Unspeakable s01e02 Episode Script

1 [DOCTOR.]
: Blood tests show that his clotting factor - is very low.
- What does that mean? Have you heard of hemophilia? [MARGARET SANDERS.]
: There's a new disease emerging in the gay community in the U.
S.
This new concentrate that Ryan is taking, it's pooled from how many blood donors? Is it 20,000? I'd like to switch Ryan back to Cryo.
I am the medical professional here.
The odds of getting AIDS from blood in Canada are one in a million.
Lawrence Hartley, treasurer.
Uh, William Sanders, concerned father.
I need a quote highlighting the dangers of AIDS transmission through blood.
I've said all I can.
Will you test my son? This does not mean that Peter is sick, or is ever going to get sick.
[ALICE LANDRY.]
: Andy has AIDS.
Andy and Peter take the same concentrate.
I know.
[PETER.]
: Why didn't you guys tell me I have AIDS? I heard you talking.
Peter, where are you going? - Peter! - [ALICE.]
: Andy passed away.
I don't care what you guys say, I know I'm gonna die.
["SPINNING WHEEL" BY BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS PLAYS.]
- - What goes up Must come down Spinnin' wheel got to go round Talkin' 'bout your troubles it's a cryin' sin Ride a painted pony let the spinning wheel spin You got no money and you got no home Spinnin' wheel all alone Talkin' 'bout your troubles And you, you never learn Ride a painted pony let the spinning wheel turn Did you find the directing sign On the straight and narrow highway Would you mind a reflecting sign Just let it shine Within your mind And show you the colours That are real Well, that's coming along.
I certainly have the time.
So, what's that, then? Oh, just something to help his blood to clot a bit better.
Is something wrong? He's doing just fine.
Better to be safe than sorry, right? [YAZ'S "DON'T GO" PLAYING.]
- - I appreciate what you're doing.
Aw it's my job.
Not at 10:00 at night.
I know you have a family.
Yeah, well, this is important.
Somehow you managed to wrangle a budget for AIDS awareness.
- Small as it is.
- Well, as far as I know, no other city in Canada is doing anything.
[MAN SHOUTING OUTSIDE.]
Help! Help! [ENGINE REVVING.]
Hey! Hey! Jesus Call 9-1-1! Hold still, hold still.
Help is on the way.
Hey, hey, be careful.
Yeah.
Yeah, you're right.
Okay, just Just put your head back, all right? I'm gonna put some pressure on this, okay? [BYSTANDERS.]
: Look at that.
- It's just awful.
- [BARRY.]
: Take it easy.
- - Don't move [WAILING SIRENS APPROACHING.]
It's in American blood, and Canadian hemophiliacs are being forced to take it.
What do you want me to do? At least inform people of the risks.
You should be telling them to switch to Cryo, and curtail use unless absolutely necessary.
The MSAC decides what goes into the newsletters.
Yeah, and they're saying, "American recall action is a sign of careful monitoring of blood products and should not cause anxiety or changes in treatment.
" - Gimme a break! - I know.
You said things would change now that you're president.
- I know! - Come on, Lawrence, put a Red Cross sign in the window! You need to figure out which side you're on.
I know whose side I'm on, Will! Then start fighting for us.
[BEN LANDRY.]
: One boy is already dead! We don't exactly know what happened to Andy.
Andy wasn't gay, He wasn't an intravenous drug user.
He got AIDS from taking the same blood product that our son is taking! Why won't you admit there's real danger here? Look, nobody ever said that concentrate was risk-free.
There's always a threat of viral transmission.
Hepatitis, for example.
The study Dr.
Tsoukas is running right now, it doesn't prove anything.
And low T-cells don't mean that Peter has AIDS, or that he's going to get AIDS.
Treating Peter's hemophilia, that's the priority for us right now.
Don't panic, and please don't publish anything, or discuss Peter's test results with other patients.
I know Mrs.
Girard is very upset right now, I know, and she has every right to be.
She's grieving for her son So am I.
So is my son, who is in the next room, fully convinced he's going to die.
We really don't know what any of this stuff means yet.
