Coroner (2019) s04e02 Episode Script

Well, the hole in your spine is gone.
It healed beautifully.
You're saying it's as good as new? The attack and the surgery didn't kill me.
So they must have made me stronger.
I don't think that's how it works.
Are you homicide and also a pathologist? Ah, this new coroner's really making me miss Jenny.
Isn't your leave of absence done yet? I just need to stay here until I believe that not everybody I love is gonna die.
- Pull the trigger.
- Mac? Nobody gets the jump on me, I'm the superhero.
You're home.
You're gardening, too, I-I could help you put these in No Don't stop.
You look so beautiful.
What is that dance? You moved everything around.
It's hard to come home and find everything rearranged, I know.
But my system is good for Gordon, and you'll get used to it.
That's the thing about leaving, huh? Everything changes.
Hi, smiler.
- Are you hungry? - Smells good.
Yeah, uh, grandma's making her famous omelette.
Yeah, with free-range eggs, from the farmer up the road, that's-I'd forgotten eggs taste that good.
That's not all you've forgot.
Ohhh! What Okay.
I mean, look at this.
While you were away, you were growing vegetables.
And your mom, she's been growing herbs.
So.
What is that? Two peas in a pod, if you ask me.
Yeah.
Uh, look, I'm uh, - I'm off to work.
- Work? No, I thought we were having a day together as a family, at least a day.
Yeah, do they even know you're back? Mm-hmm.
Yeah, and I am also going to be looking, for personal support workers this week.
You know, because Peggy, you have done So much, already, and I'm sure you're anxious to get back to the flower shop, and Ross, you can fill in until we find - the right caregiver.
- No.
I have Foodscout orders, mom, - I'm gonna have to cook.
- Ross.
Excuse me, do I get a say here? Look, you know, if-if you're working, and Ross is busy, I can stay until you find somebody.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Great.
Great, I'm uh, gonna go to work.
- Love you.
- Love you.
- Love you.
- Love you, too.
Bye.
J.
C.
! You're back early.
We weren't expecting you for another 57 days.
That's oddly specific.
I uh, I talked to HR, they're gonna sort it out.
Okay.
You good? Oh yeah, just uh, taking my emotional inventory.
Good.
Deliveries go to my assistant.
Uh No, uh, Dr.
Thompson, I'm Jenny Cooper.
You've been filling in for me.
Dr.
Cooper, I've heard so much about you.
Pleasure to finally meet you.
Yeah, you You too.
I'm happy to be back.
I spoke to HR, and they said that they're fine with letting you out of your contract early, and we can do the hand-off as soon as today.
I figured you might want to get back to Hey, Alphonse, we weren't expecting Dr.
Cooper, for another 57 days.
Ah.
Nice of you to drop by, Dr.
Cooper.
Uh As I said, uh HR is going to sort this out.
So thank you, again, for covering.
Temporarily.
Well, maybe we can all rotate custody of the office.
Or not.
Um, there has been a car accident.
Ah, you'll have to excuse me, Dr.
Cooper.
Multiple decedents.
Mult-multiple decedents.
Might need my help.
Okie dokie.
Let's see what you can do.
Sh Uh, just so we're clear, I'm running this office for the duration of my contract.
And if you're not okay with that, you can take the remainder of your sabbatical with no hard feelings, and spend it at home with your family.
Okie dokie.
Hey! - Dr.
Cooper! - Hey.
I am glad to see you back.
Yeah, I'm happy to be back.
How you doing? Well, yeah, well, yesterday was crazy, but I'm good.
Yeah.
And he's still here, so.
Yeah, he's gonna stay until his contract is through, so It looks like I have a boss for the next two months.
You know, he is-he's a bit extra, that guy.
Yeah.
- Jenny! - Hey, hi.
- It's so good to see you.
- It's good to see you, too.
- You okay? - Oh, amazing, better than ever.
Hey Mac, shouldn't you be at your morning debrief with staff sergeant Waylen about yesterday's stand-off? The outcome was good.
Nobody got hurt.
Staff's not gonna hound us to debrief, with this mess going on.
Hmm.
Okay, uh, I think I am gonna go do my job.
All right, I'll catch up with you later.
Hey, Officer Stanley, when Dr.
