New Amsterdam (2018–…): Season 2, Episode 13 - In the Graveyard - full transcript

She's rejecting her heart transplant.

So University stuffed her in a limo...

- Drove across town...
- And dropped her

- at our doorstep.
- Just makes you feel

all warm and fuzzy inside, doesn't it?

Ms. Harris?

I'm Max Goodwin, the Medical Director.

Did your doctors tell you why

they were transferring you
to New Amsterdam?

They said you'd be better equipped

to handle my needs.



Is something wrong?

Uh, they lied to you.

Your body is rejecting your new heart.

And once they realized there
was nothing more they could do,

they transferred you here.

Why would they... do that?

To keep their mortality rates low.

So...

they sent me... here to die?

Karen Brantley,
can I borrow you for a second?

Ah, Max, so glad you could join us.

- Mm-hmm.
- We said 8:30 sharp.

I would've reminded your assistant,

but you still don't have one.



It's on my to-do list.

Ozzie, this is our hospital's
very busy Medical Director...

- Hi.
- Max Goodwin.

Pleasure.

Ozzie Cobb has pledged $5 million...

- 5.
- Over the next quarter.

- Wow.
- What can I say?

- I love to give.
- Thank you.

Would you excuse us?
This way... just come with me.

You do realize

I'm trying to fund your hospital here.

Yeah, well, University
just dumped a patient

on our doorstep... Days, if not hours,

before she's expected to die. All right?

You wanna know why?
Because they're cooking

their books, all right?

She's not gonna die on their watch,

she's gonna die on ours,
and she is not the only one.

There have been others.

Of course there's been others, Max.

Every hospital dumps patients.
Even New Amsterdam.

Hello! Sorry about that.

Yes, I'm listening, Gladys, obviously.

It's Saleem, he's on the piano. Just...

Dad, you're supposed
to be listening to me.

You know what? Wait... Oh, okay, okay.

No, if he's already 51/50,
then no, no can do.

That is a big no no.

- Dad!
- Yes, honey,

you sound amazing. Keep going, all right?

No, that's what I'm saying.

Saleem, babe, hey!

Yeah, let's try a little
sotto voce, all right?

It is a headache
and it's a compliance issue.

- Namaste, Ella-ji.
- Good morning.

I was wondering
if you would ever wake up.

Oh.

This is a lot of stuff.

I just... I need just cornflakes.

No, no, no boxed cereal.
Not in this house.

Only fresh, healthy food
for you and the baby.

Stuffed parathas,

a little bit of curd.

A little more.

Yes.

Mmm.

You came home rather late last night.

It was 9:00.

9:07, give or take.

You don't have to wait up for me.

Or if you came home earlier,
I wouldn't have to.

Now, about the dirty dishes.

- I have to go to work.
- Already?

- Yeah, sorry.
- Okay.

Ella, wait a minute.

- Don't forget this.
- What's in here?

Your lunch. Freshly made Indian food.

Wait until you try my special samosas.

Thank you.

Namaste, Ella-ji.

Dr. Duarte.

I didn't expect to hear from you so soon.

How's San Francisco?

You'll be finding out soon enough, Floyd.

We'd like to officially
offer you the position

as new Chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery

at Yerba Buena Hospital.

That's...

- Great news, I hope.
- Uh, yeah, I, uh...

It is. Uh, but before I say yes,

I'd like to square some things up here.

- Can I have a few days?
- Sure. A few days.

We'll talk soon.

- Max!
- Did you know that

New Amsterdam has dumped over 30 patients

into the municipal hospice
system in the last six months?

- Wow, that's a lot.
- 30 within six months.

That's not just a lot. It's appalling.

Completely agree.
That's absolutely horrific.

But I'm gonna need you to
switch gears for just a minute.

- Yeah, how can I help?
- I need you to not approve

my brachytherapy device.

How can I not help?

- Exactly.
- Why would I do that?

Because Castro didn't approve it.

The request never should've
gotten up to you.

I seem to remember having
very candid conversation

about me having your back.

You can have my back,
but this just looks like

I went over Castro's head.

Is it going to help out patients?

- I mean, yes.
- Is it within budget?