I am here for you if you need anything.
Anything.
The Hemophilia Society's Medical Advisory Committee is making recommendations to physicians about curtailing the use of concentrate in favour of Cryo.
Not across the board.
Only in certain cases like newly diagnosed.
Strawczynski's just following the American lead.
People are losing their sense.
There is still no proof.
For all we know, concentrates are safer than Cryo.
If there is some viral contamination, it would be diluted in the concentrate.
You get a dose of Cryo from a donor with AIDS, the exposure would be much worse.
If this trend back to Cryo continues, immense revenues are going to be lost by the fractionators.
Can we even support production of a full-scale switch back to Cryo? Hey, homo! Girard's mom's going around telling everyone he died of AIDS.
Shut up.
Make me.
You want some, asshole? You're a goddamn headcase, man! He was spray-painting "God hates fags" on the front window.
I told him to stop.
He attacked me.
Are you gay? What does that have to do with it? It's going to come up.
He's been charged with aggravated assault.
Look, this is not about the money.
You're trying to make a point, and I get that, and it's absolutely a point worth making, but if you're not willing to put yourself at the centre of this, you'd better think twice.
[CLAPPING.]
Come on, Ryan! Let's look alive out there! [CHEERING.]
Go! I've got it! I've got it! [GASPING IN PAIN.]
Ryan? Okay, time out, time out Hey Dad! You should've seen the catch I made.
Yeah, I heard.
You, uh, you okay? There's nothing broken, thank God, but they're trying to give him concentrate.
He's a resident.
I told him he takes Cryo only.
He's calling his supervisor.
But he's okay, right? Nothing nothing's broken, so - Can you walk? - They said he has a deep contusion.
He needs a shot.
Well, we've got Cryo at home.
Let's, um treat him there ourselves.
[QUICK FOOTSTEPS.]
[TAP RUNNING.]
It was a really good catch.
Dad's not gonna let me play anymore, is he? Your father and I make these decisions together.
We'll talk about it tomorrow.
Get some sleep.
That could have been much worse.
You think I don't know that? 17 reported deaths in Canada.
So who knows how many actual cases.
It's here.
It's in Toronto.
And Cryo is safer than concentrate, but it is not safe.
Every time he takes a shot, it's like playing Russian roulette, and every day there are more bullets in the gun.
So I asked our local blood centre if I could donate my blood specifically for my son's Cryo, and I was refused.
And now you're here looking for special treatment? As a matter of fact, yes.
[CHUCKLES AWKWARDLY.]
I'm willing to pay for any additional cost It's not possible.
We simply can't accommodate everyone, nor should we.
There hasn't been a case of blood transmission-related AIDS in Canada.
Do you need someone to die before you put any safety precautions in place? We've already asked high-risk groups to refrain from donating.
Look at the uproar that caused.
Yeah, because you did it wrong.
What would you have us do? Talk to the community leaders.
Work with the high-risk groups directly I wouldn't know where to start.
Uh, well, there is a guy named Barry Freeland.
He's a he's a member of a new organization called ACT, AIDS Committee of Toronto.
- I can give you his number - We'll leave that sort of interaction to you and the city.
You seem to be doing a fine job.
At least a pamphlet needs to be handed out to blood donors.
I mean, the U.
S.
is doing it.
We're not prepared to scare off viable donors.
Our system depends on volunteers.
We have no idea how many people are out there walking around with AIDS.
Exactly right, Mr.
Sanders.
We have no idea how many people have AIDS, or even if it can be transmitted by blood, and until we have definitive proof, we are not prepared to upset the whole apple cart.
"Definitive proof"? You see, you are gambling with my son's life, and by the time you have your definitive proof, it's gonna be too late.
[CHILLIWACK'S "FLY AT NIGHT" PLAYS.]
Four men in a rock and roll band Fly at night in the morning we land Fly at night till we're satisfied I'm just outside of Thunder Bay.
Why? I'm picking up some Cryo for Ryan.
You drove 16 hours to get Cryo? Yeah.
The blood supply is safer up here.
No reported cases of AIDS.
