Nurse Jackie (2009–2015): Season 1, Episode 6 - Tiny Bubbles - full transcript

A former nurse in the hospital returns, sick from lung cancer and with a favor to ask of her friend Jackie. Dr. Cooper's mother is wheeled into the ER with abdominal pains - with his other ...

Previously on:

I got into nursing because
I wanna help people.

Mom and Dad are here. What?

You're in trouble.

I'm thinking private school.

That might be
extreme. And expensive.

When I get nervous, I act
out with sexual touches.

It's like, uh... It's
like Tourette's.

For the pain.

Thank you.

I was nude. Roy
dove for my scrotum.



Oh, yeah, a cat did that.

So I was thinking
maybe Immaculate Virgin.

They've got these adorable
uniforms. I've seen them.

They have a huge library.

The nuns there whack your
knuckles with wooden rulers.

Honey, that is not true.

I'd whack them back.

No, baby. Trust me.

You don't wanna whack a nun.

Nobody whacks anybody's
knuckles anymore.

That's corporal punishment,
hasn't been legal since...

I don't know. I don't know.

What's purple punishment?

Corporal punishment.



It means they can hit you,

but they don't do it unless
it's for your own good.

They hit me. Must've
been for your own good.

Finish your food please.

If Grace goes, I wanna go.

Honey, if you go to
Immaculate Virgin,

who's gonna play the sunflower

in the what's-so-great
about-Mother-Earth pageant?

Oh, yeah, I forgot.

Mm-hm.

Jackie.

Paula.

It's not dirty. It's
just crumpled.

Thanks.

You know, with the lung cancer,

maybe you shouldn't be smoking.

I know.

It'll kill me.

In 10 days, two
weeks, maybe three,

if my shitty luck holds up.

Mm.

Mm.

Oh, God, Paula, I'm so sorry.

Jackie.

After all our years
working together

in this crappy so-called
place of healing,

I can't believe how
fucking civil you still are.

Well, the feeling is mutual.

I've always been
a bitch on wheels,

and we both know it.

Um... How are you doing?

Hm.

That prick Singer in Oncology

told me that as of
today, I am out of options

and I should check into
hospice for palliative care.

Palliative care, my ass.

The thing is,

I wanna go out a little
sooner rather than later.

With a shred of dignity intact.

If I check into hospice,

I'll just lie there
till I'm dead.

I'm up to my tits in tragedy.

I know how the story ends.

So I wanna go out

with a little help
from my friends.

Hm... ah.

Dr. Keegan, call 399.

Dr. Keegan...

My God, they still
let you work here?

You look like
warmed-over shit on toast.

Well, at least I have a
halfway decent excuse.

Don't mess with me.

I'm a RN now.

Well, you'll always be an
LPN as far as I'm concerned.

I have both certifications.
What do you have?

Cancer, you big queen.

Guys.

Some people are
just too mean to live.

Are you a patient or a nurse?

I'm both.

So is Bed 5 still
doing its magic?

I don't know. What magic?

Bed 5 is famous
for people dying in it.

They check in, but
they don't check out.

Mm. Sounds good to me.

Hello, Nurse Korsenowski.

Akalitis.

Sounds like a disease.

Well, you know that, right?

I got Akalitis.

Are you visiting? No,
I'm just passing through.

We're waiting for a
bed up in Hospice.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

And I want you to
know I forgive you

for all your years
of shitty treatment.

I'm speaking
personally, of course.

If there's anything I can do
to expedite matters upstairs,

just let me know,

even if I have to pull somebody
else's plug to make room.

What a cunt.

Holy shit.

A friend of yours?

Yeah, a nurse I worked
with for like 15 years,

something like that.

She left here about
a year ago. Cancer.

I can see that.

Where is she now?

The nurses' station,
giving Akalitis shit.

Nice.

Hard for you.

You don't know the half of it.

Ah...

Are you gonna do it?

She would do it for me.

Do you want my help?

No.

Okay, then.

Well, I'm here if
you need me. I know.

Thank you.

Zoey.

I know, private
moment. I'm sorry.

Oh. Hey, Kev.

No, Mom, it's me, Fiona. Hello.

Hello. Why are we whispering?

Because I'm supposed to
be asleep. Don't tell Dad.

Okay, it's our secret.

I'm wearing my sunflower
costume as my pajamas,

okay?

Yes, that's okay, my love.

Okay, bye.

Fi, wait. Honey, don't hang up.

What have we got?

She was complaining...

My God, what are you doing here?

Oh, good.

Pain, my stomach.

Abdominal pain
radiating through her back

and up the right shoulder.

Looks like her gallbladder.

It's probably nothing,
but you know Leslie,

she made me come.

Just have a look, honey.

I'll take some Tums and
then I'll get out of your hair.

Mom, you know I can't treat
you. It's against the rules.

I am your mother.
I gave birth to you.

I put you through
medical school.

