Ottenson, Gallant, and Abby drive to the base hospital while the former exposits that Eric's coherent and has to go up against a Rule 706 Sanity Board at noon. "Up against?" Abby frets as they get out of the car. Ottenson explains that it's a formality that will help him avoid a court martial, but might result in his getting a medical discharge. They enter the hospital in step with one another, and Abby bolts right past her mother Maggie (Sally Field) without seeing her, too busy freaking that nobody bothered to call and get a family history. "If he'd asked...I'm sure someone would've contacted you," Ottenson says tiredly. "You can't count on him. He's not thinking clearly," insists She Who Shall Not Be Incorrect. Maggie stands abruptly. "Abby," she calls out. Abby stops, takes a second to process what she heard, and then slowly turns around. "Hi," she says, stunned, searching her mother's face for the crazy, or for bits of the set dangling from the corner of her mouth. "The doctor's in with him now," Maggie says as Abby blinks. She does a lot of blinking. We fade to black wondering if this is because Maura Tierney is conducting contract negotiations in Morse code.

Ow, there's a bright light in my eyes. I would move toward it, but that would take me right to Elizabeth, and...no. She's examining Toby, whose mother and brother Matt are the two other drunk-driver victims. The father was spared because he was inside searching for a carrot to use as the nose. Imagine that -- a vegetable being used for good and not evil. Poor Toby isn't having a good day. "His brain is mush," Elizabeth deduces. "Tell me the drunk driver died on impact," Susan grunts. But Elizabeth is distracted by Matt's arrival next door in Trauma Yellow; she's about to go to him, but the mother joins them in Trauma Green. "She jumped in front of her kids and the truck hit her straight on," the paramedic says. Elizabeth stares at her, moved, not understanding the concept of the selfless impulse. "Please, save my boys," the dying woman croaks. "Save...my boys." Luka decides to take control here. His boys are just fine, thank you. Elizabeth whirls into...

...Trauma Yellow, where Carter is helping Matt, who's conscious. Which sucks, given that he's undergoing a whole lot of what doctors and other ER professionals refer to as "medical hoo-ha." Carter reports the presence of massive chest contusions and a whole horde of shattered ribs. "He should be dead," Carter marvels. Um, Carter? The kid's awake. He can hear you. You're going to ruin Christmas if you keep this up. "He would be if his mother hadn't jumped in front of him," Elizabeth intones.