The Nurse (2023) s01e03 Episode Script

1
BASED ON A TRUE STORY
Your dad's here.
Yay!
Hey, Dad. I'm getting on the boat.
Okay. You gotta put that life jacket on,
all right?
- Yeah.
- Hey.
Here. I have some food
in case you're hungry.
A&E again?
Yeah. She had a poorly tummy. So
Did they find anything?
Uh, no. Well, the intern
was very young, so, yeah
Well, I've but turned to see a consultant.
Mm-hmm.
Why do you go "mm-hmm"?
The last time
you took her to A&E,
she told me there was nothing
at all wrong with her. At all.
Oh.
Okay, well,
she told me that there was.
There's always something,
isn't there, Christina?
Why can't you be grateful
that her mum's a nurse?
She can see a doctor quickly.
I'd be grateful
if her mother was anyone other than you.
Have a good shift, okay?
Thanks, and you.
Morning.
THE NURSE
Ah, okay, that was much later though.
Oh, and by the way, you're one to talk.
Diana looked busy
with that trainee.
- The guy from M130.
- Oh, him! He was 22. Was he 19?
- Yes! That wasn't cool.
- But I wonder where Pia was
- I was dancing limbo all night.
- All by yourself, Pia?
My back hurts so much now.
I should have left
when they started serving Jägerbombs.
That was a mistake.
- You did leave.
- With that porter.
- Thorbjørn.
- Thorbjørn.
That's his name, right?
Katja.
Katja.
- Need to come up with a plan.
- Meaning?
We can't ignore it.
We have to, uh, go to management.
Listen, uh, I really, really hate getting
involved in stuff like rumours and gossip.
She signed off on 22
22 deaths now in a year and a half.
That's far too many.
- No, no, no.
- Katja, maybe the diazepam
I admit she's too much. Really.
Katja, she's killing patients.
But that's a very
serious accusation, Pernille.
I'm sure of it.
And if management won't listen,
we should go to the police.
This is crazy, for fuck's sake.
Can't you see that?
You haven't got a hope here.
They all love Christina at Falster.
No one'll believe you.
Can't you see how crazy this sounds?
You've seen it as well.
No one will believe you.
We are here because
of John Dalgaard.
- Yeah, I remember John.
- He had trouble with his bladder?
Yeah, that's right.
Hmm. His family
said his death was unexpected.
Yeah,
well, um, his vitals were good,
but then he suddenly went
into cardiac arrest and died.
Yeah, the doctor on call
couldn't say what caused it.
And I think
he had some existing heart issues.
Could we look in the room?
Yeah. He's no longer there.
The room was cleaned.
Sure, you can have a look.
In that case,
don't worry about it.
It's just that his family came,
so we had to get him ready.
Yeah, we understand.
Was there anything unusual at all?
Things not how they should be?
No, but, um, Pernille was actually
the one dealing with him
You didn't notice anything odd
on your shift, did you?
Uh
We have patients here
with multiple ailments,
so often it can be really difficult
to determine the exact cause of death.
Well, let's just leave it at that then,
shall we?
- Sounds good.
- That's great. Well, see you.
Oh, see you at the gymnastics show.
- I'll have to go.
- Great.
- See you in the parents' section.
- Say hi to Nanna.
- Yeah, say hi at home. Bye.
- Bye.
Were they here
about John Dalgaard?
They check on unexpected deaths.
They never stay long.
I'll get you a coffee.
What else did he have to do?
He had to surprise his dad.
- And then his dad
- You're not reading all the right words.
Do you ever miss our old house?
No, I like this one better.
And all your friends too,
do you miss them?
Only Sally really,
and I have new friends here.
Oh.
Dicte, Iben, Vera and Hannah.
That's great.
And Dad said now we live here,
I might be able to get my own horse.
- Oh, he said that?
- Mm.
Hmm.
- Good night, sweetie.
- Good night, Mum.
Mmm!
Do you want me
to leave the fairy lights on?
No, you don't have to.
Hiya.
- Hi.
- Morning. Hi, Alberte.
- Hi, Dad.
- Uh, coffee?
Yeah, a quick one.
- She ready?
- Nearly.
Awesome.
Alberte says
you're getting a horse for her.
Yeah, it'll be fun.
It's a big thing, Morten.
Lot of responsibility.
Yeah, we'll figure it out.
So how's it going in the new job then?
Um, I'm starting to think that this job,
uh, isn't really for me.
What do you mean?
Something's going on.
Something that I find a bit weird.
But, uh, no one asks questions.
They all just carry on.
Yeah, and I'm not sure I could do that.
You wanna quit because
they don't wanna do things your way?
It's not about my way
of doing things, Morten.
It's much more serious than that.
