A Gifted Man (2011–2012): Season 1, Episode 12 - In Case of Blind Spots - full transcript

Previously on A Gifted Man:
Why am I slipping?

Maybe it's something you haven't
faced yet... a part of your past

- coming back to haunt you.
- Is that why the other docs

call you E-Mo... you go
straight to the touchy-feely?

I am double-boarded...
Neurology and psychiatry.

How would you like to consult
for Holt Neuro?

I can come by later.

Do that.

Man: Let's get
shaking, girls.

It's too early to be tired.
We got a big game tonight!

Watch your
passing lanes, ladies!



All right!

Good steal. Good steal.

Take it all the way.

All right.
All right.

Go ahead, girls.
Go ahead.

All done.
There you go.

And don't forget
to do the calf stretches

that I gave you, all right?

And keep it elevated
after practice.

- Thanks, Dr. Kate.
- Yeah, no problem.

All right, let's go!

Coach:
Come on, Shari!

You can hit that shot
with your eyes closed.

- Sorry, coach.
Kate: - It's all right.



You'll get it next time.
Don't be so hard on her.

Coach: - All right, take it.
Kate: - Go, Shari.

Coach: - Take it. Take it.
Kate: - All right!

(Groans)

Shari!
(Blows whistle)

Oh, my God.
You all right?

Uh, yeah, I think.

Okay, I'm just going to
check out your spine.

Shari:
Oh. Ow.

Ow.
She needs an X-Ray.

Kate, I'm okay.

See? She can wait
till after practice.

Yeah, but I'm the team doctor.
Unofficial title.

And with point tenderness
over her thoracic vertebrae,

she's getting an X-Ray.

(Chuckles)

Still a pain,

just like when you
went to school here.

Go on, take her.

Everyone else, let's go.

Back to practice!

Good news... no fracture.

Shari:
So I can play.

Well, you still have
a pretty bad spinal contusion.

In other words, a bruise.

Oh, I see you're getting

too smart for my fancy
medical terms.

Listen, even bruises
take time to heal,

so I'm going to write you
a note for coach...

You can sit out
for a couple of days.

Kate, I have a big game today.

Please don't make me
ride the bench.

I'll take it easy, I swear.
Please?

All right,
but you will come back here

after school so I can check
you out before the game.

I promise.

Hector, will you
schedule Ms. Jackson

for my last appointment
this afternoon, please?

- No problem, Dr. Kate.
- Thank you.

Uh, come here for
a second. Guys...

I want to introduce you
to my little sister, Shari.

This is Dr. Holt, Dr. Barnes.

Michael: - Hi, Shari.
- Hello.

I always took you
for an only child.

Kate grew up in
my neighborhood.

She came to my middle school

on mentor day, and
we hit it off.

Luckiest day of my life.

Same here.

Shari's an all-star point guard.

Means, come fall,
she's going to play basketball

for whichever university
is lucky enough to snag her.

Don't believe the hype.

Michael: I work
with several NBA

and WNBA teams,
so if you ever want

courtside seats
for the Knicks or Liberty,

just, uh, let me know.

Okay. Thanks.

Back to school with you.

- Come back in the afternoon, yeah?
- Okay already.

What's the deal there?

She was abandoned by her
mom when she was ten.

Yeah, when I first met her,

she wouldn't even raise
her voice above a whisper.

She just needed more than her
foster parents could give her.

- So you took her under your wing.
- She's great.

Anyone would have.

Zeke: Kate Sykora-- big sister,

clinic director,
snappy dresser.

Where do you find the time?

When do you have time
for your husband?

Oh, five minutes here,
five minutes there,

but only 'cause Harrison's
even busier than I am.

Ah.

Although we do make time

for date night sometimes,
like tonight.

Oh, yeah?

I got a date with my
running shoes right now

before my first
consult at Holt.

All right, well,
don't freeze to death.

And I'll see you
back here at 5:30.

Uh, what am I coming
back here for?

You are coming back here
for the clinic's staff meeting.

(Chuckling)

That's funny.

It's mandatory
for all employees,

whether you work here
ten hours a week

or 24-7 like the rest of us.

Get here early.

I made lemon squares.

That sounds fantastic.

Help! Help, I need help!

I'm a doctor, are you okay?
It's not me.

It's him; Um, I was
painting when he...

When he stumbled out
of nowhere and fell

into the water,
and I can't get 911.

