ER (1994–2009): Season 13, Episode 11 - City of Mercy - full transcript

Previously on E.R.

You should come
to my Bible group sometime.

I think you'd
really like it.

(laughing):
Bible group? Okay.

Do you think I'm gonna
hang out waiting for you

to find out that he's
just jerking you around?

You're making me think about
the way I want my life to be.

This is Ben Parker,
he's a new R.N.

Let me buy you a drink
or take you out to dinner.

Like a date?

When I was a
paramedic, we used



to run homeless
kids like this.

Please just help Paulie.

I can't. Paulie's
very sick.

I know your secret name.

Mayday.

There's a crazy, angry guy
following us?

(grunts)

Listen to me, Ames.

Come near my family again,
I'll kill you.

It was kind of fun...

till the chemo kid called me
"Rudolph's skank."

One of them asked me if
you were Sleepy or Sneezy.

(gasps)
What?

I'm an elf,
I'm not a freakin' dwarf.



(laughing):
Oh, my God.

Oh.
Nice antlers.

You guys look so cute.

I got to get my camera.

No, that's
okay, really.

Well, was it fun
at least?
Yeah.

Pedes was a war zone.

Heard you lost the pool.
Sorry.
Yeah, yeah.

I gotta say, that's one hot
lookin' dwarf you got with you.

You know what?
I'm an elf, damn it.

Whoa.
Whoa. Oh, hey.

As we commemorate
the birth of Jesus,

I find myself contemplating
the vices I have been guilty of.

And also the virtues that I--

that all of us born in sin
and striving for sanctity--

should aspire to.

Turning our pride to humility,

our envy to compassion...

Our anger to mercy?

Mm-hmm.

Our laziness to activity.

Our greed to generosity.

Our gluttony to moderation.

And last but not least,
our lust

must be turned to...?

Archie?

Um... consummation?

(laughs)

(group members laughing)

Yeah, no, no, seriously.

Um, our lust
must be turned to...

purity?

Uh, well,
I was looking for "chastity,"

but talk about purity a little.

Well, you know, I've...
I've always taken it to mean

purity of spirit as opposed
to a literal, corporal purity.

Mm-hmm, go on.

Uh... well, you know, we all
live in the modern world, right?

And our virtuousness
shouldn't be locked

into some antiquated
notion of abstinence.

Should it?

Well, shouldn't it?

So, um, you're saying that
you can be sexually active

and, uh, still
retain moral purity?

Well, not just me, sister,
if you know what I'm saying.

Nice, yeah.

Well, 'cause--
well, no, no

because, 'cause what
I'm actually saying is,

at the end of the day, it's
just, it's just us in the mirror

and we're the ones who determine
our own moral value.

To me, that's what--

that's what Christmas
is all about.

So... you're not mad
at me anymore?

This is the first time
in a week I've seen you smile.

Well, the holiday spirit
is just so infectious,

I couldn't help myself,

and, um, I was waiting for you
to lighten up.

Really?

I was waiting for you.

(laughing):
Don't try to be charming
in that ridiculous outfit.

Huh, me, charming?

Mm-hmm.

Back off, Rudolph.

Be nice.

You be nice.

You're not going to get
your special present.

Mm, what kind of present?

Mm... a slightly
naughty one.

(both giggle)
My favorite kind.

(door opens)

Dr. Kovac.

Sorry. You got a minute?

Yeah, sure, sure, yeah.

It's about Curtis Ames.

He's filed an order
of protection against you.

A restraining order.

That's ridiculous.
Yeah, well,

the judge who issued it
doesn't think so.

The guy says you threatened
to kill him.

What?

Look, you should have
let it go, doc.

Now you look
like the crazy one.

Rufus Taylor, 35.

Going 60 on the Dan Ryan,
crashed into an embankment.

Icicle shattered the windshield,
I couldn't see.

BARNETT:
Icicle, huh?

