The Knick (2014) s02e06 Episode Script

Keep your eyes steadily on the disc.
But it's getting harder.
Your eyes are so tired from staring.
Your eyelids feel like lead.
They want to close.
Heavier.
Heavier.
You must close them now.
Ladies and gentlemen, these three people are now in a state of hypnosis.
Suggestions I make will be implicitly accepted regardless of their nonsensical character.
Archie.
Archie, when you wake, there will be a kitten in front of you.
There is nothing more frightening in this world than this creature.
You want nothing to do with it.
No! No, get no kitties! It's only a kitten.
Get the cat out of here! Gonna kill us all! Get it out! They come from Siberia, a fierce and dangerous place.
Their mother, when she was with child, was attacked by a bear.
The girls, even in their mother's womb, instinctively knew that to survive they should cling to one another.
They held on so tight, and this was the result.
The birth was so excruciating, it killed their mother.
Their father died of shock upon seeing them.
Zoya and Nika were alone.
But they proved in the womb their incredible survival ability.
They lived off the milk of a goat and fallen acorns from a tree.
They watched the wolves and by the age of four could hunt.
They taught themselves to speak, to sing, and even to play instruments that they carved themselves.
That's quite a story.
I've recounted it 1,000 times and I still find it inspiring.
How would you know that they clung to each other in the womb? You telling me my business, mister? No, no, no.
I meant no disrespect.
I'm a doctor.
I'm a natural skeptic.
John Thackery.
Knickerbocker Hospital.
Lester Brockhurst.
Mr.
Brockhurst, would you be willing to allow me to examine the girls? What for? Purely from a scientific perspective.
When was the last time they saw a doctor? I got a physician's book.
I make sure they're healthy.
No, of course.
And it looks like you're doing a fine job.
One of them got dysentery last year.
I fixed her up.
That's very impressive.
So they don't share a digestive tract.
It's not that I don't trust doctors, it's the time it takes.
That's money out of my pocket.
So, what would you say if I offered to hire them for a private show? We'll need transportation and a meal afterwards for me at a reputable place.
That can definitely be arranged.
I'll be in touch.
Morphine for the pain.
The nurse will take you to another room to rest for a couple of hours.
The X-rays will have been developed by then.
I'll come in and check on you and take you home.
Do those help? A little.
The key seems to be in coating the zinc needles with mercury.
And the amount of current needed for the zinc and mercury to ionize is dependent upon the size of the tumor.
But if done correctly, the procedure claims to kill all the malignant cells without disturbing the healthy tissue.
It seems far less risky than an all-out laryngectomy.
I witnessed several of those in Paris.
They all failed.
They couldn't reconstruct the windpipe after having removed so much tissue with the tumor.
I think it's worth trying.
In the absence of any other solution, yes.
But it's still experimental and Zinberg would never I don't have the luxury of two years' worth of study.
So I was hoping you'd help me.
You have experience working in secret.
I'm sorry.
I just meant I need someone I can trust.
Harold.
Harold.
Just tell Croker he'll have the last 100,000 by Tuesday.
Right.
And listen, Harold.
Where are we with the Brooklyn lines? 'Cause I don't want to open the paper and find they've all been auctioned off.
Uh-huh.
Right.
That's fine.
Just keep me apprised of the situation.
All right, I have to go, Prettyman.
Good-bye.
Nurse Elkins.
What are you I've been watching some of the other girls receive invitations to the fundraising ball from their suitors.
I was wondering when I was gonna get mine.
How many other girls do I have to watch smile holding an invitation before I get one? I Usually you have so many clever things to say.
What's the matter? People can see.
The glass.
Doesn't bother me.
Does it bother you? Maybe I should stop so you can gather your thoughts.
No.
Well, then, my invitation? Soon.
Very soon.
Good.
And this is the big top at the center of our circus.
How full does your gallery get? When Thackery was leading the operations, standing room only.
Not what yours is, is it, Russell? Well, we don't have the suction machine or any of the other electric gadgets.
Lighting is better in here, too.
Mm-hmm.
I'm sure yours will still suffice.
For what? Carr needs surgery.
Umbilical hernia.
Had it for years, but I need to have it taken care of.
I've read your hernia paper.
I thought I'd do it for him.
My procedure? Russell says he's read the paper thoroughly.
