ER (1994–2009): Season 13, Episode 14 - Murmurs of the Heart - full transcript

Previously on ER:

The Medical Board
called me.

I bet they did.

They said they're issuing
a letter for us

to cease and desist
our drug program.

MAN:
Dr. Pratt is under arrest

for violation of
The Controlled Substance Act.

You could sleep here.

SARAH:
I don't know where we are,
Joanie,

but you have
to do something!

I think she's dying!



(gasps)

Call your husband.

(baby crying)

ABBY:
Shh...

AMES:
Call him.

Call him.

I just called him.
He didn't pick up.

Shh. Yes.

Try again.

I have no idea where he is.

I don't even know what he's
doing right now. I just don't.

Try again.

Mr. Ames, why don't you just go,

okay?
Just please go.



And I'm sure Luka

will be happy to talk to you
about whatever it is you want

some other time, okay?

What I want?

Whatever the reason it is,
you're here.

Just, just go, okay?

Please go, and there won't be
any trouble, I promise.

Trouble?

Trouble?!

You don't know what trouble is!

Oh, God.

Abby! Abby!

You call Luka now!

(crying continues)

Sammy? Sammy, you smell that?

Mm...
Something's on fire, Sammy.

ALEX:
Mom! Help!

Alex?!

Son of a bitch! Sammy!

Sammy!

Oh, my God!
SARAH:
Mom!

Wake up! You have to wake up!

I love you! I love you
so much. Oh, please!

What happened?
You have to wake up!

I love you!

What happened?

Wait, Meg...

She got dizzy and pulled over.

What happened?
Meg, Meg?

Stridorous resps!
Let's lie her down!

What'd you take, Meg?

Bunch of stuff...
It's definitely
EtOH.

What else did
you take?!
Nothing! What are you
talking about?!

Sarah, quiet!

(faintly):
Something for sleep.

What, Meg,
what'd you take, huh?

Alprazolam?

Oh... works fast.

What is this?

"Amitrptylene."

That's her pick-me-up medicine.
It's a tricyclic.

She needs
a cardiac monitor.

How long have you been
on the anti-depressants, huh?

There should be a lot
more pills in here.

(strained grunt)

Roll her.
Great.

(hacking)

Hold on, Meg.
Hold on.

There is no need for this.
He hasn't broken any law.

You'll be able to post bail for
him in a few hours. Sit tight.

Look, this is not
a criminal matter.

It's just a
misunderstanding.

Yeah, never heard that one.

(phone rings)

Hey, uh, sorry,
I couldn't pick up before.

I'm at the police station.

Luka...
Are you okay?

Can you come home now?

No, it's probably going
to be a couple of hours.

Pratt's been arrested.

You need to come home now.

What's wrong?

Nothing, I just...

Just something happened
and we need to discuss it.

Is Joe okay?

He's fine. Just come home.

Okay, tell me what's the matter.

I need to see you.

Okay, I'll-I'll be right there.

(beeping)

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

(horn blares)

FIREMAN:
Hurry up!

Move away from the building
so our people can work!

(coughing)

GRACIE:
Where's Sammy?!
Where's Alex?

We should all... stay together.

She went inside
to go get him.

They've got to be
outside by now.

They're, they're
still inside?!

No, no, they must
be around here somewhere.

If you can walk...
Where are they?

If you can walk, head to an
ambulance to be assessed.

Command, give me EMS plus
one at 1215 Granger Avenue.

Sammy! Alex!

That's my granddaughter,
Sam Taggart!

How's he doing?

Who?

Joe.

He's fine.

Please?

My daughter was easy.

My little boy, I told you,
he was always colicky.

Didn't sleep through the night
for the first three months.

How about Joe?

He sleeps fine.

He grew big
since the park.

They grow up fast...

Look, what do you want?

I want to talk to Luka.

Like this?

This happened to the both
of us, him and me,

so I see no reason why
we should go through it alone.

It's over.

