Reef Doctors (2013) s01e13 Episode Script

Yep, they're here, alright! Be the first time in 40 years if they weren't.
Offshore currents are bringing them in.
Oh, it's the same thing every year.
Sending me broke.
Here you go.
Oh, look at those tiny little Irukandji! Aren't they just so cute? Ha-ha.
When's your mum gonna do something about these bloody cockroaches of the sea? She's hot and humid today! Gus, come and have a look at this, will you? My dad, he took really detailed notes of his Irukandji sightings.
Wind direction, water and air temperature, phases of the moon.
Then he transferred all of the data onto his charts.
He was looking offshore for them.
I think he was trying to find out where they were coming from.
Laurie found some stingers.
Three in the nets.
We've closed the beaches.
See, there is a pattern.
8-10 days after a full moon, northerly winds and hotter-than-average days.
Yeah - the wet season, which we're currently in.
This book on its own gives us facts and figures and tells us what to look for, but you combine that with the charts, it tells us where to look.
You're kidding, right? Dad circled Angel Reef.
Everything is pointing to that location as a breeding ground.
We have to check it out.
Do you think that Toby will lend us his diving lights? Want me to ask him? Yeah.
They might come in handy.
Whoa, whoa, Sam, you know people are getting out of the water? You wanna get in? Yeah.
It's the season.
Get over it.
All I'm saying is it's a damn shame! With all the beaches closed, everyone's bloody well leaving! Hey, mate.
What's up? Mum wants to know if we can borrow your dive lights.
Is it urgent? Do I even need to ask? She's going out looking for Irukandji.
Yeah? What area are we talking about? Angel Reef.
You know Angel Reef.
Isn't that near where we rescued you? Thereabouts.
So, can we have your lights? You know your mum's nuts.
Sure you can borrow them.
Do you have any idea how boring it's gonna be living here for the next eight weeks without the backpackers? I so wish I was going with them.
What for? So I could see somewhere other than this place.
It's gonna be so quiet.
See, I'd have thought you'd like that.
I like to be busy.
When it's dead here, it's really dead.
I won't even have this job.
When it's quiet, Toby can't keep me on.
Hey, what do you think about Toby? Um I don't know.
He's Toby.
Yeah, but whenever you ask him something, he just kind of bullshits.
You know? And he's always out diving alone.
Why is it so important? 'Cause'cause I like him and I think he's lying to me.
Why would he lie to you? I don't know.
Hey! What do you reckon, lycra suits me? And it still fits - better than last year! What do you reckon, Livvy? Yeah! Have you tried it back to front? Oh, no, I've got a ladder! Oh, you've put your finger through it.
Now you can add stinger to everything else that's bitten you, you goose.
Here, I'll put in for Gus.
Thank you.
It's rotted.
I wanna dive with you tonight.
Hey, do you reckon you could sew this stuff No, mate, we can't let you be doing that.
It's my job to dive with Sam.
I wanna see what Grandad saw.
It's his work.
I read his books, I found his charts.
No, mate, it's too dangerous.
OK.
Sam! No.
No, he's checked out for his night dives.
And besides, you've got a hole in your suit.
I want you in the boat in case there's a problem.
Thanks, Paul.
Cough up! What for? Placing a bet on a horse or something? No, Freya's farewell present.
Everyone's putting in.
It's, um, coming to the end of her rural rotation.
Yeah, I knew that.
She's leaving next week.
I knew that.
OK.
I'll leave it with you, then.
What's the rush? The moon's in the right place for a strong current.
That's what we're looking for.
Hopefully the Irukandji are too.
It's not a deep dive.
We're just going down to take a look.
Just take it easy, alright? Don't worry.
We'll be careful.
You diving tonight? Not gonna let Mum dive alone.
Make sure you stay in close contact.
It'll be dark down there.
Why? Is there something special down there you don't want us to see? No, mate.
Jack, come on! OK.
OK, no skin, huh? Yep, no skin.
Hey, Jack, you make sure you stay attached to my hip.
You follow me, yeah? Yep.
No problem.
Alright, well So the comms are all set, so just Yeah, just keep talking to me, alright? OK, Gus.