- Yes...
- Will it make

- our hospital better?
- Of course.

But in order to keep the peace

between Castro and myself,
I can't have you...

favoring me.

I do favor you.

All right, well, keep that to yourself.

Just tell Castro that
I'm favoring our patients.

- Max, no...
- And if she has a problem with that,

just tell her to come talk to me.

Where are you going?

Thank you for choosing
Bell Gardens Hospice.

- Excuse me, hi.
- Visiting's not for

- another 30 minutes.
- No, I'm not visiting.

Oh, okay. Intake's down the hall.

I'm not here to drop off either.

I'm actually... excuse me...
Here to pick up.

I... I'm sorry, what?

Uh, well, I'm sorry because

you've gotten some of New
Amsterdam's patients by mistake

and I'm here to take them back.

W-Which patients?

All of them.

New Amsterdam has been
failing our patients

at the end of their lives.

We care for them right up until
their last days and then,

when curing them is no longer an option,

we pass the buck.

We turn them loose on
overburdened systems...

Hospice, nursing homes,
unprepared families.

This is not what End-of-Life
care should look like.

So we're gonna change that today.

Welcome... excuse me...

To the New Amsterdam
Palliative Care Unit.

In my hallway?

Working on that.
Every doctor is gonna get a patient

and they'll be with you till the end.

What about our actual patients?

Just rely on your residents
and your attendings for now.

I want your full attention here today.

But if they're palliative,
what medicine are we offering?

No medicine.
This is about, uh, care, okay?

I want you to talk to them,

figure out what they need
and make sure they get it.

What about cost?
Who is covering this? Are we?

I don't know,
but I'm gonna figure that out.

This is for you. Yup.

So we... we can do anything?

Anything. Just give them a good death.

All right?

Peter.

Peter, hi. Hi.

I'm Dr. Frome.

I'm, uh, Ignatius, or Iggy.

Dr. Iggy. Driggy.

Any combination of that will do.

I'm here to take care of you, okay?

I'm Dr. Kapoor, and I'll
be taking care of you today.

I see you have had Scleroderma
for several years,

but two months ago it started
causing organ failure.

Yes. I'll be dead in a few days.

Dr. Meredith?

Zeke's fine.

I'm Dr. Sharpe.

What can I do to make you
more comfortable?

More comfortable? I'm dying.

Adele Eisenbaum?

Um, I'm Max and, uh, I'm here
to make you comfortable.

I'd lower your expectations.

Okay.

I do have a wonderful idea.

We will give you a living wake.

A wake?

To allow your family and relatives

to gather and celebrate your life

while you're still there
to celebrate it with them.

Nope.

"Nope"?

I'll have a living wake
over my dead body.

My mother has been a patient
at University for over a decade.

I was gonna have my baby there.

And they just threw her out,
like, like...

You have to do something.

You have to save her.

No, no, Mrs. Shipley,
I can't do that, all right?

No one can do that.

Late stage leukemia

comes with a host of physical ailments

that can make the transitioning
process... challenging.

And where exactly am I transitioning to,

would you say?

Well, I suppose that depends.

What do you believe in?

Numbers.

Oh, so your doctorate is in mathematics?

I was a professor for 25 years.

What drew you to math?

The certainty.

But this...

what I'm facing now is...
incomprehensible.

It's unknowable.

I guess death can't
be solved like an equation.

And yet, death is a certainty.

You really wanna help me?

Solve that.

I...

It's okay. What... what is it?

I...

I want to see my father.

Your father? Okay.

- Yeah.
- Okay, I can do that.

I can arrange that.

Is he in the city?

Don't know.

Haven't spoken...

Haven't spoken... in 12 years.

Okay.

There's no excuse
for what happened, all right?

But your mother's here now,
and we're gonna do our best

to make sure she's comfortable, okay?

You need to do more than make
sure she's comfortable.

You need to make sure she's better.

Mrs. Shipley...

You're just as bad as University.

You're just giving up on her.

What is this place for
if you can't save...

Whoa, whoa, oh...

Uh, Bloom, little help here, please.

- Regina?
- Her water broke.

Is it too soon?

