Kingdom Hospital (2004): Season 1, Episode 7 - Black Noise - full transcript
A philandering lawyer suffers a heart attack and winds up residing in Kingdom Hospital. After Rolf inadvertently sets himself on fire attempting to go after Peter, Natalie Rickman seeks to move the criminal to another room. Her husband has begun to communicate through drawings and when he produces eerily accurate depictions of Mary and Mrs. Druse, the psychic looks into searching for the girl's hospital records.
Mr. Goode.
Jonathan B.
Mr. Jonathan B. Goode?
Mr. Goode is a no-show
for the jury pool, Your Honour.
All right.
The questionnaires you folks filled out
are to alert me...
to any issues that may disqualify you
from serving as a juror in this case.
For instance:
Mrs. Goebel.
You indicated
that you are personally acquainted...
with the plaintiff, Mrs. Hellstrom,
and her lawyer, Mr. Fleischer?
I play bridge with Mrs. Hellstrom
and with Mr. Fleischer's wife.
We've been friends since college.
I see.
Mrs. Goebel, do you understand
I must excuse you...
from serving as a juror
in this particular case?
Mrs. Sullivan.
You indicate you also are
a personal acquaintance...
of the counsel
for the plaintiff, Mr. Fleischer?
Yeah.
I never actually met him,
but I know all about him, Your Honour.
My daughter Tiffany started working
at Mr. Fleischer's law firm...
in the word processing pool
when she was 18 years old.
Mr. Fleischer had sex with my Tiffany...
got her pregnant...
talked her into having an abortion,
then fired her...
when she couldn't come to work
on account of a perforated uterus.
Sheldon Fleischer is a snake, Your Honour.
I wouldn't believe a word
he or his client said.
Your Honour, I move to strike myself from...
Dr. Schwarzton,
are you a medical doctor, sir?
PhD. I'm a seismologist.
I study earthquakes.
That's probably why I shake so much.
Earthquakes will do that to you.
You can't hear it, you can't see it,
but it's here. I hear it.
Hear me?
What you have here is called black noise.
- Black noise?
- Black noise?
Also known as infrasound.
It's sound below the threshold
of human hearing.
Not above it.
Not like ultrasound or dog whistles.
Not white hissing noise, but black.
Black noise.
Sound frozen in space and time
and later released.
Listen. Do you hear it?
So are you excited about the World Series?
What?
The Robins are in it again this year.
First time since 1987.
What is a World Series?
Dr. Schwarzton,
how many drinks per day before you quit?
What "quit" are you talking about?
Haldol or Thorazine?
Five milligrams of Haldol.
- He spit out the last one.
- Give him another.
If he spits it out again,
we'll give it IM with an 18-gauge needle.
Did you hear that, sir?
My feet! My shoes! My feet are burning.
There's a fire right underneath this floor.
I can feel it through the soles of my shoes.
What shoes?
Look!
Castleview unit 19. What's your 20?
We're still at Kingdom ER, dispatch.
Code 4 in progress at the courthouse.
A lawyer in V-fib.
A fibbing lawyer.
Sounds perfectly normal to me.
Copy, dispatch. We're rolling.
Code Blue, ICU, Room 426.
I'll take that. You stay here.
My feet are still burning.
There's a little girl.
There's a little girl, see?
- Stegman.
- Dr. Stegman, Myron Overdick.
Kingdom Hospital's
in-house legal counsel...
calling about the Klingerman litigation.
Got a minute?
Yeah, never too busy
to help the hospital lawyers...
defend against frivolous lawsuits.
Just a routine discovery check to make sure
nothing's slipping through the cracks.
- What the...
- Excuse me?
Sorry, there must be a bug in the phone.
I got something in my throat.
May I represent to opposing counsel...
that you and your staff...
have turned over all documents...
pertaining to Mona Klingerman?
Yes.
Klingerman's lawyers think they smell a rat.
Will you sign an affidavit attesting that...
no documents were altered or destroyed?
Of course I will sign that. Yes.
Excuse me, can I call you back
in a few minutes, Mr. Dickover?
Overdick.
No need to call me back, Dr. Stegman.
That's all for now.
You will call me if any more...
- Klingerman documents show up?
- I certainly will. I'll call.
Operator.
Get me Maintenance immediately.
Maintenance. Janice.
Janice?
Hello, Maintenance. Janice.
Hello, Maintenance. Janice here.
I've been trying to reach a Mr. Goode
for over a week now.
Sorry. Janice McManus here.
Johnny B., he's out on jury duty.
All right, Miss McJanice...
No, not McJanice. It's Janice McManus.
All right, whatever your name is...
my office is overrun with vermin.
There are cockroaches here. There's a rat.
I need an exterminator up here immediately.
It's the earthquakes.
Plus, some of the white lab rats,
they escaped from downstairs.
No, I brought those rats here
from Boston General Hospital.
They're dopamine...
re-uptake research rats.
Tens of thousands of dollars...
and hundreds of man-hours down...
