Critical Care (1997) Movie Script

1
[ Gospel ]
Ezekiel connected dem
dry bones
Ezekiel connected dem
dry bones
Ezekiel connected dem
dry bones
Now hear the word
of the Lord
Well, your toe bone connected
to your foot bone
Your foot bone connected
to your heel bone
Your heel bone connected
to your anklebone
Your anklebone connected
to your leg bone
Your leg bone connected
to your knee bone
Your knee bone connected
to your thighbone
Your thighbone connected
to your hipbone
Your hipbone connected
to your backbone
Your backbone connected
to your shoulder bone
Your shoulder bone connected
to your neck bone
Your neck bone connected
to your head bone
Now hear the word
of the Lord
Uh, dem bones, dem bones
gonna walk around
Uh, dem bones, dem bones
gonna walk around
Uh, dem bones, dem bones
gonna walk around
Now hear the word
of the Lord
Well, your head bone connected
from your neck bone
Your neck bone connected
from your shoulder bone
Your shoulder bone connected
from your backbone
Your backbone connected
from your hipbone
Your hipbone connected
from your thighbone
Your thighbone connected
from your knee bone
Your knee bone connected
from your leg bone
Your leg bone connected
from your anklebone
Your anklebone connected
from your heel bone
Your heel bone connected
from your foot bone
Your foot bone connected
from your toe bone
Now hear the word
of the Lord
Oh, well Uh, dem bones, dem bones
dem dry bones
Uh, dem bones, dem bones
dem dry bones
Uh, dem bones, dem bones
dem dry bones
Now hear
the word of the Lord Hmm
Dem bones, dem bones
dem dry bones
Uh, dem bones, dem bones
dem dry bones
Uh, dem bones, dem bones
dem dry bones
Now hear the word
Of the Lord
Bed six's blood gases. I've
upped her oxygen 60 percent.
Thank you.
Come on, come on!
Write the order now
before you drop off again.[ Moans ]
You look exhausted.
Just one of the many side
effects of no sleep. [ Yawning ]
[ Woman On P.A., Indistinct ]
Oh. Twenty-two hours down,
only another 14 more to go.
Some coffee, Dr. Ernst?
Thank you.
Don't tell me. Not you
and Nurse Young Lust.
Just making up for lost time.
You mean that hour or two
you wasted on patients today?
Hour or two? Don't I wish.
My best post-pubescent years were
spent being totally rejected by women.
I went from science dweeb in high
school to biology nerd in college.
So what changed you
into the stud you are today?
I got an "M.D." after my name.
Suddenly, from a dork and a
doofus I was transformed into a
smart, powerful,
sexy, all-knowing,
potentially rich
Master of Medicine.
Exactly the kind of man that
every girl hopes to marry.
Is the world
really that shallow?
Mine is.
Did you ever notice how many of
those nasty names start with a "D"?
Dweeb, dufus,
dick-head, dork, doctor.
Oh.
Hey, have you seen
my favorite calendar?
365 holidays a year.
Yeah, right.
365 holidays a year.
Roll out the barrel.
It's national polka week!
Maybe I will try for a nap.
Yes, a good idea. Don't let me sleep
past 7:00.
[ Elevator Bell Dings
I [ People Chattering ]
May I help you?
I'm-I'm Felicia Potter.Dr. Werner Ernst.
Good to meet you.
I got a call that my father was having
a heart attack, so I came right over.
How is he? Bed five.
Yes. No, he, uh, made it
through, and he's resting.
But he's still in a coma? Yes.
[ Whispering ] Oh, no.
Can I see him? Yeah, he's in bed five.
Right here. Right here?
[ Tapping ]
Stella, I think I'm in love.
I worry about you, Dr. "Wiener."
A life of no sleep and
prodigious sex is not healthy.
Who says? Hippocrates. Do you know
what else he said?
[ Yawning ] No. What? When the
dingus gets hard, the brain gets soft.
Let me see bed five's chart.
This is only the current volume.
There's five more in medical records.
Just... take a look at the reason he
was removed from the eighth floor.
"Change of scenery." Change of scenery.
I wonder if Butz was sober
when he wrote this.
Oh, gotta do cranial checks.
Come with me. I'll fill you in.
Bed five should be a D.N.R..
A no code? No, it's important to
say we did everything we could.
Which is doctor-speak for, "We put
this patient through hell before he died."
Good morning!
Can you tell me
who the president is? Eisenhower.
Yeah, well, close enough.
You rest now, okay? Pizza!
Not today, honey. I just can't believe it.
Bed five's been comatose for three
months, and Butz made him a full code.
You ain't seen nothing yet.
Look, look. He's had a pacemaker.
He's had gall bladder
surgery, colostomy,
amputation of the left toes
to remedy gangrene,
renal dialysis, exploratory surgery
of the abdomen and cataract surgery.
This is just the first volume. There's another
five I haven't had a chance to read yet.
I have lettuce
in my refrigerator
with a better chance of becoming
conscious than this guy.
Dr. Butz has recommended
a gastrostomy.
Do the insurance forms go to
Medicare or Amnesty International?
Hey, Rafael.
[ Whispering ] Water.
Can't have any fluids, remember?
Can't have any fluids because you
don't have any kidneys, so you can't pee.
[ Coughing ]I can give you some
ice chips every so often.
I don't believe
in God anymore. Do you want some ice chips?
God wouldn't answer my prayers
with suffering like this.
Get him out of here. I don't
wanna talk to him. Get him out!
Get him out! He's hallucinating
again, poor kid.
It's all right.
That's just the doctor.
All right, come on.
Take it easy.
Why don't you get a cup
of coffee? I can handle him.
I'll check how bed five's doing.
[ Woman On P.A., Indistinct ]
I come here and I wait because
I want to be with him
if anything happens.
But I don't know if he's still
here or he's already gone.
[ Crying ] I'm sorry, I just...
I just can't take it anymore.
Who knows what he's
feeling? Suffering and pain.
Would you like
to get some coffee? No...
[ Whispering ] Okay. Bye.
I think we should
just let him go. I mean
he's really
gone already, isn't he?
Now they wanna put this feeding
tube in him. Will you explain that to me?
Gastrostomy. It's a small
incision here in the abdomen
that allows us to put feeding
solutions directly into his stomach.
But what's it for?
I mean, what's the point?
Well, the body needs food
for fuel. Your father can't eat.
[ Sighs ]So...
It's the only way we can be sure
he's getting the fuel that he needs.
So he can't eat, right?
Can't drink.
He's not conscious, and the
machine is doing his breathing.
Can't walk. He can't talk. He
used to be an athlete. What's left?
Well, the gastrostomy
is an invasive procedure.
Your family could refuse
permission to proceed.
My half sister Connie
has trouble accepting reality.
She wants that feeding tube in, even
if it means more suffering for my father.
People often disagree about
these things, but as time goes on,
the physicians and family members
usually come to a mutual decision.
But in this case one of the
family members is totally bonkers!
Connie's become a holy-rolling,
Bible-belting religious nut!
[ Pager Beeps ] [ Woman On P.A. ]
Dr. Ernst, bed five.
Family wishes to meet you. Excuse me.
That's Connie. Go meet her.
You'll see what I mean.
Don't you want to come?
No.
Come on.
Hi, Connie.
You must be
the doctor on call.Yes.
I'm Constance Potter.Dr. Ernst.
Good evening. Uh, good morning.
Why was Daddy
moved to this floor?
W... He was getting excellent
care on the eighth floor I.C.U.,
but, uh, this is the hospital's
newest intensive care facility.
Good. Daddy deserves the best.
I just can't stand
to see him suffer like this.
Don't worry.
He's getting better.
I pray and pray he'll be okay, and he's
survived another trial. He's getting better.
"For we wrestle not against flesh
and blood, but against powers,
"against the rulers
of the darkness of this world,
against spiritual wickedness
in high places."
I know he can hear me.
Can't you, Daddy?
See? [ Laughs ] He understands.
You might be right, but when you
feel your father grasp your hand,
it may be nothing more
than just a tremor.
I mean, he tremors quite a
lot, so it's... hard to tell when...
Whether he's grasping your hand in response
to your question or just tremoring.
I know he understands.
I've been coming to this hospital
every day for months and talking to him.
One squeeze is "yes,"
no squeeze means "no."
[ Laughing ] Now you wanna tell
me that's just some kind of seizure?
Well, if there's nothing else, I've
got to start my morning rounds.
I've gotta go too, Connie.
See what I mean?