Came out of nowhere.

It was really big.

Anything hurt, man?

My stomach.

All right,
Trauma One, let's go.

Gates, what's the RTS
on this guy?
The what?

RTS-- revised
trauma score.

It correlates better
than GCS

with traumatic
brain injury.

Traumatic brain what?

You'll be fine, sir.
What's the matter with you?

My shift was over.

I couldn't leave
because you weren't here.

I was five minutes late.

All right, ten minutes.
I'm here, now go.

Look, you have remedial
command of the basics.

I can't leave you alone.
I would love to, believe me,

but it wouldn't be
right, all right?

(groans)

(lively party chatter)

Hey, merry Christmas, Neela!

Where have you been?

On the floor. I thought
we were rounding.

What?! No.

The surgery Christmas party
is the one time of year

we can forget
about disease and death

and celebrate goodness
and kindness.

I admit I would prefer

black tie,
sashimi, and Veuve Clicquot,

but still, it's Christmas

and I love it.

Yeah.
Are you all right?

Sorry, it's got
to be this punch.

There's nothing even remotely
alcoholic in the punch, Dustin.

Right, okay.

Uh... gotta go.

Neela, I want you
to meet Manish Mayta.

He's going to be helping us
out around here a while.

Hi.
Hi.

Uh, can I get
everybody's attention

for a second, please?

Everybody.

Listen up for a sec.

(taps on glass)
Thanks.

Listen, it's fitting
and appropriate at this time

of charity and compassion
for me to be able to announce

the opening of Chicago's
only Paired Exchange Program.

(cheering, applauding)

And as an additional
yuletide treat,

we will be doing
our first kidney swap today.

(cheering, applauding)

Why don't we
all get back

to work before we crash
from the sugar high?

(laughing)

Mm.

Neela, Rob.

You guys know
each other, right?

Neela Rasgotra.

I've heard a lot
about you.

You have?
Well, you're
the golden girl

Dubenko created
a special residency spot for.

That's memorable.

God, you must really
be something.

(laughing):
Okay, then.

It's nice to meet you, Rob.

The pleasure
is all mine.

Would you excuse me a minute?

(both laughing)

You went
to where Ames works?

Well, the police
wouldn't do anything.

Then you threatened
to kill him

and I'm the one
who overreacted?

You think I made
all this up?

I think you got
carried away, yeah.

I went to his work to make
him stop, to scare him off.

Well, mission
accomplished.

He's scared--
he can have you arrested

if you get
anywhere near him.

Look, I didn't know
what else to do, okay?

I did it because I love you
and I love Joe

and I wasn't going to
let that asshole keep
threatening us, okay?

So, it wasn't too geeky,
was it?

Geeky? Lord, no.

I mean, God, no.
I mean, no.

No, I enjoyed
your Bible group.

They were impressed
by you.

What you said was
really advanced.

Really? You think?

Yeah, I do.
Oh... donuts.

Ha, ha.

The perks of authority.

No. No, no, no.

Wh-What does this look like?

Gluttony?

Gluttony. Exactly.

I was just testing you.

(chuckles)
Save these
for the kids.

Lenore Simpkins,
found down on the street

on 18th and Aberdeen.

Pulse ox is 91, looks like
frostbite on the fingertips.

It's cold out there.

Hi, Lenore, I'm Dr. Morris.

I would wish you
a merry Christmas,

but as an employee
of the county,

I am duty-bound to respect the
separation of church and state.

Are you kidding?

Is he kidding?

I think so.

Hey.

Hey.
You got plans tonight?

Yeah.

Yeah, me, too.

With Ray.

That's cool, right?

(laughing nervously):
It's none of my business.
Okay.

I just wanted to be sure.

You look annoyed.

Well, your friend
from vascular went in

almost ten minutes ago.

Yeah, I could tell you kind of
aggravated his problem.

What problem?

Rob's got a little
auto-stimulation issue.

