ER s02e14 Episode Script

E.
R.
Previously on E.
R.
- Dr.
Ross, phone for you.
- Who is it? - Your father.
- Who? - He said he was your dad.
- Yeah, this isn't a good time.
Vucelich know who I was? Didn't you tell him about me? - That I found it? - I meant to.
- The patient is being excluded? - Oh, yes.
It seems that he has a history of, excuse me, neurological problems Vucelich wouldn't drop bad outcomes just to pretty-up his numbers, would he? I don't know.
- You lied to me.
- What do you want from me? - The truth! - She's dying, Ruby! Is that what you wanna hear? "The Right Thing" Oh, I was just dropping off yesterday's post-op notes.
That's okay.
I was up reading.
Didn't you have surgery this morning? Oh, damn! The file on Mrs.
Rubadoux.
- You finished with it? - Yeah, I'll drop it off later.
Get going.
I'll take care of it.
- Hey, Carter.
- Morning.
And a grand one it is.
Yeah, easy for you to say.
I'm not on until noon.
Yeah, well, it's much more fun to ride in together.
- Don't you usually drive to work? - My car's in the shop.
Did you drive around for two, three weeks with that brake-warning light on? No! A week.
At most.
Is your apartment on this line? - No, I'm on the Congress-O'Hare line.
- But you're taking Ravenswood today.
- Yeah, it's Mark's line.
- This is us.
Stop and shop at Davey's Liquor Depot.
Tequila shopping.
Doug Ross' birthday.
- Margaritas at my apartment after work.
- Okay.
- See you later.
- Bye.
Right.
I'm doing an endarterectomy at 11:00, if any of your residents want to observe.
And give them an excuse to miss my rounds? How thoughtless of me.
- Peter.
- Morning.
Hey, there.
So good of you to wake.
- I'm sorry.
I was working late last night.
- And you overslept.
- It won't happen again.
- I hope not.
I think the patient might have questioned your professionalism.
- I stayed up reading the research files.
- Impressive, but diligence is no excuse.
There now, the lecture is over.
Mrs.
Rubadoux, Mr.
Roth, Warrington, Dorgan, McFarland And these patients have what in common? You used Lazerol and the clamp-and-run technique on them.
We used the clamp-and-run.
I went through the charts.
I'm trying to understand why all of these patients were excluded from the study.
Well, they each had complications which made them unsuitable candidates.
- Shouldn't we determine that before? - They were emergent cases.
- Would you have let them die? - No.
This is the first research project you've participated in? - Yes.
- Then it's my fault.
I failed to communicate the magnitude and scope of this kind of study.
- No, I understand the scope.
- I don't think you do.
Mrs.
Rubadoux had pulmonary disease, renal insufficiency and heart failure.
She was never a candidate for the study.
Thank you.
I'll sign those later.
- But with Mr.
Roth- - With Mr.
Roth we changed surgical procedure in mid-course which benefited the patient.
Would you have us continue the clamp-and-run just to include him? No, but there are rules for compiling data, right? We're talking about saving lives.
You and I have talked about risks related to this extraordinary level of medicine.
We'd never take the first step if we didn't take risks.
Now, I hope that as we go along, you can grasp that.
I'll try to.
Perhaps I was foolish to bring you in on the team.
No, sir, I don't think so.
Third-year residents rarely have the maturity.
You are lucky to have this opportunity.
Perhaps you don't realize how lucky you are.
Maybe you ought to take a day to consider that.
Sorry.
Thanks.
Carter, seeing as how you have so much time I've got a knee lac on a 6-year-old in 2.
Can't do it.
We are observing a thyroidectomy at 11 and we've got rounds at 10.
- You've got time.
- What? - Make yourself useful.
- Dr.
Benton- - About that knee lac - Do you mind? Paramedics are pulling up with an apparently intoxicated street individual.
- Be my guest.
- Man! Come on.
I've missed you, Carter.
By the way, happy birthday, Dr.
Ross.
It's not my birthday.
That's an ugly rumor.
And, Jerry, Groundhog Day is over, so let's get rid of that guy.
I am so sorry, Marguerite.