Got your torches? - Yeah.
- Alright.
Go kick some jellyfish arse.
Everything all good, Jack? Fine, Mum.
Gus, do you read me? Yep, loud and clear.
I can't see any larval fish.
There is enough plankton, though.
Water temperature is 27 degrees at 10.
3 metres.
Yep.
Got it.
What's the visibility like? About 10-12 metres.
There's no Irukandji.
Maybe it's an off year.
Or our timing's out.
Jack? Jack, where are you? I can't see you.
I'm coming.
Sorry, Mum.
Jack, look.
Look! Oh! - Hey, Gus? - Awesome.
Hey, what's going on down there? Talk to me, Sam.
Gus, how many light traps did we bring? Eight.
Maybe we should have brought a few more! Stop making this so hard.
Freya, you haven't really thought about it, you know? I'm gonna be here, and you won't be.
We have to be realistic.
How's it going to work with the world between us? We just cross that bridge when we get to it.
I can't.
I don't want this to end.
I never expected this.
What we have is It's so good.
But I have to go.
I've nearly completed all my courses.
I can't stop after all these years.
I would never hold you back, Freya.
Do you reckon they'd notice if we close up? Not a chance.
There's thousands of them.
Tens of thousands of them! I've never seen that many before! Fancy that, eh? Old Man Hamish was right.
Come on! I wanna get the rest of these light traps over the side.
Well, let's just make sure there's none on board first.
Can you hurry up? It is definitely a spawning aggregation.
They're gonna be right underneath us by now.
What happened to you down there? I lost sight of you.
I was gone for 30 seconds.
It's no big deal.
Yes, big deal.
I told you before we dived, you follow me.
"You follow me" means you obey the rules.
Alright, I'm sorry, OK? OK.
Jack, can you help, please? That's right.
Nice and steady.
Nice.
Come on, babies.
Come to papa.
I wondered when you'd turn up.
All that equipment I helped you install.
Didn't you think I'd work it out? "Using it on your dive tours"? Toby, as if! You're a smart kid.
You deserve an explanation.
You're gonna get what you want from that wreck and then you're gonna piss off, aren't you? It's more complicated than you think.
Jack.
Jack! I don't wanna know.
I don't wanna know you.
You don't care about anyone but yourself.
You're just like Dad.
Mum deserves better.
Thanks, doc.
You planning on staying at the clinic in the off season? That was the plan.
Gets pretty quiet.
You know, to tell you the truth, I've only just started thinking about what I should be doing.
Hey, Nell, can you see that Marion gets down to the boat? Sorry, not happening.
Marine weather warning.
Tropical low.
No-one's going anywhere.
Yeah, right.
That means everyone here, I guess.
Don't worry, Marion.
We'll get you down to Sonny's.
Thank you, doc.
Where's Mum? Oh, um in the lab.
Ian? Hey.
Hey.
I'll give you a hand.
Yeah, grab some gloves.
How do you get venom out of something so fragile? Tentacles go in the fridge.
The stinging capsules drop off and then we freeze-dry them.
How many do you need? Heaps, if we're gonna isolate how the toxin works.
Are you sure you're not hurting these little guys? Oh, they often lose their tentacles when they sting their prey.
They grow back pretty quickly.
Not to mention they don't have a brain.
Or blood or heart.
Or lungs.
Brains are overrated, aren't they, Gus? Huh? Yeah.
OK, I need another beaker.
I'll get it.
Jack, what are you doing? It's just a mosquito bite or something.
No, don't rub it.
Gus, can you check his glove? DON'T rub it.
It's nothing.
It's fine.
It's nothing, Mum.
Better to be safe than sorry.
It only takes one nematocyst to fire off.
Nothing's got me.
Nothing's got me, Mum.
Uh might have.
I've got a broken tentacle over here.
Livvy.
I think Jack might have got an Irukandji sting.
What? OK.
No symptoms yet? No.
Prep the surgery, though, just in case.
And check his wrist for any redness or goose bumps.
Yep, got it.
Where's Rick? He's in the consult room.
Freya, can you give me a hand? This is a waste of time.
