(female narrator) Previously on"ER.."
How about your husband?
I'm not married.
Boyfriend?
I don't have one.
Anything changes with Jody, call me.
- Or just call me. - I will.
It's not over with Sam. Not for me, anyway.
Did you realize that before or after you had sex with Daria?
It was a mistake.
Oh, you still love him?
And at some level, the faculty will
always see you as little Neela.
You go somewhere new, you'll be taken seriously
in a way that will not happen if you stay.
Food's here!
I have never had so much takeout in my life.
Well, I thought you liked Vietnamese.
Yeah, I like it, but there are places in Chicago
with chairs and tables and, uh, food on plates.
Ah, but no bed.
- Now that's an excellent point. - Yes.
Now we're not on for another two hours
so we should ride in together.
Unless someone might see you.
Hmm. Being covert is more exciting, isn't it?
Yeah.
[telephone ringing]
- Oh, wait. - No, no, no, no.
Leave it, leave it. Ah!
'Hello?'
'Yeah.'
'Really?'
Yeah, that's great. Can I, uh, can I take a number?
'Yep, thank you.'
That was Duke. The department chair wants to meet me.
What, uh, about the attending position?
Yeah, I can't believe it.
I thought I'd sunk myself in the interview.
Well, Dr. Corday must have been very impressed. When is it?
This weekend.
This, uh..
[chuckles] Wow, that-that's soon. That's-that's great.
'Can you actually imagine me being in North Carolina?'
I mean, I only took the interview
to get the banker off my back.
I didn't actually consider moving there.
Well, that is the risk
of being a brilliant surgeon, Neela.
Everyone's gonna be interested.
Are you leaving?
Yeah, I should, um..
I should get back to my apartment
and grab some clothes before my shift.
Yeah, but I thought we were gonna..
You save me a spring roll, yeah?
(Archie) 'No fractures of the alveolar ridge.'
I knew better than to play that shady-ass club last night.
Belly's soft, no obstruction.
Lost my health insurance. 401k's in the gutter. Now look.
(Archie) 'Tell me about it.'
Two teeth in the small intestine.
Thank God. Can you get 'em out?
They should pass on their own in a day or two.
Um, here.
Flush discriminately.
- Poor guy. - That's disgusting.
I gotta call my accountant.
Okay, tooth guy's goin' home.
Botox lady's up in psych..
...and Mr. Lam's sleeping it off in two.
You talking to me?
- No. Where's Brenner? - Break room, suiting up.
Come on, come on! I gotta go!
So what did you decide on? Gibson's or Divina Cucina?
None of the above. Claudia made the plans.
- What? - Ooh, I like the sound of that.
Yeah, I'm meeting her at some address
in Elmhurst. I'm going in blind.
I'll bet it's something romantic.
- A river walk under the stars. - Or wine tasting?
I bet it's hot cop fantasy role-play stuff.
Handcuffs and whatnot.
No. Grady! I'll let you know.
What kind of operation you run around here, doc?
- My back's killing me. - Sorry, Mr. Jensen.
I'm so sorry, we're still waiting
on HMO approval for your MRI.
- Someone should be down soon. - Well, hurry it up.
If I'm gonna rot, I'd rather do it in my La-Z-Boy.
That's the last of the Marcaine.
Alright, thanks, Cecilia.
Dilantin level on your seizure guy came back low.
Alright. Push 500 milligrams, and I'll get him ready to go.
- That's it? - For now.
Alright, you know what, this-this is still weird for me.
- What are you talking about? - Us. We've broken up.
We're working together, it's weird.
We said we weren't gonna screw up our schedules.
Some-some, awkwardness..
...while we're finding our bearings is, uh..
- Weird. - It's expected.
- That's what you say. - Okay, guys, listen up.
Banfield is out sick, but she left instructions
to get patient satisfaction scores up.
Tony, congratulations.
Yours are the worst in the department.
What can I do? She's had me on geriatrics study for weeks.
They're not the most enthusiastic bunch.
No excuses. Just rub their feet
work a jigsaw puzzle, whatever it takes.
78-year-old male passed out..
...home, combative in the rig. Ten minutes out.
- Bingo. - Oh, come on.
Banfield's not here. Give me someone a little less salty.
I got a kid mixing X and valerian root.
Okay, fine, Dawn, you get Dr. Gates' numbers up this shift
it's dinner at Gibsons. I'll foot the bill.
Don't blow this for me.
Sam, you're with me.