I just can't understand how this happened.
My foot hit the ice.
My bum hit the bricks.
I shoveled all the steps, but there it was, third from the top.
A small, yet undeniably slick patch of ice.
I'm gonna live, Edward.
Don't worry.
Yes, but why? Why did this happen? - It was an accident.
- There are no accidents.
He overthinks things.
Studying to be an analyst.
- Psychoanalyst? - Scary, huh? I still can't believe my daughter married him.
Nathan Conley, 27-years-old.
- ETOH intoxication, ALOC, ataxic.
- Oh, man.
- Nystagmus, BP 90/40, resps 14.
- Excuse me, I'm gonna move upwind.
- Who called it in? - Some deadbeat threw him out.
Nathan couldn't stop throwing up.
Drank a gallon of vodka, took some Xanax.
- Some Xanax? - The only number he could think of.
- Did you make up today's schedule? - Like every day.
- Where is it? - That is it.
I was assisting Dr.
Zarem on a parathyroidectomy at 11 and Dr.
Enari on a nephrectomy at 3.
This says Bachtell's assisting.
Dr.
Vucelich said you were going to be tied up in ER, so I reassigned.
- Mark and Susan, really? - Carter said they were very chummy.
- On the El? I thought Susan drove.
- I saw them in the lounge yesterday.
Hey, I saw them in the cafeteria.
Susan, how are you this morning? I'm fine.
Thank you.
Haven't I already seen you today? Yes, you know, you have.
You have seen me today.
Carol, what do you say we get to that earache in 1? Oh, right.
Earache.
- Did you lose consciousness? - Not this time, she didn't.
- This time? - Two months ago I stumbled over his new puppy and hit my head on the driveway.
My wife and I, we want children, but Okay, let's just get it out in the open.
I have some problems with commitment, accepting responsibility.
We thought a puppy might help.
- Any blurry vision this time? - No, just the cut.
Do you think that I could somehow be causing these accidents? I know that we've been having some difficulties since you moved in.
Let the doctor work, Edward.
- Are you allergic to lidocaine? - I wasn't before.
I had stitches on my arm last summer.
Edward sliced me with a Weed Whacker.
Oh, my God, I did.
I did, didn't I? I can't believe this.
I'm experiencing displacement.
That's a defense mechanism wherein feelings of hostility are inappropriate- Inappropriately redirected! Sorry about this.
My daughter, the only one with a job had to go to work today, so Edward brought me in.
It's okay.
Have you had a tetanus booster? Three months ago.
Cut my leg on the basement stairs.
Tripped over Edward's golf clubs.
- Banana bag's going.
- Are we done? What's the deal, Carter? Surgery withdrawal? I ordered a blood alcohol level and a tox screen.
Okay, get a CBC, stick him for a glucose and let's get a Chem-20.
- His lytes have gotta be all screwed up.
- Got it.
Scattered rales bilaterally.
Did you check his pupils? - Equal, round and reactive.
- Saline's going.
Let's give him naloxone, two IV push.
And why are we doing that, Carter? To reverse the narcotic effect.
Are we boring you, or is it the way he smells? Okay, check his head for contusions.
- Glucose is 40.
- Give him glucose and thiamine.
- Why are we giving him thiamine? - I don't know.
Given his nutritional state, glucose can precipitate Wernicke's encephalopathy.
Symptoms which include ataxia and paralysis of eye movement.
Isn't it nice to know you can learn something new? Prep for a gastric lavage.
I'll be back.
Oh, and, Carter, I want you to do a neuro check every 15 minutes.
And don't forget to do a stool guaiac.
Good to see you back down here, Carter.
We missed you.
- Hey, Mark, how's it going? - I'm ready for a margarita.
- Little celebration? - It's your birthday.
No, I mean about you and Susan.
I want you to know I think it's great.
You two went home together last night? - What? We arrived this morning, but- - Know what? You can fill me in later.
Dr.
Greene.
Hi, I'm Reilly Brown.
We haven't met.
You're Dr? Mark Greene.
Shouldn't you be in high school somewhere? I'm a lot older than I look, 21.
- What have you got, Reilly? - Wilson Wolfe, 50.
