ER s14e02 Episode Script

In A Different Light

- All right, good luck, Mr.
Stoll.
Thanks, doc.
Hey, Dr.
Anspaugh.
You know, you're one busy guy.
I've been calling all week to schedule an appointment.
My assistant can fit you in as soon as possible.
Do you have a few minutes? I need to talk to you.
I need to get to a council meeting.
If there is a God, I can beat this traffic.
It's about Dr.
Moretti.
He's all wrong for the ER.
He doesn't understand how it works.
Kevin is a brilliant physician certified in emergency medicine.
The guy is smart, I'll give him that, but he's in way over his head, "and " And what? You should replace him with someone who knows how to do the job: Me.
Well, I admire your chutzpah.
Well, you call it what you want, but I'm serious.
Look, change is always hard.
I'm sure he's gonna settle in.
- Dr.
Anspaugh, I can do this.
- Ask me in another year or two.
And next, go from trash to treasure when we learn how to make lamps - Hi.
out of egg cartons.
Won't that be fun? - Got some magazines.
"That just sounds "eggcellent," Tina.
" - And your favorite, gummy worms.
- Thank you.
Okay, okay, why can't you tease egg whites? And Brad Pitt.
- They can't take a "yolk.
" - He's outside.
He's over Angelina and the whole adoption thing and he wants you.
Are you okay? I think I'm addicted to "Mornings With Phil and Tina.
" Oh.
Well, hang in there.
You'll be home tomorrow.
Correction: Today.
My staples came out, and my creatinine's down to 0.
9.
- Worm? - No, thank you.
- Who sent you these flowers? - ER nurses.
- Think they went a little bit overboard.
- No.
- Everyone's just happy you're doing well.
- Yeah.
- Any luck with Joe's passport? - It's so crazy.
I mean, there's all these new travel "rules " so even with an expedited passport, it takes like four weeks.
- What time are you getting out of here? - Oh, I'm not sure.
Lucien wants me to stay home for a week before I go back.
- Lucky you.
- What I am gonna do sitting at home? Um, relax, recuperate try and kick your "Phil and Tina" addiction.
- Okay, I'm late.
See you later.
- Okay, bye.
"Take the light cord " "Right.
" - And pull it through the base.
And that means no more boarding admitted patients in the ER hallways.
If there aren't enough beds, they can wait upstairs.
Oh, Lord, it's me, your servant, Bernie.
I'm dying, Lord.
- Do the nurses upstairs know about this? - Sam, your hair is brown.
And from now on, I want all patients to have full physical examinations.
- Take me, Lord.
It's my time.
You're kidding me, right? No.
Clothes off.
No more of these half-assed exams.
And we need to have more consistent treatment protocols in line with evidence-based guidelines.
Here I come.
- Should we go help that guy? Mr.
Zucker? Comes in every week with a hangover, claims he's dying.
He offered to put me in his will if I gave him a bath.
These are standard order sets for acute coronary syndrome, stroke sepsis, alcohol withdrawal, and procedural sedation.
I expect you all to make use of them.
- Get to work.
I'm coming home.
Now we're doing cookbook medicine? Why don't they just hire trained monkeys to work the ER? Hey, Morris, do you have any known relatives in Bulgaria? - What? - Frank's new hobby is genealogy.
He discovered I'm a descendant of Spanish royalty.
Yeah, then I found this Archibald Morrisnov in Plovdiv.
No, I don't think we're related, but check Venezuela.
I may have a cousin who runs a kidnapping ring.
Crime is just the desperate cry of the poor, Archie.
- Gates? I thought we got rid of you.
- I left my otoscope here.
Yeah, I was about to auction it on eBay.
Oh, stop pretending.
You know you miss me, Frank.
Hey, Abby, have you seen Neela today? Yeah, I was just there.
She's going home.
- That's great.
- So this is your last chance to visit her.
- I've visited her.
- When she was unconscious.
I'm busy and starting my first shift in ICU.
Tony, go see her.
- It's a little - Yeah, weird.
I know, stuff happened.
But you just gotta get over it.
Know what? This is Sarah.
