Ep 20. Fear of Commitment

Doctors at Cook County Hospital are always on the move, but in ER season 7 episode 20 "Fear of Commitment," the team takes a closer look at their own lives.

Dr. John Carter (played by Noah Wyle) faces a decision about his future with his girlfriend Abby Lockhart (played by Maura Tierney). After a rocky start, the two have been together for a while, but Carter is still unsure about making a long-term commitment.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mark Greene (played by Anthony Edwards) struggles to come to terms with his own mortality after his cancer diagnosis. He decides to take a trip with his daughter Rachel (played by Yvonne Zima) to Hawaii, but his illness continues to weigh heavily on his mind.

The episode also deals with the issues of patient confidentiality and morality. Nurse Lydia Wright (played by Ellen Crawford) finds herself in a difficult situation when she discovers that one of her patients may have been sexually abused. She is torn between her duty to report the crime and her obligation to protect her patient's privacy.

Elsewhere in the hospital, Dr. Peter Benton (played by Eriq La Salle) tries to convince Dr. Elizabeth Corday (played by Alex Kingston) to return to surgery. Corday has been struggling with her new role in the ER, but Benton believes she belongs in the operating room.

Overall, "Fear of Commitment" deals with the difficult decisions that doctors and patients alike must face on a daily basis. The episode is a reminder that the people who work in the ER are not superheroes, but real people with their own fears and insecurities.