An anguished Syd is forced to recall a repressed childhood memory of her late mother Lynda's flirtation with a neighbor while she nurses a dying elderly woman who struggles to remain alive long enough to reconciliate with her arriving daughter. Elsewhere: Joanie poses as Syd at a pharmaceutical convention in order to get her sister some much-needed drug samples but winds up in jail with a gaggle of hookers; Robbie mistakenly ends up playing a serious game of cards with some mob wiseguys; and Jim turns the house upside down when he becomes obsessed with ousting a playful but evasive mouse.

After Syd greets her old medical school pal on leave from a rural African hospital, he shows frightening symptoms of the super-deadly Ebola virus, forcing the health department to clamp a quarantine around her clinic -- as well as the Hansen household where Joanie is hosting a chaotic children's birthday party. In the meantime, while a desperate Robbie spots his family on the TV news and heads home hoping to help, Joanie discovers that his girlfriend -- who's also trapped inside the house -- was the same girl who tormented her at summer camp years before. Elsewhere, Jim busies himself treating a bulky bulldog suffering from serious anemia.

Hansen loyalties by the suprise vist of a family patriarch a rich, alling crumudgeon who has lucrative propositions-with strings attached.

Syd meets John Hemming's mom and later learns Mrs. Hemming doesn't like Syd. Syd takes in a little girl who leaves the hospital to find her parents. Robbie gives a homeless man a chance to money. Mrs. Hemming doesn't like Syd's way of helping people. Jim takes care of a monkey who scratches his head and uses sign language to talk. Joanie wonders if she is pregnant again. Jim buys a sign language dictionary and learns that Rocket (the monkey) is ill & asks for help. Susan Fuller comes by to help Jim & Heather to understand why he scratches his head. Susan Fuller tells them Rocket is homesick.

Syd tries to compel a grieving recluse (guest star Alastair Duncan) to allow plastic surgery to correct his facial deformities when she learns that he will soon be evicted from his roost while Joanie withdraws from her family -- especially from her protective older sister -- in the wake of her recent miscarriage. Elsewhere, Robbie resorts to desperate measures in order to cozy up to the beautiful mother (guest star Maria Pitillo) of one of his adolescent hockey players (guest star Mickey Toft) while Jim struggles to coax his young granddaughter Hannah to take her medicine.

When Syd applies for a grant for her clinic from a prestigious medical foundation, she meets a mysterious man who claims to be her father -- and as she gets to know him, his story about his relationship with her late mother begins to make more and more sense. Meanwhile, as Jim senses that Syd and Joanie are snooping around about the circumstances of Syd's birth, he treats a Lhasa apso dog that refuses to eat. Elsewhere, Robbie gets heat from the ex-husband just when it seems his romance seems to be blossoming with the attractive mother of one of his pee-wee hockey players and Joanie reluctantly hires a sensitive, temperamental baker.

Syd's lovelorn life gets a needed lift when she meets a hunky young single father but their relationship is jolted when she learns that he has a congenital heart condition that causes him to suffer blackouts -- and one day soon will end in sudden death. Elsewhere, an uncertain Joanie poses as the happy girlfriend of her gay assistant Elliot in order to secure a building expansion loan from a bank officer while Robbie's newfound romance with the unpredictable Tina proves to be a roller-coaster ride.

Syd initially believes her troubled teenaged paper boy when he is seriously shot and hospitalized but he tells her that the wound is self-inflicted -- even though his older brother's behavior indicates otherwise -- and she's unaware that one of them has hidden a gun in a box of toys at the Hansens. Elsewhere, a fed-up Joanie hires an industrious clutter cleaner who systematically relieves the Hansens of their useless but memorable bric-a-brac and organizes a yard sale while Robbie meets an infomercial wizard and is inspired to create something that everyone needs.

Disclosures about politician Joe Connelly disillusion Syd, who's still battling a duplictious drug company; the Robbie-Tina romace runs a rocky road.

When a dangerous storm strands Syd after an emergency in a remote lighthouse with the mysterious and hermit-like Graham (guest star Alastair Duncan), she begins to understand the source of his unspeakable pain, while Joanie and Burt impulsively decide to elope -- with disastrous results. Meanwhile, Robbie goes to court for arranging betting on pee-wee hockey games, and as punishment, is ordered to coach the most-dreadful team, where he encounters one player's cute single mom (guest star Maria Pitillo) as well as the hostile father (guest star Michael McGrady) of another of his worst skaters.

A critically ill infant preoccupies Syd, who's entangled with a ubiqutious politician; a romantic getaway in the wild is anything but for Robbie and Tina.

