County General has its rules. Doug Ross has his. For years, the dedicated pediatrician has pushed the limits. But now he goes too far - and it leads to his resignation in this remarkable 22-episode fifth season of ER.

The door swings both ways at the ER - eager med student Lucy Knight arrives. Her mentor for her first rotation is Carter, who knows well the pitfalls of being a student, but perhaps isn't so adept a teacher. Also: Benton has a day-in, day-out patient on his hands when he learns his young son is deaf; Boulet faces a new health crisis; Weaver is passed over for chief; Corday and Greene find unexpected romance; and Ross defies hospital protocols in his treatment of a dying child. The result: Ross goes. Hathaway stays. But will news that she's pregnant with his child change his mind?