People go into cardiac arrest
and drop like flies in our ward.
But it's a hospital, Pernille.
And folk tend to die there, you know.
But there's too many, and no one notices.
Okay.
But don't you think it's very odd
that you're the only one noticing?
- And it is your first job after all.
- Well, I can't just ignore it, can I?
It's the real world out there.
You just need to get used it.
Yes, but I'm a nurse,
and if there are patients in the hospital
getting the wrong treatment,
then I can't just turn a blind eye to it.
Okay, fine, Pernille. Go your own way
and tell the entire world they're wrong
and you're right.
Hmm.
All I'm saying is
there aren't many other places down here
to find work if you're a nurse.
And Alberte really likes that we're
becoming some kind of family again
and that we live close.
Right. I know.
"Heart fibrillation."
Am I saying that right?
Uh, yeah, that's it.
Oh, yeah. That's right.
Hmm.
- I didn't forget.
- Thank you.
It's all right.
Desirée.
- Yeah?
- You seen Pernille?
No, she in room 36?
Hi, Pernille.
- Hi.
- Feeling better?
Happy working day shifts then?
- Yeah, it's all fine.
- Ah, good.
If he feels hot,
you know, high temperature,
you just let me know.
Just know that things
can change really quickly.
You'll be here, won't you?
Will you?
- Christina, will you? If I need you, yeah?
- Of course.
Well, it might be the only thing
you can cook, but it tastes amazing.
I've got something
I need to show you later.
Hmm.
- I've got something to show you as well.
- Oh, shut up.
Listen.
- Let's tell people.
- What?
So we could post about it on
on SnapChat or Facebook.
Or or on MySpace.
Or I'll put it straight on LinkedIn.
Sometimes I forget
how insanely old you are.
'Cause I'm a hipster.
And then you open your mouth,
and I'm reminded instantly.
There are couples at work, you know.
- Uh, Niels.
- Is it too soon?
Yeah, uh, no.
I'm not 22, you know.
I don't like I don't like
all this cloak and dagger stuff.
I want people to know
we're together.
- What's the time?
- It's nearly eight.
Hmm.
I think I'll sleep
another half hour.
- Niels.
- Hmm.
I think
Christina is doing awful things.
Hmm.
I think she's killing patients.
Oh, my word.
Hey, I mean it.
What do you mean?
John was admitted the other day
for urinary tract retention.
- And then his heart stopped beating.
- John?
We had three patients the other night,
and all of them, all were stable,
and all their hearts
just stopped during the night.
Look, look, look,
stop for a sec, will you?
Tell me again. What's up?
I think she killed them.
You actually serious?
Well, I think she gave them something
to make them unwell.
And I think she's done it before.
Do you realise what you're saying?
Where did you get this?
He was your patient.
We talked to him together.
John and his wife Ella,
they just had another grandchild.
Yeah, I remember. So what?
He had urinary tract retention,
and you don't just die of that, do you?
Cardiac arrhythmia
could have caused his death, huh?
But it's still really very unusual
for that to happen
while he's in the hospital bed
and while he's being treated.
I just don't understand
why you're saying all this.
Christina's one of the best nurses
at the hospital. Don't you realise that?
She's saved so many patients.
They'd have died if not for her.
Look, she signed off
on 22 deaths in the past year and a half.
- Okay, yeah. This is madness. Sorry.
- You can't ignore that.
Try and explain to me
why on earth she would kill them.
- It's a completely crazy idea.
- I can't understand it either.
And how could that happen
and no one notice?
They all talk about Christina on the ward.
- Mm.
- Shifts full of drama.
Everyone's always joking about it.
- But no one does anything.
- Pernille, stop. This is drivel.
It's not fucking drivel. It's happening.
But no one can see it!
Thanks a lot.
Pernille.
Christina has been on the ward
for nearly three years now.
There's been no other doctor
who's worked closer with her than me.
And if anyone could've observed
anything weird going on at work, it's me.
And do you really think I'd not spot it
if a crazy psycho was on the loose?
Well, I don't know. You tell me.
Christ!
Un-fucking-believable.
This is insane.
To listen to this shit
from a graduate nurse in her first job.
And that that I'm deaf and blind
to what's going on.
- Just listen.
- No, no.
- I hear enough shit at work. I'm fed up.
- Of course you won't.
- You're jealous. Gossip with someone else.
- This is not jealousy, not gossip.
Niels believe me!
- Aren't you off today?
- Uh, just picking something up.
PATIENT NAME: JOHN DALGAARD
Ida.
Uh, hi. My name is Pernille.
Do you have a minute?
Yeah.
I'd like to talk to you about Christina.
Don't really wanna get involved
in this again.
There were so many problems
at M130 back then.