You've got to make sure...
that the tattooed white lab rats
are unharmed.
You can trap them...
but do not kill them.
Do you understand that?
Thou shall not kill
the tattooed white lab rats. Anything else?
The cockroaches!
I'll put you on the list...
but everybody's got the same problem.
Janice.
Janice McManus.
Banish Janice McManus!
I am in hell!
Code Blue, ICU, Room 426.
That's Peter Rickman.
Guess we better hurry.
Yes, do let's hurry and save this noble life.
Looks like a suicide attempt.
Guy's got a thing for fire.
Anybody see the Robins
go into extra innings last night?
You bet.
If that's a rhythm coming back, we need
to stabilize him and get him to an OR.
D?briding these blisters
ought to make him feel better.
Let's get an O2 tank on the bed
and prepare for transport.
Bring the crash cart, too.
I'll be right back with Mary's doll.
Check the scars.
Looks like he had an Aztec
for a thoracic surgeon.
Are his eyes open?
You're the one
who needs to keep your eyes open.
One false move,
and this guy will sue us both.
You heard the court clerk.
The guy's a personal injury lawyer.
King of torts?
Only this time he ain't exactly
chasing the ambulance, is he?
Glad I found you
before the afternoon staff meeting.
- About the earthquakes...
- Yes.
They're still happening.
They're filling my office with cockroaches.
I thought an expert was coming to fix them.
Dr. Schwarzton. The best seismologist
money can buy. Just in time, too.
A hospital chain interested in buying us
pulled the offer from the table...
because of these ridiculous rumours
about Kingdom Hospital being haunted.
What the hell does that have to do
with stopping the earthquakes?
Stopping earthquakes?
That's a tall order, Steg. No, my good man...
the board hired Schwarzton
to help us prove...
that there are perfectly rational
scientific explanations for earthquakes.
So he's not going to solve the problem.
He's just going to prove
that they weren't created by ghosts.
Is the board
stocked entirely with imbeciles?
He's a leading expert in his field,
a highly respected scientist.
Yeah, fine.
I'm gonna ask the highly respected scientist
a few questions.
Where is he?
- My feet are on fire!
- Okay, already.
Not even athlete's foot, as far as I can see.
Brick, how about another five of Haldol?
How about that game last night...
when Swango hit that home run in the 12th?
Just fair!
That boy's on fire.
Just call if you get thirsty.
Right?
Just call if you get thirsty.
I'm Dr. Abelson. Can I help?
I'm Mrs. Rickman. There's been
an emergency in my husband's room.
- I'm sorry. You can't go in there.
- I'm sorry, I am going in there.
There's been no change
in your husband's status.
It is Mr. Pedersen who's worse.
The Code Blue team is in there
trying to save his life, and I cannot allow...
Excuse me, I'm expecting a phone call.
Mrs. Rickman.
I'm sorry.
You wanted to speak to Dr. Abelson?
- She's right here. It's for you.
- Thanks.
Dr. Abelson, hello?
Let's go.
I'm gonna talk to Dr. James myself...
but that man
is not coming back in this room.
Peter.
Mr. Rickman, it's Dr. Hook.
Natalie is here, too.
Can you hear us, sir?
I can hear you.
I've been hearing you all along.
I've just got to remember
how to work my mouth.
Say something.
God.
Be vengeful if you must
and take away our happiness...
but don't take away his voice.
Please, just speak.
You know, this is sort of interesting.
I never had to think about
how to talk before. I just did it.
Pencil? You want a pencil?
He wants to write something.
Thank you. Here.
That's it.
Dr. Hook to ER.
Natalie, I'm gonna have to run.
Blondie. Here, boy.
Where did you get to now?
You, come here.
- Me?
- Yes, you.
Are you afraid?
No.
- Mind if I touch your throat?
- No, thanks.
Like it?
Actually, I don't.
Do you think the people
who lie on this table like it?
How would I know?
Do they like it
when we begin to cut them up?
The dead are always with us.
They move just beneath the surface.
For a few decades, more or less,
we live on the surface...
in our bodies,
then our organs give out, we go under.
And we come to know...
the profound intimacies of the dead.
I say the fear of being touched...
the fear of getting close...
the fear of death...
are all nothing more than
the fear of human intimacy.
During sex, we are intimate
with one other living person.
But in death...
The moment of death makes us intimate...
with all who have gone before us.
Your grandfather, father...
uncle, brother, or you, perhaps.
Everyone we work on down here
has accepted their place...
in the intimate fellowship of the dead.
This hallowed vault
is where the dead help the living.
A corpse makes no demands.
With sublime generosity,
a corpse turns itself over...
to the science that belongs to all of us.
The law of the living is to take.
The law of the dead is to give.
And that demands respect.
Anyone violating the intimacy of the dead,
or desecrating their gifts...
will be expelled from this program
and turned over to the authorities.
You will all show the utmost respect
and professionalism in this holy place.
Is that clear?
And now...
the first incision.
One, two, three.
Okay, people, one milligram atropine.
Epi on standby.