I gotta take this.
- Hey, Sarah.
What's up? Yeah.
Here I go.
Here I go.
MORETTl: Dr.
Lockhart.
So nice of you to take time out of your busy schedule to join us.
- I was visiting a friend of mine - Fascinating.
I'm instituting a new system, and I need a volunteer: You.
Today you'll be working your shift in the waiting area.
Lord, it's me again.
- Do you mean Triage? - No, Waiting.
Here I come.
MORETTl: It's a chance to intervene at the earliest stage.
Do you really think that this is the best use? - Open your eyes, Abby.
This is the end.
- Take a fresh look.
Just say the word.
Excuse me.
Bernie, this is God.
Hurry it up already.
Yeah, your toe is infected, ma'am.
We're gonna have to remove the nail.
- Is there anything you're allergic to? - I don't like cheese.
Okay, someone will be here shortly to take you back.
- Then we'll see about some shoes.
- Oh, I like Jimmy Choos.
Hey, how much longer do I have to wait around this place? - Sir, you have to sit down.
Sit down.
- Don't you know who I am? "Carlos v ega.
" - Hi.
- Hi.
I'm Dr.
Lockhart.
What seems to be the problem? He threw up all night.
We thought it might be something he ate, but he's getting worse.
Maybe you can give me something for my stomach, and we can go.
Yeah, I think you have a fever.
It's probably not food poisoning.
Oh, no.
He played with our baby all day yesterday.
Honey, Tyler's fine.
Doctor, I gotta get to work.
How long do we have to wait? Um You know, why don't we just take you back right now, okay? - Oh, thank you.
- Come on.
You all right? All right.
Let's do this.
I was thinking about going down to Baton Rouge and visit Ray.
Yeah.
We'll go together.
The three of us could catch a Saints game.
That sounds good.
We should do that.
"Seaweed Scalp Mist.
" Ray was a little hair-obsessed.
But I gotta say, the man's lid always looked good.
Oh, boy.
- Are these a size nine? - Don't even go there, Morris.
Well, what's he gonna do with them? I mean Sir, back away from the shoes, all right? Guys, is that locker available? - What? - I haven't been assigned one yet.
- Stop.
No one's using this locker.
- It's retired.
You can't retire an ER locker.
Can you? You can use one of those lockers over there.
This one's off-limits.
So, what can we bring to dinner tonight at Chez Pratt? It's not necessary, but maybe some red wine.
Vino it is.
Thanks again for the invite.
It was Bettina's idea to do this double date.
- She really likes you, man.
- Hey, Pratt, mazel tov.
You having a stroke? Did you know your great-great-great-grandmother " on" your mother's side was an Ethiopian Jew? Wow, black and Jewish.
You're like County's own Sammy Davis, Jr.
Get out of here.
"Who can take a rainbow" Wrap it in the sky? - Archie.
- The Pratt man can Sam, you said you wanted to get out there again.
Oh, I don't know.
You and your new hair need to come with us tonight.
- Where you gals going? - Speed dating.
What is speed dating? It's a way for losers to meet other losers fast.
No, you get six minutes, you sit at a table and talk to a bunch of guys.
How are you supposed to get to know somebody? - Chemistry.
Seems more like desperation.
- Sam, are you in or not? - It sounds like fun.
Maybe she doesn't want to because she has her eye on someone else.
- What? Who? - Officer Litchman.
Oh, he is so cute.
I thought I noticed a spark between you two.
Yeah? I mean, no.
I mean, yes, I think he's cute, but I would never date a cop.
Frank, you got it wrong, man.
My grandfather was Steven with a V.
Look.
MVC, second victim behind me.
Sixteen-year-old unrestrained driver ejected from vehicle.
- What's your name? Where's Joanna? Casey Barnes, blunt head trauma, awake but altered.
CBC, chem panel, type and cross four units.
Twenty-five-year-old passenger.
No LOC, vitals stable.
- How's Casey? Is he all right? - Let's worry about you first.
CBC, type and screen, UA.
Joanna.
- Airway's patent.
Spontaneous resps.