Stuck his right hand in the snow blower.
BP 120/80, pulse 106.
I think he's a little nervous.
- Lose any fingers? - No.
Got them right here.
Oh, good work there, Reilly.
- Dr.
Benton.
- What is it, Carter? I can understand if you're upset about my claiming that aneurysm.
But I don't see why my surgical education should suffer.
There's no surgical services.
Back to work.
- Who needs help in here? - Get back to work! Hi, I'm Reilly Brown - Mark, can I talk to you? - Yeah, sure.
Everything okay? - Yeah, yeah.
No big deal.
- Reilly, that's all.
You can go now.
BP is 120/80.
Mr.
Wolfe here seems to have put his hand into a snow blower.
Yeah, something was blocking it.
I can't believe I was that stupid.
- Lots of people are.
- We've got a pumper.
Okay, Lydia, inflate the BP cuff.
We have the two fingers.
- Mr.
Wolfe, are you right-handed? - Yes.
Not anymore, you're not.
Haleh said Nathan's waking up.
Hey! What are you doing? - Call Security.
- Leave us alone! - No, no, you cannot be here.
- I have to take care of him.
- Hey, Carter.
- It's okay, baby.
I'll take care of you.
Must be the girlfriend.
- What exactly do you suspect? - I'm not quite sure.
- But you do have suspicions? - He's not including any bad outcomes.
- And you're certain? - Yep.
- And when you confronted him? - He said it wasn't true.
- But you think it is.
- He explained two but there are three others.
First there were five, and now there're only three? - Yeah.
- I'd make sure.
- I'm going over the charts again.
- Maybe he can explain all of them.
He took me off the surgical service.
He could have dozens of reasons to do that.
Look, if I was going to talk to somebody I mean, officially, who would it be? The dean.
But going up against a guy like Vucelich He's one of the top cardiovascular surgeons in the country.
What if it comes down to your word against his? - You don't think I should pursue it? - If you're wrong, your career's over.
- I can't believe you made me eat chili.
- I didn't.
Yes, you did.
You held a gun to my head Watch out! Help! Help! My leg! All right, don't move him.
- What's your name? - Paul.
- Just relax.
You got it? - Yeah.
Lift this bike up.
Thanks, Jerry.
Let's just back it up here.
- This is a cool bike.
- Kind of heavy.
- Please don't tell him I'm here.
- Is someone after you? - He's gonna kill me.
- Who? My father.
He won't let me have a motorcycle.
Doesn't think they're safe.
I guess you didn't listen to him.
Lie back down.
All right.
I bought it this morning.
It was great until the throttle stuck.
- I couldn't stop it.
- Lie down.
Lie down.
- Dr.
Benton? - What is it, Carter? Well, I now know you have the utmost lack of respect for me.
You can quit the study, but you should have told me.
- Who told you I quit the study? - Everybody in the last hour and I think I had the right to know before they did.
It's more complicated than that, Carter.
I did not quit the study.
Right.
- I've gotta get rid of the bike! - Settle down, Paul.
I've got the pink slip in my pocket.
Maybe somebody here will buy it.
It's a little damaged.
How much do you want for it? I'm trying to help him out.
His father is gonna clobber him.
Yeah, sure.
Looks like a fractured fibula.
I can take him from here, Susan.
Yeah.
"Take him" is right.
Okay.
See you later.
- You don't have to tell my dad, right? - How old are you? - Seventeen.
- Yeah.
Sorry.
You're a minor.
Maybe he'll be grateful that you didn't kill yourself.
I doubt it.
- Miss Boulet? - Ruby, what are you doing here? I just wanted to thank you again - for all your help.
- You're welcome.
And to let you know my sweetheart passed away yesterday.
Oh, Ruby.
I'm so sorry.
- How are you doing? - Okay.
Not great.
I knew it was gonna happen but I guess you really never believe it until it does.
Anyway, the services are this afternoon at 4:00 at the Mount Sinai Cemetery, you know, off Grand.
I know you' re busy, but if you'd like to come, it's okay.
Thank you, Ruby.
I would like to come.
Okay, then.
