ER (1994–2009): Season 3, Episode 1 - Doctor Carter, I Presume - full transcript

[theme music]

[instrumental music]

[squeaking]

17‐year‐old male. Multiple GSWS
to the chest and abdomen.

Pulse 140 and thready.
BP is 80 palp.

Stop squirming around.
This fool look familiar to you?

Uh‐huh. Somebody shot him
a couple of months ago.

(male #1)
'Oh, man. It hurts!'

I hope so.
Two times in six months.

You got yourself a real slow
learning curve going here, boy.

[groaning]



[baby crying]

Oh.

[ECG monitor beeping]

[indistinct chattering]

(Malik)
'Unit 68 is on the way.'

Drunk dove off the balcony
of the Westside motor lodge..

...looking for the pool.

‐ Did he find it?
‐ Nope.

‐ Ouch.
‐ Hey, hey.

‐ Dr. Carter, I presume.
‐ Carter, what's up?

So, surgical interns is suppose
to meet down here some place?

Yes, yes. Your lemmings
are all over here.

Hey, Jerry,
that lead poisoning come in?

Yeah. Trauma two.



Hey, are you gonna make
it to the, uh..

...4th of July picnic
this afternoon?

Oh, my bat and glove
are in my car.

Parked the guy
with TB hocking

up the red snappers
in the fish tank.

Hey, Dr. Lewis.

Carter, your first day?

Hey, Carter, if you can't
cut it in surgery

there's always family medicine.

‐ Or Gerontology.
‐ Or Psychiatry.

Don't forget.
They can't throw you out.

No, they can just make
your life so miserable

you're gonna beg them
to let you quit.

Susan, we need you down here.

Don't worry, it's only a year.
You'll make it.

Well, I guess
I better go join the group.

Right. Good luck then.

Yeah. Hey, try not
to kill anyone.

‐ Surgical interns?
‐ John, Dale Edson, Harvard med.

‐ We met last year.
‐ Yeah, yeah. How you been?

Great, great, I just spent the
last six weeks down at Hopkins

on a Thoracic elective.

Resident was a Nazi.

But they let me scrub in
on 20 valve replacements.

This is Julie Dixon, Duke.

‐ Hello
‐ Hi.

This is Leung Joo Hua,
UC San Francisco.

‐ Hi.
‐ And Dennis Gant, Ole Miss.

LSU, actually.

‐ They let us wear scrubs?
‐ 'Yeah, yeah.'

It's pretty informal
around here, so..

John went to school here.
He can show us the ins and outs.

All I want to know at 6 a.m.
is where is the coffee?

Blue team surgical interns.
Good morning.

My name is Dr. Melvoin,
and today is the last day

of my internship
and the first day of yours.

Which means, in this great game
of medical education tag..

...you're it.

House staff guidelines.

'This lists the conferences
and clinics'

that all interns
are required to attend.

Miss one, and your evaluation
will be degraded.

Vascular conference,
Monday, 4:00 to 5:00.

Pathology,
Monday, 5:00 to 7:00.

Radiology,
Tuesday at 5:00.

M and M's,
Wednesday, 7 a. m.

Intern reports, Monday,
Thursday, Friday at 7 a. m.

Vascular journal club,
Tuesday at 7:00.

Chairman's conference,
Friday, 7 a. m.

Oh, doesn't
the chairman's conference

conflict with the intern report?

Yep. You're on
five days a week.

5 a. m. till you finish up
after 7 p. m.

You're on call every third
weekend and every third night.

Which means that every three
days, you will be here

from 5 a. m. the first day
till at least

7 p. m. the next.

When do we get to sleep?

You don't. You are wedges.

The wedge is the most
primitive tool known to man.

That is you. You think
you know what you're doing.

Believe me, you don't.

Breakfast with your senior
surgical resident, Dr. Benton

will begin in 15 minutes.

Dr. Benton is an intern's
worst nightmare.

He's smarter than you.
He never eats, he never sleeps.

And he reads every medical
journal, no matter how obscure.

He is the Antichrist,
Beelzebub, Lucifer

a devourer of wedges.

You will go to sleep
at night wishing plague

and pestilence
on his unborn children

and you will wake up
every morning praying

for his approval.

You won't get it.

Welcome to hell,
ladies and gentlemen.

Benton...he can't
be that bad, can he?

[theme music]

[music continues]

[engine whirring]

Peter.

‐ 'Hey.'
‐ Hi.

I, uh, left a message
last night.

You never
called me back.

I was in surgery.

I, um..

I tested positive.

Did you get your results back?

No. I, uh..

Some time today.

I'm gonna have to talk
to Mark Greene about it.

Yeah.

[sniffs]
I thought you'd wanna know.

[mellow music]

I'm sorry.

[music continues]

There you go. Now, you're
getting the hang of it.

Ah!