- IV blew.
- Regular rhythm.
Carotid pulse is thready.
Look at me.
Do you know where you are? Sam, he's tachy.
Get that bolus up.
I can't get a flash.
His pressure's too low.
- We need access.
- I'll go central.
Cordis and sterile sevens.
When a trauma rolls in, you're supposed to jump on.
- Thought you could handle it.
- I'm handling it fine.
- Agitation could be a sign of ICH.
- I'll call for a head CT.
Pupils equal but sluggish.
Sorry about earlier.
I can't stop thinking about the mosquito thing.
- Mosquitoes love redheads.
- We'll talk about it later tonight.
Somebody hand me the introducer? I'm sterile.
Not sterile enough.
No drape, no gown, no mask.
We prophylactically remove all ER lines because your rate of infection is so high.
- My fault.
Kid was crashing.
I asked her - That's not true, I Spare me.
Just do it right.
- All right, pupils equal and reactive.
- Guarding a little.
- How's she doing? - Well, airways good.
GCS 15.
I'm Dr.
Moretti.
How you feeling? - Been better.
- She's tachy.
You got a pressure? - 126/76.
- Please, is Casey okay? MORETTl: Doctors are working on him.
Oh, God.
Her pelvis is stable.
We got superficial abrasions to the right thigh.
- I should've never let him drive.
- Is he your brother? No, my student.
I teach math at Edgewater.
I was tutoring him before school.
- In the car? He just got his license.
Begged me to go driving.
- Chest film's back.
- Okay.
My son was in the National Math Olympiad in high school.
Now he's squandering his talents as a comp.
Lit.
Major.
Go figure.
What do you see? - Is that a little pneumo? MORETTl: Yep.
Let's put her on a high flow of O2 and set up her for a chest tube.
- Whoa, whoa.
Overkill.
- She's got a 20 percent pneumothorax.
What does that mean? Is that bad? It means part of your lung has collapsed, and we need to reinflate it.
- Okay, Dr.
Pratt.
Your patient.
- All right, lido and 10 blade to me.
- Why don't you take off your shirt? - No, that's okay.
I need to examine your abdomen.
Do we really need to make a big deal? My boss is a real pain.
- He won't like that I'm late.
- It won't take long.
My boss is a real pain, and he won't like if I don't do a thorough exam.
- What's that? - Oh, he got hurt at work.
It's nothing.
I was stupid.
- Elena helped me clean it up.
- Still, I need to check it out.
No, you don't, really.
How'd this happen again? Funny, this doesn't look like the waiting area.
So, sir, how'd you manage to get yourself shot? There was a drive-by, and I got hit.
- When did this happen? - Three nights ago.
- Why didn't you go to the hospital? - Well, he doesn't like doctors.
It's all right.
I don't take that personally.
It's not what it looks like.
All right.
I'll be right back.
Start with a plain film, find out where the bullet is? And notify the police.
- Morning, Neela.
- Morning.
- What happened to you? - Field hockey.
Your LFTs look good.
You should be able to go home in an hour or two.
- That's what they said four hours ago.
Any trouble voiding? - No, my Foley is out.
- Are you still passing gas? Would you stop, Dusty? She's been through enough.
No going home until Neela makes a poo-poo.
You know, my postop ileus has resolved.
That's the ER.
Let's go, Dusty.
It's good to see you up and around.
Okay.
Thirteen-year-old.
Pneumonia, dysphagia, normal CT.
Chang, what crucial historical detail did Dr.
Udesky omit? Weight loss? Night sweats? No, no, no, the one thing we must know to narrow down this vast differential.
- MRI results? - You're breaking my heart.
- Excuse me.
- Duration of symptoms.
Sudden onset, we're thinking stroke, infection, trauma.
Slow onset, we're thinking tumor, metabolic - Yes? - Dr.
Shuster, I'm Dr.
Gates.
- Moretti sent me here.
- Yet you show up 20 minutes late.
I was doing a follow-up on a patient.
This is the Critical Care Unit.
I don't have time to potty-train ER rejects.
Get me an MRI.
Call Neuro.
