, Kaya, the newbies are sent off for their id's. And Catherine Bancroft arrives - the new Chief of the ER.

Meanwhile Neela is quite upset while talking on the phone to someone's answering machine. She feels that every time she gets her bearings, something else happens. She figures she is a total bore and self-pitying, but adds that Dubenko has left County. She wants the person to call her back.

Morris and Crenshaw have been working many hours and a lot of overtime as both departments are understaffed. Crenshaw knows Morris is upset about Pratt's death.

Neela tries to talk to Anspaugh about Dubenko who agrees that Dubenko is a great teacher and surgeon. But Anspaugh feels powerless because
Dubenko wanted to leave and the board voted for dismissal, and Anspaugh says Dubenko forced the board's hand.

A patient, Felix is brought in by the EMT's. He has a broken leg. Bancroft tells Gates to take the interns and treat Felix. Felix fights the assessment and as they take his shift off, white power fills the air. They find a plastic bag filled with ... ricin ... which Tracy then drops on the floor. Felix was going to mail it to a few people to show what a joke Homeland Security is. His wife died in the 9-11 attacks.

Morris and Bancroft clash a little about leaving Gates et. al. in the trauma room while police and hazmat respond. The rest of the ER is evacuated to the Surgical lobby. Gates handles a complication with Felix's leg while the interns are helpless and useless and very afraid that they are poisoned (and this is really a good scene. TEE).

Meanwhile, Morris, Neela, Chuny and Sam work on a victim of a floor collapse while a mother looks on. Brenner asks Neela for coffee and she declines sharply. There is surgery on a patient with a liver lac.

All ends well for Gates and the interns. There is a sit-in outside Anspaugh's office demanding Dubenko's return that Brenner organized. Gate and Sam consider getting together after it is all over.

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episode 3:

It appears that this might be Maura's exit since we see Abby tell Brenner it is her last shift, but she asks him not tell anybody. Later, Abby talks about her reasons for leaving with Bancroft, presumably the Angela Bassett character. Interestingly, Dubenko, who seems to have left, has come back.

Abby tells a rabbi she apparently has treated that it was nice to see him again. The rabbi tells her not to worry, that it'll get easier.

Abby takes a couple of twin boys into the Family Room. They want to talk to her, and Abby says they can talk to her about anything they wish--sex, drugs, alcohol--and she will keep it private unless someone is getting hurt. However, the twins take the opportunity to ask her about a variety of inane subjects: Can vampires get AIDS? Are there clouds in space?

Later she comes upon them again, and they don't stop bombarding her with questions: Why do monkeys love bananas? Are the stars really dead?

Morris tells Abby he is troubled by Pratt's last words, "Don't screw it up Morris." Abby says he won't, and Morris sees there was a bigger message in it. Abby tells him how much she trusts him, and perhaps as if to prove it, she introduces him to Roxanne, the lady with cats, who might be the requisite frequent flyer for Abby's exit (my words, not TPTB's).

A beloved coach is injured and young Zeke feels responsible. Abby takes him under her wing. Zeke is despondent, and Abby finds him up on the roof about to jump. He tells her that after KJ was shot (I wonder if this is the former "Volunteen" KJ), the coach told him they could come to him for safety. He left a key for the kids, and Zeke took it to impress some other kids who wanted a place to party. Apparently, this led to the coach's injuries. Abby makes Zeke a deal: She will fix the coach if Zeke comes down from the ledge. She gives him a syringe and says if she can't fix him, Zeke can use the drug to stop his own heart. He thinks she is nuts, but she says she knows what it is like to be out on a ledge. The coach survives and Abby gets her syringe back from Zeke. She says he is not a bad person but did a bad thing and gets a second chance.

Abby welcomes back Dubenko, who left to work at some surgery center. He says he told himself he could walk away from County and never think twice, but apparently he could not.

Abby tells Brenner it is her last day but not to tell anybody. She takes the opportunity to knock him down a few pegs.

Sam has been suspended for a week without pay. She tells Abby it would have been worse without Abby's help.

Bancroft appears to be in charge. She is a bit frosty to Abby and later wonders why Abby is leaving. Abby says it is for her family. She has a husband a little boy and they need a fresh start. Bancroft asks about Joe, and we are supposed to see there is something more to Bancroft.

Abby has her "walking down the hall" moment surveying the place, but she is accosted by Roxanne, who is worried that Abby is sick or that something bad is going to happen, but Abby says no something good. Roxanne asks if she will see Abby next time she comes, but we don't hear the answer to that.