Previously on e.r.:
want a bite? no, no, i'll just watch you eat it. what's with you and the desk clerk? would your grandmother consider this clinic idea? she'd look at it. after i pay my landlord med school bills, my phone bill, that should leave me about four bucks. yeah. me, too. you've not worked with dr. romano. rocket romano? rocket's sponsoring my b.t.a. ow! damn you people! you son of a bitch! that's enough! believe me, it won't get any better. you belong in jail. i wish i had kicked your white ass! ( sighs ) ( giggling ) i hope i didn't wake you. no. no. i smelled the coffee. oh, well, uh, let me get you a cup. okay. ( groans ) you're cheerful this morning. ( chuckling ) did you talk to the foreman yet? yeah, yeah. he gave me the same old, same old-- all crewed up. but i talked to tommy styles. tommy styles? i thought he moved to atlanta. yeah, he's a general manager of a construction company down there that got some contracts during the olympics and, uh... things just grew from there, and... they can't get enough guys to fill their gigs. good for him. yeah. he said, uh... he said a guy with my skills could... could make some real good money the first year out. in atlanta. yeah. i mean, it could be a chance for a fresh start. better job opportunities better weather. we already know tommy. my sister's down there, and it's a chocolate city so socially... sounds great. but...? but we're not kids anymore. we can't just start over. why not? hmm? why not? why can't we just wipe the slate clean? because we have a mortgage and i have a job. but i don't. you know, i'm being frozen out up here and after that fight with bill i can't just hang out and watch the football game with the guys. my life is over up here. in atlanta... we wouldn't have to tell anybody. nobody would know. hey. how many patients do you think we see in the hospital every year? too many. could you be a little more specific? it's for my grant proposal. tonight's the carter family foundation night. you nervous? no. the worse she can say is no. then i'm back where i started-- clueless and penniless. good morning, all. you in a good mood? the hospital settled the kenny law malpractice suit. no more process servers, no more depositions and after today, no more work because i've got three days of vacation time. any plans? uh, sleep, sleep and sleep. mark, how many patients do you think we see in the hospital every year? oh, would that be real patients or turkeys? forget i asked. look, your count will be about 95% higher if you count all the wackos. that's a little harsh. all right, carol, i'll make you a wager. uh-huh. a wager on the turkey-to-patient ratio over the next 12 hours. no, thanks. i'll give you two-to-one odds. can i get a doctor quickly? help, please? anyone? you see? here's a real patient now. you're already up by one. anna? ( knocking ) anna? hey, carter. i'm running late. sorry. oh, i must have read your handwriting wrong. i thought it says 4d. it does. here. come in. oh. i had to get my shower in before the guy in 4g. he stands in there for, like, an hour listening to howard stern. can i have a ride to journal club? sure. thanks. make yourself comfortable. i'm going to go get dressed. okay. ( sighs ) this is a nice place. please. it's a dump, but you get what you pay for, right? what are you going to do? especially on what we get paid, huh? right. if you want, there's some pop-tarts on the counter. can i, uh... make you one? no, it's okay. i like them cold. me, too. really? ohh! damn landlord won't fumigate the place. i write letters, i call the management office. you better believe he doesn't have roaches around his fat-cat estate in evanston. you could report him to the health department. cockroaches are a health hazard. that really works? you tried it? yeah. wow. i never would have pegged you for a guy who knew slumlord politics. you seem so milk-fed middle class. my family always had enough to get by. uh, never went hungry or anything. hey, what do you say we go over this journal stuff at breakfast? i know a place that's got a $1.99 pancake special. you buying? my treat. all right. thanks. type and cross for four units. get x ray here. what happened? man: we were doing a performance piece. i was doing william tell's-- an artist taking the risk the average philistine is not willing to take. this idiot just had to shoot the apple out from between my legs. you're lucky he didn't aim higher. it makes it even edgier. you've shed blood for your work. are you an expert, prole? no. the blood on the gallery wall made a bold splatter. do i look like jackson pollock? i'm sorry, sir. carol, give him ten of morphine. wait. the piece can go on and live and breathe on its own. i will be the canvas-- no morphine. i want to experience the sensation. you have a bullet hole in your leg-- take the drugs. sorry, carol. score one for me. shirley, do you know where dr. hicks is doing her 8:00 a.m. gastroplasty? did. she pushed it up to 6:00. they should be done by now. hey, what's going on? just finishing up my night. dr. hicks changed her surgery? yes. she made rounds for dr. sloman. you weren't here yet. why wasn't i called? i didn't want to disturb you. that was my gastroplasty. i know, but you have limited time with your family. is that what you told dr. hicks? i thought i was doing you a favor but if you're thinking i wanted this surgery... whoa. did you? take my ischemic bowel at 11:00 and we'll call it a trade. why don't we do that? good. you smell of talcum powder. that's so sweet. hey, jeanie. hey. your husband called. did he leave a message? yeah. i wrote it down. "mint juleps, night blooming jasmine and warm southern breezes." ( chuckling ): that was it? yeah. i don't know what it means but he sounds like a real romantic. i wish he wasn't as much of a romantic. you don't like being swept off your feet? it's the landing that's a problem. this synergix group has balanced budgets deeper in the red than ours. i've made some real progress. you should hear what they have to say. what if i don't like what i hear? i'd plan on liking it. otherwise, you can explain to the board of directors the e.r.'s massive deficit. i see. they're looking for scapegoats; don't be one. mr. prole made me do it. this is our guy. come on, couple of questions. i told him i was a bad shot. got to love the crackpots. could you cover me for a few hours? anspaugh's sending me to some dog-and-pony show for these e.r. management groups. if i have to. he zeroed in on every bit of flab in the budget. he said we're overstaffed, doing too many tests. he wants it turned around yesterday. sounds bad. there's no money. resources are stretched as it is and he still wants me to lose another 98,000. something's got to give. yeah. it's just i don't know what or who. let me know when you're back. what have you got? matthew lindermulder. his spotter at the gym was asleep at the switch dropped a free-weight bar on his head. ooh. i knew there was a reason i let my gym membership lapse. b.p.'s 120/85. pulse 88. pupils equal, round and reactive. uh, babinski's down-going and he withdraws to pain. let's get a c.b.c., cross-table c-spine and a non-contrast head c.t. oh, man. what's what? it's a klan tattoo. danny, can you hear me? how long was he seizing? his cellmate screamed for us an hour ago. he seized all the way here and it stopped just as we were pulling up. b.p.'s 0/70. pulse 0. has he been here before? don't know. i'm new. wet himself in the van on the way over. okay. can you not use those cuffs, please? whatever you say, doc, but i got to stay with him. he's waking up. ( groaning ) i hear it ringing. ( panting ) does he have any history of epilepsy? not that i know of. slower... how you feeling there, danny? oh, no. hang on. hang on. that's all right. hang on. he's bit his tongue. let's get a head c.t. and a tox screen. can i talk to you outside, please? sure. so what do you think? kid has textbook seizure symptoms. yeah, maybe a little too textbook. well, it's a pretty convincing performance. i've seen some oscar-winning performances from prisoners looking for a "get out of jail free" card. maybe mark greene's rubbing off on us. he's seizing again. labs are back on that weird guy in one. anna, weird guy in one. okay. thanks again for breakfast, carter. sure. carter, could you wrap up a patient for me? he's not stinky, is he? no, straightforward concussion most