Cooper is ready, EMTs have a third decedent in the sedan.
Thank you.
Any idea what happened? Hey, I got this, D.
Why don't you go take your meeting with Waylen.
- I'm here now.
- Yeah, and there are protocols.
Yesterday's outcome was good, but that was luck.
I had it under control.
And this is my scene.
Whoa! All right, someone's gotten a little Confident while I was away.
Big scene, Malik.
I hope you know what you're doing.
Uh, and You know she won't take it well.
Tick tock.
It's tick tick, actually.
- What? - Hmm? Never mind.
I think she died on impact.
What, the EMTs tell you that? Don't let their opinions bias your findings.
I didn't actually talk to the EMTs.
Oh.
You're pretty chummy with the cops, so I assumed.
My bad.
What are you basing your theory on? Well, no linear abrasions from seat belt compression, and judging by the discolouration on her sternum, I'm guessing she fractured it on impact either with the dashboard, or the steering wheel.
Hmm.
We'll see when we get her back to the morgue.
Not bad, Dr.
Cooper.
So you were in the passenger's seat of the SUV? On our way to Cosmic Fest, and That car came outta nowhere.
Ryan started yelling, and then he slammed on the brakes, and bang! I can't believe Ryan's dead! Hey, take it easy, you're still in shock.
And you said it was swerving all over the road, yeah? Do you think the driver was drunk? He had to be.
The passenger was waving her hands all over the place.
Waving her hands how? One time, I had a Bumblebee in my car.
In your-in your car? I nearly lost control, trying to SWAT that darn thing.
Okay, did you actually see a bee? No, sorry.
The car was swerving.
The car was swerving.
Got it.
So far it appears to be vehicular manslaughter due to intoxication.
All right, I'll let you know when the tox screen comes in.
Okay.
I need a paramedic over here! - She's alive! - What? Hurry! What do you mean? - What happened? - Hey.
- Where's Grace, where's Grace? - It's okay, honey.
We're gonna get you some help, okay? She's got a really weak pulse.
The paramedic swore she didn't have a pulse - when they checked earlier.
- Okay.
Hey, hon? What's your, what's your name? I'm Lily.
I thought she was dead.
- What happened? - Paramedics! Our bodies are on their way to the morgue.
Let's go.
Are you sure it's my daughter? The police found Grace's purse in the car.
And the license photo matched.
How could this have happened? Well, the only thing we know right now, is that she was involved in a car accident.
But when we find out more, I will call you.
Okay? I am so sorry for your loss, Mrs.
Bloom.
My other daughter, Lily, is missing.
She was in the car with Grace.
They told me they were taking her to St.
Vic's hospital, but I went there, and the ambulance never came.
- She had pink hair.
- Yes! Okay, I spoke to Lily, on the scene.
She was injured, but alive.
Okay, they may have just rerouted her ambulance to a different hospital.
Thank god! Thank god.
I can't believe my beautiful Grace is gone.
She was so special! The only one I could ever depend on.
What do I do now? I don't know what to do! You don't do anything, okay? We are gonna find out what happened to Grace, and I am gonna get my assistant, Alphonse, you're gonna make some calls, and we're gonna find Lily.
You just stay here as long as you need.
I'll call you as soon as I know anything.
Danke.
Oy! - Welcome back.
- We missed you.
I missed you guys, too.
Um, does this mean Dr.
Thompson is leaving? Nope, uh It's still his lab.
You know, I'm just gonna be one of you guys.
For this little bit.
What is his deal, anyways? Dennis likes him.
No.
Well, I'm sure I'll like him too, eventually.
Ah, all right.
Malik suspects that alcohol had a role to play in the accident, so Oh, you talked to detective Abed? Oh no.
Did you talk to anyone else? Why? What's going on? "Authorized interview report?" Dr.
Thompson wants us to fill one out, after any contact we have with police, witnesses, victim's families, that sort of thing, - no.
- To prevent bias.
Ah, you have to fill it out or I understand that you were upstairs, talking to a decedent's mother? And she's still in our boardroom waiting for answers, that you personally promised her.
Answers she deserves.
May I see your interview report? How about I fill you in over the autopsy.
Mm, there's no room for bias in my office.
Yeah, there's no room for it in mine, either.
