Longtime ER nurse Jackie Peyton bends the rules to bring some good from a patient's senseless death, while concealing her addiction to a pain killer she gets from her boyfriend, the hospital pharmacist.
Jackie and her husband, Kevin, become concerned that their older daughter Grace is suffering from anxiety disorder; hospital administrator Mrs. Akalitus drinks Jackie's Percoset-laced coffee.
An elderly patient checks in who has been treating his heart disease with chicken soup; Jackie discusses her daughter's anxiety with Dr. O'Hara; Eddie learns that he is to be replaced by a pill-dispensing machine.
Jackie and Kevin consider enrolling Grace in private school; the stoic Dr. O'Hara must endure the emotional thanks of a boy whose twin brother she saved; Zoey loses a patient for the first time.
Jackie breaks several rules and regulations to help a 10-year-old girl caring for her lupus-stricken mother; Mrs. Akalitus accidentally tasers herself; O'Hara treats Zoey to a meal at a four-star restaurant.
Jackie is caught off-guard when a nurse (Judith Ivey) she used to work with, who is dying of lung cancer, asks Jackie to help end her life. Meanwhile, Coop’s mother (Blythe Danner) is admitted with a gall bladder attack. We learn that he is the only son of lesbians…a fact that delights Jackie and O’Hara.
A man is admitted with a steak knife sticking out of his chest. Eddie gives Jackie a Cartier bracelet for their one-year anniversary, but she rejects the gift. A baby is left in the nurses’ station and Akalitus takes the infant to her office.
Jackie discovers that a new temp nurse is abusing drugs, but when she confronts him, he calls her on hypocrisy; Mrs. Akalitus still has the foundling infant left at the hospital; Coop reveals to Eddie that Jackie has a child.
Jackie admits a patient she has treated before. As his condition worsens, Zoey questions whether Jackie did enough to help him on his previous visit. Jackie’s drug use starts to cause spontaneous nose bleeds.
Jackie and Grace begin mother-daughter tap class. Coop threatens to expose Jackie for falsifying a donor’s record. Jackie has forgotten to remove her wedding ring, and needs to get it off before meeting Eddie for a quickie.
Kevin decides to buy Jackie a new wedding ring. At work, the automated pill machine replaces Eddie. A movie critic (played by Victor Garber) is admitted with a broken elbow.
Kevin invites Jackie to a midnight rendezvous in order to give her a new wedding ring; the comatose movie critic wakes up but his tastes have radically changed.
After her confrontation with Eddie, Jackie has cut ties with him and is determined to spend more time with her family. At All Saints, she deflects blame about the narcotic shortage and endures Sam, the altered nurse and his newfound sobriety.
Jackie covers for a hung-over O'Hara, while Eddie befriends Kevin and Dr. Coop gets hooked on microblogging.
O'Hara offers financial help, but Jackie and Kevin refuse to take it. Eddie and Kevin's secret friendship is revealed.
Jackie supplies a patient with marijuana to ease their pain. Kevin prefers going out with Eddie rather than spending the night with Jackie. Zoey believes she is pregnant.
Jackie's life gets a little more complicated because of a security guard. O'Hara's longtime affair comes to light.
Jackie asks Eddie to stop spending time with Kevin. A pharmaceutical company rep provides Jackie with drugs.
Coop insults the biggest donor of the hospital. Jackie revisits her affair with Eddie.
Coop arranges a date for Georgia and Eddie. Jackie's daughter Grace starts therapy.
In order to keep her secret credit card a secret, Jackie sets up a P.O. box for the credit card bills. Mrs. Akalitus makes Eddie an offer to come back as the hospital's pharmacist.
In order to get a phony prescription, Jackie falsifies an MRI. The campaign's end has its effects on Coop. Eddie is back as the hospital's pharmacist.
Jackie has to confess that she used O'Hara's loan when her stash gets lost.
Jackie returns to All Saints where she must confront everyone.
Jackie's marriage and her relationship with O'Hara after the intervention is strained. Nearby hospitals have closed down, straining the staff and resources. Zoey publicly confesses her affair with Lenny.