I want a diagnosis before lunch.
Looks like the boss lady ripped you a new one.
Oh, you're too young to know what flirting looks like.
See what's taking so long in CT.
- You don't even speak Spanish.
- I'll learn.
- Sats down to 82.
- Okay, get him on a non-rebreather.
And, Hope, get ready to tube him.
- This is the kid's mom.
- Baby? Baby, it's Mom.
Honey, I'm right here, right here.
Your son's been in a car crash.
He's lost a lot of blood.
- Run of 10.
- Casey, come on.
Throw me the bag.
Ma'am, I'm Dr.
Morris.
We're gonna put a tube in to breathe for him.
What happened? He was driving, and he hit a guardrail.
- He was ejected 20 feet.
- Driving? Casey doesn't have a car.
He came in with her.
- Do you know that woman? - Yeah.
Darn, bulb's out.
I need a new scope, Mac 2.
Casey, honey, wake up.
Wake up.
Talk to me.
I'll get it.
He's in v-tach.
Lost the pulse.
Charge the paddles.
Starting compressions.
- Is Casey okay? - He's pretty sick.
MORETTl: How we doing? She's got a hemothorax.
- Good thing we put in a chest tube.
- It was the right call.
Systolic only 85.
Dawn, let CT know that we're coming up for a chest and abdomen.
- I wouldn't do that.
- Why not? - She's pregnant.
What? Right there.
That's a fetal heartbeat.
Didn't you order an ICON? Yeah, he did.
The lab's backed up.
I'm pregnant? Looks like you weren't the only one in the dark.
Small-caliber bullet in the T12 vertebral body.
He's febrile, probably infected.
He needs the O.
R.
For débridement.
- Abby.
The detectives are here.
- You called the police? We're obligated to report gunshot wounds.
Get a CT.
Make sure there's nothing in the spinal canal or abdomen.
Mr.
Vega.
- Heard you were the victim of a drive-by.
- Yeah.
- Can you tell us when and where? - Three nights ago, on my block.
That would be 3027 Pierce? - Right.
- We don't have a report of that.
But there was a shooting at a deli on Leavitt.
Owner was shot, but he returned fire.
- Carlos had nothing to do with that.
- Elena.
Why don't you call your mom? Have her take Tyler home.
- It's all right.
- Three Latino suspects got away.
But witnesses say one of them was wounded.
- It wasn't me.
Ask the store owner.
- He's in a coma.
As long as your bullet isn't a match for his gun, you don't have a problem.
- Gross hematuria.
- We're taking her to the scanner.
- Is that okay in the first trimester? - Nope.
Too much radiation.
- Please don't hurt my baby.
- We need to focus on you now.
Please, someone go see how Casey's doing.
- I need to know.
- I'll check.
- What? - You can't do a CT.
- She'll never consent.
- She's not competent.
Let's follow with a formal ultrasound.
We'll get a good look at the kidneys.
We cannot do the formal ultrasound that fast.
Why? You're a resourceful guy.
So you expect the radiologist to be at my beck and call Q 15 minutes? - Yeah, I do.
- They don't have enough machines or Hey, guys.
They need help in here.
What's wrong with Casey? Make it happen, Dr.
Pratt.
Charged to 360.
Clear.
Still no pulse.
V-fib.
- Resume CPR.
Epi's in.
- How many rounds of meds? It's the fifth.
- Amiodarone? - Yes.
No.
You're coding a patient in here, and nobody bothered to come and get me? I'm on top of it.
Really? You're blasting the myocardium with drugs " and" you're hoping for a miracle.
- Please, you've gotta save him.
- Sam, give the amio.
Did you hear what I just said? - He's a kid.
- I am aware of that.
Mom? Come here.
We've been trying to restart his heart for over half an hour now.
- You have to keep going.
- His injuries are too severe.
He's lost too much blood.
No.
No, this isn't happening.
I'm gonna stop CPR now, which means No! Oh, no, no, no.
Please don't stop.
But he's just a boy.
He's my baby.
Casey.
So where's your mom? Oh, she's at work.
She'll be here later.
Dr.