Alright, remind me again
why we're doing this.

‐ 'Cause it's fun.
‐ Oh, it's fun, right. I forgot.

Alright, 10‐1.
Here we go.

Hey, how was that
date last night?

Awful.

[Ross laughs]
Oh!

[Ross laughing]

[laughs]
You're supposed
to use your hands.

Ha, ha, ha.

[giggling]
Okay.

Alright.

[clears throat]
Hey, did you call Alicia?

‐ Oh, the aerobics instructor?
‐ Yeah.

What the hell are we
supposed to talk about?

She's an aerobics instructor.

Don't you want to talk
to someone before sex?

Uh, not really, no.

Shared experiences?

'Common interests?'

Are you suggesting
you and I date?

No, I just...I'm looking for
a little more than that..

...in a relationship.

A relationship?
You're 32 years old.

Have some fun.

Dixon, Charcot's triad?

Um...hypercoagulability...
stasis‐‐

Pain, fever, jaundice.

Gant, the Ducts of Luschka?

Um, Aberrant Ducts
that drain bile..

...but do not communicate
with the gallbladder lumen.

An intern who wasn't asleep
during med school. Thank you.

(Benton)
'Edson, this morning's patient'

is jaundiced
but no cholangiolitis.

Now, should we perform
the surgery open..

'...or laparoscopically?'

Open.
There may be multiple stones.

Hmm. I'm going in
laparoscopically.

Did you get an ERCP?

Hmm.

Okay, Edson, you scrub in.

Don't you want
to ask me something?

Dixon, Leung,
you guys cover the ward.

Gant, you're runner‐up.
Take the SICU.

‐ The surgical ICU?
‐ Don't worry,

The nurses won't
let you kill anybody.

‐ Any questions?
‐ Dr. Benton?

(Benton)
'Oh. Carter.'

Help with the wards
and cover the ER.

The ER?

Lastly, we need to discuss
the on‐call

rotation for the night shift.

Dr. Benton, I was
kind of hoping..

Good, Carter.
Thank you for volunteering.

You can take the first shift
starting tonight.

I'll set up
the other schedules

and post them
in the on‐call room, okay?

Tonight?

Surgical ward, four minutes.

Better start looking.

Ah, it's just a rumor.

‐ They're closing us down.
‐ They can't close down County.

‐ Where'd all the patients go?
‐ It was in the "Trib."

The mayor's setting up
a commission.

What was in the "Trib?"

They've got to squeeze
a couple of hundred million

out of the budget
so they're shutting us down?

I read that article.

They said closing County
was one of the option

under consideration.

‐ They said that?.
‐ 'We're getting fired?'

Nobody's getting fired.

Man I just took a second
out on my house.

‐ So, what's the union say?
‐ We got a contract.

They've been talking about
closing us down

for years but we're still here.

Hey, um, are all you guys
going to the picnic?

Yeah, I'm gonna stop by
on my way to work.

Me too. I'll see
you all later.

It was in the "Tribune?"

"Sun Times" too.

[sighs]
Oh, God.

Hey, Carter, what are you
doing down here?

Oh, Benton dumped me
back in the ER.

It's my first day
as a surgeon and he just ships

me off to do trauma assessments.

Well, sounds to me
like he trusts you.

Somebody beep
for a surgical consult?

LOL in two, uh, 82 years old

rule out
small bowel obstruction.

‐ Benton on his way?
‐ No, I'm the surgical consult.

He'll be fine.

God help the poor patients.

Mark, I'm concerned
about the lack of direct

communication
between attending's.

I noticed
last year as chief.

Biweekly meetings
would give us

a chance to get
on the same page.

Improve patient care.

Tuesdays and Thursdays
during lunch might work.

That will be rough
on the night shift guys.

I mean to be dragged down here
in the middle of the afternoon.

I also think we need
to adhere to JCAHO guidelines

all the time not just when
we're expecting the committee.

The nurses will hate that.

The rules
were created for a reason.

Take the board, for example.

Patient confidentiality
is breached every day.

Here, look at this entry.

"Al Johnson, penile discharge."

'How would you feel
if that were you up there?'

'Not only are we
risking lawsuits'

but we could lose
our accreditation.

Unit 79's bringing in an
86‐year‐old male, altered LOC.

I've created a diagnostic
code for the board.

It's a list of a few hundred
easy‐to‐remember two‐letter

combinations of our most
common patient complaints.

And we can use the patient's
social security numbers

to protect their anonymity.

"BE" uh, Barium Enema?

Blunt extremity trauma.

Some guy with a nasty
bruise is gonna

get a radioactive
colon cleansing.

‐ Mark, can I talk to you later?
‐ Uh, yeah, sure.

‐ This afternoon?
‐ Great.

And there's a conference
on Saturday

at Northwestern.

"Modern architecture for
emergency medicine management."

I definitely think we should go.

