ReGenesis s03e07 Episode Script

I didn't think you were coming.
- What? - Nothing.
What the hell is that? I don't know.
You okay? Gassy Better everyday.
- Could we take a break? - Maybe a short one.
This is Joanna, an old friend of mine.
- How well do you know her? - No, don't even think about it.
It was that obvious, eh? Joanna and I were married for 3 years.
He seems to think that we have a lot in common.
Really? I gotta go.
You are gonna choose a trip to Wisconsin over more incandescent sex with me? That was the hospital in Racine.
Joanna's in quarantine there.
She's infected with CDAD.
C.
Difficile, just one of a whole number of bacteria living in our intestines.
Basically, your colon swells shut, eventually nothing passes through.
And we found where it was hiding.
In a plant, David.
In the soil of a potted plant.
Moms.
They were sold as a local fundraiser for spina bifida research.
David are you still there? ReGenesis I got the results back on the plants from the greenhouse.
And only the mums tested positive for C.
difficile.
- Where did the mums come from? - Can't CDC or NIH deal with this? I'm on my way to the airport to check this out.
I'd like to know where the hell I'm going.
I'll look into it.
I thought you were on your way to Michigan.
- Not anymore.
- What happened? The memorial's a family affair.
You're not family? Not in Joanna's parents' minds.
Sorry, man.
Where are you going? We are going to the airport.
Can't you handle this on your own? Yeah, I can do this on my own.
I was gonna go find out about what killed Joanna.
I just thought you might be interested.
David, I've got an address.
You barely knew Joanna, why would you offer her a job? I barely knew you when I offered you a job.
True, but that's not an answer.
I thought we might have worked well together.
I just didn't want to see Joanna get hurt again.
Yeah.
It's a total overreaction! I'm shipping $175000 worth of product tomorrow.
- No, you're not, Mr.
Bishop.
- We believe that the soil in your potted plants and in your fields is contaminated.
Bullshit! I'm as environmentally friendly as you can get.
No chemicals.
No additives.
Nothing.
Alright, are you putting anything new on your fields? - Fertilizers, bulb seedlings? - No, nothing like that.
- Are any of your employees sick? - The usual.
We're going to have to do blood tests.
What about your water system? Spring-fed irrigation.
Ninety percent of the water I use goes back into the aquifer in drinkable condition.
Well look, until we find out where that bacteria's coming from, you're shutting down, that's all there is to it.
If I don't ship these plants in 24 hours, I'm dead.
And if you do, somebody else might be.
This land has been in my family for 3 generations.
And suddenly you hotshot Canadians come down here, start throwing your weight around.
What the hell is this? Actually, I'm Mexican.
You mind if we borrow one of these? Will it get you out of here faster? No guarantees.
Hey Rachel! Listen, I want you to look into something for me.
- Hey Bob.
- Yep? I've got some new data from Zurich on two antibiotics, vancomycin and metromidazole.
Maybe they'll be more effective on the C.
difficile than the others.
I just got a call from David.
They're on the farm.
He'll send back a load of samples to be PCRed.
I'll have a team ready to analyze results as soon as you get them to me.
I need to do another set of kill curves on new antibiotics.
- Is your containment room available? - Be my guest.
- Will you bring the Zurich data over? - Yeah, I know, I've got it right here.
- So? - So what? - Milo.
- He's really nice.
- Just nice? - Gotta get these to Bob.
- Hey.
- Rachel! Do you have a minute? - Could you get that for me? - I'll get the door for you.
- Wisconsin Health called.
- Oh yeah? Looks like the situation is stabilizing.
No reports of new cases.
- And the plants? - Everything that was sold has been tracked down and destroyed.
- What about the greenhouse? - Sterilized.
- Good.
- Be back in a second.
Let's hope David can find the source at the farm.
About us, what we're doing, - I'm a little concerned.
- Why? - If David finds out - I know.
And I think Mayko's already suspicious.
Maybe we should start taking separate cars.
Yeah, I think that's a good idea.
- Will you bring the Zurich data over? - Yeah, I know, I've got it right here.