Technically, I'm not supposed to be doing this, but, um, I have a friend up here who's willing to share his allotment, so [SIGHS.]
Can you be back tomorrow? I'd have to drive all night.
Why? What now? The new AIDS Committee is calling an emergency meeting tomorrow morning.
You just quit school? Why does it matter? - Peter - No, seriously, why don't you guys just admit the truth? Are you stoned? So what? So do you want your sister to see you like that? I'll move out! Hey! We can't just let him go.
- Maybe we should.
- How can you say that? He doesn't know how to handle this.
He doesn't want our help right now.
Where's he gonna go? We can't just leave him to fend for himself! - [ALICE AND BEN ARGUING.]
- He needs to cool off What do you want me to do, lock him in his room? [MUFFLED VOICES ARGUING.]
Are you going somewhere? Yes.
Where? Away.
All right? Why? Just shut up.
Okay? You're too young to understand.
Peter, I don't want you to go.
Well, too bad.
Peter, I [SLAMS HEAVILY.]
[BREATHING HARD.]
You said it is now unofficial policy to discourage all homosexuals from donating blood.
How is something unofficial and at the same time being published for everyone to read? - Well, I - Dr.
Herst was mistaken.
She was quoting from an internal Q&A sheet prepared by the Department of Public Health.
Really, Will? What, monogamous, celibate, or whatever? That wasn't my exact wording, but yes, that is the Department of Health's position.
Safety is our priority.
Look, we agreed the Red Cross policy would state that only sexually active homosexuals with multiple partners should refrain from donating.
The fact is, you should be excluding bisexual, and promiscuous heteros too, but that would never happen.
You're stigmatizing the entire community, giving the public permission to gay-bash us! That's not true.
You're saying we're to blame.
We're not just dying, we're killing all of you too.
No one is saying that.
I hear it every day! We have an epidemic on our hands.
That word is inflammatory and irresponsible.
Irresponsible? Look who's talking irresponsibility! You're the one who's putting people's lives at risk! Something has to be done! [DOOR CLOSES.]
I was supposed to be the angry one here.
Right.
[CITY TRAFFIC ROARS.]
An infant in Quebec just died of AIDS contracted from a blood transfusion.
The Red Cross says they're looking into it.
They're trying to pull the wool over our eyes.
Why would they do that? Because admitting there's a problem means that they have to overhaul the whole blood system.
It's a logistical nightmare, and it would cost them a fortune.
There are 18 cases of transfusion-related AIDS in the U.
S.
and counting.
Make the story about Peter.
No, I'm serious.
Give it a personal angle, help bring any conflict of interest out in the open.
I can't do that.
Ben, I need more than U.
S.
statistics.
I need clear evidence that the Red Cross is doing something wrong.
[SCOFFS.]
You're part of the problem.
You're not doing your job anymore.
You quit? I'm not quitting.
Do you have a job? I'll get another job.
Sometimes you can't fix the system from within.
[EXHALING.]
You're welcome to stay here, man, but it ain't free.
Yeah, I know.
You got a job? No.
May I suggest you get one? I'll get right on that.
Hey [YELPS, STARTLED.]
Yeah, what is it? What's wrong? Women.
They don't get AIDS, at least not anywhere near as frequently as men.
Who are you calling at 2:00 in the morning? [CALL RINGING.]
[GROGGY VOICE.]
: Hello? Hey.
What about proposing the Red Cross only use plasma from female donors to produce Cryo? - Will? - Yeah.
Very few women are infected with AIDS.
Only two in Toronto that we know of, and both are connected to high-risk groups.
I mean, it's so obvious.
I can't believe it never occurred to me before now.
It would be easy to sort the donations, and it would dramatically reduce the risk.
[SIGHING.]
It's 2:00 a.
m.
Yeah, I know.
All right, let me think it through.
They must be scrambling after that baby died in Quebec.
I'll write up the proposal.
Uh, maybe I should call.
Are you saying that they would say no just because it's me? Well, the CRC needs some good PR right now that shows that safety is our priority.
Um How about I suggest they run with this as if it was their own idea? Whatever it takes.
Worth a shot.
