History Heartwarming / ER

* There was a small moment in one episode when Romano was being all hard-nosed towards Benton when Benton was complaining about how much he was struggling to care for his son Reese (who was deaf); Benton turns and stalks off angrily, carrying Reese as he goes. But as he leaves, and Reese is staring at Romano over Benton's shoulder, Romano signs "take care of your daddy" to Reese.

* At the end of the season, Carter is struggling with an addiction to painkillers and Benton is trying to get him to go to a rehab center in Atlanta; words are had, Carter angrily punches Benton, Benton punches back--and Carter dissolves into tears, horrified and ashamed. Benton hugs him, in that faintly irritated Benton way he has, and the next time we see them, they're side-by-side on the plane to Georgia.

* When Carter names the "Joshua Carter Centre" after [[spoiler: his deceased infant son]].
* Pretty much everything in the last 2 episodes, especially anything with Carter and Benton, and the HIV+ patient's interaction w/ Dr. Rory Gilmore.

** Another one for DR and CAPT Greene is when Mark takes his dad to the base hospital, and a major, multiple patient, trauma event comes in. The ER is short staffed, Mark volunteers, and scrubs in to help. Hours later, an exhausted Mark sees, maybe for the first real time, the pride in his dad's face.

* This Troper is very fond of the relationship between Peter Benton and John Carter. In the sixth-season episode "All in the Family", after Carter and Lucy have been [[spoiler:stabbed by a schizophrenic patient]] and the hospital staff are scrambling to save them, Benton - absent up till this point - comes bounding down the stairs from surgery in search of Carter, bellowing "Is he conscious? ''Is he conscious?''", completely heedless of anyone or anything standing in his way. Later, when he tells Carter that he will be in charge of the latter's emergency surgery, Carter gives him a watery but genuine smile and says, "I'm glad it's you." At the end of the season, Carter is struggling with an addiction to painkillers and Benton is trying to get him to go to a rehab center in Atlanta; words are had, Carter angrily punches Benton, Benton punches back--and Carter dissolves into tears, horrified and ashamed. Benton hugs him, in that faintly irritated Benton way he has, and the next time we see them, they're side-by-side on the plane to Georgia.
-->'''Benton:''' You wanna fight? We'll fight, but one way or another, you're getting your ass in that van.
* When Benton leaves for good in the 8th season, Carter catches up to him during one of his runs and gives him a gift: an L token, which Benton gave to him during his internship as a challenge during a very difficult shift.
-->'''Carter:''' I'm a good doctor because of you.\\
'''Benton''' (smiling) No, you're not. But keep trying.
* In one early episode, a woman comes to Dr. Lewis with abdominal pain. Susan performs an ultrasound, revealing that the patient is going to have a baby. "A baby?" the patient says in consternation, and then a moment later, sounding absolutely delighted: "''My'' baby?" She and her husband had tried for years to have a child, without any success; she's so elated to hear the news she grabs Susan in a bear hug.
* The beginnings of Mark and Elizabeth's relationship is pretty heartwarming. Including their first real interaction in season four when Mark says 'You've been here for six months. You can call me Mark'.
* Loretta, a single mother, former prostitute and ER regular, asking if Mark would be godfather to her two kids when she's dying of cervical cancer. Something of a TearJerker as neither Loretta nor her kids are seen or mentioned again after that episode.
* In the episode ''Bygones'' Ella's babysitter brings her to the ER and both Mark and Elizabeth are worried, Ella had overdosed on amphetamines several weeks ago. As it turns out it was nothing serious, Ella was just saying her first words and the babysitter wanted her parents to hear them. Her first word? Dada.

* Jeanie's friendship with Scott Anspaugh.