Try again.

Oh, God, is he dead?

I don't know.

Oh, no pulse.

How long was he in the water?

About ten minutes.

I still can't get
through to 911.

All right, forget the hospital.

I got better rewarming equipment
at my practice.

Where?
Right there.

(Panting)
And you're gonna drive me.

A Gifted Man, Season 01, Episode 12
In Case of Blind Spots
Original Air Date - February 3, 2012

- How long's he been down?
- At least 15, 20 minutes.

Well, no one's dead until
they're warm and dead.

(Monitor beeps rapidly)

He's still cold as ice.
I can't feel his pulse.

What's his temp?

Only 79 degrees.

Hooking up the et tube.

I'll ventilate him
with warm humidified air.

Somebody get the damn
bair hugger or not?

Coming right in.
What about the heated saline?

Just starting it.
Two lines running wide open.

Checking his rhythm.

Lantz: He's still got
electrical activity.

500 milligrams of bretylium.

Looks like fine v-fib.

His heart may still have
a chance.

Give me the paddles.

Clear. Everybody clear.

(Defribillator thumps)

Lantz: Still nothing.

Damn it, he's still in v-fib.

Heart's still too cold to
shock him into regular rhythm.

It's only come up two degrees.

He'll come up faster if you warm
him up from the inside.

Get me a scalpel
and a chest tube.

Pleural lavage,
that's good thinking.

Cutting the skin.

(Grunts) I'm in the pleura.

And the Kelly.

I'm in.

Okay, start the lavage.

(Beeping)

Heated saline going in.

(Suction sloshing)

Temp's up to 84.

87...

Lantz:
Try shocking again.

Give me the paddles.

All right, clear.

(Defribillator thumps)
Maria: Temp's up to 94 degrees.

The cold water kept
his heart alive.

All right, going it again.

(Thumps) Clear.

(Beeping steadies) That did it.

All right, I got a pulse.

Nurse Stella:
Pressure is 70.

All right, give me suture.

Guy falls in the drink
and you run by?

Gotta say
he's pretty damn lucky.

Only if that freezing water kept
his brain cells from dying.

How's our newest member
of the polar bear club?

Hemodynamically stable,
normal brainstem reflexes,

still unconscious.

I'm not asking about him.

What? You still got all
your fingers and toes?

I'm, uh, thawing out nicely.

Michael, we don't
need you out there

rescuing the
city's downtrodden.

Our waiting list
is a mile long.

Well, that wasn't my plan,
and he's not downtrodden.

He came in wearing a
nice designer suit,

expensive watch.

What about a wallet?

It must've fallen in the river.

(Sighs) We're not gonna know
who he is till he wakes up.

Alert the police; Tell
them we've got a John Doe.

- In the meantime...
- Yeah?

What the hell is
going on with E-Mo?

What do you mean?

He just missed a VIP consult
first thing this morning.

- Did you call him?
- About ten times.

I also reminded him last night,

and I just got a call
from two pharmacies

saying he forgot to
sign prescriptions.

It probably just
slipped his mind.

Last week, your birthday
party slipped his mind

after I told him about that.

Rita, don't worry.

Everyone has a brain
freeze once in a while,

even brilliant neuroshrinks.

Then why are you looking
so worried, Michael?

Apologize to the VIP and
put him on my schedule.

Already did.

He'll be in Monday at 2:00.

You're a lifesaver.

Without even getting wet.

Okay,

what are you not you
telling Rita about E-Mo?

E-Mo forgetting stuff
might not be an accident.

He may have
Huntington's disease.

- Oh, that's terrible.
- Yeah.

Obviously, I can't tell Rita.

But both his father
and his brother had it.

What does his test say?

He hasn't been tested.

- Why not?
- What good would it do?

There's no cure.

Well, but if he's already
exhibiting symptoms...

What would you do
if you thought

you may have
Huntington's disease,

and there's not a damn
thing you could do

except suffer miserably, lose
all your faculties and die?

Would you get tested?

I don't know.

Yeah, me either.

Now if you'll excuse me,

I have to attend a staff
meeting at the clinica.

Oh, I miss those.

I mean, I hated them
when I was alive.

But now they sound kind of nice.

Yeah?

Sit in for me and report back.

It's a win-win.

Hector:
I developed

this file folder
color-coding system.

Yellow for the nurse to see,
blue for the docs to see,

red when there are
doctor's orders.

