Dr. Wheeler Don't call me honey.
I'm trying to tell you about my day. Something that happened.
Dr. Wheeler Your days are always the same.
What is that supposed to mean?
Dr. Wheeler Just politics, that's all. Who said what to whom. Who's rising, who's falling. Who's made a good move, a bad move. Politics!
Somebody has to be interested in hospital politics. You certainly are not.
Dr. Wheeler I thought you were a surgical resident, not a political one.
I like politics. They interest me. Just because you're always looking for...
Dr. Wheeler You want me to heat up the dinner, is that it? I want some respect.
Susan, come on. Don't leave again.
Dr. Wheeler Why can't you share half the responsibility?
I share more than half the responsibility!
Dr. Wheeler No need to shout.
Why are you running off? You think I want this? Let me tell you something. I make concessions for this so-called relationship.
Dr. Wheeler I know it's hard on you politically.
Dr. Wheeler You know what the trouble with you is? All you care about is being chief resident.
You know what your trouble is? You don't want a relationship. Look at you. You run away from it.
Dr. Wheeler This is ridiculous.
You don't want a lover...you want a goddamn wife!
Dr. Wheeler Bastard.
Dr. Wheeler Nobody else here seems to care.
Dr. Wheeler Listen. There have been 10 cases of unexplained coma in young, healthy patients in the last year. Now, don't you find that surprising? [Mark shakes his head] You don't.
Susan, this hospital does 30,000 operations a year. I'm not surprised a few turn out with serious unexplained side effects. Medicine isn't perfect. We all accept that. Don't we?
G Dr. George
We have a happy lab here. It's precise. There's nothing left to chance. There are no mistakes. The charts are right here. There's no mystery. They're right here. What is it you wanted?
Dr. Wheeler I'd like to look at them.
G Dr. George
For what reason?
Dr. Wheeler I'm interested in unexplained coma following routine surgery.
G Dr. George
You're interested?
Dr. Wheeler I'm more than interested.
G Dr. George
My anesthesiology staff is more than interested. We're deeply concerned.
Dr. Wheeler I understand.
G Dr. George
I'm not sure you do.
Dr. Wheeler Perhaps something was missed?
G Dr. George
Missed? Every professor of anesthesia, most of our staff, more than 40 experts have gone over these charts. You think something was missed?
Dr. Wheeler But if anything links them together...
G Dr. George
If anything linked them, we'd know it. Here they are, 10 cases.
Dr. Wheeler There are now 12. Different ages and sexes. Different surgeons and anesthetists. Different methods of induction. They share nothing in common except they all emerged with unexplained coma.
G Dr. George
We're certainly not neglecting that problem.
Dr. Wheeler I didn't say you were. Do you mind if I have a look?
G Dr. George
I'm afraid I do mind. Thank you for your interest, however misplaced. Good afternoon.
Dr. Wheeler Jim, I know it sounds silly but, supposing you wanted to put people into a coma, what would you do?
J Jim
You mean on purpose?
PR Pathology Resident
Diethyl para-amino tannadol.
J Jim
No, no, leaves a serum trace.
PR Pathology Resident
Yeah, if you know to look for it.
J Jim
But it also peaks alk phos. That's a real giveaway. Besides, who can get tannadol?
PR Pathology Resident
Well, then you can use paradine.
J Jim
No, it has a taste. We'd all make great murderers. I mean, who knows better about murder than a pathologist?
PR Pathology Resident
It sure keeps my wife in line.
J Jim
First rule of crime: Keep It Simple. What's simple? Carbon Monoxide.
PR Pathology Resident
Boring.
Dr. Wheeler Carbon Monoxide?
J Jim
Sure, it's perfect. Anesthetist feeds the patient some carbon monoxide instead of oxygen. It's colorless and makes the blood very red so the surgeon doesn't notice anything funny. But the brain dies from lack of oxygen. End of operation - the patient doesn't wake up.
Dr. Wheeler No other effects?
PR Pathology Resident
Sure, other effects. Cardiac irritability.
J Jim
Which this case had.
PR Pathology Resident
You know, it'd be much better to block the neuro-muscular junction with succinylcholine. Now that's a nice murder.
J Jim
Yeah, who's gonna do it?
PR Pathology Resident
Well, who's gonna feed you carbon monoxide?
J Jim
That's the problem. Been about a dozen of these coma cases here in the last year. They're always different. Different case, different anesthetist, different operation. Hard to imagine it's murder.
Dr. Wheeler Are you sure?
J Jim
What do you think? There's a conspiracy at the Boston Memorial Hospital, involving all the anesthetists?
H Dr. Harris
I've had a rather hysterical call from Dr. George in anesthesiology. Dr. George is a powerful person here, not only because of his position. There are other reasons.
Dr. Wheeler I gather.
H Dr. Harris
What does that mean?
Dr. Wheeler Just because he has a rich wife, he's able to throw his weight around.
H Dr. Harris
You're looking for truth and justice.
Dr. Wheeler I'm looking for fairness.
H Dr. Harris
In fairness, you've challenged the professional competence of a chief of service at this hospital. And he didn't take it well. No reason he should. Now he's out for blood.
Dr. Wheeler I've noticed.
H Dr. Harris
Sue, believe me, I'm on your side for all kinds of reasons. I don't want to let another chief of service get one of my house officers fired.
Dr. Wheeler Dr. Harris, I just wanted to look at his charts.