Can I get a reservoir on that mask, please?
Be careful. I hear he's a lawyer.
I can't risk it.
I let my umbrella policy lapse. You do it.
No way. One more incident, and they'll
cancel my professional liability policy.
No, it's okay. Please, I promise.
I promise I won't sue you. I'll sign a waiver.
Please.
You heard it. We got a lawyer here.
Every second counts.
I want that digital minicam at 24 frames
per second trained on this patient's torso.
A second camera, hand-held, covering
any medical personnel touching this patient.
A third camera trained on me,
the attending physician.
All orders to be typed, not handwritten,
proofread, and printed in triplicate.
And notarised. Where's the notary?
Notary public, right here.
Danny, is that an accurate record
of all the medications and procedures...
received by this patient
while being transported here?
- Yes, Dr. Hook.
- Clear!
Sign.
My name is Dr. Hook.
I attended Columbia University
Medical School from 1992 to 1996...
and graduated magna cum laude.
I trained as a surgical resident
at Johns Hopkins...
and did my fellowship at Boston General.
With medical certainty
and a standard of care exercised...
by similarly qualified practitioners,
in similar circumstances...
in a community of similar size,
I order one milligram of atropine...
one milligram of epinephrine on standby...
and 100% oxygen through high flow mask
with a 250 cc reservoir attached.
So help me, God.
20 milligrams
of Nabisco Frosted Mini-Wheats...
IVpush 5 cc coronary anti-freeze.
50 units, Formula 409, STP Oil Treatment,
and WD40, stat.
A portable chest death ray, a sterile
claw hammer, 10 milligrams of napalm...
and nitroglycerin in a per saline drip...
and a spoonful of sugar to help
the medicine go down.
Hello?
I didn't appreciate that trick
with the phone, Mrs. Rickman.
Could you call Dr. James for me, please?
- Nat, I'm sorry I had to dash like that.
- Well, you're always sorry.
So?
It's all just educated guesswork,
really, Natalie.
Sometimes reading tea leaves and
tarot cards will get you a prognosis...
every bit as reliable
as reading radiology films.
Injury to the inferior frontal gyrus...
just anterior of the lingual
and the facial areas...
of the motor cortex, Broca's area...
may cause what we call...
"expressive aphasia."
The patient can comprehend
what is being said to him...
he can conceptualise normally...
but his ability to form words is...
Well, it's impaired.
I'm sorry to have to tell you this,
but usually, the impairment affects words...
and writing,
causing excruciating frustration.
Dr. Hook,
is this your psychic lady, Mrs. Druse?
Good and bad news, as usual.
Bad news first, please.
The number of available beds has fallen
by two, new admissions through the ER.
So that means...
But the good news is
Mr. Pedersen won't be back.
That's not news. I decided that an hour ago.
So you want to move somebody else in?
Nat...
meet Dr. Schwarzton.
Non-violent, no suicidal ideations...
no history of mayhem, highly educated...
a housebroken PhD.
What's the matter with him?
As my Irish grandmother used to call it...
the failing.
- He's an alcoholic?
- Woman.
Assassinate a man's character
because he's fond of the grape?
- Even the Bible says...
- No, the devil can quote scripture.
So, what's he gonna be like
when he wakes up?
Polite, quiet.
Heavily sedated for at least a week.
And then?
And then he'll be thirsty.
Mrs. Druse is on her way.
Mama, where are you going?
Bobby.
Her name is Mary.
The little girl's name is Mary. Look.
Look.
I'm bringing this doll to Mr. Rickman...
and I want you, in the meantime,
to get in Medical Records.
Mama, what good will Medical Records do?
I mean, what's Mary's last name?
You have any idea how many Marys
have come here in the last 50, 60 years?
Bobby, I'm gonna get you a last name.
Even with a last name, you can't
get into Medical Records without a key card.
You could always get into the cookie jar.
And I know that there is someone...
who issues a key card
to everyone who works in Medical Records.
That would be Mrs. Powell.
Well, Mrs. Powell
is not going to take me seriously.
But you do.
You take me seriously, don't you, Bobby?
Yes, Mama.
I'm going to Mr. Rickman,
and you go to Mrs. Powell.
It won't work, Mama.
Mrs. Powell is integrity incarnate.
Have you girls heard the dirt
about Marge and Reverend Horner?
Hanky-panky.
I'm fine.
But feed Sheldon's goldfish for me.
Just two sprinkles once a day.
The last one blew up.
That's all the doctors know right now.
I'll call with any news.
The doctor's here. I'll call you back.
I'm so sorry to have to tell you this,
Mrs. Fleischer.
No.
Coming.
Just a minute.
Yes?
Mrs. Powell?
A heart transplant...
is your husband's only hope at this point.
His heart won't...
tolerate a fourth bypass.
I didn't understand...
what Dr. Shaddy said...
about problems matching Sheldon's heart.
I'm sorry.
No, don't be sorry.
You're in information overload.
Dr. Shaddy thinks that...
it may take months, even a year...
to find a donor heart for Sheldon.