Oh, well, then let's keep track of things, to prevent emotional bias contaminants.
I'm uh, I'm not "contaminated.
" Ah.
Watching you today, praying over bodies, talking to a survivor.
Oh, I'm concerned you're blurring the lines.
You're a coroner, not a social worker.
River, Dennis, do you mind just giving us a moment? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
Great, thank you.
Sharing information with police officers, and talking to family isn't bias, it's part of our job.
Not the way I do it.
Well, it's how I do it.
I've never had to take four months off.
- What have we got? - From the accident.
Died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
It's Renata Bloom's daughter, Lily.
Oh, shoot.
I'll be right back.
Sure.
Go tell that mother both her daughters are dead.
Yeah, no, sit and cry with her.
Or stay, fill out your form, and find out what killed them.
Either way, I'm not waiting for you to start this autopsy.
Point the gun at me, Marcus.
Stay where you are.
I'll shoot you.
Go ahead, I want you to.
Mac? Pull the trigger.
Pull it! You think you can kill me? Nobody gets the jump on me, I'm the superhero.
Go for it.
Damn straight.
I don't need a debrief.
Hey, hmm.
If you check the "no" box on number 5, you don't have to answer number 6 or number 7.
Thank you.
This new boss is a real piece of work, huh? Totally.
Wait, what did you say about me when I first started? Uh-huh.
Thank you.
You filled out every space with, "I was doing my job.
" That's right.
- What, is he gonna give me detention? - Maybe.
A conversation at the end of the day is always a wonderful idea.
Grace has a lack of chest abrasions, which indicates no seatbelt.
That tracks with her fractured sternum.
Yeah, the superior location of the fracture in the hemothorax indicates Impact with the steering wheel.
Confirming my theory.
Blunt force injuries to the head, chest, and neck.
Oh, likely from his impact with the road when he was ejected.
I'm guessing he died from massive brain trauma, which you, my man, Dennis, will prove when you open him up.
Kid's a poster child for why we shouldn't drink and drive.
Wait, well, he's got a, a fracture to the right femur, humerus, clavicle, several ribs, and vertebrae.
Which normally indicates that he was bracing for impact, so despite the costume my guess is, that he wasn't intoxicated.
Let's wait for the tox screen, but if you're right, and the cop's theory of drunk driving holds up, I'd guess that it was your girl who had a cooler in her cupholder.
Ross? Oh, damn.
Ross? Ross? Ross? Ross? Have you seen my cassette tapes? No.
Are you sure they made the move? Yes, I remember distinctly, I packed them myself.
And don't remind me I've got dementia, I've already remembered that.
Look, all I actually really need is my My Bob Seger right now.
If I could just have my Bob Seger, - I'd be happy.
- Oh, grandpa, grandpa.
- I-It's right in front of me.
- Grandpa.
I remember What? - Do you want me to help you find them? - Could ya? - You can find them.
- You're just waiting for that.
I think it's somewhere over here.
I know why your mother's got her problem with um That's why she wants to get an outside worker to come in, and look after me, because she, and your grandmother have huge issues between them.
- I guess so.
- Oh! Oh! Oh! Look at this.
Holy! Oh no, you know what this is? This belongs to your father, this is David's.
- You remember this box? - Yeah! Oh my god, these are These are dad's recipes! These are passed down from Momaney.
That's good, right? Dad's notes are in Farsi.
Do you speak Farsi? - No, but - Well, call your grandmother.
I These are gonna take my Foodscout orders to the next level.
Really, thank you.
Oh my god.
Lose your stuff more often, good things happen.
I-I can't lose my Bob Seger, I can't lose my Van Morrison.
Especially today.
Grace's tox results.
They're clean, no drugs, or alcohol on board.
- Not even trace amounts? - Nothing.
- Huh.
- Ohh! Lily smells like peppermint schnapps.
Yeah, I smell it, too.
Well, her uh, tox screen is also negative.
For drugs and alcohol.
So let me get this straight.
The cops think their car caused the accident by swerving into the path of the SUV.
Yeah, but Grace, the driver, was sober.
And Lily, the passenger, is also sober.
- Yes.
- And, folks? Lily has no fatal injuries on the imaging.
Well, how 'bout that? Not a single fatal fracture.
