All language subtitles for Critical Care (1997) 1080p WEBRip.en

**

* Ezekiel connected dem
dry bones *

* Ezekiel connected dem
dry bones *

* Ezekiel connected dem
dry bones *

* Now hear the word
of the Lord *

* Well, your toe bone connected
to your foot bone *

* Your foot bone connected
to your heel bone *

* Your heel bone connected
to your anklebone *

* Your anklebone connected
to your leg bone *

* Your leg bone connected
to your knee bone *

* Your knee bone connected
to your thighbone *

* Your thighbone connected
to your hipbone *

* Your hipbone connected
to your backbone *

* Your backbone connected
to your shoulder bone *

* Your shoulder bone connected
to your neck bone *

* Your neck bone connected
to your head bone *

* Now hear the word
of the Lord *

* Uh, dem bones, dem bones
gonna walk around *

* Uh, dem bones, dem bones
gonna walk around *

* Uh, dem bones, dem bones
gonna walk around *

* Now hear the word
of the Lord *

* Well, your head bone connected
from your neck bone *

* Your neck bone connected
from your shoulder bone *

* Your shoulder bone connected
from your backbone *

* Your backbone connected
from your hipbone *

* Your hipbone connected
from your thighbone *

* Your thighbone connected
from your knee bone *

* Your knee bone connected
from your leg bone *

* Your leg bone connected
from your anklebone *

* Your anklebone connected
from your heel bone *

* Your heel bone connected
from your foot bone *

* Your foot bone connected
from your toe bone *

* Now hear the word
of the Lord *

* Oh, well
* Uh, dem bones, dem bones
dem dry bones *

* Uh, dem bones, dem bones
dem dry bones *

* Uh, dem bones, dem bones
dem dry bones *

* Now hear
the word of the Lord *
* Hmm

* Dem bones, dem bones
dem dry bones *

* Uh, dem bones, dem bones
dem dry bones *

* Uh, dem bones, dem bones
dem dry bones *

* Now hear the word

* Of the Lord *

Bed six's blood gases.
I've upped her oxygen
60 percent.

Thank you.

Come on, come on!

Write the order now
before you drop off again.

You look exhausted.

Just one of the many
side effects of no sleep.

Oh. Twenty-two hours down,
only another 14 more to go.

Some coffee,
Dr. Ernst?

Thank you.

Don't tell me. Not you
and Nurse Young Lust.

Just making up
for lost time.

You mean that hour or two
you wasted on patients today?

Hour or two?
Don't I wish.

My best post-pubescent years
were spent being totally
rejected by women.

I went from science dweeb
in high school to biology
nerd in college.

So what changed you
into the stud you are today?

I got an "M.D."
after my name.

Suddenly,
from a dork and a doofus
I was transformed into a...

smart, powerful,

sexy, all-knowing,

potentially rich
Master of Medicine.

Exactly the kind of man that
every girl hopes to marry.

Is the world
really that shallow?

Mine is.

Did you ever notice how many
of those nasty names
start with a "D"?

Dweeb, dufus,
dick-head, dork, doctor.

Oh.

Hey, have you seen
my favorite calendar?

365 holidays a year.

Yeah, right.
365 holidays a year.

Roll out the barrel.
It's national polka week!

Maybe I will
try for a nap.

Yes, a good idea.
Don't let me sleep
past 7:00.

May I help you?

I'm-I'm Felicia Potter.
Dr. Werner Ernst.
Good to meet you.

I got a call that my father
was having a heart attack,
so I came right over.

How is he?
Bed five.

Yes. No, he, uh,
made it through,
and he's resting.

But he's still
in a coma?
Yes.

Oh, no.

Can I see him?
Yeah, he's in bed five.

Right here.
Right here?

Stella,
I think I'm in love.

I worry about you,
Dr. "Wiener."

A life of no sleep
and prodigious sex
is not healthy.

Who says?
Hippocrates. Do you know
what else he said?

No. What?
When the dingus gets hard,
the brain gets soft.

Let me see
bed five's chart.

This is only the current volume.
There's five more
in medical records.

Just... take a look
at the reason he was removed
from the eighth floor.

"Change of scenery."
Change of scenery.

I wonder if Butz was sober
when he wrote this.

Oh, gotta do cranial checks.
Come with me.
I'll fill you in.

Bed five should be
a D.N.R..

A no code?
No, it's important to say
we did everything we could.

Which is doctor-speak for,
"We put this patient through
hell before he died."

Good morning!

Can you tell me
who the president is?
Eisenhower.

Yeah, well,
close enough.

You rest now, okay?
Pizza!

Not today, honey.
I just can't believe it.

Bed five's been comatose
for three months, and Butz
made him a full code.

You ain't seen
nothing yet. Look, look.
He's had a pacemaker.

He's had gall bladder
surgery, colostomy,

amputation of the left toes
to remedy gangrene,

renal dialysis, exploratory
surgery of the abdomen
and cataract surgery.

This is just the first volume.
There's another five I haven't
had a chance to read yet.

I have lettuce
in my refrigerator...

with a better chance of becoming
conscious than this guy.

Dr. Butz has recommended
a gastrostomy.

Do the insurance forms
go to Medicare
or Amnesty International?

Hey, Rafael.

Water.

Can't have
any fluids, remember?

Can't have any fluids because
you don't have any kidneys,
so you can't pee.

I can give you some
ice chips every so often.

I don't believe
in God anymore.
Do you want some ice chips?

God wouldn't answer my prayers
with suffering like this.

Get him out of here.
I don't wanna talk to him.
Get him out!

Get him out!
He's hallucinating
again, poor kid.

It's all right.
That's just the doctor.

All right, come on.
Take it easy.

Why don't you get
a cup of coffee?
I can handle him.

I'll check
how bed five's doing.

I come here
and I wait because...

I want to be with him
if anything happens.

But I don't know
if he's still here
or he's already gone.

I'm sorry, I just... I just
can't take it anymore.

Who knows
what he's feeling?
Suffering and pain.

Would you like
to get some coffee?
No...

Okay. Bye.

I think we should
just let him go. I mean...

he's really
gone already, isn't he?

Now they wanna put
this feeding tube in him.
Will you explain that to me?

Gastrostomy.
It's a small incision
here in the abdomen...

that allows us
to put feeding solutions
directly into his stomach.

But what's it for?
I mean, what's the point?

Well, the body
needs food for fuel.
Your father can't eat.

So...

It's the only way
we can be sure he's getting
the fuel that he needs.

So he can't eat, right?
Can't drink.

He's not conscious,
and the machine is doing
his breathing.

Can't walk. He can't talk.
He used to be an athlete.
What's left?

Well, the gastrostomy
is an invasive procedure.

Your family could refuse
permission to proceed.

My half sister Connie
has trouble accepting reality.

She wants that feeding tube in,
even if it means more suffering
for my father.

People often disagree
about these things,
but as time goes on,

the physicians and family
members usually come
to a mutual decision.

But in this case
one of the family members
is totally bonkers!

Connie's become a holy-rolling,
Bible-belting religious nut!

Dr. Ernst, bed five.

Family wishes to meet you.
Excuse me.

That's Connie. Go meet her.
You'll see what I mean.

Don't you want
to come?

No.

Come on.

Hi, Connie.

You must be
the doctor on call.
Yes.

I'm Constance Potter.
Dr. Ernst. Good evening.
Uh, good morning.

Why was Daddy
moved to this floor?

W... He was getting
excellent care on
the eighth floor I.C.U.,

but, uh, this is
the hospital's newest
intensive care facility.

Good. Daddy deserves
the best.

I just can't stand
to see him suffer like this.

Don't worry.
He's getting better.

I pray and pray he'll be okay,
and he's survived another trial.
He's getting better.

"For we wrestle not
against flesh and blood,
but against powers,

"against the rulers
of the darkness of this world,

against spiritual wickedness
in high places."

I know he can hear me.
Can't you, Daddy?

See?
He understands.