Any questions?

Hector, have you ever thought

about, uh, electronic
medical records?

Great.

Everyone fill out your feedback
forms, and have a lemon square.

Is that it?

Think I caught a nap
there in hour two.

Call me, Shari;
I'm starting to worry.

Little sister never showed?

Can't even get her on the phone.

Maybe she's feeling better.

Or she's avoiding me.

I doubt that.

The girl adores you.

Yeah, well, exactly.

That's why I'm worried
something's wrong.

Harrison: - Here you are.
- Hi.

- Good to see you, Harrison.
- You too, Michael.

Good, you're ready to go.

- I'm so sorry, honey, I can't.
- What?

You have no idea
how many favors I called in

- to get these tickets.
- I know,

but Shari never came
back this afternoon.

- So, I have to go look for her.
- Kate,

c'mon, she's a responsible kid,
thanks to you.

If there were a
problem, she'd call.

And isn't this why we decided

not to have kids?
So we wouldn't

have to run after
them all the time?

She's my responsibility.

You want to go see War Horse?

Love to but, uh,
I got a patient back at Holt.

(Basketball bouncing)

So, you're either

ignoring my calls or you're
the only teenager in America

who doesn't check her phone

a hundred times a day.

Kate, what are you doing here?

I came to see why you
broke your promise.

I was gonna come back, I swear.

But coach told me there
are college scouts

coming to see me play tonight.

I got to bring my "A" game.

You are clearly in pain.

No, my back feels fine.

Not from what I just saw.

Listen, when I was a junior,

I pulled a hamstring.

Tried to play through
the pain for the big game.

I was out for over a month.

But you won, right?

(Chuckling) No, we got creamed.

It was a dumb decision.

My back still hurts.

A little.

Anything else?

Um...

My toes feel kinda tingly.

Okay, it's all right.
Look, I'm gonna take you

- to get an MRI right away.
Coach: - Let's go!

It's time to head for the bus.

Coach, Shari can't play tonight.

What do you mean?

She told me her X-Ray this
morning was fine.

Was she lying?

No, but she's also...

Then let her play, doc.

Tonight's the chance
you always wanted for her.

Look, I can get her an MRI

with a top neurosurgeon in
the city.

While she misses her shot

at having college scouts
see her play.

There'll be other games.

The big ones
are coming tonight.

She can get an MRI after we win.

She could have a spinal injury.

Half my girls are playing
with injuries

that could be something worse.

You haven't benched any of them.

Shari, it's up to you.

I'll be fine.

I'll pop some ibuprofen after
the game

and call you.

Coach just wants what you want;
For me to get into college.

Shari!

Oh, my God!

Call an ambulance!

Don't move a muscle.

Kate, I can't feel my legs.

Kate: She was running up the bleachers,
her legs just buckled.

Right, but the X-Ray from this
morning's tumble was negative?

I thought so, but could I have
missed something,

a fracture or a spinal injury?

Let's wait for the scan.

- Coming up now.
- Good, good.

Okay.

All right,
spinal cord's intact,

so that's good.
It's very good.

There's a fluid collection in

the epidural space
between T-12 and L-1,

which certainly would not have
shown up in the X-Ray.

Probably a bruise
on her spine, right?

It would explain
why her legs gave out.

Must be the blood compressing
on her spinal cord.

It's all right.
I'll drain it.

With a little rehab,

she'll be sinking
three-pointers

before you know it.

What's wrong with my legs?

That bruise you got earlier?

It caused bleeding
around your spinal cord.

You're gonna be fine
once I operate.

I need surgery?

Hold on.
Don't worry.

Dr. Holt is the best.

A few weeks of physical therapy,
and you'll be back on the court.

So for now,
you'll have to make due

with about 500 cable channels.

- I'll manage.
- Good.

Okay, I'm gonna go scrub up.

Call her foster parents
for consent.

Shari's a ward of the state.

I'll have to get
permission from ACS.

Well, how long is
that gonna take?

Uh, look, as soon as I get
the go-ahead, I'll let you know.

Okay.

(Sighs)

Thank you, Michael.

For what?

For letting me bring Shari here,

for operating on her.
For everything.

Don't worry about it.

Good night.

Well...

That was interesting.

Our new patient is...
Means the world to her.

- Uh-huh.
- Just make sure

Ms. Jackson has everything
she wants, okay?