But he's never performed it.
And you'd be doing this at your place? Of course he would.
We couldn't do it here.
There are rules.
I was thinking, and no disrespect to you, Russell, but since I did invent the procedure, perhaps I should be the one to perform it.
Of course.
You were the first choice.
And we should do it here if we can.
I'll ask Thackery.
See if he can square it with the board.
Then we'll wait to hear from you.
- Hello? - We're in here.
Sorry I'm late.
It's quite all right.
We waited to eat.
Good evening, Dr.
Gallinger.
What are you doing here? Your wife graciously invited me to dinner.
Why would you invite Dr.
Cotton into our home? To thank him for what he did for me.
For us.
He's the reason I feel the way I do.
I am very pleased with how Eleanor's been doing.
I was just saying before you walked in, I think she might be mentally fit to have children again.
Isn't that wonderful, darling? The hospital's been doing so well, the state of New Jersey has asked us to expand.
We've seen patients from across the country, several from as far away as Europe.
Lucky for you that preying on the desperate is so lucrative.
Everett, I will not have you insult our guest.
That's all right, Eleanor.
A man's entitled to his opinion, misinformed as it may be.
Misinformed? You mutilated my wife.
And yet here you sit with your wife, a wonderful host who's prepared this delicious meal.
Six months ago, you dreamed of an evening like this.
You think so? Then you're misinformed.
Excuse me.
Let me give you an example.
We had one young man, suffered terribly his entire life from paranoia.
Distrust of others.
He heard voices.
He was a hypochondriac to the point where he couldn't function due to his own preoccupation with himself.
Now, as with Eleanor, I knew sepsis was the cause, so I removed his teeth at once.
There was little change at first, but I owed it to this young man to help.
And so I removed his tonsils and his gallbladder.
Now the distrust disappeared.
So I kept on.
In the end, his spleen, colon, and testicles, they all came out.
Dear God.
I realize it may seem extreme, but I'm happy to report the young man is now home, he's found employment, no longer struggles with his symptoms.
He is leading a relatively normal life.
And five years ago, that would have been impossible.
Normal life? That young man isn't a hypochondriac anymore 'cause there's nothing left of him to be hypochondriacal about.
I don't understand why a doctor would shrink so timidly from the frontiers of science.
Is that so? Are you all right? I'm not feeling well.
Where is your lavatory? Please, it's just up the stairs and to the left.
You really don't need to be so rude.
He's our guest.
Why did you invite him into our home? I could kill him.
Perhaps you could just remove his teeth.
Without anesthetic.
I wanted him here.
And you will both please try to remain civil throughout dessert.
I don't have an appetite.
I'm sorry, Mrs.
Gallinger.
I am going to get on home.
I'm not feeling well.
I'm so sorry to hear that.
But I'm very glad that you came so that I could show you my appreciation for what you did for me.
Of course.
Good night.
Are you ready? I'll do my best, Mother.
I love you, my darling.
I'll see you when you wake up.
Do you need a drape? No, she's a patient.
She needs a surgeon.
I'm a surgeon.
Thank you.
Right, hand me the electrodes.
Make sure and contact the zinc and mercury that's been injected into the tumor in order to ensure that ionization is complete and the cancer cells are killed.
You did a nice job with these.
When this is over, I'm gonna have these melted down into a necklace for her to cover the scar.
Three, two, one.
All right.
Any change? It should shrink and soften.
We'll have to go again.
Increase the milliamperes to 1,200.
What's going on? It's all right.
I'm a surgeon here.
Dr.
Chickering.
There's no surgery scheduled for tonight and no emergencies.
You're not supposed to be in here.
Yes, I am! And what about him? I'm harder to explain.
- Excuse me.
- It's all right.
It's all right.
You're against the clock now.
What are you doing? The laryngectomy.
The tumor is braided into her larynx, trachea, and esophagus.
How do you expect to remove it? What do you suggest, then? Close her up and take a day to consider your options.
Options? We know what's gonna happen.
She starves to death or asphyxiates or chokes on her own spit.
That part of the tumor may come away, but it'll take too much of the posterior mucosa.
I'll shave it as closely as I can, try to limit the damage.
It's tumorous through and through.
God damn it, there's no windpipe to work with.
It's all tumor.
It's torn to bits.
Holes everywhere.
Her lips are blue.