Eddie tells Jackie that he now considers Kevin a real friend and can no longer lie to him. Jackie is remorseful when she learns that O'Hara is looking for a new employer. Akalitus announces that All Saints may get a visit from the First Lady.
Kevin's younger sister Tunie visits after a breakup with her boyfriend. Lenny prepares a surprise romantic picnic for Zoey. Two street vendors are brought in after a turf war turns violent. Akalitus fights Catholic bureaucrats over the hospital's chapel.
Jackie finds a new hiding place for her pills and buries the hatchet with O'Hara, who becomes ER chief. Zoey works her first double shift. Kevin invites Eddie to a backyard barbecue. Jackie must tell more lies to retrieve her misplaced stash.
Jackie runs out of drugs and Dr. Cooper decides to compete with Dr. O'Hara for the E.R. chief position.
Mrs. Akalitus is in a holy uproar as workers from the archdiocese remove her religious statues. Meanwhile, a new temp nurse makes his presence known in the ER, and some people don't appreciate it; Coop deals with personal, professional and podiatric problems; and Jackie tries to deal with Kevin playing matchmaker between Eddie and his sister.
Kelly wins over the All Saints staff; Kevin finds pills in a dental floss dispenser; a patient soothes Coop's depression; Jackie pockets drugs.
Jackie accuses Kelly of being inappropriate with two flirty high school girls; Coop begins to let go of childish things; Thor counsels Akalitus on her new phone system and some deeper matters; Jackie is unexpectedly delayed getting to Grace's pageant.
Just when Jackie has run out of pills, she runs into a confrontation about the drugs from Oncology that disappeared. Coop tracks down an old girlfriend on Facebook when he decides to start his own family. Heart problems make Zoey revisit her relationship with Lenny.
Following HR's inquiry into the missing drugs, Mrs. Akalitus puts Jackie on probation. Coop plans his wedding. Jackie's daughter Grace wants medication for her anxiety disorder.
Jackie tries to stay sober and get through probation until Dr. O'Hara has a tempting offer for her. Eddie believes Kevin found out about the affair. Zoey throws a party for her colleagues.
Jackie tries to avoid an HR demand for a urine sample, and her husband, who seems to have found out about her affair with Eddie.
After breaking up with Kevin, Jackie has to realize she needs professional help. Meanwhile, a new director at the hospital makes some personnel changes and Kevin finds out about Jackie and Eddie's affair.
Going through rehab, Jackie opens up about the beginning of her addiction. Meanwhile, Coop is the only one being excited about Cruz's ideas.
Worried about her daughter, Jackie leaves rehab early against her therapist's advice and finds that returning to work greatly rattles her nerves, forcing her to struggle to maintain her sobriety; Zoey has second thoughts about her relationship with Lenny; Eddie tells Jackie that he confessed their affair to Kevin.
Jackie catches Grace with a boy at a carnival and takes her, not before deleting the number from the boys phone. While at the carnival, Grace announces to Fiona and Zoey that Jackie went to rehab. Jackie goes to an AA meeting with Charlie only to find out that he is using again. Kevin forced Eddie to tell him what Jackie took, when they were having the affair, before telling Eddie to tell Jackie to "Kiss her kids goodbye". Jackie almost relapses when a patient gives her their medications. She throws them in a dumpster and then tries to retrieve them and falls in. She then gets out and walks away pill free. Charlie is revealed to be Dr.Cruz"s son.
Missing her family and adjusting poorly to single life, Jackie invites Kevin to meet her at a cafe but finds herself served with divorce papers instead of lunch; an attempted double suicide trauma case comes into the E.R.; Cruz institutes a draconian new dress code that is not a hit with his staff; Zoey looks for a new roommate and finds one in the lonely Jackie.
Jackie has a disturbing dream about using; Zoey loses her ring.
Jackie covers for Cruz when he has a panic attack; Zoey surveys her coworkers for the best ways to conduct a breakup; Akalitus enlists the staff in an elaborate charade when her mentor is admitted with dementia.
When Cruz learns about Jackie's rehab, he takes revenge on coworkers who have been covering up her drug problems. Meanwhile, Eddie is deposed by Kevin's lawyer; a dumped Lenny decides to take off for Europe; and Coop accompanies O'Hara to her ob-gyn appointment.
