Cardiac Arrest (1994–1996): Season 3, Episode 12 - Breaking Strain - full transcript

(Woman speaks foreign language)

Cubicle 2, pissed, fell out of a tree.
Wife's left him.

Cubicle 3, cut by flying glass. Not pissed.
Possible lesbian love triangle.

— Weren't you on this weekend as well?
— Having to cover for the houseman, off sick.

No locum, of course.
Tonight'll be my third sleepless in a row.

Liz, this one’s for you, I'm afraid.
Left—sided stroke.

— (Sighs)
— Have a coffee, they'll be OK for half an hour.

By which time the next one'll be here.

— I'm afraid I'm just going off-duty.
— Me too, Nurse.

— Sorry to drag you away from Julie.
— No problem.

Do you know the difference
between a nurse and a turd?



At least after you've laid a turd,
it doesn't follow you around all day.

(Claire) You do.

Mrs Kaur, this is the surgical doctor
| asked to see you.

— Hi. I'm Mr Smedley.
— Clinically, there's peritonism.

Erect chest shows no free gas, plain abdos NAD.

Right. Let's have a look.

After this amount of time, I'm afraid
there's no hope of recovery. I'm sorry.

— On reflection, it was a mistake to ventilate.
— | agree.

Liz. Um... Thanks for your help, James.

Liz, if there's no change for a couple of hours,
talk to Claire about withdrawing ventilation.

— Good night.
— Night, Dr Hudson.

— (Bleeper)
— Please cali ward sister.

— You all right, Liz?
— Tip-top.

Could you have a look at Mrs Irwin?



I'm just telling you.

(Kissing and moaning)

(Raj) Mitral stenosis...

Blurred...first heart sound...

Low rumbling...made...diastolic murmur...

What are you on about?

| used to think about football.
It's too stimulating.

Now | think about medicine instead...

(Groans)

That must have been at least a minute.

No...

— No?
— No.

Oh...

Mr Cassidy, here's the word.

Pull the plug.

Thanks.

Any problem?

I'm going to turn the machine off now.

Would you all like to be with him?

Yeah...

(Sobbing)

Excuse me.

Shit...

(Alarm bleeps)

(Alarm stops)

My chap, can he have a saline IVI one—in—six?
15 of kef, 500 of met?

— Yep.
— Julie?

Not here, not now.

Your lady on Crippen. Have you bothered to
examine her in the two days you've had her?

Any student
could have diagnosed her peritonitis.

That's why | only needed to contact you
instead of someone more competent.

(Bleeping)

This woman's been on our medical ward for two
days being investigated for dizzy spells.

Wouldn't happen to have been Claire Maitland
she was under, would it?

Shut it. It might have been.

She's right. You are Barry Bitter.

Am not. | think I'm being
very Victor Mature about the whole thing.

What about Julie? Mmm?
Don't be Dr McCoy about it.

— Allright. | like her a lot.
— Yeah, but not as much, right?

Look. My position here has always been
temporary. I'm just passing through.

Doesn't make sense for me to get involved
with anybody, including you.

They're bound to renew your contract, right?

| guess.

You can wake up now, Kulwinder.

Enough lazing around at our expense.

Mrs Kaur?

Mrs Kaur?

This isn't a holiday camp, you know.

Kulwinder.

Scissors?

Yeah.

She's not coming out of it.

Um...

Mrs Kaur?

Kulwinder?

Perhaps it would have been better
if a medical student had operated on her.

— (James) That's rubbish and you know it.
— It's incredible.

(James) It's rubbish. What's the point
in bringing in personal things?

It's got...

(Scissors) Mr Bharma. I'm so sorry
to have to call you in like this.

This is Dr Mortimer, the anaesthetist.

— Take a seat.
— Hello, Mr Bharma.

Hello, Doctor.

(Scissors) The operation itself was a success.
We were able to remove an infected appendix.

(James) I'm afraid Kulwinder's suffered
a serious complication.

Your wife's in a coma, and the brain scan
indicates that she's suffered extensive stroke.

