Stephi Lineburg

Valerie Keenan, a young high school teacher, is found stabbed to death in the janitor's closet. The initial check of the surveillance tape doesn't turn up anything, but some of the students allude to the fact that another teacher, Mr. Bergen (Rob Campbell), was in a relationship with her. Bergen denies that anything was going on with Valerie and claims he was at the Mets game the night of the murder. The only problem is, the Mets game was rained out that night, but a local bartender verifies he stopped in. Then it hits Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin); if it was raining that day, why weren't there any signs of rain (i.e. umbrellas, raincoats) on the surveillance tape?

A frustrating day for Abby gets even worse when she receives an upsetting letter from Carter, who is still in the Congo. Her fellow nurses protest work conditions, and her opinions are ignored. Abby is chastised for trying to inform a teenaged girl, Ellie (Stephanie Lineburg), whose heart and lungs are failing, that Ellie's life is in grave danger. Meanwhile, Romano's mood gets nastier when he tries on a prosthesis with an antiquated hook to replace his missing arm. Enraged, he terminates several much-needed nurses. Three new second-year residents, including self-assured Dr. Nick "Coop" Cooper (recurring guest star Glenn Howerton), join the staff. An apprehensive Pratt meets Chen's old-fashioned parents for dinner. And the playful Dr. Dorset (recurring guest star Bruno Campos) makes a positive impression with his style and substantial skills.

A loan shark has an embezzling executive's wife and two daughters kidnapped as collateral on a big debt.

A marine’s killing in Iraq has ramifications for JAG stateside as Harm helps the soldier’s family with a media onslaught, and Bud and Mac investigate the failure of his flack vest.