Things get out of control in the emergency room due to the recent firings and an overflow of patients who have been diverted from another hospital, causing Cruz to suffer a pulmonary episode and Jackie to step in. At home, a rebellious Grace refuses to go to class unless Jackie transfers her to public school.
While Cruz is in care, Jackie goes over his head to get the ER under control, resulting in her dismissal from All Saints for insubordination. Jackie pulls Grace out of Catholic school. O'Hara goes into labour and Jackie returns to All Saints in spite of Cruz. Charlie arrives at the ER and Cruz asks Jackie to help him save Charlie's life.
Victims of a bus accident are treated; two doctors join the rotation; O'Hara is happy spending time with her son; Akalitus gives Eddie his job back.
Kevin demands full custody; a bus crash patient returns after contracting sepsis; Coop threatens to quit.
After their custody meeting, Jackie rear-ends Kevin and wakes up as a patient in her own ER. Kevin accuses her of using. Coop begins covering for Carrie and taking on a lot more work. When Carrie checks on Jackie, she writes her a prescription for Oxy, unaware she's an addict. The most unlikely person asks Jackie out on a date.
A heavily medicated Jane Doe is brought into the ER and Jackie tasks Zoey with finding out who she is. Coop invites Carrie to dinner. Jackie faces conflict with both her daughters - Fiona has been acting out in class while Grace sneaks around the city with her older boyfriend.
Jackie is nervous about her date with Frank, so Zoey and Thor help her get ready and Eddie offers some friendly pointers. Prentiss misdiagnoses an injured dancer, but Akalitus and Coop catch his mistake before the patient leaves. Mike Cruz calls Jackie in a moment of need.
Jackie and Grace recover from their nights of indiscretion; Carrie uses flashcards to strengthen her skills.
Akalitus forgets to hire an escort for a psych patient who then lays waste to the pharmacy; Frank cancels a lunch date with Jackie; Zoey hears Coop and Carrie having sex; Jackie worries about Frank when she learns that a cop has been shot.
What clearly is going to be "the night" for Jackie and Frank is interrupted by Kevin, figuring she was at work. Kevin is apologetic, but Jackie is angry; Akalitus's blood results are in; Zoey helps Prentiss organize his disaster of an office; In a moment of panic, Carrie makes the right diagnosis on a patient who cannot breathe; Jackie attends an AA meeting; Jackie and Grace get into a fight after Jackie discovers Grace left campus for lunch. Jackie is convinced that Grace is sneaking behind her back to see Danny, but Grace assures her they broke up.
Jackie and Frank have sex for the first time; Akalitus has an extra spring in her step; Coop wants to take his mentoring of Carrie to the next level; Kevin and Grace show up at the hospital after Kevin found a bag of pills in Grace's bag, Jackie delivers Grace to Akalitus and Thor who give her a scared straight tour of the emergency department; Grace has to assist Jackie with a man who collapses on the sidewalk; Jackie wants the girls to live with Kevin.
It's Jackie's one-year anniversary of sobriety; Jackie and Frank fight, He feels he took a big unreciprocated step forward in their relationship, and now he's taking one backward; Wally, an 80 year old gay man with advanced liver cancer is admitted into the hospital. Thor instantly gravitates toward him; Zoey acts very professionally and rigid around Prentiss after their intimate evening; Carrie is notified there will be a peer review of her first few months of residency, Coop pleads for her to stay but Akalitus, Prentiss and Jackie vote against; Wally asks Jackie to administer his last rites; When Zoey learns that Grace isn't going to Jackie's anniversary celebration she rents a car and kidnaps Grace from school, Grace has a breakdown; Jackie nonchalantly takes the pill from her ring box and swallows it, she arrives at her celebration stoned in front of everyone including surprise guest O'Hara who has flown in for the special day.
Jackie's back to using again, but she's doing it differently this time: maintaining a clean and sober cover, going to 12-step meetings - even finding herself a sponsor - all the while getting her drugs from the towel girl at the gym. Meanwhile at All Saints, Zoey finds out that everyone knows about her 'secret' relationship with Prentiss. Season premiere.
Jackie steals Dr. Roman's DEA number. Coop is recruited by a 'sperm scout.'
