NICU
In a special episode focusing on the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), medical students Abby and Neela serve a three-week rotation in the unit and gain a new perspective on emergency care. Among their small patients are a brain-dead baby whose mother leads a daily prayer circle around his hospital cradle, an infant suffering overwhelming heart problems and newborn twins, the son and very sickly daughter of a traditional Chinese couple. Meanwhile, Abby and Neela cope with the driven director of neonatology, Dr. Meagan Raab (L. Scott Caldwell), and a humorless veteran NICU nurse, Virgie (Joanne Baron). And Abby is surprised to find Weaver in the NICU, accompanying her lover, Sandy Lopez (recurring guest star Lisa Vidal), who gives birth to their son. Although she was initially intimidated by Neela's ease in this setting, by the end of her time in NICU, Abby is becoming a confident, skilled doctor. But Neela questions her own fortitude in such an oftentimes tragic place. Series star Laura Innes directed the episode.