You might be right,
but when you feel your father
grasp your hand,

it may be nothing more
than just a tremor.

I mean, he tremors
quite a lot, so it's...
hard to tell when...

Whether he's grasping your hand
in response to your question
or just tremoring.

I know
he understands.

I've been coming
to this hospital every day
for months and talking to him.

One squeeze is "yes,"
no squeeze means "no."

Now you wanna tell me that's
just some kind of seizure?

Well, if there's nothing
else, I've got to start
my morning rounds.

I've gotta go too, Connie.

See what I mean?

I'm trying to do what's best
for my father, and I've got
that looney-tunes to deal with.

It's a hard time for her.
People show stress
in different ways.

Just wait.
You'll see what I mean.
She's nuts.

Regardless of her,
let me know if there's
anything I can do for you.

Maybe we could just
have breakfast and talk.

I can't. I don't get off
work until 6:00 tonight.
Oh, that's a long day.

Thirty-six hours straight.

How about dinner?
Okay. I'll meet you
at 6:00 in the lobby.

Great. Good.
Six o'clock.

Dr. Ernst, see Dr. Butz.
See Dr. Butz.

Go right in.

Werner!
My favorite resident.

What can I do
for you?

You paged me.
You're always pullin'
my leg. I didn't page you.

Okay. Listen,
as long as I'm here,

I was wondering
why bed five, Nine I.C.U.
was made a full code.

Bed five? Well, must be
because I wrote the order.
He's my patient.

Yes, you did, but...
I mean, does he have to be
a full code?

No, he doesn't
have to be a full code.

I'll tell you what. Next time
his heart stops, let's just
kiss his ass good-bye.

Isn't that what we all
went to medical school for?

Now, what can I do
for you?

- You paged me.
You joker.

Hey, as long as you're here,
take a look at this cat shit.

Medical licensing board
is coming after me with a pack
of rattlesnake lawyers.

Look at this.
Somebody filed another
goddamn complaint.

Remember the first time
they accused me of being
an alcoholic?

I remember some rumor
about that, yes.
Do you? Uh-huh.

Remember what happened?
They kicked me upstairs.

Made me Chairman Emeritus
of Intensive Care Medicine.

Emeritus.
That's Latin for
"over the hill."

Anyway, this time
it's not just "alcoholic."

This time they're
calling me a, uh...

"chronic,
severe alcoholic."

Can you believe that?
Some bureaucrat writes me
this letter here...

and they say,
"Do you now have,

or have you ever had a problem
with alcohol dependency?"

What a question! First of all,
if I was an alcoholic
I would deny it, wouldn't I?

- Isn't that one of the symptoms
of alcoholism? Denial.
- Absolutely right.

And if I was a chronic,
severe alcoholic,
I'd have, um...

Kors-Korsakoff.
Korsakoff's syndrome.
Absolutely!

I wouldn't remember
anything at all, then.

So what are they asking me
this stuff? You... Do you
know what Korsakoff's is?

- I remember what it is.
- I wonder if you do.

Do you remember?
What is it?

What's Korsakoff's Syndrome?
Right now. What is it?
Tell me.

Korsakoff's Syndrome
is a disorder that accompanies
chronic alcoholism.

Uh, it usually results in total
short-term memory loss...

while still being able
to perform complex tasks
learned before the illness.

Precisely. Now what
can I do for you?

- You paged me.
- - I'm in no mood for jokes, Ernst.

I don't deserve this.
I graduated magna cum laude
from Yale.

I wrote The Fundamentals
of Intensive Care Medicine.
Did you read that book?

- Did you read that book?
- Three times.

- Did you?
- Standard text
throughout the country.

And I wrote it 30 years ago,
before I started drinking...

and chasing women
and having some fun.

Now I think I'm entitled
to relax and enjoy my life
a little bit. Don't you?

And by the way, when I drink
I-I only perform mundane tasks
anyway, like, um...

well, talking to you,
for example.

I'm just kidding.
You're very, very important.
So what's the problem?

I don't know.
What's the problem?

There's no problem.
What can I do for you?

You asked to see me.
You... paged me.

How could I page you?
Don't keep telling me that.

I don't know
how the goddamn system works!
What happens when I page you?

- Just the...
- That thing beeps?

So you know
what I think I'm doing?

I'm-I'm buzzing here
for cafeteria until,
apparently, you keep coming in.

You don't have a turkey
sandwich on you, do you?
I certainly don't.

Then get the hell
out of here.

Shut the door
on the way out.

All right, people.
Let's get started.

Dr. Ernst,
if I was someone like you,

about to go on morning rounds
with someone like me,
I would be on time.

Dr. Hofstader wants to see you
in his lab tomorrow,
right after rounds.

Why? What's wrong?
You know he picks one resident
a year to join his team?

Yeah?
It looks like
you're the leading candidate.

You're kidding.
If you're chosen for Hofstader's
team, it's like a coronation.

From then on,
you're medical royalty.

You wouldn't believe the money
I'm being offered after a year
with Hofstader.

Dr. Ernst, bed five.
Family consult.

Nine I.C.U..
Can I help you?

You wanted
to see me?

Oh, yes. I know if you
and my sister were discussing
my father's care...

Her only concern is that
your father's suffering
not be prolonged.

I'd watch myself
around her.

My sister is Delilah,
Dr. Ernst.

My sister is Salome
and Jezebel.

Really?

She's not the reason
I'm here.

I know you're skeptical, but
I'm absolutely certain my father
hears everything I say.

I've discussed his care
with him, and he wants us
to put in the feeding tube.

You've discussed this
with him? Recently?
Yes.

Yes.

I'll be sure to let Dr. Butz
know about that conversa...
One more thing.

Since my sister doesn't believe
my father should be receiving
life support,

I don't think
it's appropriate to allow her
to be alone with him.

Dr. Ernst. Bed nine,
I.C.U. main station.

Uh, I'm sorry.
I've really got to go.

If Miss Constance Potter
wants to see me at any time
in the future,

you make sure
I'm unavailable.

That bad, huh?
You wouldn't
believe it.

What kind of work
do you do?

I'm a model.
I started out
with mostly hands,

but I just booked my first
national magazine ad.

Really?
That's great.
Lip gloss.

It's okay for now,
but I intend to go back
to college.

Can't be
a model forever.
You can't?

Nope.

You are the first doctor
I've met who seems human.

This thing with my father
has been so hard for me.

I've just been so confused
about what to do with him.

What do you think
your father
would have wanted?

I don't have to think.
I know.

When my dad was a signalman
in the navy, he almost died
in an explosion.

And he decided then that
if anything ever happened
to him,

he did not want to hang around,
paralyzed or comatose.

Did your father
ever make a living well?

Did he put down
in writing what he wanted done
if he was incapacitated?

Well, if he did, I never saw it.
Connie might have gotten a hold
of it first.

She went through all the papers
before my mom died.

How'd your mother die?
Cancer.

Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh, it's all right.
It just happened.

Our visiting time is over.
I'm sorry, you'll have
to go now.

Be back soon,
Rafael.

105. You're making a run
for the record books, fella.

I wanna die.

Yes, I know.

I know you do.

I don't wanna go back
on that fucking ventilator
and that fucking dialysis...

Tell those fucking doctors
they can go on those fucking
machines. I don't want 'em.

Well, I'll put that
in your chart, but I don't think
it's gonna do any good.

Why not?

Your family have requested
a full code for you.

They love you.
They don't want you to die.
Fuck 'em.

What do they know
about it?

Wait till
their time comes.

Just...
give me a pill,

or turn off
the goddamn machines!

No big deal.

I'll put that
in your chart.

Tomorrow I want you
to tell the doctor
what you told me.

Okay?

Stella.

I hear they have
great food here.
Oh, it's the best.

Have you ever
been here?
No.

You'll love it.

Thank you.

You know, I was...
I was talking
to a lawyer...

who told me that I should
get an injunction...

to stop Connie
and Dr. Butz from putting
that feeding tube in.