* Pretty the whole episode of "I Don't", when [[spoiler: Abby]] and [[spoiler: Luka]] finally get married. Their choosing of their maid of honor and best man (Neela and Pratt respectably), their vows, [[spoiler: Abby]] (having threatened Hope earlier for being involved with her wedding) thanking her for doing this, seeing Morris and Hope getting together and many others all left this troper one very happy person.
* In the episode "The Lost", after believing that [[spoiler: Kovac]] was killed in Africa, Carter travelled all the way from Chicago to find his body and bring him home, despite the dangers that laid ahead. That alone was an act worthy of a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming. But the real moment comes in a flashback, where [[spoiler: Kovac]] was about to be shot by the soldiers, he began praying to God, whom he said that he said he didn't believe in anymore. And, while he was praying, the soldiers saw the necklace he was wearing of the cross and were led to believe that he was a priest and they wouldn't dare harm a "man of God". Even though the soldiers quickly dropped to their knees in prayer with him, [[spoiler: Kovac]] continued praying.
** And later, after Carter reached [[spoiler: Kovac]] and were riding back to get him back to America, a woman whose daughter [[spoiler: Kovac]] had treated (and also the one who gave [[spoiler: Kovac]] the necklace with the cross) reaches out to Carter and tearfully thanks him.
* Another one where [[DrJerk Romano]] just had [[spoiler: surgery to remove his bad arm]], Doctor Corday (who is arguably his only friend) is sitting next to him and assuring him it went well. Still a little bit dazed, he tells her in an absolutely child-like voice that he loves her.
** Pretty much any time Romano is nice (and geniunely nice) to someone else, not for the sake of reputation or a reward. Usually, whenever Romano and Corday have a sweet moment together.
** Their friendship is proven to the very end, when Corday is the only one who [[spoiler: attended Romano's funeral.]]
** There was a small moment in one episode when Romano was being all hard-nosed towards Benton when Benton was complaining about how much he was struggling to care for his son Reese (who was deaf); Benton turns and stalks off angrily, carrying Reese as he goes. But as he leaves, and Reese is staring at Romano over Benton's shoulder, Romano signs "take care of your daddy" to Reese.
** After Weaver came out to Romano in the heat of the moment, she takes a vacation and then returns to work terrified that he's told everyone. But when she asks him, he's genuinely shocked that she thought he would do it; it's confidential information, and completely up to her who knows.
** After [[spoiler: Lucy is killed]], Weaver and Romano work together on cleaning her up.
** Sending Elizabeth ice-cream and pizza after a long operation when she is seven months pregnant. The food comes with a note - "Great job Mom!"

* At the end of one Christmas episode, a homeless lady was singing "O Holy Night", where another lady, who had been very adamant against Christmas and everything to do with it throughout the whole episode (even taking away Christmas ornaments from the counter), sees her singing, looks at her and walks away with a defeated look on her face.
** From the same episode, a little girl, whose brother had gotten in a car accident, mentioned that Santa won't come for her because she had thrown a book out of the window, which made her brother go out of the car to get it, causing the other car to hit him. Later on, a young boy asked Abby and Neela if there was a chimney in the hospital, so Santa could get him a present. However, the boy's father was too poor to even afford one. So Abby and Neela went around delivering presents secretly to both the little girl and the little boy. The boy's father's expression as Abby sets a new truck toy for his sleeping son was more than enough to express his gratitude.
* When Carter names the "Joshua Carter Centre" after [[spoiler: his deceased infant son]].
* There was just something so heartwarming to hear Dr Lewis sing a little song for her sick son Cosmos over the phone at the end of one of the episodes. Not to mention, while she was singing, we see that a woman who was starving herself to save her son, finally takes a bite to eat, and another woman, who was against getting treatment for cancer, being wheeled to go get it, after talking with a survivor of cancer, who is seen holding her hand.
* After giving birth to a brain damaged boy, the surrogate mother didn't want him and neither do the boy's actual parents. So Ray decides to spend the night with the baby, just so he doesn't have to be alone.
* During an Christmas episode, a little six-year-old is without a pulse and is dying. So, her tearful mother tells her that it was going to be all right, that her mother and father love her very much and that God is waiting for her. But then, her pulse suddenly returned to the amazement and joy of the doctors and the mother, and she is seen recovering steadily in the end. And later, the mother implied that she doesn't blame the teenagers that hurt her daughter, but rather, she hoped that they will be able to change their ways.
** Also, outside the hospital, dozens of strangers are standing vigil, each holding a candle, praying for that little girl that they don't even know.

