01x23 - Love Among the Ruins

Episode transcripts for TV show, "ER". Aired: September 1994 to April 2009*
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Doctors save lives in the emergency room of a Chicago hospital.
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01x23 - Love Among the Ruins

Post by bunniefuu »

What are you doing?

Thinking .

About what?

l was remembering that summer
after Rachel was born .

We put the hammock up in the yard .

All three of us would get in .

We'd a nap together. Remember?

Yeah .

l love you .

Jen, we've been sharing
the same bed for a week.

l'm not ready yet, Mark.

''What a glorious morn .

Night's candles have burnt out. . .

. . .and jocund day stands tiptoe
on the misty mountain tops.''

l joined a Shakespearean theater
group . l'm going to play Romeo.

-A comic version?
-No.

'' But soft! What light through
yonder window breaks?

lt is the east and Juliet is the sun !

Arise, fair sun,
and k*ll the envious moon . . .

. . .who is already sick
and pale with jealousy.''

-Sick and pale is right.
-Nuts to you !

Sorry, l couldn't resist. l picked it
up in New Guinea last summer.

Got a roomful of drunks left over
from the night shift.

-Wanna help wake them up?
-Not really.

Suit yourself.

-First time you've been robbed?
-For two years, no problems. lt was time.

-Cleaned you out, huh?
-Yeah, money.

-But not my camera or books.
-That's good .

-Are you single?
-Why?

A lot of good-looking guys here.
Doctors, businessmen . . . .

l run a dating service out of the cab.

-For bucks you're in the book.
-No, thank you .

lt works. All these people get married
after meeting through my cab.

This lady runs her own business,
married a lawyer.

-This guy is a doctor.
-Hey, that's Dr. Cvetic!

Oh, my God . . . .

-You know Dr. Div?
-l used to.

This lady owns a chain
of mortuaries. Big bucks.

-She's fine.
-Oh, yeah .

Clean the cut.
l'll have Carter stitch him up .

-Something's wrong?
-That's her old boyfriend .

Write up his aftercare and call
pharmacy with med renewals.

Keep moving .

Hey, you . You get a doughnut?

See you next time.

Simple pleasures. l got your application
for the ER sub-internship .

With recommendation from Lewis
and Greene, but not from you .

l wasn't aware Mr. Carter had
applied for an ER sub-internship .

Yeah, it's sort of a backup .

-So we're not your first choice?
-No, no, no. . . .

l just haven't made up my mind yet. . .

. . .between ER and surgery.

Whatever. l need your evaluation
as soon as you can .

-Six-to-three.
-Nine hours?

l'm assistant coaching
Jake's baseball game.

Baseball? That's a big step
in any relationship .

Hope l don't have to
explain the infield fly rule.

-So how goes Milwaukee?
-Commute's not bad .

-But emotionally, l don't know.
-You're my domestic role model .

-Heard about the attending gig yet?
-No. l'm not holding my breath .

Gentlemen, good timing .
Kid in Three bumped his head .

-What do we have for Dr. Greene?
-l can run the board .

l'd just as soon handle it. Nobody's
taken the knee lac in Five.

Why don't l take it?

l needed a fallback. There's no guarantee
l'm gonna get the surgical sub-l .

-There are no guarantees in life.
-A lady from E.L.S.

Take a message. Write your own
recommendation and l'll sign it.

-Peter.
-What?

lt's your student loan service. You're
three months behind on your payments.

OB is on the th floor
and your appointment is at : .

Great, l get to sit around
and wait for two hours.

After your checkup go to
Social Services on the main floor.

Ms. Harding will help you apply
for WlC, AFDC and food stamps.

-How do l get home?
-Bus.

-What about lunch?
-l made you an egg salad sandwich .

-l forgot it.
-You forgot it on purpose.

l hate egg salad .

-l'll make dinner for you tonight.
-No, Chloe, don't. Don't!

-John . May l call you John?
-Sure.

Here's a good one for you .
Pretty, huh?

Kind of serious.

Turn-ons are motorcycles and water
sports. Sounds like a wild one.

''Seeks a man who enjoys fine dining,
romantic evenings, must be athletic. . .

. . .and pro-death penalty.''
l don't know.

-Wanna get in the book, John? Just $ !
-No, thanks.