- What's up? - Look.
"Continental Pharma Cryosan has just been notified of an HMA recall.
" That's not news.
I know.
Look at the next page.
What is this? A further investigation of sources.
The highlighted section.
Check out what "ADC" stands for.
Jesus.
Did you know about this? Of course not.
We wouldn't have been buying plasma from them if I did.
[SIGHS HEAVILY.]
[DIALING NUMBER.]
Who are you calling? We have to tell the Red Cross.
At this point it is undeniable that AIDS is in the blood system.
It is now the leading killer of hemophiliacs in the United States.
Now, with all due respect and sensitivity to other high-risk groups, here's the thing that people need to understand.
Hemophiliacs are the only ones who cannot alter their behaviour to prevent contracting this disease.
They literally depend on safe blood products to live.
This is a proposal for immediate action.
Isn't there a hemophilia representative on the advisory committee to the CBC? They only meet twice a year.
We-we can't wait any longer.
The snail's pace of bureaucracy is costing lives.
The U.
S.
has been ahead of us in every respect.
They are now talking about heat-treating concentrates to kill pathogens.
Now, if this works, it could lead to totally safe blood products, but no one here is even looking at that.
I applaud your passion, Mr.
Sanders.
Leave this with me, and I'll see what we can do.
Well, you must have had some impact.
One of our members works on the same floor as Norton.
Said there's been calls back and forth all day about funding comprehensive care clinics.
That's good.
What about the rest? What's this? A statement prepared by the Red Cross for health officials.
Sounds like Norton called the Red Cross right after your meeting.
"There is no evidence the blood system is any less safe now than prior to AIDS.
" I feel like I've fallen down a rabbit hole.
The point is, you gotta be careful.
It's not just gay guys anymore.
I don't date druggies.
Hemophiliacs too.
What is that, anyway? Some sort of blood thing.
It's so crazy I would have gotten that for you.
Ah, you know, gotta get out of my office every once in a while.
[GOSSIPS CONTINUE.]
: I used to look at a guy, and wonder if he was hot enough to sleep with.
Now he's literally gotta be to die for.
That's not even funny.
[KNOCKING.]
You're okay, right? The chances of me getting AIDS is very slim.
But [SIGHS.]
I think it's probably best that nobody else knows I have hemophilia.
Only Solomon, of course.
I would never say anything.
Thanks.
The teens chased the two men, shouting homophobic epithets, eventually catching them, and throwing one of them off a bridge.
- Chelsea Bibb has more - Turn it off! You won't sleep! I won't sleep anyway.
One of those men died.
when they were set upon by four male teenagers, who chased them towards Maybe I can distract you.
These gay-bashing cases support my client's claim.
[CHUCKLES.]
What were we talking about again? Exactly.
You're not in school? No, it's not really for me.
So you like cars? I can do an oil change.
You can do an oil change You a hard worker? Yeah.
'Cause I don't have any patience for laziness or bullshit.
Okay.
Minimum wage.
Come in tomorrow, 8:00 a.
m.
sharp.
Okay.
Uh thank you.
Mm-hm.
Gallo discovered the AIDS virus! The French published more than a year ago.
But Gallo can prove that his virus actually causes AIDS.
His research could lead to a test.
Come on holy shit, right? Okay.
Um We'll talk about it when you're dressed.
Yeah.
Dr.
O'Shaughnessy from our Laboratory Centres for Disease Control has been invited to Gallo's lab.
They're working on a test for HIV antibodies.
Well, that's big news.
I'm sending the frozen samples from my study.
What do you think the results will show? Science frowns upon jumping to conclusions.
Let's talk about you.
I'm on a roller coaster.
One week I'm fine, the next, I can't get out of bed.
It's crazy to think something as mundane as a common cold could kill me.
Every time I sneeze, I think "This could be the end.
" You need to keep your spirits up.
For what? Finding the virus doesn't mean a cure is around the corner.
One step at a time.
Fag car.
What? Yeah, I mean, look at it.
Fag colour.
You like it, kid? [CACKLING.]
[YELPS.]
Ah, shit! Ow! [YELPS, WINCING.]