Hey, you know department policy
about switching weekend shifts at short notice?
Depends on Banfield's mood.
You going out of town?
No. Well, maybe. Uh, North Carolina maybe.
Hey, Dr. Brenner, my delivery was short.
You mind if I steal some Kerlix from your supply room?
- Yeah, sure, you go ahead. - I'll grab it for you. Here.
- What's in North Carolina? - Uh..
N-not.. Not sure really. Nothing, no-nothing definite..
[laughing]
- What? - Nothing.
[chuckles] Alright.
- I get it. Secret getaway. - Yeah.
Well, whoever it is, my advice, keep it casual, keep it fun.
- You think? - Believe me.
- It's a long way down. - Is that the rig?
(Samantha) 'They said it was ten minutes out.'
Stop, stop!
[tires screeching]
[alarm blaring]
[theme music]
- 'Mom!' - 'Hmm..'
- What happened? - Check on Zadro!
- I'm Dr. Brenner. - Joanie.
Okay, Joanie, any trouble breathing?
Um, Lucy, are you okay?
- I-I think so. - Honey.. Ow, ow, ow!
- Oh, mom, mom. - What is it?
- My hip, my hip, my hip. - Don't move, Joanie.
That goes for you too. Okay, Lucy?
I want you to take a big, deep breath.
- Pulse rate 120. - I'm okay.
- I-I can get out. - Lucy, Lucy, you stay there.
Let us check you first, okay?
I need a collar!
Ugh, hit my head.
We got to get you on a backboard.
- Are you serious? - Look at this rig.
You're lucky to be alive, man.
'C-spine, chest, and pelvis.'
Clear bilaterally, sternal contusion.
- The seatbelt hurt your chest. - Okay. Ouch.
Right hip tender with internal rotation.
- Mom! - Your daughter's here.
- Are you okay? - We cleared her neck outside.
Listen to what the doctors say, sweetie.
She just has a minor forearm burn from the car's airbag.
Put her in sutures. I think mom has a broken hip.
Could have an intra-abdominal bleed.
They were separated outside. Just give 'em a minute, okay?
Okay, fine, we need a HemoCue. Check curtain two.
- Alright, you got this. - I want to go home.
Frank has my sign-outs.
Make sure the back pain gets an MRI.
- 'His HMO won't approve it.' - 'What do you want me to do?'
- Talk them into it. - No, Archie, no, not today.
Look, you stay if you feel that strongly about it.
- But I can't. - I'm sorry.
Pulse ox 97 on two liters.
Set up for a FAST.
Alright, your neck is fine.
I just need to sew up your forehead.
What about Steri-Strips?
Ah, it's well into the subcue.
Well, how about that super glue?
You'll have much better results with sutures.
You should listen to your doctor.
Hey, Sam, drunk driver?
Mom and daughter. Not sure why.
Huh. Well, I hope they're okay.
Dr. Gates, that old guy with syncope is here.
Go. Someone else can stitch me up.
Okay, I'll come back to check you out.
I need a signature for Dr. Gates
on this patient satisfaction form before you go.
- It's already filled out. - Just sign it.
This is Leo Malcolm, found down at home
unconscious on the scene, woke up in the rig after a liter.
Mr. Malcolm, I'm Dr. Gates. Do you know where you are?
Some fleabag hospital, looks like.
Tachy at 118, BP 98/40, sats 97.
(Dawn) 'Heart's beating pretty fast.'
- Does anything hurt? - I'm fine.
Man can't take a nap without
Big Brother knocking at the door.
'Family installed some kind of motion detector in the house.'
No movement for an hour, paramedics get a call
from the monitoring company.
Alright, let's go, Mr. Malcolm.
- May as well get it over with. - I feel the same way.
Dr. Gates.
I mean, welcome to County, sir.
We're so glad you're here.
- Acetabular fracture. - That's bad?
You broke the socket of your hip joint.
We can reconstruct it surgically
but you'll need to stay at the hospital while it mends.
How long will that take?
A week, another month of rehab.
No, I can't. I have Lucy.
If the pelvis doesn't heal properly
you'll develop arthritis, chronic pain.
You could need a total hip replacement.
All set.
I got a tetanus shot, mom.
Your daughter is very brave.
[chuckles] She's my angel.
I don't know what happened.
I mean, one minute we were driving along
singing with the radio, and the next, my car won't stop.
(Samantha) 'You're lucky it happened in front of the hospital.'