You talked
to a lawyer?
Yeah.

And-And he said that
if they put that tube in,

that they could keep my father
artificially alive for months,

even years, and I-I wouldn't
be able to stop them.

If you're talking to a lawyer,
I can't talk to you about this.

Oh, no.
It's no big deal.

He's not...
He's not really a lawyer.
He's just a friend.

No, he's a friend of mine
from school. I just talked
to him because I just...

I don't know what to do.
I'm sorry I can't
talk to you about this.

No!
It's no big deal. Really!

You're nice.

You're smart.
You just...

I don't usually
meet guys like you.

Let's just...
We'll order dinner, okay?

We can talk about whatever
you want, even the weather.

I just... I just don't wanna
be alone right now.

And I like you, okay?

Is this guy getting ready
to crump on us again?

No, Dr. Hansen.
He's okay.

Hello.

You again?

I'm afraid so.

Satan's little helper.
Get out of here.

Sorry, but we need
to have that little chat.

Look, I wanna die.

I understand that.

I mean, your problem
is that your illness...

makes you absolutely useless
to other people.

From now on, you're nothing
but a burden to the living.

People have,
uh, nothing to gain
from being nice to you.

Well, your loved ones
may continue to, uh,

display an instinctual
affection, but even they
will ultimately shun you.

I mean, uh,
let me put it this way.

When you were,
uh, healthy,

and out there chasing money
and women,

how much time did you give
to comforting the dying?

Not much.

And I'll tell you why.

Because, uh,
it's depressing, disturbing
and, uh, thankless work.

You see?
You just have nothing
to offer anyone anymore.

Nothing.
Well, except one thing.

- What's that?
- Mmm.

- Health insurance.
- Get him out of here!

I'm calling anesthesia.

He won't make it till morning
without a ventilator.

So...

there I was,

wearing nothing but this
little, tiny, orange bikini
and my goose bumps.

And they kept on spraying me
so that I would look wet.

You know,
like from the sea wet.
Only it was so cold...

that the water
actually froze on my body,

so all the later shots
had me with like these icicles.

And they couldn't use
any of the shots.

That's how glamorous
modeling is.

I know how you feel.

I used to struggle
when I had my cancer.

I was lucky. All I lost
was my left breast.

For five years now
my cancer's been in remission.

Chemo worked.

There.

You see?

You see what I went through
to live?

I faced the very real
possibility of waking up
in a roomful of strangers,

tied to my bed
and kept alive by machines.

Oh, I know.
I know how you feel.

So,

what do you do when you're not
playing... doctor!

I don't have time
for much else now.

I used to like to ski.
Oh!
I love skiing!

Really? That's great.
Yeah. I got a friend
who's got a condo in Vail.

I've never been there.
I've heard it's the best.
It is.

It has fabulous skiing.
How about a nightcap?

Okay.
Why don't we
go to my place?

See my father?
See how he looked?

Sorry.
I just can't help
thinking about him.

I just keep wondering
if getting the injunction
is the right thing to do.

I'm sorry. I know
you can't talk about it.

It's all right.
Shh, shh.

Don't worry
about it. Shh.

Oh, thank you
for holding me.

I really need
to be held tonight.

I like holding you.

I'm so glad
you're here.

Why don't we go
to the bedroom?

**

What do you think,
medicine boy?

Breathtaking.

Mm-mm. Now it's my turn
to watch.

Time to take
your pants off.

Oh.

**

Oh, God!

I'll try it
the old-fashioned way,
I think.

I'm sorry.
I just...

I just can't help
thinking about my father.
I just...

I just need
to know if I should get
the injunction or not.

Can't you just tell me
what you think?

Please.
I really can't.

Oh!
The hell with you then!

Just go home!
All I'm asking is for you
to be a friend.

I think you should get
the injunction.
You do?

Yes.

Why?

Just take my word for it.
Oh, no.
I just...

I need you
to tell me why. Please.
For my own peace of mind.

Your father...

is in what we call
a persistent vegetative state.

The gastrostomy,

the feeding tube,
helps keep him alive.

It's never gonna change
the way he is.

He's always going to be
just the way he is right now.

I'm sorry.

Oh, thank you
for telling me.

Thank you
for being honest.

I love my father,
but he... he's already gone,
isn't he?

I mean, it's just
the machines now, isn't it?

Yes. It's just
the machines.

The patient arrived 12 weeks ago
with pulmonary hemorrhage,

severe hemoptysis,
dyspnea and hematuria.

Kidney biopsy shows linear
deposition of immunoglobulin
and complement...

in the glomerular
basement membrane.

Blood cultures show rapid
growths of staph aureus
and pseudomonas.

Lab values continue
to show progressive,
severe renal failure,

with rising blood urea nitrogen
and rising creatinine.

- Diagnosis?
- Goodpasture's Syndrome?

- Are you asking or telling?
- Telling.

What is Goodpasture's Syndrome?
I want to die.

A rare life-threatening
autoimmune disorder.

It usually affects
young men and leads
to chronic renal failure.

He says
he wants to die.

The confusion is the result
of hypertensive encephalopathy.

What's the treatment
for Goodpasture's?

Dialysis
until kidney transplant.

And if two transplants
have been rejected, what is
your course of action?

Exactly.

Dr. Ernst, line three
for an outside call.

Dr. Ernst,
line three, please.

Dr. Ernst.

My name is Sheldon Hatchett.
I'm an attorney
for Felicia Potter.

What?
We are seeking an injunction.
We'd like your testimony.

Why would you want
my testimony?

Well, to help this man
and his daughter put an end
to this suffering.

Under state law, I need
the testimony of two doctors...

that the patient's in
a persistent vegetative state.

I-I can't help you
with that.
She told me what you said.

All you have to do
is say in court exactly
what you told Felicia.

Listen, anything I may
have said to Felicia Potter
was said in confidence.

If you bring it up,
I'll deny I ever said it.

- She says she has proof.
- What?

Look, we don't need your help
at today's hearing.

We can get the temporary
restraining order.

But we do need you to testify
at the injunction hearing.

I have to go now.

Felicia or I
will call you again soon,
all right, Doctor?

She really would appreciate
your help and, um, so would I.

Thank you.

Welcome to the lab, Werner.
Come in.

Let me show you around.
Count your blessings.
Not many people get to see this.

Through these computers,
we receive up-to-the-minute data
from 60 hospitals...

in 15 states
and 11 foreign countries.

When other medical staffs
are stumped... they call us.

We analyze the data,
Dr. Hofstader diagnoses and
treats the patients from here.

No, no I'm sorry.
I can't do it this weekend.

Ernst!
Come in, come in.

Look at the future
of medicine, hmm?

Seeing patients is a waste
of a doctor's time.
We're trying to correct that.

We like to think
of patients as information
that can be digitized.

Then we can build
computer models for surgeons
to practice on...

that are identical
with any patient.

Have a look.

Take a look.
Go ahead.

We can bioengineer a device
to roam the body...

and automatically notify us
of any abnormalities.

We can diagnose and treat
the problem before the patient
even knows anything's wrong.

That's my call
from Tokyo.

Hello? Hi, Kazu-san!
How are you?

Doctors and technicians
come from around the world
to work with Dr. Hofstader.

The only people working here
on Memorial's staff are me
and... Poindexter.

Have you worked
with him before?

No. Who's he?
He's an I.C.U. nurse, but he's
also a genius with computers.

Come on,
I'll introduce you.

Poindexter, this is Dr. Ernst.
He's a second-year resident
on ninth floor I.C.U..

Rumor has it
Poindexter has never
had a patient die on him.

Is that true, Poindexter?
Not while I've been
on duty.

Well, how is that possible?
I'm sure Dr. Ernst
would love to know.

Just a matter of carefully
monitoring the patients...

and then adjusting
the medication accordingly.

There is no longer
any condition that
is truly terminal.

Just patients
we choose not to maintain.

Dr. Ernst,
internal call on line four.
Do you have a...

Right there.
Excuse me.