likely. he makes me feel uncomfortable. you're passing off a patient because he makes you feel uncomfortable? uh, dr. carter? it's, uh, the lab. he's a member of the ku klux klan. did he make any remarks? no. he's unconscious, but when i was working him up i noticed he had a k.k.k. tattoo. if we sat around waiting for the perfect patient the lounge would be standing room only. if there's a problem, call security. until then, try and remember hippocrates. no pupil dilation. oral mucosas intact. lucky landing. i'm sorry, officer jeffrey; this doesn't look good. nurse hathaway, prepare the h20-n.a. treatment, please. oh, but, doctor, that's experimental. what do you mean, "it doesn't look good"? well, it's our only hope. um, officer, do you have the name of mr. scheibe's next of kin? either he's going to snap out of this seizure or he's going to be forced into an irreversible coma. coma? give it a few seconds. if it doesn't work, we'll call the coma team. what? what? who? ( coughing ) amazing. yeah. salt water. where am i? now you're in a hospital but in five minutes, you're going to be on a bus headed for prison-- in very wet pants. ( sighs ) we got your gram stain back, mr. la fontaine. please, for you... vinny. okay, vinny, you have gonorrhea. from the looks of your chart you're familiar with the protocol? occupational hazard. it's the price of being a player. you sing? no. that's a damn shame 'cause, uh... i been in the, uh... entertainment industry for numerous years and, uh, you know, with a face like yours... you could sell a lot of platters. this is a single dose of floxin and zithromax. they do the same thing as the other antibiotics you're used to. i remember when it used to be an elephant gun of penicillin in the ass. have you been tested recently for hiv or syphilis? oh, yeah, i get tested down at south side clinic. i am clean and pristine. hathaway: is the coast clear? what do you mean? fake seizure kid from juvie. i'd rather dr. greene not see this one. not a patient i should bring up to your grandmother, right? your clinic proposal-- that's tonight, isn't it? yeah, oak park, 7:00. i thought that's what we said. yeah, we did; i just spaced it. i made plans with anna, but i can change them. plans with anna? yeah. journal club. so it's a colleague kind of thing? so far. so you got all your facts and figures? gamma loves facts and figures. i'm just waiting on census numbers. you'll do fine. don't mention politics or religion and you'll stay on her good side. politics, religion-- right. or baseball. she's still pissed off over that inter-league play. anything else? no, you're a natural. how long has your wrist been bothering you? about two weeks. let me take a look. can you hold this a second? sure. i'll just sit it down. consider yourself served. if you have any questions, there's an attorney's name and number on the inside. this case was settled this morning. i have a suggestion where you could stick this summons. is that another process server? he impersonated a patient. that's got to be illegal. they should really get their story straight. mark, this isn't a malpractice summons. it's a civil suit. what? yeah. chris law's claiming you violated his brother's civil rights. he's not suing the hospital. he's suing you. ellis: ...so i think the facts speak for themselves. when you partner with synergix physicians group we will increase revenues, streamline management and cut costs making your department a center of excellence. now, i'm sure that some of you have questions, so... yes, sir? i'm eric norris, director of st. joseph's e.r. oh, yes, and the principal author on thrombolytics and pulmonary embolism in the september annals. welcome, sir. yes. what are your billing charges? ah, now that is the beauty of the s.p.g. system. collective billing of our 125 contracted facilities enables us to keep our billing costs down below five percent. yes. i have a few questions-- the first of which... i'm sorry. and you are? uh, kerry weaver, acting chief of emergency services at county general. five percent is an impressive number but what's the percentage that synergix retains in management fees? well, we retain the current physicians' salaries and we balance your budget through maximizing reimbursement and cutting costs. i'm sure you've heard of the pentagon and the $5,000 hammer...? yeah. i'm not talking about hammers and, um, you haven't answered my question, mr. west. well, it's dr. west, but please, call me ellis. the number you're looking for is dependent upon a multitude of factors: uh, payer mix, daily census, physician reimbursement just to name a few. but we should talk about this later. uh, right now, i'd like to answer a few more questions, if i may. yes? in the back? lizzie! just the person i wanted to see. check this out. someone will be limping for a while. some wacky artist got shot during a performance. imploded his cartilage. i see there's a cylindrical defect of the medial distal femoral condyle. a perfect candidate for your research. he's all yours if you got the time. actually, i have but we'd need to get his consent before donor femur. the consent's been taken care of and i took the liberty of trolling the morgue. found a femur that matches. all you need to do is start growing culture cells. an osteochondral allograph. mm-hmm. didn't think i'd ever get to do one. well, i'll start the cultures right away, uh... thank you so much. who looks out for you, huh? ( chuckles ) i was just talking to a guy named ivan sheldon. you remember him? the judge from evanston with a six handicap? right. he gave me the name of a good attorney-- the guy who defended the civil rights case against the kallenback meat packing company. you're discussing my legal problems with your golfing buddies? just sheldon. he's a judge. i didn't ask you to save my ass or whatever it is you're trying to do. i was being your friend which is getting tougher to do. mark, that environmental allergy is waiting for you in curtain two. and why is that? you've been in a bad mood for months. i don't know how to talk to you anymore. then don't. okay. what's the statute of limitations on post-traumatic stress? cut him some slack. i think we've all cut him plenty. he needs some help. he doesn't need a shrink. he needs friends who are supportive. he's not going to have any friends-- supportive or otherwise-- if he keeps this up. your tattoo guy is back from c.t. the grand wizard? yeah. he's regained consciousness. needs a scalp and shoulder suture. great. we'll have him up and cross burning in no time. i hate to say it, but he's actually very polite. uh-huh. mr. lindermulder, you're going to need sutures. you going to make me look like frankenstein's monster, huh? first your shoulder. please lower your gown. is there any way the nurse could do them? that little blond lady who was in here before? it's not her job. you're going to have to settle for me. it's no offense, it's just... go ahead. i got to hand it to you people. "you people"? paramedics, nurses physician's assistants. dumb ox like me gets a barbell dropped on his head and here i am, getting the best care on earth. well, we treat everybody here. have you been saved, miss...? boulet. do you walk with the lord? what does that tattoo have to do with the lord? i'm sorry you had to see it. that's why i asked for the nurse before. it's a reminder of what i left behind: intolerance, ignorance, hate. i was reborn through the love of jesus christ. uh-huh. i built a new life, miss boulet. you don't believe that's possible, do you? sure, i do. we didn't get a chance to finish our discussion. i heard everything i need to hear, thank you. oh, but i haven't. kerry, i'm surrounded by number crunchers all day long. when a confident, intelligent and attractive woman walks through my door i must at least try to ask her to lunch. i have to get back to work. no, no, i'll make some calls. i'll tell chicago not to get sick for an hour. we can go down to the oak room and i will tell you all my dirty management secrets. what do you say? come on. ...not to mention the japanese strain of staph that's resistant to the most powerful antibiotics. scary stuff. hi. i'm dr. greene. whoa. what are you doing? there are germs, doctor. well, you can put that away now. dr. greene is very sanitary. you don't have to worry. i'll be the judge of that. why don't we take off the mask? this is a charcoal particle filter mask. 20% of people get sicker in the hospital. i don't want to become another statistic. so, you complain of fatigue, dry mouth, shortness of breath. heart rate's 130. resps 32. ah, and you've been here before for anxiety attacks. this is not an anxiety attack. i'm allergic to my apartment building. why don't you move? is that your medical opinion, doctor? i have environmentally based allergies. or you're having anxiety and looking for attention. mark! why don't you get a blood gas and call me with the results. i see dr. corday handed you off one nasty ileum. i'm just helping her out. well... i'm glad that you two have some camaraderie. it'll come in handy with dr. romano. excuse me?