I'll see you later.
I'll see you later.
- Carter.
- Nathan's back asleep having puked three more times.
Angel's awake, weepy and full of regret.
"Never gonna drink another drop," she says.
Great couple of SHPOS, these two.
- What did you just say? - SHPOS.
It means subhuman- No, I know what it means, thank you.
I've gotta get these x-rays to the O.
R.
Carter's been hanging around Benton too much.
Haven't we all.
Bad day at Black Rock.
Multiple - A petting zoo run amuck.
- Happy birthday, dear Doug.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- How's Ruby? Mr.
Rubadoux.
- He's hanging in.
His wife died yesterday.
The service is at 4:00 today, Mount Sinai.
Do you want to go with me? I don't think I can make it.
I'm pretty jammed up today.
These elevators take forever.
I'm gonna take the stairs.
How long have you had that cough? I don't know.
A while.
Your chest x-rays will show us more.
- Do they show everything? - Why? - Maybe they'll show I have AIDS.
- Do you? Yeah.
Look, you don't have to tell Nathan about me, right? Have you been sick with anything else? Fevers, rashes, night sweats? No.
Just the cough.
Okay, get a CBC, ABG, Chem-20 a UA, hepatitis titers, place a PPD and get a CD-4.
You might have pneumonia so I'm gonna keep you here for a while and run some tests.
Look, you don't have to tell Nathan about me.
Right? It's against the law for me to tell him.
You should.
He has a right to know.
And if he's sick, he should be getting treatment, and so should you.
I just think he might get mad at me, you know? And he might want to take off or something, and he's all I have.
- Can you make that out to "cash"? - You got a deal.
- You got robbed.
- I'm doing this as a favor.
You still have to explain what happened to your leg.
- Oh, God.
- Tell your dad you were hitchhiking and got picked up by a motorcycle - and bam! - Mark! He hates hitchhiking too, but at least I'll only be grounded.
Watch out for the throttle.
- So I got lucky.
- In more ways than one, I hear.
- What? - Nothing.
Lydia, what did you hear? - Do you have pain anywhere else? - Only in my stomach.
Okay, okay.
Sit back.
What have you got? T-Ball, is that you? I haven't seen you in a while.
My stomach hurts for real.
It does! I ain't lying to you.
Yep.
Jeanie.
I can't remember his real name, but he's under T-Ball in the turkey file.
- Frequent flyer.
Drug seeking.
- Are you sure? He seems to be in pain.
You'll get used to them.
They'll do anything for Valium, Percodan, Demerol.
Let him moan and groan for an hour.
He'll get bored, go somewhere else.
Carter! I asked you to wake Nathan Conley up every 15 minutes.
- I had something to do.
- You had that, and you didn't do it.
- Okay, I'm sorry.
- I want chest films on him.
Jerry, I need you to call Social Services.
I've got an AIDS patient who needs placement.
- This thing's still here? - It belongs to Dr.
Greene now.
Mark bought a motorcycle? Got it cheap.
There's only one helmet.
- You're gonna have to get your own.
- What? When spring comes, you guys'll be riding in on this instead of the El.
I would.
- What are you talking about? - You and Dr.
Greene.
- I think you make a great couple.
- Excuse me.
- I'm looking for Dr.
Douglas Ross.
- He's with a patient right now.
Can I tell him who's here? - Now, you, over there.
- I want to sit by Joseph.
- I don't want her near me! - Bet you can't wait to have that baby.
The baby part's fine.
It's when they get to this age Hey, you know what, guys? Nurse Hathaway, will you give us a hand? - I want to sit by Joseph.
- Get her away from me! I didn't even want you to come to my birthday party.
You're gonna sit over here.
- Dr.
Ross? - Yeah.
A guy at the desk wants to see you.
- Who is it? - Said you'd know him.
Surprise for your birthday.
Doug? Who is it? My father.
Carol, I looked up T- Ball's card in the file.
He's always claimed back pain.
This time it's his stomach.
- Guess he's branching out.
- Maybe but I ran some additional blood tests, just in case.
First my parents wouldn't let me have one and then after med school, my wife wouldn't let me.
