Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Bringing home a baby when you've already got a kid,
that's tough.
I thought I had it made.
My sister came to help me with my newborn.
I wish I had a sister like that.
My Kelly -- She's 4 -- What a trouper.
She's brushing her baby brother's hair,
helping to change diapers.
"Just like playing house, Mommy," she says.
Then my sister had to go home.
ng out,
and Kelly starts screaming, hysterical,
"Aunt Sherry, wait. You forgot your baby."
She cried for a week
when she realized that the baby was ours.
What do you say to the older kid, huh?
We love you so much,
we wanted another one just like you?
Yeah your
g that to you?
Honey, I love you so much,
I'm bringing home another wife just like you!
Aah!
Aah!
I forgot. Sorry.
Dana: No hot water!
Get your body heat up.
This is what happens when you sneak around,
fall asleep at a one-bedroom on a double without a frame,
which I never do, 'cause I fell for my intern,
which I can't believe I've done!
[ Shivering ]
Hey, it's only hot water. It could be worse.
How?
llular Phone Beeps ]
That's the hospital.
You might want to put some clothes on.
What have we got?
Female, approximately 32,
unconscious when E.M.S. got to her.
She was mugged behind the museum.
Blunt-force trauma to the back of the head.
Pulse is weak.
Breathing is irregular and labored.
Man: I.V., D-5W, T.K.O.
Has she opened her eyes to any stimulus?
No.
Moved her extremities?
Flexion withdrawal only.
Any vocalization?
None.
She's low on the Glascow Coma Score,
high risk for intracranial pressure.
Why'd you page me for this?
Surgical counsel.
But I'm not the surgeon on call.
I know. Isn't she your patient?
No. I've never seen this woman before in my life.
She had this on her.
No wallet, no handbag. Just this.
"Dr. Dana Stowe."
It's you, all right.
Question is, who is she?
Mark the time.
How long has she been unconscious?
About 50 minutes.
Uh, B.P. is 90 over 60.
Do another blood gas.
Get another C.B.C., microlite panel.
Type and cross-match for 2 units.
Doctor.
Still no word from the police as to who she is?
No. They went door-to-door, but came up zip.
There's a fracture here and here.
There's a small bleeder.
Increase the resp. rate
and give her a paralytic -- Vecronium.
Got it.
Oh, damn. She's blown a pupil.
Intracranial pressure's rising. Reduce the fluids.
Mannitol. No.
We have to normalize the I.C.P. Mannitol's textbook.
This is an emergency room, not a classroom.
Her blood pressure's too low. Mannitol could kill her.
I could live without the lecture.
You'll know when it's a lecture.
Monitor the CO2. Keep it in the low 30s.
Yes, ma'am.
Get neuro down here.
Right.
Lana: Looks like they cleared the bench
for your alma mater.
Alma mater. Right.
Principal said my life was over
when I dropped out 'cause of Marc.
Now I'm the team doctor
and Mr. Wilson's still handing out detention slips.
Nothing like the tyranny of small minds.
Lu: Girls, why don't you grab a chair?
Let's get started on these district insurance forms.
Hey, Mimi. How's your mother doing?
Pretty good.
She's still taking her medicine?
Twice a day, empty stomach.
Hey, coach.
Hey. Nice digs. When we were their age,
of town was ntry.
Friday night, all the scouts will be at the game.
Don't blow the big opener tonight
'cause you're thinking about Friday.
Thanks for taking the pressure off, Lu.
You're a big star. You can handle it.
So, how you feeling in general?
Stuffy nose, is all.
let's take a look.
Your sinuses are red,
I'll give you a prescription for a decongestant.
Now let's talk about what's really important --
Boys.
Do you know Carl Monroe?
Debate team Carl?
Yeah. His mom's a patient. He's all I hear about.
Not too shabby, miss.
Can you believe him hooking up with me?
I can barely hold up my end of the conversation.
Take him out to shoot some hoops,
n
ht?
What's going on?
Neural has some concerns.
Her intracranial pressure keeps going up.
I don't like what I'm seeing.
What do you suggest?
You want to help this woman? Induce a barbiturate coma.
That's still experimental.
Decreasing brain-wave activity can help reduce
internal pressure in the brain.