- I'm only 34 weeks.
- No, no, no, it's okay.

You're in a safe window.

This is, uh, your preterm, okay?

I'm gonna be fine, Mom.

I was actually hoping I'd
get to deliver a baby today.

Am I... really going to see

my grandchild?

Stage 4 Adenocarcinoma.

Guess they were right about the smoking.

They're giving me four to six weeks.

Mmm. And what did you do before...

Dying? Worked for the city council

in Yonkers.

I'd field all the angry calls.

Your sidewalk's got a crack?

Old power lines are drooping
into your marigolds?

I was the soothing voice

- on the other end of the line.
- Max!

I need help with
a very important donor...

- You're hired.
- For what?

And you flood our halls with
patients we've already discharged?

Karen, I'm glad you're here.

I'd like you to meet my
new executive assistant,

Adele Eisenbaum. Highly, highly skilled

and tons of experience.

I'm happy to come aboard.

Great. Now, come back upstairs with me

while I've still got Ozzie on the hook.

You know what,
I would love to, but I, um...

Um, oh, unfortunately,

Dr. Goodwin's schedule
is a little crammed.

Uh, he has to get everyone settled

before people start
dying in the hallways.

I like those nails, by the way.

But as soon as Dr. Goodwin
sorts through this mess

you're gonna hear from him.

I like her. I hope you stick around.

I'm temporary.

We'll see about that.

Now find a better place
for these patients.

Yup, working on it, boss.

Maybe with a new coat of paint, hmm?

Don't make me quit before I die.

Now, this could work.

Watch out, okay, good, okay,
one second... okay, we're going.

- No.
- Yeah, no.

Mm. Here we are.

This floor hasn't been used
in, uh, years.

Ooh, sorry, watch out for...
whatever that is.

Uh, I don't even know
what's in that room.

Uh, when equipment breaks
down or loses its function,

it ends up here.

We even started calling it
"The Graveyard."

Oh, my God.

I know. It's perfect.

Welcome to "The Graveyard."

We're gonna change the name.

Uh, this will be the home
of our new palliative wing.

It's gonna be a place to call your own.

You know, your own... Your own rooms.

Your own spaces.

So just check it out and find a, uh, spot

that feels right for you,
wherever you like.

Wherever calls your name, just...

So... what do you think?

I think it looks like a hospital.

Not a ringing endorsement, but...

We didn't pull our punches

at the Yonkers City Council meetings.

All right, well, I'm just
looking for a comfortable place

for people to...

Kick the bucket?

Yeah.

Nobody here wants to die, Max.

When you know your time left

on this big blue ball is short,

you look at things a little differently.

I can relate, actually.

Well, then, look around.

We don't want a place to die.

We want a place to live.

And who in the hell wants
to live in a hospital?

- Oh, uh, Iggy...
- Hi.

Hi. Could we swap patients?

Oh, no way, no.
I'm way too invested in my guy.

He's a black-sheep son
trying to reconnect

with his emotionally unavailable father,

which in no way whatsoever
reminds me of my own family.

- Why, what's yours?
- Mine asked me to solve

the meaning of the universe.

- Oof. Whoa.
- Right?

How exactly is one supposed to do that?

Well, you know,

psilocybin has actually
shown some real promise

in helping people with
existential crisis.

AKA dying.

You want me to give him
hallucinogenic mushrooms?

Well, if you get "Right to Try" approval,

it's perfectly legal.
Unlike, say, heroin.

- Shut up.
- Okay.

And thank you, I will consider it.

- You're welcome.
- Iggy,

you must swap patients with me.

What is happening around here? No.

- No tradesies.
- This Debra Keating

is an unreasonable woman.
I told her I wanted to give her

a beautiful wake. You know what she said?

- No.
- That's right. "No."

You know, I wanted to give
a living wake for my wife.

But Debra is refusing,
and I don't know why.

Well, did you ask her?

- No.
- You know, a wise man

about your height once
told me that listening

is a very effective tool in determining

why people think the things
that they think.

Yes, yes, yes, I know. One second.

Where did you get this from?

Oh, there's a veritable feast
right there.

But don't worry,
it's not as good as yours.