Yeah. God's plan, right?
Right, right, mom.
Excuse me. Dr. Fazzio is on the phone.
Is he approving the MRI?
Fork over the four grand
he says you can do anything you want.
Unbelievable.
- I'm ordering it. - Be careful, Archie.
Let's not stick a patient with a huge bill
for an unauthorized procedure.
Hey, Lucy. Have you ever seen a newborn baby close up?
Come on. I'll take you to where they're sleeping.
- It's okay. - 'Okay.'
'I'll be right back.'
I've been looking after her alone for so long.
You never expect something like this to happen.
Well, we can hold off on surgery
while you find someone to take her home.
Do you have any family nearby?
Uh, my mom died when I was in college.
Do you have any friends that can take her, uh, siblings?
I have a brother, Stuart, but we haven't talked in a while.
Last I heard, he works a bar on Cicero.
I can call him if you want.
If he's reachable, we need to try.
Look, Lucy was three the last time we saw him.
He shows up late one night, and he says he's in trouble
he needs a place to stay, regroup, whatever.
When we woke up, he was long gone.
He'd stolen a bunch of cash from my wallet
and my mom's wedding ring.
My family's gotten pretty small since then.
I have a neighbor that looks after her sometimes.
We-we can just ask her.
Okay.
What labs do you want?
CBC, BMP, and a blood culture.
Oh!
Alright, midepigastric tenderness.
Ah, yeah, your stomach would hurt like this too
if I pushed you like that.
- There's nothing wrong with me. - Systolic only 88.
- Alright, so this doesn't hurt? - Uh, don't be so disappointed.
- Little stick here. - Oh, uh, uh.
That's it. That's it. I'm outta here.
- Where are you going? - I'm going home.
- Oh, no, no. Come on, come on. - Get out of my way, kid.
No, you're not going anywhere.
Do you want me to call Dr. Brenner?
- I got this. - Yeah, that's it.
- Leo, put this back. - Goodbye.
The paramedics would not have brought you in here
if they thought nothing was wrong with you.
Your heart's beating way too fast
your blood pressure is very low.
Let me help you.
I'm fine, you know. I'm fine.
Finger?
Now, doctor, every man wants to help me.
Draw some blood, will you?
What? Wait, hold it. Wait a minute, man.
- My-my daughter, you know? - Mm-hmm.
She had these computers all over my house.
Couldn't even go to the can without this little..
...light blinking at me.
She's probably just worried about you.
Yeah, well, she should have let me
go to the assisted-living place.
At least there I wouldn't be bothering nobody.
Alright, let's order an abdominal series.
- What's that? - Take X-rays of your belly.
- I'm fine. - No, now, come on.
Look, if it's clear, I'll call you a cab. Deal?
Ah! Um..
Deal.
No fever, no neuro deficit.
An epidural abscess is a long throw.
Worsening pain for weeks, not relieved with Vicodin.
Don't you think we should image him before he's paralyzed?
Of course I do, but it's not our call.
Dr. Brenner, somebody called this guy about his sister.
You're Stuart Moore?
You're the one said Joanie was asking about me?
Yeah, I called you, yeah.
Must be bad, man. I'm the last person she'd call.
Okay, she's back here.
Uh, Dr. Brenner?
Frank, his sister, his sister's in Trauma one.
- Would you mind? - I'll be with you in a minute.
Look. Look, Dr. Fazzio promised
he'd be down in the next hour, okay?
I-if he doesn't approve it, call my cell.
- I'll deal with it. - Fine.
Really? I can go?
Hallelujah! Thank you.
- Ha! - 'Hey, Sam!'
I, uh, talked to Dubenko about the Roux-en-Y
with the robotic surgery system next week.
- Oh, yeah? - Mm-hmm.
Cool. Thanks.
We've seen you upstairs quite a bit lately.
Yeah, I'm taking as many OR shifts as I can.
I'm not really having a great time down here.
Tony, breakup.
Oh. You seem to be managing.
For the most part.
You know him.
- Yeah. - We had coffee.
He apologized. I yelled.
Then we both decided we didn't want it to affect our jobs.
- So that's that. - I'm sorry.
It's okay, for now, I'm keeping
my work life out of my life life.
Well, sounds like a plan.
I figured you were done loaning me money.
- So you rob me? - Wh.. My car was in the shop.
- How was I to get to work? - Calm down.
I'm talking about what you did to me.
What do you want? You want your half of mom's ring?