Is that what you think?

You're the successful
doctor, right?

You're smart,

you're beautiful,
you got the man

you got the baby,
you got everything.

So don't take it personal
when I say to you

you have no idea
where I am right now.

You're wrong.

You think so?

Yeah.

I think I know exactly
where you are right now.

You know, nine years ago,
I had...

my marriage was over,

my mother was in
a mental institution

for the seventh
or tenth time.

I don't know.

And I drank a lot.

A lot.

And I had reached this...

You know what?

One morning I woke up

in this apartment and I had
no idea how I got there,

next to some guy
I didn't even remember meeting,

and he was going through
my stuff looking for money

so he and his buddy
could get a fix.

So I ran out of there
and I went downstairs

and I tried to get a cab,
but I had no idea where I was

and it was 5:00
in the morning

and there were no cars on
the street, so I just...

I just sat down
on a stoop

and I just, I waited
for something to happen.

And at that moment,

I'm telling you, I knew,
I mean, I was positive

that happiness was something
I was never going to find.

You getting deep on me now?

No. I am just trying

to tell you
that things can change.

They can get better, even if you
don't see it, they can.

Do you have any bourbon?

Dr. Gates,
long time, no see.

Suction and intubation.

I got it,
I got it.

Guess Jenny didn't
tell you it was me.

Thanks for coming.

Why do you think
we took our time?

This lady's
pretty messed up, huh?
It's Meg.

Hey, I'm sorry, man,
I didn't know.

Are you going
to give her medicine?

Take Sarah to the rig.
I want to stay here.

No, no, I need room to work
on your mom. Go to the rig.

I want to stay here!
Pulse is,
pulse is thready!

Dumar, let's get
a move on!
We doing this here?

Let's lower this thing
so we can transfer her.

(faintly):
I need to tell you...

You don't have to talk,
all right?

We're gonna place
a tube

down your throat.

It's gonna help
you breathe, okay?

Closer...

Sarah...

she's yours, Tony.

She's yours.

ZADRO:
Gates, come on.

Let's get her
on the gurney, man.

Come on.

(sighs)

What, you too good
to talk to me?

No.

(chuckles)

You don't belong here, huh?

No. Do you?

What they got you for?

It's complicated, man.

So now you calling me stupid?

(scoffs)

I helped some people get some
medications they needed.

Medications? Like drugs?

Pharmaceutical, yeah.

(laughs)

See, cuz?

He belong.

We both the same.

Gettin' drugs to people
who need them.

(chuckles)

Greg?

Oh, great.
Just in the nick of time.

My spiritual advisor.

It's been too long, Ben.

Where are they?

Maybe she went out
a back way, Gracie,

or they went up
to the roof, okay?

Would you ask 'em again?
Ask 'em!

Okay.

Chief, Chief, look,
please, my friend

and her son are up
in apartment 2-B

and they haven't come
down yet. They haven't...

(woman shrieks)

Hey! Hey! Hey, up here!

I got a little boy
and a man with intensive burns!

(coughing)

He's got smoke inhalation.

No thermal burns,
sat 94%.

Pulse ox, chest X ray,
carboxyhemoglobin level.

I'll put him
in Exam Two.

Let me take care
of your cut.

No, I'll do it myself.
Thanks, though.

Hey, look, that'll need
suturing. I'll get to you next.

Hey, I'm gonna go
check on Grandma.

I'll be right in, okay?
Fine.

Is Gracie okay?

Yeah, she's on her
way in with Ben.

Ben? Ben who?
Ben the nurse Ben?

He was over for dinner.

Okay, look,
I'll fix up Alex.

You come back when
you clean up that arm.

Burns to face, chest and arms.

Pulse ox?
Below 90.
He's getting stridorous.

He needs a line.
Chem panel, CBC,
lactate, C.O.

He's my neighbor.
He slept through everything.

Hey, Mr. Owens,
you're gonna be okay.

How'd this thing
get started?