Reminded of a former school chum with muscular dystrophy, Syd reaches out to help a reclusive young man whose face is hideously scarred while she runs afoul of Joanie who's suddenly in overdrive as she prepares for a whirlwind marriage to Burt in just a few days. In addition,, it doesn't help to have Burt's voyagebound parents around as they pull up in their RV and can barely hide their mutual resentment. Meanwhile, Robbie once again gets in over his head when he agrees to be a bookie to accept bets placed on the games of an adolescent hockey league, and a stammering Jim fends off the advances of an aroused married woman.

Political & romantic mattars busy Syd, who's in D.C. with Rep. Connelly for a showdow with a drug company; diverse cries ensnarl Robbie, Tina -and the hansens'dog.

Dirty politics intrude upon the relationship between Rep. Connelly & Syd, who gets an icy warring welcome from his wife. A bizarre stalking is capped by a cliff hanger.

John Hemming asks Syd to look at former patient of his who wants to be a ballerina. Rebecca wants Syd to clear her for the Providence Ballet. Jim hires someone to train Fearless, later wishing he hadn't done it. Rebecca's problem could be more serious. Joanie finds out Burt has a problem. Syd learns that John may be in love with Rebecca, she made it up to get Syd off her back.

Syd awaits her fate on ""Survivor"" (in a dream.) Syd returns to work & Dr. Roberts's questions Syd's reason to come back so soon, She nearly kills a young girl with seizures after giving a large dose of medicine. Robbie can't seem to get rid of Andi who may have burned the ""Down on Your Luck"" Set. Syd feels Dr. Roberts may take over the clinic. Dr. Roberts wants take over the Clinic by showing Syd the plans for the clinic and something bothers Syd about the Doctor. Sarah's mom wants to sue her for malpractice. In a dream Lynda helps her daughter find the answer she needs. Doctor Roberts gave the little girl an adult dosage of the medicine to make Syd loose her job.

Syd is about to go and will need therapy to help her leg heal from Encephalitis. Syd finds out her therapist is a man not big on machines. Syd begins working out and over works. Jim takes in dogs that came from Chicago because the owner wasn't found. Andi is stalking Robbie because he wouldn't cheat for her, Syd ignores her body's needs to rest while driving Izzy home and hit a tree. Joannie learns that Bert has girl friend. Syd doesn't feel normal and thinks about quitting medicine.

Syd continues to find the parents of a little girl but Syd learns Mrs. Hemming disapproves of her job. Syd learns she is up for a new job and wonders if Mrs. Hemming was behind it. Meanwhile Rocket still has no home until he paints the Logo of his research center. Jonaine feels bad about being a mom again because everyone treated badly as Hannah came. Anchee's parents are found working at a sweatshop as they shop Syd & Anchee a reward poster posted at $25,000.

Robbie offers Andi a place to stay with Heather. Burt goes to the hospital for surgery for his problem, As Syd tries to help sew up a laceration she has trouble closing the cut up, due to a seizure. She sees Carlos who has cleft palate (meaning people who have this can't smile.) Syd asks another doctor to the surgery for free. Syd tries to find her patient to let him know about the surgery, she learns that INS took her patient and his son. Jim works on trying to get Howard the bird quiet. Syd will need to do the surgery herself because the doctor who offered to do it had an emergency.

Syd meets Abby Franklin who has a Mass on her neck thinking it could be Cancer. Joanie pregnant with a second baby feels her dad hates her. Syd learns that Abby already knows of the Mass on her neck but thinks it will go away. Syd finds Abby at church teaching a choir how to sing for a Christmas concert on Sunday. Abby's Granddaughter finds out her Grandmother may have Cancer but won't know until a Biopsy is preformed. Joanie is angry that Burt didn't come with her to see pictures of the baby. Syd dreams she is Joanie lawyer on ""Lynda's Law."" Joanie begins to believe her dad is right about not thinking what her actions do to others. Burt has a surprise waiting for Joanie

A beaming Syd coaxes her reclusive lighthouse keeper to venture out in public after his plastic surgery, but she soon discovers that his scars are more than skin deep. What's more, she learns about the darkest secret that he will not confront. Elsewhere, Joanie remains in denial as she ignores her business and drowns her sorrows in booze, a practice that is distancing her frustrated fiance . In addition, Jim refuses to take his cold lying down and conducts his veterinary duties from his sickbed while Robbie scores points with the cute mother of one of his adolescent hockey players.

Syd dreams she is on The Titanic with john Hemming, Syd's mom thinks she knows why her daughter's relationship with men is bad. Syd finds out more about John. She also treats Jamie Rohan for a broken wrist & finds out he is taking Ratalin. Robbie tries to help Andi in court. Joanie and Syd go for a night out and see John dancing with a blonde woman. Syd learns that Scott died and his brother Jamie may have ADHD. Syd runs to find Jamie who is thought to have taken Scott's medicine. John tells about Cheryl who his was to marry.