Um... Do you want to come through
and see her?

(James) This is a ventilator,

breathing for your wife at the moment
through the tube in her mouth.

It's supplying her with oxygen.

The drips
are replacing fluid she lost during surgery.

The blue machine is a pump, basically,

monitor of the drip’s antibiotics and drugs
controlling her blood pressure.

And the last machine, that's a monitor.

Shows heart rate and breathing rate and so on.

(Sighs)

(Distant siren)

(Sighs) Whoa...

The times, they are a—changin’.

— Hi.
— All right?

— Do you like cricket?
— Of course.

Mum won't take me.
She says it's boring.

(Laughs)

WiLL you take us?

| don't think your mother would like that.

Why?

She just wouldn't.

All right. Ask her.

The boy has his heart set on it,

Something tells me
he won't take no for an answer.

| won't say a word about being his father,
| promise.

Just a friend of the family
taking the boy to see the match.

Well, | don't seem to have any choice.
He'll disinherit me if | say no now.

Mr Brahma? Please, don't get up.

— Um...
— She's still in a coma, Gurdeep. Um...

She's taken a few breaths on her own
without the machine, however.

(Gurdeep) That's good, isn't it?

— It's only a small sign of recovery.
— If we switched the ventilator off,

she wouldn't survive.

Why not go home for a few hours?
Get some sleep.

— There was not a hint of negligence by James.
— Just keep him away from my patients.

Adrian DeVries,
consultant surgeon looking after your wife.

Good morning, Doctor.

You two make a great pair.

(DeVries) Continue kef and met
unless we grow anything unusual.

(James) Mr DeVries?

(DeVries) Blepharospasm.
Sometimes the eyelids do flutter.

(James) Doesn't look like blepharospasm to me.
Mrs Kaur, can you stop blinking, please?

Kulwinder?

Can you squeeze my hand, please?

No, nothing.

Kulwinder, blink once for yes, twice for no.
Can you hear me?

Morning.

— What were you up to last night?
— About a minute.

This one’s got another dose of the clap.
Go down to the clinic and find his old notes.

(Raj) Kirsty?

So she pulled the plug. Literally.

Oh, God...

All these fail-safe mechanisms
went off in Crippen Ward

and it resembled NORAD
at the outbreak of World War 3.

(Sighs)

Dr Rajah. | knew it was just a matter of time
before you'd require our services.

Um... Have | said, Sister, how you seem
to look younger every time | see you?

- a ocr
(Giggling)

— You shouldn't let it get to you.
— | wouldn't give that bitch the satisfaction.

— Calm down.
— (Man) Doctor? Doctor!

— | want to know when I'm having the scan.
— As | explained yesterday,

Dr Hudson will have to arrange it
with the radiologist.

Do you actually do anything
for the sackful you earn?

| do not need this crap!

— | pay your wages. How dare you?
— You shut your fat mouth!

— You shut it! Shut it!
— Who do you think you are?

You're just a wanker,
that's what you are!

You can't talk to me Like that!

Just let it slide, mate.

At this point in the relationship, any hint of
mistrust is a mandatory chucking offence.

Yeah, but like you and Patrick said,
why else would she go to the clap clinic?

Yeah. Mmm...

Mmm...

If you fill one of those out, great.

— | think you ought to tell me, don't you?
— What are you on about?

Before you two go any further,
| think Patrick's got something to say.

| can't hear you, Patrick.

Well, it's about you getting mixed up
about Kirsty going to the GU clinic.

Yeah?

It was James.

Oj!

Kulwinder's mind is fully active.

However, her body is almost totally paralysed.

Would she need the life support machine
for the rest of her life?

Although she's dependent at the moment,
she's taking more and more breaths by herself.

We may be able to wean her off the ventilator
in the next few days.

I'd like to speak with a consultant, please.

Certainly.

| want to ask her...

lf she should live like that?

I'm not asking this for myself.
She will always be my Kulwinder.

I'm asking for her.

Your wife may regain some use of her body.

We don't know.