Uh, I'm not sure.

Alex said he, uh,
knocked over a candle.

Have somebody look
at that, all right?

Let's get him exposed
and check the airway!

(door opens)

Hey, sorry it took me so long.

The traffic was...

Hey, hey.

I got fired.

What are you doing here?

You said if ever
I needed anything,

I should give you a call.

So...
this is my call.

Okay.

What do you need?

To talk, to be listened to.

Abby, take the baby upstairs.

No, need for that.

Hey, Curtis...
Luka...

Take the baby upstairs.

It can stay right here
'cause we going for a ride.

All right, okay.

No, don't.

No, it's okay.

My car's right
around the corner.

No, please, come on.
Please, don't do this.

Luka, don't go.
You can't go.
Abby, Abby...

Abby...

thanks for the talk.

(dialing tones)

Um, uh, there was a man
in my apartment with a gun

and he, he's taken my husband.

His name is Curtis Ames.

I can't find a pulse.
V-fib.

Starting compressions.
Charge to 360,
amp of epi and bicarb.

Charged. Let 'em know
we're in full arrest.

Back off, back off.

Clear.

GATES:
Still in fib.

All right, we're going to take
your mom in the ambulance.

You go with Neela
in the car.
No, I want to stay with you.

Sarah, please, I need
you to do this.
I want to stay with you!

Go with Neela, please.
We're going to follow
them all the way...

No...
Sarah, go with
Neela now!

Just go straight.

I can help you find another job
if that's the problem.

Look, do you need money?
I have money.

Just turn right right over here.

Come on, talk to me, Ames.

I thought that's
what you wanted.

Just... pull up here.

Park it, turn off the lights.

MAN:
You have no idea
how he got in?

No. Look, why aren't you
looking for him?

I told them
I saw the car.

'96 station wagon, light tan?

I think so, yeah.
We ran a check, he's got
one registered to him.

We're already on it.
Okay, so you know
his history-- Ames?

You know, I told the cops this!

He... he had a stroke,
he lost the use of his left arm.

There was a lawsuit.
Okay, I'll get somebody
on that right away.

Okay... um, Louise,

could you take him to your
place for a little while?

Sure, Abby.
We'll be fine.

Thanks.

Listen, you need
to catch up.

There's a medical record with
all kinds of information on it--

numbers, addresses,

there's probably even
a psych assessment.

Where?
County General.

I can get it.

Mr. Owens, you doing okay?

Throw me a cordis,
I'll go central.

We don't want to do a subclavian
through this eschar.

The fire...
it started downstairs.

Femoral?
Too much
infection risk.

In my apartment.

How?

I'm not sure.

MORRIS:
Proximal arm is spared.

I think it was a candle.

(voice breaking):
I am so sorry.

Give me the ultrasound.
I'll cannulate the basilic vein.

Can't we give him
something for the pain?

There it is.

All right, morphine,
five milligrams IV.

BARNETT:
Look, his nasal
hairs are singed.

Should we go fiber optic?
No, no, no,
not enough time.

His airway's
already swollen.

We got to get in
before it closes.
(wheezing groan)

(groans)

SARAH:
She's going to be
okay, isn't she?

Tony's going to fix her.

Your mom took too much
of a medicine

that can be bad for the heart.

They're trying to get it
started again.

Tony can fix her.

Can't see the cords--
there's too much edema.

Pulse ox 78.

Help me out, Ray, we don't
want to crike this guy.

I know. I'm
working on it.

You need more pressure?

No, no, anatomy's
too distorted.

Okay, damn it,
let's go, crike tray.

Wait, wait, hold on.

Sat's down to 70.

Watch carefully, okay?
Look for bubbles.

BARNETT:
What?

This will force the air
back up the trachea.

The bubbles will show you
where to place the tube.

That works?
Once in awhile.

Wow, that's really
good. I can see it.

MORRIS:
Well, push that
baby home.

All right, bag him.