- So? - So what? Hi Wes.
Rachel! Hey, can you get that for me? - I'll get the door for you.
- Thanks.
Okay, so here's the data.
And we've got another batch that's gonna be tested later tonight.
Tell them to send everything that they have and then I'll Oh, my god! Are you okay? No, Bob! Bob, just leave it! Oh, great.
Who the? Britney Why would she hit the crash button? She was trained at the government labs.
They're taught to do that.
Great.
Now we're in lockdown.
- Here, m-maybe I should - No, Bob, just leave it.
- Ah, shit.
- What? What's Bishop thinking? Not taking us seriously? He's thinking profit and loss.
No? I've spent my entire life in labs, since I was 13.
That has never happened before.
- Don't sweat it.
It's not a big deal.
- Yes, it is a big deal, Mayko.
An antibiotic resistant strain of C.
difficile is killing people and because of me, we are stuck in here.
It was an accident.
It's okay.
I'm not getting any better, Mayko.
- What are you talking about? - My eyes.
There's something wrong with them.
Oh God, Bob.
What happened? You okay? I'm sorry.
It was nothing.
I just, I got clumsy.
I talked to the safety officer.
You're stuck in here for a while.
It's C.
difficile.
It's okay as long as you don't ingest it.
It's not like we're gonna be licking it up.
We've got a strict procedure, guys.
Stupid bureaucrats.
Rachel, just open the door.
- I'm sorry.
- You know what, it's alright.
You guys just hang tight, okay? When you do get out of there, come meet me in my office.
We've a lot of paperwork we have to go through.
It's fine.
Come on, let's go sit.
This is where you live? When we work this farm, yes.
- Is that pump that irrigates fields? - Yes.
I'm gonna take a look around.
What's he talking about? There were others who got sick.
They went to the clinic but never came back.
- They died? - Immigration watches the place.
He won't go.
You have to help him here.
My abuela says, "Thank you".
- And where is your abuela? - Home.
Mexico.
So how long has your vision been degrading? It was alright for a while.
At least right after the operation.
But then it started.
It was sporadic.
Didn't realize how bad it was getting or maybe I just ignored it.
What do you see? Something like tunnel vision.
- I had a teacher with tunnel vision.
- Really? If you were really careful, you could sneak out of his classroom while he was still sitting at his desk.
That was cruel.
I suppose.
He knew you were gone.
He could hear everything.
I don't want to hear, Mayko.
I want to see.
I know, Bob, I know.
Sorry.
So, how about you? Are you okay? I'm getting there.
It was a bit slow at first.
Oh God, I can't I can't do it.
Can't do it.
I'm sorry.
Just leave me Just leave me alone! - Mayko? - Yeah? Please don't tell anybody about my eyes.
- They're gonna find out, Bob.
- I know, I just wanna tell David first.
Okay.
It's okay.
You got any hand sanitizer? There's a pit toilet back there.
I'm betting it's the source of our C.
difficile.
Leaking into the ground water, then into the river? Pumped all over the fields.
How's the father? I think he might have the same thing as Joanna, and he may be developing toxic megacolon.
Antibiotics are basically useless.
Anything you can do for him? All I can do is keep him hydrated and maybe he'll get lucky: his immune system will fight it off.
Rachel.
You're gonna get the samples by tonight, okay? So everybody works late.
PCRs ASAP.
Elvia, where's your mother? She died last year.
Sorry to hear that.
My father brought me here so we can be happy.
Well, you're going to have to take charge, okay? I want you to make sure your father does not get out of bed, that he gets lots and lots of rest.
Will papa get better? Yeah, he will, yeah.
Thank you, Dr.
Serrano.
We think we found the source of your problem.
Open pit latrine you set up for your migrant workers.
I didn't set up that shithole.
They did it on their own.
You're telling me that's what's screwing me up? They're living like animals out there.
Listen, pal.
I didn't invent California agriculture.
For 100 years, migrant have been coming here, supporting their families, - making a decent living.
- Living in squalor! I pay the highest wage in this valley! They're getting sick off their own shit! How do you sleep at night? Listen.