Any potential donor heart
has to be carefully cross matched...
to his pre-formed antibodies...
until we find just the right heart.
That's gonna take time,
and we don't have much.
Listen, would you like a break?
A cup of coffee?
That's very thoughtful. Thank you.
Wilkster.
Yeah, it's me.
You son of a bitch.
Fleischer, what are you doing to me?
Listen, I can't talk very long.
Four heart attacks. I can handle that.
I'm used to that, you know?
Where's Sheldon?
He's off on another heart-attack holiday...
one of his coronary care cruises.
Another bypass break, but this?
Listen, Wilkster, I can only talk for a minute.
Kitty just stepped away.
Did you talk to her? Does she know?
Does she know what?
That she married a guy with a frog heart?
Does she know what happened?
- Does she know about Tiffany?
- Have you been in a coma?
The whole town knows about Tiffany.
Turn on a TV, for God's sake.
You, me, and the whole damn firm...
is being sued by Tiffany and her mother...
for sexual harassment...
pregnancy discrimination...
and wrongful discharge.
Sheldon, baby, I mean...
how can I thank you?
I'll make it up to you. I promise you.
I just need a favour, a phone number.
Remember that guy
we defended, who trafficked...
in black market Guatemalan organs?
Okay, listen to me, Sheldon.
What you need to do...
is get back into a coma and stay there
until the statute of limitations expires...
on Tiffany's claims. Okay?
Do you understand?
You coma-toast yourself.
Can you do that? It's our only chance.
Good. Thank you.
No...
Wilkster.
A positive attitude is so important, Steg.
A popular notion.
I've seen no reliable data to support it.
Look, Steg. Even sick and dying children
draw the sun, trees...
birds, dogs, growing things, happy faces.
Why can't you be more like them?
Part of the new dynamic
of Operation Morning Air...
is to let the fresh air and the sunlight in
on our own personal dark spaces.
In that spirit, I ask that you all support Steg
in his time of need.
The Klingermans have declined
our offer to mediate their dispute...
and instead are proceeding
with a formal litigation.
That said, we must let the Morning Air in
on a separate complaint.
Uncertainty has been expressed
about working with Dr. Stegman.
Steg may find it odd...
that we discuss such things
together in a folksy...
intimate way out here in Maine...
but discussion must always be
the first order of business...
if Operation Morning Air
is to justify its existence.
So are there any suggestions
about how to counter...
this problem of uncertainty
working with Steg?
Better communication?
Splendid. Communication.
He never says anything, just yells.
Steg?
How say you?
What?
How can we improve
communication with you?
Mary, don't cry.
Please, Mary, I'm bringing your dolly.
That is your name, isn't it?
Poor Mary.
Don't cry, Mary.
I'm coming.
And I'll find you.
And I'll help you.
I was wrong.
You were right.
I thank God, I thank you.
You are amazing.
You have to tell me how you did this.
Mama, I have no idea.
Mrs. Powell is integrity incarnate, but...
today, I think
she was trying to get rid of me.
Yes.
Help me!
Finally, the hospital lawyers...
are concerned about persistent,
frankly ridiculous rumours...
that Kingdom Hospital is haunted.
Localized earthquakes
and other disturbances...
have people talking about...
odd events.
These rumours are of great concern...
because a large hospital chain
wants to buy Kingdom Hospital.
The lawyers say it is imperative
that we all report...
any strange or odd occurrences
so that they can be promptly investigated...
and these phenomena explained
in a rational and scientific manner.
Does anybody have any strange events
or odd occurrences to report at this time?
That's ridiculous.
How so, ridiculous?
We've all seen things happen here
that can't be explained.
Such as?
The foo ambulance. The call comes in,
it doesn't show up, or it shows up empty.
The little girl.
The little girl crying. The earthquakes.
Dr. Hook has a very special...
relationship with...
an old biddy psychic malingerer
named Druse.
I think he's been to one too many s?ances.
The who?
Mrs. Druse.
Come in.
Don't worry, you don't have to be afraid.
The other one's gone.
Peter has a new roommate.
I'm relieved. That was a very evil man.
And he tried to attack Peter.
I was afraid of that.
Well, he's gone, and now you're here.
Mrs. Rickman...
I have so much to tell you...
and I don't know where to begin.
You call yourself a doctor, a surgeon...
and a medical scientist,
and in the next breath...
you give credence to these idiotic rumours
about ghost ambulances?
Well, everyone has seen them, Doctor.
If you haven't, that's your business.
If I might make a suggestion, Doctor,
next time you think you see something...
why don't you reach out and touch it, see?
Like this wall, for example,
you think that's real?
What do you think? Yes, it is. I can touch it.
See?
Now, do you see anything strange or odd...
in front of us? Say, crying ghost girls...
or any ghost ambulances?
Elmer, you bad boy.
Listen.
Hear?
- Madam, I need your help.
- Yes.
Please, may I ask a favour of you?
You see, I came here
to study these earthquakes.