What if the accident didn't kill her? Well, if the accident didn't kill her, then what did? How can it be overcooked and under-cooked?! - This makes no sense.
- Wow.
That smell.
Oh boy, that's-that takes me back.
- Yeah, laugh it up.
- No, it's not funny, I just-i see your father, David, he's standing over the stove, over his rice.
It's like he's performing a surgery.
Well, I botched this.
Completely.
- Yeah.
- And I don't know I followed everything to the word.
I-I don't Now, where's the tea? Check the, check the labels, - it's in the cupboard somewhere.
- No, no, no, he used to He-before he added the reddish stuff, the-he would steep it in tea, you don't remember that? You must remember that.
What are you doing? Do you wanna You wanna help me? Well, I was reading comics, but Okay.
As long as I get to eat it.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Take a look at this.
Dr.
Cooper? Your mom is waiting to see you upstairs.
I know.
There's a form for that.
Hey, is dad okay? Yeah, Gordie's fine.
I just thought that this might brighten up your office.
You know, it's no surprise that you took up gardening when you were gone, and I arrange flowers Sorry, did you pull me out of an autopsy to give me a, a plant?! Plants are very healing.
They help us to grieve.
I'm here if you want to talk about Liam.
I'm in the middle of an autopsy.
- No, I meant later.
- Right.
I'm probably not gonna wanna talk to you, about Liam later, either.
You'd be surprised, what a good ear I am.
If anybody knows about grief, - it's me.
- Hmm.
Peggy, I have a mother in the next room who just lost two children, and she needs answers, answers that I can't give her when I'm in here talking with you.
- I'll go.
- Great.
But I-I really want to help you through this.
Any news? I-I'm so sorry for the loss of your children.
Children? Children! Peggy, I need you to leave.
Peggy, please.
Ms.
Bloom, please come have a seat.
- You lied to me! - No, uh Lily was alive when I spoke to her, but Unfortunately we found out that she died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
I'm sorry.
Is there anyone I can call? Alphonse? Hey, I need you to make a few calls for Ms.
Bloom.
Can you see if there is anybody that can pick her up, stay with her, you know, any friends or family, just I'm all alone.
Do you understand what I'm telling you? Those two girls were the only family I had.
I am truly sorry for your loss.
And I'm gonna work as quickly as possible to get you answers.
Alphonse will get you anything else you need.
Okay.
Can he get me back my girls? Was there a family emergency? No.
Then probably not the wisest idea to leave.
Turns out our girl Lily Has petechiae on her trunk.
And extremities.
What are you testing for? Neisseria meningitides bacteria.
What, you think she has meningitis? Well, it would explain the rash.
And if she did have it, you may have just given it to your mom, and that would be a family emergency.
No trace of bacteria.
Okay.
Okay What if it's not a rash? I love it when she gets that look.
Grace wasn't minty.
Not mint.
Campfire smoke.
I don't follow.
Okay, Lily smells like mint, but her hair smells like campfire smoke.
Grace's does, too.
I'm thinking, the girls went camping, and these are black fly bites.
Let's see.
Yeah, her lymph nodes are swollen.
And that would be consistent with a virus.
Mosquitoes, flies, ticks all carry viruses.
Alphonse, can you speak with Ms.
Bloom, and find out if her daughters were camping, and where? Perhaps Lily caught some kind of environmental contagion.
I love a good mystery, don't you? Dr.
Cooper.
Hey, those tox results back yet? I really, really need those tox results.
Yeah, they came back negative.
Okay.
Okay, this is gonna sound weird, but did either occupant of the car have any signs of an allergic reaction, like, to an insect sting? There was no evidence of a bee sting or any kind of anaphylactic shock.
If we need something more from you, detective, we'll call you.
I'll let you know if we find anything else.
Thank you, Jenny.
So the girls were camping.
They rented a cabin in Algonquin Park.
What about hantavirus? Well, humans can contract it from deer mice feces.
Maybe the girls were exposed to it when they were in the cabin.
If hantavirus is spreading in a provincial park, more people could die.
We'll have to notify the authorities.
Okay, we are looking for microscopic lesions in the lungs, they will be heavy.
Then there will be fluid in the pleural cavity.
Let's open her up.
Yeah.