You can at least have a look.

Come on, don't be
such a baby, Fitch.

Really, Mom, I can't treat you.

I could get in a lot of trouble.

Plus I haven't seen your
stomach since I was a kid.

It's her gallbladder.

You're hurting my mother.

I'm a doctor, you ninny.

Don't call my son a ninny.

Put her in Exam
Room 3. Thank you.

No, no, no. I want you.

She insisted on coming
here instead of Lenox Hill.

I'm sorry.

Don't worry, Mom. We're
taking good care of her.

You have two mothers?

Yeah, I have two moms.

Bravo, Dr. Cooper.

Oh, God, sweetie, you
look like a pincushion.

I'm gonna try the other side.

Can I get you
something to drink?

Crushed ice with a
hemlock chaser, please.

Shouldn't someone
call up to Hospice?

I'm not going to Hospice,
Pippi Longstocking.

Why not?

Yeah, like I need
more sad shit in my life.

Sure, put me in a
room full of death.

You're sweet for asking, though.

Christ.

Can you get her some
crushed ice, please?

Is that cat-ball guy?

He did it to me again.

Your cat? How did he do that?

He hit the switch for
the garbage disposal

while I was trying
to fish a fork out.

Looks like you're gonna need
more than stitches this time.

I'm waiting for the
vascular surgeon

and someone from Plastics,
whatever the fuck that means.

Cat-ball guy, eh?

Let me guess, you were naked.

Cat sees your nads
swinging in the breeze

and being a cat, he pounces.

You told her. No, not me.

Cats are cats.

You're not the first
guy it happened to.

When I worked
here, a guy came in

with one of his
nuts in a baggie.

A cat went apeshit on him.

Who is she?

He needs to kill that cat.

You'd better not care
more about that old nurse

than you do about me.

Oh, shit.

I'm gonna need
five times as much.

You know, it's better if
you leave. Nonsense.

Nothing's better if I leave.

Does this hurt worse when
I press it or when I stop?

Both.

Put her on IV antibiotics
and call up to Surgery.

We need to get her into an OR.

Mom, it's not
that big of a deal.

Make an incision, clear
the hepatobiliary triangle,

clip the cystic duct and artery,

and then separate
the gallbladder.

You'll be out in an hour.

Did you honestly need
to tell her all of that?

I-I like to know everything
before it happens.

She's impossible to
watch movies with.

Heh. Will you
please allow my son

to assist in the opening
of my abdominal wall?

Fine.

Just as long as he
doesn't touch anything.

Can I see it?

Why? Want to take it
home in a doggie bag?

Do you have a jar?

Shit, her BP is dropping.

Let's get her BP up and
get some fluids in her, RFN.

Right fucking now.

That's a good boy.

Doctor, can I have a
minute of your time, please?

Certainly.

Walk with me.

Or we can stay here.

Um... I sense that Jackie

is going through something.

And as her protégé

I think it's my duty to
be there to support her.

Darling, your
instincts are spot on.

I thought so too.

And not to take anything away

from your friendship
with Jackie...

Of course not.

You're a doctor.

She and I are both nurses

in the trenches
together, you know?

I want her to know
that I'm here for her.

And I think she's afraid to cry.

Darling, you are
absolutely right.

What Jackie needs right now

is mountains of hugs,
especially from you.

I'll give you a little tip:
she's gonna want to run,

but don't you let her.

She needs you, Zoey,
now more than ever.

Bah.

Oh. You guys.

Oh, thank you, A.J.

That feels so good.

You actually
have beautiful feet.

My ex-husband thought so too.

Hm. Someone married you?

Don't get excited.
He divorced me too.

That was 20 years I pissed away.

What a needy piece of shit.

Weak, very weak. Who needs it?

What's his name?

Harry, which is pretty
fucking funny for a bald guy.

Want me to call him?

Hell no.

He lives in Philly
with some fat girl now,

worships the ground he walks on.

Idiot.

I got some subway
tokens. Here, you take them.

How old is that purse?

They got rid of tokens,
like, seven years ago.

Take them. Fine.

Excuse me. You're welcome.

Isn't a foot massage
thank you enough?

Oh, it feels so good,
even though my lungs

feel like they're filled
with razor blades

and I'm really
craving a cigarette.

Holy Christ.

Who do I give these to?

What are they for?

My apartment.

Ooh, you got anything good?

It's all shit.

How are you feeling?

Like I'm dying.

And every time I see you

I am reminded what a slow
and agonizing process it is.

What is she still doing here?

They're getting her
bed ready up in Hospice.

Oh, hey, Akalitis,

I got something in here for you.

I tried to change
my name to yours

in fifth grade, remember?

I think I do remember that.

You were always
such a funny kid.

Funny, hah-hah?

No, more like

funny
what-planet-is-this-kid-from?

Why on Earth would you
want to change your name?

So I could switch homerooms.