- That ring was a joke anyway. - What is he doing here?
I told you that I did not want him called!
Alright, I'm sorry, but we called your neighbors.
They're out of town. Stuart's the only family Lucy has.
It's him or foster care.
She'd be better off with strangers.
We're fine.
CT can take her. Everything okay?
My brother here needs to leave!
Okay, call CT. We're gonna take her upstairs.
Wait, wait, if something's happening with Lucy
I should know.
Why?
Why should you know?
You don't deserve anything!
Okay. You know what?
Your problem.
- Have a nice life. - Get out!
Stuart, look, I'm sorry about all this. I didn't realize--
Yeah, look. It was my mistake to come.
Okay, look. Your sister's sick.
Now someone needs to take care of Lucy for a while.
- That ain't me. - Hey.
- Sam, he's not interested. - I'm leaving, alright?
- Just leave me the hell alone. - Just gonna walk away?
Believe me, it's what she wants.
It's not what your niece wants.
What do you know about it?
She needs someone.
Stuart?
[indistinct chatter]
Lucy's not my niece.
She's my daughter.
So Joanie's not her mother?
I don't know where her mom is.
She took off when, uh, Lucy was three.
And Lucy has no idea?
I haven't exactly been around.
Yeah, I know.
Look, I didn't know what I was doing.
I wasn't supposed to have a kid.
I figured leaving her with Joanie
was the best I could do.
No.
Asking your sister to raise your child
that's a pretty big favor.
Guess that's why I didn't ask.
Joanie's in trouble.
She needs your help now.
[sniffles]
I got a tiny apartment.
I-I play guitar at a bar.
I can't take care of a nine-year-old kid.
Hey, maybe you'll.. Maybe you'll surprise yourself.
[scoffs] Doubt it.
[sniffles]
Yeah, look, I got to go.
So, uh..
Tell Joanie I had to go to work.
Uh, maybe I'll come visit later.
Sure.
So?
He's not gonna do it.
Call foster care when you're done with the CT.
It's been over an hour. You said you were going to call me a cab.
- The results are on their way. - Huh.
Hey, look, I got light-headed, and I fainted.
It's no big deal. Well, why can't you understand that?
Whatever you have, Leo, let us try to fix it.
Ah. I'm sure you will.
Hi, I'm Dr. Rasgotra. I'm sorry to keep you waiting.
Got tied up. I've got the OR standing by.
[sighs] Free air under the diaphragm.
Yeah, it's most likely a perfed ulcer.
He's been taking large doses of Ibuprofen for his arthritis.
Do you have any belly pain?
No.
Well, the NSAIDs could be masking the symptoms.
Um, Mr. Malcolm, air in the abdomen is not normal.
We need to go in, find the perforation, and repair it.
- Go in? - Mm-hmm.
Lady, I'm 78-years-old.
Well, it's true there's some increased risk associated
with surgery at your age, but there's every reason to believe
there'll be a good outcome.
If you don't do this operation..
...you could die.
What are we waiting for?
Cancer?
I've seen that.
No, thank you.
You sure this is your decision?
Yes.
No, thank you.
His daughter's here.
(Tony) 'Alright, have 'em hold on a second.'
Look, Leo, this is one relatively routine operation.
You could be home in a few days.
Oh, yeah, that's what they told my wife.
Two years later she was still in the hospital
tied to-to the hoses and machines.
I can't do that, ma'am.
You get to stay here and watch all the action.
We're going to see inside my mom?
Yeah, it's pretty cool.
I can do a 3D reconstruction.
Wow!
(Samantha) How are you doing?
A little dizzy.
It's probably the morphine.
Will I be able to meet the foster family before she goes?
Of course.
And she can visit me here?
Yeah. Every day.
Two weeks are gonna fly by. You'll see.
She deserves better than Stuart.
Does she remember him at all?
She knows that she has an uncle, she knows that she met him once
that he lives in the city.
My brother..
He wasn't always like this.
But I'm worried that if I'm stuck here
he'll use it against me.
He could use custody to blackmail me for money.
It's what he does.
But you're her mom now.
Not legally.
I always thought adoption was just a formality.
I never thought that I could ever really..
...lose her.
You won't.
Joanie, he's not coming back.
So what happens now?
Well, he's refusing treatment. There's nothing we can do.
Nothing?
This is a hospital. You can't just let someone die.
It's his choice.
It's been one battle after another
since my mom died.
Trying to move him out of his house.
Give up his car.