I had a briefcase. It was a metal briefcase.
It's got...
my computer and my instruments in it.
And I need those now.
I need to capture these disturbances.
Do you hear them?
The voices?
The black noise?
The cries of human agony
frozen in space and time, and then...
released!
Jonathan B.
Mr. Jonathan B. Goode?
Mr. Goode is a no-show
for the jury pool, Your Honour.
All right.
The questionnaires you folks filled out
are to alert me...
to any issues that may disqualify you
from serving as a juror in this case.
For instance:
Mrs. Goebel.
You indicated
that you are personally acquainted...
with the plaintiff, Mrs. Hellstrom,
and her lawyer, Mr. Fleischer?
I play bridge with Mrs. Hellstrom
and with Mr. Fleischer's wife.
We've been friends since college.
I see.
Mrs. Goebel, do you understand
I must excuse you...
from serving as a juror
in this particular case?
Mrs. Sullivan.
You indicate you also are
a personal acquaintance...
of the counsel
for the plaintiff, Mr. Fleischer?
Yeah.
I never actually met him,
but I know all about him, Your Honour.
My daughter Tiffany started working
at Mr. Fleischer's law firm...
in the word processing pool
when she was 18 years old.
Mr. Fleischer had sex with my Tiffany...
got her pregnant...
talked her into having an abortion,
then fired her...
when she couldn't come to work
on account of a perforated uterus.
Sheldon Fleischer is a snake, Your Honour.
I wouldn't believe a word
he or his client said.
Your Honour, I move to strike myself from...
Dr. Schwarzton,
are you a medical doctor, sir?
PhD. I'm a seismologist.
I study earthquakes.
That's probably why I shake so much.
Earthquakes will do that to you.
You can't hear it, you can't see it,
but it's here. I hear it.
Hear me?
What you have here is called black noise.
- Black noise?
- Black noise?
Also known as infrasound.
It's sound below the threshold
of human hearing.
Not above it.
Not like ultrasound or dog whistles.
Not white hissing noise, but black.
Black noise.
Sound frozen in space and time
and later released.
Listen. Do you hear it?
So are you excited about the World Series?
What?
The Robins are in it again this year.
First time since 1987.
What is a World Series?
Dr. Schwarzton,
how many drinks per day before you quit?
What "quit" are you talking about?
Haldol or Thorazine?
Five milligrams of Haldol.
- He spit out the last one.
- Give him another.
If he spits it out again,
we'll give it IM with an 18-gauge needle.
Did you hear that, sir?
My feet! My shoes! My feet are burning.
There's a fire right underneath this floor.
I can feel it through the soles of my shoes.
What shoes?
Look!
Castleview unit 19. What's your 20?
We're still at Kingdom ER, dispatch.
Code 4 in progress at the courthouse.
A lawyer in V-fib.
A fibbing lawyer.
Sounds perfectly normal to me.
Copy, dispatch. We're rolling.
Code Blue, ICU, Room 426.
I'll take that. You stay here.
My feet are still burning.
There's a little girl.
There's a little girl, see?
- Stegman.
- Dr. Stegman, Myron Overdick.
Kingdom Hospital's
in-house legal counsel...
calling about the Klingerman litigation.
Got a minute?
Yeah, never too busy
to help the hospital lawyers...
defend against frivolous lawsuits.
Just a routine discovery check to make sure
nothing's slipping through the cracks.
- What the...
- Excuse me?
Sorry, there must be a bug in the phone.
I got something in my throat.
May I represent to opposing counsel...
that you and your staff...
have turned over all documents...
pertaining to Mona Klingerman?
Yes.
Klingerman's lawyers think they smell a rat.
Will you sign an affidavit attesting that...
no documents were altered or destroyed?
Of course I will sign that. Yes.
Excuse me, can I call you back
in a few minutes, Mr. Dickover?
Overdick.
No need to call me back, Dr. Stegman.
That's all for now.
You will call me if any more...
- Klingerman documents show up?
- I certainly will. I'll call.
Operator.
Get me Maintenance immediately.
Maintenance. Janice.
Janice?
Hello, Maintenance. Janice.
Hello, Maintenance. Janice here.
I've been trying to reach a Mr. Goode
for over a week now.
Sorry. Janice McManus here.
Johnny B., he's out on jury duty.
All right, Miss McJanice...
No, not McJanice. It's Janice McManus.
All right, whatever your name is...
my office is overrun with vermin.
There are cockroaches here. There's a rat.
I need an exterminator up here immediately.
It's the earthquakes.
Plus, some of the white lab rats,
they escaped from downstairs.
No, I brought those rats here
from Boston General Hospital.
They're dopamine...
re-uptake research rats.
Tens of thousands of dollars...
and hundreds of man-hours down...
You've got to make sure...
that the tattooed white lab rats
are unharmed.
You can trap them...
but do not kill them.
Do you understand that?
Thou shall not kill
the tattooed white lab rats. Anything else?
The cockroaches!
I'll put you on the list...
but everybody's got the same problem.