You got it,
we're in.

Color change.

MORRIS:
Sam is the man.

Mr. Owens,

take it easy, okay?

We're taking real good
care of you.

Ben went to find
her some clothes.
Oh, good.

Mr. Owens all right?

Uh, yeah, I think
he's going to be.

He's a nice man.

He helped me with
the groceries the other day.

But he drinks too much.

What happened
tonight, Sammy?

Uh... what did
Alex say?

Nothing.
Won't talk to me.

Well, I don't
know what happened.

If it is
what I think,

it scares the hell
out of me.

I heard the cops took Pratt
on the long walk of shame.

If they did,
they got it wrong, okay?

Pratt's as good as they come.

Get away
from my desk.

Sorry, man, I was
just asking.

Frank...
Keep it
to yourself.

Frank...
Hey, you're either a little
late or very early...

Frank, I need you
to cal up to records,

tell them to pull
Curtis Ames' chart.

Curtis Ames?
Kovac's guy?
Just do it.

You know, this late,
I don't know if...

Frank, just do it!

Who lives here, Curtis?

Quiet. Shh, shh.
Quiet.

I've had a gun
pointed at me before.

I know you're not the type
of man to use that.

(groans)

You see? I used it.

(groans)

AMES:
There's Cheryl-- there she is.

Remember Cheryl?

She remarried in October.

Banker.

Investments or something.

I-I don't... I don't know
about that kind of stuff.

But my... my daughter's
recital was tonight.

They asked me

not to come this time.

Said we would
try rotating.

You know, at the movies
last week,

they wanted to know if
it would be okay with me

if they called
this new guy...

"dad."

I mean, they would
still call me that,

but they just wanted to know
if it was okay

if they called this new guy
that, too.

I know she
put them up to it.

Know she put
them up to it.

I know she...!

But...

the fact is...

I think they like the idea.

They're just confused.

You can... you can help
them understand.

Pretty soon, they'll
be going to bed.

He's going to be
screwing my wife

with my children sleeping
in the next room.

She gets to...

to move on.

She gets to... be happy.

Guys like you and me...

we got to live with it.

She's gone, man.

There's nothing
else we can do.

Please give me
a little more time.

Can you spare the room?

Of course.

Take what you need.

GATES:
Another round of
epi and bicarb.

NURSE:
Coming up.

Sarah, you want
to talk to your mom?

Is her heart beating now?

We're giving her
more medicine, so...

Is she getting better?

I don't know.

Can she hear me?

I'm sure she'd like
to hear your voice,

now that you're
here with her.

Is she going to die?

Mom...

Mom, I'm here.

(sniffs)

(sobbing):
I'm sorry

you're sick.

And I'm sorry that
you've been so sad.

And I'm sorry if I've
been a pain,

but, Mom,

you've got
to fight now, okay?

You always said
we were survivors.

Didn't you say that?

So, please, Mommy,

Please.

You've got
to survive this.

I know you can do it.

I know you
can do it!

(sobbing)

Thanks for bailing me out.

I'll make sure you get
your money right back.

Greg...

I told you
to shut it down.

Why didn't you
do that?

Because the day
hadn't come yet.

What the hell is that
supposed to mean?!

Let me tell you about
my favorite prophet.

This about your bookie again?

Isaiah knew the day would come
when the spirit of God

would unburden
the brokenhearted,

give strength to the meek

and open the prisons so
the captives could go free.

You sound like the love child
of David Koresh and Al Sharpton,

you realize that, right?

Greg, you're looking
for something.

I could see that
the first time

you walked into
my church.

You needed to feel like
you belonged to a family.

Well, we are your family.

You know, Isaiah's all fine,

but I prefer the one
about the prodigal son.

Even he came back eventually.

Don't hold your breath.

Sarah, we've been
working on your mom

and giving her medicine
for over an hour now.

It's not working.
Fix her.

That's why you wanted
to be a doctor,

so you could fix people.