She's hypoxic.
Dr.
Chickering, what in God's name are you doing? In God's name I'm trying to save my mother! I take full responsibility.
And if you worked here, that might be worth a damn.
There's no repairing that ventricle.
Just use the tissue to shore up that hole.
Her breathing is becoming labored.
What is Dr.
Edwards doing here? He knew the procedure we were trying.
Then why isn't he leading the surgery? I've lost sight in my left eye.
It's only recently begun to improve a bit.
So your assisting surgeon is half blind with no depth perception.
Wonderful.
If you would kindly excoriate us later, we are in trouble here.
Oh, my.
Harvest some tissue from below the thyroid cartilage and use that to patch the space on the tracheal rings.
- Can you see well enough to patch that space? - Yes.
Good.
Now draw the tissue across.
Don't worry yourself with the cancerous section.
You're just trying to give her something to breathe through.
Now hold it up against the anterior wall.
I'll suture it.
I'm not clean, but the instrument is.
My patch is almost in.
- She's still not getting any air.
- It's falling apart.
It's shredding the edge of the tumor near the subglottis.
We need more tissue.
She's cyanotic.
There's no pulse.
We can harvest from the soft palate and use it to cover the shredded area near the subglottis.
- Bertie.
- No.
Let her go.
She's been through enough.
Let her go.
Fuck.
You're right, it could never have succeeded.
From the day she was diagnosed, she was dead.
It needed to be studied, it needed to be perfected.
But she was my mother.
What was I supposed to do? I'm not running a circus.
There are no high-wire acts here.
But sometimes there needs to be.
Sometimes risks have to be taken.
Not in my operating rooms.
I think it best if I resign.
I agree.
It'll save me the task of having to fire you for violating protocols.
Now go be with your family.
I'm sorry.
So am I.
I was stupid to think I could do it.
You must be furious with me.
You had the courage to try.
I couldn't even look.
Why's Vera leaving? - I don't know.
- Pregnant.
- She have anyplace? - No.
And the father? Whaler she met at a saloon.
He's somewhere in the Atlantic for all she knows.
They can't just throw her in the street.
I should try and get her in on the ward at the Knick.
They'll certainly be eager to hear from you.
I thought I had baby troubles just last month.
I told you girls don't let the fella finish inside you.
I didn't.
And Vera said neither did she.
But it ain't like the fella's gonna listen to a lot of reason while he's in his state.
He's paying to finish where he wants.
You got another way to make a dollar? Rose, you were a midwife.
Tell Nettie.
A man pulling out is just wishful thinking most times.
But there are other ways to stop a man getting you pregnant.
What kind of other ways? We can talk about this another time.
Sleep is coming.
Sleep.
- Did it work? - Appears so.
Very good.
What do you think? You're Merlin the wizard.
I can't fathom how that works.
Neither can I.
Seems to reach a part of the brain that isn't physical.
If one could suggest to someone who was hypnotized to do all sorts of humorous feats, then why not use it for something more practical? Change people's perception.
Curb their addiction.
I've heard crazier ideas.
In this room, actually.
What habits does your subject have? Simple, direct instructions.
- Mr.
Cleary - Mm.
when I blow on you, you will wake and you will no longer be interested in smoking your pipe.
You will detest it.
The sight of it will anger you.
The fuck is that? - It's your pipe.
- No.
No.
- That ain't mine.
- Yes, it is.
- No.
- Do you want it? You bet your ass I do.
I'm sorry, Doc, but all that hocus-pocus Yeah, thanks for wasting our time.
Go on, get out.
I wanted to present something to you.
Are you familiar with Garrison Carr? No.
He's a bit of an established thinker in certain communities.
He's in need of a hernia repair and I'd like to perform it.
Which communities? Little Africa.
Harlem.
Perhaps if the request to the board came from you.
I can try.
It'll be good if there's a doctor in the room so I can revive them once they discover your proposed patient is a Negro.
Bertie the departed.
I want to come back.
What about Zinberg? He's extraordinary and what he's doing over there would impress you.
Turns out I'm a bit too reckless for him.
I saw the notice in the paper about your mother.
I'm sorry.
I need the speed of this place.
Of you.
Maybe I've changed.
Perhaps I'm not as reckless and fast as you remember.
Algernon told me that last month you performed surgery with a telephone.