Dr. Lewis wants to x-ray your eye
to make sure there are no fractures.

Hey, you fix me up,
l put you in for free.

So, John, tell me your turn-ons.

What?

-We should've eloped .
-What now?

The woman who's getting married
after us wants to share flowers.

-Why not? Split the cost.
-That's what l said .

She'll only pay a third . The flowers
would be ''used'' for her wedding .

Between that, the guest list, the
bridesmaid's shoes. . . . lt's out of control .

-We have to write our vows.
-Oh, God . . . .

We'll have lunch and figure out
what we're gonna say.

-John?
-Hey, Diane!

Diane Leeds. She helped me b*at
a malpractice case a few years ago.

-Which was totally bogus.
-This is my fiancée, Carol Hathaway.

-l've heard a lot about you .
-From Doug?

-From John .
-Doug?

Well, Diane and Doug Ross
are going out. Am l right?

-Yes, we are.
-Oh, l didn't know that.

-So when's the happ y day?
-May th .

-At St. Luke's.
-Beautiful church .

-l love weddings there.
-You should come.

Well, that'd be great.

-l'm gonna go find Doug .
-Good to see you .

-You too, John . Bye-bye.
-Bye.

-Why'd you do that? She'll bring Ross.
-l don't know. lt just popped out.

-Give me the b*llet.
-High-speed collision with a tree.

-Vitals?
-BP's over , pulse .

-Responds to pain .
-Pupils are equal and reactive.

Let's get an x-ray in here.
We need a lateral C-spine.

-How's his belly?
-Not rigid, bowel sounds normal .

-Coma score's nine.
-Borderline for brain damage.

He's a contender.
Stand by with Norcuron and Dilantin .

Call for a CT,
make sure no one's on the table.

-How's his pressure?
-Holding .

Excuse me, doctor.
l think you left this in my bedroom.

That's what happens when
l to dress in the dark.

Will there ever come a time. . .

. . .when l don't have to slink off in the
wee hours to avoid corrupting your son?

-l certainly hope so.
-So did you change your meeting?

lt didn't work.
l'm gonna miss your coaching debut.

-Jake will be disappointed .
-He's thrilled you're gonna be there.

Why is he wearing
his socks inside out?

-Jake's in a kind of a slump .
-Slump? He's hitting triple-zero.

l told him when l hit a slump
l like to change things.

Wear my socks inside out,
anything to turn it around .

l would never have thought of that.

See, it's a good thing
l'm here. Come here.

-Pulse ox?
-Ninety-two.

-Do we have a name?
-Clothes are on the cart.

-Anyone seen X-ray?
-l'll check.

Name's Donald Costanza.
l have a letter here. '' Dear Amy.''

Single vehicle into a tree,
could be a su1c1de.

'' l gave up everything for you .
Without you l'm already dead .''

-Not if l can help it.
-Dr. Greene?

Solo MVA, apparent su1c1de attempt.

-GCS , nonfocal .
-Pulse ox is down to .

-Tube him?
-l'm worried about the spine. Airway's okay.

-He needs intubation .
-l want to clear his C-spine.

-Wrong choice. Tube him now.
-l want an x-ray.

l'm not gonna argue with you .
Versed, migs, Norcuron .

Susan, hand me a laryngoscope
and a . ET tube.

Come on .

ln-line traction .

CT on that suicidal car wreck
shows a small subdural bleed .

That's no indication for surgery.

-Any change in his status?
-Still unconscious.

-What do you think?
-Time will tell .

The girl from the letter, Amy,
She's on her way in .

-How'd you find her?
-She called us.

Tell me you didn't get into a pissing match
with Swift and walk out of a trauma.

l did .

Do you want to throw
the attending job out the window?

lt's already gone, Doug,
and l don't really care.

Who are you kidding?
You worked seven years for this job.

lf you lose it over this petty crap,
buddy, you're a fool .

-Pardon me, are you a doctor?
-Yeah . Unwrap it, let's see.

l was cutting a bagel .

Wiggle your fingers.

Superficial .
Carter, l got another one for you .

lrrigate and stitch .

lf l'm not mistaken,
that's Mr. Howard Davis.

Of the '' Davis Cardiac Wing''
of this hospital .

-l know you .
-l went to school with your son .