Saturday? I got to be
with my daughter.

But why don't you go
and fill me in later?

Sure. I'll tape it.

She's got to be kidding.

What brings you in today, ma'am?

‐ I'm sick.
‐ What's wrong?

My stomach hurts.
Didn't you tell him?

When did this pain start?

I don't know.

‐ Early this morning, maybe?
‐ I said I don't know.

What is he, an idiot?

‐ How old are you?
‐ Old enough.

I want you to tell me
if this hurts you.

[screams]

The abdomen
is apparently tender.

‐ I gathered that.
‐ Let's order a CBC.

Chem seven
and an abdominal series.

They're done.

I'm gonna go ahead and check
your tests, Mrs. Lukesi.

But I'm afraid that you're
going to require surgery.

You don't want to examine
her a little bit more, doctor?

She's had previous
abdominal surgery.

She probably has adhesions.

You sure he's a doctor?

You might consider,
uh, doing a rectal.

Never let the sun set on a small
bowel obstruction, Nurse Wright?

Dr. Carter, may I see you
for a moment, please?

Excuse us, ma'am.

What the hell is taking so long?

I come down here, for an appy

and all of a sudden
I see you have four

patients on the board.
Didn't you check it?

I got beeped to examine a
patient. That's what I'm doing‐‐

Always check the board first.

How could you possibly
tell she was emergent?

Small bowel obstruction.
She's gonna need surgery.

I'd like to scrub in
on this one, Dr. Benton.

Carter...all surgical
abdomens require a rectal.

Even first‐years know that.

(Lydia)
'She's impacted.'

[sighs]
Look, go check on
the rest of your patients

and come back here
and dis‐impact this one.

‐ Isn't that a nurse's job?
‐ Not today, it isn't.

88‐year‐old male,
altered LOC, hypotensive.

BP 60 palp, sinus tach at 128.

Resps shallow at 30.
Skin's warm and dry.

Uh, poor cap refill.
Couldn't get an IV.

O2 four liters, nasal canula.

Alright, let's go.
Trauma one.

What's the matter
with the board?

What are all
these letters and numbers?

Patient confidentiality system.

How am I supposed
to figure out who's surgical

and who's medical?

I don't have time
for this crap.

‐ Whose stupid idea is this?
‐ Mine.

First day on the surgical
service, Dr. Carter?

Nice to have you with us.

Need a surgeon in one.
Is Benton in?

It's you, right?
Let's go.

There's always a
first time, doctor.

Might as well
get it over with.

[instrumental music]

Oh, God.

Somebody call for a surgeon?

Drop a central line.

I'll intubate
after you get it in.

Pulse ox is 85.

Trendelenburg, please, nurse.

'Central line kit.'

One percent lidocaine with epi.

Thank you, nurse.

(Lewis)
'Intubation tray.'

[ECG monitor beeping]

Angle toward
the sternal notch.

I know.

(Jarvik)
'Foley's in.'

Come on.

Come on.

How you doing
over there, Dr. Carter?

Almost.

Almost.

[ECG monitor beeping]

I can't find it. Prep for a
right subclavian approach.

Please.

Try not to hit the lung.

(Benton)
'Alright, what do we got?'

88‐year‐old male
needs a central line.

I couldn't get
the, uh, internal jugular.

So, I tried for right
subclavian approach.

Set me up.

And I think I might
have nicked his lung.

Decreased breath sounds
on the right side.

He's getting dusky.
I need to intubate.

His veins
must have collapsed.

[ECG monitor beeping]

I'm in.
Stethoscope.

(Lewis)
'Get respiratory down
here to set up a vent.'

Congratulations, Dr. Carter.

Your patient
now needs a chest tube.

Chest tube tray.
Uh, 28 French.

Ten blade.

(Benton)
'Alright, let's go. Hook me up.'

'Hold still for the driver.'

Vaseline gauze will be next.
Four‐by‐fours.

‐ How's his pressure?
‐ '90 systolic.'

‐ 'Two liters, wide open.'
‐ 'Temp's 103.'

(Benton)
'Cefuroxime, 1.5 grams Q8.'

(Greene)
'I'd cover him for Pseudomonas.'

(Benton)
'Ceftazidime.'

'Two grams Q8, plus gent.'

'Alright, people,
somebody call up Radiology'

'get a stat listen to this..'

[indistinct chattering]

(Lewis)
'Listen to this.'

"Pearl‐white beaches set against

"an azure‐blue tropical sky.

"Cool breezes that make your
semi‐detached bungalow

your own little
piece of paradise."

Where is that?

Micronesia.

‐ Where is that?
‐ Who cares.

It's a long long ways from here.

"Dive with Lenny
and Francis and the boys

"at Fish 'n' Fins,
Palau's oldest

and most experienced
charter operators."

Is that a shark?