Got a good one here.
- You know about motorcycles? - Five brothers.
Had them in the yard.
You better get a lock and chain.
E- Ray got his stolen.
- Keep it in your apartment.
- Third floor, no elevator.
Susan could keep it in her place.
- I'm looking for Carter.
- I haven't seen him.
- Have you seen Carter? - Is he missing again? It looks like Angel's got pneumocystis.
I asked him to order a bronchoscopy.
Angel? Oh, man, I was afraid this would happen.
I had a feeling she was gonna leave.
That girl was too scared.
- If you need to help, I can wait.
- I'm a pediatrician.
- You've got a damn exciting job here.
- Only if you're unlucky which I happen to be today.
- Don't they need this? - They've got plenty of those inside.
Come on.
Come on out, Doug.
Come on, Dougy.
Come on.
My name isn't Dougy anymore.
Is that why you came here? To play ball with your boy? - Not with this.
If this was basketball - We don't have one.
Remember when you were a kid, I used to put you on my shoulders and you'd slam-dunk.
"Two points, two points! " you'd scream.
- How's your mother? - She's fine.
She's happy.
- She deserves it.
- I'll tell her you said so.
No, you won't.
You wouldn't even tell her you saw me.
Afraid it will upset her.
Then she'll get all melancholy.
People never gave her enough credit.
She's a strong woman.
She kind of had to be, didn't she? - She walked out on me once.
- Compared to the 12 you walked out.
- You mean walked out on you? - What are you doing here? What do you want from me? I don't want anything from you.
You're all over the airwaves.
You're a big hero.
I was pretty proud of you.
- I do have regrets.
- I've gotta go to work.
Yeah.
Doug.
Happy birthday, son.
- I'm turned around.
Is the El this way? - It's that way.
- Dr.
Vucelich? - Mr.
Carter.
- You look winded.
- Yeah, I was hurrying.
Dr.
Vucelich I know Dr.
Benton left the study, and I wanted to say that I've learned more under you than in four years of medical school.
And I'd very much like to continue on the team.
There's initiative, wouldn't you say? For better or worse, there seems to be a plethora of students on the team now.
I can't see that I would have anything of substance for you to do since you're way beyond scut work.
Best of luck.
Excuse me.
- Did you ask him to take an AIDS test? - He says it gives him the creeps.
Bilateral perihilar right there.
He needs to know Angel has AIDS so he might have it too.
You can't tell him.
The law protects her.
- I could if they were married.
- And they're not.
Who's protecting Nathan and all the women he might have sex with? Ethically, I agree with you.
- The law is the law, right? - Even if it's not right.
Hey, T-Ball.
Are you giving up? CBC showed microcytic anemia.
Blood smear showed red-cell stippling.
Get a blood lead level, Erythrocyte protoporphyrin, lead poisoning.
I was sleeping in that building.
I didn't care they was fixing up during the day.
- Dust from the renovations.
- Full of lead.
Didn't think I needed validation on this.
I called Medicine.
They're admitting him.
Have you seen Doug? I've got that birthday boy in 1.
The llama bite? He's out talking to his dad.
Probably he'll never come back.
- Have you seen Benton? - He wants you to check some patients.
I can't right now.
There's an arm lac in 6, rule-out appendicitis in 3 and Dr.
Lewis wants to talk about Angel.
She split AMA.
I can't deal with those right now, Jerry.
Oh, man.
- What the hell are you doing? - They're wine coolers.
They're really good.
You want some of mine? - I fell.
- You fell? Couldn't be because you're drunk? Hey, man, you leave her alone.
There's nothing wrong with her.
- Get up! - Nathan, make him stop.
You're the ones that won't stop.
You're sick, and you get drunk.
- You both rip out your IVs.
- That's enough.
- What's the matter with you? - Look what you did.
Look what I did? Look what I did?! Carter, out of here.
Out of here, now! Okay, you.
Back in bed.
Haleh, help Angel out of here.
Come on, back in bed.
Now! - So, what's going on? - You saw.
No, not with them, with you.
These people come in here on drugs and booze.
They don't listen to us, and we're supposed to treat them.