-Johnny Carter. How are you?
-Fine, thank you .

Mr. Davis, William Swift.
Chairman of the Emergency Department.

-We met at the Board of Directors dinner.
-Good to see you .

-Bagel got away.
-They should come with instructions.

Call chief of hand surgery
and get Plastics down here.

Let them know it's Mr. Davis.

-Are you injured anywhere else?
-No.

But l noticed this little bump
in the corner of my eye.

-Jerry, Zimmerman from the Eye lnstitute.
-Right.

ln the meantime, Dr. Benton,
a senior surgical resident. . .

. . .will clean and irrigate your wound .

Right this way.

-Can Johnny come along?
-By all means.

Hope it wasn't the hand
that writes the checks.

-Hello?
-What happened?

-Brenda is burning with fever.
-Hey, Brenda, l'm Dr. Ross.

-Can you tell me where it hurts?
-ln my head and neck.

Okay. Touch your chin
to your chest.

Petechiae on her arm.
Anyone else feel sick?

Put her in an iso room, get a CBC,
Chem- and cultures times three.

-Are you thinking meningitis?
-That's right.

Mother was a nurse
before she started coaching .

-You're mother and daughter?
-They're from St. Josephine's.

They're nuns.

-Mother's a nun . l'm almost a nun .
-Okay.

We'll do a spinal tap on Brenda
to confirm the meningitis.

We'll have to isolate the rest of you
and examine everyone for petechiae. . .

. . .these red spots
that indicate infection .

Come on, everybody, this way.

Come on, girls, a little hustle.

l hope everybody brought
their playbook.

-How is he?
-Amy?

He has a severe concussion
and some brain swelling .

Right now he's in a coma.

-ls he gonna be okay?
-We don't know yet.

We have to wait and see
how much he wakes up .

We found a letter he wrote
addressed to you .

-lt appears he tried to commit su1c1de.
-l know. l saw the car.

He did it just down the block
from my place.

Has he done this before?

When we broke up last time he locked
himself in the john and took some pills.

They said it was a cry for help .

l never thought he'd do it for real .

Oh, Donny, you jerk.

Greg wasn't as focused as you .
He dropped out of Brown .

Spent a semester at Sorbonne.
Finally a pal got him a job at Newsweek.


Now he's doing celebrity profiles
for Vanity Fair.


-Well, that's great.
-He seems happ y.

-And you?
-l'm doing pretty good .

l've been training with Dr. Benton here.

-Learned a lot.
-Good .

That's good .

-Do you still ride?
-No. No time.

l'll never forget that dressage
exhibition in senior year prep .

The way you pranced
that horse around the ring .

lt was like a ballet.

-What kind of horse was that?
-lcelandic pony.

White, wasn't it?

-l can't believe you remember.
-lt made an impression .

And the name. . . .
You'd given it a peculiar name.

What was it?

-Marigold .
-That's right. Marigold .

Power forwards, make sure you post up
at the bottom.

Watch the pick-and-roll in here.

-We'll have to run them into the ground .
-Mother Lawrence?

-How is she?
-She has bacterial meningitis.

We've put her on antibiotics
and she's in lntensive Care.

-Will she be all right?
-l think she'll be fine.

As a precaution we'll examine everyone
and give you a drug called rifampin .

lt can be hazardous to pregnancies,
so everybody needs to take a test.

l think Sister Elizabeth and l can be
exempted from that procedure.

But as for the rest of them, definitely.

Doctor, Donny opened his eyes.

Donny, can you hear me?

Follow my finger with your eyes.

Do you remember
what happened to you?

Take a deep breath in .

Tidal volume is good . l'm going
to take the tube out of your throat.

Take a deep breath in, and out.

You all right?

Amy?

Amy. . . .

There's no sign of petechiae here.
You feeling okay?

He's cute.

Okay.

Seven down . Eight to go. Who's next?

Examining all these girls in one day
must be a fantasy come true.

Fifteen years too late.

Oh, sh**t. l'll be right back.

-Hi .
-Lunch?

l can't. l've got girls
exposed to meningitis.

-Oh, well, we'll do it tonight.
-l'm going to my mother's.

-What about our vows?
-This weekend?

We're going over them
with the priest on Saturday.

Well, what do you want me to do?