Janice.
Janice McManus.
Banish Janice McManus!
I am in hell!
Code Blue, ICU, Room 426.
That's Peter Rickman.
Guess we better hurry.
Yes, do let's hurry and save this noble life.
Looks like a suicide attempt.
Guy's got a thing for fire.
Anybody see the Robins
go into extra innings last night?
You bet.
If that's a rhythm coming back, we need
to stabilize him and get him to an OR.
D?briding these blisters
ought to make him feel better.
Let's get an O2 tank on the bed
and prepare for transport.
Bring the crash cart, too.
I'll be right back with Mary's doll.
Check the scars.
Looks like he had an Aztec
for a thoracic surgeon.
Are his eyes open?
You're the one
who needs to keep your eyes open.
One false move,
and this guy will sue us both.
You heard the court clerk.
The guy's a personal injury lawyer.
King of torts?
Only this time he ain't exactly
chasing the ambulance, is he?
Glad I found you
before the afternoon staff meeting.
- About the earthquakes...
- Yes.
They're still happening.
They're filling my office with cockroaches.
I thought an expert was coming to fix them.
Dr. Schwarzton. The best seismologist
money can buy. Just in time, too.
A hospital chain interested in buying us
pulled the offer from the table...
because of these ridiculous rumours
about Kingdom Hospital being haunted.
What the hell does that have to do
with stopping the earthquakes?
Stopping earthquakes?
That's a tall order, Steg. No, my good man...
the board hired Schwarzton
to help us prove...
that there are perfectly rational
scientific explanations for earthquakes.
So he's not going to solve the problem.
He's just going to prove
that they weren't created by ghosts.
Is the board
stocked entirely with imbeciles?
He's a leading expert in his field,
a highly respected scientist.
Yeah, fine.
I'm gonna ask the highly respected scientist
a few questions.
Where is he?
- My feet are on fire!
- Okay, already.
Not even athlete's foot, as far as I can see.
Brick, how about another five of Haldol?
How about that game last night...
when Swango hit that home run in the 12th?
Just fair!
That boy's on fire.
Just call if you get thirsty.
Right?
Just call if you get thirsty.
I'm Dr. Abelson. Can I help?
I'm Mrs. Rickman. There's been
an emergency in my husband's room.
- I'm sorry. You can't go in there.
- I'm sorry, I am going in there.
There's been no change
in your husband's status.
It is Mr. Pedersen who's worse.
The Code Blue team is in there
trying to save his life, and I cannot allow...
Excuse me, I'm expecting a phone call.
Mrs. Rickman.
I'm sorry.
You wanted to speak to Dr. Abelson?
- She's right here. It's for you.
- Thanks.
Dr. Abelson, hello?
Let's go.
I'm gonna talk to Dr. James myself...
but that man
is not coming back in this room.
Peter.
Mr. Rickman, it's Dr. Hook.
Natalie is here, too.
Can you hear us, sir?
I can hear you.
I've been hearing you all along.
I've just got to remember
how to work my mouth.
Say something.
God.
Be vengeful if you must
and take away our happiness...
but don't take away his voice.
Please, just speak.
You know, this is sort of interesting.
I never had to think about
how to talk before. I just did it.
Pencil? You want a pencil?
He wants to write something.
Thank you. Here.
That's it.
Dr. Hook to ER.
Natalie, I'm gonna have to run.
Blondie. Here, boy.
Where did you get to now?
You, come here.
- Me?
- Yes, you.
Are you afraid?
No.
- Mind if I touch your throat?
- No, thanks.
Like it?
Actually, I don't.
Do you think the people
who lie on this table like it?
How would I know?
Do they like it
when we begin to cut them up?
The dead are always with us.
They move just beneath the surface.
For a few decades, more or less,
we live on the surface...
in our bodies,
then our organs give out, we go under.
And we come to know...
the profound intimacies of the dead.
I say the fear of being touched...
the fear of getting close...
the fear of death...
are all nothing more than
the fear of human intimacy.
During sex, we are intimate
with one other living person.
But in death...
The moment of death makes us intimate...
with all who have gone before us.
Your grandfather, father...
uncle, brother, or you, perhaps.
Everyone we work on down here
has accepted their place...
in the intimate fellowship of the dead.
This hallowed vault
is where the dead help the living.
A corpse makes no demands.
With sublime generosity,
a corpse turns itself over...
to the science that belongs to all of us.
The law of the living is to take.
The law of the dead is to give.
And that demands respect.
Anyone violating the intimacy of the dead,
or desecrating their gifts...
will be expelled from this program
and turned over to the authorities.
You will all show the utmost respect
and professionalism in this holy place.
Is that clear?
And now...
the first incision.
One, two, three.
Okay, people, one milligram atropine.
Epi on standby.
Can I get a reservoir on that mask, please?
Be careful. I hear he's a lawyer.
I can't risk it.
I let my umbrella policy lapse. You do it.
No way. One more incident, and they'll
cancel my professional liability policy.
No, it's okay. Please, I promise.