- We're supposed to treat them.
- What good is it? Tomorrow they're back on the street doing the same thing.
The day after that they're gonna be back in here.
That's the job.
If you don't like them needy- I don't like the abuse.
- None of us do.
- You're used to it with your sister.
When you first got here, we were a little concerned about you.
You seemed to care too much.
We're not worried about that anymore.
What happened to you, Carter? - Loretta.
- Hi, Dr.
Greene.
How have you been? We've been looking for you.
- Jimmy was dying to see The Lion King.
- No, I wasn't.
How about some ice cream? I was just going on a break.
- It's a little cold for ice cream.
- Hot chocolate? - I couldn't hear you.
- Thank you.
- We need to talk.
- Exam 1? - Could you take Loretta to Exam 1? - Sure.
Thanks.
- How did he do it? - Playing soccer.
- I thought you said he was 60.
- With his grandchildren.
- That's a large joint effusion.
- I'll do an arthrocentesis.
Tell him to stick to the sidelines.
- Do you have another minute? - Certainly.
Dr.
Vucelich is telling people that I left the study.
- I wasn't sure you'd want to talk.
- I didn't exactly leave.
Carl's very discreet.
He didn't think it would look good that he had to fire his star pupil.
Is that what he said? I believe the euphemism was, "We're experiencing a difference in style.
" I'd have just fired you.
Our differences had to do with the data, who's left in and who's left out.
That's a matter of interpretation.
It's his research study.
He did get the grant on the strength of his reputation and accomplishments.
Do you know how much money he brings into this hospital? If you've had a disagreement with Vucelich I suggest you retreat immediately and apologize.
It wasn't a disagreement.
Peter, you have the arrogance of a great surgeon, the ego and someday, one hopes, the talent.
But what you don't have is the ability to get along, to be a member of the team.
Once you're a Carl Vucelich, you don't need that but you can't be a Carl Vucelich without it.
Here you go, Joseph.
I'll give your dad another call.
Mark, you got a minute? - Someone check out that bite? - It's okay but he needs someone to talk to.
His dad should have been here hours ago.
Sure, in a few minutes.
Please, sit down.
I have some difficult news.
Yeah, I've been tired, but what do you expect from an old hooker? New job's going great, kids are doing well at school, everything is good.
Your biopsy last time was positive for cervical cancer.
It's stage 1-B, which is relatively early in the spread of the disease although that can only be confirmed through surgery.
Treatment is radical hysterectomy.
The removal of the uterus and cervix.
Sometimes radiation therapy is done.
Statistics show that with treatment the five-year survival rate is over 90%.
Five years.
My kids won't even be teenagers.
Mr.
Rubadoux I'm very sorry about your wife.
I made a mistake.
Not in the way I treated her, but in the way I treated you.
I wasn't honest.
I wasn't fair.
I was wrong.
And I'm very, very sorry.
This day isn't about you, Mr.
Carter.
- How's Angel? - She's still asleep.
- Are you kicking us out now? - Not quite yet.
Oh, God, I've gotta stop this, you know? Angel's better at it.
She can stop drinking for a while, you know but then I just drag her right back in.
I don't know why she stays.
Nathan, there's something that Angel's scared to tell you but it's something that I think you have a right to know.
She has AIDS.
She has AIDS? You mean the whole thing? Yes, which means you could have it too.
Have you ever been tested? Could I have given it to her, or could she have given it to me? If you test positive, there's no way to know.
- Loretta needs a little time.
- Is she going to have surgery? Yeah.
She's just worried who's gonna take her kids for five days.
Al and I can take them.
He thinks after we get married we should adopt three or four.
This'll get him off that kick.
- Where have you been? - The longest walk ever, and I'm freezing.
- Start the margaritas in an hour.
- Mark, thank you and thank Susan, but I'm gonna have to pass.
- Things went that well with your dad? - No, that was fine.
Same old thing.
He just wanted to borrow 100 bucks.
- Llama birthday boy is still here.
- What? The bite's been treated, but his father is running late.
Joseph? How's the arm? Did you know that you are my first llama bite in my entire pediatric career? Which makes this a special day.