Shuster was obnoxious, no question " but" you could've been a little more contrite.
- You know, played the game.
- I'm trying.
How about an eight? Would an eight work here? No.
And I'm not talking about Sudoku.
You know, the game, life.
Playing well with others.
You seem to have a problem with that.
How about a six? Would a six work here? Your evasiveness tells me I'm onto something.
Did your dad hit you when you were a kid? What? Parental abuse.
It's a common root of authority and ego problems in adulthood.
Thank you, Dr.
Freud.
I'm more of a Jungian.
You have no idea what I'm talking about.
No, I never watched "Star Trek.
" And you're starting to freak me out, kid.
Yeah, I have that effect on people.
I'm in college now at U of C.
When I raise my hand to ask a question, the whole class stares.
- That must be weird, huh? - Yeah, I kind of stick out at frat parties.
Yeah, well " I'm" having troubles these days trying to figure out where I fit in.
And you were right about me and my dad.
If you wanna impress those stuck-up ICU types, three words: Fazio-Londe disease.
It's very rare.
Who knows how long it'll take them to figure it out? Is that what you think you have? I don't think, I know.
Well, when you were admitted, why didn't your mother tell them? Well, she doesn't know.
I haven't told her.
That's not good enough.
I need that ultrasound now, not in 45 minutes.
Pratt, your "alter cocker" in 3 is kvetching about his kishke.
- What? - It's the language of your people.
You want to get in on a detached retina? I have to go back to Waiting.
Mussolini was not happy to see me out of my cage.
- Doctor, can I talk to you? - Sure.
Carlos doesn't wanna have the operation.
Why not? Well, he was at the deli that night.
- I don't need to hear this.
- Please.
- I don't wanna hear it.
- He was there to buy milk.
Please, you have to listen.
Please.
Okay.
That night in the deli, two guys came in and they started making trouble and pulled out guns.
Carlos told you this? He tried to stop them, okay? But they just started shooting.
And he ran so fast, he didn't even realize he was hurt until he got home.
Why didn't you call the police when you saw he was shot? Well, Carlos wanted to, but I didn't let him.
Why? The guys who did this, they are from our neighborhood, okay? They know who we are.
They know where we live.
Well, that bullet is lodged in his spine, and surgery really is the only He won't do it.
Some more fluid in Morison's, but no hematoma.
Renal anatomy's intact.
- What of the fact she's peeing blood? - Probably just parenchymal contusions.
If the urine doesn't clear in an hour, do an IVP like Dr.
Moretti suggested.
She's good.
I'll be back in 15 minutes to repeat the scan.
I knew you'd find a way.
- He was 16, a child! - Hey, hey, hey.
I have your e-mails, photos.
You're going to jail.
- I know this is hard, but you can't - She molested my son.
- You've got to leave.
- This is your fault.
He's dead because of you.
- What? You saw the blood.
He was rushing me here.
That's why we crashed.
Oh, no.
You're gonna have to stop hating me.
I am having his baby.
- Okay, okay, okay.
- What? Okay, come on.
Come on, you have to leave.
I'm sorry.
If they take the bullet, cops will place me at the scene.
Tell them what happened.
They won't believe me.
All they see is another spic.
Hopefully, the owner will come out of his coma and back up your story.
If he doesn't, then Carlos will go to jail.
I got a good job, Elena, the baby.
I mean, I don't wanna lose them.
Look, just get a lawyer The legal system doesn't work for guys like me.
Do you understand that you could be paralyzed? I'll take my chances.
They talked to Carlos.
Now they wanna speak to the surgeon.
- He won't consent to the débridement? - He's convinced he's screwed.
And he understands the risks? It's his right to refuse.
Detectives.
The DA just got off the phone with a judge who's issuing a court order compelling Carlos Vega to have surgery.
- What? - It'll be here within the hour.
- The state can't dictate treatment.
It just did.
- The bullet will tell us if he's guilty.
- It doesn't matter if he's guilty.
This patient has rights.
We're not going to do it.
- It's not up to you.
- Really? What's next? Forced sterilizations? Mandated amputations? Abby, maybe it's for the best.