Feels like I should know how to do this.
Well, you know, sometimes people make this
kind of decision when they're depressed.
Maybe we can have him talk to somebody.
- Like a psychiatrist? - Yeah.
They can offer counseling, medication.
I know he's not ready to say goodbye.
Hi, Archie.
- I'm late. I'm sorry. - Don't worry about it.
- Come on in. - Oh.
Nice place.
- Here, these are for you. - Aww.
- I have a surprise for you. - Oh, yeah?
What kind of surprise?
- Hey, are those cupcakes? - Yes.
And balloons. I like balloons I guess.
Archie, this is my mom, Olga.
'My sister, Lorraine, my cousins'
'Bianca, Javier, Gabriella, Jose.'
'And these are my grandmothers, Carmen and Alicia.'
Hi.
- Hey, I'm having psych see Leo. - What? Why?
Well, if we can have him declared incompetent
then we can have power of attorney transferred
to his daughter and have the operation.
But he's not incompetent. He simply doesn't want treatment.
Well, if not incompetent, then depressed.
It's natural at his age. Part of the process of letting go.
You know what, if a 25-year-old kid came in and refused surgery
you'd get psych involved just like that.
He's not 25, and it's his right to decide
whether he wants his last years spent
in and out of hospital beds.
- Neela.. - You've to respect his wishes.
Here you go, Frank.
Frank, isn't it a bit ridiculous to file
four different copies of the base station report?
Gee, that thought has never occurred to me.
Neela, um, look, just put the rest of them in the break room.
I'll deal with them sometime.
Also, your father-of-the-year is out there in waiting.
Stuart Moore? He came back?
Yeah, I'm watching my wallet. Suggest you do the same.
Car crash in the ambulance bay. Dysfunctional family drama.
- A little bit of everything. - Yeah.
Well, listen, I was, uh.. About Duke..
Yeah, I'm sorry about that.
I don't know why I was going on.
I guess I got caught off guard.
Well, it's a big move.
You're probably right to be a little hesitant.
Listen, I was thinking maybe we could--
- I booked my flight. - You did?
Yeah, Lucien switched my schedule.
He said if I couldn't come up
with a better reason than nerves--
Well, of course. That-that's good.
Well, it's just an interview, right?
No need to make any big life decisions.
- Absolutely. - Alright.
- I'll see you later. - Alright. Bye.
Need some help here!
Mom!
- I need some help! - Mom, wake up!
I need a doc. Dr. Brenner!
- Mom? Mom! - She needs to rest now, honey.
Dropped her pressure in CT, dropped her sats.
- What are you guys doing? - Lungs are wet.
Pink, frothy sputum, pulmonary edema.
- What is that? - Congestive heart failure?
Okay, we're helping her breathe, Lucy.
She might have bruised her heart in the crash.
- Mommy, are you okay? Mom! - BiPAP, 40 of Lasix.
- I got the airway! - Mom, tell me you're okay!
- You need to calm down, okay? - But what are you guys doing?
- Please help her! - 30 on 15, Tony.
Let's see if we can avoid intubation.
- Multifocal PVCs. - 100 of Lidocaine.
Mommy, please talk to me! Mommy!
She's sleeping, Lucy, because her oxygen level's low.
Sometimes, when the heart isn't pumping
well the lungs fill with fluid.
- Alright, BiPAP's on. - Damn. Diffuse hypokinesis.
Ejection fraction 20 percent.
Looks like a dilated cardiomyopathy.
That can't be from the crash.
What's happening?
Your mom's heart isn't doing its job.
- We're trying to find out why. - Run of six on the monitor.
- Did she present in failure? - No, she was compensating.
She couldn't handle the two liters of saline we gave her.
- Mommy! Mommy! - V-tach.
Charge to 300.
- Stop! - We're charged.
Alright, clear!
Can someone get her out of here, please!
- Alright, clear. - 'Stop!'
- No change. - No, no! Mommy! Mommy!
I want to stay!
[screaming] I want to stay!
[Lucy screaming]
She was down for two minutes. Came back after the third shock.
Yeah, okay, that sounds good. You call me when you're ready.
- Was that cardiology? - Fulminant myocarditis.
A heart biopsy is gonna tell us if it's treatable with steroids.
What about the hip surgery?
We'll keep her in traction for a couple of days
give her lungs a chance to dry out
before we subject her to general anesthesia.
Hey, uh, I put the little girl in the break room.
Social Service is on their way down.