I support an entire village in Chiapas! - What do you do for Mexico? - What do I do for Mexico? - Hey! Take it easy! - Don't you talk to me about Mexico.
- Those people mean nothing to you.
- Calm down! Outside! Those people mean nothing to you.
They're farm animals to you, you piece of shit.
You do not want to piss that guy off.
He threatens me again, I'll have the cops One of the people who died was his ex-wife.
Alright? They were very close.
Shit.
I'm sorry.
I don't know.
I just didn't want to be with him anymore.
- And you've told him that.
- Yeah.
How does that make you feel? It was a shitty thing to do.
Why do you think that? Because Milo helped me.
'Cause he stayed with me when I was messed up.
I mean, he got me through a lot of crap.
How so? Well, I just told you, he He stayed with me, he And that's how come you don't want to be with him anymore? No.
I don't know.
God, I don't know.
I Fuck, I wasn't born with a road map in my hand.
I don't know how to get from A to B like everybody else.
What makes you think everyone else knows how to get from A to B? I didn't know my biological parents were gonna be dead before I was a month old.
I didn't know I was gonna lose my leg before I was 30.
And I didn't know that I wasn't ready for a relationship.
But shit just happens.
You think you had a relationship with Milo? If I did, I wasn't thinking about it.
About love, you know, anything like that.
What were you thinking about? Me.
That's the thing, see, I just I used him.
I used Milo like ointment on a cut.
You know, I used him to make me better.
And I just sort of took and I didn't really I didn't give anything back.
I don't think you really believe that.
Well, I gave him the only thing I had.
I told him the truth.
What's is this? These are fluids to keep your father hydrated.
That will make him better? I hope so.
Now, I'm going to leave you more of these bags.
Okay? I'm going to have to go back to Canada soon.
So you're goin to be in charge.
You're going to be his doctor, okay? Okay.
It's very, very important that the doctor doesn't catch what the patient has.
You have to promise me that you're going to wash your hands.
And you're not going to touch him, Okay? I promise.
- Hey Bob, come on in.
- You wanted to see me? We got a week's worth of reports that we've gotta fill out.
When there's time for that.
Why don't you have a seat? I just wanted to check in with you.
About? Well, since the explosion, we really haven't had a chance to talk.
I wanted to make sure - that everything was fine.
- Everything's fine.
Are you sure? - Why do you ask? - I was looking at your file.
You've never had an accident of any sort before.
I'm sorry.
In the last 4 months, there's been 5 minor occurrences.
Not including today.
What's wrong, Bob? Everything is fine, Weston.
May I go now, please? Sure.
Thank you.
Soil samples 18, 19, and 20 all have the antibiotic resistant strain? From what your samples are showing, it's basically everywhere on that farm.
That fits nicely with our theory.
They use the creek water for irrigation.
It gets contaminated and sprayed over the fields.
We'll confirm that as soon as we get those latrine samples.
Thanks, Rachel.
So if the water tests negative then we know that no more bacteria is getting on the field.
And then will the fields be better? No, because the bacteria is in the soil.
But I think with time, we can get rid of that too.
This is the last one, 1-23.
And then will everything be okay? You are a very positive person.
Why do you say that? Because you try to always see the good in everything.
My abuela says: if you look for good, good will look for you.
- I like your abuela.
- But you don't even know her.
Can you give me your phone number? You'll call me? Of course.
To check on our patient.
Punch in your number.
We should go.
Your father's probably wondering when you'll be back.
- Alright.
- Okay.
There's millions of migrants working on farms in this state.
You can't turn it around all by yourself.
I've seen that little girl before.
What do you mean? Everywhere you look in Mexico, there are children just like her.
That want that deserve a better life.
Don't do this to yourself.
You do your best to make the world a better place.
I've seen it.
You keep this up, you're gonna make me jump off the wagon, you know.
Oh shit.
Carlos! Okay, relax.
So? Great.
Thanks, Wes.
Riddlemeyer intervened.
No charges either side.
Agreed? So what about the others? Let's just call it a night, alright? Alright.