- Hey.
- Hey.
I should get back to work.
Ah, what's the rush? There's something I, I haven't told you.
Because I just, I haven't made a decision about it yet.
I was offered a residency at an artist-run center.
That's great news! In San Francisco.
I just, I didn't say anything 'cause I wanted to make sure you were 100 percent, and I don't even know if I'm gonna take it.
Well I'm 100 percent, so Take it.
Wait a second, why aren't you at work? I-I was involved in a hostage situation yesterday.
What? What happened? It-it's a non-event, no one got hurt.
You know, I may have coloured outside the lines a little.
What does that mean, "coloured outside the lines?" Why are you giving me the third degree? Third degree? I You haven't been at work for four months.
You go back, and on the second day you're part of a hostage situation? I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to be concerned about you? Oh my god, I'm so sick and tired of everyone being so concerned about me.
- I'm not an invalid! - I didn't say that.
I'm stronger than I've ever been.
- Yeah, babe, I know.
- Then Take the residency.
Wait, you-you want me to go? Okay.
Yeah, I'll go.
1,500 grams, their lungs are normal weight.
Yeah, normal weight and normal colour.
No consolidation.
Well, it's not the hantavirus.
What now? What are you doing?! We-we've spent every day together for the past four months, and it's been incredible.
And now that I'm back on my feet again, thanks to you I'm just working through some stuff.
Please don't leave like this.
After that, you owe me one hell of a tasty dinner.
Whatever you want, I'm in.
Hmm, that is minty.
Yeah, but if it's not alcohol, - what is it? - River, you must have made a mistake with the tox screen.
River doesn't make mistakes.
Run the tox screen again.
Hey Malik, it's Jenny.
I need your help.
Does the car have a GPS? Yeah, it does.
Okay, the girls were coming from Algonquin Park.
Can you tell me where they were going? Yeah, Sunnydell hospital.
Cooper, what are you doing? Collaborating with the police, you should try it some time, maybe you'll find it helps.
Okay, so if the girls were on their way to the hospital, that means one of them was sick, right? Yeah, it's most likely Lily, her COD is still a mystery.
Well, I have a witness who insists that she saw the passenger of the car waving their arms around - to shoo away a bee.
- What if it was a seizure? Thanks.
Mint.
The menthol in peppermint can have adverse side effects if taken in large quantities, right? Yes, but it's generally not lethal.
Unless, she had an underlying condition.
Yeah, we need to talk to the mom.
By all means, do it your way, Doctor Cooper.
Just take one breath, that's it.
And the next.
And the next.
You're not gonna die, sweetie, I know it feels that way.
But you're not.
Peggy! - What are you doing? - Helping a friend.
Okay, um, can I talk to you outside for a second, please? I'm sorry.
I'll be right back.
What are you still doing here? I was on my way out, but Renata was so upset, Jenny, I could practically hear her sobs - from the parking lot - Do you-do you have any idea how inappropriate this is? Okay, you are not her friend.
You are not a grief counsellor.
You are my mother! It's nice to hear you say that.
I will see you at home.
Thank you, for lending me your mother.
Mm-hmm.
Uh Can I ask you a few questions, about Lily? Do you know if she had any underlying health conditions? No, nothing.
Apart from the flu.
She had the flu? No, she had a headache, nausea.
Lily wasn't as open with me.
Was she acting unusual at all? She'd had a fight with her boyfriend and he broke it off.
I had to learn about it from Grace.
It's why they went to the cabin.
Okay.
Um Do you know if Lily was sexually active with her boyfriend? Okay.
Thank you.
Hey, Steff.
You here to follow up on Mac's debrief? He hasn't done it yet.
He took a personal day instead.
Okay Ohh! - All right.
- All right.
I feel good about this.
I feel very good.
Okay.
Please! - Hey! Hey! - Oh! Eight out of ten! - Well, six out of ten.
- Six out of Okay, we'll say six.
There's a little dip there.
- Ohh! - Very good.
- Very good.
- We'll should - Give 'er a go? - Yes.
It's gonna be hot.
Be careful.
Oh, it's nice underneath.
It's fine.
Ow! A little hot.
- Yeah, that's good.
- Mmm! This is like, as good as your dad's.
That's not half bad.