Yeah, but it's much better now.
I assure you
I won't say anything to anyone.
I just need you to reassure me
that I'm not going completely crazy.
Uh, did you know Christina well?
Yeah, yeah,
we worked a lot of shifts together.
And how was it?
She was energetic
and, yeah, super skilled.
But you must've seen that.
Yep, uh,
but I've also seen some things.
What've you seen?
Uh, well, she is brutal.
And, uh
I've caught her lying. She lies.
There was always drama with Christina.
And everything was, like, crazier.
Well, I actually tried talking
to the head nurse about her.
But I really shouldn't have.
She got really angry with me.
She said I was causing problems.
She did nothing?
Not as far as I know, no.
I thought that they'd found something.
Yeah, didn't hear anything though.
Then she just moved to your department.
Everything calmed down after she left.
Didn't anyone notice that though?
No, it was a relief that she'd gone.
There was a little gossiping for a bit.
But you have to be
very careful what you say.
Christina had a lot of fans
in our department.
- Yours too, I'd imagine.
- Mm-hmm.
I think I should really get going.
Uh, what made you think you needed
to report her to the head nurse?
In 2012,
a patient died of cardiac arrest,
and and everything was really
so strange that the hospital ordered
a root cause analysis.
They found huge doses
of morphine and diazepam too.
No, no one could understand
why that should be.
And then?
They concluded it was suicide.
Suicide?
Yeah.
Well, I just didn't believe it though,
but that was the official finding.
And who was he?
He was called Arne. Arne Herskov.
- Kenny Herskov?
- Yeah, that's me.
Yeah, I'm sorry to keep you.
I'm actually done now for the day.
So if you follow me,
you can talk while I wrap things up.
Sure. Uh, I wanted to ask
if you could re-open a case.
Uh, so could remind me
of the exact details?
Yeah, it's about my brother.
- His name was Arne, Arne Herskov.
- Yeah.
He was admitted here.
Yeah. Ah, yes, I think I remember him now.
Yeah, and now we'd all like
to know what really happened that night.
Uh-huh, now if I remember rightly,
didn't we do a root cause analysis?
Yeah, but what you told us all isn't true.
Why do you say that?
It's just that Arne was improving.
He looked great. The colour was back
in his cheeks, and he was happy.
And the main thing
was that our Arne hated drugs.
Nevertheless, it says here that, uh,
they found both morphine
and diazepam in his blood,
which weren't listed anywhere
in his notes.
But Arne would never inject himself,
and he didn't take his own life.
He wouldn't do that.
Kenny, listen.
The really interesting thing
that I've learned
over the years about my job,
that you never ever stop learning.
Every single day
there are things that surprise me.
The thing is
what I see again and again is, uh,
that a lot of people often turn out
to be not who we think they are.
No, Arne hated the stuff.
Well, we all know your family, Kenny.
You have, for a number of years,
been a regular guest here.
- Yeah, I know.
- Yeah.
- You have to admit, he drank quite a lot.
- Well
For a long time.
Yeah?
In, uh, what one could only call a,
well, a self-destructive way.
Yeah.
So maybe the notion
isn't as unlikely as you think.
Glad you came, Kenny. Drive safe.
Here.
OUR DEAR BROTHER AND UNCLE
ARNE HERSKOV HAS DIED
Yes, I think we've been through
the whole agenda. So, let's wrap this up.
- Yes.
- Same time next week?
Oh. We need
to talk about expansion next time.
- Yes.
- Occupancy is the main issue.
And I keep mentioning it.
- No one seems to listen.
- The financing is vital.
Adam.
Hey.
- I was thinking
- What's up, Lundén?
You're looking a bit stressed.
Too much wine over the weekend?
A bit.
Uh, will you take a look at this for me?
- Yeah, what is it?
- John Dalgaard died last week.
And I, uh, was wondering
if sudden heart arrhythmia
could have caused cardiac arrest.
I've asked his GP,
gone through every one of his records,
and he didn't have
any symptoms prior to this,
and he wasn't taking any medicine.
Right.
His doctor maintains he was healthy
and didn't have a history
of heart trouble.
And he shouldn't have died.
Huh. There's something
about heart enzymes here.
Yeah.
But doesn't look too dramatic.
So after reading all this,
you're wondering
what could've caused the cardiac arrest.
Hmm. That's it. Yeah.
From looking at this, I think I'd agree.
Your best hypothesis?
Hmm. People around here
are very unhealthy.
They die.
Okay, so you don't see
an obvious cause of death?
Not in here. See you this weekend, will I?
Yeah, you will.
Sack race, Sunday. See you there.
- It'll be savage.
- When you lose.
- See you, Lundén.
- Take care. Keep practising.
Will do.