What about your other patient,
the wet one?

You want me to corral him?

What the hell?

Hey!

Where am I?

Okay, uh, you're at Holt Neuro.

Here, you need to
get back in your room.

So what's your name?

Darren Halloran.

All right,
I'm Dr. Holt.

Here, let me help you into bed.

- Oh, thanks.
- Mmm-hmm.

(Gasps)

How'd I get here?

I pulled you out
of the East River.

Really?

Really.

Why's my throat hurt so much?

Had to put a tube
down your throat

to get you breathing again.

I'm surprised you could
get out of bed.

- Oh, my God.
- Yeah.

I was dead?

Pretty damn close.

I woke up a few minutes ago
so hungry.

I thought there was food
on that cart.

We got a chef that'll get you
whatever you want.

Do you remember how you ended up
in the water?

No.

Do you drink? Do drugs?

I spend so much time
at the office,

I never even get a chance
to go out for a beer.

Oh, yeah? Where do you work?

Investment firm on Wall Street...
Loffredo & Kohn.

Wait. I had lunch
with my sister.

We ate at a place by the river.

What did you do afterwards?

I put her in a cab.

I must have waited half an hour
for another one.

I finally gave up
and started for the subway.

That's when someone came up
behind me,

and I got hit over the head.

- You got mugged?
- Yeah!

I don't remember seeing

any, uh, head trauma
when we brought you in.

Let's take a look.

I felt the wallet get yanked
out of my pocket.

Then everything went black.

Next thing I remember was
feeling cold, so cold.

And then I woke up here.

Well, you could've, uh,
had a seizure or fainted,

which would have caused you
to fall into the river.

But... I don't know.

I'd like to keep
you here overnight,

get you a head CT
and some blood work.

You got anybody I can call for you?
Your sister, maybe?

- Uh, yes, her name's Ella.
- All right.

Same last name?

Yeah.

She's probably worried
sick about me.

Yeah.

That's so weird.

What?

Well, people talk
about good Samaritans.

I thought they didn't exist.

Just get some sleep, and we'll,
uh, check on your sister,

track her down.

(Horns honking)

Dr. Holt, this is Ella Halloran.

Thanks, Rita.
Michael Holt.

Thanks for coming.
Please have a seat.

Did my brother ask
you to contact me?

Uh, is that a surprise?

Uh, he and I aren't
exactly close.

He said you guys had lunch
yesterday.

(Laughs)

I haven't seen Darren
since June.

Why is he here?

Um, well, I found him
floating in the East River,

freezing, in cardiac arrest.

What?! Yeah, he's doing
much better now.

He said he was mugged
on his way back to work.

Darren hasn't had a job
in six months,

since he got fired from his firm
for erratic behavior.

He missed days of
work, never called in.

His boss called me
looking for him.

When I pulled him out,
he was wearing a business suit.

Well, that's what's so crazy
about it.

He lost his job,
his fiancée, his loft,

but last I saw him, he was still
getting up every morning,

putting on his suit
and going to work.

Where was he off to?

I don't know.
He wouldn't talk about it.

He was living with me
for a while.

I tried to get him
to see a psychiatrist.

Darren: Get these off of me.
I'm leaving!

Sulla: Just let me
call Dr. Holt.

Sulla, I got this.

- Mr. Halloran, calm down, calm down.
- Yeah, Darren.

- Relax.
- What is that bitch doing here?

- You asked me to call her.
- Why the hell

would I do that,
and where are my clothes?

Ella: Isn't it time you admitted

- you're sick?
- I'm sick?

What kind of sister kicks

her own brother out
onto the street?

One who is tired
of being lied to!

- You're the liar. Just like always.
- No.

I never should have come here.

- Good. Go to hell!
Michael: - Wait.

I'm leaving, too.
Where's my suit?

I had to cut it off you
in order to treat you.

What? That cost me $2,000 bucks!

Where's my watch?
Did you steal that, too?

Oh, knock it off; Nobody's
trying to steal anything.

I'm trying to help you.

(Stammering):
I have to get to work.

Your sister said
you were fired months ago.

Yes, I lost my job,

and then I got a new one
a couple of weeks later.

Well, you can't
go to your new one

until I read your CT
and your labs and make sure

you don't drop dead
before you walk out of here.

Now, keep the IV in, get back
in bed and calm down!

Fine... but then I'm leaving.

I got a huge
market analysis report due.