- Mmm! - Mmm, and so fragrant.
Yeah, it's spearmint, not mint.
I knew I had smelled that before.
It's Pennyroyal.
And an overdose of Pennyroyal can cause seizures, multiple organ failure.
Isn't Pennyroyal generally used as a topical bug repellent? Yeah, but if you take enough of it, it can induce abortion.
There was no evidence of a fetus.
Well, maybe that's because she aborted it.
Right? If you think about it, Lily and her boyfriend got in a fight, her and her sister went away for the weekend, and they were on their way to the hospital, when they got in the accident.
So Lily had a seizure, which caused Grace to lose control of the car.
But why would she try to induce an abortion herself, when she could've gone to her doctor? Or an abortion clinic? Okay, she was also 15, right? So she would've needed her mother's approval.
Mac You blew off your debrief? What are you doing here? I'm just trying to get some answers, because you're not willing to talk to anybody else, - about what happened.
- Nothing happened! When are you gonna get that through your skull?! Mac! You held a man's gun to your head, and you told him to shoot you! What you did was insane, man! I don't wanna die, and I don't wanna watch you get killed, because you need to prove you're not weak.
What's he talking about? Malik was just leaving.
- Is that really what happened? - Malik You need to go.
And you need to do your debrief.
I can explain.
You held a man's gun to your head? Were you not thinking about us? Or me? Honestly, no.
And it's not because I don't care, it's just, that's how I have to do the job.
Your job is more important than your life? It's the one constant in my life.
The thing I've always been good at.
Well, it doesn't sound like you're very good at it right now! Hey.
Maybe you just, you need to take a step back.
Why don't you come with me to San Francisco? And what would I do out there? Sit around in bed all day, waiting for you to come home? Or maybe you don't want a partner, - maybe you want a cat.
- Stop it.
Or maybe you're just not used to seeing me healthy.
This has nothing to do with your injury, - you know that! - You wanna take your job, take it.
There's nothing stopping you.
You better make sure you mean that.
Because you don't get a third strike with me.
Take your dream job, Kirima.
I would.
Unlike Grace, Lily's injuries aren't what killed her.
What are you saying? Were you aware that Lily was pregnant? What?! That's what her hormones indicated.
Lily took an herb called Pennyroyal, which caused her to abort the pregnancy, but it also caused fatal damage to her liver, and other organs.
Regrettably, Ms.
Bloom, plants don't come with warning labels, and in many cases can be lethal when used incorrectly.
Our office will be putting out recommendations, for stricter regulations.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Um, hey.
Hey, it's okay.
Here, have a seat.
Have a seat.
Sit.
Sit here.
It's okay.
It's okay.
It's okay.
- It's okay.
- This is my fault.
No, sweetie.
- What do I do? - It's okay.
Renata, I need you to take a deep breath for me, okay? How am I supposed to live without my girls? I can't! I can't go! I know, Renata, I need you to breathe for me, okay? Hey, Renata? Breathe into my hand, okay? Breathe.
Can you breathe into my hand? Breathe with me.
That's it.
That's it.
That's it.
I understand what you're going through, okay? I know.
Your mom told me about your sister, Katie.
A mother should never have to bury her child.
Well You won.
You cracked it.
Yeah, I don't, I don't really consider this a win.
Good, neither do I.
- The paperwork - The paperwork is to cover your ass, let's be Let's be honest.
I've been where you are.
Thinking I needed to hurt, when others hurt.
I was in a situation before, emotionally entangled.
The bias got the better of me.
And the outcome was, um Was what? Best not to dwell on the past.
Now I have forms, to take stock.
And I am not going anywhere.
At least not for the next 56 days.
So, for now Maybe you could take the burden off yourself, and try to do things differently? Yeah.
Let's uh, let's talk.
You crossed every line there is today.
"Expert" in grief.
I didn't ask to be an expert in grief.
What did I do wrong? You came into my office and talked to a complete stranger about my life! Renata was suffering, she needed support, and I have been through exactly what she's going through.
It's-no! No, you haven't.
Renata lost both of her daughters today, you still had dad and me.
I lost my daughter! Yeah.
Yeah, you lost Katie.
But you left me.
Right? I'll see you in the morning.
I'm making waffles.
I hate waffles!