All the A-though-K
kids made fun of me

for my Tourette's and OCD.

And, well, lesbian moms.

Really, Fitch, do
you honestly think

that the L-through-Z kids

would have been any nicer?

Probably not.

Paging Dr. Shinehorn.
Dr. Shinehorn to the OR.

Right? Doesn't it
have a nice ring to it?

No, Cooper's a much better name.

Yeah.

But I liked you better.

Stop. What? I did.

I taught you how
to drive a stick.

I let you stay up late. So what?

You were the better cook.

You sewed all my
buttons back on.

You took me to Duran Duran.

I loved you more. Embrace it.

The reason I was more fun

is because she
wanted us to bond,

so she gave me
all the fun stuff.

That's all. She gets
the credit, not me.

And you know what? It worked.

Here we are.

Voilà.

Paging Dr. Shinehorn.

Dr. Shinehorn to the OR.

Hello. Hey, look who's up.

Did they get it all?

Mm-hm. All out. All gone.

And where is the little fucker?

Right there.

Ooh.

For all the pain, it sure as
hell doesn't look like much.

Hm. You know, that's
the exact same thing I said

when they cut the cord
and put you in my arms.

Thank you for sitting with me.

Okay, so right before we
stabilize Coop's vagina mom

he grabs my tit.

Vagina mom? Should I even ask?

Apparently, Coop's
got two mothers.

Vagina mom is the one
that actually gave birth to him,

as opposed to
putting him in a sack

and tossing him in the sea.

And the other one
is the other one.

Eddie. Hey.

I heard you were passing
through, so to speak.

I stopped by to pay my respects

and say that, uh...

Vaya con Dios?

Bon voyage?

Yeah. Either one
of those, I guess.

Okay, Paula.

Eddie's a decent guy.

You know, he was
my pipeline to Percocet

after my hysterectomy.

I always thought he was so cute.

Seriously? He gave you
extra pills here, really?

Anything I wanted.

There was one time

when I ran out of
my refills for Vicodin.

I mean, who are you gonna go
to? He's the pharmacist, right?

I'm gonna get you
some more ice, okay?

Jackie.

Screw the ice.

I think it's time for a toast.

It's time.

Are you okay?

What do you think?

Excuse me.

Hi. Hey.

Angela, right?

Zoey. Ah. Sorry.

Um...

Please, yeah.

Oh...

Okay.

You and Jackie...

Your friend, the
nurse who's dying.

Paula. Yes, Paula.

I think the nurses...

uh, are planning...
something for her.

You know?

But I'm not sure
I can participate

in this thing that
they're planning.

So don't. And for the record,

I don't know what
you're talking about.

Gotcha.

But if I don't participate

Jackie and the other
nurses won't respect me.

I'm sure this is some sort of
rite of passage or something.

So you think this kind of
thing happens all the time?

Because I've never
seen it happen once.

Rite of passage?

Jesus Christ, do you
even think before you talk?

Constantly.

Listen, I've been here since

before you could read, okay?

Maybe not that long.

Yeah, because I've been
reading since I was 4...

Right, shut up.

This is a shitty day

for a lot of really good people,

so you can either get onboard,

you can stand on the sidelines,

you can look the other way,

dealer's choice.

The point is, no one's gonna
judge you one way or the other.

I thank you.

I just, you know,
want to be here, okay?

Okay, a toast.

Here's to you and here's to me.

And if we ever disagree:

fuck you.

Here's to me.

What are you all looking
at me for? That's all I got.

Jackie.

I need a priest.

Okay, honey. Hang on.

With the grace
of the Holy Spir...

Okay, you've got 10 minutes,
honey. I need him for five.

Come on, let's go. Let's go.

May the Lord who
frees you from sin

save you and raise you up.

"Fuck you and here's to me."

Hilarious.

If there's anything
funny with that bag

I'll have your asses.

Every single one of them.

♪ I don't know nothing
Except change will come ♪

♪ Year after year ♪

♪ What we do is undone ♪

♪ Time keeps moving ♪

♪ From a crawl to a run ♪

♪ I wonder if we're gonna ♪

♪ Ever get home ♪

♪ You're out there walking ♪

♪ Down a highway ♪

♪ And all of the signs ♪

♪ Got blown away ♪

♪ Sometimes you
wonder If you're walking ♪

♪ In the wrong direction ♪

♪ But if you break down ♪

♪ I'll drive out and find you ♪

♪ If you forget my love ♪

♪ I'll try to remind you ♪

♪ And stay by you ♪

♪ When it don't come ♪

♪ Easy ♪

♪ When it don't come ♪

♪ Easy ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ So many things ♪

♪ That I had before ♪

♪ That don't matter to me now ♪

♪ Tonight I cry ♪

♪ For the love that I've lost ♪

♪ And the love
I've never found ♪

♪ When the last bird falls ♪

♪ Someone will say
What's been said before ♪

♪ Some love We
were looking for ♪