Jeez, poor kid.
Two weeks is scary enough, but a month?
And then if the biopsy shows scarring..
Well, the brother's out in waiting.
I'm going to speak to him. Maybe he'll reconsider.
Whoa, we're not sending her home with that guy.
Sam, he's the father, he deserves to know
if his child's going to be sent off to live with strangers.
He didn't mind abandoning her in the middle of the night.
That was six years ago. Sam, this is different.
You think?
[buzzing]
Hey, it was a slow night.
How'd the surgery go?
She hasn't had it yet.
We discovered Joanie was in heart failure.
I-I don't.. From the car crash?
No, it's something else, I think.
We're running a test now to assess the damage.
Stuart, your daughter was with Joanie when she needed CPR.
And she's scared
and she needs a place to stay tonight.
Yeah.
Well, alright.
I-is my mom okay?
Uh, she might be upstairs for a little while.
Lucy, there's someone here to see you.
This.. This is, uh, Stuart.
Your, uh, mom's told you about me, I think.
A little.
You're my uncle?
You probably don't remember, but we met when you were little.
Yeah, it was a long time ago.
Uh, I've been busy. Yeah, I, uh..
Stuart here is a musician.
Really?
That's cool.
What kind of music?
Um, rock mostly. You like music?
I like The Police.
What? Come on. The Police? Really?
My mom and I like the song about dinosaurs.
You ever, uh, you ever listen to The Clash?
They're alright.
Liz Dade's here.
Okay, um, Lucy, do you mind if I, um
leave you guys alone for a minute?
- No, it's okay. - Okay.
You know, your mom and I used to listen
to The Police when we were kids.
We had it on a cassette tape. You know what that is?
We used blast it so loud, it drove your grandma crazy.
[laughing]
- That's Stuart Moore? - Yeah.
- He's the father. - Technically.
Well, that's what the birth certificate says.
He has no criminal record, no history
of violence, no record of abuse.
So given the gravity of Joanie's condition
he's a candidate for temporary custody.
- If he wants it. - I think he will.
What? You can't just show up after six years
and act like nothing's happened.
I'll interview him first.
Try to get a sense if he can handle it.
But yeah, he's the father.
- What about Joanie? - She knows Lucy best.
She'll need to sign off.
And, Sam, we are not gonna add to the stress of her illness.
I think it's a mistake.
* Won't you send it southbound *
* Give it a cool bluesman name like Lucy *
[chuckles] Check this out.
[guitar music]
Here it comes. Alright, you ready?
* But on the south side of heaven *
* Won't you take me home *
* 'Cause I been broke down for so long *
* Lord it's getting cold *
(Stuart) 'Sing that part with me.'
* But on the south side of heaven *
* Won't you take me home * * Won't you take me home *
(Stuart) 'That's it!'
* 'Cause I been broke down for so long *
* Lord it's getting cold **
[instrumental music]
[indistinct chatter]
So, uh, her nephew's seventh birthday party.
Seven years.
Boy, what a.. What a fun age, huh?
Just running around with other seven-year-olds.
Disculpeme, abuelitas, le voy a ensenar
la casa a Archie antes de irnos.
Come on. Come on!
They don't speak English. Kinda wish I knew that.
Yeah, why? You speak Spanish?
No, not really.
- 'Ay, Rogelio.' - I'm fine! I'm fine!
That's my cousin, Rogelio. He always does this.
Lorraine, don't worry. It'll be fine.
- We'll just serve the cake. - No.
Superhero Gary is like Philip's favorite TV character.
If he sees this, he'll freak.
- What can we do? - I don't know.
(together) Superhero Gary! Superhero Gary!
- Greetings, small children! - You're not..
Gary?
- 'Nice tights.' - 'Mom?'
It's, uh, a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
A beautiful day for...a birthday!
- Somebody's birthday, right? - 'It's Philip's birthday.'
It's somebody's birthday! Philip! Yes!
What a rip-off.
Ah! How old are you, Philip?
You're not Superhero Gary.
Of course I am. Yeah, I'm-I'm Superhero Gary.
I'm the strongest man in Chicago.
With, uh, behold my biceps of superness!
- 'Ooh, those are fake.' - Your hair looks different.
- And his legs. - Superhero Gary has man legs.
(Archie) 'These are my bionic legs!'
Yes, for-for leaping buildings in a single bound.
- What's a bound? - 'It's..'
- 'Oh, nice shot!' - Don't throw that.