I'm trying to do what's best for my father,
and I've got that looney-tunes to deal with.
It's a hard time for her. People
show stress in different ways.
Just wait. You'll see
what I mean. She's nuts.
Regardless of her, let me know if
there's anything I can do for you.
Maybe we could just
have breakfast and talk.
I can't. I don't get off work until
6:00 tonight. Oh, that's a long day.
Thirty-six hours straight.[
Elevator Bell Dings ]
How about dinner? Okay. I'll meet you
at 6:00 in the lobby.
Great. Good. Six o'clock.
[ Woman On P.A. I Dr. Ernst,
see Dr. Butz. See Dr. Butz.
[ Siren Wailing ]
[ Chattering ]
[ Woman On P.A., Indistinct ]
[ People Chattering ]
Go right in.
Werner! My favorite resident.
What can I do for you?
You paged me. You're always pullin'
my leg. I didn't page you.
Okay. Listen,
as long as I'm here,
I was wondering why bed five,
Nine I.C.U. was made a full code.
Bed five? Well, must be because
I wrote the order. He's my patient.
Yes, you did, but... I mean,
does he have to be a full code?
No, he doesn't
have to be a full code.
I'll tell you what. Next time his heart
stops, let's just kiss his ass good-bye.
Isn't that what we all
went to medical school for?
Now, what can I do for you?
- You paged me.
- [ Laughs ] You joker.
Hey, as long as you're here,
take a look at this cat shit.
Medical licensing board is coming after
me with a pack of rattlesnake lawyers.
Look at this. Somebody filed
another goddamn complaint.
Remember the first time they
accused me of being an alcoholic?
I remember some rumor
about that, yes. Do you? Uh-huh.
Remember what happened?
They kicked me upstairs.
Made me Chairman Emeritus
of Intensive Care Medicine.
Emeritus. That's
Latin for "over the hill."
Anyway, this time
it's not just "alcoholic."
This time they're
calling me a, uh
"chronic, severe alcoholic."
Can you believe that? Some
bureaucrat writes me this letter here,
and they say, "Do you now have,
or have you ever had a problem
with alcohol dependency?"
What a question! First of all, if I was
an alcoholic I would deny it, wouldn't I?
- Isn't that one of the symptoms of alcoholism? Denial.
- Absolutely right.
And if I was a chronic,
severe alcoholic, I'd have, um...
Kors-Korsakoff. Korsakoff's syndrome.
Absolutely!
I wouldn't remember
anything at all, then.
So what are they asking me this stuff?
You... Do you know what Korsakoff's is?
- I remember what it is.
- I wonder if you do.
Do you remember? What is it?
What's Korsakoff's Syndrome?
Right now. What is it? Tell me.
Korsakoff's Syndrome is a disorder
that accompanies chronic alcoholism.
Uh, it usually results in total
short-term memory loss
while still being able to perform
complex tasks learned before the illness.
Precisely. Now what
can I do for you?
- You paged me.
- [ Scoffs ] I'm in no mood for jokes, Ernst.
I don't deserve this. I graduated
magna cum laude from Yale.
I wrote The Fundamentals of Intensive
Care Medicine. Did you read that book?
- Did you read that book?
- Three times.
- Did you?
- Standard text throughout the country.
And I wrote it 30 years ago,
before I started drinking,
and chasing women
and having some fun.
Now I think I'm entitled to relax
and enjoy my life a little bit. Don't you?
And by the way, when I drink I-I only
perform mundane tasks anyway, like, um
well, talking to you, for
example. [ Laughing ]
[ Laughing ]
I'm just kidding. You're very, very
important. So what's the problem?
I don't know.
What's the problem?
There's no problem.
What can I do for you?
You asked to see me.
You... paged me.
How could I page you?
Don't keep telling me that.
I don't know how the goddamn system
works! What happens when I page you?
- Just the...
- That thing beeps?
So you know
what I think I'm doing?
I'm-I'm buzzing here for cafeteria
until, apparently, you keep coming in.
You don't have a turkey
sandwich on you, do you? I certainly don't.
Then get the hell out of here.
Shut the door on the way out.
[ Chattering ] All right, people.
Let's get started.
Dr. Ernst,
if I was someone like you,
about to go on morning rounds with
someone like me, I would be on time.
[ Woman On P.A., Indistinct ]
Dr. Hofstader wants to see you in
his lab tomorrow, right after rounds.
Why? What's wrong? You know he
picks one resident a year to join his team?
Yeah? It looks like
you're the leading candidate.
You're kidding. If you're chosen for
Hofstader's team, it's like a coronation.
From then on,
you're medical royalty.
You wouldn't believe the money I'm being
offered after a year with Hofstader. [ Laughs ]
[ Woman On P.A. I Dr. Ernst,
bed five. Family consult.
[ Receptionist ] Nine
I.C.U.. Can I help you?
You wanted to see me?
Oh, yes. I know if you and my sister
were discussing my father's care...
Her only concern is that your
father's suffering not be prolonged.
I'd watch myself around her.
My sister is Delilah, Dr. Ernst.
My sister is Salome and Jezebel.
Really?
She's not the reason I'm here.
I know you're skeptical, but I'm absolutely
certain my father hears everything I say.
I've discussed his care with him, and
he wants us to put in the feeding tube.
You've discussed this
with him? Recently? Yes.
Yes.
I'll be sure to let Dr. Butz
know about that conversa... One more thing.
Since my sister doesn't believe my
father should be receiving life support,
I don't think it's appropriate to
allow her to be alone with him.
[ Woman On P.A. I Dr. Ernst.
Bed nine, I.C.U. main station.
Uh, I'm sorry.
I've really got to go.
If Miss Constance Potter wants
to see me at any time in the future,
you make sure I'm unavailable.
That bad, huh? You wouldn't
believe it.
What kind of work do you do?
I'm a model. I started
out with mostly hands,
but I just booked my first
national magazine ad.
Really? That's great. Lip gloss.
It's okay for now, but I
intend to go back to college.
Can't be
a model forever. You can't?
Nope.
You are the first doctor
I've met who seems human.[ Both Laugh ]
This thing with my father
has been so hard for me.
I've just been so confused
about what to do with him.
What do you think your
father would have wanted?
I don't have to think. I know.
When my dad was a signalman in
the navy, he almost died in an explosion.
And he decided then that if
anything ever happened to him,
he did not want to hang around,
paralyzed or comatose.
Did your father
ever make a living well?
Did he put down in writing what he
wanted done if he was incapacitated?
Well, if he did, I never saw it. Connie
might have gotten a hold of it first.
She went through all the papers
before my mom died.
How'd your mother die? Cancer.
Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, it's all right.
It just happened.
Our visiting time is over. I'm
sorry, you'll have to go now.
Be back soon, Rafael.
[ Sighs ] 105. You're making a
run for the record books, fella.
[ Whispers ] I wanna die.
Yes, I know.
I know you do.
I don't wanna go back on that fucking
ventilator and that fucking dialysis...
Tell those fucking doctors they can go on
those fucking machines. I don't want 'em.
Well, I'll put that in your chart, but
I don't think it's gonna do any good.
Why not?
Your family have requested
a full code for you.
They love you.
They don't want you to die. Fuck 'em.
What do they know about it?
Wait till their time comes.
Just... give me a pill,
or turn off
the goddamn machines!
No big deal.
I'll put that in your chart.
Tomorrow I want you to tell
the doctor what you told me.
Okay?
[ Whispering ] Stella.
[ Chattering ]
I hear they have
great food here. Oh, it's the best.
Have you ever been here? No.
You'll love it.
Thank you.
You know, I was... I
was talking to a lawyer
who told me that I should
get an injunction
to stop Connie and Dr. Butz
from putting that feeding tube in.
You talked to a lawyer? Yeah.
And-And he said that
if they put that tube in,
that they could keep my father
artificially alive for months,
even years, and I-I wouldn't
be able to stop them.
If you're talking to a lawyer,
I can't talk to you about this.
Oh, no. It's no big deal.
He's not... He's not really
a lawyer. He's just a friend.
No, he's a friend of mine from school.
I just talked to him because I just
I don't know what to do. I'm sorry I can't
talk to you about this.
[ Laughing ]No! [ Laughs ]
It's no big deal. Really!
You're nice.
You're smart. You just
I don't usually
meet guys like you.
Let's just...
We'll order dinner, okay?
We can talk about whatever
you want, even the weather.
I just... I just don't wanna
be alone right now.
And I like you, okay?
Is this guy getting ready
to crump on us again?