Carlos needs the surgery.
These guys are only trying to do their job.
We'll get an O.
R.
Ready.
Thanks, doc.
You're kidding me.
- I don't like it, but it's done.
- He has the right to refuse.
If we leave the bullet in, he ends up in a wheelchair.
Not immediately.
We can start him on IV antibiotics and then talk to Legal Very high-minded, but naive.
If we refuse, they'll get some other hospital to do it.
- You don't know that.
- As a matter of fact, I do.
Since a tricky spinal procedure is inevitable, I'd rather I do it - How did this become about you? - Let it go.
- You're not even gonna try.
- This case is no longer your concern.
Type and cross four units and send him up.
- It's called Fazio-Londe syndrome.
- That's incredibly rare.
Yeah, only 30-something cases in the literature.
It's a progressive motor disorder.
Pneumonia is from decreased function of the ninth and tenth cranial nerves.
I did an EMG, MRI.
It all fits.
You need to confirm this with a muscle biopsy.
- Well, Neuro's on it this afternoon.
- Way to be proactive, Dr.
Gates.
- We'll round again at 3.
- Bye.
- So it worked.
- Yeah, it worked.
What I wanna know is, how did you figure this out? At first it felt like a lump in my throat.
Then it got to where solid food made me throw up.
You didn't go to a doctor? I convinced a grad student in neurophysiology to do a muscle biopsy on the DL.
Confirmed what I already knew.
But your mom, you didn't tell your mother? What's the use in telling her before she absolutely has to know? Because she's your mother.
She wants to help you.
She wants to take care of you.
This news is pretty much gonna ruin her life.
She'll spend everything she has trying to keep me alive which is silly, because this disease is invariably fatal.
Well, there must be some sort of experimental treatments, right? Trials? Yeah.
Well, you know, you have to tell her.
You have to tell her.
You know that, right? Would you like me to be there? It's okay.
I'll tell her tonight.
Did the doctor tell you anything? - Okay, what happened here? - Killer bit me.
- What kind of dog is Killer? - He's not a dog, he's a gerbil.
Wow.
That's a good name for him.
Let's just clean him up, give him some antibiotics.
And, ma'am, what brings you here today? I'm here for the air.
County air is very therapeutic.
Okay, so you don't wanna see a doctor or anything? You're just here to - Breathe.
- Right.
Knock yourself out.
Uh, Chuny, the guy in the sunglasses has been in the same position like all day.
Another drunk sleeping it off.
Hey, sir? Sir? Sir? Please don't be dead.
Sir? Hey.
I need a gurney over here, now.
So the drunk isn't drunk, he's bleeding into his head.
- Yes, we know that.
Thank you.
- Systolic's 182.
All right, bolus 50 of mannitol, It's a classic example of availability bias.
I have no idea what that means, but I'm sure you're about to tell us.
The waiting area's full of drunk homeless people - " so" that's what Chuny saw.
- I feel bad enough, all right? All right, I'm in.
Toss me the bag.
- Call Respiratory for a vent.
MORETTl: Nice pickup anyway.
Stabilize him and get back into the waiting room.
Clearly, we need you out there.
Call CT, let them know we're on our way, and get Neurosurge down here.
There's no ozone in the Tropics.
Our skin will melt off.
Okay, enough.
You don't wanna go.
- I'll go without you.
- Without me? - It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
- But I'll worry.
I'll miss you, and I want us to be together.
- It's only for six months.
- Hope.
Morris.
Did you know your gal Hope there descends from a tribe of Gypsy whores? You obviously don't have enough work to do here.
- Has anyone seen Sam? - She's still in with the Mv C mom.
We're going to Ike's early to premedicate before speed dating.
- Wow.
I could use a drink.
- I'll bring some extra Manischewitz.
Yeah, we know how your tribe loves the fruit of the vine.
Will you knock it off already? You know, you guys can be a real pain in the "tokhes.
" Hey.
Any news yet? - No.
It's been over two hours.
- Well, Carlos is gonna be all right.
They shouldn't have forced him to have an operation.