You know.

He can't help tickling
the Elmo, spanking his monkey.

That's how he got
his nickname.

What nickname?

We call him "McCreamy."

Mc-Creamy?

(exhales)
Oh, hey, guys.

Sorry about the wait.

It's okay.

God, it was great to
finally meet you, Neela.

I hope we get to
work together soon.

I gotta go.

How's that,
Lenore? Better?

Mm-hmm.

What are you doing
for the holidays?

Uh, you mean
besides taking my kid

to go see
Return of the Evil Zombies?

Well, maybe before you go home,

you could let me buy you
that drink?

I... don't know.

I got presents
to wrap.

Lenore, were you
recently hospitalized?

I was at City of Mercy
till last night.

What for?

Chest cold.

Winter's been hard.

How long
were you there?

Mm, a few days.

I'm not good with time.

And did they release you?

The lady
at the hospital said

the ambulance was gonna
take me back.

Back home?

Don't got one.

I make my own way.

Well, then where'd
they drop you off?

They left me in a alley
near 18th Street.

I haven't slept
in that neighborhood in years.

Second unit's infusing now?

I need sterile tens
and a cordis.

He needs central access.

This is not a good teaching
case. I'll handle this.

I know how to put
in a line, Ray.

Mr. Taylor, we need
to do an operation

to stop the bleeding
in your abdomen.

Is there someone you want
to be here with you?

No. You sure
this can't wait?

I-I don't really want this,
not today.

It's okay, you'll be fine.

No, it's just that my karma's
not so good right now.

It's not the best time
to go under the knife.
Don't worry, sir.

Here at County, we treat
the naughty as well as the nice

all year round.

We'll take good care
of you.

I promise
this is the best thing.

TELLER:
Mayday.
OR 2,
Dubenko should be waiting.

Psst!

Mayday!

Yeah, uh, go on,
I'll be right up.

Lizzie's sick.

Teller, we were worried
about you.

Lizzie's sick.
You need to come.

Was she your friend?

Does she have
what Paulie had?

I don't know.

You need to come.

All right, wait there.

Pick up the old chart
from records

and get the echo
from C.I.C.U.

What about the
toilet bowls, Ray?

I haven't scrubbed
them down yet.

Tony, come with me a minute?

Thank God you're
here to save me.

Whoa, where do you think
you're going?

What, do you have
a toenail extraction

you want me
to take notes on?

Are you too advanced
for this stuff?

Look, if we have a problem,
man, just spit it out,

'cause I don't speak
"bitchy."

Oh, you seem pretty
fluent to me.

Get somebody else,
my intern's busy.

Ray, stop being an idiot.
I need Tony's help.

And you, too.
I've had enough.

Why don't you either
slap each other silly

or kiss now
and get it over with?

She got bad last night.
Pains everywhere.

Tell me where she is, and
I'll send an ambulance.

No! I'll take you.

Doesn't work
like that.

Please.

You helped Paulie.

You heard about Paulie?

I came back a
few days after.

The man at the desk said
he was at the care unit.

That's good, right?

Come on!

If she's sick, she needs
to be in a hospital.

She can't walk and she
won't go to a family again.

Teller...

You come-- Mayday and you.

She can't. We can't.

You have to.

Or else I'm scared
Lizzie's gonna pass.

All right, I'm out of here.

What? No.
You can't go.

I got no Kovac,
no Weaver and no Pratt.

I'm flying
without a net here.

I'd prefer to be
outside of the ER

when it crashes
and burns to the ground.

What?
Yeah, that's what
the Vegas oddsmakers

say will happen the first time

you're the only attending
on the floor.

Melia!

What...?

What are you doing here?

Daddy...

Daddy?

BARNETT:
Great, another
one of Morris's

petri dish kids.

Wait, Morris has kids?

Four, that
we know of.

Hope, could
you please...?

