A Little League outfielder chasing a fly ball gets a whiff of what's beyond the fence -- and collapses. He's been poisoned by a chemical spill from a pipeline just beyond the fence which is carrying illegal toxic chemicals. The boy's father chains himself to a company billboard to get attention to the company's policies.
Gregory Harrison's last episode is a tour de force for him (presumably he was lured back for the seventh season with the promise of a big exit show) as surgeon "Gonzo" Gates, who suffers a major stroke while walking in a hospital corridor. He lives, but his mobility, speech and cognitive skills are severely impaired. His bride Fran (who has multiple sclerosis) and his group at the hospital try to help him rehabilitate and succeed to a degree, but he goes on a permanent vacation to try to see what he wants to do if he can no longer operate.
When a doctor who is a friend of Jackpot's is dying and she appears to have given up any hope and wants to die. She goes to court asking that she be allowed to die. And the judge presiding over the case is Jackpot's estranged father.
The hospital is besieged by protesters. They appear to be targeting a particular doctor who performed dangerous and unauthorized experiments in the past.