And don't forget my watch!

It's a Rolex!

Family reunion
didn't go as planned?

Sparky's intent on leaving,
so gather his belongings

and find him something
to wear home, wherever that is.

Will do. By the way,
E-Mo just called.

He'll be here in five minutes.

Hmm.

Hey. Beautiful morning, huh?

Ah, speak for yourself.

Well, I guess I'm just
still floating on air

after doing it literally.

You're gonna have
to help me out here.

Had a consult with a
sky-diver yesterday.

The guy suddenly
developed jitters

after years of
not thinking twice.

So, I'm not getting
through to him.

I'm wondering,
maybe it's because

I've never done it
before, so I did.

- You went sky-diving?
- Yup.

- 10,000 feet, right out the door.
- So, now,

you're jumping out of planes
at the drop of a hat, huh?

Hey, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa. What?

So, you think I'm getting loopy

because I might
have Huntington's?

I think a lot of people
facing death

develop extreme risk-taking
behavior... and forget things.

You got to help me out now.

- You missed a VIP intake yesterday.
- No, I didn't.

- That's today.
- No, it was yesterday.

And you sent
several prescriptions

to the pharmacy
without signing them.

Listen, you need to get tested,

just so you'll know,
one way or another.

Michael,
it was an honest mistake.

A scheduling screw-up.

How can I make it up to you?

Well, you can assess

whether a patient of mine is
competent enough to refuse care.

Male drowning victim,
status post cardiac arrest.

He was lucid and friendly,
and now the guy is delusional

and agitated and wants to leave.

I pulled him out
of the East River yesterday.

(Laughs) You pull a
guy out of the river,

and you give me grief over
jumping out of a plane?

At least I had a parachute.

I'd love to take another
couple days off,

but there are a million
other guys out there

gunning for my job.

- Here's your stupid form.
- Mr. Halloran, are you sure

there's no one else
we can call to pick you up?

I'll be fine.

And you'll be getting a
bill for ruining my suit.

So, that's it? Just
letting him go?

Labs and CT were clear.

You sure he's competent
to refuse care?

Guy's definitely weird.

He probably has a narcissistic
personality disorder,

but he's not suicidal,

and he could verbalize
the risks of leaving.

Guess I'm just surprised
you could assess him so quickly.

Hey, do I come into the
OR and backseat-drive

when you're resecting a tumor?

All right, relax.
If you say he's fine, okay.

Hey, you want to go grab
an early lunch?

Why? So you can eyeball me
for Huntington's symptoms?

Yeah, I just want to make sure
you can read the menu.

The Sushi spot right up here...

Best unagi
you've ever tasted, so, uh...

Is that Darren?

(Horns honking, indistinct
shouting) Darren!

(Truck horn honking,
tires squealing)

What the hell is your problem?

You must really want
to get hit.

Hey, hey, hey,
back off, back off!

Darren, what are you doing?

Dr. Holt?
Yeah. What?

Help me. I...

I can't see anything.

Darren: Why can't I see?

Optic discs are normal.

So did the blindness
come on suddenly

or in the past few days?

Oh, it came out of nowhere.

I started to cross the street,
then everything went black.

Is there pain in either eye?
Headache?

- No. Please, you gotta help me!
- All right, we will.

Just try and relax.

His vision loss is so acute.

He could see just
15 minutes ago.

Well, we may be able
to save his eyesight.

Michael: His head CT was normal,
so that rules out trauma.

But he could have a tumor
pushing on his optic chiasm

or an occipital lobe infarct
which would show up on MRI.

(Rhythmic beeping) No masses,

edema, demyelination...
It's totally clear.

This could be a delayed
traumatic retinal detachment.

Ultrasound will show us
the back of the eye.

No, that's not it either.

Retina's intact.

Maybe his blindness
is hysterical.

Losing his job, his fiancée,
causing a psychotic break.

If it is psychological,

his eyes should still respond

to the spinning pattern
on the optokinetic drum.

No. No nystagmus.

All right, so back
to square one.

I'll take a run
at the literature.

See if there's a cause for
acute blindness we're missing.

Kate:
Michael!

Michael: Kate Sykora. Ed Morris.

She's from my other job.
Oh, E-Mo.

Yeah. Hi.
I've heard good things.

Oh, well, not as many as
I've heard about you.

- I'll catch you later.
- Yeah.

- Good meeting you.
- Yeah.