Psilocybin is being used in
in End-of-Life study protocols

- all over the country.
- And I do not feel comfortable

clearing it for use in my department.

"Right to Try" laws allow wide latitude

in treating terminal patients.
If you just met Zeke...

I'm not adding any more
fuel to this whole

"Heroin Den Helen" thing

by letting you prescribe "shrooms."

It's micro-dosing. and
it will be carefully monitored.

It's not gonna happen.

But feel free to go over
my head and run to Max,

because that is how this works, right?

Forgive me, Debra.

You are in charge of how
the next few days should go,

and I am here just to listen.

Thank you.

Okay,

I'm listening,
but I'm not hearing anything.

What is there to say?

Oh... so much.

N-not just for you,

but for your friends and relatives.

Oh, sorry, I'm just
here to listen. Sorry.

I haven't seen anyone
since things got bad.

I just want to be alone.

I even gave away Beverly.

Beverly?

My cocker spaniel.

So why would you wish to do this alone?

I don't want to share this with anyone.

I've kept my feelings
to myself my whole life.

Why should my death be any different?

It would just upset people
if they saw me like this.

So you don't want to have a living wake

because you're trying
to protect other people?

Yes.

I understand now, Debra.

I know exactly what you need.

- A living wake.
- What?

- No, I don't want it.
- I'm listening to your words,

and I'm hearing you loud and clear.

No, I said I don't want...

Debra, you're going to love it.

...a living wake.

Thank you.

Peter.

Peter, your dad is here to see you.

Hi.

I... I hate you.

I've always hated you.

- There we go.
- Oh, what happened?

Someone had a little slip
and fall up on L and D.

I got a little excited.

Thought I could...
stand at Regina's bedside.

Let me take a look.

Ooh, yeah, that's a real humdinger.

Probably best if I put
in a couple stitches.

- I'm fine.
- Well, just to be safe.

I wanna get back upstairs.

I don't wanna miss my grandbaby.

It's only gonna take a minute.

Dr. Bloom, I'm at a time in my life where

every minute... matters.

Okay, look, at least
let me thrown on some bandages

for the road, okay?

I always dreamt

of being a grandmother...

Spoiling my grandkids with love.

I really thought...
I would have more time.

Marianne?

- M-Marianne?
- W-Whoa, okay, okay.

Get her legs.

Okay.

- No pulse.
- Cardiac arrest.

Grab the defibrillator.

What are you doing?

She's DNR.

- You... you cannot be serious.
- Oh, no, no, no.

We gotta let her go.

In two seconds I can
have her breathing again.

Lauren, she made her wishes clear.

She wishes to see her grandchild!

But that was a minute ago
in a conversation.

The legal and binding choice she made

was no shocks, no medical intervention.

Look, it's here in her file.

Okay, but if she was awake right now,

she would reverse that DNR,
and you know it.

- But she's not awake.
- That's because we're arguing

instead of trying to resuscitate her!

Lauren, if you touch Marianne,

you're violating her rights.

You need to let her go in peace.

Here, no, she's DNR.

Lauren! What are you doing?

Someone get the crash cart in here now!

Stop!

I need MP. Come on, Marianne.

Enjoy the trip, Doc.

If Dr. Sharpe thinks this will help,

she's worse off than I am.

This stays between us.

- And thank you.
- For what?

I wasn't even here.

Oh, you gotta get me back
before Burning Man.

Uh, hey, everyone. Sorry to interrupt.

Um, it was recently
brought to my attention

that this feels like a hospital.

So I'd like you to meet our new
therapists and social workers,

all of whom are fully trained
in palliative care.

I've also hired some acupuncturists

and a yoga instructor, massage therapist,

and last but not least,
I would like you to meet

- Trinket and Cici!
- Aww.

Hey, hi there!

Uh, these guys are gonna
hang out with you

and have some fun,
so without further ado,

I'd like you to welcome
the new full-time staff

of "The Graveyard."

And we've really gotta change that name.

I am impressed.

Not bad, right?

But like we used to say
at the Yonkers City Council,

how the hell are we paying for this?

I'm working on it.

So how did you like the lunch
I prepared for you?