So you can go back to school, then? Or is it a clever plan to skip it? The next half an hour will tell whether or not the venom has entered his bloodstream.
OK, and no antivenom exists? None at all? For box jellyfish, but not Irukandji.
Alright, but he's young and fit with no pre-existing medical conditions.
When the toxins kick in, you get hit with this overwhelming feeling of impending doom.
The pain, it is so intense, like you wouldn't believe.
And the morphine, it just will not touch the sides.
If he has been envenomed, he's gonna need an anti-emetic to control the vomiting.
I'll cue you for that.
Cue me? Uh-uh, Sam.
You cannot treat your own kid.
Not with any professional objectivity.
I do not mean the clinical decisions.
He will be your patient.
But I have to be part of the equation.
Sam, I've got this.
I feel a bit weird.
OK.
Lie down for me.
Oh, gee.
Rick! Ow! Something's in my back.
Alright, Jack.
That's the way, mate.
Try to lay down, Jack.
OK, establish IV access.
Morphine, 3 milligrams every five minutes.
ECG, high flow oxygen.
Jack, you need to hold still, mate.
Jack, we need you to help us a little bit here.
You've gotta stop fighting everybody and let everyone do what they need to do.
What's happening to me? The toxins, they're affecting your muscles, including your heart.
You're going into spasm.
It feels like something bad is gonna happen, darling, but it won't, alright? We've got you.
Stop, Mum.
It really hurts.
I know, baby.
I know.
It REALLY hurts.
Oh - OK.
- That's it.
You know how keen the board was to get Sam's venom trials under way.
Cut the bullshit, James.
This is me you're talking to.
Well, in light of the issues between Malcolm and Sam She doesn't trust him.
I'm working on that.
Well, the board had no choice but to rescind the offer to fund her.
I'm sorry.
You can't let them do that.
I'm just the messenger.
It's done.
Sam, I can't talk.
I have to What? Sorry.
It's OK, Jack.
Morphine's not having much effect.
What are you feeling? I feel like a prawn that's been stung.
Anywhere in particular? My chest is really tight.
- In there.
- Thanks.
Get him out.
Get out! Just hang in there.
I don't want him in here.
Alright, Jack.
You're alright.
Just Just breathe.
Can we get a chopper? I'm working on it, Sonny.
Storm front's about an hour away.
The airport's closing, choppers are grounded.
No-one's flying east.
But I can ask around.
No, no chance of a chopper.
But I will be there.
Andrew, we're pretty socked in here.
I mean, you've got no chance of Mate, if I refuel the boat and push it, I can make the marina in three hours.
Andrew? Got a minute, Andrew? Just saw James in the corridor.
I can't believe the terrible news.
The foundation won't be funding the venom cream trials.
So, where does that leave me? You know that job in Hong Kong you told me about the other day? I think you should take it.
How is he? His blood pressure's still spiralling.
After this, I'm just gonna research sea turtles.
They're big, they're gentle, they don't have any venom.
Should have been me.
Usually is.
Look, let's not even go there, Gus, OK? You know, sea turtles eat Irukandji.
Their stingers don't affect them.
How are you? I'm OK.
Thanks for asking.
Look, I know the morphine isn't settling his pain.
I know the GTN isn't reducing his blood pressure.
We are standing here, we are doing nothing, nothing at all to help him! Just try the magnesium sulfate.
I will, Sam.
But that type of treatment Oh, for God's sake! Will you look at him? You have to try something! Sam, I know that.
And I will.
But we're not there yet.
Come on.
It's going to be alright.
You OK? I just shouted at Rick.
He's a big boy.
He can handle it.
He's probably right too.
Livvy, you go.
Jack needs you in there.
If you keep on doing that, you'll wear that spoon out.
We were being careful.
Doing it hard, is he? Mmm.
Oh, come on.
Nobody's fault.
Come on.
You got through it, eh? Mm-hm.
Yeah.
I'll go and sit with him for a while.
Thanks for doing this.
Am I going to die? Nah.
Nup.
You're not gonna die.
Hey, little brother.
Hmm? I really like you, Freya.
I always have.
I know.
I like you too, Jack.