Some things have changed, I promise you.
They have with me, too, or else I wouldn't be here.
I know now that this is where I belong.
I've always known that.
What's he saying? He doesn't like you being here.
I'm just trying to help him and get some information.
How long has he been like this? Has he seen anyone from the health department? He's afraid you're trying to deport him.
Assure him I'm not.
He's saying that the guy from the health department threatened to.
Was his name Speight? Do you know? Speight? He's saying he was a pig.
Fat like a barrel.
Speight.
Did you give this to Inspector Speight? This belonged to his brother Aldo.
May I speak to him? Aldo died, signorina.
Did he have the same symptoms? Yes, same symptoms.
Fingers turned black, blood everywhere.
He's saying that he came down the ship feeling not well and in a week he died.
Did your brother have money? Was he well-off? No.
Then how could he afford a second-class ticket? He doesn't know.
He doesn't know, but look, maybe Aldo stole it.
But Gino came here honestly.
He's a good man.
He has a family, a job, you know? He didn't do no wrong.
You must leave, I'm sorry.
- He needs to see a doctor.
- He wants you to leave.
I'm sorry.
Of course.
I'm sorry.
After the swelling goes down, try to keep it elevated and then you can go home.
Excuse me one moment.
Lucy.
I'm sorry.
I'm sure that must have been a surprise.
A pleasant one.
Welcome back.
I know I felt more than you at one point, but I won't pretend my treatment towards you after our falling out wasn't intended to hurt you.
It did.
Well, I was angry.
And I acted like a child.
And I'm sorry.
I didn't expect you to forgive me.
Well, I have.
I've learned a lot about forgiveness.
And though I don't expect it, I hope you'll give me yours.
Of course.
I'd give anything to be friends again.
Me, too.
There's a ball coming up.
Excuse me? To raise money for the new hospital.
I heard you have a new lady friend.
Oh.
I just thought that if you wanted to attend, it would only be fair to her I don't know her name.
Genevieve.
To give her ample warning so that she has time to get a dress and prepare.
Thank you.
Are you going? We'll see.
Algie's gonna have Thackery ask the board if he can perform a surgery on that D.
W.
Garrison Carr fellow.
That Carr's in our boy's ear.
Algie's got my vote, but he's pushing harder than the rest of the board can stand.
Carr does more harm than good.
Good afternoon.
Let me have a Glenlivit.
- Two, please.
- Yes, sir.
It's too soon.
Barrow said he's received inquiries from nervous donors about Algie's involvement going forward.
It's just one surgery.
And Algie invented it, for God's sake.
I'm not quibbling about our boy's skill.
I would take him over Thackery these days.
But our donors believe Thack is a god and we need them to continue believing that.
It's not just it's not just their estimation of Thackery that matters.
They clearly don't want the new Knick integrated.
Meaning having a Negro doctor or his Negro patients? Both.
If we want Algie to move uptown with us, we have to sacrifice something.
So the patients.
So the barge takes all the lower-class passengers over to Ellis Island for the full inspection, but a doc gives them a quick once-over here.
What happens if they get marked? Well, then they got to see another doctor on Ellis for a more thorough exam.
If the doc thinks they're too sick and can't get cured easy here, then they can't come into the country.
Over 25,000 last year alone.
Where did they all go? Back to where they came from.
What would send them back? Anything highly contagious.
Trachoma, typhus, cholera - Plague? - Oh, yeah.
And they'd have to go back to their country of origin? Not with embarkation.
See, the shipping companies have to pay a $100 fine for each and passage back, so most of the big companies do their own health inspections before the immigrants even leave their home ports.
The thing is, over there, people always get through.
We don't miss them on this end.
Is it this crowded every day? Yeah, and it's getting worse, too.
And this is just the third-class and the steerage passengers.
What about the first and second-class passengers? They got off down there.
Immigration officials have already met the boats in the harbor and checked them out right on the ship.
There's very little risk of something really infectious coming from the ones that can pay to ride in comfort.
Dr.
Thackery.
Someone, or maybe someones, are here to see you.
They're waiting in your office.
Excuse me.
Mr.
Brockhurst.
Cab ride here was a dollar.
The one on their right is Zoya and the one on the left is Nika.
- Say hello, girls.
- Hello.
- Nika.
- Hello.