It was so good. I loved it, thank you.

And what was your favorite part?

- Mutton samosa?
- Yup, yes, definitely.

They were vegetable samosas.

How could you give away the food

that I just made for you?

It's too much.

Okay, I will pack a smaller lunch.

No, that's not what I meant.

I mean, I know I asked for help,

but you're smothering me.

I was just trying to help you.

I know, and I'm sorry,

but I don't need to be helped like that.

You're stressing me out.

This is what family does.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

I just... if this is gonna work,

I just need us to have some boundaries.

Boundaries?

What kind of boundaries?

Just for starters,
you can't feed me five courses

at every meal. I know that might be how

you do things, but it's
not how I want to do them.

I wanna eat what I wanna eat.

Okay.

Well...

If this is what you feel.

I'll see you at home.

Don't wait up.

Welcome to Pain De Vie.

Oh... hey.

Hey.

How are you holding up?

Still can't get his words out of my head.

Don't think I ever will.

Yeah.

You know, I, um...

I've said those words to my father.

I've hated my father.

I've hated him.

But I never stopped loving him.

Ever.

And I care what he thinks about me.

I really do.

Just like how Peter cared
what you thought about him.

Okay, I appreciate what
you're trying to do here,

but I was never there for him.

He asked for you.

That was his dying wish was to see you.

And yes, it was ugly,

and it was rough.

But... I promise you,
it was not just hate.

Well, doesn't matter now. It's over.

No, no, no.

But for Peter, it is, yes.

But not for you.

You get to finish the conversation.

I don't think this is working.

I've heard death

described as the introduction
of ink into water.

So it's not a vanishing,

it's an expansion.

A poetic treatment
won't solve a concrete problem.

I relate as a scientist, I do.

But to me,

numbers aren't concrete at all.

And neither is death.

Make your case, doctor.

What's the highest number?

Or the last digit in pi?

How many snowflakes are in a blizzard?

When it comes to the end of life,

maybe we need to leave
quantifiable behind

and rely instead on experience.

After all, no one can count
all the snowflakes

in a winter storm.

Nothing...

is actually very easy to count.

She's stable.
Heart rate and rhythm normal.

Blood pressure steady. Mentally intact.

Are you... Are you punishing me?

For saving her life?

The ends don't justify the means.

Marianne is gonna get to see
her grandchild before she dies.

Once you started to resuscitate her,

when were you going to stop?
At three broken ribs?

At a chest tube?

What if you had revived Marianne

only to learn that she was brain dead?

Yeah, well, none of that happened.

Yeah, but our job
was to give her a good death.

She had it and you just took it away.

I did what Max would have wanted.

Oh, you're gonna pin it on Max?

Not just Max. You know,

Sharpe, Iggy, Kapoor...

All of them would've
done the exact same thing.

- Oh, you don't know that.
- Take a look around, Floyd.

Everyone here bends the rules.

Everyone except you.

So you wanna find someone to shame,

someone who doesn't fit in here,

you're looking at the wrong person.

Uh, thank you all for coming
to Debra's living wake.

If you have things
you wish to say to her,

feelings you wish her to know,

now is the time.

Why... why don't you start us off, Debra?

Um, tell everyone what you're feeling.

I can't do this.

Yes, you can. Just open up.

Ladies and gentlemen, Debra Keating.

Beverly?

Come here, girl.

Come here. All right.

Most of you know my Beverly.

What you don't know

is that when my health plummeted,

she was so worried about me

she wouldn't even touch her food.

She became so sad and lethargic.

So she really experienced
the illness with me.

So even though it broke my heart,

I gave her to my sister, Anna.

My rock since the day I was born.

And Frank, the best brother-in-law.

I love you and your whole family.

Is Ted here?

There you are. Thank you for being here.

And, uh, Jeremy.

I... I never thought
I'd say this out loud...

- Debra...
- But I... I have loved you

ever since that night at the ferry.

- I didn't know how to say it.
- Stop, stop speaking.

Stop speaking, please. This wake is over.

Please, thank you, and good-bye.

Please, thank you, bye-bye. Bye.

- What are you doing?
- You... you can't have a wake.