It isn't right.
Yeah.
I know you tried to fight this.
Thank you.
- Hey, the surgery went well.
- Oh, thank God.
- He has full function of his extremities.
- Well, that's good.
- I can take you to him if you'd like.
- Yes.
Abby, come walk with us.
Did you get the bullet out? The strangest thing happened.
I removed the bullet, placed it on a stand.
There was a bleeder, things got hectic, stand got knocked over and the bullet somehow went missing.
Went missing? Cops have been looking for it for an hour.
It just sort of vanished.
Oh.
- Well, can I go in? - Yeah, absolutely.
Thank you.
- Vanished? - Yeah.
Weird, right? Kidneys look good, and the blood is clearing from your urine.
- So I don't need surgery? - Doesn't look that way.
And the baby's gonna be okay? No CT, no radiation.
Everything should be fine.
Thank you, doctors, so much.
We'll get you upstairs as soon as the bed's ready.
- Hey, Dr.
Moretti.
- Kevin.
All right, I just wanted to say that the ultrasound was a good idea " and" it's a good thing that we did it.
So, you know.
- You're welcome.
- All right.
Maybe you'll think twice before selling me out to Anspaugh and trying to steal my job.
- I wasn't trying to steal - Don't lie.
It belittles us both.
Um, we're gonna get an ETA on your bed.
You think I'm some kind of terrible person, don't you? - He was a kid.
You were his teacher.
- I'm only nine years older.
A few years from now, no one would care.
But now they do.
I just can't believe he's gone.
Ma'am, you need some help.
His mom showed up at my house this morning told me to stay away from her son.
- You can't really blame her.
- It got heated.
We had a fight.
I hit my head, and she ran off.
That's when I called Casey.
If only she had left us alone.
We were going through a rough time.
He'd shut himself off.
Stayed in his room.
Things were getting better.
He was starting to talk to me again.
I don't understand why this is taking so long.
I thought my case for custody was as strong as Because that's what you said.
Well, that's not good enough.
Sorry.
I know you filed the papers.
You're doing all you can.
I gotta go.
Thanks.
- You didn't have to do that.
- Yes, I did.
Dr.
Gates.
I know.
Joshua's been raving about you.
I'm Serena, his mom.
- He's a great kid.
- Yep.
A handful.
Made me go to the library to pick up some books he'd put on hold.
So has he talked about what's going on? Yeah.
It sounds pretty straightforward.
Straightforward? I don't mean to sound cavalier about pneumonia, but he's much better today.
I'm really relieved.
Excuse me, I have to fill out some insurance thing for the clerk.
Okay, nice to meet you.
And don't let my kid run the place.
He's got that kind of personality.
I'll try to keep him in check.
You didn't tell her.
I started to, but I couldn't.
Joshua, she has to know.
So when she comes back later, you and I will tell her together, okay? I just I can't see the look on her face when she realizes I'm gonna die.
You do it.
I'm not really sure I'm in the mood for this.
- You're just nervous.
- No, it's not that.
Come on, Sam, shake it off.
This is gonna be fun.
Come on.
Ladies, just let me say that we are the hottest girls up in this place.
- Wow, a lot of people signed up for this.
- It's a numbers game, Sam.
And I like the odds.
You know, wouldn't it be great if tonight we all met our soul mates? Three cosmos, please.
I would just be happy to meet a nice guy and go on a nice date.
- We're happy you came with us tonight.
- It's about time.
- I know, I gotta get out there.
- Girl, life is too damn short.
- Yes, it is.
- Yeah, I will drink to that.
- A toast.
To meeting the nice guys.
- To falling in love.
To sex without batteries.
Come on, come on, come on now.
- That's it.
- I'm gonna go get me some.
Let's go.
I was thinking maybe you should stay at our place until you get better.
- Oh, no.
I can't do that.
- Well, at least while Luka's out of town.
- I don't want to impose.
- Hey, hold that elevator.
Going down.
And I wouldn't want you to think you'd have to wait on me hand and foot.
Believe me, that'll never happen.
- Come on, it'll be fun.
You, me and Joe.