Right, no, I will take
her to the break room,

get her all settled
in. Come on.

Read her a story or something.

What?

Hey, Morris, it's important,
I need a half hour.

Okay.
Come on, it's slow,
you can spare...

You just
say "okay"?
Yeah.

Me, you're trying to leverage,

him, you're just
gonna let him go?

You're a resident,
he's an intern.

I have a date.

So? My daughter's here,
Ray-- my daughter.

You don't see me shirking.

Fine, go.
I'm already over you.

Hey, Sam,
you have a car?

Uh, I heard snow,
I took a train.

The truck's in the shop.

I got to check on
a patient for Neela.

Hi, can I talk
to your supervisor?

Hey, what about Malik?

Is he around?

No, he's not
in today.

This is the second time
I've called.

Can you ask her to call me?

Sam Taggart.

Mercy said she walked out on
her own, as far as they know.

Some administrator's
gonna get into it.

Looks like they
already have.

What? Hey!
Hey, hey, hey.

Where are you going?
She's not ready for transfer.

You the nurse
on this one?
Yeah.

We're from Mercy,
we're gonna take her

off your hands.
You're gonna what?

Our supervisor said it was
all a misunderstanding.

Are you taking me
back outside?
No, uh-uh.

You're not taking her anywhere

until somebody explains
what's going on.

Come on, a patient ended
up in the wrong place.

Let's not blow this
out of proportion.

BEN:
No, you heard the lady.

Turn it around.

How far is
this place?

Just across the bridge.

(car horn honking)

Hey, watch it, jerk off!

I heard you needed a ride.

MELIA:
What's the pancreas do?

It makes hormones
that help you

process sugar
in your blood.

What are hormones?

Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Well, they're...

Okay, okay, you'll find out
about that soon enough.

I was thinking Dr. Seuss,
not Dr. Rosen.

It's okay.
I like gross stuff.

Honey, Melia,
it's so good to see you.

What are you doing here?

I ran away.

Why, sweetie?

Because of Donald,
Mom's new husband.

He won't let me
celebrate Christmas.

He says there's
no such thing as Santa.

No, he didn't.

He says there's
no elves,

no reindeer
and Christmas is just made up

so people will spend money.

No, that's crazy.

So I decided I would spend
the holiday with my real dad.

That's you.

Crystal meth--
some nasty stuff.

Makes you lie.

Makes you paranoid.

I'm clean now.

Good for you.

It's too late.

My wife, my kids

moved away as far
as they could.

I m-m... I messed
up so much.

I missed so much
when I was high.

(breathing
irregularly)

This is where
they live.

(paper tearing)

Oliver's 11 now,
and Julia is nine.

They've gone so many years

without hearing from me
on Christmas...

Mr. Taylor,

I fully expect this surgery
to be a success.

I-I know.

But if you're wrong...

promise me
you'll send them something.

Won't be necessary.

But okay.

Thank you. Thank you.

BARNETT:
We should call this in.

What if this girl's
really messed up?

If you make anybody come, we'll
just run away someplace else.

It'll be fine.

Stop!

It's here.

(panting)

Hurry!

What the hell
are we doing?

GATES:
We're helping kids, Ray.

It's down here.

(Gates groans)

Love what you've done
with the place.

Follow me.

Ah, that's great.

Big old mouse hole.

Jejunum looks good.

So's the liver.

Lucien, Victoria's
on the phone again.

She wants to know

if you'd like her to wear
the blue dress or the red dress.

Tell her
the blue's nice.

Ileo-cecal
junction's clear.

Hot date tonight?

Something like that.

ARI:
BP's down,

86 over 40.

Retroperitoneum
feels tense.

Bovie to Neela,
open it up.

SHIRLEY:
Tachy to 120.

DUBENKO:
Hang the blood
on the infuser.

Whoa. Suction, now.

He's bleeding out.
Satinsky.

Packing.
Keep it coming.

5-O proline.

