An astronaut lecturing in Boston collapses and is brought to St. Eligius; Papandrao and Rosenthal continue to clash; Axelrod loses both Marcy and his battle with the bulge; Dr. Craig impatiently assumes the responsibility of explaining the facts of life to a mentally disabled young woman; and Dr. Westphall hears some hard to take truths from his sister-in-law,

Life goes on as the generator fails during a city-wide blackout; Caldwell takes leave to visit a dying friend; Westphall shares a stuck elevator with an Irishman; Dr. Craig and Wade perform emergency surgery; Pru returns to the hospital, as do the Valeres; Rosenthal is subpoenaed; Fiscus finds the emergency romantic; and a man who believes he's a vampire appeals to Morrison and Axelrod for help.

An anti-abortionist targets the hospital for bomb threats and Chandler is involved in trouble at the Boston Women's Clinic; Rosenthal decides what she must do with her youngest son; Luther loses his favorite racing pigeon, whom he left in Axelrod's care; and Morrison tries to explain abortion to Pru. Dr. Westphall's housekeeper has her INS hearing. Mona and Wayne quarrel.