Ooh, five or six
of them. Cool, huh?

Oh, look! Hawaii.

Have you ever
been to Hawaii?

Hawaii, South Pacific.

Don't all these places require
that you get on a plane

and fly over water like,
at great heights?

Oh, I don't care.
They all look so beautiful.

I'll just self‐medicate and
sleep through the whole thing.

I can't understand
a damn thing up here.

What the hell is OT,
occupational therapy?

I mean, half the patients
on the board need it.

"Other,"
it's what you put up there

when you don't know
what's wrong with them.

Yeah, or you're too busy
to look at

the abbreviations in the book.

Give it time, people.

Rome wasn't built in a day.

And what is this PU?

I can't find it
in the book, anyway.

Pleuritic chest pain.

EH?

Behavioral problems and psych.

‐ How's he do that?
‐ I reviewed the notes at lunch.

Hey, Dr. Benton, um,
some outside lab

called with test
results for you.

‐ How long ago?
‐ I don't know. Couple of hours.

Why the hell
didn't you tell me?

Hello.

Hi. You have
an appointment?

No, I thought this
was a walk‐in day.

Oh, normally,
but with the holiday

things are
pretty jammed up.

‐ You here for testing?
‐ No.

‐ You are HIV positive?
‐ Yes.

‐ When did you find out?
‐ Yesterday.

‐ I'll come back later, alright.
‐ Wait.

You're already here.
Why don't you fill out a form.

And I'll make sure you get
in to see somebody, okay?

Top form is general information

next few pages
are for insurance.

Thanks.

[baby crying]

[man coughing]

You work here?

In the ER.

HIV positive?

Yes.

You, uh..

...haven't told anyone
you work with, have you?

Not really.

You shouldn't be here.

You need to go someplace
else for treatment..

...somewhere where
they don't know you.

Look...I was a surgical tech
over at Southside.

Believe me, don't tell anyone
you're HIV positive..

...especially not
anyone in management.

‐ They can't fire me.
‐ Not legally, no.

But, uh...when I came up
positive four years ago

I told the chief of surgery.

'First, they sent me
to gerontology.'

'Wouldn't let me do
anything but take BP's.'

When that didn't work,
they stuck me

down in pathology
working nights.

After six months
of that I‐I finally quit.

I'd been there for eight years.

There's a real good clinic
up in Highland Park.

It's a long drive
but it would be a lot safer.

I'm sorry
if I'm scaring you.

Matthew.

I'm Matt Hyams.
What's your name?

Maybe I should
give you an alias.

Jeanie Boulet.

Get out of here, Jeanie.

Don't ever come back.

Uh, yeah. Uh, this is Dr. Benton
over at County.

Uh‐huh, um...you have
the results of an AIDS test

uh, for a patient of mine.

Yeah, I‐I know it's late.

Look, I‐I don't want
the patient to have to agonize

over this thing
over the weekend, okay?

Uh, I‐I'd really appreciate it.

The patient's name is Benjamin.

Peter Benjamin.

Yeah, thanks. Thanks.

[exhaling]

Yeah. Yeah, I'm still here.

Okay. Uh..

Thank you.

Yeah, uh..

Thank you.

[exhales]

Dr. Benton,
I'm all caught up

and my night shift doesn't start
for another half hour.

So, should I go get
something to eat?

Take ten minutes, then find
Melvoin for the hand‐off.

Ten minutes.

'Well, that's more than
you usually get.'

Are you gonna be
with me tonight?

No.
Karubian's the resident on‐call.

You okay, Dr. Benton?

Yeah.

I'm fine, Carter.

[sighs]

‐ You going to the picnic?
‐ Are you kidding?

Last year,
six at bats, 15 RBI's.

I love to play
the pedes unit.

Yeah, we're playing
paramedics this year.

Firemen? Really?
Who set that up?

It was either that
or the orthopods.

‐ Looked rough either way.
‐ Oh.

Ortho's got
two ex‐all Americans

and one retired
minor league shortstop.

If you're going to the picnic
better pick up

some more chicken and ribs.

Carol Darcy called.
Their kid's sick.

‐ She can't work tonight.
‐ Oh.

‐ Anybody want to pull a double?
‐ On the 4th of July?

Oh, come on, guys. Please.

Somebody?

‐ Guys, I'm playing right field.
‐ Ooh.

It's tough being boss, huh?

You could
always quit again.

I can cover for a few hours
if you come back by 10:00.

‐ Thank you, Lily.
‐ Where's everybody going?

Barbecue and softball game
at Grant Park.

‐ Everybody's going?
‐ I'm coming back.

Bring me back some barbecue.

‐ Anything else, doctor?
‐ Yeah. Chicken, no dark meat.

And beans if they're
not too sweet

'and coleslaw,
lots of coleslaw.'

Carter is getting
a little uppity.

Really.

He may need midnight
potty training.

