Thursday October 7, 2004
9:59 PM 1.0 ER
DAMAGED

DEPRESSED DR. CARTER VEERS ONTO DANGEROUS PATH WHILE NEW DOC ABBY TREATS MEXICAN SEX SLAVE -- A lonely Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle) struggles with his unfulfilled dreams in the wake of his girlfriend Kem's departure -- and lurches toward a dangerous temporary solution -- while new doctor Abby (Maura Tierney) faces resentful nurses and tends to a tearful and injured young woman kidnapped from Mexico and forced into sexual slavery. Elsewhere, Dr. Kovac (Goran Visnjic) makes an honest confession to a fleeing Sam (Linda Cardellini) while Neela (Parminder Nagra) must face the music when her domineering, old-school Indian parents arrive in a huff after she abandoned her Michigan medical assignment. In the meantime, Carter treats an Iraqi war veteran who was disfigured in combat, Dr. Weaver (Laura Innes) suggests to new intern Ray (new series regular Shane West) that he tone down his alternative-punk look in deference to frightened patients -- and two ER staffers recover from their injuries. Alex Kingston also stars.