[ Stella ] No,
Dr. Hansen. He's okay.
Hello.
You again?
I'm afraid so.
Satan's little helper. Get out of here.
Sorry, but we need
to have that little chat.
Look, I wanna die.
I understand that.
I mean, your problem
is that your illness
makes you absolutely useless
to other people.
From now on, you're nothing
but a burden to the living.
People have, uh, nothing to
gain from being nice to you.
Well, your loved ones
may continue to, uh,
display an instinctual affection, but
even they will ultimately shun you.
I mean, uh,
let me put it this way.
When you were, uh, healthy,
and out there chasing money
and women,
how much time did you give
to comforting the dying?
Not much.
And I'll tell you why.
Because, uh, it's depressing,
disturbing and, uh, thankless work.
You see? You just have
nothing to offer anyone anymore.
Nothing. Well, except one thing.
- What's that?
- Mmm.
- Health insurance.
- Get him out of here!
I'm calling anesthesia.
He won't make it till morning
without a ventilator.
So.
There I was,
wearing nothing but this little, tiny,
orange bikini and my goose bumps.
[ Both Laughing ]
And they kept on spraying me
so that I would look wet.
You know, like from the
sea wet. Only it was so cold
that the water
actually froze on my body,
so all the later shots
had me with like these icicles.
And they couldn't use
any of the shots.[ Both Laughing ]
That's how glamorous
modeling is.
I know how you feel.
I used to struggle
when I had my cancer.
I was lucky. All I lost
was my left breast.
For five years now
my cancer's been in remission.
Chemo worked.
There.
You see?
You see what I went through
to live?
I faced the very real possibility of
waking up in a roomful of strangers,
tied to my bed
and kept alive by machines.
Oh, I know. I know how you feel.
So,
what do you do when you're not
playing... doctor!
[ Both Laughing ]
I don't have time
for much else now.
I used to like to ski. Oh!
I love skiing!
Really? That's great.Yeah. I got a friend
who's got a condo in Vail.
I've never been there.
I've heard it's the best. It is.
It has fabulous skiing.
How about a nightcap?
Okay. Why don't
we go to my place?
[ TV Weatherman,
Indistinct ][ Sighs ]
See my father?
See how he looked?
Sorry. I just can't help
thinking about him.
I just keep wondering if getting
the injunction is the right thing to do.
I'm sorry. I know you
can't talk about it. [ Crying ]
[ Crying Continues ]
It's all right. Shh, shh.
Don't worry about it. Shh.
Oh, thank you for holding me.
I really need
to be held tonight.
I like holding you.
I'm so glad you're here.
Why don't we go to the bedroom?
[ Moaning ]
[ Moaning Continues ]
[ Grunts ]
[ Humming ]
What do you think,
medicine boy? [ Laughing ]
Breathtaking.
[ Moaning ]
Mm-mm. Now it's my turn
to watch.
Time to take your pants off.
[ Squealing, Giggling ]
Oh.[ Laughing ]
[ Humming ][ Laughing ]
[ Humming Continues ]
[ Laughing ] Oh, God!
I'll try it the
old-fashioned way, I think.
[ Laughing Continues ]
[ Moaning ]
[ Sighing ]
[ Moaning, Sighing Continue ]
[ Crying ]
I'm sorry. I just
I just can't help thinking
about my father. I just
I just need to know if I
should get the injunction or not.
Can't you just tell me
what you think?
Please. I really can't.
[ Grunts ] Oh!
The hell with you then!
Just go home! All I'm asking
is for you to be a friend.
[ Whimpering ]
I think you should get
the injunction. You do?
Yes.
Why?
Just take my word for it. Oh, no.
I just
I need you to tell me why.
Please. For my own peace of mind.
Your father...[ Moans ]
Is in what we call
a persistent vegetative state.
[ Whimpering ]The gastrostomy,
the feeding tube,
helps keep him alive.[ Crying ]
It's never gonna change
the way he is.
He's always going to be
just the way he is right now.
[ Gasps ]I'm sorry.
[ Whimpering ] Oh,
thank you for telling me.
Thank you for being honest.
I love my father, but he...
he's already gone, isn't he?
I mean, it's just
the machines now, isn't it?
Yes. It's just the machines.
[ Moaning ]
[ Moaning Continues ]
[ Felicia Squealing ]
[ Squealing Continues ]
[ Dr. Hofstader ] The patient arrived 12
weeks ago with pulmonary hemorrhage,
severe hemoptysis,
dyspnea and hematuria.
Kidney biopsy shows linear deposition
of immunoglobulin and complement
in the glomerular
basement membrane.
Blood cultures show rapid growths
of staph aureus and pseudomonas.
Lab values continue to show
progressive, severe renal failure,
with rising blood urea nitrogen
and rising creatinine.
- Diagnosis?
- Goodpasture's Syndrome?
[ Dr. Hofstader ] Are you
asking or telling? [ Intern ] Telling.
[ Dr. Hofstader ] What is Goodpasture's
Syndrome?[ Whispers ] I want to die.
[ Intern ] A rare life-threatening
autoimmune disorder.
It usually affects young men
and leads to chronic renal failure.
He says he wants to die.
The confusion is the result
of hypertensive encephalopathy.
What's the treatment
for Goodpasture's?
Dialysis
until kidney transplant.
And if two transplants have been
rejected, what is your course of action?
Exactly.
[ Chattering ]
[ Woman On P.A. I Dr. Ernst,
line three for an outside call.
Dr. Ernst, line three, please.
Dr. Ernst.
My name is Sheldon Hatchett.
I'm an attorney for Felicia Potter.
What? We are seeking an injunction.
We'd like your testimony.
Why would you want my testimony?
Well, to help this man and his
daughter put an end to this suffering.
Under state law, I need
the testimony of two doctors
that the patient's in
a persistent vegetative state.
I-I can't help you
with that. She told me what you said.
All you have to do is say in
court exactly what you told Felicia.
Listen, anything I may have said to
Felicia Potter was said in confidence.
If you bring it up,
I'll deny I ever said it.
- She says she has proof.
- What?
Look, we don't need your help
at today's hearing.
We can get the temporary
restraining order.
But we do need you to testify
at the injunction hearing.
I have to go now.
Felicia or I will call you
again soon, all right, Doctor?
She really would appreciate
your help and, um, so would I.
Thank you.
[ Machines Beeping ]Welcome
to the lab, Werner. Come in.
Let me show you around. Count your
blessings. Not many people get to see this.
Through these computers, we receive
up-to-the-minute data from 60 hospitals
in 15 states
and 11 foreign countries.
When other medical staffs
are stumped... they call us.
We analyze the data, Dr. Hofstader
diagnoses and treats the patients from here.
[ Dr. Hofstader ] No, no I'm
sorry. I can't do it this weekend.
Ernst! Come in, come in.
Look at the future
of medicine, hmm?
Seeing patients is a waste of a doctor's
time. We're trying to correct that.
We like to think of patients as
information that can be digitized.
Then we can build computer
models for surgeons to practice on
that are identical
with any patient.
Have a look.
Take a look. Go ahead.
[ Woman On P.A., Indistinct ]
We can bio engineer a device
to roam the body,
and automatically notify us
of any abnormalities.
We can diagnose and treat the problem before
the patient even knows anything's wrong.
[ Electronic Blipping ][ Doctors Laughing ]
[ Phone Ringing ]That's my call
from Tokyo.
Hello? Hi, Kazu-san!
How are you?
Doctors and technicians come from around
the world to work with Dr. Hofstader.
The only people working here on
Memorial's staff are me and... Poindexter.
Have you worked with him before?
No. Who's he? He's an I.C.U. nurse,
but he's also a genius with computers.
Come on, I'll introduce you.
Poindexter, this is Dr. Ernst. He's a
second-year resident on ninth floor I.C.U..
Rumor has it Poindexter has
never had a patient die on him.
Is that true, Poindexter?
Not while I've been on duty.
Well, how is that possible? I'm
sure Dr. Ernst would love to know.
Just a matter of carefully
monitoring the patients,
and then adjusting
the medication accordingly.
There is no longer any
condition that is truly terminal.
Just patients
we choose not to maintain.
[ Woman On P.A. I Dr. Ernst, internal
call on line four. Do you have a...
Right there. Excuse me.
Dr. Ernst.
Dr. Ernst, Richard Wilson, head of the legal
department. I need to see you immediately.
Uh, uh, well,
I'm w-with Dr. Hofstader.
After Hofstader, then.