You're not dying, so...

Tell me you kept the receipts.

Okay, before you say anything else,

uh, you should know that,
uh, it looks expensive,

and that's because it is.
But it's the right thing to do,

and it's all paid for.

And how, pray tell,
is that even possible?

Because of you.

All your hard work with
the new donor, Ozzie Cobb.

$5 million donation, wow.

And all I need for this is $1 million.

You, Karen Brantley, are a genius.

Ozzie Cobb hasn't given
a dime to this hospital.

- What's that now?
- He's a selfish tight-ass

who pledges millions every year
and never donates a damn thing.

I was hoping to get him on the hook.

But he wriggled out again.

And if you just had shown up,

you might've been able to reel
him back in, but you didn't.

And now it's too late.

- Okay. If I'd known that...
- Save it, Max.

Because you just spent
$1 million we don't have.

- Um...
- Get everyone out of here today.

I'm not going to die?

Nope. going to be the biggest,
You and Beverly both have

a bacterial disease called Leptospirosis.

It presents the same
in humans and canines.

Uh, you must have gotten it
on one of your walks.

- But how did no one...
- The symptoms were masked

by your Scleroderma. It was well hidden.

Then how did you know?

I listened to you.

With antibiotics,

both of you will make a full recovery.

Oh.

Once you start with the emotions,

it's hard to stop, isn't it?

Oh, my God.

I told all those people how I feel.

Even Jeremy.

I realize now that a living wake

may not have been what you needed.

I'm really sorry for
forcing you to have one.

Don't you dare be sorry.

My wake...

It was the best day of my life.

Peter.

You are my baby boy.

I wish...

I wish I could've shown you how much...

how much I love you.

But Papa's here now.

I'm here.

And I'm not leaving.

Ozzie, I am so glad I caught you.

You are one slippery fish.

Well, I told chairwoman Bradley

I've see everything I needed to see.

Yeah, actually, not everything.

- The floor is yours, Max.
- Okay, great, thank you.

And, uh, thank you all for coming.

Tonight, I have the great
pleasure of introducing

our new palliative care unit,

where our patients will spend
their final days

being cared for on their own terms.

It's a dream come true for this hospital.

But it almost didn't happen.

Thanks to a very, very charitable

last-minute donation, we can now call

this one-of-a-kind unit

a permanent feature
here in New Amsterdam.

So now, when you think of philanthropy,

you will forever think of

the "Ozzie Cobb Palliative Care Wing."

Take a look at that! Pretty good, right?

Oh... thank you!

Yes!

Look at this guy!

I... I did n... I...

I know, I couldn't agree more.

I think what you're trying to say

in front of everyone gathered here today,

our patients... oh, look at
that... the news media,

the print, broadcast
and streaming outlets...

Hi there... Is thank you.

Now let's get a few photos of him

signing the check, shall we?

Let's really capture this moment

of boundless philanthropy
for everyone to see, huh?

You're on the hook now.

Hey, all right!

- Smile, please.
- Yes!

He's the best, isn't he?

Hello, Dr. Duarte. The answer is yes.

I'd love to come work for you
at Yerba Buena Hospital.

Hell of a day.

Yeah.

Burden me.

I don't know what Georgia
would've wanted.

And we were so busy
trying to save our marriage

and deal with my cancer...

I didn't even ask her.

The flowers.

I just feel like I got the flowers wrong.

They were beautiful.

The funeral home, they...

They sent options, and, you know, I...

I mean, I just let them
choose and then...

- What if... what if...
- Max,

you've got to forgive yourself.

Maybe I thought if I can

prepare everyone else, then... I could.

And?

What do you want

when the time comes?

I...

You don't have to...

Well, someone should know.

Um...

Luna...

by my side, singing to me.

Even if I can't hear it.

Just wanna feel that she's there.

I'll tell her.

What about you?

How about we just throw
a big party and call it a day?

What kind of party? Are we talking, uh,

piñatas or clowns...

I was thinking more dancing.

Dancing? Okay, so, like
tango or merengue?

See, you gotta be specific
so I get it right.

Oh, so you're in charge?

Someone should be.