- 'Hit him! Get him!' - Okay, Phillip, seriously.
- 'Hit him in the eye!' - You guys, come on.
[screaming]
Stop! Stop!
- 'Get him!' - 'Yeah, yeah!'
- How are you feeling, Joanie? - Better.
Satting well on BiPAP. Switching her to ten liters by mask.
I felt like I was drowning.
Over a liter of urine output with the Lasix.
You get the results?
Joanie...most of your heart muscle
has been replaced by scar tissue.
I don't understand.
A virus attacked your heart.
A virus? What kind of virus?
Well, it could have been a cold or flu.
Something in the last 12 months, perhaps.
How does something like this happen?
I-it's extremely rare.
Now, unfortunately, the damage is irreversible.
'Now, we'll wait to see if your heart'
responds to IV medication.
But if it doesn't, we may have to
put you on the transplant list.
[heavy breathing]
Mom.
What about Lucy?
I'm gonna take her, Joan.
No.
Just for a couple of weeks till you're better.
That's a lot of responsibility.
- Every day. - He knows that.
It's more than just watching her.
There's an old woman who lives in my building.
She baby-sits, she can help out if I need it.
Is that cool, kiddo?
(Lucy) 'It's cool.'
We'll catch up for lost time.
Stuart..
Hey..
I can do this.
Let me prove it to you.
You don't have to if you don't want to.
I want to.
Here we go again.
What did the psychiatrist say?
He says you're not suicidal
you're not clinically depressed
and you have the right to refuse treatment.
Finally, a doctor around here who listens.
But, you know, refusing treatment is just
the first step, we need to walk you through the rest.
- The rest of what? - He means the hospice.
If that's the path you're choosing.
Yeah, it is.
You know, contents of your bowel could spill into your abdomen
and, uh, cause a massive infection.
Get through your bloodstream, infect your lungs.
Which we'll treat with antibiotics.
Fine.
Blood pressure could drop so low
that fluid could get in your lungs.
We'll give you medication to keep you comfortable.
- If you have to. - Morphine.
Which will, you know, make you out of it.
You won't be able to see. You can't talk.
Daughter will be there watching you lose
the ability to breathe, you want that?
You wanna put your daughter and granddaughters through that?
Tony.
Can you step outside, please?
- The hell was that? - He's making a mistake.
So you think scaring him into it is the best solution?
- What other choice do I have? - Let it go.
Ah..
Hey.
What is it?
I want to apologize for earlier.
I watched my wife..
...turn into a corpse before my very eyes.
[scoffs]
What makes you think that I can't handle
a little, uh, shortness of breath?
Hey, you, uh..
...you religious or something?
Uh, you afraid that God's gonna get mad at me?
- It's not about that. - Huh.
Well, why-why can't I, uh..
...show my family that I'm still strong?
That, uh, I can, uh..
...leave this world with some kind of dignity?
You want to protect your family. I get it.
You know, I sat..
...with my wife..
...for two years.
Waiting, watching her..
..disappear.
I did that so that my family didn't have to.
Two years.
And then when it was over..
...she didn't even remember who I was.
Now, what kind of cruel joke is that?
Leo, you don't have cancer. We could fix this, man.
Ah, you did what you need to do.
Now you just...let me do mine.
I was talking to your granddaughter Alyssa.
Yep.
She's going to, uh..
...Wisconsin in the fall, huh?
Civil engineering.
Building cities.
Mm-hmm.
Must be, uh, tough field to get into, huh?
Yeah.
She said she talked about it
uh, when she was a kid with you
that you wanted to do the same thing.
Yeah, well, they never had anything like that
when I was in the navy.
She's got more opportunities than I ever had.
- You must be proud. - Oh.
I'm proud of all my grandchildren.
They always remember what they come from.
You know, I have a daughter.
- Oh, yeah? - Hmm.
Haven't always done the right thing, that's for sure.
Seeing you with your family, meeting them
and the way they look up to you
all that you've accomplished, it's..
You figure it out as you go.
Yeah.
The college, the classes, the career.
You-you've talked to her about that your whole life.
That's cool.
- And she's doing it. - 'Mm-hmm.'
She's doing it, and she's doing it
not just for herself, but for you.
She's gonna graduate and she's gonna look out there..
...and you're not gonna be there.
That how you want it to be?
[buzzing]
You're buying me dinner.
- Holy Moses! - Morris?
Dislocation of the left elbow.