I can't spend any more time with you,
Ernst. I hope you enjoyed your visit?
Any questions? Why'd you want
to see me, sir?
I wanted to show you this. Each year
I choose one resident to join my team.
This year was Hansen. For next
year, you are the leading candidate.
Really? Really? That's terrific!
It will be if you're chosen.
We'll talk later. Yes, sir. Thank you, s...
[ Hansen ] "If you're
chosen." Good one, sir.
I'm Richard Wilson. Nice to... meet you.
I'm talking to all the doctors
writing orders on bed five...
A patient named Potter,
a patient of Dr. Butz?
One daughter has hired a lawyer to
fight against further invasive procedures.
They've already served us their
lawsuit for permanent injunction,
and by the end of the day, they'll
have a temporary restraining order.
Here's your copy. My copy?
My God! Why am I listed as a
defendant? I haven't done anything.
You and thousands of other
people who get sued every day.
No, me, personally. You and all
the other doctors.
Don't worry. The Medical Center
will protect your interests.
Our outside counsel, Robert
Payne, he'll take care of this.
- Is he good?
- He's the best.
He's the fuckin' terminator.
Oh, here.
Sign this. What?
It's a joint representation agreement.
Every doctor being sued has to sign it.
We provide you with legal counsel, but
reserve the right to stop representing you
if you actually
did something wrong.
Such as? I don't know. Battery
or fraud or something.
Sign it or go out and get your
own lawyer for 300 bucks an hour.
Now let me bring you
up-to-date on this lawsuit.
Felicia Potter is seeking
injunctive relief to stop us
from putting the feeding tube
in her father.
She also wants us to stop all
invasive procedures and treatments.
Now her half sister Constance wants us to do
everything we can to keep the old guy alive.
Both sisters have retained
big expensive law firms,
so there's gonna be real
carnage before this is over.
Great. And I'm caught
right in the middle.
Ain't life grand?
Now listen to me.
Don't talk to anybody about
this case, not even other doctors.
Not even other doc...
I mean, you gotta be kidding. Hey, doctor!
I've done this before, okay? Let me
tell you what's gonna happen here.
If we keep this guy alive,
Felicia Potter is gonna sue us,
for unauthorized treatment, battery, fraud
and everything else her lawyers think of.
If bed five dies, Constance Potter is
gonna sue us for medical malpractice.
No matter what you say, you're supplying one
of them with evidence. Keep your mouth shut.
Wh... Don't express an opinion.
Don't say even a word.
Our position is: Whatever we've done
is exactly what we should have done.
- Understand?
- Yes.
Geez, I wish they'd teach more
about litigation in medical school.
[ Elevator Bell Dings ][ Chattering ]
Hi, this is Felicia. Leave a message
after the beep.[ Machine Beeps ]
Felicia, it's Werner. Uh
your lawyer called, and, uh,
I'm sorry, but I can't help you.
I can't testify against the
doctors that I'm working for.
Okay?
[ Pager Beeps ]
[ Woman On P.A. I Dr. Ernst, bed
five. Family wishes to meet with you.
[ Connie ] "Their idols are silver and
gold. They have mouths but speak not."
"They have eyes but see not.
They have ears but hear not.
They have hands but feel not."
Shall I come back later?
No, I wanna see you.
Um...
Can someone mistakenly
change one of these dials?
It's not likely. Respiratory therapists
check the settings every hour.
And if a change occurs,
alarms go off.
[ Alarm Sounds, Stops ]
What if the alarm
doesn't work? There are two alarms.
[ Alarm Sounding ]
- [ Alarm Stops ]
- It's okay, Daddy!
The doctor's just checking
the alarms on your machines.
Everything's working
the way it's supposed to.
Can the alarms
be turned off by accident?
The alarm can only be disabled by
punching a protected code into the keypad.
Can they be turned off
intentionally?
Yes, uh, but only
when the patient expires,
or the doctor has written an
order to disconnect the ventilator.
Are you people
trained to be inhumane? What did I say?
A human being is recovering from
a life-threatening illness in there.
Just because he's unconscious doesn't mean he
can't hear and understand everything we say!
Have you spoken with any of the chaplains
or nuns in our pastoral care program?
They're wonderful people.
There's just not enough of them.
For the rest of you,
it's all sneers and laughter!
I heard nurses and technicians laughing and
telling jokes while in my father's room,
as if he wasn't there, as if there
wasn't a living person in the room.
Doctors and nurses
have to maintain objectivity.
Laughing at sick people.
Is that objectivity?
Giggling over TV programs
while people are dying.
Is that objectivity? No, human nature.
People have to giggle or tell
a joke to break the pressure.
You can't spend 12 hours a day dejected
because you're working with the terminally ill.
My father is not terminally
ill, he's convalescing!
[ Pager Beeps ] [ Woman On P.A. ]
Dr. Ernst, see Dr. Butz.
- Excuse me.
- Dr. Ernst!
Two days ago Dr. Butz told me we'd be going
forward with surgery to insert the tube.
When you see him,
maybe you can remind.
Maybe you should talk
with your lawyer.Dr. Ernst?
I don't mean to be angry.
Forget about it.
I don't mean to be inhumane.
I know you don't.
We're all sinners.
[ Laughs ]
But God loves sinners.
That's good news.
[ Gargling ]
[ Spits, Coughs ]
Hey, Werner. Chip off the old
block! What can I do for you?
You paged me. Stop pulling my leg.
I didn't beep you.
Okay, I, uh, I came to see
about bed five, Nine I.C.U..
Uh, I don't think
bed five is my patient.
No, yeah, he is. Nine I.C.U..
Bed five? Bed five.
[ Clears Throat ]
He's... Just a minute.
Right here.
Oh, bed five.
What's wrong with bed five?
He's all paid up.
Got three insurance companies
paying off his bills monthly.
He's supposed to be scheduled for gastrostomy,
and the family won't consent to it.
[ Laughs ] You see,
bed five is called a patient,
and we're called the doctors.
I don't give a goddamn what his wife thinks.
I went to Yale. Where did she go to school?
It's his daughter,
and after I spoke with her,
I started thinking maybe she was right
about not proceeding with the gastrostomy.
Uh-huh. Why should we feed him if he's
not gonna get any better?
The man needs a tube put in him
because he can't eat, right? Yes.
But why should we prolong the
inevitable by putting a tube in?
Well, you think just because someone's
gonna die, soon, we don't need to feed them.
We're all gonna die.
Why should any of us eat?
I was just questioning... You know what?
Being a doctor is not good enough for you.
Now you wanna play God Almighty,
is that right?
If there's no reasonable prospect
of cure, why should we proceed?
[ Sighs ] Where have you been
all your life? It's called revenue!
He's got catastrophic
health insurance.
Long-term health care.
The works!
What difference
does insurance make?
What? It's cash money.
Not one of those "try and
collect from the estate" deals.
And you wanna yank his tube.
Ha! Well.
[ Intercom Beeps ]Cafeteria.
Cafeteria?
I was pushin' "Billy."
[ Man On Phone ] This is
the cafeteria, Dr. Butz.
As long as I've got you on the
phone, let me be the first to tell ya:
The soup yesterday
tasted like a shirt.[ Intercom Beeps ]
- Billing. Steckler.
- Steckler, where's Mrs. Ritter?
This is Mrs. Steckler. Mrs.
Ritter hasn't been here since 1984.
Well, I didn't say she has. I'm
just asking you where she is.
Can I help you,
Dr. Butz? Yes... Dr. Butz.
Bring me the last bill we sent
to bed five, Nine I.C.U., please.
Patient's name? I don't know the name
of all the patients!
- His name's Potter.
- Potter!
Or isn't that
good enough for ya?
Now, you came to see me about...
something. What can I do for you?
Ab-About bed five.
What's wrong with bed five?
He's all paid up.
Yeah... I've...
It's about his gastrostomy.
I know he has insurance, but what
difference does insurance make?
What difference
does insurance make?
This... must be the
generation gap. [ Laughs ]
You know, it's these H.M.O.s
that have confused the issue.
If the patient were a part of an H.M.O.,
then I could understand your dilemma.
With those babies, we get paid
not to perform medical procedures.
It's a little like when the government
pays farmers not to grow crops.
But with insurance, we get paid
to perform medical procedures!
Do you understand
the difference?
He's got three insurance
companies paying like clockwork.
The total of last
month's bill, $112,973.32.
What is this? Do you always barge into
people's offices without being invited?
You know, you're supposed
to knock first, and then... Doctor.
Huh? It's the bill.