- So you got a consent for Shari's surgery?
- Yeah.

After a mountain of red tape

and just about every
runaround in the book.

Good. I'll get her
prepped right away.

- Michael?
- Mm-hmm.

This girl's been dealt
a terrible hand in life.

Basketball is pretty much her only chance
of getting into college and a real future.

Then why don't you stick around,
and you can keep an eye on me.

(Instrument buzzing)

(Monitor beeping)

Make sure her systolic
stays above 120.

Pressure's been stable.

Uh, hanging a second bag now.

(Buzzing stops)

(Beeping continues)

(Clattering)

I've finished
with the laminotomy.

I have access
to the epidural space,

and I'm going to
suction out the hematoma.

What if she starts bleeding
again?

Worry wart.

Cauterize it on the spot.

Suction.

(Sloshing)

Whoa, what the hell?

(Monitor alarm blaring)

What's going on?

Temp's just spiked to 103.

Michael. The fluid collection
isn't blood, it's pus.

She's got a raging infection.
Epidural abscess?

Yeah. Is it in the bone?

Doesn't look like it.

Put her on broad spectrum
antibiotics.

And give her a gram of
vancomycin to cover for MRSA.

You heard the doctor.

Let's get this cleaned up.

Well, that was a
nasty surprise, huh?

Why would a young,
healthy athlete have

an abscess on her spine?

Usually there's a blood
infection that seeds the spot.

She have any recent
dental work or UTIs?

No.

No, and I would know.

I'm pretty obsessive
about her health.

No, really?

Help me check for
Janeway lesions.

You thinking
infective endocarditis?

Well, septic vegetation
on the heart valves

can certainly cause

epidural abscesses.

Kate:
I don't see anything.

Well, unless it's
something else entirely.

Look, behind her knee.

Track marks?

Injecting herself with
dirty needles would explain

how bacteria got
into her blood.

Michael, she's
not getting high.

I have known her half her life.

We talk about drugs.

She's a top student,
a star basketball player.

She's chasing a scholarship.

All right, so maybe steroids.

She thinks she needs
a competitive edge.

No way.

I'm gonna add a steroid
panel to her blood work,

and you can figure out
how she would get 'em.

How'd the game go without Shari?

Hey.

We lost by ten,

and the scouts had to go home

without seeing our star player.

How's she doing?

You tell me.

I think you've been practicing
sports medicine yourself.

What are you talking
about, Sykora?

Shari was almost paralyzed
by a bad spinal infection...

The kind that can be caused
from steroid use.

- What?
- Don't act

- so surprised.
- If Shari's doping,

she sure as hell didn't
get it from me.

Isn't that what the
coaches always say?

Look, I know how hard you work
to get these girls into college.

I saw it when I went
to school here.

You bend the rules
here and there.

You get bad grades changed.

How far did you go, coach?!

Who do you think you
are, accusing me?!

In 30 years I've never
as much as thought

about giving a player steroids.

Well, I don't give a damn

what you think.
Kate.

Excuse me.

Can we talk?

Kate:
Must be really important

for you to come
and find me here.

I, uh, I got her lab work back.

And?

So she's on steroids, right?

The labs were negative
for those...

But positive for opiates.

What?

No, that has to be a mistake.

My lab doesn't make mistakes.

How did I miss this?

Maybe you weren't looking.

No, I am looking out for her.

A parent's love can blind them
to the truth about their kids.

A parent's love?

You're supposed to be her
mentor, Kate, not her mother.

You know what? I think it's time
you just mind your own business.

Yeah, and you should probably
just have kids of your own.

Kate.

If I wanted to
talk to a shrink,

I certainly would not come
looking for a neurosurgeon.

- Morning.
- Morning.

So I heard you had to give Kate
some bad news about her little sister.

How'd she take it?

Wonderfully.

So where are we
with Darren?

Any new ideas of why he
went blind?

No, not yet.
You know look...

Maybe it's just the
shrink in me,

but I still think
there's a psych component.

We should get his sister back in
here, plumb through his past...

I don't know, I don't want to
get him all riled up again.

Darren:
Get 'em off, get 'em off me!

(Darren shuddering,
glass shattering)

Spiders are
all over me, biting.

Get 'em off me!
Darren,

Darren, listen to me,
there are no spiders on you.

- Calm down.
- You put them on me!

Give me ten milligrams
of haloperidol

- and hard restraints.
- Darren!