Needs post-reduction films and an ortho consult.
Come on, kids.
I'll show you where they reattached Evil Staxx's arm
after I threw him off the Sears Tower.
These are from the county, state and DCFS saying that you agree
to the terms of the four week custody arrangement.
There's a lot of forms.
Here's a map and directions to Lucy's school.
You're responsible for getting her to and from every day
and her pediatrician's office.
'She's got an annual physical scheduled in two weeks.'
Wait, uh, can't some of this wait until Joanie's better?
No, it's important to keep her routine stable
'during the transition.'
'Now, you need to bring her here every day.'
Contact with Joanie is vital.
How am I supposed to work?
You'll figure it out.
Call me if you have any questions.
You okay?
Yeah.
Now, this is nothing you can't handle.
[chuckles]
Listen, uh..
Lucy's with your sister until we take her upstairs.
Why don't you go down the, uh, street and pick up some food?
Ike Ryan's is a block down, shouldn't take you too long.
Grab yourselves some, uh, dinner, maybe a couple of sodas.
- Alright. - Alright?
- Okay. - You need some money?
No, man, I got money.
[chuckles]
I'll see you in half an hour.
(Archie) 'And, um, this is'
a-a bench, yeah, where-where people wait
to hear matters of life and death.
Oh,oh,and this, this is one of Superhero Gary's
favorite nurses, Sam Taggart.
Sam, this is Claudia and her whole family.
Hi.
- Superhero Gary? - Kid's birthday party.
Morris, Gates has got Neurosurgery
coming down on your patient.
- What patient? I'm not on. - Your back pain guy.
His BP dropped and he can't move his legs.
He's still here? Excuse me.
Two liters of saline wide open.
- Temp spiked to 103. - BP 85/50.
(Tony) 'Oh, good, here he comes.'
[beeping]
What the hell?
Can you feel this?
No. I can't move my legs.
- Spinal shock. - Probably septic too.
I'll throw in a central line.
Why can't I move my legs?
You have an infection that's
pressing on your spinal cord.
- Costume party? - Seventh birthday.
(Dawn) 'Sats are down 87 percent.'
100% non-rebreather.
'Mix Levophed, four migs in 500 cc's.'
(Dawn) 'Vanco and Ceftriaxone are hanging.'
(Archie) 'Introducer and guidewire.'
(Samantha) 'Neurosurge will meet us in MRI.'
(Tony) 'Holding an OR.'
We need to take you up to surgery
to prevent permanent paralysis.
Oh, God, I'm going to be paralyzed?
No, we hope not.
Don't worry. I've got you.
'Okay, let's roll. The clock is ticking.'
- You're our hero. - Coming through!
- Lucy, Luce.. - Yeah? Yeah, Mom?
Listen, do you have your backpack and your sweatshirt?
- Yeah. Don't worry, mom. - Okay.
Hey, listen.
You be a good girl, okay?
Alright?
I'll see you tomorrow.
[chuckles]
Okay.
I-I love you.
I love you more.
Come on.
- Goodnight, guys. - Bye, Dr. Morris.
Happy birthday, Philip.
You know impersonating a superhero's a misdemeanor?
- It is? - Mm-hmm.
And resisting arrest will only make it worse.
- I guess I'm in big trouble. - I guess you are.
* When I die Lord oh won't you *
* Put my soul up on a train *
* Won't you send it southbound *
* Give it a cool bluesman name *
* 'Cause I've been lost on 'em back roads *
* So many times I've gone blind *
* Losing faith in my family *
* Had put me out of my damn mind *
* On the south side of heaven won't you take me home *
* 'Cause I've been broke down for so long *
* Lord it's getting cold *
[guitar music]
* I've been a desperado in West Texas for so long *
* Lord I need a change *
* Ten long years this old place ain't *
* Seen a drop of rain *
* Now the wind blows every day Lord *
* Oh like a desert snow *
* Like a lost bound train *
* Running on cocaine and out of control *
* But on the south side of heaven *
* Won't you take me home *
* 'Cause I've been broke for so long *
* Lord it's getting cold.. *
He probably went to get his place ready for you.
We can wait out here for a few minutes, if you like.
He's not coming.
How do you know that?
I could tell.
It's kinda cold out here.
I'm okay.
How long is she gonna be here?
It's hard to say.
I hope it's not too long.
Me too.
* On the south side of heaven won't you take me home *
* 'Cause I been broke for so long *
* Lord it's getting cold **
[theme music]