On Castro Viejos.

SHIRLEY:
P.E.A., lost the pulse.

Starting
compressions.

Amp of epi,
call for more blood.

RASGOTRA:
It's too fast,
there's no way to...

Ah, crap, it's here.

Sponge stick times two,
let's go!

5-O proline to me.

I've got pressure...
above...

and below.

Okay, release
pressure.

Repair's holding.

Stop CPR.

Normal sinus.

Good pulse.

Well, strong work,
Dr. Rasgotra.

Well, once you've seen
one super-celiac aortic tear,

you've seen them all.

TELLER:
Don't be scared, it's safe.

BARNETT:
Thanks.

I feel much better now.
(Lizzie gasping)

GATES:
I'm sure you've played gigs

in worse places than this.
(Lizzie grunting loudly)

LIZZIE:
Oh, God!

Come on!

KIDS:
Who's that?
Who's with him?

(Lizzie grunting)

(straining)

You said you'd
get Mayday!

It's okay. He
helped save Paulie.

(Lizzie gasping)

She's diaphoretic.

Please, please,
make this go away!

RAY:
Yeah, and tachycardic.
Hey, Lizzie, Lizzie,

do you know what day it is?

It's Christmas.

That's close enough.
She's lucid.

She's pregnant.

Yeah, she's very pregnant.

The baby's crowning.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

I don't know how this happened!

(straining loudly)

(panting)

All right, Lizzie,
next time, give it your all.

Come on, push!
I can't!

Yes, you can,
attagirl, come on.
(screaming)

Attagirl! Come on!

Teller, who's this
baby's father?

It doesn't have a father!

Of course it does.

Lizzie will get
the men to help us.

Ruby, quiet!

Ray, the shoulder's stuck.

Please get it out! I can't!

Firm downward pressure
on the head.

I am! I am!

(straining loudly)

Want to take
a shot at it?

Okay. All right.

Here.

GATES:
What is she talking about?
What men?

The Greek gives us food
from the restaurant.

The cripple lets us sleep

in the basement when
it's really cold.

Lizzie takes
care of them,

and they take care of us.

(Lizzie straining)

Okay.

All right, here we go.

(straining)

Here we go. Here we go.

(straining, baby crying)

Okay, okay, it's a boy.

It's a boy.

(crying)

There you go.

There you go.

Okay. Hold the head.

(panting)

There you go.

He's mine?

Mm-hmm.

So tiny.

What are you doing?

Calling for help.

Teller, get them and run!

Hey, Lizzie,
you and your baby

need to be seen by a doctor.

You're a doctor!

Look, we can't do
what they need here.

Teller, get them and go.

Hey, it's okay, guys.
Teller, go!

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

Okay, I won't, I won't, I won't.

You guys just need to spend
the night the ER, okay?

You, Lizzie and the baby,
just the three of you.

Gates, they all need to come.
They look jaundiced,

anemic,
they got scabies...

The others can stay here.

I won't call foster care
or Social Services, all right?

Gates, what are you doing?

Promise?
Yeah, I promise.

He lost a lot
of blood in there.

Could be a while before
we know his neurologic outcome.

I know.

Where are you
spending Christmas?

Oh, I spend the holidays
with my sister every year.

That's sweet.
Older or younger?

Both, actually.

Two years older,
but stuck at 17.

Was in a car wreck
the night of her prom.

Her boyfriend was drunk.

That's awful.

Could have been
worse, though.

She's in an independent
living facility in Evanston.

I see her
fairly frequently.

In fact, I got
to get out of here.

We have a nice
dinner tonight.

She likes to dress up.

Your oxygen
level's back up.

Am I gonna be able
to stay here?

Uh, well, you're
getting better.

You don't really need to
be hospitalized anymore.

Is there somewhere
that you'd like to go?

Not the street, not tonight.

Got any family?