Nothing . Forget it.
Let's just bag the vows.

-Tag, come on . . . .
-Forget it, it's not worth it.

-Do you have a problem with authority?
-Not generally.

When it's enforced arbitrarily and
undermines my authority, l resent it.

Do you feel like
l'm encroaching on you?

Before you got here l ran the board .

l made decisions, and nobody would
contradict me in the middle of a trauma.

-l've stepped on your entitlements?
-You treat me like a med student.

-l've been chief resident for a year.
-You don't act like it.

Morgenstern told me you were
the most impressive resident he'd seen .

l'm thinking, '' ls this the same guy?''

You come in late,
your attitude's bad .

lt's like you don't want to be here.

l don't stand in front of the board
all day because l want to.

l do it because, from what l've seen,
your head's not in the game.

Hi .

The nurse said he's gonna be okay.

He can carry a conversation .
His memory is intact.

lt looks good .

-He's been asking about you .
-l'll bet.

l wanna see him, but l don't want
to take care of him.

-He'll be able to take care of himself.
-You don't know Donny. He's got problems.

He gambles. l don't even know
how much he owes.

He's got this way of sucking you in
and getting you to do stuff.

lf he wasn't so sweet
l would've k*lled him myself.

-lf you want to see a therapist--
-l've done it.

That's why l'm getting on a plane
in three hours.

This is it.

l'm just so afraid he's gonna do it
again . You know, really do it.

lt's not easy.

Donny's the first guy
who really cared about me.

But l can't be responsible.

-Will you give him that? Will you?
-Sure.

Hey, Malik?

Will you give the girls of St. Jo's
their first dose of rifampin?

-So nobody is pregnant?
-No. Hallelujah .

Chloe? Are you there?

lt's me. Call me when you get in . l want
to hear how everything went today.

l hate not knowing where she is.
Leaves too much to the imagination .

-Are you your sister's keeper?
-l didn't exactly volunteer.

-Did you settle things with Swift?
-No, but we did share our feelings.

He thinks l need an attitude
adjustment, which l probably do.

You don't disagree.

-Carter, did you pick up Taylor's film?
-Ready in five.

You can go to lunch after.
Twenty minutes.

Dr. Benton, you got a call
from some loan service.

-l have to start repaying next month .
-How much do you owe?

-Eighty-five thousand .
-One hundred and ten .

Must be nice not to have
to worry about loans, huh, Carter?

l'll check on these films.

-ls Carter loaded?
-He went to school with Davis' son .

-Are we talking millions?
-Or tens of millions?

-Peter, got a two-fer.
-Let's hear it.

Apparently, this one did it on a dare.

When the paramedics asked what happened,
this one reenacted the crime.

-Do we have names?
-Yeah, Dumb and Dumber.

We need x s, . nylon .
We're okay on everything else.

Man, l'm tired .

-Not getting enough sleep?
-Maybe four hours a night.

-Why's that?
-The wedding . So much to do.

-And so little time.
-Two weeks.

Before you got married,
didn't you wonder. . .

. . .if this was the person you were meant
to spend the rest of your life with?

l never had any doubts about Earl .

And after four years he split.

l can't imagine Tag doing that.
He's a terrific guy, Carol .

Excuse me, Nurse Hathaway.

-May l speak with you privately?
-Sure.

-l haven't taken these yet.
-Why not?

lt's possible that l may be pregnant.

-l'll need to take a test.
-All right.

What happened? What happened?
We need a translator.

His son was playing
with a hanger.

He told him not to.

Don't cry.

Keep your eye on the ball .

Jake, come on, buddy.

That's okay, Jake.
Keep your eye on the ball .

Shake it off. Here we go.

That's okay, Jake.
Keep your eye on the ball .

You got him, buddy. Let's go.
The socks are gonna work.

Jake, come on, buddy.

Run, run, go!

Run it out! Muff! Muff it!

Three out!

Come here. You got a piece of it.
That was a good try.

Go get your mitt. Here you go.

Señor, hold his head .

Connie, get over here.
Hold on to that thigh, Wendy.

Coat hanger's pierced
the posterior oropharynx.

-Throat's swelling up .
-lt's near the carotid .


-What else's in there?
-lt's off to the left.

-Phrenic nerve?
-Lingual artery.