Wait -- Wait a minute.
You're talking about
in a deeper coma on purpose?
The theory is that by slowing the metabolism,
y.
It might also drive her so deep we can't pull her out.
So it could kill her?
This next few hours
If she slips deeper on her own, we lose control.
Dana, you make the call.
That's really a call her family should make.
Have you heard from the police?
No. She's still a Jane Doe.
She's got to have some family somewhere.
Right now you're the closest thing she's got.
That's 5 gross of condoms
and a month worth of vitapaks.
Check. Ready for *** patrol.
You know, in the old days
community outreach meant sending the vice squad.
Vitamins and condoms sure are cheaper...
and a lot more help.
Hey, sorry I can't help you guys tonight.
I promised Marc I'd take him to the game.
Ooh, these the new Rittenhouse Women's Health Center condoms?
Yeah. The printing came out real nice, too.
"If found, return to Rittenhouse Hospital."
Ha ha ha!
Ha ha. I know you're kidding.
And you are kidding, right?
[ Crowd Cheering ]
Defense! Defense!
Defense! Defense!
Defense!
Why didn't we go to a Sixers game?
Uh, because maybe I'm not their doctor,
and I can't get us in for free.
I know someone
who can get us into a New York Liberty game.
Don't hog the ball, Mimi!
W.N.B.A.? You mean girls' basketball?
It's the same thing --
Very tall athletes dribbling the ball down the court.
The only difference is
they don't have their names on their sneakers
or their face on the Wheaties box
or the 6:00 news.
Oh, yeah, very funny, Mom.
Whoo!
Throw strong, Janet!
In your face, Memorial.
[ Whistle Blows ]
Janet, can you hear me? I'm here. I'm with you.
I'm going to take care of you.
Is she going to be okay?
Give me some room here, people.
Out of my way. That's my daughter.
Art: Janet, baby. What happened?
I don't know yet. Hold on.
Come on, baby, can you get up?
No, no, no. Don't move her.
Blood hasn't stopped and her pulse is weak.
Call Rittenhouse. Tell them we're coming in.
It's Daddy. Can you hear me?
Baby, you're going to be okay. You'll be okay.
Lu, I feel fine. It was just a nosebleed.
When can I get out of here?
Wasn't just a nosebleed.
A normal, healthy girl doesn't drop to the hardwood
without a reason.
What's that mean? Is something wrong with me?
You know what's wrong.
What are you talking about? You saw me this morning.
Anything else you forgot to tell me?
Is she pregnant? I'll kill that Carl!
Dad, no!
No, Mr. Lewis, she isn't pregnant.
Then what?
What drugs have you been taking?
The medicine you gave me today, that antihista-thing.
That's not what your blood tests say.
They also show a high level of testosterone,
the male hormone,
synthesized as a performance-enhancing drug,
like steroids.
It's a mistake.
Normal girl like you would have 15, 17 nanograms
of testosterone per deciliter of blood plasma.
Yours is 200.
There's only one way it gets that high.
Were you injecting it?
No!
What, then? Creams? Pills? Where are you getting it?
Nothing, and can we cut the third degree?
You have to be careful about what you're saying.
ghter us.
What I prescribed for you
had a reaction to the testosterone.
Your blood pressure skyrocketed.
That's why you blew a blood vessel in your nose.
I feel fine now.
Girls taking this stuff
totally screw up their bodies.
properly.
They stop getting their periods,
not to mention the liver damage.
I'm keeping you overnight,
and I'm going to run some tests.
[ Knocks On Door ]
You still here?
I see I'm not the only one.
No intern's going to want to miss
an experimental barbiturate coma.
he is?
Cops fingerprinted her,
but she's not in their system or the FBI's database.
So, what? She's not a criminal?
Or a lawyer.
[ Sighs ] Oh, geez.
So, time's ticking.
You going to do it?
If I don't,
she may slip into a coma on her own and die.
If I do, I don't even know if she'll live,
and if she lives,
she may be in a coma for the rest of her life.
Dr. Dana Stowe
second-guessing herself.
That's a first.
Second-guessing you is part of my job.
Is it your job to embarrass me in front of the staff?
You could have cut me some slack.
