History Heartwarming / ER

* The beginnings of Mark and Elizabeth's relationship is pretty heartwarming. Including their first real interaction in Season 4 when Mark says "You've been here for six months. You can call me Mark."

** 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.

-->'''Benton:''' You wanna Fight, we'll fight. But one way or another, you're getting your ass in that van.

* In season eight a teenaged Rachel Greene has ecstacy pills in her backpack and her baby sister Ella, nine months old at the time, swallows a couple of pills, ODs, and nearly dies. After this, Elizabeth Corday (Ella's mother and Rachel's stepmother) is so furious with Rachel that she can barely stand to be near her, and Mark's refusal to send Rachel away almost ruins his and Elizabeth's marriage. After Mark's death some months later, Rachel asks Elizabeth at the funeral if she can still visit Ella, and Elizabeth replies "''Of course, she's your sister''." We find out in the series finale that the relationship between Elizabeth and Rachel has improved significantly since then. Rachel is doing her under-grad at Duke, where Elizabeth works, getting a deal on her tuition thanks to her stepmother. Elizabeth also comes with Rachel to Chicago for her med school application interview, appearing to be very supportive and proud of her step-daughter.

--->'''Carter:''' Dr. Greene...you coming?

* Weaver and Jeanie's relationship. Everybody hates Weaver and she's patronising, annoying and potentially hostile to practically all her co-workers. But Jeanie seems to bring out her kinder, gentler side, and Kerry, without hesitation, agrees to monitor her health in case her condition deteriorates.

* In "All in the Family", after Carter and Lucy have been stabbed by a schizophrenic patient and the hospital staff are scrambling to save them, Benton--who had been absent up till this point--[[PapaWolf 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."
** In that same episode, there was Romano's reaction after [[MoralityPet Lucy]] is pronounced dead. He stares for a moment, then starts charging the paddles again, saying, "No, let's go again."

* "Orion in the Sky" features Mark's last day in the ER and the last patient he treats is a little girl with a splinter under her nail. She describes the titular Orion to him, while he pulls the splinter out without her even noticing. Mark then thanks her because she become his last patient.

* As Mark is dying in "On the Beach", we see into his head and him in his scrubs, walking through a clean, empty ER. Everything has been dealt with. All patients have been seen and taken care of. Mark has no more 'work' left to do and is... done. A painful Tearjerker as well, but it shows that he is dying contently.
* In "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.

* In the episode "The Lost", after believing that 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 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, Kovac continued praying.

* When an elderly patient laments how he is nearing the end of his life and how he's accomplished nothing, Abby goes out of her way to call up some of his former students to give him a visit, despite the patient being grouchy and irritable with her earlier. The surprise and joy on his face was he sees some of his students was definitely a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.

-->'''Benton:''' Carter, you wanna fight? That's cool, man, but either way, you're getting your ass in that van.

* Greene taking his dying father for a last boat trip, after hearing him talk about how peaceful he found it after returning from Vietnam.

* In the Season 6 finale, Carter is struggling with an addiction to painkillers and Mark, Kerry, Jing-Mei, Anspaugh and Benton are trying to get him to go to a rehab center in Atlanta. Words are had, Carter quits and angrily punches Benton...then 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.

* 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–then 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.

* Romano sending Elizabeth ice-cream and pizza--she mentioned she was craving them--after a long operation when she is seven months pregnant. The food comes with a note -- "Great job Mom!"
* His concern when Elizabeth is threatened by the madman rampaging around Chicago, and his relief when it turns out she's okay.

* In the Season 11 finale, Carter instructs Morris to set the tone (as Greene told him to do in Season 8), only to jokingly retract his advice after seeing how hungover Morris is. However, following Greg Pratt's death, Archie undergoes immense CharacterDevelopment, becoming one of the ER's best doctors. In the final season, the two reunite, and [[CallBack Carter is quick to notice his successor's growth]]:

** Carter taking Rachel Greene under his wing as she comes to Chicago to apply for med school. He then invites her to tag along in a mass-casualty trauma, encouraging her to join him with a burn patient.

[[folder:Unsorted]]
* 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.
[[/folder]]

* In the Season 11 finale, Carter instructs Morris to set the tone (as Greene told him to do in Season 8), only to jokingly retract his advice after seeing how hungover Morris is. However, following Greg Pratt's death, Archie undergoes immense CharacterDevelopment, becoming one of the ER's best doctors. In the final season, the two reunite, and [[CallBack Carter is quick to notice his successor's growth]].
-->'''Carter''': [[SoProudOfYou Looks like you took my advice, Archie]].\\
'''Morris''': How's that?\\

* In the Season 11 finale, Carter instructs Morris to set the tone (as Greene told him to do in Season 8), only to jokingly retract his advice after seeing how hungover Morris is. However, following Greg Pratt's death, Archie undergoes immense CharacterDevelopment, becoming one of the ER's best doctors. In the final season, the two reunite, and Carter is quick to notice his successor's growth.
-->'''Carter''': [[SoProudOfYou Looks like you took my advice, Morris]].\\

* At end of the "Two Ships", after all the chaos that had happened, a tired Neela comes home for a rest, only to turn around and see that Michael had finally returned from the army. The joy on Neela's face as she runs towards him for a hug is indescribable.

* One of the last recurring characters is an elderly man played by Creator/ErnestBorgnine dealing with the impending death of his terminally-ill wife. It's very clear he loved her for nearly 70 years, including over 60 years of marriage. In the finale, when she finally dies, their daughter arrives. Apparently she was somewhat estranged from her mother, but in those moments, being reminded how in love her father was with her, she said she had forgotten why there was friction between them.