You asked to see the bill. Bill?
Bed five.
He's comatose. We're supposed
to schedule a gastrostomy.
Well, do it. My God, I get a cut from
every procedure we do on the guy.
He's got catastrophic
health insurance!
If you were comatose, would you wanna
be kept alive for months by machines?
Hell, no! Well, then...
When I go, I don't wanna
be tortured in some bed.
I have this planned out, Werner.
I'm gonna be sitting on my back porch.
I'm gonna have a Cuban cigar in one hand
and a big glass of scotch in the other,
and a belly full of barbecued
ribs with a ton of sauce!
[ Laughs ] That's why
I don't have insurance.
Really? That's right.
And my money is tied up in a trust that
forbids anybody from using it for health care.
Pretty smart, huh? So, what if
you get sick?
If I get sick, no doctor on this
planet's gonna come ten feet from me.
They talk about a living will.
You don't need a living will.
Just make sure you don't have money for
health care, and you'll die a happy fella
with a big smile on your face
in your own king-size bed!
This poor schmuck in bed five
didn't load up on insurance,
so he could go gently
into the good night.
He wanted us to put up a fight,
and he wanted us to be paid in cash.
That's why he bought the
insurance in the first place!
Now, you came in here...
Oh! You were looking
for season tickets.
To what? Hockey!
I'll get you one game.
One seat, one game.
Who do you wanna see?
The Red Pete?
You don't need that? I'm fine.
I can't do hockey for you.
Would you like to see Beauty and
the Beast? I can get you one seat.
The guy who played the beast
is a patient.
[ Woman On P.A., Indistinct ]
Tough day?
Just left a meeting with Butz.
I thought you were
smarter than that.
What's Poindexter doing here?
He's been assigned here. There's
some kind of legal brouhaha going on.
They want to make sure bed five doesn't
go down that drain he's been circling.
Yeah, Wilson warned me.
Wilson and Butz.
You're having quite a day.
Yeah.
Hofstader talked to me
about a spot with him next year.
So you're going with the robo-doc
to practice medicine in cyberspace?
He's the cutting edge."I have
seen the enemy, and he is us."
I tried to talk Butz
into making bed five a no code.
Really?
I don't know what to do.
Butz wants a gastrostomy.
What are you gonna do?
I don't have much choice. I'm gonna schedule
bed five for a gastrostomy, A.S.A.P..
You're the doctor.
Don't hold that against me.
Fifty-six bucks
for a pair of these.
I know a tropical fish store selling
the same stuff for a buck and a half.
What's your assessment
of this patient?
Him? Don't be a comedian.
Have you ever asked him
to squeeze your hand?
What for? Since we're on the
subject, maybe you can tell me
why we're dripping thousands of dollars
a day of nutrition medication into him.
People are afraid to die, so they pay
us to keep them in suspended animation.
They paid $112,000 for him
last month alone.
We could have fed and vaccinated
every kid in Brooklyn on this guy's tab.
Dr. Ernst, I'm getting some bizarre
wave forms from the Swan-Ganz.
Yeah. Wait an hour and get me
another strip. Let's drop his dopamine.
Oh, someone dropped
this package by for you.
Your father is in what we call
a persistent vegetative state.
He's always going to be
just the way he is now.
[ Felicia ]
No! [ Werner ] I'm sorry.
I love my father... [ Sound
Becomes Inaudible ]
Oh, my...
Hi, this is Felicia. Leave
a message after the beep.
[ Machine Beeps ]Felicia, what the fuck
are you doing to me?
I mean, where did this
fuckin' tape come from?
We've got to talk and soon.
It's important. It's Werner.
Uh, all right.
[ Knocking ]
Dr. Ernst,
thank you for coming. Thank you.
This is Robert Payne, the hospital's
outside counsel in the Potter case.
Good morning,
Dr. Ernst. Good morning.
Since Dr. Hofstader is the hospital's
chief of intensive care medicine,
I've asked him to join us.
Please, take a chair.
As Mr. Wilson has told you, I represent
the medical center in this litigation.
Coffee? Yes.
I'm also representing you under the terms
of the mutual representation agreement.
Yes.
Now, this case... This case
has become dangerous litigation.
We have discovered another
Potter family lawsuit
filed two years ago.
Apparently, Constance
and Felicia are half sisters.
The patient in bed five is the father,
but he had Connie with the first wife,
then remarried and had Felicia
with the second wife.
Ah. Right. Hmm! Now,
the second wife...
That's Felicia's mother...
She was the one with the money.
She set up a trust before she died...
a big trust... more than $10 million.
That's what the lawsuit
filed two years ago was about.
Who got the money? [ Wilson ]
That's a little complicated.
Apparently, Felicia's mother liked to
control things, even from the grave.
The interest from the trust
goes to bed five.
The principle... that's the ten million...
stays in the trust for five years.
If after five years bed five has not remarried
and is still alive, he gets the money.
When is the five years
up? In about three weeks.
But he's comatose. Right.
He's incompetent, and because he's incompetent,
the money becomes part of his estate.
What happens if the money
goes into his estate?
What happens if he dies
before the three weeks is up?
That's what we all want to know.
This fight between the sisters
might be an honest disagreement,
or it might be one of them trying to
manipulate the timing of the father's death
in order to get the money.
Well, that's incredible.
That's horrible.
Yes.
And, now,
something strange has occurred,
and it puzzles me.
What is that?
We received a subpoena
from Felicia Potter's attorney,
ordering you to appear
and testify at the hearing.
What? We don't believe
they would subpoena you
unless they thought your
testimony would help their case.
Now, take a few moments to think of any
reason why they might want you as a witness.
Nothing, uh, comes to mind.
Dr. Ernst, this is the
beginning of trial preparation.
Before we prepare a case, it is absolutely
essential that we know the truth,
so that we can teach our witnesses to
articulate truth to our best advantage.
Okay.
You should also be aware that in any
litigation conducted by competent attorneys
the truth will come out.
It's only a question of time.
I understand that. Now, Dr. Ernst,
can you think of any reason
that might have prompted
Felicia Potter's attorney
to call you as a witness?
I...
[ Exhales ]
I just... I can't
I don't know
what it could be. Aha.
Ah!
This will probably
take several hours.
No need for you gentlemen
to sit here.
[ Door Closes ]
[ Paper Rustling ]
Was there anything else said by either you or
Ms. Potter that you haven't already told me?
I've told you everything
at least three times.
You never advised Felicia
against the gastronomy? No.
You never indicated
you believed the patient was
in a persistent
vegetative state? No.
- Not to anyone?
- I've told you over and over. No, not to anyone.
Dr. Ernst, I don't believe
you're telling me the truth.
Have you ever
been cross-examined? No. Never.
Cross-examination can be
a very unpleasant experience.
Telling lies successfully
is almost impossible.
Lies change.
The truth does not change.
If an honest witness
gets confused,
he need only remember the truth
and cling to it.
A witness who is lying
cannot cling to the truth.
Changes appear. A good lawyer
confronts those changes.
Things get worse. Panic sets in.
Lying under oath is perjury.
Perjury is a serious crime.
It can be
a devastating experience.
I understand. One more thing.
If Felicia Potter's attorney calls you
to testify, I will be cross-examining you.
Take my card.
It has my phone number,
my office number,
my car phone number.
If you think of anything you
haven't told me, call me immediately.
I will. Good-bye, Dr. Ernst.
[ Dial Tone Humming ]
[ Ringing ]
Come on. Hi, this is Felicia. Leave
a message after the beep.
[ Beeps ]Felicia, it's Werner again.
Uh, I just left some
interrogation by this lawyer.
If you... We need to talk.
I mean, if there's a problem,
there's got to be some other way
that we can solve this thing.
Please call. We have to talk.
Send it to Cytology. Have them
check it for lymphoid hyperplasia.
Get back to me.Dr. Hofstader?
Dr. Hofstader!
Oh, Ernst, what is it? It's about
the patient in bed five, Nine I.C.U..
You should talk to Dr. Butz. This is
Hofstader. Let me speak to Dr. Schneider.
None of this
is my fault. It doesn't matter.
It doesn't? Doesn't matter.
Thank you. I was so afraid it was gonna
hurt my chance of being on your team.
[ Phone Ringing ]Yes? No, not until
we get the scan date. Yeah.
You won't be on the team. It doesn't
matter whether it was your fault or not.
Wait a minute. Nothing
has changed from yesterday.
If it was your fault, then you
don't deserve to be on my team.
And if it wasn't your fault,
then you're not lucky.