Why? Because we're sleeping together?
You're overcompensating
to keep this relationship a secret.
I'm trying to earn respect, and I get shot down.
How do you think that makes me look?
The way you're supposed to look --
intern.
You take one vitamin pack a day,
and you're good to go.
Baby, this butt gets the kind of workout
they've got no infomercial for.
I might have to take two a day.
[ Laughter ]
No, listen. Y'all want to keep your butts healthy,
get into the clinic to see Lu.
Y'all know where the Rittenhouse is.
Corner of self-righteous and hypocritical?
Unh-unh, unh-unh. Hey, hey, hey.
rd.
So there's no problem.
There's plenty more where these came from, ladies,
so gather round. Don't be shy.
Lana: Hey, Reverend Hayes!
Hey, Peter, look. It's Reverend Hayes.
What the hell?
Can you believe this?
Reverend Hayes!
Hey!
I'll be damned.
Just drove off with a ***!
Guess he doesn't play golf on his day off.
After she's admitted,
call hematology to order a full blood workup.
I want to know if she's on anything else.
Also, I want to do a liver damage test.
Dr. Biancavilla, aren't you supposed to be monitoring
my Jane Doe in I.C.U.?
I just came from there. There's no change.
He's helping me get a patient admitted.
He's on my service, not yours.
I'm short-handed.
I offered to help.
Then, help me and yourself by monitoring my patient.
Where's Janet?
Is she okay?
Hold on. She's all right. Just simmer down.
Lu, what happened to her?
Janet had a reaction
to a performance-enhancing drug.
No. That's got to be a mistake. Not Janet.
Lori, I've got to ask you,
did you have anything to do with this?
our mind?
Did you notice any increase of muscle mass,
mood swings, flare-ups of anger, depression?
What you just described could be any of them.
They're teenagers.
So you didn't have anything to do with this?
I tell these kids all the time,
"No drugs of any kind. No drinking.
Keep up the grades. Don't get knocked up."
Lu, you know me.
Yeah.
Janet.
All the girls are going to have to be tested.
Forget that. That is not going to happen.
to --
I'm the team doctor. You made sure of that.
The bottom line is, they don't get tested,
they don't play.
Do you want to tell them, or am I going to have to?
Okay, girls, uh,
let's listen up.
Uh, I'm sorry I have to say this,
but I'm going to have to test you all for drugs.
What did Janet do?
Is she juicing? Damn!
I have to make sure you're all clean.
I don't use drugs.
You didn't have to give
such a hard time back there.
This Jane Doe's really getting to you,
isn't she?
I'm about to induce a level-4 barbiturate coma
in a woman I know nothing about.
Does she have a family, kids?
Who's out there worried about her?
Maybe nobody besides you.
If I were her, that would be enough for me.
Listen to me, okay?
You try risky procedures all of the time.
What's making you so gun-shy now?
A few years back,
I had a 17-year-old patient --
Elizabeth Prendergast.
She came in with a tubal pregnancy.
The Prendergasts were afraid of anesthesia,
so I suggested an alternative, methotrexate,
to induce a spontaneous miscarriage.
No cutting, so no anesthesia. It's a good idea.
That's what I thought --
Till she had an allergic reaction.
What's that, a million-to-one odds?
It was a mess.
Internal bleeding, emergency surgery,
the whole 9 yards.
She's been at home
with continual care ever since.
She never came out of the coma.
You couldn't have known that would happen.
Didn't make it any easier to tell her parents
that they'd never have their daughter back again.
That's one bad case.
How many women's lives have you saved since then?
This woman has just dropped into my hands.
I have to make up her mind for her.
What if I'm wrong...
again?
What if you're not?
You know you have my full support.
Thank you, Robert.
Everything's documented.
All the I's dotted, T's crossed.
Legal and ethics agree.
Just in case?
It's a risk, doing this on a "Jane Doe."
It's a risk if I don't do it.
Drill.
I'm in.
Okay.
I'll insert the intracranial pressure monitor --
Catheter...
and we'll monitor her pressure
on the E.E.G.
Now the magic potion.
200 milligrams pentobarbital, please.
I think she's there.
Wherever "there" might be.
The deepest level of unconsciousness possible
for a living person.