I promise I won't sue you. I'll sign a waiver.
Please.
You heard it. We got a lawyer here.
Every second counts.
I want that digital minicam at 24 frames
per second trained on this patient's torso.
A second camera, hand-held, covering
any medical personnel touching this patient.
A third camera trained on me,
the attending physician.
All orders to be typed, not handwritten,
proofread, and printed in triplicate.
And notarised. Where's the notary?
Notary public, right here.
Danny, is that an accurate record
of all the medications and procedures...
received by this patient
while being transported here?
- Yes, Dr. Hook.
- Clear!
Sign.
My name is Dr. Hook.
I attended Columbia University
Medical School from 1992 to 1996...
and graduated magna cum laude.
I trained as a surgical resident
at Johns Hopkins...
and did my fellowship at Boston General.
With medical certainty
and a standard of care exercised...
by similarly qualified practitioners,
in similar circumstances...
in a community of similar size,
I order one milligram of atropine...
one milligram of epinephrine on standby...
and 100% oxygen through high flow mask
with a 250 cc reservoir attached.
So help me, God.
20 milligrams
of Nabisco Frosted Mini-Wheats...
IVpush 5 cc coronary anti-freeze.
50 units, Formula 409, STP Oil Treatment,
and WD40, stat.
A portable chest death ray, a sterile
claw hammer, 10 milligrams of napalm...
and nitroglycerin in a per saline drip...
and a spoonful of sugar to help
the medicine go down.
Hello?
I didn't appreciate that trick
with the phone, Mrs. Rickman.
Could you call Dr. James for me, please?
- Nat, I'm sorry I had to dash like that.
- Well, you're always sorry.
So?
It's all just educated guesswork,
really, Natalie.
Sometimes reading tea leaves and
tarot cards will get you a prognosis...
every bit as reliable
as reading radiology films.
Injury to the inferior frontal gyrus...
just anterior of the lingual
and the facial areas...
of the motor cortex, Broca's area...
may cause what we call...
"expressive aphasia."
The patient can comprehend
what is being said to him...
he can conceptualise normally...
but his ability to form words is...
Well, it's impaired.
I'm sorry to have to tell you this,
but usually, the impairment affects words...
and writing,
causing excruciating frustration.
Dr. Hook,
is this your psychic lady, Mrs. Druse?
Good and bad news, as usual.
Bad news first, please.
The number of available beds has fallen
by two, new admissions through the ER.
So that means...
But the good news is
Mr. Pedersen won't be back.
That's not news. I decided that an hour ago.
So you want to move somebody else in?
Nat...
meet Dr. Schwarzton.
Non-violent, no suicidal ideations...
no history of mayhem, highly educated...
a housebroken PhD.
What's the matter with him?
As my Irish grandmother used to call it...
the failing.
- He's an alcoholic?
- Woman.
Assassinate a man's character
because he's fond of the grape?
- Even the Bible says...
- No, the devil can quote scripture.
So, what's he gonna be like
when he wakes up?
Polite, quiet.
Heavily sedated for at least a week.
And then?
And then he'll be thirsty.
Mrs. Druse is on her way.
Mama, where are you going?
Bobby.
Her name is Mary.
The little girl's name is Mary. Look.
Look.
I'm bringing this doll to Mr. Rickman...
and I want you, in the meantime,
to get in Medical Records.
Mama, what good will Medical Records do?
I mean, what's Mary's last name?
You have any idea how many Marys
have come here in the last 50, 60 years?
Bobby, I'm gonna get you a last name.
Even with a last name, you can't
get into Medical Records without a key card.
You could always get into the cookie jar.
And I know that there is someone...
who issues a key card
to everyone who works in Medical Records.
That would be Mrs. Powell.
Well, Mrs. Powell
is not going to take me seriously.
But you do.
You take me seriously, don't you, Bobby?
Yes, Mama.
I'm going to Mr. Rickman,
and you go to Mrs. Powell.
It won't work, Mama.
Mrs. Powell is integrity incarnate.
Have you girls heard the dirt
about Marge and Reverend Horner?
Hanky-panky.
I'm fine.
But feed Sheldon's goldfish for me.
Just two sprinkles once a day.
The last one blew up.
That's all the doctors know right now.
I'll call with any news.
The doctor's here. I'll call you back.
I'm so sorry to have to tell you this,
Mrs. Fleischer.
No.
Coming.
Just a minute.
Yes?
Mrs. Powell?
A heart transplant...
is your husband's only hope at this point.
His heart won't...
tolerate a fourth bypass.
I didn't understand...
what Dr. Shaddy said...
about problems matching Sheldon's heart.
I'm sorry.
No, don't be sorry.
You're in information overload.
Dr. Shaddy thinks that...
it may take months, even a year...
to find a donor heart for Sheldon.
Any potential donor heart
has to be carefully cross matched...
to his pre-formed antibodies...
until we find just the right heart.
That's gonna take time,
and we don't have much.
Listen, would you like a break?
A cup of coffee?