Your wife may come off the ventilator.

We don't know.

Would you ask this for me?

Would you explain to her everything?

Yes. Yes, | will.

And if she doesn't want to go on?

A reasonably healthy lady
turned into a cabbage on the operating table.

| only hope | can convince my bosses
that no one was to blame.

Well, the facts speak for themselves.

Unfortunately, some people might consider Mr
Smedley's recent cases a catalogue of blunders.

You and | both know
that any procedure can have complications.

Frankly, Julie, this is out of my hands.

Paul?

Don't kid me you can't pull strings.

| don't wanna sound like I'm harping on about it,

but getting your suspension overturned
has considerably weakened my position.

Some might say it reflects on Mr Smedley.

Meaning?

It's none of my business, of course.
I'm simply stating it doesn't help Mr Smedley

to be involved in a relationship with a nurse
with the reputation of being...

A troublemaker.

Thank you, Paul.

Um... Believe me, Julie,
if there was anything | could do...

It's possible your body will remain
completely paralysed for life.

Do you understand?

We're optimistic that in a day or two,
you won't need the ventilator.

But if we switched it off now, you would die.

Do you understand?

What we'd all like to know
is what you think now.

Would you want us to turn off the machine?

We'll carry on with the treatment.

Thank you, Mrs Kaur.

Would you like to be with your husband now?

Thank you, Doctor.

It's what | wanted you to say.

I've missed you so much.

She's lucky
she's got someone who cares for her that much.

He's lucky too.

Adrian, | don't wanna see you any more.

| think we should proceed
with ultrasound—guided biopsy.

Yes, we need to take a tissue sample from your
liver using an ultrasound scan as a guide.

I'll talk to one of the radiologists about
performing this procedure this afternoon.

— And that's your lot here, Dr Hudson.
— Thanks, everyone.

— Dr Hudson?
— Mm—-hm?

| was wondering if it would be possible
to finish earlier this afternoon.

— As long as there's cover.
— I'm doing Dr Turner's outpatients.

Renal unit and then ITU.

Sorry, Liz.

You know, Liz really does look dead beat.

She's been putting this on
ever since she's worked here.

Debbie, she'll be fine.

You said this afternoon!

(Bleeping)

It was Dr Hudson who said she'd try
and arrange it for this afternoon.

You people, you say five minutes and mean
five hours. You're on a different planet!

— This afternoon means next week, | suppose.
— Just shut up and listen.

— For God's sake, just shut up!
— It's the syringe driver.

It's the syringe driver, Liz.

All right? Come on,
let's go and have a cup of tea.

IL phone ultrasound and find out the time
of your scan, all right, Mr Gayden?

| think we should stop seeing one another.

Well, | mean, you know.
It's not really working out, is it?

You're not too upset, are you?

No.

Isn't it about time you popped the question,
Mr D?

Oh, no, I'm sorry, Mr Docherty.
She hasn't turned you down, has she?

— James, it's none of our business.
— No, no, no. It's just that |...

You've just got to bite the bullet and ask her,
Mr Docherty.

— There's no other way. Is there, Scissors?
— Don't ask me.

| can only tell you how to screw up
every relationship with a woman.

— Here you are.
— Thanks.

— Are you all right?
— I'll be done in a couple of hours.

I'm fine. Thank you, Debbie.

I'm really sorry to do this to you,
but there's a whole load of bloods to do.

They should have told you on the morning shift,
but...you know.

OK? OK.

What do you see, Mr D?

The future.

— Shot.
— It's all in the wrist action, mate.

— Hi.
— Hi.

— Do you want a drink?
— Yeah.

— Isobel, before you go...
— Yes, what is it?

Do you think we should... | mean, should I, er...

Oh, yes, Ernest, Il...

Yes, | will marry you, Ernest,
but please hurry up and ask me

because you're driving me round the bend.

(Phone)

Mrs Trimble. Isobel

WiLL you marry me?

Oh... Oh, yes, | will.

| will. Oh...

You wanna take a leaf out of his book.
Go out with a doctor or something.