Now you got fag car AIDS all over you.
[CACKLING.]
[MODERNETTES' "BARBRA" PLAYING.]
Dude I told you not to leave your needle shit lying around.
Sorry.
Rough day? What do you think? That'll take the edge off.
No charge.
This time.
[KNOCKS.]
Paul Sol - How you doing? - Fine.
Ah, look, we're dropping the Wence case.
The partners don't think it's winnable.
[SIGHS.]
Of course it's winnable.
Look, I know it's controversial We've had some clients in the corporate division threaten to walk, so I'm sorry.
We're putting you on the Lipman case with Don.
Thanks for being a good sport.
Last time I met with Lipman, he wouldn't even shake my hand.
I'm sure it was nothing.
[KNOCKING.]
Have you got it yet? Um According to the CDC, 72% of asymptomatic hemophiliacs in the U.
S.
who infuse once a month are HIV-positive.
90% of those who infuse regularly.
Jesus.
It's way worse than we imagined.
I don't-I don't even know what to say.
Well, I guess we just have to hope it's not that bad here.
Yeah Yeah, let's just bury our heads in the sand.
There's only 96 cases of AIDS here in Canada, and only a couple of those are hemos.
72% asymptomatic? There has to be a lot more than we know.
This has to be enough to make the Red Cross take action.
Now.
Evidence that coagulation factors contain a direct, significant risk of transmitting AIDS is still not conclusive.
So, what are the odds now? I mean, clearly, not still "one in a million.
" Given the U.
S.
numbers, we need to stop importing their plasma.
What choice do we have? We're facing a growing shortage.
Well, then, uh, screening the blood for HIV? Yes, blood banks in the U.
S.
have begun clinical trials with the ELISA test.
It's far too early.
You mean costly.
You always have to weigh cost against effectiveness, which is thus far unproven.
The provinces are not going to pay for an unreliable test.
And having an antibody doesn't mean that you have AIDS or can transmit it.
All it means is that you've been exposed.
I mean, traditionally, having an antibody means you're immune.
There's no need for further discrimination against risk groups unless it's warranted.
Well, we are trying to save lives, so What about heat-treated concentrates? Now, the U.
S.
is implementing those.
We're not convinced that the process is effective.
Frankly, it reeks of a money grab.
A money grab? They're claiming that because heat-treating kills hepatitis, it will also kill HIV, but when you dig into the literature, it's only somewhat effective at eliminating hepatitis.
How about I mix that up, and we all take some? Yeah, that's what I thought.
The alternative to concentrate is getting riskier every day.
More cases of AIDS in Canada means the danger of infection through Cryo is growing.
We need action, right now.
If you're talking about the use of female donors, we've already addressed that.
Yes, you said it wasn't feasible to separate donations.
Actually, I don't know.
It seems quite simple to me.
I mean, you just, uh you take one of these, and you mark an "F" on a bag of blood - donated by a woman, and - That is not the issue.
[SIGHS HEAVILY.]
Okay.
Less than 20% of donated blood goes to the creation of cryoprecipitates, and that's not just for hemophiliacs, that's for surgery patients, too.
So, general population across Canada, female donors make up 40% of the total pool.
You can make Cryo much safer with half that.
We're done here.
No, we're not done here.
What are you talking about? We're not done! You people have mismanaged this situation from the beginning.
People's lives are at stake here! His life is at stake.
My son's life is at stake.
And you know what you people are doing about it? Fuck all! That is exactly what you're doing.
You are doing fuck all! [CLATTERING.]
[DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES.]
[BEN SIGHS HEAVILY.]
Where's Emma? At her friend's.
Liz called.
Peter didn't make it to his clinic appointment.
What do you want me to do? I want you to talk to him and tell him to come home.
Hey.
You think I wasn't going to keep track of you? Your mother wants you to come home.
Look, I'm sorry that we didn't tell you the test results, but we didn't want you to over-react, which is exactly what you've done.
Just leave me alone, okay? I just want to forget, and I can't do that at home.
There's still hope, Peter.
Then how come whenever I look at you, all I see is sadness? [SCOFFS.]
