Mark Greene - Death

Death

Mark begins having medical problems and is eventually diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, that is thought to be inoperable. Given little time, Mark seeks a second opinion from New York City neurosurgeon, Dr. Burke, which proves more positive. Mark's surgery is performed by Burke and things appear to be positive, although it takes him a while to return to his old self. A year or so later, the tumor returns, and Mark finds out that the tumor is truly inoperable.

At this point, Rachel has run away from St. Louis and is staying with Mark and Elizabeth. Though she vehemently denies it, her recreational drug use becomes apparent when baby Ella gets hold of some ecstasy in her backpack and nearly dies after ingesting it in the episode "Damage is Done". When Mark refuses to throw Rachel out of the house, Elizabeth says she won't return home with Ella as long as Rachel is there and, with Ella, Elizabeth leaves Mark and moves into a hotel. Unwilling to tell Elizabeth about his condition, Mark stays with Susan Lewis during the course of his chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Elizabeth later finds out the truth and wants to come home, but Mark tells her she shouldn't pretend to be his wife just because he's sick; she eventually returns anyway and begins helping Mark as his terminal illness advances.

Eventually, however, he resigns himself to his fate and decides to halt the debilitating treatments. On his last day in the ER, he meets with the same older woman that viewers saw on the first episode of ER. She again has a hangnail, and complains about how painful it is. Mark tells her that he has an inoperable tumor, asks another doctor to treat her, and tells the patient not to return to the ER again. He leaves the ER, stops his chemotherapy treatments, tells John Carter that he will now "set the tone" and takes Rachel on a last-minute trip to Hawaii to rebuild his relationship with her and relive happier times.

In the episode "The Letter" he had written a letter about his sentiments about the Chicago County ER where he had worked for many years and the staff he had worked with throughout the years. The letter was sent by Elizabeth detailing that Mark had died that morning around 6 A.M. and to show the staff at the ER what he thought of them. The letter and the news of his passing sent many of the ER's staff that day into emotional turmoil. It was also revealed in the episode by Susan Lewis that he died at the age of 38, suggesting that he was born around 1963-1964.

After several moves around the island and some conflict with a surly Rachel, he suffers from increased symptoms, prompting Rachel to call Elizabeth, who comes to Hawaii with Ella. One night, Rachel comes to Mark's room while he sleeps. Mark awakens and smiles at Rachel, telling her with slurred speech that he was just dreaming of her and how she used to love balloons. He tells her that he was trying to think of a piece of advice that every father should tell his daughter, and tells her to be generous with her time, her love, and her life. Rachel tells Mark that she remembers a lullaby that Mark used to sing her when she was a baby and slips a pair of headphones on his head and plays Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's rendition of "Over The Rainbow" for him as he smiles and falls back asleep. While the song plays, he is seen walking through an empty ER. The next morning, Elizabeth discovers that he has died.

Mark's body is returned to Chicago, where he is buried. Many of his friends and colleagues come to the funeral: John Carter, Peter Benton, Kerry Weaver, Abby Lockhart, Luka Kovač, Susan Lewis, Jing-Mei Chen, Robert Romano, Jerry Markovic, Lydia Wright, Frank Martin, Donald Anspaugh, William "Wild Willy" Swift (played by Michael Ironside in 1994), Haleh Adams, Michael Gallant, Cleo Finch, Jen, Rachel, Ella, and Elizabeth. After the funeral, Rachel asks Elizabeth if she can visit to see Ella; Elizabeth responds "Of course, she's your sister." Rachel goes back to living with her mother in St. Louis, but later returns to Chicago when the time comes to select a college, as well as asking a bemused Elizabeth to help her acquire effective birth control pills. In the April 2009 ER series finale, she returns to County General to interview for a spot as a med student.