want a bite? no, no, i'll just watch you eat it. what's with you and the desk clerk? would your grandmother consider this clinic idea? she'd look at it. after i pay my landlord med school bills, my phone bill, that should leave me about four bucks. yeah. me, too. you've not worked with dr. romano. rocket romano? rocket's sponsoring my b.t.a. ow! damn you people! you son of a bitch! that's enough! believe me, it won't get any better. you belong in jail. i wish i had kicked your white ass! ( sighs ) ( giggling ) i hope i didn't wake you. no. no. i smelled the coffee. oh, well, uh, let me get you a cup. okay. ( groans ) you're cheerful this morning. ( chuckling ) did you talk to the foreman yet? yeah, yeah. he gave me the same old, same old-- all crewed up. but i talked to tommy styles. tommy styles? i thought he moved to atlanta. yeah, he's a general manager of a construction company down there that got some contracts during the olympics and, uh... things just grew from there, and... they can't get enough guys to fill their gigs. good for him. yeah. he said, uh... he said a guy with my skills could... could make some real good money the first year out. in atlanta. yeah. i mean, it could be a chance for a fresh start. better job opportunities better weather. we already know tommy. my sister's down there, and it's a chocolate city so socially... sounds great. but...? but we're not kids anymore. we can't just start over. why not? hmm? why not? why can't we just wipe the slate clean? because we have a mortgage and i have a job. but i don't. you know, i'm being frozen out up here and after that fight with bill i can't just hang out and watch the football game with the guys. my life is over up here. in atlanta... we wouldn't have to tell anybody. nobody would know. hey. how many patients do you think we see in the hospital every year? too many. could you be a little more specific? it's for my grant proposal. tonight's the carter family foundation night. you nervous? no. the worse she can say is no. then i'm back where i started-- clueless and penniless. good morning, all. you in a good mood? the hospital settled the kenny law malpractice suit. no more process servers, no more depositions and after today, no more work because i've got three days of vacation time. any plans? uh, sleep, sleep and sleep. mark, how many patients do you think we see in the hospital every year? oh, would that be real patients or turkeys? forget i asked. look, your count will be about 95% higher if you count all the wackos. that's a little harsh. all right, carol, i'll make you a wager. uh-huh. a wager on the turkey-to-patient ratio over the next 12 hours. no, thanks. i'll give you two-to-one odds. can i get a doctor quickly? help, please? anyone? you see? here's a real patient now. you're already up by one. anna? ( knocking ) anna? hey, carter. i'm running late. sorry. oh, i must have read your handwriting wrong. i thought it says 4d. it does. here. come in. oh. i had to get my shower in before the guy in 4g. he stands in there for, like, an hour listening to howard stern. can i have a ride to journal club? sure. thanks. make yourself comfortable. i'm going to go get dressed. okay. ( sighs ) this is a nice place. please. it's a dump, but you get what you pay for, right? what are you going to do? especially on what we get paid, huh? right. if you want, there's some pop-tarts on the counter. can i, uh... make you one? no, it's okay. i like them cold. me, too. really? ohh! damn landlord won't fumigate the place. i write letters, i call the management office. you better believe he doesn't have roaches around his fat-cat estate in evanston. you could report him to the health department. cockroaches are a health hazard. that really works? you tried it? yeah. wow. i never would have pegged you for a guy who knew slumlord politics. you seem so milk-fed middle class. my family always had enough to get by. uh, never went hungry or anything. hey, what do you say we go over this journal stuff at breakfast? i know a place that's got a $1.99 pancake special. you buying? my treat. all right. thanks. type and cross for four units. get x ray here. what happened? man: we were doing a performance piece. i was doing william tell's-- an artist taking the risk the average philistine is not willing to take. this idiot just had to shoot the apple out from between my legs. you're lucky he didn't aim higher. it makes it even edgier. you've shed blood for your work. are you an expert, prole? no. the blood on the gallery wall made a bold splatter. do i look like jackson pollock? i'm sorry, sir. carol, give him ten of morphine. wait. the piece can go on and live and breathe on its own. i will be the canvas-- no morphine. i want to experience the sensation. you have a bullet hole in your leg-- take the drugs. sorry, carol. score one for me. shirley, do you know where dr. hicks is doing her 8:00 a.m. gastroplasty? did. she pushed it up to 6:00. they should be done by now. hey, what's going on? just finishing up my night. dr. hicks changed her surgery? yes. she made rounds for dr. sloman. you weren't here yet. why wasn't i called? i didn't want to disturb you. that was my gastroplasty. i know, but you have limited time with your family. is that what you told dr. hicks? i thought i was doing you a favor but if you're thinking i wanted this surgery... whoa. did you? take my ischemic bowel at 11:00 and we'll call it a trade. why don't we do that? good. you smell of talcum powder. that's so sweet. hey, jeanie. hey. your husband called. did he leave a message? yeah. i wrote it down. "mint juleps, night blooming jasmine and warm southern breezes." ( chuckling ): that was it? yeah. i don't know what it means but he sounds like a real romantic. i wish he wasn't as much of a romantic. you don't like being swept off your feet? it's the landing that's a problem. this synergix group has balanced budgets deeper in the red than ours. i've made some real progress. you should hear what they have to say. what if i don't like what i hear? i'd plan on liking it. otherwise, you can explain to the board of directors the e.r.'s massive deficit. i see. they're looking for scapegoats; don't be one. mr. prole made me do it. this is our guy. come on, couple of questions. i told him i was a bad shot. got to love the crackpots. could you cover me for a few hours? anspaugh's sending me to some dog-and-pony show for these e.r. management groups. if i have to. he zeroed in on every bit of flab in the budget. he said we're overstaffed, doing too many tests. he wants it turned around yesterday. sounds bad. there's no money. resources are stretched as it is and he still wants me to lose another 98,000. something's got to give. yeah. it's just i don't know what or who. let me know when you're back. what have you got? matthew lindermulder. his spotter at the gym was asleep at the switch dropped a free-weight bar on his head. ooh. i knew there was a reason i let my gym membership lapse. b.p.'s 120/85. pulse 88. pupils equal, round and reactive. uh, babinski's down-going and he withdraws to pain. let's get a c.b.c., cross-table c-spine and a non-contrast head c.t. oh, man. what's what? it's a klan tattoo. danny, can you hear me? how long was he seizing? his cellmate screamed for us an hour ago. he seized all the way here and it stopped just as we were pulling up. b.p.'s 0/70. pulse 0. has he been here before? don't know. i'm new. wet himself in the van on the way over. okay. can you not use those cuffs, please? whatever you say, doc, but i got to stay with him. he's waking up. ( groaning ) i hear it ringing. ( panting ) does he have any history of epilepsy? not that i know of. slower... how you feeling