I'd be delighted.

Carter.

Last day, huh?

[scoffs]
My vacation begins
in 14 minutes and 24 seconds.

‐ I set my watch.
‐ Hmm.

Fourth of July.

You're in
for a treat tonight.

Knife and gun club
should really get going later.

‐ Where are we going?
‐ Surgical wards.

Why?

You're covering them tonight.

I thought I was
covering the ER.

Well, that, too,
and the SICU.

OR prep, if the
resident needs you

trauma team, pre‐op
and all the surgical admits.

[elevator bell dings]

[R and B music]

Have some..
Umm..

‐ Hey.
‐ Hey!

Look what the cat dragged in.

[chuckling]

It's got a good
turnout here. Damn.

Yeah. You know
this neighborhood, Peter.

Mention free food and beer,
and they come running.

‐ I'm glad you came.
‐ What are you talking about.

I said I was gonna come.

Oh, I figured you were lying..

...like always.

[chuckles]

What are you so happy about?

I'm just happy.
I can't be happy?

[woman laughing]

Now, you knew she was coming,
didn't you?

That's why you showed up.

Jackie, how many times
I got to tell you

we're just friends,
alright?

Okay, okay, alright.

Can I get you
something to drink?

Uh, yeah.
Some, uh, some juice.

Give me that one
Give me that one.

I know what I'm doing.

‐ What's up, Walter?
‐ Hey, man.

What's up, doc?
You come to save me?

This crazy woman thinks
she knows how to grill.

Get out of here. Bald‐headed men
don't know how to barbecue.

She's just mad because
I'm a big, black

bald, beautiful,
barbecue‐cooking man.

I'mma go in to go in and get
some chicken and links, okay?

‐ I'll be right back.
‐ Alright, Walter.

I want my place back!

How you doing?

Pass me that plate over there.

You look good.

You don't come around
the restaurant no more.

You know, I, um..
I gave up meat.

You know, I heard
that about you. I did.

All those long hours
you been working, I bet.

Yeah. It keeps me
pretty busy, you know?

That's a shame.

No time for old friends.

Well, you know, I, uh..

...I get an hour here and there.

Well, it only takes
an hour, Peter..

...or don't you remember?

[music continues]

Oh, man.

(Weaver)
'Jeanie.'

‐ Hi.
‐ Hi.

‐ How are you feeling?
‐ I'm fine.

‐ How's your husband?
‐ He's doing alright.

‐ Good. That's great.
‐ Yeah.

Uh, did..

Did you ever
get that test?

Yes.

‐ It was negative.
‐ Oh, that's great.

Mm‐hmm.

I won't keep you any longer.
I'm glad the news was good.

Let's go, Jer.
Put a lock on the ball.

[crowd applauding]

[crowd cheering]

Safe.

Who told Jerry to pitch?

‐ 17‐3.
‐ Let's go.

Okay, why don't we
just forfeit

so we can go get back
to drinking?

Jerry, come on!
17‐3. We're still in it.

Come on, let's go!
17‐3. We're still in this.

'Jerry, come on.'

Oh, we're in it.

(Ross)
'Jer, let's spin the ball.'

[crowd cheering]

I got it! I got it! I got it!

I got it! I got it!

Yeah. Alright..

Alright, that's
a momentum swing.

'This is our inning.
Let's go!'

‐ Hi.
‐ Hey.

You playing?

I don't know.
I just got off work.

[chuckles]
It seems like my guys
are doing okay without me.

Uh, your guys are
kicking our butts.

You left your
boom box at my house.

I got a new one.

Hey, my old one still have
"My best of Conway twitty"

tape in it?

If it did,
I would have burned it.

What happened to my beer?

Vicki Pastroni,
this is Carol Hathaway.

She's the head nurse
down at County.

‐ Nice to meet you.
‐ Hi.

[crowd cheering]

Oh, looks like Greene's
going to try

to make a game of this one.

Maybe I better go warm up.

(Ross)
'Hey.'

‐ You alright?
‐ Yeah.

[firework crackling]

(male #1)
'Firework.'

[crowd cheering]

[fireworks crackling]

(Hathaway)
'Whoa! Whoa‐ho!'

(Lewis)
'Oh, I love fireworks!'

(Greene)
'Ah‐ha. Me too.'

God, they're beautiful.

If we're all here
who's at work?

I don't know.

I don't care.

[all laughing]

(female #1)
'Dr. Carter, get one A‐V.'

'Get that o‐neg
on a rapid infuser.'

'Step up here, Dr. Carter.'

'He's arrested.'

Thoracotomy tray.

Make the incision deep and fast.

Spreader.

[ECG monitor beeping]

Vascular clamp.

[Carter snoring]

[knock on door]

‐ Dr. Carter.
‐ I'm up. I'm up.

What?

Mrs. Nupica's temp's
up to 100.