Dr. Ernst.

Dr. Ernst, Richard Wilson,
head of the legal department.
I need to see you immediately.

Uh, uh, well,
I'm w-with Dr. Hofstader.

After Hofstader, then.

I can't spend
any more time with you, Ernst.
I hope you enjoyed your visit?

Any questions?
Why'd you want
to see me, sir?

I wanted to show you this.
Each year I choose one resident
to join my team.

This year was Hansen.
For next year, you are
the leading candidate.

Really? Really?
That's terrific!

It will be if you're chosen.
We'll talk later.
Yes, sir. Thank you, s...

"If you're chosen."
Good one, sir.

I'm Richard Wilson.
Nice to... meet you.

I'm talking to all the doctors
writing orders on bed five...

A patient named Potter,
a patient of Dr. Butz?

One daughter has hired a lawyer
to fight against further
invasive procedures.

They've already
served us their lawsuit
for permanent injunction,

and by the end of the day,
they'll have a temporary
restraining order.

Here's your copy.
My copy?

My God! Why am I listed
as a defendant?
I haven't done anything.

You and thousands
of other people
who get sued every day.

No, me, personally.
You and all
the other doctors.

Don't worry. The Medical Center
will protect your interests.

Our outside counsel,
Robert Payne, he'll
take care of this.

- Is he good?
- He's the best.

He's the fuckin' terminator.
Oh, here.

Sign this.
What?

It's a joint representation
agreement. Every doctor
being sued has to sign it.

We provide you with legal
counsel, but reserve the right
to stop representing you...

if you actually
did something wrong.

Such as?
I don't know. Battery
or fraud or something.

Sign it or go out
and get your own lawyer
for 300 bucks an hour.

Now let me bring you
up-to-date on this lawsuit.

Felicia Potter is seeking
injunctive relief to stop us...

from putting the feeding tube
in her father.

She also wants us to stop
all invasive procedures
and treatments.

Now her half sister Constance
wants us to do everything we can
to keep the old guy alive.

Both sisters have retained
big expensive law firms,

so there's gonna be real
carnage before this is over.

Great. And I'm caught
right in the middle.

Ain't life grand?
Now listen to me.

Don't talk to anybody
about this case,
not even other doctors.

Not even other doc...
I mean, you gotta be kidding.
Hey, doctor!

I've done this before,
okay? Let me tell you
what's gonna happen here.

If we keep this guy alive,
Felicia Potter
is gonna sue us...

for unauthorized treatment,
battery, fraud and everything
else her lawyers think of.

If bed five dies,
Constance Potter is gonna sue us
for medical malpractice.

No matter what you say, you're
supplying one of them with
evidence. Keep your mouth shut.

Wh...
Don't express an opinion.
Don't say even a word.

Whatever we've done is exactly
what we should have done.

- Understand?
- Yes.

Geez, I wish they'd
teach more about litigation
in medical school.

- Hi, this is Felicia.
- Leave a message after the beep.

Felicia,
it's Werner. Uh...

your lawyer called,
and, uh, I'm sorry,
but I can't help you.

I can't testify
against the doctors
that I'm working for.

Okay?

Dr. Ernst, bed five.
Family wishes to meet with you.

"Their idols are silver and gold.
They have mouths but speak not."

"They have eyes but see not.
They have ears but hear not.

They have hands
but feel not."

Shall I come back later?
No, I wanna see you.

Um...

Can someone mistakenly
change one of these dials?

It's not likely.
Respiratory therapists
check the settings every hour.

And if a change occurs,
alarms go off.

What if the alarm
doesn't work?
There are two alarms.

It's okay, Daddy!

The doctor's just checking
the alarms on your machines.

Everything's working
the way it's supposed to.

Can the alarms
be turned off by accident?

The alarm can only be disabled
by punching a protected code
into the keypad.

Can they be turned off
intentionally?

Yes, uh, but only
when the patient expires,

or the doctor has written
an order to disconnect
the ventilator.

Are you people
trained to be inhumane?
What did I say?

A human being is recovering
from a life-threatening illness
in there.

Just because he's unconscious
doesn't mean he can't hear and
understand everything we say!

Have you spoken with
any of the chaplains or nuns
in our pastoral care program?

They're wonderful people.
There's just not enough of them.

For the rest of you,
it's all sneers and laughter!

I heard nurses and technicians
laughing and telling jokes
while in my father's room,

as if he wasn't there,
as if there wasn't
a living person in the room.

Doctors and nurses
have to maintain objectivity.

Laughing at sick people.
Is that objectivity?

Giggling over TV programs
while people are dying.

Is that objectivity?
No, human nature.

People have to giggle or tell
a joke to break the pressure.

You can't spend 12 hours a day
dejected because you're working
with the terminally ill.

My father
is not terminally ill,
he's convalescing!

Dr. Ernst, see Dr. Butz.

- Excuse me.
- Dr. Ernst!

Two days ago Dr. Butz told me
we'd be going forward with
surgery to insert the tube.

When you see him,
maybe you can remind.

Maybe you should talk
with your lawyer.
Dr. Ernst?

I don't mean
to be angry.

Forget about it.
I don't mean to be inhumane.

I know you don't.

We're all sinners.

But God loves sinners.

That's good news.

Hey, Werner.
Chip off the old block!
What can I do for you?

You paged me.
Stop pulling my leg.

I didn't beep you.

Okay, I, uh, I came
to see about bed five,
Nine I.C.U..

Uh, I don't think
bed five is my patient.

No, yeah, he is.
Nine I.C.U..

Bed five? Bed five.

He's...
Just a minute.
Right here.

Oh, bed five.

What's wrong with bed five?
He's all paid up.

Got three insurance companies
paying off his bills monthly.

He's supposed to be scheduled
for gastrostomy, and the family
won't consent to it.

You see,

bed five is called a patient,
and we're called the doctors.

I don't give a goddamn what his
wife thinks. I went to Yale.
Where did she go to school?

It's his daughter,
and after I spoke with her,

I started thinking maybe she was
right about not proceeding
with the gastrostomy.

Uh-huh.
Why should we feed him if he's
not gonna get any better?

The man needs a tube put in him
because he can't eat, right?
Yes.

But why should we
prolong the inevitable
by putting a tube in?

Well, you think just because
someone's gonna die, soon,
we don't need to feed them.

We're all gonna die.
Why should any of us eat?

I was just questioning...
You know what? Being a doctor
is not good enough for you.

Now you wanna play God Almighty,
is that right?

If there's no reasonable
prospect of cure,
why should we proceed?

Where have
you been all your life?
It's called revenue!

He's got catastrophic
health insurance.

Long-term health care.
The works!

What difference
does insurance make?

What?
It's cash money.

Not one of those
"try and collect
from the estate" deals.

And you wanna yank
his tube.

Ha! Well.

Cafeteria.

Cafeteria?
I was pushin' "Billy."

This is
the cafeteria, Dr. Butz.

As long
as I've got you on the phone,
let me be the first to tell ya:

The soup yesterday
tasted like a shirt.

- Billing. Steckler.
- Steckler,
where's Mrs. Ritter?

This is Mrs. Steckler.
Mrs. Ritter hasn't been here
since 1984.

Well, I didn't say she has.
I'm just asking you
where she is.

Can I help you,
Dr. Butz?
Yes... Dr. Butz.

Bring me the last bill
we sent to bed five,
Nine I.C.U., please.

Patient's name?
I don't know the name
of all the patients!

- His name's Potter.
- Potter!

Or isn't that
good enough for ya?

Now, you came to see me
about... something.
What can I do for you?

Ab-About bed five.

What's wrong with bed five?
He's all paid up.

Yeah... I've...
It's about his gastrostomy.

I know he has insurance,
but what difference
does insurance make?

What difference
does insurance make?

This... must be
the generation gap.

You know, it's these H.M.O.s
that have confused the issue.

If the patient were a part
of an H.M.O., then I could
understand your dilemma.

With those babies,
we get paid not to perform
medical procedures.