there, danny? oh, no. hang on. hang on. that's all right. hang on. he's bit his tongue. let's get a head c.t. and a tox screen. can i talk to you outside, please? sure. so what do you think? kid has textbook seizure symptoms. yeah, maybe a little too textbook. well, it's a pretty convincing performance. i've seen some oscar-winning performances from prisoners looking for a "get out of jail free" card. maybe mark greene's rubbing off on us. he's seizing again. labs are back on that weird guy in one. anna, weird guy in one. okay. thanks again for breakfast, carter. sure. carter, could you wrap up a patient for me? he's not stinky, is he? no, straightforward concussion most likely. he makes me feel uncomfortable. you're passing off a patient because he makes you feel uncomfortable? uh, dr. carter? it's, uh, the lab. he's a member of the ku klux klan. did he make any remarks? no. he's unconscious, but when i was working him up i noticed he had a k.k.k. tattoo. if we sat around waiting for the perfect patient the lounge would be standing room only. if there's a problem, call security. until then, try and remember hippocrates. no pupil dilation. oral mucosas intact. lucky landing. i'm sorry, officer jeffrey; this doesn't look good. nurse hathaway, prepare the h20-n.a. treatment, please. oh, but, doctor, that's experimental. what do you mean, "it doesn't look good"? well, it's our only hope. um, officer, do you have the name of mr. scheibe's next of kin? either he's going to snap out of this seizure or he's going to be forced into an irreversible coma. coma? give it a few seconds. if it doesn't work, we'll call the coma team. what? what? who? ( coughing ) amazing. yeah. salt water. where am i? now you're in a hospital but in five minutes, you're going to be on a bus headed for prison-- in very wet pants. ( sighs ) we got your gram stain back, mr. la fontaine. please, for you... vinny. okay, vinny, you have gonorrhea. from the looks of your chart you're familiar with the protocol? occupational hazard. it's the price of being a player. you sing? no. that's a damn shame 'cause, uh... i been in the, uh... entertainment industry for numerous years and, uh, you know, with a face like yours... you could sell a lot of platters. this is a single dose of floxin and zithromax. they do the same thing as the other antibiotics you're used to. i remember when it used to be an elephant gun of penicillin in the ass. have you been tested recently for hiv or syphilis? oh, yeah, i get tested down at south side clinic. i am clean and pristine. hathaway: is the coast clear? what do you mean? fake seizure kid from juvie. i'd rather dr. greene not see this one. not a patient i should bring up to your grandmother, right? your clinic proposal-- that's tonight, isn't it? yeah, oak park, 7:00. i thought that's what we said. yeah, we did; i just spaced it. i made plans with anna, but i can change them. plans with anna? yeah. journal club. so it's a colleague kind of thing? so far. so you got all your facts and figures? gamma loves facts and figures. i'm just waiting on census numbers. you'll do fine. don't mention politics or religion and you'll stay on her good side. politics, religion-- right. or baseball. she's still pissed off over that inter-league play. anything else? no, you're a natural. how long has your wrist been bothering you? about two weeks. let me take a look. can you hold this a second? sure. i'll just sit it down. consider yourself served. if you have any questions, there's an attorney's name and number on the inside. this case was settled this morning. i have a suggestion where you could stick this summons. is that another process server? he impersonated a patient. that's got to be illegal. they should really get their story straight. mark, this isn't a malpractice summons. it's a civil suit. what? yeah. chris law's claiming you violated his brother's civil rights. he's not suing the hospital. he's suing you. ellis: ...so i think the facts speak for themselves. when you partner with synergix physicians group we will increase revenues, streamline management and cut costs making your department a center of excellence. now, i'm sure that some of you have questions, so... yes, sir? i'm eric norris, director of st. joseph's e.r. oh, yes, and the principal author on thrombolytics and pulmonary embolism in the september annals. welcome, sir. yes. what are your billing charges? ah, now that is the beauty of the s.p.g. system. collective billing of our 125 contracted facilities enables us to keep our billing costs down below five percent. yes. i have a few questions-- the first of which... i'm sorry. and you are? uh, kerry weaver, acting chief of emergency services at county general. five percent is an impressive number but what's the percentage that synergix retains in management fees? well, we retain the current physicians' salaries and we balance your budget through maximizing reimbursement and cutting costs. i'm sure you've heard of the pentagon and the $5,000 hammer...? yeah. i'm not talking about hammers and, um, you haven't answered my question, mr. west. well, it's dr. west, but please, call me ellis. the number you're looking for is dependent upon a multitude of factors: uh, payer mix, daily census, physician reimbursement just to name a few. but we should talk about this later. uh, right now, i'd like to answer a few more questions, if i may. yes? in the back? lizzie! just the person i wanted to see. check this out. someone will be limping for a while. some wacky artist got shot during a performance. imploded his cartilage. i see there's a cylindrical defect of the medial distal femoral condyle. a perfect candidate for your research. he's all yours if you got the time. actually, i have but we'd need to get his consent before donor femur. the consent's been taken care of and i took the liberty of trolling the morgue. found a femur that matches. all you need to do is start growing culture cells. an osteochondral allograph. mm-hmm. didn't think i'd ever get to do one. well, i'll start the cultures right away, uh... thank you so much. who looks out for you, huh? ( chuckles ) i was just talking to a guy named ivan sheldon. you remember him? the judge from evanston with a six handicap? right. he gave me the name of a good attorney-- the guy who defended the civil rights case against the kallenback meat packing company. you're discussing my legal problems with your golfing buddies? just sheldon. he's a judge. i didn't ask you to save my ass or whatever it is you're trying to do. i was being your friend which is getting tougher to do. mark, that environmental allergy is waiting for you in curtain two. and why is that? you've been in a bad mood for months. i don't know how to talk to you anymore. then don't. okay. what's the statute of limitations on post-traumatic stress? cut him some slack. i think we've all cut him plenty. he needs some help. he doesn't need a shrink. he needs friends who are supportive. he's not going to have any friends-- supportive or otherwise-- if he keeps this up. your tattoo guy is back from c.t. the grand wizard? yeah. he's regained consciousness. needs a scalp and shoulder suture. great. we'll have him up and cross burning in no time. i hate to say it, but he's actually very polite. uh-huh. mr. lindermulder, you're going to need sutures. you going to make me look like frankenstein's monster, huh? first your shoulder. please lower your gown. is there any way the nurse could do them? that little blond lady who was in here before? it's not her job. you're going to have to settle for me. it's no offense, it's just... go ahead. i got to hand it to you people. "you people"? paramedics, nurses physician's assistants. dumb ox like me gets a barbell dropped on his head and here i am, getting the best care on earth. well, we treat everybody here. have you been saved, miss...? boulet. do you walk with the lord? what does that tattoo have to do with the lord? i'm sorry you had to see it. that's why i asked for the nurse before. it's a reminder of what i left behind: intolerance, ignorance, hate. i was reborn through the love of jesus christ. uh-huh. i built a new life, miss boulet. you don't believe that's possible, do you? sure, i do. we didn't get a chance to finish our discussion. i heard everything i need to hear, thank you. oh, but i haven't. kerry, i'm surrounded by number crunchers all day long. when