I've just pulled Kirsty. Now you want me
to dump her. Give me a chance.

Going out with nurses is for losers.

Shot.

Debs?

See ya, Tina.

| was wondering, could | take you
to dinner tonight? And Steven too.

Adrian, let's not get carried away.

Look. | never said | was sorry for what | did

and I'd like to rectify that right now.

Leaving you for Charlotte the way | did
was low and cowardly. You deserve better.

— Adrian, please.
— Maybe...

Maybe we could even be a family.

SOIry.

Look, Adrian.
Can we just take this one step at a time?

So what are you doing at the weekend?

I'm just visiting a mate down south.

| was only making conversation.
| mean, | wasn't...

No, course not.

(# Willie Nelson: Crazy)

Just so long as that's clear.

# Why do / let myself worry #

The drinks...are on me.

— Nice one, Mr D!
— Congratulations, Mr D!

He just got run over.

Adrian!

Request blood, type A positive.
Fast, please. Scissors?

OK.

— | need to know exactly what happened.
— He got hit on the road.

— How fast was the car going?
— | don't know.

— Any medical problems | don't know about?
— No! No!

We will take care of him.

I'd like another unit of haemosol ready.

— Start mannitol. 100 grams over 20 minutes.
— (Julie) I'm getting it.

13-year-old boy, pedestrian RTA.

Raj, would you cannulate and start another IVI?
James, manage the airway, please.

— Mr DeVries, there's a...
— Our patient has extensive injuries.

Proceed under the assumption
they are treatable unless proved otherwise.

Yes, Mr DeVries.

— Scissors, would you connect the monitor?
— Sure.

I'm in.

Raj, if they haven't got any type blood,
get some O negative.

Certainly.

Connected.

Clinically, there are bilateral haemothoraces.
Would you pass intercostal drains, please?

Already sorted.

Asystole,

— No pulse.
— Scissors, chest compressions instead.

Julie, one milligram of adrenalin, please.

(James) One, two, three, four, five.

| want a scalpel and a set of rib spreaders.

Raj, get hold of the gram of adrenalin.

(James) One, two, three, four, five...

(Raj) Adrenalin given.

Spreaders set.

Stop chest compressions
and assist me in thoracotomy.

— Scalpel.
— Start mannitol, please, Julie.

(James) OK...

Two more. OK.

— Pulse?
— There's pulse with massage.

— I'm gonna hyperventilate him.
— James. Julie, get blood running.

Scissors and Raj,
get a drain in on the other side.

That was not a request!

— (Bleeping)
— (Knocking on door)

What is it?

It's Dr Hudson.

Are you all right, Liz?

(Moans) I'm...

I'll be OK.

Mr Gayden is making a formal complaint.
The managers will be onto you today.

It is in your interest to record
your own version of events as soon as possible.

Liz, you're not the first person to get tired
after a night on call.

(Bleeping)

(Julie) Fourth unit up.
Another adrenalin on its way.

— (Scissors) My hand's cramping up now.
— (Raj) Let me in.

(Scissors) Thanks, Raj.
(DeVries) Pupils dilated and unresponsive.

Stop resuscitation.

Thank you, everybody.

I'd like to be alone with him, please.

| should tidy him up before his mother comes.

Let me help you, Mr DeVries.

No, thank you, Julie.

I'd like to be alone with my son, please.

(Woman screaming)

— Liz, it's Andrew. Liz?
— Let me sleep!

— Shut up! Shut up!
— Just wait here, will you?

(Liz screams and cries)

Liz, it's OK. It's all right. Ssshh.
It's all right. It's OK. It's me.

| keep turning it off

and it keeps going off again.

Why won't they let me sleep?

Again! Again!

Shut up! Just shut up!

Shut up! Let me sleep!

All those years.

My son.

Your son? Your son? Your son?

Your son? You were poisoning him
and my life!

You are poison to anybody who loves you!

You're poison...

Charlotte, | want to come home. Please.

Let me come... | wanna come home!

| want to come home!