Hey.
Dana?
Oh. Hey.
Been here all night?
Yeah.
Uh, there's this patient I'm worried about,
and I-I, uh, figured I might as well stay here
instead of being beeped and running back.
I understand.
Hey, Lu.
Hmm?
About yesterday -- I'm sorry I snapped at you.
I just have this patient, and --
You don't need to apologize.
I have you beat by at least 50 snaps.
You know, I used to
sleep a lot of nights at the old clinic.
Can't say that I'm surprised.
When we didn't have any heat in the apartment.
You know, I'd -- I'd say to Marc,
"hey, we're going camping,"
and, uh, we'd make hot chocolate
and roast marshmallows over the bunsen burner.
He'd always sleep like a baby,
but next day I always felt like hell.
Well, I think I'm in purgatory already.
Give me your pager.
Yeah. Gimme.
Go take a hot shower, and if it beeps,
I'll come get you.
Thanks.
She's been getting weaker,
and she's dizzy and she's forgetting things.
We've been real worried about her.
Okay, well, let's take a look.
How are you feeling, Edith, huh?
Fine, Dr. Delgado.
Good. Let's take
You been feeling kind of weak these days, huh?
Oh, no, not really.
You see, she doesn't even really know how she feels.
Well, her blood pressure's good -- 140 over 80.
And her temp's normal.
Your mom seems fine.
Well, Lu, she's not. It comes and it goes.
Maybe you should admit her,
and you could watch her yourself over the weekend.
Come here.
Where are your kids tonight?
They're at a sleepover.
So you came up here to dump your mother on me?
You've got to be kidding.
I won this raffle
A weekend for two
in the Poconos,
there's no one to watch her.
Lu, it's too much.
Uh, Ron works days, I work nights.
I got the kids, mother, everything.
It's like we're not even married anymore.
ther
So you figure I have some big hotel
I can book people into whenever I say?
Lu, I want my mom living with us,
but we need this break.
You know we can't
.
Well, you're not leaving her here, either.
Listen, here's what you do, okay?
You go back to the neighborhood,
egister
She lives with her mom, who's, like... ancient.
I'm sure if you throw her a $50,
she'll be happy to look after your mom for you.
left er.
Up by just 4 now. Anderson with the ball...
How are you feeling?
Fine. I want to go home.
Just a few more tests.
Enough tests already.
Janet's got to get out of here.
She's got a game Friday.
Let's get this straight. Janet ain't playing.
She has to play. There's scouts coming to see her.
Janet's been suspended from playing
by the school district
because of her blood test results.
You told them?
I am the team doctor. e school.
Look, you and Janet both signed a waiver --
Then sign whatever you have to sign
so they'll let her play.
She deserves to get her chance.
I want her to have a future.
You think you know what's best for Janet.
If you don't let her play,
you're going to end up doing more damage than you know!
Daddy, your hand.
Reverend Hayes: Someone, help!
Peter: Let's get her in exam room one.
She threw up and then passed out.
ld
ne --
I don't know. Do a tox screen, stat.
What brought this on?
She said she was tired, felt nauseous.
bothering her?
Her feet. She said they were hurting.
Of course they are.
She's on them all day, except when she's not.
Pregnant?
I don't think so.
She mention anything about blurred vision,
thirstiness, uh, lose any weight lately?
I don't know.
We were only together for an hour.
She did drink several glasses of water.
Do a finger stick for glucose.
Diabetes, 10-to-1 odds,
t likely.
Black, female -- that would explain the feet,
and everything else.
Not everything. You excuse us a minute?
see you
Sure.
You mind telling me
what in the name of all that is holy
is going on between you and that girl,
not to mention the one I saw you with last night?
What are you suggesting?
I saw you give money to a girl last night.
I saw her get in your car.
I'm not having relations with that poor child
or anyone else.
You paid for something.
I paid her to talk.
Oh, like I ain't heard that one before.
ls
so I can counsel them, but you know how they are.
The only way I can get them to listen
is to buy a date at the going rate --
$50 for a half-hour of their time.
Once I've got them, maybe they'll listen,
maybe even talk, and I'll listen.
You serious?
Completely.