a confident, intelligent and attractive woman walks through my door i must at least try to ask her to lunch. i have to get back to work. no, no, i'll make some calls. i'll tell chicago not to get sick for an hour. we can go down to the oak room and i will tell you all my dirty management secrets. what do you say? come on. ...not to mention the japanese strain of staph that's resistant to the most powerful antibiotics. scary stuff. hi. i'm dr. greene. whoa. what are you doing? there are germs, doctor. well, you can put that away now. dr. greene is very sanitary. you don't have to worry. i'll be the judge of that. why don't we take off the mask? this is a charcoal particle filter mask. 20% of people get sicker in the hospital. i don't want to become another statistic. so, you complain of fatigue, dry mouth, shortness of breath. heart rate's 130. resps 32. ah, and you've been here before for anxiety attacks. this is not an anxiety attack. i'm allergic to my apartment building. why don't you move? is that your medical opinion, doctor? i have environmentally based allergies. or you're having anxiety and looking for attention. mark! why don't you get a blood gas and call me with the results. i see dr. corday handed you off one nasty ileum. i'm just helping her out. well... i'm glad that you two have some camaraderie. it'll come in handy with dr. romano. excuse me?
He's looking for another surgeon for his team, and, uh... i recommended you. well, thank you, but... stapler. thanks, but what? i'm more interested in working with surgeons who challenge my skills than dazzle me with technology. technology is the new technique and if you don't master it, somebody else will. when i saw how the flaws in the system trickled down and affected the day-to-day operations of an e.r. i just knew i would be more effective in management. you went back and got your m.b.a.? yeah, and then up the corporate ladder and blah-blah-blah. look, i didn't kidnap you out of that conference to tell you my life story. i want to find out more about you. pick your brain a little bit. grapevine says you're doing great things at county. i don't know about great. ah, my spies tell me about your waste- reduction program. yeah, well, saving a syringe here and some gauze there is not the kind of dent my bosses are looking for. sounds serious. you want to bend my ear? maybe i can help. the board is convening at the end of the week. that's tomorrow. they need to cut ten percent out of the budget. we're already down to the bone. are they making suggestions or just handing you the ax? they figure i can chop eight percent by getting rid of half of the physician's assistants. that's not a bad idea. on paper, maybe. not so great if you have to fire a friend. so this is about more than just the bottom line. well, it's never easy letting people go, kerry but there are ways to make it less painful and sometimes less permanent. shall we get some coffee? sure. with what i have waiting for me i'm in no rush to get back. do you think people are capable of change? starting their lives over? sure. why not? i did. i used to have nothing but deadbeat jobs and go out with loser guys and now look at me. did a blood gas come up on that germ lady? uh, yeah. in curtain two. actually, dr. greene she seemed a little upset when she left. wanted to get out of here. so she left before the test results? uh, yeah. she made a quick phone call and sprayed the entire receiver with disinfectant and walked out. she left a.m.a. why would she do that? maybe because mark was rude, dismissive and patronizing. i'm sure that's not true. it's not my job to be their best friend. no, just their caregiver. what's all the brouha? dr. romano and dr. corday are doing an osteochondral allograft. well, hot damn. that's the first ever here at county. even had the channel five news here covering it for their sci-tech segment. see what i mean, peter? the future is now. excuse me. excuse me. excuse me. vincenzo scarletti, 82. found in his bathroom in full arrest. we shocked him twice, got a rhythm and a pulse. mrs. scarletti, how long between the time that you found your husband and the paramedics arrived? what is that? what? she's hard of hearing. mrs. scarletti, how long was your husband unconscious until the paramedics showed up? i don't know. ten minutes, 15 maybe. he was here two weeks ago. they said he was fine. we're going to do everything we can. on my count-- one, two, three. b.p.'s 80/50. pulse ox 90, pulse is 48. all right. start dopamine. titrate to a systolic of
0. atropine .5 migs. his pupils are fixed and dilated. no deep tendon relexes. carol, get a c.b.c. chem seven e.k.g., blood gas and portable chest. lily, call respiratory. have them set up a vent. what is it? what's wrong with my vincenzo? it's okay. please stand back. he's a good man. we have six children, 11 grandchildren... you need to wait outside. i need to what? could i get an assist? mrs. scarletti, come on. let's go wait in the hall. ( sobbing ): help him... please? carol? mrs. scarletti, come on, we need to let the doctor do his job. come on. come with me. corday: have you seen anspaugh? he's late for a hot appy. i think he's doing a triple-a. oh, those can slog on. you got something juicy? yeah, hernia repair. mine's a hot appendix. still, they can't all be newsworthy, eh? not like your osteochondral allograph this afternoon, huh? you intentionally sidelined me for that, didn't you? what? handed me off to anspaugh so you could be with romano. that's the silliest thing i've ever heard. he called me in to consult, not the other way around. hmm. if you say so. no. it's not just what i say. that's the way it was. do you know when anspaugh started the triple-a? an hour ago. my patient's prepped. i hate to get backed up. yeah, you are busy today. anspaugh wouldn't mind if i just started, would he? it's painting by numbers. i haven't seen him mind yet. you're okay finding another ride to journal club tonight? yeah. i can still give you a ride home. i agreed to have dinner with my grandmother tonight. hmm, so the hot dog's just an appetizer? cooking is not exactly... hey, carter, anna-- over here. i can't breathe, i can't breathe. just relax. hang on. you're going to be okay. i'm going to take this off. no! it's for my allergies. i already told the other doctor. what other doctor? let's get a gurney. is that mr. scarletti? yup. pretty advanced lung cancer. did you pull his records? they told him the cancer had spread and was now inoperable. he never told his wife. apparently not. what's her name again? margaret scarletti. do you want me to talk to her? i'll do it. mark. mark, i apologize for being late. i had lunch with a rep from synergix and he had some interesting ideas. we're slammed here. that crackhead in three is screaming his head off. he'll have to wait. i thought we could discuss the staffing situation... i don't know what you're saying. why don't you write it in a memo and i'll sign it? this woman collapsed outside. it's probably anaphylactic shock. i'll be right there. i'll get her. the back pain in two wants more demerol. could you sign off on this for me? no. not now. we could use the beds. what should i do about the back pain? get doyle to check him out. it's the hospital's insurance attorney? take a message. mrs. scarletti, could you come with me, please? my husband, will he be okay? will he live? how is he? i don't think we should discuss this right here. what did you say? is he going to live? we need to find a place to talk. i'm worried about vincenzo. please, can i go see him? no. not now. i just want to see how he is. your husband has no chance for a meaningful recovery. he'll recover okay? oh, thank you. i said your husband has no chance for a meaningful recovery. i don't understand. what are you saying? i'm saying that your husband lied to you about his condition. he's going to die. jeanie, can you explain... explain it to her? come on, let's talk. come here. shouldn't somebody go after him? dr. corday. oh, heard you were elbow deep in a rather dicey triple-a. i heard you were doing the appy. all finished. 