Can we give her tylenol?

Ah, how long
have I been asleep?

‐ About ten minutes.
‐ Oh.

The tylenol?

‐ Yeah. Great.
‐ Two?

Two. Right.

[Carter snoring]

[knock on door]

‐ 'Dr. Carter?'
‐ Mm‐hm?

(Haleh)
'Can we give
Mr. Sifkin a little toast?'

He's asking
for something to eat.

‐ Sifkin?
‐ Leg lac.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, right.

Toast okay?

Toast, oatmeal,
prime rib, whatever.

Thank you, doctor.

(Carter)
'Toast? God.'

[knock on door]

‐ 'Dr. Carter?'
‐ Mm‐hmm?

Do you want
a stool culture on Mrs. Haney?

She's got diarrhea.

Haney. That's
Weaver's patient, right?

‐ Yes.
‐ What does she say?

She's upstairs
getting coffee.

‐ What would you normally do?
‐ Not bother.

‐ Let's not bother then, okay?
‐ Thank you, doctor.

Haleh, is it
always like this

when somebody's trying
to get a little sleep?

I wouldn't know, doctor.

Nurses aren't allowed
to sleep on shift.

[scoffs]

[snoring]

[pager beeping]

[Carter groaning]

[exhales]

[sighs]

[groaning]

Should I beep him again?

Only if he doesn't come out.

[giggles]
Ah, bingo!

Cops are bringing in a drunk.
Fell through a window.

Yeah, well, find a bed.
This guy's growing roots.

Resident's sleeping.

Claims he doesn't
have space upstairs

because he doesn't want
to work anybody up.

Good morning, Dr. Carter.
Get any sleep?

Somebody beep me?
E‐Ray?

No. Uh, maybe another floor.

Really? 6195. 6195?
That's the ER, isn't it?

Yes, but I
didn't page you.

Must have been
some kind of mistake.

They can make your life easy,
or they can make it miserable.

Whatever you did, I suggest
you apologize, immediately.

‐ I didn't do anything.
‐ Apologize anyway.

Police are
bringing in a drunk.

'Went through
a plate glass window.'

What? What?

Busting windows with his fist.

Tried to bust the display..

But couldn't do it.

So, he went straight at it
from across the street.

Boom! Went right through.

'We found him in
women's underwear.'

I'm okay. I'm okay.

Hey!

Could someone help me out?

Here you go.

No! No!

‐ Hold on.
‐ Hold on. Wait.

‐ He's not on yet.
‐ I got him. I got him.

[grunting]

Alright, clean it up.
Clean him up.

Check his tetanus, and
uh, prepare him for suturing.

Lots of suturing.

That should take
the rest of the night.

Dr. Carter,
Connie, I need you.

Malik, let me know
when he's ready.

Elderly man, found down.
Vomiting blood.

BP 100 over 70.

Pulse is thready at 145.
Two IV's in the field.

‐ He's kinda yellow.
‐ Don't we know this guy?

Jim. He's a regular,
alcoholic, cirrhosis, seizures.

(Oligario)
'Oh, yeah, he's drunk.'

Okay, let's move him.

Gently now.

One...two...three.

He's got a big scalp lac.

We found him in the gutter.

He may have hit his head
when he fell.

Whoo! What's that smell?

Oh, code brown in the shorts.
Loss of blood too.

CBC, type and cross,
four units. Coag panel.

Dr. Carter, help us
with an NG, please.

Hang a banana bag, wide open.

Hey, I'm ready for you,
Dr. Carter.

Hold still, sir.

What's the surgical plan,
Dr. Carter?

Alright, transfuse and take him
to the GI lab for endoscopy.

'Cauterize the bleeding sites.'

'Sounds right to me.'

‐ Dr. Carter, did you hear me?
‐ Damn it, Malik.

I said I'll be there
as soon as I can, alright.

Oh, my God!

[ECG monitor beeping]

Sure.

Take your time.

Multiple burn victims
on their way.

Set up one
and alert plastics.

They'll be right there.

[pager beeping]

[chuckles]
Don't look at us.
We're working here.

‐ 'Tube's in.'
‐ What's 1019?

(Hathaway)
'Surgical ICU.'

Yes. This is John Carter.
You just paged me?

How many days since the surgery?

Alright, I'll be right up.

Post‐op, day two.

'Triple‐a repair.
Guy's desatting.'

Don't be gone long, doctor.
We're getting buried down here.

[instrumental music]

[ECG monitor beeping]

(female #2)
'Can I help you?'

‐ I'm Dr. Carter.
‐ Oh.

66‐year‐old male. Abdominal
aneurysm repair two days ago.

Dropped his crit.

I don't know if he's leaking or

if he's hemodiluted.

What do you think?

Well, I hope
he's not bleeding out.

What should we do,
should we transfuse or diurese?

That's why I called you.