That's very thoughtful. Thank you.
Wilkster.
Yeah, it's me.
You son of a bitch.
Fleischer, what are you doing to me?
Listen, I can't talk very long.
Four heart attacks. I can handle that.
I'm used to that, you know?
Where's Sheldon?
He's off on another heart-attack holiday...
one of his coronary care cruises.
Another bypass break, but this?
Listen, Wilkster, I can only talk for a minute.
Kitty just stepped away.
Did you talk to her? Does she know?
Does she know what?
That she married a guy with a frog heart?
Does she know what happened?
- Does she know about Tiffany?
- Have you been in a coma?
The whole town knows about Tiffany.
Turn on a TV, for God's sake.
You, me, and the whole damn firm...
is being sued by Tiffany and her mother...
for sexual harassment...
pregnancy discrimination...
and wrongful discharge.
Sheldon, baby, I mean...
how can I thank you?
I'll make it up to you. I promise you.
I just need a favour, a phone number.
Remember that guy
we defended, who trafficked...
in black market Guatemalan organs?
Okay, listen to me, Sheldon.
What you need to do...
is get back into a coma and stay there
until the statute of limitations expires...
on Tiffany's claims. Okay?
Do you understand?
You coma-toast yourself.
Can you do that? It's our only chance.
Good. Thank you.
No...
Wilkster.
A positive attitude is so important, Steg.
A popular notion.
I've seen no reliable data to support it.
Look, Steg. Even sick and dying children
draw the sun, trees...
birds, dogs, growing things, happy faces.
Why can't you be more like them?
Part of the new dynamic
of Operation Morning Air...
is to let the fresh air and the sunlight in
on our own personal dark spaces.
In that spirit, I ask that you all support Steg
in his time of need.
The Klingermans have declined
our offer to mediate their dispute...
and instead are proceeding
with a formal litigation.
That said, we must let the Morning Air in
on a separate complaint.
Uncertainty has been expressed
about working with Dr. Stegman.
Steg may find it odd...
that we discuss such things
together in a folksy...
intimate way out here in Maine...
but discussion must always be
the first order of business...
if Operation Morning Air
is to justify its existence.
So are there any suggestions
about how to counter...
this problem of uncertainty
working with Steg?
Better communication?
Splendid. Communication.
He never says anything, just yells.
Steg?
How say you?
What?
How can we improve
communication with you?
Mary, don't cry.
Please, Mary, I'm bringing your dolly.
That is your name, isn't it?
Poor Mary.
Don't cry, Mary.
I'm coming.
And I'll find you.
And I'll help you.
I was wrong.
You were right.
I thank God, I thank you.
You are amazing.
You have to tell me how you did this.
Mama, I have no idea.
Mrs. Powell is integrity incarnate, but...
today, I think
she was trying to get rid of me.
Yes.
Help me!
Finally, the hospital lawyers...
are concerned about persistent,
frankly ridiculous rumours...
that Kingdom Hospital is haunted.
Localized earthquakes
and other disturbances...
have people talking about...
odd events.
These rumours are of great concern...
because a large hospital chain
wants to buy Kingdom Hospital.
The lawyers say it is imperative
that we all report...
any strange or odd occurrences
so that they can be promptly investigated...
and these phenomena explained
in a rational and scientific manner.
Does anybody have any strange events
or odd occurrences to report at this time?
That's ridiculous.
How so, ridiculous?
We've all seen things happen here
that can't be explained.
Such as?
The foo ambulance. The call comes in,
it doesn't show up, or it shows up empty.
The little girl.
The little girl crying. The earthquakes.
Dr. Hook has a very special...
relationship with...
an old biddy psychic malingerer
named Druse.
I think he's been to one too many s?ances.
The who?
Mrs. Druse.
Come in.
Don't worry, you don't have to be afraid.
The other one's gone.
Peter has a new roommate.
I'm relieved. That was a very evil man.
And he tried to attack Peter.
I was afraid of that.
Well, he's gone, and now you're here.
Mrs. Rickman...
I have so much to tell you...
and I don't know where to begin.
You call yourself a doctor, a surgeon...
and a medical scientist,
and in the next breath...
you give credence to these idiotic rumours
about ghost ambulances?
Well, everyone has seen them, Doctor.
If you haven't, that's your business.
If I might make a suggestion, Doctor,
next time you think you see something...
why don't you reach out and touch it, see?
Like this wall, for example,
you think that's real?
What do you think? Yes, it is. I can touch it.
See?
Now, do you see anything strange or odd...
in front of us? Say, crying ghost girls...
or any ghost ambulances?
Elmer, you bad boy.
Listen.
Hear?
- Madam, I need your help.
- Yes.
Please, may I ask a favour of you?
You see, I came here
to study these earthquakes.
I had a briefcase. It was a metal briefcase.
It's got...
my computer and my instruments in it.
And I need those now.
I need to capture these disturbances.
Do you hear them?
The voices?
The black noise?
The cries of human agony
frozen in space and time, and then...
released!