* During another Christmas episode, Sam helped a homeless woman reunite with her parents, while Neela helped an estranged father get some Christmas presents for his two kids. Meanwhile, Dr Dubenko is having Christmas dinner with his sister, who is mentally seventeen, and treating her very lovingly.
* In one episode, a deaf man leaned his head against the heart of his friend, who was in the hospital after a drug overdose. She explained to the confused doctors that he loved to "hear" her heart, to make sure that she was all right. After all this time, he was the only one who has ever tried to listen to her, she commented with a grateful smile to the man.
* In "The War Comes Home", Dubenko mentioned that he had to write a lot of post-op notes to write, as he wheeled the sleeping Neela who just came out of surgery. When they settle Neela in the room, the nurse said that she will be waiting for the notes. Only for Dubenko to hand her the completed notes and sat next to Neela, holding her hand.
** Throughout the episode, the rest of the ER, even the nurses, were all worried and trying to get as many updates as they could about Neela. In the end, after all the chaos was over with, they all came up to the waiting room and patiently waited for any news about Neela.
* Pretty much everything in the last 2 episodes, especially anything with Carter and Benton, and the HIV+ patient's interaction w/ Dr. Rory Gilmore.
* No love for "Sailing Away?" All right. Abby's mentally disturbed mother has been missing for months and finally turns up in Oklahoma. Abby is desperate to find her and take care of her, but can't find an available flight out. Carter -- get this -- not only pulls some strings to get her her flight, but books one for himself to accompany her and helps Abby take care of her mother throughout the entire episode by driving, buying breakfast, you name it. After they get home in Chicago near the end of the episode (before shit hits the fan), the typically-stoic Abby sincerely thanks Carter for everything he's done to help.

* Greene taking his dying father for a last boat trip, after hearing him talk about how peaceful he found it after returning from Vietnam.
** Another one for DR and CAPT Greene is when Mark takes his dad to the base hospital, and a major, multiple patient, trauma event comes in. The ER is short staffed, Mark volunteers, and scrubs in to help. Hours later, an exhausted Mark sees, maybe for the first real time, the pride in his dad's face.
* Almost the entirety - but especially the first ten minutes or so - of the season one episode, "Blizzard"; where Susan and Mark put a cast on Carter's leg ("Because sticking his hand in a bucket of warm water would be ''juvenile''"), the nurses and Jerry play their own version of office soccer - using biohazard bins, Mark, Susan, and some other staff have a snowball fight in the ambulance bay, we find out that Carol is now [[spoiler:engaged to ''Tag'']] - moments later Doug enters the ER and congratulates her.
* In the second episode of season 4, Doug asks Carol if he can have a drawer at her place to keep a change of clothes in, since they've rekindled their relationship and he's staying over at Carol's every night. Carol is initially unsure, but at episode's end she makes Doug wait on the porch while she brings him a present, something huge wrapped in gift paper. It's a drawer from her dresser.
** A few weeks later, as he prepares to leave town to make arrangements for his father's funeral, Carol tells him she's going to miss him. He smiles and tells her he loves her. After he drives off, she says the same thing. It's a very touching moment with a MeaningfulEcho--the only time we'd heard him say this before was in a desperate bid to keep her from marrying another man. Now, he's gotten his life together and can say it from a place of peace.
* In the third-to-last episode of Season 7, "The Letter", a letter from Dr. Greene is faxed to the ER, and Carter reads it for everyone. The last page is an afterword by Dr. Corday, stating that Mark had died that morning, and that she wanted them to know his feelings for them before his death. Carter has the letter posted on the board for all to read.
-->'''Carter:''' Post that on the floor, Frank.\\
'''Frank:''' That last part?\\
'''Carter:''' The whole thing.

* In an early Season 7 episode, Abby (as a nurse) has assisted with the delivery of a micro-premature baby. She spends the entirety of the episode with the father and mother of said baby, ensuring that they get the absolute care and compassion that they very much deserve. This extends to her demanding Randi call priests when the chaplain is unavailable, putting a doctor in his place after he "shows off" said micro-preemie to a group of med students without the parents consent or awareness and watching the baptism.
* Rachel with regards to Ella. Even the episode where Ella accidentally overdoses on Rachel's ecstacy has some endearing moments between the two, such as at the start of the episode when Rachel happily offers to watch her little sister and is shown playing very cutely with her. Despite her previous behavior of lying to her father and step-mother she immediately confesses to having had drugs in the house when she realizes Ella might have taken it (which must have taken a lot of guts) and shows a lot of concern for her sister during the rest of the episode. Later on, after Mark's funeral, she asks Elizabeth if she can come visit Ella to which Elizabeth responds: "''Of course. She's your sister''".
* Mark's father and Elizabeth's mother having a good-natured "my kid is more awesome than yours" conversation.
** As well as Mark and Elizabeth's visibly shocked reaction to this, as they'd both spent years clashing with their respective parents because they felt their parents acted as though they were disappointed with them--only to have it turn out they were actually quite proud.
* A thoroughly exhausted Doug being led out of the hospital by Mark at the conclusion of "Hell And High Water" Unfortunately, as soon as they walk out, they are absolutely ''swarmed'' by reporters wanting to question him about his heroic actions. Poor Doug's reaction is almost fearful--he ducks away from the cameras and lights and tries to turn his back. Seeing this, Mark reacts in a very protective, big brother like manner, trying to shield him and keep the throng at bay. It's already a touching moment, even more so if you recall that they've been at each other's throats for several episodes prior to this.