It's a little like
when the government
pays farmers not to grow crops.

But with insurance,
we get paid to perform
medical procedures!

Do you understand
the difference?

He's got
three insurance companies
paying like clockwork.

The total
of last month's bill,
$112,973.32.

What is this? Do you always
barge into people's offices
without being invited?

You know, you're supposed
to knock first, and then...
Doctor.

Huh?
It's the bill.

You asked
to see the bill.
Bill?

Bed five.

He's comatose.
We're supposed to schedule
a gastrostomy.

Well, do it. My God,
I get a cut from every procedure
we do on the guy.

He's got catastrophic
health insurance!

If you were comatose,
would you wanna be kept alive
for months by machines?

Hell, no!
Well, then...

When I go, I don't wanna
be tortured in some bed.

I have this planned out,
Werner. I'm gonna be sitting
on my back porch.

I'm gonna have a Cuban cigar
in one hand and a big glass
of scotch in the other...

and a belly full of barbecued
ribs with a ton of sauce!

That's why
I don't have insurance.

Really?
That's right.

And my money is tied up
in a trust that forbids anybody
from using it for health care.

Pretty smart, huh?
So, what if
you get sick?

If I get sick,
no doctor on this planet's
gonna come ten feet from me.

They talk about a living will.
You don't need a living will.

Just make sure you don't
have money for health care,
and you'll die a happy fella...

with a big smile on your face
in your own king-size bed!

This poor schmuck in bed five
didn't load up on insurance...

so he could go gently
into the good night.

He wanted us to put up a fight,
and he wanted us to be paid
in cash.

That's why
he bought the insurance
in the first place!

Now,
you came in here...

Oh! You were looking
for season tickets.

To what?
Hockey!

I'll get you one game.
One seat, one game.

Who do you wanna see?
The Red Pete?

You don't need that?
I'm fine.

I can't do hockey
for you.

Would you like to see
Beauty and the Beast?
I can get you one seat.

The guy who played the beast
is a patient.

Tough day?

Just left a meeting
with Butz.

I thought you were
smarter than that.

What's Poindexter
doing here?

He's been assigned here.
There's some kind of legal
brouhaha going on.

They want to make sure
bed five doesn't go down
that drain he's been circling.

Yeah,
Wilson warned me.

Wilson and Butz.
You're having quite a day.

Yeah.

Hofstader talked to me
about a spot with him next year.

So you're going
with the robo-doc to practice
medicine in cyberspace?

He's the cutting edge.
"I have seen the enemy,
and he is us."

I tried to talk Butz
into making bed five a no code.

Really?

I don't know what to do.
Butz wants a gastrostomy.

What are you
gonna do?

I don't have much choice.
I'm gonna schedule bed five
for a gastrostomy, A.S.A.P..

You're the doctor.

Don't hold that
against me.

Fifty-six bucks
for a pair of these.

I know a tropical fish store
selling the same stuff
for a buck and a half.

What's your assessment
of this patient?

Him?
Don't be a comedian.

Have you ever asked him
to squeeze your hand?

What for?
Since we're on the subject,
maybe you can tell me...

why we're dripping thousands
of dollars a day of nutrition
medication into him.

People are afraid to die,
so they pay us to keep them
in suspended animation.

They paid $112,000 for him
last month alone.

We could have fed
and vaccinated every kid
in Brooklyn on this guy's tab.

Dr. Ernst, I'm getting
some bizarre wave forms
from the Swan-Ganz.

Yeah. Wait an hour
and get me another strip.
Let's drop his dopamine.

Oh, someone dropped
this package by for you.

Your father is in what we call
a persistent vegetative state.

He's always going to be
just the way he is now.

- No!
- I'm sorry.

I love my father...

Oh, my...

Hi, this is Felicia.
Leave a message
after the beep.

Felicia, what the fuck
are you doing to me?

I mean, where did this
fuckin' tape come from?

We've got to talk and soon.
It's important. It's Werner.

Uh, all right.

Dr. Ernst,
thank you for coming.
Thank you.

This is Robert Payne,
the hospital's outside counsel
in the Potter case.

Good morning,
Dr. Ernst.
Good morning.

Since Dr. Hofstader
is the hospital's chief
of intensive care medicine,

I've asked him to join us.

Please, take a chair.

As Mr. Wilson has told you,
I represent the medical center
in this litigation.

Coffee?
Yes.

I'm also representing you
under the terms of the mutual
representation agreement.

Yes.

Now, this case...
This case has become
dangerous litigation.

We have discovered another
Potter family lawsuit...

filed two years ago.

Apparently, Constance
and Felicia are half sisters.

The patient in bed five
is the father, but he had
Connie with the first wife,

then remarried and had Felicia
with the second wife.

Ah. Right.
Hmm! Now,

the second wife...
That's Felicia's mother...

She was the one with the money.

She set up a trust
before she died... a big trust...
more than $10 million.

That's what the lawsuit
filed two years ago was about.

- Who got the money?
- That's a little complicated.

Apparently, Felicia's mother
liked to control things,
even from the grave.

The interest from the trust
goes to bed five.

The principle...
that's the ten million... stays
in the trust for five years.

If after five years bed five
has not remarried and is
still alive, he gets the money.

When is the five years up?
In about three weeks.

But he's comatose.
Right.

He's incompetent, and because
he's incompetent, the money
becomes part of his estate.

What happens if the money
goes into his estate?

What happens if he dies
before the three weeks is up?

That's what
we all want to know.

This fight between the sisters
might be an honest disagreement,

or it might be one of them
trying to manipulate the timing
of the father's death...

in order to get the money.

Well, that's incredible.
That's horrible.

Yes.

And, now,

something strange
has occurred,

and it puzzles me.

What is that?

We received a subpoena
from Felicia Potter's attorney,

ordering you to appear
and testify at the hearing.

What?
We don't believe
they would subpoena you...

unless they thought your
testimony would help their case.

Now, take a few moments to think
of any reason why they might
want you as a witness.

Nothing, uh, comes to mind.

Dr. Ernst,
this is the beginning
of trial preparation.

Before we prepare a case,
it is absolutely essential
that we know the truth,

so that we can teach
our witnesses to articulate
truth to our best advantage.

Okay.

You should also be aware
that in any litigation conducted
by competent attorneys...

the truth will come out.

It's only a question of time.

I understand that.
Now, Dr. Ernst,

can you think of any reason
that might have prompted...

Felicia Potter's attorney
to call you as a witness?

I...

I just...
I can't...

I don't know
what it could be.
Aha.

Ah!

This will probably
take several hours.

No need for you gentlemen
to sit here.

Was there anything else said
by either you or Ms. Potter that
you haven't already told me?

I've told you everything
at least three times.

You never advised Felicia
against the gastronomy?
No.

You never indicated
you believed the patient was...

in a persistent
vegetative state?
No.

- Not to anyone?
- I've told you over and over.
No, not to anyone.

Dr. Ernst, I don't believe
you're telling me the truth.

Have you ever
been cross-examined?
No. Never.

Cross-examination can be
a very unpleasant experience.

Telling lies successfully
is almost impossible.

Lies change.
The truth does not change.

If an honest witness
gets confused,

he need only remember the truth
and cling to it.

A witness who is lying
cannot cling to the truth.

Changes appear. A good lawyer
confronts those changes.

Things get worse.
Panic sets in.

Lying under oath is perjury.
Perjury is a serious crime.

It can be
a devastating experience.

I understand.
One more thing.

If Felicia Potter's attorney
calls you to testify,
I will be cross-examining you.

Take my card.
It has my phone number,

my office number,
my car phone number.

If you think of anything
you haven't told me,
call me immediately.

I will.
Good-bye, Dr. Ernst.

Come on.
Hi, this is Felicia. Leave
a message after the beep.

Felicia, it's Werner again.

Uh, I just left some
interrogation by this lawyer.

If you...
We need to talk.

I mean, if there's a problem,

there's got to be some other way
that we can solve this thing.