I understand you had quite the night.
It was interesting.
I got the test results on the latrine.
And? There's C.
difficile there - but it's just plain old C.
difficile.
- Oh Fuck.
It's not antibiotic resistant? Nope.
That's not what's on the fields.
So you're saying we haven't found the source.
You haven't found the source.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Thanks.
That could be good news for Elvia and Felipe.
We can start them on antibiotics.
It doesn't make any sense.
What are we missing? - It's gotta be coming from somewhere! - Elvia's not answering.
Okay, help me figure this out for a minute, alright? Well, there must be another source.
Two separate outbreaks? No, that's way too coincidental.
Something happened to that bacterium once it got onto that field.
It mutated? Let's go with that.
Here's our field.
Here's our innocent little bacterium, fresh from the crapper.
Now, how did it become antibiotic resistant? Another bacterium on the field with antibiotic resistant DNA.
Good.
So Our two bacteria, they hook up.
A couple of drinks later, they're practicing unsafe conjugation.
Or non-conjugative.
It could also be a transposable plasmid.
Yeah.
Point is they swap DNA.
We've been asking the wrong question the whole time.
What we need to know is what that other bacterium is.
You know, I'd like to check out Felipe and Elvia, make sure everything's okay.
Go.
Yeah, Bob? David.
I need all the soil samples retested.
- Retested? - Full microbiology and DNA analysis right away.
Was there a problem with the other tests that I ran? We think another bacterium other than the C.
difficile might be carrying the antibiotic resistant information.
I need to figure out what it is.
Okay.
- Something wrong, Bob? - I'm fine.
I know you better than that.
What is it? I don't want to talk about it.
- What's wrong, Bob? - Nothing.
You're a terrible liar.
- We gonna talk when I get back.
- Alright.
Wes.
Yeah, it's Carlos.
Listen, I need a geoposition on a phone number.
Wes, I'm on the Coast Highway.
- How far ahead of me are they? - Okay, Carlos I'm tracking you now.
They're about 30 kilometres ahead.
You're closing fast.
- What? - I think I found our bacteria.
- Hello David.
- What are we looking at? Pseudomonas Aeruginosa.
A very common bacteria found in soil everywhere.
Seems to be carrying a resistance marker.
There's only one problem with that, Bob.
It'd be almost impossible to have it mate with the C.
difficile.
I know it's gram negative and C.
difficile is gram positive.
It's the only antibiotic resistant bacteria - you found out here? - The only one.
But I do have some good news.
I checked for antibiotics as you asked.
The soil was saturated in Triclocarbon.
- The antimicrobial? - Yes.
It's in everything, right? Soaps, deodorants, toothpastes, it's even embedded in kitchen utensils, - toys, bedding, socks - I get it, Bob.
and the highest concentrations were in the farm's compost piles.
- Where did the compost come from? - Yeah, I already have that too.
It's It came from a sewage plant in Orange County.
So let me guess.
The solid matter is separated from the waste water, turned into compost, treated for bacteria But not for chemicals like Triclocarbon.
Great.
Nice plan.
All this chemical shit gets washed down the drain, ends up on a farm field, kills all the weak bacteria, leaving only the super strong.
And the anti-microbial soaps are only at killing bacteria than ordinary soap and water.
Thanks, Bob.
They've turned off at Highway 53.
That's about 6 km ahead.
He's really slowed down, Carlos.
Elvia.
He won't wake.
I kept trying.
It's okay.
Yes, I have to report a deceased body.
Side road off the Coast Highway.
It was the compost? Yeah.
We think it created the antibiotic resistant bacteria.
This is so fucked.
I try to do the right thing.
Use recycled compost.
A hundred other farms doing exactly the same thing.
Why me? We don't know yet.
We're working on it.
Hand soap.
Amongst other things.
What now? What do I do? Flame-sterilize 300 acres? Scrape off the topsoil and shoot it into space? I wish I had an answer for you.
I'm fucked.
Completely, totally fucked.
Listen, you have crop insurance? Not for this.
Alright.
Well I'll talk to the EPA and I'll put in a word for you.