You okay? I can't sleep.
I can't eat.
I left oncology because I couldn't watch patients die anymore.
I know it's part of the job.
But I took on hemophilia care because it looked so hopeful.
I thought I was going to make a difference in these guys' lives.
Yeah He wants us to continue doing anything we can, even if it's going to prolong his suffering.
Not because he believes it's going to save his life, so that his family will think that we took every measure.
What's that for? Deceased patient files.
God help us.
I think we're being more than fair.
We're all very concerned for you.
I care about you, Paul.
If there's anything I can do.
See those fags on the news protesting outside city hall? [SCOFFS.]
Yeah.
Know what politicians and fags have in common? - Yeah, they both do dick.
- [CACKLES.]
Yeah.
What the hell is your guys' problem? We're just shooting the shit.
Yeah, well, people are dying.
Wait kid, are you a fag? I'm not gay, asshole.
I have hemophilia, and AIDS.
Are you fucking with us? Peter ? Yeah, I'll save you the trouble.
I quit.
Fight them.
It's wrong.
[SIGHING.]
I know.
The speech ran through my head while I was sitting there.
I wanted to defend myself like I would any client, but [SIGHS WEARILY.]
Truth is, I just [SIGHS.]
I just didn't have the strength.
I just felt so defeated.
This isn't you.
This is me.
This thing is a part of me now.
This is something we're both going to have to face.
No.
It is not something we accept.
It's something we fight.
Together.
[DOORBELL RINGS.]
How do you know you have AIDS? What difference does it make? Well, are you sick? Did a doctor tell you? No.
I take a blood product that's probably infected, and I had a blood test that says I have low T-cells.
Why do you care? I'm gay.
No one else at the shop knows.
What do you want from me? I want you to come back to work.
Screw those assholes.
Paul? - Kirpatrick, yes.
- Hey, Lawrence Hartley.
Full disclosure, it's very likely that I have AIDS.
No official diagnosis, but that's why I'm no longer at my firm.
Well, we can always use a lawyer around here.
Unfortunately, like I said on the phone, we can't offer you a paid position.
And yet I'm still here.
Somebody's gotta do something.
We definitely have a fight on our hands.
Let's put you to work.
You didn't ask to meet like this just to see how I'm doing.
I'm about to publish.
The, uh the numbers match the U.
S.
More than 50% of Canadian Hemophiliacs are HIV-positive.
I knew it was bad, but Things looked so dire back in the '50s.
The lives of hemophiliacs were painful and short.
Then Cryo came along, and things got a little better.
Concentrates made it look like we were finally going to be free.
It's so hard to believe the thing that was supposed to give us life turns out to be the thing that's going to take it away.
I, uh I grew up without a father.
I don't want to see that happen to other people if it doesn't have to.
I know my chances are slim.
But, please, once I'm gone, you do your best, make sure we're not all going to die.
[MUSIC THUMPING FROM INSIDE.]
[KNOCKS.]
Peter? [MUSIC BLASTING MODERNETTES' "SUICIDE CLUB".]
Betty, don't look around Everybody falls in love Down at the Suicide Club Everybody gets results Down at the Suicide Club Hey, hey, Peter, Peter - What are you - Okay, come on, let's go.
- That's enough.
We're going home.
- Hey, get outta here.
You're coming home now.
Let me go! I'm not letting you throw your life away.
I'm not throwing my life away, my life's already over! It's not over This is all your fault.
You're the one who let all this happen to me! [GRUNTS.]
Ah! Get out! Get out! So, how was school today? Do I have AIDS? No.
Of course not.
Why would you even ask that? Did something happen at school? Carson said he wasn't allowed to hang out with me anymore.
He said I could have AIDS because of my hemophilia.
Is this why we switched back to Cryo? Yeah.
We're telling you this because we think you can handle it.
And a lot of people are saying things right now, but the truth is nobody knows anything for sure.
The reason your dad's been working so hard lately is to make sure that you and people like you don't get AIDS from the blood products you take.
We're doing everything we can to keep you safe.
So I'm not going to get it? Not if we have anything to do with it.