20 minutes and done. you performed an operation without an attending present? just an appendicectomy. there weren't any complications. the complication is that you disregarded hospital policy. with something as basic as this i assumed there was leeway. you've been here several months. have you seen any surgeries performed without an attending? no. i apologize. in britain we do minor surgery all the time without supervision. i was led to believe the same standards applied here. by whom? i was mistaken, that's all. it won't happen again. is it true he just walked out? cynthia hot on his heels. he always seemed like such a sensitive guy. he is a sensitive guy. doesn't everybody have some work to do? you can't do anything until he does something for himself. ah, man, i'm not going to make it home to change. big plans? i'm going to hit up this foundation for a lot of money and i don't have anything to wear. i have a jacket in my locker you can borrow. it's from the goodwill, but it looks decent. thanks. from what carter tells me his grandmother's a real piece of work. carter as in john carter? it's called the carter family foundation but i get the feeling the grandmother holds the purse strings with an iron claw. the carter family foundation? yeah. they're loaded. carter's a real blue blood. i figure it's this whole upstairs, downstairs thing. yeah. you know, it might help you to take a doctor along with you to make your case. i wrote some pedes clinic grants at chop. you sure? yep. i'd love to come along. it's like i can't breathe. it's like there's something inside of my head that's pushing, trying to get out. every time i think i have things under control it just goes south. i'm babbling. if you don't want to talk about it... oh, no, no, no. it's... a few months ago, i was attacked in the men's room in the e.r. by this gangbanger who blamed me because his brother died of a gunshot wound. that's the creep who's suing you? they settled the malpractice suit-- three million dollars-- and now, the bastard's suing me for violating his brother's civil rights i mean, figure that one out. i can't believe it. he attacked me from behind. i tried to fight back, but... he... he could have had a gun or been on drugs or... i didn't even think about that. my adrenaline was pumping so hard... you're right, people on p.c.p., they... he could have killed you. mark... you're so used to handling everyone else's problems that you're not used to asking for help. jeanie. hi. i always save these horse pills till the end. they're the hardest to swallow. we should talk. i know. today has been insane. any word from mark? i have been in talks with dr. anspaugh about the e.r. budget. he's very concerned about our deficit. uh-huh. i think the overages can be contained with structural changes if we aggressively pursue industrial contracts... kerry, wait. what are you saying? i have to lay off some of the staff including two p.a.'s. the fairest way to do that is to give preference to those with seniority. are you firing me? jeanie, i'm sorry. i don't have a choice. you were the last one hired. you can work through the end of month. cobra insurance will cover your meds. i've talked to the people in physical therapy. they think they'll have an opening in the next couple of months. it pays a third less than what i'm making here. i want this to be short-term. we're pursuing outside contracts and when the new system is up and running i'm hoping we can bring you back. i'm supposed to wait by the phone until that happens? you know i value you professionally and as a friend and i'm going to do everything i can to work this out. no, please don't go to any more trouble. do i look okay? you look great. whoo! miss hathaway and, uh...? dr. del amico, anna. yes. mrs. carter will be a few moments but she insists you have a cocktail so what may i bring you? uh... spring water would be fine. yes. and you, ma'am? uh, what kind of beer do you have? heineken, grolsch, amstel lite... can you just make that another spring water? certainly. will you follow me to the music room? please. oh, my god. ah, that's master carter in 1985. he and marigold took home a number of blue ribbons at tempel farms that year. mar... marigold? his thoroughbred. please, make yourselves comfortable. ( hathaway laughs ) hey, carol, did you find the place okay? hey, carter. nice place you have here. any word from mark? no, but everybody else keeps calling. doug, could you sign off on this for me? sure. some day, huh? yeah, some day. this is a horrible job. when is the temp clerk getting here? e.r. what do you want? i am out of here. oh, uh, doug, it's for you. tell them i already left. it's long distance, collect. ( chuckles ) hello. this is doug ross. yep. okay. yeah. uh... when? mm-hmm. okay. are you sure? okay. uh, yeah. hang on. do you have a pen? okay. thank you. is everything okay? everything's fine. carter: no. i've seen it. i've seen the kind of thing nurse hathaway's talking about. an e.r. is about emergent cases. it's about speed. patients that need continuity of care tend to fall through the cracks. i had a teenage diabetic the other day... john, i'm sure your diabetic is fascinating but i'd like to speak to the young lady with the proposal. sure. of course. i'm sorry. alone. ah! right. me, too? why don't you give dr. del amico a tour of the grounds? okay. excuse me. dr. corday, i-i'm changing. shedding your skin, dr. snake? i beg your pardon? you knew full well i wasn't permitted to perform that appendicectomy but you let me walk in there anyway. like you knew full well i should have been notified about that gastroplasty this morning? you were home. hicks wanted to go straight away. somebody needed to step in. like you needed someone to step into the ischemic bowel so you end up with romano. how dare you accuse me of trying to manipulate you. i deserve better than that. besides, if i'd really wanted to you wouldn't even have been aware of it. ( chuckling ) i suppose i could have called you but between your being at home and my not having done a gastroplasty in quite... look, dr. corday, you are not the only one who likes to cut. no, but if i'm the only one here then i won't be ashamed of doing it. then i'll have to make sure you're not in that position again. why, thank you, dr. benton. ah, dr. romano. i'm sorry. do you have a minute? absolutely. i was, uh, wondering if you were still looking for, uh, an extra set of hands. would those be benton hands? yes. so, you think you're going to like the looks of the 21st century, is that it? he simply wants to keep an eye on me. don't you, dr. benton? ( chuckling ) someone needs to. well, i'll give it some thought. we'll talk more. carter: you remember weebles-- those little egg-looking things? "weebles wobble but they don't fall down"? uh-huh. ( laughing ) gamma used to hate it but i would take the faberge eggs and i would put them with my little weeble family... as pets. ( laughs ) all right, i'm sorry. you know, i should have said something... but you were so anti-rich people. i'm even more anti-liars. well, i wanted you to get to know me first. okay and, uh, meanwhile i take you to my favorite thrift store give you a tour of roach manor this morning and... you must have been laughing your head off. no. not at all. i loved that stuff. a little slumming, is that it? you know, before you knew about all of this you saw me for what i am, a regular guy. a regular guy doesn't patronize people. you went out of your way to make me look like an idiot. anna, i'm sorry. forget it, carter. so, that's it? my family has a few bucks and everything changes. a few bucks? is that what this is to you? it's a figure of speech. ( chuckle ) that's exactly what i'm talking about. to you, this is all a figure of speech. to me... i'm just going to go wait outside until carol gets done. ( sighs ) mark? it's doug. ( lock unlocking ) hi. ( chuckling ) hi, cynthia. uh, i'm looking for mark. i think he might be asleep already but i'll check. i-- oh-- come on in. hey. hi. what's going on? uh... might be a bad time, huh? yeah. yeah. uh, kind of. ross: mmm. hey, um... well, i just wanted to make sure you were okay. i'm fine. you've been going through a rough time. we're all worried about you. i'm okay. okay. ( clicks tongue ) all right. i'm taking a few days off. i got a call from california. uh, my dad died. what? what happened? i don't know. some car wreck or something. they weren't real clear on the details um, but i got to go claim the body and stuff like that so... i'm sorry. yeah. i... you know. i'll talk to you later. no. hey, hey, hey. come on in. no, it's okay. come on in here. i'll make coffee. come on. all right. ( mumbling ) i