Maybe there's something the Feds can do, disaster relief or something like that.
I appreciate it.
Just let me know if there's anything I can do.
Thanks.
Be almost Be almost Be almost impossible.
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa.
A very common bacteria found in soil everywhere.
Bob, it'd be almost impossible to have it mate with the C.
difficile.
I know it's gram negative and C.
difficile is gram positive.
- Electropo-what? - Electroporation.
See, the problem was that we had 2 bacterium that couldn't mate, but they'd swapped DNA.
When I was standing in that field I realized, for all intents and purposes, I was standing in a huge petri dish full of bacteria.
And I thought if I took that petri dish back to the lab, how would I mutate the bacteria in it? I still don't know what electroporation is.
- Fancy way of saying lightning.
- So why doesn't he just say lightning? The point is, we use electroporation at labs to transfer genetic information from one bacterium to another, right? Just hit the sample with 2000 volts of electricity for a millisecond.
The theory is that mother nature is doing this all the time.
The Earth is struck by lightning 100 times per second.
Teams of microbiologists travel the world checking sites of lightning strikes for bacterial mutations.
Exactly.
So, here's your field.
Bolt of lightning hits it.
The charge zaps a couple of bacterium.
Their cell walls break down, DNA from one leaks out and slips into another.
Instant evolution.
Anything can happen.
And in this case, the DNA made the bacterium antibiotic resistant.
- What are the odds? - Infinitesimal.
But hey, shit happens.
There are up to 3 billion bacteria in 1 gram of soil and 3.
6 trillion lightning strikes per year.
So what do we do? We could try to get every sewage-treatment plant in North America to screen for anti-microbials.
That'll only take about 25 years.
- So there's nothing we can do.
- It's pretty straightforward.
We could stop using chemicals against simple problems.
Wash your hands with soap and water.
And reserve antimicrobials for clinical situations.
Class dismissed.
Bob.
Principal's office, please.
What? What? What's going on with you? Nothing.
- Everything's fine.
- Really? Bob, have I ever lied to you? What happened to the fighting fish? Who ate the squeezable cheese log? Who put the underwear in my desk drawer on my birthday? My point is you didn't like it, right? Is Wes giving you shit for something? It's not that, David.
Then what? I had an accident.
But before it something funny happened.
Funny? With my vision.
That doesn't sound very funny, Bob.
No.
Things went blurry.
You're alright now? It's not the first time, and now it's happening more often.
I'm really scared, David.
Oh, no, Bob, come on.
If there's something wrong with my eyes, I can't do my job.
And my job, this lab - it's all that I have.
- Okay.
Listen to me.
All our years together, have we ever been stumped by anything? Miranda Virus, brown cloud over Mexico City.
We figured out what toasted those scientists down in Utah pretty quick.
Right.
We'll figure this one out too, okay? First, you see your ophthalmologist, find out what's going on.
I just want you to be sure about this.
I am sure.
My mother has a big house, you know, a lot of people taking care of it.
She's your family.
She'd love to have you.
You know, she's lonely.
My father died too.
I have family.
Yeah.
You have a lot of family.
You have your cousins, your aunties, your uncles.
And of course, your abuelita.
I want to be with them.
Is there anything that I can do for you? Anything that you need? No.
I just want to go home To Mexico.
Okay.
The FBI received an anonymous call.
Something about a smiley face you might've received.
Something like this? The optic nerve in both eyes is degenerating.
It's progressive and irreversible.
- Okay.
- Stage 2 glaucoma.
I'm going blind David, I'm sorry.
Carlos Serrano, this is Rachel's son, Craig.
- Nice to meet you.
- Same.
- So you're just visiting? - Actually in transit.
Algonquin Park, I'm studying some aggressive bear behaviour up there.
- Look! - What's on your face man? Those aren't burns, are they? Smaller blisters, black in the centre, surrounded by redness and swelling.
You know what you're describing? Yeah, Anthrax.
What the hell's going on up here? Terrorism? Yeah Wes, that's exactly what we're talking.
The forest.
It's a massive biological weapon.