I don't want anyone on my team who isn't
lucky. Schneider, where have you been?
[ Pager Beeping ] [ Woman ]
Dr. Ernst, see Dr. Butz.
[ Snoring, Coughs ]
[ Snoring Continues ]
[ Door Slams ]Hello? Hello? Oh.
They had me on hold.
Your first lawsuit
and your first subpoena.
When I heard that, I had
to have ya in for a drink.
Some scotch? No, thank you.
You sure? Listen.
When those lawyers start crawling all over
you, that's when you know you're a doctor.
They had me
up on charges, you know. Yes, sir.
Don't worry. We'll fight 'em.
I fought 'em before,
and I won. Did ya know that? Yes, sir.
I'm bein' rude. Here.
Take some scotch, huh? No.
Come on! [ Pager Beeping ]
[ Woman ] Dr. Ernst, you're
needed in the emergency room.
Sit, sit, sit, sit.[ Man On Intercom ]
Maintenance.
Somebody paging Dr. Ernst?
He's not here, Dr. Butz.
What the hell? Sit, sit.
[ Siren Wailing ]
[ Woman ] What do ya have?
[ Dr. Butz ] You calling Dr. Ernst?
Yes, this is the Emergency Room.
It's Dr. Butz. He's with me.
What do you want with him?
Dr. Miller asked us to call.
We're stacked up down here.
We've got a 19-year-old with
a potentially severe head injury.
He got turned away from University E.R.
'cause they couldn't get to him soon enough.
- Does the patient have coverage?
- Excuse me?
Coverage! Insurance! An
H.M.O. Something. Is he covered?
I'll check.
[ Scoffs ] She doesn't
even ask about coverage.
I'll tell you right now the
guy's as bare as a baby's ass.
Dr. Butz is on the phone. He
wants to know if he's got coverage.
He's got nothing. He's
bare as a baby's behind.
Dr. Butz? This is Dr. Butz.
- The patient does not have medical coverage.
- What a shock.
I bet you thought University Hospital
dumped all their best paying patients here.
- I'm sorry, Dr. Butz...
- Dr. Ernst is with me! We're in a very important meeting.
He's gonna be
at least 30 minutes.
But Dr. Miller said... Tell Dr. Miller
that his head is full of horseshit.
If he disagrees, slip him in the
M.R.I. machine and look for yourself.
I can go take care of it. Sit down!
Sit down.
What's the matter with you?
You work for me, and if you work
for nothing when you work for me,
it means I work for nothing, and I'll be
damned if I'm gonna work for nothing.
They said it was a
potentially severe head injury.
[ Scoffs ] He's 19.
He's got no medical coverage,
and he's some rowdy kid.
What do you think would happen
if I got in my car one Sunday,
and drove over to this kid's
house and said, "Hey, kid."
"Come next door, cut my grass, and
if I ever get any money, I'll pay you.
Just send me the bill, kid."
What do ya think would happen?
Cutting grass is a little different
from emergency medical care.
I know that, but it's
still a service economy.
If you want service in a
service economy, you pay for it.
If you don't pay for service
in a service economy,
you ruin the whole country.
We provide policemen
and firemen.
Who's talking about that?
If we sew up this kid every
time somebody whacks him
over the head at a disco,
we're gonna run this country
into the shitter.
Dr. Miller, I tried to get Dr. Ernst
down, but Dr. Butz took the call.
He started asking questions about medical
coverage, then said Dr. Ernst was too busy.
What do I do? Call him back
and tell Dr. Butz
that we have a 76-year-old male
who's had a stroke.
You tell him that he has major medical
insurance, catastrophic insurance and Medicare.
You tell Dr. Butz that's the
patient we need Dr. Ernst for.
You serious? Just do it.
Right away. Werner, gotta
bring this meeting to a close.
They need ya in E.R.
Give 'em a hand.
Ah, Werner.
You know, I was on one of
the very first critical care teams.
We developed most of
the basic code blue techniques.
In the Bible, Jesus brought Lazarus back
from the dead, but He did it only once,
and people were amazed.
We did it every day.
Made miracles every single day.
People treated us like gods
as opposed to overpriced
auto mechanics
which is all we've become.
You know what?
I forgot to offer you a drink.
Come on. One scotch. I'm fine.
Sure? All right. Good boy.
[ Machines Beeping
Intermittently ]
[ Alarm Beeping Continuously ]
[ Alarm Stops, Resumes ]
[ Alarm Continues, Stops ]
[ Whispers ] Die.
Yes, I know.
I know what you want.
Stella, look at his monitor! I
thought you were mixing cocktails.
I just glanced over at the console
and there it was. [ Alarm Beeps ]
Did you see that rhythm? Yeah, sure.
[ Alarm Resumes ] There it is again.
Torsade de pointes, a particularly
malignant and extremely rare arrhythmia.
Haven't seen it
in five years. [ Alarm Stops ]
He's got a pacer zapping
him back to a normal rhythm.
My money says he codes tonight.
Yeah, he's full code too.
Who made him that? Family?
[ Alarm Resumes ]Wow! Look at that.
[ Stella ] Maximum torsades.
[ Alarm Continues, Stops
]You working tonight?
I'm off in a little while.
Who's covering? Some tech.
- Think they'll recognize torsades?
- Probably not.
But when he crumps, he'll set off
more alarms than a slot-machine jackpot.
So don't worry. Unless the tech's
blind and deaf, they'll call the code.
[ Footsteps Departing ]
[ Knocker Clanging ]Felicia?
Felicia! Felicia!
Felicia, I've been trying
to reach you all day. Werner! I was busy.
What the fuck are you and
your lawyer trying to do to me?
Guess what. I've got a screen test
tomorrow for Desiree Feral Cosmetics.
Your lawyer sent the hospital a subpoena
ordering me to testify at the hearing.
I spent most of the day being
interrogated by the hospital's lawyer.
My lawyer's just going
a little overboard. Overboard?
What about that videotape? You just
happened to have a crew here taping?
It was my surveillance system.
Surv... Am I being taped?
Don't worry.
I had it disconnected.
I had forgotten about it until my lawyer
told me you denied what you said to me.
I just sent it to you
as a reminder.
Felicia, you've got to get your
lawyer to stop my subpoena.
I can get kicked out of my residency
program. My career is on the line here.
I've got so much work to do
before tomorrow.
You can watch if you want.
I'm finally dying, so, please,
just go away and leave me alone.
I know you're dying.
That's why I'm here.
We need to talk
about things. Like what?
Like, um, eternal life
and, uh, your soul.
You're gonna be making some very crucial
decisions with very lasting repercussions.
I'm here to advise you
in that regard.
So... there is a God,
and an afterlife?
Do you know this is
the very best part of my job?
I get to talk to people who at
long last know what's important.
The living make such
meaningless distinctions.
How should I cut my hair?
What kind of a car should I buy?
Will interest rates go up? I-I don't care
about any of that stuff.
Precisely. All those things:
The products you consumed, the
politics you debated, the people you knew.
All your life's moments... big and
small... They look very tiny now.
Which leaves just you and me
to talk about your future.
Will I go to heaven?
Will I see God?
Forget about it.
Ya haven't a chance.
But I didn't do anything.
I didn't commit any mortal sins.
Maybe... Okay,
maybe a few little sins.
Look, you were supposed to
love God and love your neighbor.
You didn't do either.
You loved your parents.
Big deal.
I wasn't evil or anything.
I didn't hurt anybody.
Am I talking
to a tire iron here?
Forget about earthly notions
of justice
where people are
talking about what you did.
We're talking here
about divine justice.
Divine justice is based not only on
what you did, but on what you did not do.
And you did not do anything for anybody
unless they could do something for you.
I'm only 23. I never
had a spiritual awakening.
I was just out of school when
this happened. Give me a break.
Come up with a better defense
than "I'm only 23."
Reason dawns
at the age of seven.
Now don't be stupid.
Come with me.
My hell's a lot better
than the hell you're in now.
Are you gonna drop
the subpoena or not?
That was moisturizer.
Now, skin tone corrector
I don't give a shit
about your moisturizer.
My lawyer told me the hospital
is keeping my father alive,
because they are making $5,000 a day on him
to have him hooked up to those machines.
That sounds like something
a lawyer would say.
What do you say? You
never told me what you think!
That why they don't let people die, because
they're making too much money off of them?
Lawyers are the reason
they don't let people die.
Doctors and hospitals don't
want to get sued for malpractice.
Oh! Bullshit!