Sometimes you can't fix
people if they've taken...

Shut up! Go away!

Why are you even here?!

We don't want you here!

She doesn't want you here!

We don't want you!

It's okay.

I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.

Now I'm going to stop CPR.

If her heartbeat
comes back, it's good.

but if it doesn't,
that means your mom has died.

Are you ready?

No, Tony...

No, you can't
let this happen,

Tony! No!

Come on, Mom!
You've got to wake up!

(sobbing):
You got to wake up!

(crying)

No! Mom, you've
got to wake up!

(sobbing)

Tony, you have
to do something!

(sobbing continues)

(screams):
Mom...!

(sobbing)

Tony...

Okay.
Okay, let's go.

Curtis, please, just tell me,
what are we doing?

You're gonna like this.

I'm gonna show you
something

that's really
beautiful, all right?

Let's go.
Let's go.

Come on.
Come on.

(grunts)

(door shuts)

(chuckling)

I should have said that this,

this, uh, this could've

been beautiful,
right?

(manic laughter)

Is this yours?

Was.

I bought it four years ago.

I figured we'd live on
the bottom two floors

and we'll rent out the top.

Started working on it,
fixing it up.

My own two hands.

Those spindles on the staircase.

Yeah, that's-that's...
that's me.

Apparently...

it took me two months

before I had to stop.

You still own it?

I held on to it

even after everything
that happened.

I tried to keep
working on it,

but it just took me
so long.

You know, I couldn't
be as detailed

as I used to be.

I gave Cheryl

half the market value
in the divorce.

You know, it was stupid

because I don't know why
I didn't just sell it.

Now the bank owns it.

There was a time where...

I thought that we,
we understood each other,

where we were, where we were...

we were hearing
each other.

You know, like that time
up by the river.

You were just,
you were just talking,

weren't you?

Because you never
really felt me.

I don't know what else
you expected.

I don't know what you want.
Tell me what you want.

Are you a righty
or are you a lefty?

Why?

(gun clicks)

I'm right-handed,
I'm right-handed.

Why?

I want you to...
put your hand

in that vise there.

I want you to feel that.

No.

Do it.

Look, Curtis...
look, you're confused.

I know you're upset...

(gunshots)

Do... it.

Tighten it.

Curtis, look...

Tighten it.

DISPATCHER (over radio):
Report sighting of suspect's
vehicle outside a residence

formerly owned by suspect
located at 321 Parkdale.

You guys get over there,
help secure the scene.

I'm going to go

pick up Mrs. Ames.
Did they find them?

Not yet, just the car.

All right, I'm going with you.

That's 321 Parkdale.

Possible shots fired.

The best thing for you
is to stay put

until we have more information.

Did she say
"shots fired"?

I know this
can't be easy.

No. No, no!
I'll send an
officer back.

He'll stay with you,
you'll be apprised...

Are you kidding me?

I'm not just going to wait here.
I'm sorry.

You need
to trust us now.

It hurts, doesn't it?

(breathing heavy)

(screams)

Don't be so easy
on yourself!

(groans)

Tell me how it feels.

(groans)

Tell me, tell me what it's...
what it's doing to you.

(groans)

I can, uh...

I can feel, uh...

(breathing heavy)

crushing of
the metacarpal heads.

Uh...

the digital nerves
being compressed...

I'm losing...
sensation...

uh, motor control.

You know what I mean.
You know what I mean?

I don't.

You know what I mean.
I don't!
I don't!

Wait, wait, wait.
Hey, hey...

Stop, please.

You tell me
how it feels!

Just stop it.

Come on, Luka!

Come on!

You see people
in pain every day!

You tell me how
it feels!

(straining):
Oh, son of a bitch.

(groans)

So do you... do you feel me now?

What do you want from me, huh?

What do you want from me!

(breathing heavy)

I can't...

do it without my hands.

I'm a doctor.

Ah...
I have a wife,
a child.