Well, my parents are in Gary,
Indiana, where I grew up,

but we haven't talked
in a long time.

I don't know if they'd
even recognize me.

Hmm.

I'll be back to check on
you in a little bit, okay?

Any word from Mercy?

Not yet.

Poor lady's all alone
in the world.

At least we can clean her up,

set her up with a new set
of clothes for Christmas.

I'll see what I can do.

Hey, Sam, Drunk Santa needs
a banana bag

and a few hours to sleep it off.

That's such a shame.

Yeah, sloth, sloth, sloth.

15-year-old, postpartum,
needs stitches.

Little newborn baby, needs
a warmer and pedes consult.

SAM:
Where'd you find them?

We followed a star
in the northern sky.

Okay, Trauma Two.

Children's services is on
their way. I called up.

You did what?!

It'll be okay, Teller.

You promised!
Gates.

What?
You swore
you wouldn't

force them
into the system.

Well, I got them here, didn't I?

You said we could trust you.

Yes. Nice job, Gates.

TAGGART:
You from Mercy?

Uh, Nurse Taggart?
Hillary Lerner.

Is your policy to dump destitute
patients on the street?

Why would we do that?

Because it's bad
for your neighborhood.

No, there was a mistake
with Miss...

Simpkins. Lenore Simpkins.
Mm-hmm.
Yes.

That's why I sent my people...
Yeah, well,

I'm not gonna release her just
so you can have a second chance

to make her disappear
down some scummy alley.

I don't know what
she told you.

Come with me.
As far as I see it,

you behaved very badly, so
here's your lump of coal, okay?

You're gonna have your
boys take Miss Simpkins

to her parents' place
in Gary, Indiana.

Gary? That's over
an hour away.

You will pay for the
full round-trip service,

and this will never
happen again.

Because I ever get wind
of another patient

being dumped by
your hospital,

I will call the cops
and the news so fast

that I'm not sure if you're
going to get fired

or arrested first.
You got me, lady?

Yeah.

Hey, Lenore.
This is Hillary.

She's gonna make sure

you get to see your parents
for Christmas.

We, by which I mean
to say, Dr. Gates,

promise no foster care.

Well, that would
be a mistake.

By law, they need to be placed.

Well, getting them to give up
the life they have,

and come in, that takes
a light touch, Ray.

Is that what you call
lying to them?

I wasn't gonna take a chance
on losing them again.

You turned us
into every bad adult

these kids were ever
screwed by.

Aw, that's so sweet
and so naive.

Look, I'll send a van to pick up
the other children, huh?

Good.
No, no, look,

if you pick them up today
they'll be gone tomorrow.

Look, these kids
won't just submit,

they need to be convinced

that they'll be
safe and protected.

We'll try to keep them together
in a group home,

but I can't promise they won't
end up in foster care.

But you'll follow up

and make sure
they're okay, right?

We always do.

Okay, come on, man.
These kids are smart.

They know that
that's not how it goes.

A social worker will follow up.
It's the best I can do.

No, no, no, no, no.
That's not good enough.

Can't believe you got CPS
to agree to that.

Well, actually it
was Ray's brainstorm.

The trick's getting
the kids to accept it.

GATES:
Teller, listen.

Child protective services
has, uh, arranged

for all of you to live
together in a group home.

You said no foster care!

Now, hear us out, Teller.

RASGOTRA:
Wait, Teller!

TELLER:
No!
Teller!

I won't go!
You lied!

It's not safe out there,
all right?

We survive.
No one hurts us.

What Lizzie's doing having sex
with men for money and shelter.

That's hurting her.

That's hurting
all of you.
Don't say that!

If you weren't sleeping in
old abandoned buildings,

Paulie would never
have gotten sick.

But you fixed him.
He's getting better.

No, we didn't.
Paulie died.

I'm sorry. I wanted
to tell you his...

his infection was
too severe,

and we couldn't
save him, but...

I want to see him.