They're trying to kill me!

There's nothing on you.

(Straining)

Spiders on his skin?

What is going on with this guy?

I saw a woman in residency...

She had severe
tactile hallucinations

after a cocaine overdose,

but his tox screen
was negative, as was

his blood alcohol.

So tactile hallucinations,
tremulousness, tachycardia.

Maybe his problem
is lack of alcohol.

Delirium tremens?

I thought he claimed
not to drink.

He also said he's
got a terrific job

and gets along great
with his sister.

D.T.'s means he's
a closet alcoholic

and being stuck
in here without booze

put him into severe withdrawal.

I'll start him on fomepizole
and midazolam drip.

Okay, but that still doesn't
explain his blindness, though.

Do me a favor:
Draw a repeat metabolic panel

and a blood gas.

Where are you going?

Going to pick through trash.

Hey. I...
I'm just here to see Shari.

Kate!

My legs feel almost
normal again.

I already got up twice

to go to the bathroom.

I know about the drugs, Shari.

What?
No.

I saw the track marks.

Your blood work confirms it.
What I don't understand is why?

You have every opportunity
in front of you right now.

I've been practicing
really hard this year.

Remember
when I dislocated my finger

and then I sprained my wrist?

There was a bunch of other stuff
I didn't tell you about.

You were self-medicating?

A kid at school sold me
some oxycodone.

At first, I swallowed

the pills.

Then I crushed 'em up
and snorted 'em.

And then one day he
ran out of the pills,

but he said he had
some other stuff.

Heroin.

He gave me the needles, too.

I know I should have
told him no,

but I was only taking it
for pain between games.

Okay, you can't put this all
on yourself.

Look, coach has been pushing you
too hard.

No, Kate, I've been
pushing myself for you.

For me?

Kate, you do everything for me.

You come
to all my basketball games,

you paid for me to go
to basketball camp.

(Crying):
You saved me.

I just want to be like you.

I want to go to college

on a scholarship, like you.

I'm sorry, I can't let you down.

I don't care about basketball.

I care about you.

But I missed the game,

and now I'm not
gonna go to college.

There will be other games,
there will be other scouts.

The only thing that matters
is you getting better.

And I think that the best way
for that to happen

is for you to go to rehab and
for me to take a step back.

No.

Shari, I need to let
you go a little.

But that's what I didn't
want to happen.

I didn't want to disappoint you

and I don't want to lose you.

You are not ever going
to lose me.

I just need to give you
some space, so you can make

your own decisions.

Live the life you want to live.

I will.

I promise.

(Sighs) Welcome back, Darren.

Oh, you're that
shrink I spoke to.

Well, if you can see me, then
you're doing a lot better.

Think it's time you told
the truth, Darren.

Excuse me?

You're an alcoholic.

Denying it almost
cost you your life.

Dr. Holt checked my blood.

There was no booze in it.

That's because we were looking
for the wrong kind.

You've been guzzling methanol.

You're out of your mind.

Hmm... a lot
of end-stage alkies... like, say,

one who's lost his job,
his loft, all of his money...

They can't afford real booze,

so they start drinking

anything they can get
their hands on...

Rubbing alcohol,
even stuff like this.

You think I've been
drinking paint thinner?

Mm. Kept you boozed up long
enough to keep the lie going;

that you had a job, that you
and your sister were close.

That's why you had us call her.

In the morning,
you were irritated

because you needed
another drink.

That's why you left.

Problem with methanol
is it doesn't metabolize

the same as alcohol.

The chemical byproducts
attacks the optic nerve,

especially when you chug
a half can.

That's why you went blind.

All right,
get the hell out of here.

You had us stumped there
for a while.

Until Dr. Holt
remembered finding you

standing in the hallway
after you woke up.

Next to a cleaning cart.

You tossed this in the trash.

You thought you got rid of it

until he dug it out.
How do you turn this thing off, huh?

- Darren. Cut it out.
- Turn it off!

- Unhook all this crap from me!
- Darren, Darren, cut it out!

Don't you see what denial
has already cost you?

Your career, your fiancée,
your sister.

Nah, I'm good, I swear.

Every... I don't drink.

- Everything's fine.
- Darren. Darren...

If you don't start
facing the truth right now,

you're gonna die.

My life was great.

I had it all under control.

And then one day my fiancée came
home and said she was leaving,

out of nowhere.