Everything would be perfect,
except that my father is still suffering.
When I wake up in the
morning, he's being suctioned.
When I have dinner at night, a nurse is
moving him around so he doesn't get bedsores.
When I go to bed at night, he is
still hooked up to that ventilator!
Will you help me? You're not helping me.
But I could.
I don't wanna hurt you.
[ Laughs ]We could help
each other.
How's that?
My lawyer said that
even if we win
that the hospital
or Connie could appeal...
My lawyer said most patients
die even before...
The hospital is not going to agree to withdrawal
of life support without a court order.
It's too dangerous. You've got
a lawyer! Connie's got a lawyer!
I know all that.
That's why I'm asking you,
if there's a way.
I'm asking you
to end my father's life.
[ Sobbing ]
You mean, kill him?
It would solve your problem too.
[ Sobbing Continues ]
Ignore the monitor.
I'm just gonna redo his leads.
[ Whispering ] When it's too
late for them to bring you back,
I'll hook you back up again.
I'll call the code.
You can go now.
I love you.
My God! Do you know what you're
asking me to do? I can't do that!
It would be so easy for you.
A twist of the dial. I bet you
know a hundred ways to do it.
[ Quietly ] No.
Maybe you ought to look at
that tape again. It's all there.
You're saying that my father is
in a persistent vegetative state,
that I'm right about trying to stop the
gastronomy, all of it, and a lot more!
What are you saying?
I'm blackmailing you.
Lip color. Nobody
uses lipstick anymore.
[ Inhales ]
I want you to kill my father.
And if you don't, I'm gonna
give this tape to my lawyer.
It will be introduced as evidence at
the hearing along with what you said
which should be enough to get you
kicked out of your residency program.
I think seducing me is
an ethical violation as well.
I seduced you?
Yes! With my father
in the condition he's in?
I've been very emotional!
You shouldn't have taken advantage
of me while I was in such a state.
Every woman who sees
this face is going to say,
"I have got to have
Desiree Feral Cosmetics."
And every guy who sees it
is gonna say, "Wow!"
It's best for everyone
if you do it.
This is all about
the money, isn't it?
I'm just trying to do what my
father would want me to do.
So why now then?
Why not wait a month?
Why should he suffer needlessly?
Just do it. Just kill my father,
or I'll end your medical career.
End my medical career?
You have any idea what
it's taken me to get this far?
It doesn't matter? Doesn't matter?
Ten years of college doesn't...
$120,000 in tuition.
A year of hell working
as an intern for no money.
Two years as a resident. Still no
money, but now the hours are even worse.
110, 120 hours a week.
Never enough sleep.
Never any time for myself!
It doesn't matter?
I bet you'd like some time
alone to think.
I'm really sorry about this.
You know, I hope you make
the right decision.
I don't wanna hurt you.
What are you doing?
What? Hey!
What are you doing?
Hey, you're a sick man!
You can't do that.
What are you doing?
I wanna be with God.
You want to see God
with your record?
No way! He'll never let you in!
Come with me! I'm gonna try!
All right, bunky.
It's your choice.
[ Whispers ]
I wanna be with God.
I wanna be with God.
[ Man ] On the count of three.
[ Two Men Together ]
One, two, three.
[ Thumping ]
[ Tapping ]
Squeeze my hand. [ Tapping Continues ]
Sir, if you can hear me,
squeeze my hand.
[ Velcro Tearing ] [ Tapping Continues ]
Can you hear me? If you can
hear me, squeeze my hand.
[ Pager Beeping ] [ Woman ]
Dr. Ernst, see Mr. Wilson.
[ Tapping Continues ]
Thought you'd like to know
we got the will.
It is a battle between
the half sisters over the money.
What do you mean?
If bed five dies before the five years
is up, which is in less than three weeks,
then Felicia gets everything.
The whole 10 million bucks.
Wow.
If he lives the three weeks, then
the money goes into his estate.Right.
The old man revised his will two years ago,
giving total control over his estate
to the oldest daughter
Constance.
If he lives, Constance gets
everything, and Felicia gets nothing.
Both daughters are after
the money. Cute, huh?
My God.
Listen, uh, I should warn you.
Be careful.
Payne is convinced you know
things you're not telling us.
Have you met the new
admission in bed two?
No.
I'm gonna finish
my cranial checks.
You think we can slow code
bed five tonight?
No way. Not with Poindexter on duty
and all those lawyers sniffing around.
You know one of those daughters had
an outside neurology expert in here today.
Tried to tell us that bed five's tremors
were purposeful attempts at communication.
Has there been
some kind of change?
Hey. Hey, relax.
Relax. Would you?
If you can hear me,
squeeze my hand. Take it easy!
The hospital neurologist came in
right after the first one and said
this guy's cerebral cortex
is like cottage cheese.
These tremors are just
patterns of disturbance
caused by neurological deficits.
I want both those reports. Your
time would be better spent sleeping.
That's always true.
I still want the reports. Legal has them.
Have them send up copies.Okay.
At any rate,
no slow code for this boy.
Too many lawyers.
Something troubling you, Doctor?
What? Oh.
I was just daydreaming.
A teacher once told me,
"Be careful what you dream,
for you shall
become as you dream."
Come with me.
I want to show you something.
Did you know this guy
was a signalman in the navy?
So? So I started thinking
that maybe his finger tapping
was an attempt to send Morse code.
It was the only way
he could still communicate.
That's not possible. This morning
I watched his finger,
wondered what he would be
saying if he was sending code.
Is this a joke? No.
It's no joke. I tried to
decipher what he taps.
I take it there's some message.
[ Tapping Continues ] "If you love me"?
Yes! That is the message he's been
sending over and over. "If you love me."
Okay, so, let's say
you're on to something.
Let's say he's lost all lines of
communication except finger tapping.
Tap him a question.
See if he answers. I tried.
I asked him if he was
sending Morse code.
And? He tapped out
"if you love me"!
Did you ask him
anything else? Yes.
I asked him if he could hear me.
He tapped out "if you love me."
Poindexter, vegetative patients typically
have a narrow range of movements or sounds
they repeat
over and over and over.
- I suppose.
- [ Tapping Continues ]
Are you gonna chart any of this?
I don't know.
I wanted to talk to you first.
Come with me.
I want to show you something.
[ Chattering ]
Watch this.
Hello, dear. Who's
your favorite president? Eisenhower.
Good, good. And what
is your favorite food? Pizza.
What do you think? So far so good.
Okay. Who empties
your bedpan for you? Eisenhower.
What is your
doctor's last name? Pizza.
What kind of car
do you drive? Eisenhower.
What's your dog's name? Pizza.
When was the last time anything
in this country made any sense?
Eisenhower. What's the best medical
treatment known to mankind?
[ Pager Beeps ]Pizza.
[ Woman ] Extension
9041 for an outside call.
- Dr. Ernst!
- This is Robert Payne.
Have you thought of anything
else you want to tell me, Dr. Ernst?
N-No. Nothing.
You're hiding something,
Dr. Ernst.
But the truth will come out. I hope
it doesn't crush you when it does.
Do you understand?
Yes, I do.[ Phone Line Clicks,
Dial Tone Hums ]
[ Phone Beeps ]
Dr. Ernst.
Hello, Dr. Ernst.
Don't you want to know how
things went with Desiree Feral?
- Felicia, what do you want?
- I got the job!
Pretty soon you're gonna be
lookin' at me from coast-to-coast.
Won't that be swell?
I'm busy. I've got to go.
The hearing is today. You
know what you have to do. Do it.
I'm goin' to get some coffee.
[ Tapping ]
[ Tapping Continues ]
[ Beeping ]
[ Whispers ] Oh, God.
[ Beeping ]
[ Tapping Continues ]
[ Tapping Stops ]
Excuse me.
Have you been here long?
Have you some indication
that he's conscious?
That's not so important, is it?
I would comfort him whether
he was conscious or not.
I-I guess I'm asking...
These machines can keep
people alive... technically alive...
For a long time after
they're really already dead.
What if he's already dead?
It doesn't matter. If he's dead, then
my prayers and God are with him.
And if he's not dead, then my
prayers and God are with him.
But after we die
and eternity begins...
You made one mistake. You said,
"After we die and eternity begins... ".
Eternity has no beginning.
It has no end.
Eternity can't come after life.
Eternity includes life.
We make eternity every
hour, every day, every second.
We choose what
our eternity will be.
What about the people in here?
Their life is nothing but suffering.
Are you telling me they'll
go on suffering forever?
