Ep 9. Home

In season 2 episode 9 of ER titled "Home," the staff at County General Hospital is busy dealing with a variety of cases, but the focus of the episode is on a group of homeless patients.

The episode begins with Dr. Greene (Anthony Edwards) treating a man who was hit by a car. The man doesn't have any identification on him, so Dr. Greene and Dr. Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) have to work with the police to find out who he is and track down his family. Meanwhile, Dr. Ross (George Clooney) is treating a woman who was beaten by her husband and is afraid to go back home.

As the episode progresses, we see how difficult it is for homeless people to get the care they need. A homeless man named Al (played by Donal Logue) is brought into the emergency room with a painful foot injury. Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle) discovers that Al was injured while sleeping on the streets and that he hasn't seen a doctor in years. Dr. Carter tries to get Al to stay at the hospital so he can receive treatment, but Al is reluctant to stay because he doesn't want to lose his spot at the homeless shelter. Dr. Carter, however, is determined to help him and makes it his mission to find a way to help Al.

Another homeless patient is a man named Hector (played by Taso Papadakis). Hector has a serious infection and needs to have his leg amputated. However, he refuses to have the surgery because he thinks it will make him unemployable. Dr. Ross tries to convince him to have the surgery, but Hector won't budge. As the episode goes on, we see Dr. Ross struggle with the fact that he can't force his patient to receive the treatment he needs.

The episode also shows the toll that homelessness takes on people. A pregnant homeless woman named Alice (played by Veronica Cartwright) is brought into the ER. Dr. Lewis tries to find her a place to stay, but all the shelters are full. Alice is forced to sleep on the streets, and the stress of that causes her to go into labor prematurely. Dr. Lewis and Dr. Greene work frantically to save the baby, but it's touch and go.

The episode ends with a scene that highlights the lack of resources for the homeless. Dr. Carter sees Al sleeping in a wheelchair in the hospital and realizes that he's been discharged but has nowhere to go. He tells Al that he'll find him a place to stay and that he won't give up on him. The final shot shows Al and Dr. Carter walking off into the distance, with Al's fate uncertain.

"Home" is a powerful episode that addresses the issue of homelessness and the challenges that homeless people face in accessing healthcare. The performances are strong, and the writing is poignant. It's a reminder that there are many people in the world who are struggling and that we need to do more to help them.