Please call.
We have to talk.

Send it to Cytology.
Have them check it
for lymphoid hyperplasia.

Get back to me.
Dr. Hofstader?
Dr. Hofstader!

Oh, Ernst, what is it?
It's about the patient
in bed five, Nine I.C.U..

You should talk to Dr. Butz.
This is Hofstader.
Let me speak to Dr. Schneider.

None of this
is my fault.
It doesn't matter.

It doesn't?
Doesn't matter.

Thank you. I was so afraid
it was gonna hurt my chance
of being on your team.

Yes? No, not until
we get the scan date. Yeah.

You won't be on the team.
It doesn't matter whether
it was your fault or not.

Wait a minute.
Nothing has changed
from yesterday.

If it was your fault,
then you don't deserve
to be on my team.

And if it wasn't your fault,
then you're not lucky.

I don't want anyone on
my team who isn't lucky.
Schneider, where have you been?

Dr. Ernst, see Dr. Butz.

Hello?
Hello? Oh.

They had me on hold.

Your first lawsuit
and your first subpoena.

When I heard that, I had
to have ya in for a drink.

Some scotch?
No, thank you.

You sure? Listen.

When those lawyers start
crawling all over you, that's
when you know you're a doctor.

They had me
up on charges, you know.
Yes, sir.

Don't worry.
We'll fight 'em.

I fought 'em before,
and I won. Did ya know that?
Yes, sir.

I'm bein' rude. Here.
Take some scotch, huh?
No.

Come on!

Dr. Ernst, you're needed
in the emergency room.

- Sit, sit, sit, sit.
- Maintenance.

Somebody paging Dr. Ernst?
He's not here, Dr. Butz.

What the hell?
Sit, sit.

What do ya have?

You calling Dr. Ernst?
Yes, this is the Emergency Room.

It's Dr. Butz. He's with me.
What do you want with him?

Dr. Miller asked us to call.
We're stacked up down here.

We've got a 19-year-old
with a potentially severe
head injury.

He got turned away from
University E.R. 'cause they
couldn't get to him soon enough.

- Does the patient
have coverage?
- Excuse me?

Coverage! Insurance!
An H.M.O. Something.
Is he covered?

I'll check.

She doesn't even
ask about coverage.

I'll tell you right now
the guy's as bare
as a baby's ass.

Dr. Butz is on the phone.
He wants to know
if he's got coverage.

He's got nothing.
He's bare as
a baby's behind.

Dr. Butz?
This is Dr. Butz.

- The patient does not
have medical coverage.
- What a shock.

I bet you thought University
Hospital dumped all their
best paying patients here.

- I'm sorry, Dr. Butz...
- Dr. Ernst is with me! We're
in a very important meeting.

He's gonna be
at least 30 minutes.

But Dr. Miller said...
Tell Dr. Miller that his head
is full of horseshit.

If he disagrees,
slip him in the M.R.I. machine
and look for yourself.

I can go take care of it.
Sit down!

Sit down.
What's the matter with you?

You work for me,
and if you work for nothing
when you work for me,

it means I work for nothing,
and I'll be damned if
I'm gonna work for nothing.

They said
it was a potentially
severe head injury.

He's 19.

He's got no
medical coverage,
and he's some rowdy kid.

What do you think would
happen if I got in my car
one Sunday...

and drove over
to this kid's house
and said, "Hey, kid."

"Come next door, cut my grass,
and if I ever get any money,
I'll pay you.

Just send me
the bill, kid."

What do ya think
would happen?

Cutting grass is
a little different from
emergency medical care.

I know that, but it's
still a service economy.

If you want service
in a service economy,
you pay for it.

If you don't
pay for service
in a service economy,

you ruin the whole country.

We provide policemen
and firemen.

Who's talking about that?

If we sew up
this kid every time
somebody whacks him...

over the head at a disco,

we're gonna run this country
into the shitter.

Dr. Miller, I tried
to get Dr. Ernst down,
but Dr. Butz took the call.

He started asking questions
about medical coverage, then
said Dr. Ernst was too busy.

What do I do?
Call him back
and tell Dr. Butz...

that we have a 76-year-old male
who's had a stroke.

You tell him that he has major
medical insurance, catastrophic
insurance and Medicare.

You tell Dr. Butz
that's the patient
we need Dr. Ernst for.

You serious?
Just do it.

Right away.
Werner, gotta bring
this meeting to a close.

They need ya in E.R.
Give 'em a hand.

Ah, Werner.

You know, I was on
one of the very first
critical care teams.

1959.

We developed most of
the basic code blue techniques.

In the Bible, Jesus brought
Lazarus back from the dead,
but He did it only once...

and people were amazed.

We did it every day.
Made miracles every single day.

People treated us
like gods...

as opposed to overpriced
auto mechanics...

which is all we've become.

You know what?
I forgot to offer you a drink.

Come on. One scotch.
I'm fine.

Sure? All right.
Good boy.

Die.

Yes, I know.
I know what you want.

Stella, look at his monitor!
I thought you were
mixing cocktails.

I just glanced over at
the console and there it was.

Did you see that rhythm?
Yeah, sure.

There it is again.

Torsade de pointes,
a particularly malignant
and extremely rare arrhythmia.

Haven't seen it
in five years.

He's got a pacer
zapping him back
to a normal rhythm.

My money says
he codes tonight.

Yeah, he's full code too.
Who made him that?
Family?

Wow! Look at that.

Maximum torsades.

You working tonight?

I'm off in a little while.

Who's covering?
Some tech.

- Think they'll
recognize torsades?
- Probably not.

But when he crumps,
he'll set off more alarms
than a slot-machine jackpot.

So don't worry.
Unless the tech's blind and
deaf, they'll call the code.

Felicia?
Felicia! Felicia!

Felicia, I've been trying
to reach you all day.
Werner! I was busy.

What the fuck
are you and your lawyer
trying to do to me?

Guess what. I've got
a screen test tomorrow
for Desiree Feral Cosmetics.

Your lawyer sent the hospital
a subpoena ordering me
to testify at the hearing.

I spent most of the day
being interrogated
by the hospital's lawyer.

My lawyer's just going
a little overboard.
Overboard?

What about that videotape?
You just happened to have
a crew here taping?

It was my
surveillance system.
Surv... Am I being taped?

Don't worry.
I had it disconnected.

I had forgotten about it
until my lawyer told me
you denied what you said to me.

I just sent it to you
as a reminder.

Felicia, you've got
to get your lawyer
to stop my subpoena.

I can get kicked out
of my residency program.
My career is on the line here.

I've got so much work to do
before tomorrow.

You can watch if you want.

I'm finally dying,
so, please,

just go away
and leave me alone.

I know you're dying.
That's why I'm here.

We need to talk
about things.
Like what?

Like, um, eternal life
and, uh, your soul.

You're gonna be making some
very crucial decisions with
very lasting repercussions.

I'm here to advise you
in that regard.

So... there is a God...

and an afterlife?

Do you know this is
the very best part of my job?

I get to talk to people
who at long last know
what's important.

The living make such
meaningless distinctions.

How should I cut my hair?
What kind of a car
should I buy?

Will interest rates go up?
I-I don't care
about any of that stuff.

Precisely.
All those things:

the products you consumed,
the politics you debated,
the people you knew.

All your life's moments...
big and small...
They look very tiny now.

Which leaves just you and me
to talk about your future.

Will I go to heaven?
Will I see God?

Forget about it.
Ya haven't a chance.

But I didn't do anything.

I didn't commit
any mortal sins.

Maybe... Okay,
maybe a few little sins.

Look, you were
supposed to love God
and love your neighbor.

You didn't do either.

You loved your parents.
Big deal.

I wasn't evil or anything.
I didn't hurt anybody.

Am I talking
to a tire iron here?

Forget about earthly notions
of justice...

where people are
talking about what you did.

We're talking here
about divine justice.

Divine justice is based
not only on what you did,
but on what you did not do.