PATIENT NAME: JOHN DALGAARD
PATIENT NAME: HANNE KOFOED
PATIENT NAME: GURLI MADSEN
PATIENT NAME: MATILDE BUNDGÅRD
PATIENT NAME: PETER BRUN
PATIENT NAME: CLAUS LINDBERG
You ought to know that I'm gonna carry on
looking into all of this.
'Cause I can't stand aside
as if nothing's going on.
- If no one else is gonna get involved
- I know.
Something's not right.
I looked at John's records,
and they don't make sense.
His heart was fine.
You looked into it then?
I looked through it all.
I found several strange deaths
that happened when Christina was working.
Come in.
I have to talk to management.
If you talk to management,
they'll react like me.
Then I'll call the police.
If you go to the police
without any evidence,
they'll contact the hospital.
They'll initiate a staff case
against Christina.
They'll tell her what
she's accused of and who accused her.
It'll be your word against hers.
And if it all goes to pot
and they find they can't prosecute,
your life here'll be ruined.
Who'll employ you after that?
So then what do I do?
We.
What?
I'm with you.
So, if you look at the mortality rate
at M130 when Christina was there
and compare it
to the period after she left,
it dropped quite considerably.
By how much?
Well, from around
90 deaths a year to roughly
fifty deaths.
That's 40.
Why hasn't anyone spotted it?
Sometimes there are periods
with more deaths than others.
None of us wants to acknowledge that
there'd be a situation where a colleague,
who we work closely with,
is poisoning the patients.
Uh, Ida told me of a case
where someone died,
and the police were notified.
Uh, the hospital carried out
a root cause analysis.
His name was Arne Herskov.
Ring a bell?
Root cause analyses are
for internal use only,
so if they did one,
it'll have been deleted.
When was the case?
It's from 2012.
Three years between him and John.
Yeah.
A hundred and twenty.
I still don't understand
why she's doing it.
Yeah.
They're not
compassionate killings.
Most of them aren't terminally ill.
They're not in pain.
And even though she exaggerates,
even though she's aggressive,
and she lies,
she's not a total psychopath.
She's a fantastic nurse. Everyone says so.
Maybe that's it.
That she loves it
when they call her a super-duper nurse.
It's her identity.
The star nurse who knows it all.
So it's about being seen?
Admiration, adulation,
uh, honour, prestige.
She wants the attention.
When she saves a patient
from cardiac arrest, she's a star.
She doesn't plan
to kill them. She
Wants to save them.
Is it possible to open up old cases?
Can you dig the corpses up?
Even if the police decided to,
there's nothing to dig up.
Everyone's cremated now.
What evidence do you think
we can find then?
She has free access to medicine,
and we don't record what we take.
We all wear gloves, uh,
use disinfectant, so there'll be no trace.
We sterilise the rooms constantly.
All syringes are destroyed.
The best thing then
would be to catch her
in the act of harming a patient.
Uh, so what do you suggest?
We keep an eye on her.
Uh, and this time,
when you say "we,"
do you mean you too?
Not me, no.
She mustn't suspect anything.
I can't show up several times
during the night, can I?
She'd notice.
SATURDAY NIGH
What are you up to?
Uh I'm just checking when we're on.
Hmm.
- We're on the same night shift.
- Yeah, I saw that.
First time for quite a while.
Thought you were avoiding me.
No, it's just that our shifts
haven't matched up, yeah.
- It's gonna be good.
- And crazy, right?
When we're together,
something always happens.
What are we like?
When it's you and me.
Well, I'm off now. See you tomorrow.
- I can't wait.
- Me too.
Honey, I made a spag bowl that Clara
can heat up if you're hungry, okay?
Clara's coming?
Yeah.
I'm working a shift tonight.
- Okay.
- Mm.
Mummy!
Mummy!
- Mummy!
- Hey.
Hey.
- Did you have a bad dream?
- Mmm.
Hey, it's okay. Mummy's here.
- Hey.
- It felt like it was real.
Yeah, dreams do.
- There was a monster.
- It's gone now.
It's good that you woke up,
so it went away.
The monsters aren't real though,
are they?
No.
But what if they really are?
Hmm.
Then we'll sneak up on them
really slowly and quietly.
And then we'll kill them
with our monster swords.
You're really brave, Ma.
Do you know a good night poem?
Hmm.
So take my heart in your hands
But take it very softly and quietly
The red heart
Is now yours
I really like that one.
Hmm.
It's beating quietly, it's beating calmly
For it has loved, and it has suffered
Now it is quiet
Now it is yours
And it can get hurt
It can languish
It can forget, and it often does
But never will it forget
That it is yours
It was so proud and strong, my heart
It slept, dreamt of joy and play
Now it can be broken
But only by you