-Too much going on in the neck.
-Hold him still !

l see blood . He needs an airway.

Prep for a needle crike.

-Malik, get some bolt-cutters.
-Tell O .R. we're on our way.

Sister?

The test was negative.

-So l'm not?
-No.

Are you all right?

Part of me was hoping that l was.

There's a man, obviously.

He wants me to marry him,
but l'm not sure.

For two and a half years l've been
preparing to devote my life to God .

l don't know which path
He wants me to take.

And if l make the wrong choice. . . .

lf l were pregnant
the decision would be made.

-Pulse ox falling, .
-Open a suction set.

He's not breathing .

-Throat's swollen shut.
-Crike him!

-Fourteen-gauge needle.
-Get a peds ambu bag .

Stick in a number three ET hub
and bag him.

-Bleeding's worse.
-Let's close it off.

- . Vicryl .
-Suction !

Needle holder.

-Got a clear angle?
-Yeah .

Pulse ox is improving, .

Okay, tie it off.

Let me get it out of your way.

-Can you get that?
-How about that?

-Great. Retract.
-Got it.

-lt's holding .
-O .R. is standing by.

Get him upstairs.

Tell him we're taking him to surgery
to get the metal piece out.

Santi will be fine.

-Carter, what are you working on?
-Evaluation .

-Of what?
-Me.

-Some kind of self-help exercise?
-lt's for my ER sub-l application .

Benton told me to write it myself.

-How do you feel about yourself?
-l'd rather not.

Carter, come on, let me see.

Conscientious, hardworking . . .

. . .earnest and ever-punctual?

lt sounds like a recommendation
for a train conductor.

Seriously, Benton could do better.

Got it!
Chicago Magazine's '' Rich List.''


The fattest cats in town .

-Where did you find it?
-Med Library. Check out .

-No!
-His father's name's Roland .

-What does it say?
-Net worth million !

He can get everyone here a mill
and not even feel it.

-l wish l'd been nicer to him.
-Peter?

-Peter?
-Jeanie, how are you?

-l'm not interrupting?
-No, of course not.

-What's up?
-l have a favor to ask.

l'm taking courses to become
a physician's assistant.

l have to write a paper on nosocomial
infections in postoperative patients.

-You picked this topic yourself?
-No, it was assigned .

l was worried there for a second .

-How can l help?
-l need a case study.

l thought you might know
of some cases.

l think l can throw a few
nosocomial infections your way.

-How's your mom?
-You know, the same.

l'm seeing her tonight around : .

l was planning on stopping by myself.

-So maybe l'll see you .
-Great. See you .

See you .

All right! Here we go.

Come on, Jake. Come on !

-Strike!
-l can feel the breeze out here.

Don't worry about it, Jake.
Wait for your pitch .

Come on, buddy.

All right, Jake. Come on, buddy.
You got them. Let's go,

Those socks are gonna do it.
Come on . Let's go.

You got it.

Go! Go on, go!

Run, Jake! Come on ! Let's go!

Run, Jake! Come on . Go!

-He missed the bag !
-Go! Go on !

Go, Jake! Come on !

-He missed the bag .
-Let's go, Jake! Come on, go! Go!

Let's go! Come on !

-Slide! Slide!
-He's safe!

-He never touched first!
-What?

-He missed the bag by a mile!
-First-base coach?

-Did he touch the bag or not?
-Yeah, he touched the bag !

Call's good . Home run .

This guy's a liar!
You're a liar! You cheat!

-Batter up !
-You cheat!

You want a hamburger
and a shake?

l'm not hungry.

Okay, l screwed up .
l got caught up in the excitement.

-And l did the wrong thing .
-You lied .

Yes, l did, and there's
no excuse for that.

You know, what l just did was
what my old man would've done.

He's a good guy in a lot of ways.
He's just. . . .

Maybe l'm not very good
at this father stuff.

l'm sorry that l let you down .

So should we tell Mom about this?

l don't know, what do you think?

Maybe not.

Come on, let's get out of here.

l promised your mom
l'd have you back before she got off.

Hey, Jake. . . .

lt was a hell of a hit.

Dr. Benton?

lf my evaluation meets with your
approval l need you to sign it.

-What do you want from me?
-l don't want anything from you .