She's the dumb one.
Excellent.
Well, let's get started.
If you'd like to come with me, please.
Whoa, whoa.
Where are you taking them? The X-ray room.
I want to see what bones and organs they might share.
If you want them to take their clothes off, that'll cost more if that's what you want them for.
No, that is not what I want them for.
Many men do.
Not a one ever said it wasn't worth the money.
If you want to wait in the lobby, I'll be about an hour.
If you'll just follow me.
All the modern gadgets electric toaster, gas stove.
They're even installing a dumbwaiter all the way from the service entrance for ice and food deliveries.
I could learn to cook for you, Hermie.
Ah, we'll hire someone for that.
Cook you anything you want.
When can we move in? Mmm, about a month or so.
Every project in New York is being slowed because of the demand for workers.
I'll need the time to gather the rest of the funds to pay for your freedom.
I don't want you spending a minute longer than you need to at Ping Wu's.
So, can you see us here? It's beautiful.
It would have been nice to be able to see the park.
Well, those apartments are a bit more expensive.
Oh.
It's just with all of my expenses, we still have to buy furniture.
I understand, Hermie.
You're doing the best you can, I suppose.
Just imagine if we were higher up.
What it would be like to look out the window when we fuck.
I'd bend over and you'd pull up my skirt.
Pull out your hard dick.
Feel for my wet coo.
And look out onto the entire park as you slip it into me.
King Hermie and his big baddie.
I want her for another hour.
So these are both your ribs.
And your hearts would be inside.
This is the band of muscles that connect the two of you.
And this is your liver.
You only have one for the two of you.
Now, if that's the only organ you share, I believe it might be possible to separate you.
Separate? If that is something you would want.
I'd need a lot more information in order to do it.
More examinations.
More about your past.
Not the story he makes you tell.
The truth.
How did you come to meet Mr.
Brockhurst? We were living in forest in Siberia.
He was an explorer.
You're not onstage.
It's just us.
Where are you from originally? We were both born in Minsk.
Well, if only one of you were born in Minsk, that would be a miracle.
Our father didn't want us and sold us to circus when we were babies.
We went from one to the next.
Prague, Bologna, Marseilles, then Blackpool where Mr.
Brockhurst bought and bring us here.
How does he treat you? Better than some.
Have you ever been to school? Can you read? I know some letters and numbers.
How about you, Nika? Nika is shy.
She's smart, though.
More than me.
What does Mr.
Brockhurst say about working for him? We are his property.
He tell us that no one else protect us.
If we left him, where would we go? In this country they would throw us in cage and let us die.
So he protect us.
We do what he says.
And what about these men that he was talking about? I'm not gonna think anything bad of you.
I just want to help.
Sometimes men want us to be naked with them.
Watch us kiss each other.
Touch each other.
Be with them.
Jesus.
Not like the story Mr.
Brockhurst tell, is it? No, Nika.
Not even close.
What took so long? It took me a little while to get what I wanted.
- Did you? - I did.
But I need to see them again.
Why? Because as I was telling them, I believe it might be possible to separate them.
What, split them apart? For good? Why the fuck would I want that? No one's gonna pay to see two girls who used to be connected.
No, but they'd be able to live a normal life.
I don't give a good goddamn.
Them girls make me money that way.
Lots of it.
And you're not gonna monkey with that.
I think they should decide for themselves.
Who the fuck do you think you're dealing with? They're mine.
I got documents saying I'm their legal guardian just like if I was their daddy.
Now where's that money you owe? Their time and my meal.
- You fuckin' parasite.
- Who the hell are you? - Stay down, stay down, stay down.
- Shh, shh, shh.
- Stay down.
- Everything's fine.
You're safe.
Come with me.
Quiet.
All right.
Sorry about that.
So tomorrow I'll be by to talk to you about some things.
Medical things.
But for now, I want you to rest up.
You're safe here.
Mr.
Cleary will be with you as long as you want.
And he'll be just outside the door while you sleep.
I'll see you in the morning.
Don't worry.
I ain't gonna let nothing happen to you girls.
- Do you mind? - No.
So, uh don't peg me as rude or nothing, but you two got me asking all kinds of questions in my head.
Like for instance, how do you two take a shite? Is it together like or does it all just go through one of you? Now, I'm going to place a clamp on the hepatoduodenal ligament.
