Pragna Desai

In a special episode, Carter travels to the war-torn Congo as part of a voluntary medical program. He finds primitive Third World facilities, a few heroic staffers and woeful patients overflowing the tiny hospital while a bloody civil war threatens to engulf them all. After Carter ventures deeper into the jungle to reunite with Kovac, they risk their lives manning a crude outpost used for a vaccination campaign--and soon find themselves in the line of fire between the warring tribes.

Carter returns to the Congo to search for the body of a fellow doctor and reunites with several associates from his previous trip. But the chaos, stench and hazards of the country's long civil war threaten to curtail his efforts, and Carter is placed in immediate danger. Meanwhile, still in the strife-torn country, Kovac is seen in flashbacks as he battles debilitating malaria while he ministers to the sick and dying.

On Christmas Eve, the chilly emergency room staffers do their best to observe the holiday while a crusading Carter does the same--half a world away in a rundown Congolese medical clinic. Flashbacks reveal his relationship with Makemba "Kem" Likasu (recurring guest star Thandie Newton - "Mission: Impossible 2"), a beautiful African AIDS worker, as their clashes over meager resources slowly give way to a deep love affair. As Carter adjusts to the heat, filth and dangers of the region, he keeps in touch with his Chicago friends and embarks on a personal mission to help a pregnant mother who is dying of AIDS. Despite the anti-American sentiments of his French comrades, Carter remains determined to bring the joy and love of Christmas to the local children of Kisangani. Emmy Award-winning executive producer John Wells wrote the episode.

When Lachlan (Vincent Walsh) sends Bo (Anna Silk) on a mission to Africa to lift the curse on Nadia (Athena Karkanis), she is unaware that he plans to use her good deed to keep Lauren (Zoie Palmer) under his control. Meanwhile, Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) reconnects with a childhood crush while planning a surprise party for Bo.

The Mutant X team must stop a serial killer who leaves clues to his next victims in the form of puzzles.