I know I lied to you,

but I'm not going to lie
to you anymore.

I don't believe you!

It's not working. The way you're
living is not working, man.

You're a smart kid...

I know you can see that.
Let go of me!

Listen to me.
Let go!

You can't go on
like this anymore.

RAY:
Teller,

Lizzie agreed to go.

It's the only way
she can keep her baby.

And the rest of us
will just stay with them?

That's right.

And Doctor Gates will come
and visit every two weeks

and make sure things are okay,
all right?

You need me
for anything at anytime,

you call me and I'll be there.

You would do that?

Yeah.

Listen, I need you

to take the social workers
to where the others are,

and let the kids know that it's
okay and it's safe to come in.

You do that?

I'll wait with you here,
Teller, come on.

Thank you.

Well, that went better
than expected.

Yeah?

That kid might not survive
another round of your games.

Come on, I've been trying
to help the kid all day.

Look, Gates, you'll say anything
to seal the deal.

I understand that.
Hell, I've done that.

But these are messed up kids.

You gotta draw the line
somewhere.

And what line is that, Ray?

If you're making promises you
have no intention of keeping,

just cut loose,
minimize the damage, okay?

This isn't just
about the kids, is it?

No. It's not.

Hey, how about you give me

a few hours to wrap
some presents, huh?

Okay.

Can we talk?

Sure.

This scares me.

What? Ames?

What it's doing to you.

To us.

It took us so long
to get here. All of us.

And the way you're acting,

and how it's taken over our
whole lives, it makes me scared

we are going to lose this.

When Jasna and the kids died,
I needed to make a change.

And I decided to move here.

Made my brother really angry.

He said... he said
that I was a coward,

that I was running away.

And it's only recently

that I've come to know
that he was wrong.

I wasn't running away
from anything.

I was running to you.

And I'll never let anything
take this away.

Did I mention how hot you look
in antlers?

I think she's
in here, Santa.

Ho, ho, ho!

Has anyone seen a little girl
named Melia Simon?

That's her,
right there.
Oh!

My reindeer needed
a little rest,

so I thought I'd
come by and say hi.

Oh.

How do you do?
I'm Santa Claus.

Hi, Santa.

Can't stay long.
Very, very busy.

Got to...
got to deliver presents

to the whole western
hemisphere tonight.

Nice try, Archie.
I know it's you.

Archie?

Who's Archie?

I'm nine years old.

I know there's no Santa, okay?

You know, you're
a bright girl, Melia,

but you're wrong about that.

It's a fake beard
and a dumb suit.

Don't you know that there's a
rule that if millions of kids

believe in the same thing,
it becomes real?

That's not a rule.
Yeah.

Every time you're generous
or thoughtful

or help someone
who needs help,

that's a little bit
of Santa, too.

What are you talking about?

Come on.

Santa Claus represents one
of the last remaining bits

of magic left in this world.

Now, I still believe,
so don't spoil it for me, okay?

Come on.

Where are we going?
Oh.

Ho, ho, ho!

Wait, it's Santa!

Oh, you were a very,
very nice girl this year.

Top of the nice list.

Would it be all right

if I signed your cast?

Thank you.

To Greta:

Keep on being nice.

Love, Santa.

How'd you know my name?

Come on,
I'm Santa Claus, huh.

Merry Christmas.

It's the real Santa, isn't it?

MORRIS:
Ho, ho, ho.

Yeah. It is.

You lost almost a third
of your blood volume.

Give us a few days
to buff you up.

Plus, I have
a present for you.

These... are for them.

Things were a little
touch and go for a while,

so I called them.

How do I explain...?

It's Christmas.

You don't have to.
Trust me.

Hey, princess.

Hey, buddy.

Look at you guys.

You're all grown up.

DUBENKO: You getting
out of here soon?

Oh, I have a cagillion notes
to write.

You look nice.

Thanks.

Off to your sister's, I take it?