And you did not do anything
for anybody unless they
could do something for you.

I'm only 23. I never
had a spiritual awakening.

I was just out of school
when this happened.
Give me a break.

Come up with a better defense
than "I'm only 23."

Reason dawns
at the age of seven.

Now don't be stupid.
Come with me.

My hell's a lot better
than the hell you're in now.

Are you gonna drop
the subpoena or not?

That was moisturizer.
Now, skin tone corrector...

I don't give a shit
about your moisturizer.

My lawyer told me
the hospital is keeping
my father alive,

because they are making $5,000
a day on him to have him
hooked up to those machines.

That sounds like something
a lawyer would say.

What do you say?
You never told me
what you think!

That why they don't let people
die, because they're making
too much money off of them?

Lawyers are the reason
they don't let people die.

Doctors and hospitals
don't want to get sued
for malpractice.

Oh! Bullshit!

Everything would be perfect,
except that my father
is still suffering.

When I wake up
in the morning,
he's being suctioned.

When I have dinner at night,
a nurse is moving him around
so he doesn't get bedsores.

When I go to bed at night,
he is still hooked up
to that ventilator!

Will you help me?
You're not helping me.

But I could.

I don't wanna hurt you.

We could help
each other.

How's that?

My lawyer said that
even if we win...

that the hospital
or Connie could appeal...

My lawyer said most patients
die even before...

The hospital is not going
to agree to withdrawal of life
support without a court order.

It's too dangerous.
You've got a lawyer!
Connie's got a lawyer!

I know all that.

That's why I'm asking you,

if there's a way...

I'm asking you
to end my father's life.

You mean, kill him?

It would solve
your problem too.

Ignore the monitor.
I'm just gonna redo his leads.

When it's too late for them
to bring you back,

I'll hook you back up again.

I'll call the code.

You can go now.

I love you.

My God! Do you know
what you're asking me to do?
I can't do that!

It would be so easy for you.

A twist of the dial.
I bet you know
a hundred ways to do it.

No.

Maybe you ought to look
at that tape again.
It's all there.

You're saying
that my father is in
a persistent vegetative state,

that I'm right about trying to
stop the gastronomy, all of it,
and a lot more!

What are you saying?

I'm blackmailing you.

Lip color. Nobody
uses lipstick anymore.

I want you to kill my father.

And if you don't, I'm gonna
give this tape to my lawyer.

It will be introduced
as evidence at the hearing
along with what you said...

which should be enough
to get you kicked out
of your residency program.

I think seducing me is
an ethical violation as well.

I seduced you?

Yes! With my father
in the condition he's in?

I've been very emotional!

You shouldn't have
taken advantage of me
while I was in such a state.

Every woman who sees
this face is going to say,

"I have got to have
Desiree Feral Cosmetics."

And every guy who sees it
is gonna say, "Wow!"

It's best for everyone
if you do it.

This is all about
the money, isn't it?

I'm just trying
to do what my father
would want me to do.

So why now then?
Why not wait a month?

Why should he suffer
needlessly?

Just do it.
Just kill my father...

or I'll end
your medical career.

End my medical career?

You have any idea what
it's taken me to get this far?

It doesn't matter?
Doesn't matter?

Ten years of college doesn't...
$120,000 in tuition.

A year of hell
working as an intern
for no money.

Two years as a resident.
Still no money, but now
the hours are even worse.

110, 120 hours a week.
Never enough sleep.

Never any time for myself!
It doesn't matter?

I bet you'd like some time
alone to think.

I'm really sorry about this.

You know, I hope you make
the right decision.

I don't wanna hurt you.

What are you doing?

What? Hey!

What are you doing?

Hey, you're a sick man!

You can't do that.

What are you doing?

I wanna be with God.

You want to see God
with your record?

No way!
He'll never let you in!

Come with me!
I'm gonna try!

All right, bunky.
It's your choice.

I wanna be with God.

I wanna be with God.

On the count of three.

One, two, three.

Squeeze my hand.

Sir, if you can hear me,
squeeze my hand.

Can you hear me?
If you can hear me,
squeeze my hand.

Dr. Ernst, see Mr. Wilson.

Thought you'd like to know
we got the will.

It is a battle between
the half sisters over the money.

What do you mean?

If bed five dies before
the five years is up, which
is in less than three weeks,

then Felicia
gets everything.

The whole 10 million bucks.

Wow.

If he lives the three weeks,
then the money goes
into his estate.
Right.

The old man revised his will
two years ago, giving total
control over his estate...

to the oldest daughter
Constance.

If he lives, Constance
gets everything, and
Felicia gets nothing.

Both daughters
are after the money.
Cute, huh?

My God.

Listen, uh, I should warn you.
Be careful.

Payne is convinced you know
things you're not telling us.

Have you met
the new admission
in bed two?

No.

I'm gonna finish
my cranial checks.

You think we can slow code
bed five tonight?

No way. Not with Poindexter
on duty and all those lawyers
sniffing around.

You know one of those daughters
had an outside neurology expert
in here today.

Tried to tell us that bed five's
tremors were purposeful
attempts at communication.

Has there been
some kind of change?

Hey. Hey, relax.

Relax. Would you?

If you can hear me,
squeeze my hand.
Take it easy!

The hospital neurologist
came in right after
the first one and said...

this guy's cerebral cortex
is like cottage cheese.

These tremors are just
patterns of disturbance...

caused by
neurological deficits.

I want both those reports.
Your time would be
better spent sleeping.

That's always true.
I still want the reports.
Legal has them.

Have them send up copies.
Okay.

At any rate,
no slow code for this boy.

Too many lawyers.

Something troubling you,
Doctor?

What? Oh.
I was just daydreaming.

A teacher once told me,
"Be careful what you dream...

for you shall
become as you dream."

Come with me.
I want to show you something.

Did you know this guy
was a signalman in the navy?

So?
So I started thinking...

that maybe his finger tapping
was an attempt
to send Morse code.

It was the only way
he could still communicate.

That's not possible.
This morning
I watched his finger,

wondered what he would be
saying if he was sending code.

Is this a joke?
No.

It's no joke.
I tried to decipher
what he taps.

I take it
there's some message.

"If you love me"?

Yes! That is the message
he's been sending over and over.
"If you love me."

Okay, so, let's say
you're on to something.

Let's say he's lost
all lines of communication
except finger tapping.

Tap him a question.
See if he answers.
I tried.

I asked him if he was
sending Morse code.

And?
He tapped out
"if you love me"!

Did you ask him
anything else?
Yes.

I asked him
if he could hear me.

He tapped out
"if you love me."

Poindexter, vegetative patients
typically have a narrow range
of movements or sounds...

they repeat
over and over and over.

I suppose.

Are you gonna
chart any of this?

I don't know.
I wanted to talk to you first.

Come with me.
I want to show you something.

Watch this.

Hello, dear. Who's
your favorite president?
Eisenhower.

Good, good. And what
is your favorite food?
Pizza.

What do you think?
So far so good.

Okay. Who empties
your bedpan for you?
Eisenhower.

What is your
doctor's last name?
Pizza.

What kind of car
do you drive?
Eisenhower.

What's your dog's name?
Pizza.

When was the last time
anything in this country
made any sense?

Eisenhower.
What's the best medical
treatment known to mankind?

Pizza.

Extension 9041
for an outside call.

- Dr. Ernst!
- This is Robert Payne.

Have you thought of
anything else you want
to tell me, Dr. Ernst?

N-No. Nothing.

You're hiding something,
Dr. Ernst.

But the truth will come out.
I hope it doesn't crush you
when it does.

Do you understand?

Yes, I do.

Dr. Ernst.

Hello, Dr. Ernst.

Don't you want
to know how things
went with Desiree Feral?

- Felicia, what do you want?
- I got the job!

Pretty soon you're
gonna be lookin' at me
from coast-to-coast.

Won't that be swell?
I'm busy. I've got to go.

The hearing is today.
You know what you have to do.
Do it.

I'm goin' to get
some coffee.