** And near the end of the same episode, the patient respectfully asked if Abby could be his nurse again for tomorrow. Abby gently told him she couldn't. But she will be there at the hospital. She told him to just ask for ''Doctor'' Lockhart if he needed her. Abby had just completed her boards and officially became a doctor in the same day.

--> '''Carter''': [[SoProudOfYou Looks like you took my advice, Morris.]]
--> '''Morris''': How's that?
--> '''Carter''': [[ArcWords You set the tone.]]

* A thoroughly exhausted Doug being led out of the hospital by Mark at the conclusion of "Hell And High Water" Unfortunately, as soon as they walk out, they are absolutely ''swarmed'' by reporters wanting to question him about his heroic actions. Poor Doug's reaction is almost fearful--he ducks away from the cameras and lights and tries to turn his back. Seeing this, Mark reacts in a very protective, big brother like manner, trying to shield him and keep the throng at bay. It's already a touching moment, even more so if you recall that they've been at each other's throats for several episodes prior to this.

--> '''Carter''': Looks like you took my advice, Morris.

--> '''Carter''': [[SoProudOfYou You set the tone.]]

* In an early Season 7 episode, Abby (as a nurse) has assisted with the delivery of a micro-premature baby. She spends the entirety of the episode with the father and mother of said baby, ensuring that they get the absolute care and compassion that they very much deserve. This extends to her demanding Randi call priests when the chaplain is unavailable, putting a doctor in his place after he "shows off" said micro-preemie to a group of med students without the parents consent or awareness and watching the baptism.

** Archie's smile makes the moment all the better, as it implies that he managed to remember that conversation, or at least understood its significance.

* In season 11, Carter instructs Morris to set the tone (as Greene told him do in Season 8), only to jokingly retract his advice after seeing how baffled Morris is by the suggestion. Following Greg Pratt's death, Archie undergoes immense CharacterDevelopment, becoming one of the ER's best doctors. In season 15, the two reunite, and Carter is quick to notice his successor's growth.

** Also, outside the hospital, dozens of strangers are standing virgil, each holding a candle, praying for that little girl that they don't even know.

* During another Christmas episode, Sam helped a homeless woman reunite with her parents, while Neela helped an estranged father get some Christmas presents for his two kids. Meanwhile, Dr Dubenko is having Christmas dinner with his sister, who is mentally seventeen and treating her very lovingly.

* After giving birth to a brain damaged boy, a surrogate mother didn't him and neither do the boy's actual parents. So Ray decides to spend the night with the baby, just so he doesn't have to be alone.

--> '''Carter''': [[SoProudOfYou You set the tone.]]

--? '''Morris''': How's that?

* In the second episode of season 4, Doug asks Carol if he can have a drawer at her place to keep a change of clothes in, since they've rekindled their relationship and he's staying over at Carol's every night. Carol is initially unsure, but at episode's end she makes Doug wait on the porch while she brings him a present, something huge wrapped in gift paper. It's a drawer from her dresser.

* Almost the entirety - but especially the first ten minutes or so - of the season one episode, "Blizzard"; where Susan and Mark put a cast on Carter's leg ("Because sticking his hand in a bucket of warm water would be ''juvenile''"), the nurses and Jerry play their own version of office soccer - using biohazard bins, Mark, Susan, and some other staff have a snowball fight in the ambulance bay, we find out that Carol is now [[Spoiler:engaged to ''Tag'']] - moments later Doug enters the ER and congratulates her.