‐ What's his crit?
‐ Thirty.

It was 33 an hour ago.

Haven't seen your resident,
he's asleep?

'Mm‐hmm.'

What time does he usually
get up?

Some time after 5:00.

That's two hours.

Two hours.

Do you want to wait
and see how low his crit goes?

If I don't transfuse
and he's bleeding out

he'll go into shock
and if I diurese and I'm wrong

then he's gonna go
into renal failure, right?

[pager beeping]

It's the ER. 911.

Where's Dr. Karubian sleeping?

[groans]
Dr. Karubian?

(Karubian)
'This better be important
or you'll be draining'

'rectal abscesses for the rest
of your surgical residency.'

Post‐op, day two.
Aneurysm repair.

Crit's 30. Sat's down to 90.

'Is he on oxygen?'

‐ Nasal cannula. Yes, sir.
‐ 'Try a mask.'

'Check his crit again
in half an hour.'

‐ Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.
‐ 'It's Carter, right?'

‐ Yes. Right, sir. Yeah.
‐ 'Alright.'

'Shut up, Carter,
and close the door.'

[pager beeping]

15 liters oxygen by mask.
Call me in half an hour.

‐ What's going on?
‐ Third‐degree burns.

Kid was playing with fireworks
and his apartment

sofa caught on fire.

Pulse ox is 65
on 100 percent O2.

Dr. Carter,
nice of you to join us.

‐ Where the hell you been?
‐ I was up in the SICU.

Acute pulmonary edema.
Six ET tube, versed.

Guy next door's
in trouble. Go. Go!

And when I page you 911
I want you out

'of breath when you
show up down here.'

‐ What's going on?
‐ He's taching at 200.

‐ What?
‐ 'No palpable BP.'

‐ 'It looks like SVT.'
‐ That's cardiovert, right?

‐ How much?
‐ I'd start at 50.

Hit the synch switch.

Alright, everybody, off.

[machines beeping]
100. Off!

Okay. Okay.

‐ Okay, sinus?
‐ BP 70 palp. Dopamine?

[ECG monitor beeping]

‐ Do you want dopamine?
‐ I don't know. I don't know.

‐ Somebody call a doctor.
‐ You are the doctor.

Yeah. Yeah, uh..

Right, right. Dopamine.

Titrate to a...systolic of 100.

I can do this. I can do this.

He's not breathing,
so, we have to intubate.

'7.5 now.'

‐ IV's blown.
‐ That's okay. In a minute.

In a minute. I got it.

Alright, let me get in there.

Hey.
Need any help in here?

A little early, aren't you?

Yeah, well, I couldn't
get any sleep.

Figured you could use a hand.

Yeah, get the third
line started.

IV is blown.

Okay, bag him.

‐ What's wrong with this guy?
‐ Known alcoholic, GI bleed.

History of cirrhosis.
Possible subdural hematoma.

‐ I had to cardiovert.
‐ You're kidding.

Oh, zapped him twice. Got him
back, then he goes apneic on me.

‐ And I had to tube him.
‐ Your first night?

I haven't even told you
about the guy

who desatted up in the SICU.

Okay.

Benton's breakfast starts
in a couple of minutes.

[chuckles]
Last ones.

‐ Breakfast?
‐ Right.

After this year I'll associate
omelets and oatmeal

with a deep sense
of personal inadequacy.

How many sutures
have we put in this guy?

Oh, I've lost count.
Hundreds.

At least.

‐ How you holding up?
‐ Okay.

[chuckles]
I'm really tired.

But I can look on
the bright side, though.

I'm off in only 13 hours.

‐ Whew.
‐ I'm on tonight.

Thanks for coming in to help.

It's no problem.

Well, that's it.
We're done.

Well, then...guess it's time

for our early morning
humiliation.

‐ Benton's breakfast it is.
‐ Just in time too.

I was starting to feel
too good about myself.

[laughing]

Hi.

Hey.

Did you get your test back?

Uh..

Yeah.

It was negative.

[sighs]

That's good. That's good.

‐ Yeah.
‐ I'm glad.

Have you told anyone yet?

About my test? No.

About me.

‐ No.
‐ Good.

I don't want you to, uh..

I've decided
not to tell anyone about it.

Is that what Greene
told you to do?

No, it's a personal decision..

...and I'd appreciate
it if you'd honor it.

Jeanie, uh..

Are you asking me
to lie for you?

I'm not asking you to lie.

I'm asking you
to keep your mouth shut.

But I don't know
if I can do that. I..

Fine. Thanks
for all your support.

Hey, hey, hey.
Jeanie. Whoa. Jeanie.

Come here. Come here.

[sighs]
I mean..

So, what? You plan
to keep on practicing?

I don't know what the hell
I'm doing, Peter, okay.

I just don't want
my personal life spread

all over the hospital.