Normally, when you cut into the liver, the hemorrhaging would be enormous, but watch.
There's virtually no blood loss.
And our patient? Pulse is steady.
This is the key to the separation.
We enter here at the bottom where they're joined, get access to the ligament and clamp it off.
The delicate work will be to split the liver in half, giving equal amount to each girl so that it can regenerate evenly in both of them.
We should also be concerned about not damaging the peritoneum around the intestines.
I'm more concerned about that Brockhurst fellow showing up again.
Oh, I've taken care of that.
Harry.
You two waiting for the rest of your ball team to show up? Just looking out for a scum sucker.
What brings you around here? I was going to see if I could get a bed for a girl in trouble.
Not so sure if I should go in, though.
You want I should ask for you? Appreciate it.
Though you might want to leave my name out of it.
You're looking a bit pale.
Are you sick? Not eating much.
Let's buy you some lunch.
Pounce can watch the door by himself for a bit.
If you bring me back a sausage.
If you got some money.
Thanks.
You ain't gonna find a better beef and Guinness pie around.
Close your eyes and you'll think you're in Dublin.
What's the matter? Nothing.
I paid 10 cents for that.
You've got to eat something.
Get that color back in your cheeks.
What is it? I'm fine.
Just go about your food.
Oh, Christ, Harry.
I don't want your pity.
Then I won't give it to you, but for fuck's sake, it's all right to let me of all people see you hurting.
Why you? What makes you think you're so special? I'm the only one who never thought you was rock-hard from the start.
I knew you were soft under that habit.
Human.
Or you gonna deny that, too? I never said I wasn't human.
Yeah, well, no human deserves to take the beating you've been taking these last few months.
I think all the time, you know, if it's killing me, what's it doing to her? It's breaking me, that's what.
I've got less than nothing.
I'm useless.
No good to anyone.
No job, no calling.
No purpose.
It ain't easy losing what you lost.
Defrocked.
Unmasked.
I got nowhere to turn, no one who cares.
I can't even stand up to the sisters anymore.
I'm scared as all the rest of them.
With no job, they're going to kick me out.
I'm bound for the street.
Those fucking goats.
It's a charity home.
They can't do that.
They can if they're charging me for a bed and I got no way to pay.
What about the $3 I've been sending you every week? What $3? You ain't been getting it? Those holy fucking sisters.
They've been flogging you day and night for what you done and then they steal your money.
Bunch of wicked cunts! It makes no difference.
Your handouts or theirs, I'm still a charity case.
I don't know what I'm going to do.
This is what you're going to do.
You're going to leave that place and you're going to live with me.
That ain't a fucking invitation.
I told you I had the lady down the hall make a curtain.
So you make up whatever rules you like and I'll follow them to the tee.
But you're coming with me.
And that's that.
Think I could get a whiskey? Have mine.
Wicked fucking cunts.
Would you like me to heat up last night's roast for you? No.
Thank you for taking care of so much these past few days.
I'm happy to help.
You brighten my spirits.
Well, I think I may be able to brighten them a bit more.
You don't know it yet, but Saturday is going to be a red-letter day in the life of Dr.
Bertram Chickering Jr.
- Oh? - Mmm.
Is it some kind of holiday? Yeah, you could call it that.
Uh, Cecily is visiting her brother at Harvard and won't be back until Sunday, so that means we have my apartment all to ourselves.
Is that for the ball? Yes.
Once this procedure is done, no one will stare at them like freaks, like they're monsters.
Can you imagine how they'll feel when they're finally normal? No I can't.
Oh, that's not what I meant.
- I'm sorry.
I just get excited.
- Stop it, John.
I am what I am and I can live with that.
But I can't live like this.
I don't understand.
I can't live with you here, John.
You arrived one night and you were back.
You needed me and I I wanted that.
So I wait for your knock on my door.
No matter what the hour, I wait here, hoping you'll come.
Even though I know you've just been with some other woman.
Abby.
And you have every right.
I have no claim on you.
What could a woman like me rightly expect from any man? But it's too hard now knowing we'll never be together.
I can't fool myself any longer and it's Being near you is just too painful.
Abby, I love you.
- Oh.
- I never stopped.
You only come here to talk.
You go elsewhere for everything else.
Please just leave.
Abby.
I need you to go.
No.