Also because it happens to be my birthday.
- I hate my birthday.
- Yeah, me too.
- My dad's always late.
- So is mine.
He gave me a trip to the zoo, and then he didn't even come.
- What did you get? - I got a card.
And I got two tickets to the Bulls game.
All right, get this.
There are brownies in the refrigerator in the lounge.
They are not birthday cake, and they are not mine.
But I think we should steal them.
Yeah? - Yep.
- Yep.
Peter, I'm sorry we couldn't meet in my office.
I can't get rid of the endarterectomy team from Philadelphia.
I went over the charts again.
All of them.
I can see spending a day thinking about this hasn't helped, so stop right here.
- Agree to disagree, and move on.
- Apparently I already have.
I didn't fire you.
I just let people know that you quit.
Which I hadn't.
I felt you needed help making that decision.
I don't understand.
At least three of those patients should not have been excluded from the study.
- I determine who's in and who's out.
- I thought the protocol determined that.
If you're manipulating the data, how can the study be valid? How dare you question me? You get the opportunity of a lifetime and you have the temerity to challenge my reputation.
The results won't be accurate.
Aren't lives at stake here? Yes, Peter, lives are at stake.
Lives that I save.
Mothers, fathers, grandparents are living because I made choices.
I risked everything to do what I know is right.
- The rules are there for a reason.
- Grow up, Peter.
You're no junior chemist at the FDA.
You're a surgical Resident in a struggling county hospital.
How do you think money comes into this place? It takes more than "please" and "I promise to do what's right.
" It takes results.
And that, at any cost, is what I produce.
Now, you screw with that and you will be off surgical service for a hell of a lot longer than one day.
Boy, when they made you stupid, they made you really stupid.
That's the only funny thing I've heard all day.
I'm gonna die, and you're gonna tell me I should give these up? The cold's doing more damage.
You do have pneumonia.
Maybe quicker is better.
I told Nathan.
I know it's illegal, but I did it anyway.
He's really worried about you.
He's worried that maybe he gave it to you.
He wants to go through this together.
Yeah, sure.
If he has it.
But if If he's clean, and I'm sick - why's he gonna wanna stick around? - Which option are you hoping for? It's cold out here.
I'm gonna go inside.
Sorry about this.
The dean's staff meetings usually don't take this long.
It's okay.
- Does the dean know what it's about? - No, he doesn't.
Yes? Of course.
It'll just be another minute or two.
I don't know.
I just think I've turned into a cliché.
Don't do this, Mark.
I've got that "guy about to be divorced" look all over me.
Here I am in a very attractive single woman's apartment drinking like I'm still in my 20s with a brand-new, used motorcycle.
- You are a guy about to be divorced.
- But I don't have to act like one.
Here, try this.
Not as good as the first, better than the second.
Does it matter? People at work are making up stories about you anyway.
About us, you mean.
Yeah.
And what is that, can I ask you? My car's in the shop.
I drop Susie off at my parents'.
Meet up with you to go tequila shopping and all of a sudden, we're having a torrid affair.
Who said it was torrid? No one.
I'm just assuming it would be.
- That's not what I meant.
- That's okay.
I know what you meant.
I'm sure it would be too.
Why wouldn't it be? No reason at all.
There's not enough lime in this.
- Hey, bro.
- What's up, Walt? Same old thing.
What happened? You look like you lost your tenth patient.
I don't know, man.
I don't know.
- I'm off the study I told you about.
- I thought the main man loved you.
Yeah, well, he was breaking some rules, and I called him on it.
- Were you right? - I just thought it'd be different.
The work we were doing, where I was going - Different from what? - From everything that got me here.
Scratching my way through med school.
Playing this game and that game.
You angle for the best Residency no matter what.
You did what you had to do.
- What we all have to do every day.
- Why do we keep on doing it? That's up to you.
The world doesn't change because you're moving up in it.
I went to the dean to tell him what was going on.
And I waited around for 20 minutes, and I left.
I just left.
I'm stupid enough to ruin my career, but I don't even have the courage to do it the right way.
You don't understand, Walt.
I always thought when the time came I'd do the right thing.