Wedding was off.

She just didn't
love me anymore.

She was my whole world.

And the booze was the only thing
to make the pain go away.

(Sniffling, sobbing)

I don't want to die.

I really don't.

Please, can you help me?

You've already taken
the hardest step.

Rita: E-Mo work his magic again?

Michael: He's good
at what he does.

When he's not forgetting
more stuff.

Darren's labs

- you asked E-Mo for earlier today?
- Mm-hmm?

He never sent them.

Michael, what
aren't you telling me?

I can't say.

If you're pulling
privilege, it must

be medical...

And bad.

What are you gonna do?

Get some air.

(Exhales)

You're here.

Good.

Well, that's a first.

(Sighs)

I just watched E-Mo knock
through a patient's denial

like a wrecking ball,

but the guy is
oblivious to his own.

No one wants to be sick.

Well, I can't let him
put patients in danger.

So what's next?

Well, if he refuses to get
tested, then I have to fire him.

But... what?

Well, what if he
has the disease?

- What if he really starts getting sick?
- Oh, you mean

who'll take care of him?

Yeah, well, he's not married;
both his parents are dead.

When his brother found out that he
had Huntington's, he killed himself.

So...

E-Mo is all alone.

This is gonna be really tough
if he's become a friend.

Nice work.

With Darren.
Really impressive.

Yeah, well, still
a long road ahead.

Well, he couldn't have gotten past
his denial without your help.

Maybe I can do
the same for you.

You think I'm in denial?

I think you need to face
what you're afraid of.

I could say the same for you.

Well, this isn't about me.

I saw it the first day you
hired me, remember?

Something in your life
you're too scared to face.

Okay, so, Michael, what is it?

What-what secret are you hiding?

I am not putting
my patients in danger.

- You get tested, or you're gone.
- First of all,

- I would never put a patient in danger.
- Not knowingly.

But this disease
could be taking over day by day,

diminishing your skills,
warping your judgment. (Sighs)

E-Mo, if you have it,

I'll do whatever
I can to help you.

I'll adjust your schedule,
hire an assistant.

- Look, Michael...
- But I can't just ignore what's happening

and hope for the best.

I already got tested.

When?

Yesterday.

When I saw what denial
was doing to Darren,

I went straight to a guy that
I know that runs a genetics lab.

And?

I don't know.
I haven't opened it yet.

It's negative for Huntington's.

Great.

(Sighs):
Oh, man.

See? That's a hell
of a lot easier

than jumping out of an airplane.

I-I guess maybe I've
been messing up so much

because I've been stressed out.

Okay. Well, it's
all behind you now.

I thought I was gonna
have to fire you.

(Laughs)

Wow.

You know what?

I quit.

- What?
- A-at least for a while.

You know, Michael...

I've spent
my whole life running.

Afraid.

Too scared to even make friends,
because I didn't want them to...

have to watch my mind
just rot away.

I've never even been
in love, because I...

(Laughs) I feel like

the darkest cloud in the world
just got lifted.

I need to go out and see
what it's like to finally live.

All right, well,
just take a few days...

No, no, hold on,
hold on, don't worry.

I'll still be
on the court next week

kicking your ass in basketball.

(Laughs)

Hi. Uh, small
coffee to go.

(Laughs softly)

What are the odds in a city
of eight million people?

(Laughs) Well, weirder things

have happened to me.

Do you have a minute?
Can you sit?

Sure.

- So, I finally got to meet E-Mo.
- Yes,

you did.

Just in time.
He quit.

Really? Why?

Long story.

Thank you.

So, your, uh...

your little sister seems
to be doing better.

Yeah. Yeah, no,
Shari's gonna be great.

She's got everything she
needs to get back on track.

Look, Michael, I
owe you an apology.

Nah. It's all good.

No, you were right...
I was mothering her.

Harrison and I decided not to
have kids when we got married,

and, uh... you know, it
felt right at the time.

Now it's not.

(Sighs)

What about you?
You want kids?

(Laughs):
Uh...

Anna and I, um...

It wasn't in the cards
for us, so...

I'm sorry.

(Cell phone chimes)

Uh, excuse me.

Uh, Harrison's out front.

- He is?
- Yeah, he managed

to change our War Horse
tickets to tonight.

I have to go.

Um...

But I will, uh, see you
at the clinic in the morning.

- Bright and early.
- Okay. Good night.