Frank and some other guys are playing cards (poker?) in a smoky bar. Frank wins the hand and has to leave for work. He's told it's a "regular" game and to show up any time. He exits in good spirits. Karen, Scott and Joe wait anxiously for the results of Joe's peer review. They bicker about Joe's testimony; his "speech" may have cost him. Joe went for coffee and Karen and Scott talk about his "examination" of her and Joe's chances.

In the Board Room, the decision to fire Joe is all but made. Rachel is particularly venomous and Alan seems to agree with her. At the last minute, Kevin says there's one possibility left that they haven't considered...

Matt, covering ER, gives a nurse instructions and they comment on what a busy day it's been there. Frank comes in, cheerful, and Matt told him what an accident-ridden day they've had at ER. Frank told him they couldn't be in better hands - Matt's the best there is. Matt asks what Frank did with him? Who? The *real* Frank Scanlon. Franks told him he's gone and Matt's looking at the new improved Frank. A great kid, a gorgeous woman and a job he loves - Frank feels like the luckiest man alive. Frank exits and Matt looks bemused.

In the Board Room, the decision has been made and Alan went to tell Joe. Joe will be reinstated *but* on probation for 6 months; one problem in that time and he's done for good.

Eve is at the desk when Karen comes over. Karen wonders if everything will EVER get back to normal. Eve asks if that means Joe's hearing is over. Karen told her Joe's been reinstated and Eve asks why they're not out celebrating. Karen doesn't feel like it. She told Eve about Scott's interview at the hearing and how she really wonders if she's cut out for her job. Eve told her in no uncertain terms that she's very good at her job - the strike proved that! Eve believes she's the best person for Chief Resident and told Karen how much she respects her. Eve leaves and Joe comes to the desk as Karen ends a phone call. She told him she's trying to catch up after being tied up with the hearing all morning. He takes the files she's holding, puts them down and told her they'll wait til tomorrow because he wants to "wine and dine" her. She says not tonight - too much work. He asks again, saying he owes her and want to thank her for standing by him. He says they can go skeet shooting and she can use him for target practice. She ells him that while he may have come out of the hearing feeling like a winner but she didn't. So he should go ahead and celebrate but he'll have to do it without her.

Kevin is in his office dictating patient charts when Eve taps on the door. She told him she heard he scored a knockout at the hearing and that Dr. Diva went down for the count. He says he just came up with a compromise. Yeah, she says, but he busted her chops. Kevin grins and says that he did. Eve wishes she could have been there. In act, she bets Lucy does too. Kevin is sure of that! Eve told him not to underestimate Lucy and asks if he remembers Watergate. What does that have to do with Lucy? Eve told him how she caught Lucy in his office about to go through his files. Lucy was about to take Rachel's files but Eve stopped her; not that she wouldn't love to help Lucy get dirt on Rachel. Kevin says Lucy is determined. Hmm, says Eve, determined versus ruthless - could be quite a contest!

Joe, on his way out, stops to chat with a nurse, Jill. They talk briefly about hospital stuff and she congratulates him on being reinstated. Julie, pretending to be on the pay phone, is eavesdropping. Rachel, pacing her office obviously stressed, slams her coffee cup on her desk and smashes it - just as Julie enters. Julie looks absolutely shocked. Rachel doesn't like that mug, she comments. Rachel says yes and, obviously off balance, tries to cover. Julie offers to look at Rachel's damaged hand, but Rachel says she's fine. Julie is sorry she's having a bad day. Rachel asks about Julie calling for an appointment and Julie apologizes for not waiting and just coming in. She decided to stay in therapy due to Chris' encouragement to do so. Rachel is grateful and relieved although baffled at Chris. Julie says it's time she repaid some of Rachel's friendship and loyalty. Julie wants to help Rachel get the seat on the board - and she's already begin. She caught Lucy following Rachel yesterday.

Frank's EMT crew bring in an accident victim and Matt gets things moving. Joe, passing through, approaches Frank who says he heard Joe did well at the peer review. Joe says yeah - with a 6 month probation period. Franks says, considering what he did, that's not a big price. Joe says they both know that Frank and Courtney could have made it a lot tougher. Franks says whatever they did Joe would have found a way to come out on top - they can't keep the "golden boy" down. Frank walks away leaving a thoughtful Joe.

Kevin is in his office when Eve knocks. She says he sounds beat and he says it's nothing a jolt of adrenaline wouldn't cure. She starts to remove her jacket but he stops her. He'd love that but he has work to do. He says he's not hungry but Eve has brought a bag of Chinese food. She says he doesn't need fortune cookies to know how his evening is going to turn out. He told her to wait a minute; he just said he's working. So is she, she says kissing his neck. Tossing the bag of fortune cookies over his shoulder, he says what the heck - no one will know.

Karen is working at the desk as Scott approaches. Scott says she'd work 25 hours a day if there were that many. When she went for the coffee maker, he says she's living on that stuff. She calls it "the breakfast of champions." He tries to get her to eat a donut but she declines. He says he's her father and he worries about her. They talk about how he laid into her at the review. She's obviously upset and insecure. He says he wasn't trying to hurt her. She told him she knows - it was for Joe. *Everything* is for Joe. He says it doesn't matter if he's a good lawyer if he's a lousy father. He says she can't hide her feeling from him. Karen looks down and says she has work she has to do. He stops her and says he admires her and told her why. He says she can be tough on the job but, when it comes to being his daughter, to please just be his little girl. She smiles and hugs him, saying she's just a little tired is all. He' there is she needs him. He leaves and, after a pensive moment and with shaking hand, takes a pill.

Joe admitted to Karen how much he had missed her and they began to make love. The mood, however, was ruined when Joe made a comment about Karen's past lies and Karen ended up kicking him out. Lucy and Rachel both attempted to secure Edward Quartermaine's support for the open board seat. Rachel confronted Lucy about following her to the Van Wyck Institution, which only intensified Lucy's suspicions. Scott and Lucy later decided to visit the institution and were unaware that Rachel had made plans to have her mother moved. Chris and Julie had a frank discussion about her manipulations of both Lucy and Rachel. Frank and Mike started a poker game at the Recovery Room.

A tense Karen and Joe were forced to work side by side in the emergency room, and both became convinced that their relationship was over. Frank began to notice that there was something odd about Karen's behavior. Eve, Karen and Joe jumped into action when a bride and groom were brought into the emergency room on their wedding night. On the way to the Van Wyck Institution, Scott and Lucy were involved in an accident with a young man named Jamal. Jamal was taken to the hospital and Scott and Lucy later learned he was complaining of symptoms no one could prove existed.

Rachel overheard Scott and Lucy saying that they were on their way to Van Wyck when the accident occurred. Rachel urged Scott to help save Lucy the humiliation of losing and asked him to convince Lucy to drop out of the race for the board seat.

Eve tended to the groom who had been brought into the emergency room on his wedding night and was deeply affected when he unexpectedly died. Off of the trauma, Eve decided to take a hard look at her life and made an important decision about her relationship with Kevin. Eve later surprised Kevin with a marriage proposal. The nurses threw a party at the Recovery Room to celebrate the end of the strike. Scott and Lucy discussed what Jamal's next move might be and remained thankful that no one had been seriously hurt in the accident.

Later, Scott and Lucy attempted to comfort Karen after she arrived at the party and saw Joe dancing with Jill, an attractive nurse. Joe later went home with Jill and they slept together. Rachel attempted to bury the hatchet with Kevin and questioned him about his past romances. Kevin suspected that Rachel may have ulterior motives and refrained from telling her anything.