I do whatever I have to do
to get these girls off the street,
and I trust you can appreciate that.
Yeah, I can.
I'm going to see you on Sunday, Reverend.
I'm going to put a little something extra in your plate
when it comes around.
Excuse me?
Can I help you?
I was told my wife e.
ennis.
Hold on a second.
Ellen Connor.
No, no, I don't have an Ellen Connor.
Is there a Dr. Stowe here?
My wife was attacked. The police brought her here.
Sir, your wife is here. That's okay.
Uh, please, come with me.
Move!
Move!
Move!
Move!
Move!
What now, lie detector tests?
I want you to know
that the tests all came back negative,
uh, no drugs.
No, really?
We tried to tell you that.
I did what I had to do.
Maybe they expected something more.
Look, I'm sorry if what I did hurt you guys.
You know what, wait. No, I'm not.
I'm not going to apologize for protecting you.
You're going to apologize for this.
All that protecting screwed any chances
the rest of us have for a future.
Janet's not the only one
who hopes ball is going to get her into college.
I never spoke to the press.
You think the top-ranked girls' team in the city
can pee into little plastic cups
without people finding out?
I'll tell the papers you tested negative.
You do that.
Be just like the story about my brother
not robbing that store
way back in the neighborly section
where nobody can see it.
Thank you.
My God!
Ellen?
Dennis Connor --
her husband.
He was out of town. He didn't know.
What's wrong with her?
The police said she was mugged.
Ellen, can you hear me?
Mr. Connor, I'm Dr. Stowe.
I've been treating your wife.
ious head injury.
What? I can't believe this.
She's supposed to be in a seminar.
I told her I wouldn't call,
that she should call me when she had time.
Mr. Connor, your wife's injury
has caused swelling of the brain.
We tried to reduce it, but we were not successful.
Is she in a coma?
Yes. We had to put her in one --
Wait, wait, you put her in a coma?
It was our only option
to try to save your wife's life.
Hold on, hold on.
Doctors are supposed to pull people out of comas.
There's a theory -- the body can better heal itself
when it's in this state.
My wife is lying here barely breathing
because of your theory?
What the hell kind of doctors are you?
I'm the chief of staff. I want to assure you
that Rittenhouse has spared
no effort or expense in your wife's care.
We should do this now.
Do what?
Dr. Clark is reducing the amount of barbiturates
which are maintaining the coma.
Then it will be up to your wife's body
as to when she regains consciousness.
[ Sighs ]
[ Machine Beeping ]
What's that? What's happening now?
Mr. Connor, please, we'll take care of it.
It's 80 over 50, and it's falling!
She's in V-Fib!
Dennis: What's happening now?
She's dying. Do something. Help her.
Mr. Connor, please, let them take care of her.
Got it?
Here. You got it?
Charging.
Charging.
Clear!
Charge again!
Got it. One more. Charged.
Clear!
Mr. Connor.
Ellen -- is she --
She's stable.
What the hell does that mean?
She's still in a coma?
Yes.
Oh, God.
We got her heart started,
but she didn't regain consciousness,
back rate coma.
If what you've done has hurt my wife...
Mr. Connor, you weren't available.
Choices had to be made.
We can control this coma.
That's not what it looks like.
n bed.
Can I, uh, talk to you in the hall, Mr. Lewis?
Fine. Hardly feel a thing.
s what I thought.
Yeah, but it's fine.
What's on your mind?
I ran some tests
My blood?
Yeah, from the cut on your hand
after you crushed that coffee mug.
You know, I missed the warning signs with Janet,
but I wasn't going to miss them again.
Your blood also shows
an extraordinarily elevated level of testosterone,
just like we found in Janet.
you come off
supplying your daughter with this stuff?
It's not what you think. Janet had no idea.
She's not involved. It was me.
The drugs were in her system.
I know.
Look, doc,
you know, I played ball.
I had talent, too.
I just never caught a break. But with my little girl,
from the time she could walk,
I knew she had it.
I spent my life teaching her.
But what if that still wasn't enough?
So I got some stuff from this guy I work out with,
put it in her food to build her up,
to cut her recovery time,
take her to the next level,
and I never told her,
to protect her.
Nice job.
Basketball is her ticket out.