H Dr. Harris
Sue, right now, I can protect you because you're good. And frankly, because you're a woman.
Dr. Wheeler I don't want concessions.
H Dr. Harris
At the moment, you'd better take any you can get.
Dr. Wheeler You know what happened to Greenly?
Dr. Wheeler What happened?
Dr. Wheeler How do you feel about that?
H Dr. Harris
How do I feel? I feel...
Dr. Wheeler She was my best friend. She understood me. She understood me. It's not fair. None of this is fair.
Dr. Wheeler Nobody understands. No one.
H Dr. Harris
I know, I know.
S Secretary
[on the intercom]
Dr. Harris, the secretary of HEW is on the phone from Washington.
H Dr. Harris
Call back. Too many of us shut ourselves off from our feelings. We don't explore them. We don't understand them. We don't understand ourselves. It's the toughest thing about our profession.
Dr. Wheeler Dr. Harris...
H Dr. Harris
I'll take care of the politics. You just look out for yourself. Take the weekend off, Sue. Go walk on the beach. Get away from the hospital.
Dr. Wheeler I'm so embarrassed by this.
H Dr. Harris
Don't be. Don't be. Our emotions are what make us human.
[at the Jefferson Institute]
Can I help you?
Dr. Wheeler I'm Dr. Wheeler.
You're early, aren't you, doctor?
Dr. Wheeler Early?
You're supposed to come on Tuesday, day after tomorrow, when the tour is scheduled.
Dr. Wheeler The tour?
Yes, it's every Tuesday at 11. The regular tour for physicians.
Dr. Wheeler Could I see it now?
I'm afraid that's impossible.
Dr. Wheeler I just thought as long as I'm here...
We're simply not set up for it.
Dr. Wheeler May I speak with the physician in charge?
There is no physician in charge.
Dr. Wheeler Well, then, your supervisor.
Dr. Wheeler Who runs the staff?
Dr. Wheeler Mark, it's so awful! It's so terrible.
Take it easy. Honey, slow down.
Dr. Wheeler He was trying to kill me. And I had to keep going. And all the bodies. It's horrible!
Dr. Wheeler Mark, it's all happening. It's really happening. Somebody's putting people into comas. They're murdering them. No, no, really. Kelly's dead. I was down there. I found the gas line. It starts in the basement and it goes up the main tunnel then plugs into the oxygen line in the ceiling that goes to O.R. 8.
Dr. Wheeler They're killing people with carbon monoxide in O.R. 8. They have a radio to turn the valve.
Dr. Wheeler All the cases happened in O.R. 8. And they all went to the Jefferson Institute. And this guy, he chased me all over. And there were so many bodies.
It's all right. It's okay.
Dr. Wheeler And this is real. Call the police. We have to do something! This is real, Mark. I can prove it.
Sure, you can. You can. Just lie down.
Dr. Wheeler This is real.
I know you can. Now one thing at a time. I want to give you a Valium and how about a cup of tea to settle you down? A cup of hot tea? Then we're going to talk after you settle down. So you just rest right here. You just stay right here on the bed? That-a-girl. That's it. You just relax.
Dr. Wheeler I can't...
That's it. Just relax. Close your eyes. That's it. Okay, that-a-girl. Now, I'll get you a cup of tea.
Dr. Wheeler You're so great, Mark.
Stay here, honey. Just stay right here. [calling out from the kitchen] That's a hell of a story, Susan. You really had a lot of people worried. Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay now. [quietly into the phone] She came back. No, she's here now. Of course. No, I can manage that. I'll keep her here. Look, I'd better go. [turns to find Susan gone]
H Dr. Harris
You've put me in a difficult position. It seems you know everything.
Dr. Wheeler You're George.
H Dr. Harris
I wonder if you can understand, if you can take the long view, the view of a person in my position.
Dr. Wheeler You did it.
H Dr. Harris
No decision is easy, Sue. It only looks that way when you're young. When you're older, everything is complicated. There is no black and white, only gray. But our society faces momentous decisions. Decisions about the right to die. About abortion. About terminal illness, prolonged coma, transplantation. Decisions about life and death. But society isn't deciding. Congress isn't deciding. The courts aren't deciding. Religion isn't deciding. Why? Because society is leaving it up to us, the experts. The doctors.
Dr. Wheeler You're crazy.
H Dr. Harris
Americans spend $125 billion a year on health. More than defense. Because Americans believe in medical care. These great hospital complexes are the cathedrals of our age. Billions of dollars, thousands of beds. A whole nation of sick people turning to us for help.
Dr. Wheeler You, you ought to see somebody.
H Dr. Harris
They're children, Sue. They trust us. We can't tell them everything. Our job is to make things easier for them. I'm sure you agree.
Dr. Wheeler You're killing people.
H Dr. Harris
We must always take the long view. Not of the individual, but of society as a whole. Because medicine is now a great social force. The individual is too small.
H Dr. Harris
[Susan begins to lose focus and feels pain in her abdomen]
That's the drug. It produces abdominal spasm and peritoneal symptoms. It must be very painful. It's too bad. But look at it from the practical standpoint. Somebody has to make these decisions. We can't wait around forever. If society won't decide, we'll decide. We'll make the hard decisions.
H Dr. Harris
[Susan collapses] [picks up the phone]
This is Dr. Harris. Schedule an emergency appendectomy in O.R. 8. It's a member of the house staff, Dr. Wheeler. I've examined her. She requires immediate surgery.