* Pretty much everything in the final two episodes, especially anything with Carter and Benton, and the HIV+ patient's interaction with Dr. Julia Wise, played by Creator/AlexisBledel.

--->'''Carter:''' Dr. Greene... you coming?

* 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 engaged to ''Tag'' - moments later Doug enters the ER and congratulates her.

* 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."

* In the second episode of season 4, Doug asks Carol if he can have [[IGotYouADrawer 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.

* In the sixth-season episode "All in the Family", after Carter and Lucy have been stabbed by a schizophrenic patient and the hospital staff are scrambling to save them, Benton--who had been 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."
** In that same episode, there was Romano's reaction after Lucy is pronounced dead. He stares for a moment, then starts charging the paddles again, saying, "No, let's go again."

* Romano sending Elizabeth ice-cream and pizza--she mentioned she was craving them--after a long operation when she is seven months pregnant. The food comes with a note - "Great job Mom!"

* "Sailing Away". 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.

* 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.

'''Benton''' (smiling) No, you're not. But keep trying.
* 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.

* In the third-to-last episode of Season 8, "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.

* 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''".

* In season 11, Carter instructs Morris to set the tone (as Greene told him to do in Season 8), only to jokingly retract his advice after seeing how dazed Morris is by the suggestion. However, 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.

* One of the last recurring characters is an eldrely man played by Creator/ErnestBorgnine dealing with the impending death of his terminally-ill wife. It's very clear he loved her for nearly 70 years, including over 60 years of marriage. In the finale, when she finally dies, their daughter arrives. Apparently she was somewhat estranged from her mother, but in those moments, being reminded how in love her father was with her, she said she had forgotten why there was friction between them.

* Pretty much everything in the last 2 episodes, especially anything with Carter and Benton, and the HIV+ patient's interaction w/ Dr. Rory Gilmore.

* Jeannie anticipated being shunned and avoided by her coworkers after revealing her HIV status to them; instead she has their continued respect, support and friendship. Her husband Al, having just broken up with her, drops by the ER shortly before Christmas with some of her things, including a tree topper that they'd bought for their first Christmas together. Jeannie puts it on the tree in the ER, prompting Randy to comment, "You should put it on your family tree." Jeannie's response? "[[TrueCompanions I just did]]."

* Pretty the whole episode of "I Don't", when Abby and Luka finally get married. Their choosing of their maid of honor and best man (Neela and Pratt respectably), their vows, 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 many fans feel happy for them.
* At the end of the Christmas episode City of Mercy, Morris spontaneously decides not to take advantage of a willing woman's interest in him. Right afterwards, walking outside in the snow, he berates himself out loud for letting her slip through his fingers, mocking his buying into the spirit of Christmas. He finishes the rant by screaming "There's no freaking Santa!!" to the city at large. Just then, a man passes by, wishing him a Merry Christmas. Morris turns and freezes, astounded, [[RealAfterAll eyes fixed upon the night sky behind the camera as sleigh bells begin to jingle...]]

(FadeToBlack)

* Jeannie anticipated being shunned and avoided by her coworkers after revealing her HIV status to them; instead she has their continued respect, support and friendship. Her husband Al, having just broken up with her, drops by the ER shortly before Christmas with some of her things, including a tree topper that they'd bought for their first Christmas together. Jeannie puts it on the tree in the ER, prompting Randy to comment, "You should put it on your family tree." Jeannie's response? "[[TrueCompanions I just did.]]"

-->'''Carter''': [[SoProudOfYou Looks like you took my advice, Morris.]]\\

'''Carter''': [[ArcWords You set the tone.]]

* 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.

* 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'.

* In the sixth-season episode "All in the Family", after Carter and Lucy have been 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 end of the "Two Ships", after all the chaos that had happened, a tired Neela comes home for a rest, only to turn around and see that Michael had finally returned from the army. The joy on Neela's face as she ran towards him for a hug is indescribable.

* 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.

* 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.

[[folder: General]]

[[folder: Season 1]]

* 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.

[[folder: Season 2]]

[[folder: Season 3]]

[[folder: Season 4]]

* 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.

[[folder: Season 6]]
* 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."

* Then there was Romano's reaction after [[spoiler:Lucy]] is pronounced dead. He stares for a moment, then starts charging the paddles again, saying, "No, let's go again."
** Afterwards, Weaver and Romano work together on cleaning her up.

[[folder: Season 7]]

[[folder: Season 8]]

* 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.

--> '''Girl's Father:''' End of shift?\\
'''Mark:''' *smiling* Yes.

[[folder: Season 9]]
* 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.

[[folder: Season 10]]
* 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.
* Corday and Romano's friendship is proven to the very end, when Corday is the only one who [[spoiler: attended Romano's funeral.]]
* When Carter [[spoiler: discovers that his son was stillborn]], he goes out of the room for a minute, looking positively devastated. Then, his father arrives (it's implied that Carter specifically called his dad ''first'' to tell him the news) and he runs to his father, crying and hugging him, almost like a child desperate for reassurance. And his father gently hugs him back, telling him it's going to be all right.

[[folder: Season 12]]
* At end of the "Two Ships", after all the chaos that had happened, a tired Neela comes home for a rest, only to turn around and see that Michael had finally returned from the army. This Troper couldn't even begin to describe the joy on Neela's face as she ran towards him for a hug.

[[folder: Season 13]]
* 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.

--> '''Morris:''' Holy...!
--> (FadeToBlack)

[[folder: Season 14]]

[[folder: Season 15]]

** When Carter names the "Joshua Carter Centre" after [[spoiler: his deceased infant son]].

[[folder: Unsorted]]

* 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.

[[/folder]]

* 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.