She's not getting out,
not with basketball, anyway.
But she's innocent here. I'll admit what I did.
They can't hold that against her.
It doesn't matter.
Janet suffered chronic liver disease.
Janet.
Are you saying she can't play again?
Not competitively, she won't,
and this will also take her
out of the running for any scholarships.
I did it for her.
I just wanted her to be the best.
She probably is.
Imagine how she'll feel now,
never being able to prove that that's true.
I just came down from the I.C.U.
Ellen Connor's I.C.P. Is coming down...
slowly, but it's coming down.
Good.
Do you want me to stay up there?
No, actually, would you mind
coming in here for a minute?
Am I talking to Dr. Stowe right now
or Dana?
That's the problem, isn't it?
See, I look at you,
and I see this amazing guy
who understands me, who I can talk to --
Who's great in bed.
Just checking.
What I'm trying to say...
Is I'm your intern, and I work for you.
And maybe I am...
Overcompensating?
But honestly, I --
You don't know how to act around me.
I really wish you'd stop finishing my sentences.
Am I being fired?
No. No.
Broken up with?
I wouldn't call it that.
There's another way to put it?
The secrets, the sneaking around,
the second-guessing
whether I'm too hard or too easy on you,
it's just not good for either of us,
you know that.
Look, Dana, you can break it off.
Please, don't tell me what I know, okay?
Fine.
I'll tell you what I know.
We can't be together, Nick,
not anymore.
Ahem. I guess I'd better check on Ellen.
Guess you'd better.
I just write the stories.
My editor decides what to print
and where to put it.
Your story on the girls was premature.
They were being tested for drugs, weren't they?
If I tell you they all tested negative,
you going to print that?
Depends. What about Janet Lewis?
How'd she test?
I can't violate a patient's privacy.
She's the star, she's the story.
No, the story is
that Janet Lewis won't be playing basketball
due to medical reasons which are privileged.
So she is doping?
What she's doing
What's important is there's going to be a team of girls
their families, their future.
You want to ruin their chance
of making something out of their lives?
No wonder people hate reporters.
You know, I bet reporters hate reporters.
She's been off the barbiturates for 20 minutes now.
Then why won't she wake up?
That's the part we can't control.
Did you see --
Ellen?
Ellen, can you hear me?
Come on, honey.
Wake up. I'm right here.
Ellen,
open your eyes.
That's good.
Ellen, did you hear that?
Can you hear me?
[ Mumbles ]
Ellen, don't -- don't try to talk.
You're in a hospital.
You've been hurt.
It's okay, honey.
I'm here.
Announcer: Tonight the Lady Eagles
go into the final round of this year's tournament,
Thought you scared me away?
Come on, you should know me better than that.
I do, I do.
But I'm not so sure irls.
I'm pretty sure they'll get over it.
We-we've been trying to...
When I...
saw you on television...
I wrote down your name.
And stuck the piece of paper in your pocket.
I was going to call for an appointment.
[ Sighs ]
Looks like you made the right decision.
This time.
eering ]
I'm glad you came.
They hate me, don't they?
They wish you were out there with them.
Better for them that I'm not.
How is that?
The scouts are up there.
they're watching the other girls.
Somebody else might get a shot now.
Basketball is not the only way to get out of here.
I mean, there are a lot of ways to get an education,
have a career, a life.
Look at me.
I'm not you, Lu.
Basketball was the only thing I was ever good at.
Why do you think my father got the drugs?
His stupid way of trying to help you.
Boys have been doing it for years --
High school, college, and the pros.
They make millions.
It used to not matter for girls.
Now it's changing. There is money out there --
Not as much, but enough to make it worth taking a shot.
It's not worth it if you're not doing it straight up.
That sounds good, but that's not the way it is.
You get an edge, you take it.
That's what your dad thought.
So did I.
My father wasn't putting the drugs in my food.
He only said that to keep me out of trouble.
He gave me the drugs, and I took them.
You go, girls.
Dr. Stowe.
Haven't seen you in a long time.
How are you?
Fine.
Elizabeth?
Oh, you know how it is -- the same.
Have the Prendergasts been to see her?
They visit here every week praying she'll wake up.
Stay as long as you want.