Get the magnesium sulfate ready.
It's still a new therapy.
Not all patients respond to it.
Nothing else is getting his BP down.
Nell.
They don't need me in there.
That makes two of us.
You need to get some sleep.
It's gonna be a really long night, OK? Not until I know.
Oh, Nell.
I don't want anything to happen to him.
How is he? He's not good.
Rapid heartbeat.
Increased respiratory rate.
He's not responding.
We have to get his BP down.
He could have organ damage, heart attack, stroke.
Get the defibrillator ready.
Come on, Jack.
Come on, mate.
You can do this.
You can do this.
Heart rate is dropping.
BP is stabilising.
I think the magnesium sulfate's working.
It's up to Jack now.
From here on in, it's just a question of whether he's got some of his mother's stubbornness.
Any more coffee? Hmm, your 10th, huh? Might have to monitor your blood pressure.
I've had seven years training to drink coffee.
I know where Gus hides his supply.
See? We do make a good team.
We always did.
Dad.
Hey.
What are you doing here? I've been here all night.
You gave us a bit of a scare.
How are you feeling? Uh Alive.
I think.
Hi, Mum.
Hi.
Welcome back.
I'm feeling a bit thirsty.
Can I get a, um drink? My mouth's really dry.
Yeah.
Coming right up.
Can I get a milkshake? He's awake.
He's OK.
He wants a milkshake.
So I was thinking, when you're feeling up to it, maybe you could come and stay with me for a while.
Just the two of us? Yeah.
We could hang out together.
Just you and me? Sure.
I think I can remember how it's done.
Guess we can give it a shot.
Good.
And who knows? You might even see me out here a lot more often.
I'm gonna have to reinstate you as a friend first.
It was pretty mean, wiping you.
No, I had it coming.
Yeah, you did.
We keep them in a circular tank to stop them from crashing into the glass.
- You're breeding Irukandji? - No.
About to try.
It's the only way we'll collect enough venom for us to work on.
If you can crack the Irukandji syndrome, that'd be a breakthrough everyone would line up to fund.
You and Sam are gonna need a manager.
Have you thought about it? No.
I would if I was you.
Not likely.
Not after having my venom cream trials hijacked.
Actually, Malcolm's no longer part of that equation.
Instead of him monitoring the trials, it's gonna be me.
You're kidding.
If that's OK with you.
It is very definitely OK with me.
So I've asked Jack if he wants to come and stay with me for a week.
When he's over this.
What did he say? Yes, surprisingly.
That's good.
As long as it's alright with Gillian.
Actually, she's no longer part of the equation either.
Don't tell me you walked out on her too.
No.
You OK? Yeah.
Sure.
You're still here.
I'm not going anywhere.
Is that alright with you? Yes! More cake.
You can stop now.
Your mother said you can walk, and to quit serving you.
Thank you.
Sam! Oh! Um, we're all here to farewell our friend Freya.
So I just wanna say a few words Um, sorry, Mum.
Do you mind if I say something? Um Yeah, well, whatever he was trying to say, I second it! Of course I will come back.
I had the most wonderful time with you.
I will never forget you, any of you.
Any of you.
Sorry.
This is a little something from everyone.
Oh! Thank you.
Danke schon.
I hope you like it.
Ooh.
You've got a drink, I've got a drink.
Nah.
Nah, not that it's a, um Date? Date.
Definitely not a date.
No.
Shame.
A date would be nice.
Much better than my student one.
You're gonna need it.
And if you're ever in need of a second opinion Germany is a long way.
Well, you never know.
I make house calls.
Even to there.
Do you want a drink? I was actually thinking of something a bit more romantic.
I don't suppose you're ever going to tell me why Jack was so upset with you.
No.
Fine.
You don't have to worry about that.
It's all sorted.
I'm not worried.
I was actually coming to thank you for bringing Andrew out.
It was really selfless.
You can be such a good friend.
Go on.
"But" But you are also THE MOS annoying man I have ever met.
Right! You enjoy winding me up.
You're doing it now.
You don't need my help.
Oh, that's right.
Kiss and run.
I'm not running.
I'm walking.
And I'm not going anywhere.