looked him dead in the eye, and i said, "that might fly "with your hollywood chippies, mr. president but i am a lady." so, what did he do? he took his hand off my rear and apologized. and that was it? then i slept with him. ( laughing ) may i freshen you up? no, thank you. i have to drive. and it's getting late. time for the fat lady to sing. i like you, carol. you remind me of me. thank you. i think you might just possess the extreme bullheaded stubbornness to make this clinic thing work. how would you like some seed money to start you off? $75,000? uh, you haven't even read my proposal. it's my foundation. just don't tell my grandson. i have a stern, unapproachable image to keep up. as far as i'm concerned, this meeting was hell from beginning to end. exactly. thank you so much. wow. good, good. you're not too late. i wanted to get this celebration rolling. celebration? i got a supersaver ticket to atlanta. tommy's going to introduce me to some people and his sister-in-law is a realtor. so, you had a good day. no, not just me. tommy-tommy knows some doctors at the county hospital. oh. sounds too good to be true. we can make this happen. we can make this work. hey. what's wrong? ( sighs ) ellis: hi, kerry. ellis. i know this is strange. we just met and, uh, here i am calling you up to come have a drink. i hope you don't misunderstand. oh, no, please. you saved me from having to watch the local news. i don't usually do this kind of thing. sure. that's what they all say. what's on your mind? i had to lay off a pretty close friend this afternoon and she didn't seem to appreciate my suggestions for getting through this. she just felt fired. which is exactly what she was. that's right... and when you work your ass off to try to get her job back she's not going to appreciate that, either. welcome to the wonderful world of management. can i get you another drink? that would be great. thanks. i wish you'd wait and leave tomorrow. i just want to get on with it. at least let me give you a ride to the airport. i'll leave the car in parking-- pick mark up on the way. i'm glad he's going with you. yeah, it's probably a good idea for him to get out of town for a while. ( engine starting ) i'm going to miss you. i love you, carol. i love you, too. ( sighs )
0. atropine .5 migs. his pupils are fixed and dilated. no deep tendon relexes. carol, get a c.b.c. chem seven e.k.g., blood gas and portable chest. lily, call respiratory. have them set up a vent. what is it? what's wrong with my vincenzo? it's okay. please stand back. he's a good man. we have six children, 11 grandchildren... you need to wait outside. i need to what? could i get an assist? mrs. scarletti, come on. let's go wait in the hall. ( sobbing ): help him... please? carol? mrs. scarletti, come on, we need to let the doctor do his job. come on. come with me. corday: have you seen anspaugh? he's late for a hot appy. i think he's doing a triple-a. oh, those can slog on. you got something juicy? yeah, hernia repair. mine's a hot appendix. still, they can't all be newsworthy, eh? not like your osteochondral allograph this afternoon, huh? you intentionally sidelined me for that, didn't you? what? handed me off to anspaugh so you could be with romano. that's the silliest thing i've ever heard. he called me in to consult, not the other way around. hmm. if you say so. no. it's not just what i say. that's the way it was. do you know when anspaugh started the triple-a? an hour ago. my patient's prepped. i hate to get backed up. yeah, you are busy today. anspaugh wouldn't mind if i just started, would he? it's painting by numbers. i haven't seen him mind yet. you're okay finding another ride to journal club tonight? yeah. i can still give you a ride home. i agreed to have dinner with my grandmother tonight. hmm, so the hot dog's just an appetizer? cooking is not exactly... hey, carter, anna-- over here. i can't breathe, i can't breathe. just relax. hang on. you're going to be okay. i'm going to take this off. no! it's for my allergies. i already told the other doctor. what other doctor? let's get a gurney. is that mr. scarletti? yup. pretty advanced lung cancer. did you pull his records? they told him the cancer had spread and was now inoperable. he never told his wife. apparently not. what's her name again? margaret scarletti. do you want me to talk to her? i'll do it. mark. mark, i apologize for being late. i had lunch with a rep from synergix and he had some interesting ideas. we're slammed here. that crackhead in three is screaming his head off. he'll have to wait. i thought we could discuss the staffing situation... i don't know what you're saying. why don't you write it in a memo and i'll sign it? this woman collapsed outside. it's probably anaphylactic shock. i'll be right there. i'll get her. the back pain in two wants more demerol. could you sign off on this for me? no. not now. we could use the beds. what should i do about the back pain? get doyle to check him out. it's the hospital's insurance attorney? take a message. mrs. scarletti, could you come with me, please? my husband, will he be okay? will he live? how is he? i don't think we should discuss this right here. what did you say? is he going to live? we need to find a place to talk. i'm worried about vincenzo. please, can i go see him? no. not now. i just want to see how he is. your husband has no chance for a meaningful recovery. he'll recover okay? oh, thank you. i said your husband has no chance for a meaningful recovery. i don't understand. what are you saying? i'm saying that your husband lied to you about his condition. he's going to die. jeanie, can you explain... explain it to her? come on, let's talk. come here. shouldn't somebody go after him? dr. corday. oh, heard you were elbow deep in a rather dicey triple-a. i heard you were doing the appy. all finished. 20 minutes and done. you performed an operation without an attending present? just an appendicectomy. there weren't any complications. the complication is that you disregarded hospital policy. with something as basic as this i assumed there was leeway. you've been here several months. have you seen any surgeries performed without an attending? no. i apologize. in britain we do minor surgery all the time without supervision. i was led to believe the same standards applied here. by whom? i was mistaken, that's all. it won't happen again. is it true he just walked out? cynthia hot on his heels. he always seemed like such a sensitive guy. he is a sensitive guy. doesn't everybody have some work to do? you can't do anything until he does something for himself. ah, man, i'm not going to make it home to change. big plans? i'm going to hit up this foundation for a lot of money and i don't have anything to wear. i have a jacket in my locker you can borrow. it's from the goodwill, but it looks decent. thanks. from what carter tells me his grandmother's a real piece of work. carter as in john carter? it's called the carter family foundation but i get the feeling the grandmother holds the purse strings with an iron claw. the carter family foundation? yeah. they're loaded. carter's a real blue blood. i figure it's this whole upstairs, downstairs thing. yeah. you know, it might help you to take a doctor along with you to make your case. i wrote some pedes clinic grants at chop. you sure? yep. i'd love to come along. it's like i can't breathe. it's like there's something inside of my head that's pushing, trying to get out. every time i think i have things under control it just goes south. i'm babbling. if you don't want to talk about it... oh, no, no, no. it's... a few months ago, i was attacked in the men's room in the e.r. by this gangbanger who blamed me because his brother died of a gunshot wound. that's the creep who's suing you? they settled the malpractice suit-- three million dollars-- and now, the bastard's suing me for violating his brother's civil rights i mean, figure that one out. i can't believe it. he attacked me from behind. i tried to fight back, but... he... he could have had a gun or been on drugs or... i didn't even think about that. my adrenaline was pumping so hard... you're right, people on p.c.p., they... he could have killed you. mark... you're so used to handling everyone else's problems that you're not used to asking for help. jeanie. hi. i always save these horse pills till the end. they're the hardest to swallow. we