‐ Is that asking too much?
‐ I don't know, Jeanie.

Right.

Look, Jeanie, I'm..

We really need
to formalize chart review.

(Mark)
'Why would we want to do that?'

Quality assurance.

The Residents can't improve
their diagnostic skills

without monitoring and feedback.

Our Residents
diagnostic skills are

pretty terrific
the way they are, Kerry.

They don't need
more supervision.

They need more vacation.

‐ Good morning, everybody.
‐ Morning.

Hey. Mark, it was just
a suggestion.

We can discuss it in depth at
the Tuesday attending's meeting.

What Tuesday
attending's meeting?

Uh, memo in your box.

Mark, what's up
with this board?

Is it going to stay
like this forever?

No, it's not.

Come on, Jerry.

Let's put the patients'
last names back up here

and let's list their complaints
in English, please.

[all cheering]

Yes, I promise
I'll give him the message.

I will. I prom..
Okay. Okay, bye.

Bye now.
Bye‐bye.

Ross in yet?
That girl called again.

‐ What girl?
‐ Every five minutes.

She's driving me crazy.

Are you crazy, Randy?
We can't have that.

Gretchen.
She's called 50 times.

It's not even 7 a. m.

‐ Thank you.
‐ Just call her back.

I'm not your secretary.
I've got a lot of work to do.

‐ Another stewardess?
‐ No.

‐ Cocktail waitress?
‐ Hat‐check girl?

You all think
you know me so well.

Yes, that's because we do.

Gretchen's a mergers
and acquisitions specialist

at First National.

She went to Smith and Yale Law.

She's a Rhodes Scholar.

Smith. Wow.

Most of the women you date
can't even spell Smith.

‐ I'm shocked.
‐ Yeah?

Well, I'm full of surprises.

Hey, when do we get to meet
this Renaissance woman?

Uh..

A Rhodes Scholar?

‐ Carter have a nice night?
‐ Oh, yeah.

Boy will fetch, heel,
roll over and play dead

if you ask him to.

Doughnuts.
Lydia, doughnuts?

I bought them
for the nurses.

Chocolate.
Why? Thank you, doctor.

Doughnut.

Carter, come.
I need you.

Doughnut, Dr. Benton?

Dr. Karubian told me
that you woke him last night

asking him how to work
an oxygen mask.

Oh, it was a little bit more
complicated than that.

‐ Carter, where's your tie?
‐ Long story.

‐ Uh‐uh. No time for that.
‐ Five flights?

'I hope you had plenty
of rest last night.'

[elevator bell dings]

[indistinct chattering]

Doug.

Gretchen,
what are you doing here?

Hey, I've been calling you
all morning.

Well, I'm...I've been busy.

Um, they're doing inventory
at the store today.

So, I was hoping
we could have lunch.

Today, I can't. I'm sorry.

Um, uh..

But, uh...listen.

I gotta get back
to my patients, okay?

So, why don't you
come over later?

Well...I don't want
to come over later.

I want to meet your friends
go to dinner, go see a movie.

Okay, Gretchen, listen to me.
All that is going to happen.

But right now,
I gotta get back to work.

When, Doug?
When will it happen?

Tonight, we're going
to go to dinner.

7 o'clock
I'll pick you up. Alright?

‐ Yeah?
‐ Yeah. Uh, you pick the place.

‐ Okay?
‐ Okay.

Okay, but..

I now have
to go to work, okay?

‐ Okay.
‐ Okay, alright.

‐ Bye.
‐ I'll see you.

‐ 7:00?
‐ Yeah, 7:00.

Gretchen?

No. She's just s‐somebody that..

...I haven't seen
in a...in a long time.

Jerry, don't you have
some work to do?

[automated message]
'Hi. This is Gretchen.'

'At the tone
leave your name and number..'

Gretchen, hi. It's Doug.
Listen, you just left here.

Uh, I'm sorry,
I just realized I can't have

dinner with you tonight.

Uh, I'm swamped,
and I just forgot.

Uh, I'm sorry.

Uh...I'll talk to you
in a couple of days, okay?

Bye‐bye.

[indistinct chattering]

[instrumental music]

[engine whirring]

Carter.

Uh, someone left some sparklers
in the trauma room.

You want them?

[laughing]

[sighs]
I heard you caught
another central line.

‐ Any trouble?
‐ No. I hit it the first time.

Yeah. That's the way it is.

You know, sometimes,
you can't find them.

Other times,
they are right there.

[siren blaring]

I haven't seen one of
these since I was a kid.

[laughing]

[pager beeping]

That's..

It's me,
it's me, it's me.

You're a very popular guy.

It's the ER.

I'll go check it out.

Get some more fresh air.

Thanks.

[Mark sighs]

Carter, how much longer
are you on?

Two hours.

You're going to make it.

[chuckles]

[instrumental music]

[theme music]