Yeah.
That's for you.

Merry Christmas, Neela.

I don't normally
do this.

Work presents
always end up being

something edible
and bad for you,

or something impersonal,
like organic soap.

And who needs that crap

cluttering up their
bathroom, anyway?

Oh, loops. Wow.

Yeah, that's
my very first pair.

Bought 'em for myself
in med. school.

Thank you. It's a lovely gift.

Listen.

You're an intern
and, um, I'm an attending

and there are certain protocols,

certain hierarchies,
that preclude me from...

Lucien...

...being direct about this
but it's Christmas--

so what the hell,
I'm just going to say it:

You are a really good surgeon,
Neela.

A few more years
and you could be great.

Thank you.

You going to try them on?

Uh, I will.

Beautiful.

You repeat this
conversation to anyone,

and I will deny it,
you know that.

What conversation?

Lovely.

I'll see
you tomorrow.
(chuckles):
Yeah.

Transplant rounds
are at 7:00.

MORRIS:
Merry Christmas to you, too.

Thank you.

Good-bye,
sweetheart.

Have a good Christmas.

(chuckles):
Yo, Kris Kringle.

What's going on,
Morris?

Oh, we did okay, Greg.

Just okay?

Either you rocked the house

or you were closed
to patients?

No, we just moved
people through.

All right, all right.
Go ahead, you can gloat now.

Tell me all about
what a great manager you are.

"I saved Jerry, I diagnosed
D.I.D., yada-yada."

You know what?

I'm gonna go with humility
this time.

For real.

Humili-what?

Hey. I learned a lot
watching you today.

Yeah, well,
I'm full of it, Hope.

I get it, Archie.

I know you don't believe
half of what you say,

but you know what?

It... doesn't really matter,

because I saw you today,
and what I saw was...

a guy who was trying to be good.

And... I don't know,

that right there is
half the battle.

Have a good holiday.

What are you doing?

What?

Now. Are you... going home?

I thought maybe we could, um,
(clears throat)

grab a bite, get a drink,
see what happens.

(chuckles nervously)

Chastity's
always been overrated.

The purity of spirit is
what it's all about, right?

(laughs)

Wait, wait. Are you...?

What are you,
what are you saying?

(chuckles)

You know what?

(groans)

I don't think so.

What?

I, uh, I...

I hate, I hate
that I'm saying this--

it's like some dorky angel has
taken control of my mouth--

but... no.

What?

What...? It's Christmas,

and-and people get lonely
on Christmas,

and we might do something
that we'd both regret,

or could get in the way

of a possibly deeper
relationship in the future.

So...

(sighs)

I'm... I'm sorry.

Hey! Hey!

You stole my suit!

Well, what about you?

Me?

Yes, where are you from?

What are you doing here?

What's your damage?

I spent a couple of years
in the service.

I managed to spend
most of my time in Okinawa,

which is a hell of a lot better
than being in Iraq

or Afghanistan.
Mm.

And since I've come back,
I've been working as a traveler.

Yeah, I did that for a while,
but then I got tired of it.

So, wait, you have what?

A week or so left?

It's supposed to be a week,

but this place seems all right.

Seems like pretty great people.

I mean, like, what we did
for that lady today--

what you did--
that was something.

Come on, everyone deserves

a little bit of happiness
at Christmas time.

So I called the nursing director

and I signed on
for another month.

Really?

Really.

Hmm. Well...

Merry Christmas, Ben.

Merry Christmas, Samantha.

* *

* *

* *

* *

* *

* *

* *

* *

* *

Idiot!

Moron!

She... she was right there,

right there for the fondling,
and you just let her go.

Why? Why?!

Why'd you have to be
such a good Christian?

There's no, there's no God.

There's no Christmas.

There is no frickin'
Santa Claus!

(bells jingling in distance)

Ho! Ho! Ho!
Merry Christmas!

Holy...