should talk. i know. today has been insane. any word from mark? i have been in talks with dr. anspaugh about the e.r. budget. he's very concerned about our deficit. uh-huh. i think the overages can be contained with structural changes if we aggressively pursue industrial contracts... kerry, wait. what are you saying? i have to lay off some of the staff including two p.a.'s. the fairest way to do that is to give preference to those with seniority. are you firing me? jeanie, i'm sorry. i don't have a choice. you were the last one hired. you can work through the end of month. cobra insurance will cover your meds. i've talked to the people in physical therapy. they think they'll have an opening in the next couple of months. it pays a third less than what i'm making here. i want this to be short-term. we're pursuing outside contracts and when the new system is up and running i'm hoping we can bring you back. i'm supposed to wait by the phone until that happens? you know i value you professionally and as a friend and i'm going to do everything i can to work this out. no, please don't go to any more trouble. do i look okay? you look great. whoo! miss hathaway and, uh...? dr. del amico, anna. yes. mrs. carter will be a few moments but she insists you have a cocktail so what may i bring you? uh... spring water would be fine. yes. and you, ma'am? uh, what kind of beer do you have? heineken, grolsch, amstel lite... can you just make that another spring water? certainly. will you follow me to the music room? please. oh, my god. ah, that's master carter in 1985. he and marigold took home a number of blue ribbons at tempel farms that year. mar... marigold? his thoroughbred. please, make yourselves comfortable. ( hathaway laughs ) hey, carol, did you find the place okay? hey, carter. nice place you have here. any word from mark? no, but everybody else keeps calling. doug, could you sign off on this for me? sure. some day, huh? yeah, some day. this is a horrible job. when is the temp clerk getting here? e.r. what do you want? i am out of here. oh, uh, doug, it's for you. tell them i already left. it's long distance, collect. ( chuckles ) hello. this is doug ross. yep. okay. yeah. uh... when? mm-hmm. okay. are you sure? okay. uh, yeah. hang on. do you have a pen? okay. thank you. is everything okay? everything's fine. carter: no. i've seen it. i've seen the kind of thing nurse hathaway's talking about. an e.r. is about emergent cases. it's about speed. patients that need continuity of care tend to fall through the cracks. i had a teenage diabetic the other day... john, i'm sure your diabetic is fascinating but i'd like to speak to the young lady with the proposal. sure. of course. i'm sorry. alone. ah! right. me, too? why don't you give dr. del amico a tour of the grounds? okay. excuse me. dr. corday, i-i'm changing. shedding your skin, dr. snake? i beg your pardon? you knew full well i wasn't permitted to perform that appendicectomy but you let me walk in there anyway. like you knew full well i should have been notified about that gastroplasty this morning? you were home. hicks wanted to go straight away. somebody needed to step in. like you needed someone to step into the ischemic bowel so you end up with romano. how dare you accuse me of trying to manipulate you. i deserve better than that. besides, if i'd really wanted to you wouldn't even have been aware of it. ( chuckling ) i suppose i could have called you but between your being at home and my not having done a gastroplasty in quite... look, dr. corday, you are not the only one who likes to cut. no, but if i'm the only one here then i won't be ashamed of doing it. then i'll have to make sure you're not in that position again. why, thank you, dr. benton. ah, dr. romano. i'm sorry. do you have a minute? absolutely. i was, uh, wondering if you were still looking for, uh, an extra set of hands. would those be benton hands? yes. so, you think you're going to like the looks of the 21st century, is that it? he simply wants to keep an eye on me. don't you, dr. benton? ( chuckling ) someone needs to. well, i'll give it some thought. we'll talk more. carter: you remember weebles-- those little egg-looking things? "weebles wobble but they don't fall down"? uh-huh. ( laughing ) gamma used to hate it but i would take the faberge eggs and i would put them with my little weeble family... as pets. ( laughs ) all right, i'm sorry. you know, i should have said something... but you were so anti-rich people. i'm even more anti-liars. well, i wanted you to get to know me first. okay and, uh, meanwhile i take you to my favorite thrift store give you a tour of roach manor this morning and... you must have been laughing your head off. no. not at all. i loved that stuff. a little slumming, is that it? you know, before you knew about all of this you saw me for what i am, a regular guy. a regular guy doesn't patronize people. you went out of your way to make me look like an idiot. anna, i'm sorry. forget it, carter. so, that's it? my family has a few bucks and everything changes. a few bucks? is that what this is to you? it's a figure of speech. ( chuckle ) that's exactly what i'm talking about. to you, this is all a figure of speech. to me... i'm just going to go wait outside until carol gets done. ( sighs ) mark? it's doug. ( lock unlocking ) hi. ( chuckling ) hi, cynthia. uh, i'm looking for mark. i think he might be asleep already but i'll check. i-- oh-- come on in. hey. hi. what's going on? uh... might be a bad time, huh? yeah. yeah. uh, kind of. ross: mmm. hey, um... well, i just wanted to make sure you were okay. i'm fine. you've been going through a rough time. we're all worried about you. i'm okay. okay. ( clicks tongue ) all right. i'm taking a few days off. i got a call from california. uh, my dad died. what? what happened? i don't know. some car wreck or something. they weren't real clear on the details um, but i got to go claim the body and stuff like that so... i'm sorry. yeah. i... you know. i'll talk to you later. no. hey, hey, hey. come on in. no, it's okay. come on in here. i'll make coffee. come on. all right. ( mumbling ) i looked him dead in the eye, and i said, "that might fly "with your hollywood chippies, mr. president but i am a lady." so, what did he do? he took his hand off my rear and apologized. and that was it? then i slept with him. ( laughing ) may i freshen you up? no, thank you. i have to drive. and it's getting late. time for the fat lady to sing. i like you, carol. you remind me of me. thank you. i think you might just possess the extreme bullheaded stubbornness to make this clinic thing work. how would you like some seed money to start you off? $75,000? uh, you haven't even read my proposal. it's my foundation. just don't tell my grandson. i have a stern, unapproachable image to keep up. as far as i'm concerned, this meeting was hell from beginning to end. exactly. thank you so much. wow. good, good. you're not too late. i wanted to get this celebration rolling. celebration? i got a supersaver ticket to atlanta. tommy's going to introduce me to some people and his sister-in-law is a realtor. so, you had a good day. no, not just me. tommy-tommy knows some doctors at the county hospital. oh. sounds too good to be true. we can make this happen. we can make this work. hey. what's wrong? ( sighs ) ellis: hi, kerry. ellis. i know this is strange. we just met and, uh, here i am calling you up to come have a drink. i hope you don't misunderstand. oh, no, please. you saved me from having to watch the local news. i don't usually do this kind of thing. sure. that's what they all say. what's on your mind? i had to lay off a pretty close friend this afternoon and she didn't seem to appreciate my suggestions for getting through this. she just felt fired. which is exactly what she was. that's right... and when you work your ass off to try to get her job back she's not going to appreciate that, either. welcome to the wonderful world of management. can i get you another drink? that would be great. thanks. i wish you'd wait and leave tomorrow. i just want to get on with it. at least let me give you a ride to the airport. i'll leave the car in parking-- pick mark up on the way. i'm glad he's going with you. yeah, it's probably a good idea for him to get out of town for a while. ( engine starting ) i'm going to miss you. i love you, carol. i love you, too. ( sighs )