No, but we all suffer. Suffering
teaches us to love each other.
When we see others suffer, we
love them and we comfort them,
because we have suffered and we remember
what it's like to suffer pain or loneliness,
and to have a cool hand
touch our brow,
and to have a person
love us for no reason.
Listen to your heart. Think
of this man as your father,
and love him and comfort him.
I feel ashamed.
Perhaps because you used him,
and because
you haven't loved him.
But you can change. You can
teach yourself to love what's important.
No matter what we love, it
won't be with us after we die.
Our bodies, our minds,
everything will be gone.
In eternity, I will still be here
holding this man's hand and praying.
You'll still be here asking me these
questions and struggling to love me,
and to love this man
and to love yourself.
God will still be here,
and everyone who ever lived
will still be here too.
"If you love me."
What?
It's a question that he asked.
"If you love me."
And what if you did love him?
How would you act toward him?
What would you do for him?
I don't know.
[ Tapping Resumes ]
Well, look at this. Hands-on
patient care from a doctor.
I'm impressed.
[ Tapping Continues ]
Felicia E. Potter for herself
and on behalf of her father,
Joseph F. Potter, plaintiffs,
versus Memorial Hospital
and Medical Center.
And what looks to be a list
of every doctor on staff,
plus a couple of John Does
just to be safe.
Has everybody
got a copy of this? Yes.
Angie, no sense wasting our time.
Just copy this into your notes, okay?
Mr. Hatchett,
why don't you get us going?
[ Door Opens ]Thank you, Your Honor.
Excuse me.
Yes? What is it?
I'm Dr. Ernst, Dr. Werner Ernst.
I'm Judge Fatale. Are
you one of the defendants?
Yep. That's right. Why don't you
sit down here next to your attorney?
Mr. Hatchett, let's go. Thank you, sir.
Excuse me. I...
Is something wrong?
Yes. Exactly. Something is very,
very wrong, and I wanna talk about it.
This is not a discussion group.
This is a legal hearing.
So why don't you take a seat
down here beside your attorney?
I don't want to sit down
next to my attorney. Listen...
It's a hearing about a man
who's my patient. My patient.
Your Honor, I represent Dr. Ernst as
part of a joint representation agreement
between Memorial Hospital
and Medical Center.
However, if Dr. Ernst is going to make a statement
of his own, we can no longer represent him.
We've had great concerns
about Dr. Ernst ever since
he received a subpoena
from the plaintiffs.
We are no longer sure whether his interests
in this case are the same as ours.
- Dr. Ernst, do you understand what Mr. Payne just said?
- Yes.
He said if you're gonna speak for
yourself, he's not gonna be your lawyer.
- Yes, I still wanna speak.
- I suggest you consult a lawyer of your own first.
I just came from
seeing a lawyer.
Your Honor, this is very
irregular. Most unusual situation.
I understand that, Mr. Hatchett,
but this is a hearing, not a trial.
All right, Dr. Ernst,
let's hear it.
Uh, I...
Well, I-I wanted to speak here.
I need to speak here,
because there's a man
in bed five on the ninth floor
Intensive Care Unit.
We're the people
who should care here.
Here are his daughters.
And they should care. That's
why there's this lawsuit, right?
And, of course, each daughter
has a lawyer, I assume.
And, so, what we have here is two
daughters with a totally different idea
of what is the best way
to care for her father, right?
No. That's not the dispute.
That's not what's going on here.
The fight between these sisters is
about who's going to inherit $10 million.
- [ All Talking At Once ]
- Your Honor, please! Please!
Sit down. Let him finish!
And here we have
this man's doctors
in the hospital in which
he is a patient.
And the doctors and hospital have a lawyer,
and they should all care about the patient.
But what they really care about
is patient turnover,
occupancy rates, expensive
tests, overpriced drugs, profits.
Judge Fatale, we warned you. We
suspected this man was hostile to our side!
I understand.
And here we have...
I'm sorry. Who are you?
I'm the lawyer
for the insurance company.
Insurance. Which insurance?
Malpractice and liability. Of course.
I almost forgot about
the insurance companies.
B-But I don't really need
to say anything about them,
because no one ever believes that an
insurance company cares about anything,
except getting paid their premiums
and honoring as few claims as possible.
I see you don't object.
And then there's me,
one of his doctors, who
is concerned about making money,
and getting a new car,
and meeting pretty women,
becoming a big-shot doctor,
when I should have been concerned
and should have cared about this patient,
my patient.
And, so, here we are.
A family, doctors, lawyers,
hospitals, insurance men.
Each of us concerned
only for ourselves.
Each of us pursuing
our own goals.
The only one missing
is the patient.
The only one without
a voice is the patient.
And all of us together
are the health-care system,
a system as collapsed
and comatose and near death
as the pat... as Mr. Potter
in bed five, Nine I.C.U.
And we should care.
We should care.
Thank you, Dr. Ernst.
While the patient
does not have a voice here,
it is the court's responsibility
to protect his interests.
And to be honest, I'm not sure
whether we hurt or help that situation.
Mr. Hatchett,
are you ready to go?
Yes, please... I'm sorry, Your Honor.
This may be an unusual request,
but I'd like the opportunity to talk
to Felicia and Constance.
I feel it's in the best interest of the
patient to find a common ground
on how to proceed with
caring for their father.
And I think it would be best if it
was just the three of us. No lawyers.
[ All Talking At Once ]Gentlemen!
Gentlemen! Gentlemen!
All we can do is
lose a little time,
so I suggest we take a half hour break
and let Dr. Ernst talk to the two women.
Has she won you over,
Dr. Ernst? Have you lost your soul?
I don't know, Connie. Why don't you listen
to my proposal and then decide for yourself?
Oh, you have a proposal,
do you, Dr. Ernst?
Yes, I have
a very simple proposal.
The two of you will sign
an agreement
to equally split
the $10 million.
You also each sign releases for
the hospital and all the doctors.
And finally, each of you
will sign a power of attorney,
giving me sole
and complete authority,
for medical decisions
on behalf of your father.
- Any questions?
- You've gotta be kidding.
Why would I agree
to any of this?
The reason you'll sign is because
$5 million is better than nothing.
And if one of you doesn't sign, I'll
make sure that person doesn't get a dime.
Don't forget. I can keep your
father legally alive almost indefinitely.
Actually, with modern medical technology,
I could probably give a glass of water
all the vital signs necessary
to be legally alive.
And I can end his life anytime
I want just by turning a knob.
Why do you want power of
attorney over his medical decisions?
That's my fee. I get to decide
what's best for him.
What if neither of us sign?
Can you really trust each other
not to sneak back in and sign?
In which case,
one of you would get nothing.
What if I give
the judge this tape?
I'll get kicked out
of my residency program,
and I'll be a doctor who doesn't
have prestige or make much money.
Also, your father will have
vital signs for a very long time,
and Connie will get $10 million.
What if I tell the judge what you
just said about killing my father?
I could get a restraining order
to keep you away.
You could, but by then your
father would already be dead.
You're not winning.
Not this time, Felicia.
Being younger and prettier
isn't enough this time.
Connie, you forgot your Bible.
If it were any good, I would
have gotten all the money.
[ Door Closes ]
It's half or nothing.
Your choice.
Felicia.
I love your makeup. "Wow."
[ Laughing ]
So?
Everything I believe
says to fight for life,
to attack pain and disease,
to hope for recovery.
Have faith in life.
I've been taught we must fight
death, to defeat death at any cost.
Death is the enemy.
We must never surrender.
He won't last without
the ventilator. I know that.
[ Air Hissing ]
It doesn't really solve
anything, you know?
This patient will be gone
when you come back tomorrow,
but there'll be a new
patient in his place,
and everything else
will be the same.
Disease, injury, old age,
all the same old problems
will be here.
Hofstader, Butz,
it'll all be the same.
No, it won't.
No?
How could it? Tomorrow's the
start of National Pickle Week.
Ah!
[ Clattering ]
[ Chattering ]
Come on. Here we go! Whoa! Whoa!
Hey, guys! Don't touch him!
[ Man ] Just leave him alone!
Come on! Get up!
Watch out.
Pal? What's your name? Mike.
Mike. Can you wiggle
your toes for me, Mike?
Yeah. Yeah?
Good. Good. [ Butz ]
Ernst! Stay away from him!
You want to get sued again?
Damn it! Make sure
he's got insurance!
Better ask him
for proof of insurance!
Haven't you learned
anything from me?
Are you a doctor?
Yeah. I'm a doctor.
Closed-Captioned By