- You already have a lot on your plate.
Neela, your taxi's out front.
Take care of yourself.
- Thanks, Frank.
- Yeah, but it's so quiet with Luka away.
And besides, I could use some free babysitting.
I guess Joe needs to get to know his Auntie Neela.
- Yeah.
- But isn't Luka coming home soon? I hope so, but I don't know.
His trip is taking longer than we thought.
It's gotta be hard for him without you and Joe.
Yeah, I mean, he misses us but you know, on some level, I think he's really happy in Croatia.
You know, he's comfortable there.
I can hear it in his voice.
- What do you think? - Thank you.
I'd love to stay.
Okay, great.
Joe's nanny will let you in.
There's Thai food in the fridge.
I'll be home in a while.
- Brilliant.
I'll see you then.
- Okay, bye.
That waiting room looks like a ghost town.
- You did a great job today.
- Thank you.
And it was such a pleasure.
Well, I'm so glad you enjoyed it, because you'll be doing it again tomorrow.
Good night, Abby.
Dr.
Lockhart, you got a minute? It's an all-day bridge tournament.
You'll be bored.
- Teach me to play.
- I already have a partner.
- Yeah, but who's better-looking? - It's a tossup.
He is 78, very distinguished, and he knows what a shallot is.
- Well, what do you call that thing? - It's an onion.
- Aren't they the same? - No.
- Morris.
- Hey.
Look, now I can "challah" at you all through dinner.
- Get it? - Hi.
- Where's Hope? - Oh, she's not coming.
She's sick.
- Oh, that's too bad.
- Sick of me.
- What? - I'm sorry.
Maybe I should go.
I don't wanna burden you with this.
- Oh, no, no, don't be silly.
Stay.
- Okay.
But I've completely lost my appetite, though.
I built a time machine in my garage.
I really plan on sticking with women this time.
What's the oldest guy you've ever balled? I hear you'd never date a cop.
How did? I am gonna kill Chuny and Dawn.
I like the new look.
Thanks.
So, what's your beef with Chicago's finest? Well, it's just, in my line of work, I see you guys get hurt, shot and killed.
So you'd worry about me.
Yeah, I guess I would.
- I'd worry about you too.
- Really? I see the people that come into County.
The drunks, the drug seekers.
It's a pretty dangerous place.
On second thought, maybe I shouldn't date a nurse.
You like Italian food? - I love it.
- I know this great place over on State.
Hey, you're holding everybody up.
Time to go.
Yes, it is.
I think it's great that she wants to go do a medical mission in Caracas I really do.
But I have a job, okay? I have a life here.
- Do you have any more of this cake left? - She'll be back before you know it.
I can't help but think that this trip is an elaborate excuse to break up.
Have you ever considered that it's not about you? I mean, the long-distance thing never ends well, does it? Morris, you're not listening.
This isn't about your relationship.
It's about Hope and her doing something that's important to her.
- I mean, you gotta respect that.
- I do, I do.
But living in a tent city without running water or a toilet? - That's not my idea of fun.
- All right, I get it, it's not your thing.
- That's okay.
- I know, but Look, just give her some breathing room.
Hope is smart and independent " and" that's the reason why you like her in the first place, right? But what if she meets somebody else? Some hunky humanitarian type? You're just gonna have to trust her.
Hey, Lucien.
Hey.
The police found a large sum of money and a gun " in" Carlos and Elena's apartment.
A lot of people have guns.
Yeah, $ 1830, the exact amount stolen from the minimart.
You'd think after years of this, you'd start to get a handle on people.
The reality is, everybody lies and manipulates to get what they want.
- I believed them too.
- Everybody.
It's sad.
Okay, I'll call the "police " let them know somebody found their bullet.
It was lodged into a crevice in the anesthesia cart.
Strangest thing.
Night, Abby.
Good night.
He looks like a little boy when he sleeps.
He's a cool kid.
The antibiotics seem to be working.
You think he'll be coming home soon? Serena, there's something I need to tell you.
What? Joshua has a neuromuscular disease.
- What? - It affects the nerves in the brain
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