Coop gets the crushing news that his sperm count is too low to allow him to donate. Carrie gets a lucky break, which leads to a medical segment on the local news. Akalitus is on a winning streak, too, with her poker habit starting to pay off. Jackie, however, gets blindsided when Grace - who's been arrested for shoplifting - drops a bomb.
Jackie goes off the deep end when she witnesses the budding relationship between Kevin's fiancé, Mia, and Grace. Frank discloses a secret about his past - giving Jackie all the ammo she needs to keep him at bay. Meanwhile, back at All Saints, Akalitus' poker streak continues, Coop and Carrie's bond deepens when she decides to put him on television, and Prentiss gets a visitor from his past.
Frank searches Jackie's house for drugs, but she removes them in time and hides her stash in a ladies room at the hospital. Later, Jackie bonds with a homeless, alcoholic nun; and finds comfort in the arms of a fellow drug user. Meanwhile, Zoey confronts Prentiss about his dissatisfaction and encourages him to do what he loves.
Jackie's fake identity is compromised when it's learned that Carrie's DEA number has been stolen by a woman named Nancy Wood. Meanwhile, Jackie worries about her dwindling bank account and lack of pills; and Prentiss gives Zoey a shocking message.
Jackie is ambushed by Antoinette. Coop's dream finally comes true.
Jackie detoxes at home - with help. Frank raises an objection about Grace.
Jackie learns about a DEA investigation at the hospital that will require her to take a urine test, so she plots to get around it. Meanwhile, Kevin and Mia plan their wedding; the homeless nun returns in worse shape than ever; and Coop and Carrie find a way to skirt their no sex in the hospital rule.
Jackie breaks up with Frank and tries to separate herself from the people closest to her so she can keep using drugs. Meanwhile, Carrie forgets Coop's 40th birthday; the DEA investigation intensifies; and Zoey decides to become a nurse practitioner.
Jackie reluctantly attends Kevin's wedding. Carrie makes demands on Coop.
Coop gets a surprise. Jackie hits the road. Season finale.
Whilst in jail following her arrest, Jackie suffers through detox. Expecting a confrontation with Gloria Akalitus, Jackie approaches a lawyer with her return to All Saints.
Jackie sets her sights on returning to All Saints, aided by her pit bull lawyer — the problem is she can’t afford to pay his retainer. Strapped for cash, Jackie gets inventive, turning to her old habits for a solution. Jackie goes toe-to-toe with Kevin after discovering his financial duplicity. Zoey struggles with the news that Jackie may be returning to the ER.
Jackie is on the floor again but back to square one. Under the Diversion Program, she cannot touch patients or medication and undergoes mandatory daily urine screens. But in her new role, she learns two big secrets with which she must contend. Akalitus makes it clear that she isn’t going to make life easy for Jackie. Just as the tables have turned in her relationship with Jackie, Zoey learns the outcome of her Master’s program application. Carrie withholds news about her pregnancy from Coop.
Akalitus doesn’t trust Jackie when she shares the news that the hospital is being sold to Norwegian developers. Carrie meets Coop’s proposal with an unexpected reaction causing him to make a major life decision. Still strapped for cash, Jackie’s dealing takes a surprising turn.
Jackie stirs up trouble when she rallies her co-workers against the developers, but an attractive offer challenges her allegiance. Coop prepares for his last day at All Saints while Carrie is confused by his excitement about leaving. Dr. Bernie Prince, Coop’s replacement, arrives and surprises everyone with his carpe diem attitude.
Jackie, Dr. Prince and Akalitus are forced to run the ER without nurses when Zoey leads a walk-out.
Jackie and Eddie make one last purge of their stash; Zoey blames herself after a patient dies.
When Jackie tells Grace about her news, Grace's reaction surprises her.
Jackie and Zoey set out on an unexpected road trip; Zoey confronts her frustration with Jackie.
Jackie and Eddie's nice quiet morning is ruined by an unexpected knock at the door.
Jackie has to perform a procedure when Dr. Prince manages to endanger a patient. A secret shocks Zoey.
An unexpected guest shows up at Fiona's confirmation rehearsal. Jackie is offered a position at Bellevue.