(chuckles)

It's hard, right?

Is that what you want, huh?

Is that what you want?!

I won't be able to take
care of my family.

I won't be able to do anything.

I'm nothing, okay?
I'm nothing!

You want to kill me?

Is that what you want?!

You want to kill me?!
Kill me now!

Now you get it!
Now you're saying something!

Now you finally
understand a little!

Get the hell out of here!

This is my house!

You get the hell out of here!

Hey! Hey! Hey! Lady!
Lady! Get back here!

I've got to somebody.
What?

I got to talk to somebody.
I know him.

I work at... Hey! Hey!
Boss.

Hey, I work at County!

I know Curtis Ames.

Look, let her go.

I brought
his medical record.

It's the reason why
he's doing this.

There's a lot of
information...
Who are you
again?

That's my husband
in there with him.

Your husband?
Yes.

We both work at County
and I thought that maybe

your negotiator
could use...
Yeah, move in.

No, look.

Thanks.

I don't think
this is gonna help.

(indistinct radio transmission)

Command, this is Chopper One.

We got two men on the roof.
One of them is armed.

All right, I want that
chopper to back off.

Tell the pilot to get
some altitude now.

Look, does Kovac have
a cell phone with him.

I tried to call him before,

but he didn't answer.

What does he want?

I mean, what does he want?

If he wanted to kill Luka, he
could have shot him an hour ago.

Maybe he wanted
a bigger audience.

46-25 Charlie.
What's your status?

Curtis, it's time
to let this go.

The hospital said it.

The court said it.

My damn lawyers
said it.

Even my own wife.

"Curtis, let it go.
Let it go."

You know what it's like
to lose everything.

It's not just about
the arm.

It's about feeling

like everything that ever
made you a man

has been taken away.

How are you supposed
to fix that?

How am I supposed
to just let this go?

(cell phone ringing)

Hey.

It's just probably
them again, Curtis.

Yeah, this is Kovac.

We're both here.

Yeah, hold on.

It's the police.
They want to talk to you.

Just put it on...
on speaker.

Mr. Ames,

this is Deputy Superintendent
John Valentine.

We'd like to resolve this
quickly and peacefully,

so first off, is there
anything we can get you?

Yeah, could you just

go away? Can you just

leave me alone?

Just go...
Just go over there.

Just get over there.

Curtis, we both have families.

Children we love.
A lot to live for.

This won't solve anything.
Mr. Ames...

AMES:
The numbness happened twice.

So it was TIA, right?
Right?

Yes!

Well, you didn't consider that.
You should have considered that!

I thought it was from
sleeping on the gurney.

We've been through
all this.

Intermittent numbness
is associated with TIA.

You should've considered that.

It was noisy...
You should have thought
about my arm.

It was noisy, I explained that.

That's 'cause you
listened with a steth.

But the standard of care,

would have been
a cardiac echo.

It doesn't matter.
It does!

It does!

Because...
you would have seen

the patent foramen ovale.

And you would have pulled
the central line!

Yes! Okay? Yes!

Yes! Yes! Yes!

You're right.

You're right all along.
I blew it.

I missed it.
I missed the murmur.

I'm sorry for that.

Why didn't you ever
just say that, man?

I'm saying it now, okay?

Maybe I needed

all this to... I...

I'm not innocent.

I'm just...
Look, if I can take it

all back, if I can fix it...
but I can't.

Okay? I can't.
I just can't.

I can't.

Luka...

VALENTINE:
Mr. Ames?

Mr. Ames.

Curtis...

(shuddering)

(two gunshots)

Who fired? There was
no command to fire.

(over radio):
Not us. It came from the roof.

Grab her!

Get up on the roof, now.
No! No!

Go! Go! Go!
Let me go!

All units, I want
status reports now.

2-5 Charlie, we have a man down.

We have a man down.
Oh, God.

Oh, no.
You have to let me go.

Listen, I'm an ER doc.

Just let me go...