-The question is, what do you want?
-l want the surgical sub-internship .

-Why?
-So that l can be a surgical resident.

And why is that important to you?

Because surgery is
the most difficult specialty.

There's more pressure,
you have to know more, do. . . .

l don't know if l'm capable of being
a surgeon, and l want to find out.

Then why are you applying
for an ER sub-internship?

See you in the morning .

-How was the game?
-The good guys won .

-l'm gonna go call Mom.
-Okay, you do that.

-Listen, about what l said earlier. . . .
-Forget it.

lt's okay. You were right.

-So how is family life?
-lt's great. He's great, she's great.

Tonight l'm looking forward to sitting
in my Stratolounger with my beer. . .

. . .watching lrish hurling on ESPN.

Gentlemen .

'' Farewell, good night.
Till it be morrow.''

ls the N.E.A. funding that?

-Ready?
-Almost.

What's that?

-Marriage vows. My half, anyway.
-Thought you didn't want to bother.

Let's hear.

''Carol .''

Actually, l left it blank at the top
in case l need to change it.

Keep going .

'' Before we were together l'd been
in love many times, or so l thought.

But now l know you're the only one
l've ever truly loved .

The only one l can imagine
spending my life with .

The one l can't imagine
spending my life without.''

That's as far as l got.

lt's beautiful .

So do you feel the same way?

Of course.

You don't seem too happ y lately.
You're up half the night.

l love you and l wanna marry you, okay?

-l can't believe l missed it!
-When this kid breaks a slump, he breaks it.

Let's celebrate.
l'll get some brat and kraut.

-And the good kind of rolls.
-Yeah .

-You want to man the grill?
-l'm riding with Doug .

l love you .

l love you too.

-Why is Ma's door closed?
-She's getting a sponge bath .

-Who's in there?
-Just the nurse.

-She just left.
-Who?

You know who.

She's married, man .

-You don't know what you're talking about.
-Right.

That's why when she comes around
you start talking like Barry White.

'' Hey, baby. What's up?''

And that look she gives you . . . .

Hope you know
what you're doing, man .

Darling, I...

...can 't get enough
of your love, baby


I don 't know why, I don 't know why,
I don 't know why...


...I can 't get enough
of your love, baby


-Aren't you out of here yet?
-Yeah, almost.

l'm here, baby.

l'm not going anywhere.

l'm here.

By being great marriage material,
do you want to get married?


Yeah, I'm ready for it.

-How old are you?
-Thirty.


What makes you think
you're great marriage material?


I was a Boy Scout,
ages through ....


How was your day?

You read the article on smoking
and low birth rate?

l'm gonna stop, okay?

-How was the checkup?
-That doctor was so irresponsible.

l waited two hours.

-You didn't stay?
-Two hours, Susie.

l can't do this anymore.

Sue?

Suz?

-You need to get your own place.
-What?

You can't stay here,
not after the baby is born .

But, Susie, l'm naming her after you .

-And for that l have to support you?
-Yeah, a few months, maybe.

No.

-You're throwing me out?
-Oh, God !

My own sister!

Stop it! l'm not gonna let you
guilt me into taking care of you again .

Come on, Susie,
you're making good money.

You're not even here half the time.

Damn it, l've spent my whole life
bailing you out and l've had it!

No more! This is it!

Where am l supposed to go?

You're years old, Chloe.
Figure something out.

You're John Carter.

Melanie Graff. Radiology.

We sent down some orbital films
on a Russian cab driver.

l need them back for our files.

l saw you in the cabbie's book.

Actually, that's the reason
l came down here.

Wanna get something to eat?

You do speak English, don't you?

You're kind of weird .

-Mark?
-lt's me.

-Did you eat?
-l had a sandwich at the hospital .

-Where are you going?
-Living room. Gonna read .

Do you have to?

-Did you hear something?
-No.

Daddy?

-Go back to bed, sweetheart.
-My tummy hurts.

l'll be in in a minute.

But my tummy hurts.
l want Daddy to fix it.

Come here, sugarplum.

-Where does it hurt?
-Here.

Can l come in?

Okay.

Come on .

Sorry.

lt's okay.

You have to be quiet, though .
No talking .

-Daddy?
-What is it, sweetie?

l'm glad you're home.

So am l .
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