Oh, God.

Excuse me.

Have you been here long?

Have you some indication
that he's conscious?

That's not so important,
is it?

I would comfort him
whether he was
conscious or not.

I-I guess I'm asking...

These machines can
keep people alive...
technically alive...

For a long time after
they're really already dead.

What if he's already dead?

It doesn't matter.
If he's dead, then my prayers
and God are with him.

And if he's not dead,
then my prayers
and God are with him.

But after we die
and eternity begins...

You made one mistake.
You said, "After we die
and eternity begins..."

Eternity has no beginning.
It has no end.

Eternity can't come after life.
Eternity includes life.

We make eternity
every hour, every day,
every second.

We choose what
our eternity will be.

What about the people
in here? Their life
is nothing but suffering.

Are you telling me
they'll go on
suffering forever?

No, but we all suffer.
Suffering teaches us
to love each other.

When we see others suffer,
we love them
and we comfort them,

because we have suffered
and we remember what it's like
to suffer pain or loneliness...

and to have a cool hand
touch our brow...

and to have a person
love us for no reason.

Listen to your heart.
Think of this man
as your father...

and love him
and comfort him.

I feel ashamed.

Perhaps because
you used him...

and because
you haven't loved him.

But you can change.
You can teach yourself
to love what's important.

No matter what we love,
it won't be with us
after we die.

Our bodies, our minds,
everything will be gone.

In eternity, I will still be
here holding this man's hand
and praying.

You'll still be here
asking me these questions
and struggling to love me...

and to love this man
and to love yourself.

God will still be here...

and everyone who ever lived
will still be here too.

"If you love me."

What?

It's a question
that he asked.

"If you love me."

And what if
you did love him?

How would you act toward him?
What would you do for him?

I don't know.

Well, look at this.
Hands-on patient care
from a doctor.

I'm impressed.

Felicia E. Potter
for herself and on behalf
of her father,

Joseph F. Potter,
plaintiffs,

versus Memorial Hospital
and Medical Center.

And what looks to be a list
of every doctor on staff,

plus a couple of John Does
just to be safe.

Has everybody
got a copy of this?
Yes.

Angie, no sense wasting
our time. Just copy this
into your notes, okay?

Mr. Hatchett,
why don't you get us going?

Thank you, Your Honor.

Excuse me.

Yes? What is it?

I'm Dr. Ernst,
Dr. Werner Ernst.

I'm Judge Fatale.
Are you one of
the defendants?

Yep. That's right.
Why don't you sit down here
next to your attorney?

Mr. Hatchett, let's go.
Thank you, sir.

Excuse me. I...

Is something wrong?

Yes. Exactly.
Something is very, very wrong,
and I wanna talk about it.

This is not a discussion group.
This is a legal hearing.

So why don't you take a seat
down here beside your attorney?

I don't want to sit down
next to my attorney. Listen...

It's a hearing about a man
who's my patient. My patient.

Your Honor, I represent
Dr. Ernst as part of a joint
representation agreement...

between Memorial Hospital
and Medical Center.

However, if Dr. Ernst is going
to make a statement of his own,
we can no longer represent him.

We've had great concerns
about Dr. Ernst ever since...

he received a subpoena
from the plaintiffs.

We are no longer sure whether
his interests in this case
are the same as ours.

- Dr. Ernst, do you understand
what Mr. Payne just said?
- Yes.

He said if you're gonna
speak for yourself, he's
not gonna be your lawyer.

- Yes, I still wanna speak.
- I suggest you consult
a lawyer of your own first.

I just came from
seeing a lawyer.

Your Honor,
this is very irregular.
Most unusual situation.

I understand that,
Mr. Hatchett, but this
is a hearing, not a trial.

All right, Dr. Ernst,
let's hear it.

Uh, I...

Well, I-I wanted
to speak here.

I need to speak here,
because there's a man...

in bed five on the ninth floor
Intensive Care Unit.

We're the people
who should care here.

Here are his daughters.

And they should care.
That's why there's
this lawsuit, right?

And, of course,
each daughter has
a lawyer, I assume.

And, so, what we have here
is two daughters with
a totally different idea...

of what is the best way
to care for her father, right?

No. That's not the dispute.
That's not what's going on here.

The fight between these sisters
is about who's going
to inherit $10 million.

Your Honor, please! Please!

Sit down. Let him finish!

And here we have
this man's doctors...

in the hospital in which
he is a patient.

And the doctors and hospital
have a lawyer, and they should
all care about the patient.

But what they really care about
is patient turnover,

occupancy rates,
expensive tests,
overpriced drugs, profits.

Judge Fatale, we warned you.
We suspected this man
was hostile to our side!

I understand.

And here we have...
I'm sorry. Who are you?

I'm the lawyer
for the insurance company.

Insurance.
Which insurance?

Malpractice and liability.
Of course.

I almost forgot about
the insurance companies.

B-But I don't really need
to say anything about them,

because no one ever believes
that an insurance company
cares about anything,

except getting paid
their premiums and honoring
as few claims as possible.

I see you don't object.

And then there's me,
one of his doctors, who...

is concerned
about making money...

and getting a new car...

and meeting pretty women,
becoming a big-shot doctor,

when I should have
been concerned and should have
cared about this patient,

my patient.

And, so, here we are.

A family, doctors, lawyers,

hospitals, insurance men.

Each of us concerned
only for ourselves.

Each of us pursuing
our own goals.

The only one missing
is the patient.

The only one without
a voice is the patient.

And all of us together
are the health-care system,

a system as collapsed
and comatose and near death...

as the pat... as Mr. Potter
in bed five, Nine I.C.U.

And we should care.
We should care.

Thank you, Dr. Ernst.

While the patient
does not have a voice here,

it is the court's responsibility
to protect his interests.

And to be honest,
I'm not sure whether
we hurt or help that situation.

Mr. Hatchett,
are you ready to go?

Yes, please...
I'm sorry, Your Honor.

This may be an unusual request,
but I'd like the opportunity
to talk...

to Felicia and Constance.

I feel it's in the
best interest of the patient
to find a common ground...

on how to proceed with
caring for their father.

And I think it would be best
if it was just the three of us.
No lawyers.

Gentlemen! Gentlemen!
Gentlemen!

All we can do is
lose a little time,

so I suggest we take
a half hour break and let
Dr. Ernst talk to the two women.

Has she won you over,
Dr. Ernst? Have you
lost your soul?

I don't know, Connie. Why
don't you listen to my proposal
and then decide for yourself?

Oh, you have a proposal,
do you, Dr. Ernst?

Yes, I have
a very simple proposal.

The two of you will sign
an agreement...

to equally split
the $10 million.

You also each sign releases
for the hospital
and all the doctors.

And finally, each of you
will sign a power of attorney,

giving me sole
and complete authority...

for medical decisions
on behalf of your father.

- Any questions?
- You've gotta be kidding.

Why would I agree
to any of this?

The reason you'll sign
is because $5 million
is better than nothing.

And if one of you doesn't sign,
I'll make sure that person
doesn't get a dime.

Don't forget. I can keep
your father legally alive
almost indefinitely.

Actually, with modern medical
technology, I could probably
give a glass of water...

all the vital signs necessary
to be legally alive.

And I can end his life anytime
I want just by turning a knob.

Why do you want
power of attorney over
his medical decisions?

That's my fee. I get to decide
what's best for him.

What if neither of us sign?

Can you really trust each other
not to sneak back in
and sign?

In which case,
one of you would get nothing.

What if I give
the judge this tape?

I'll get kicked out
of my residency program,

and I'll be a doctor
who doesn't have prestige
or make much money.

Also, your father
will have vital signs
for a very long time,

and Connie will
get $10 million.

What if I tell the judge
what you just said
about killing my father?

I could get a restraining order
to keep you away.

You could,
but by then your father
would already be dead.

You're not winning.
Not this time, Felicia.

Being younger and prettier
isn't enough this time.

Connie, you forgot your Bible.

If it were any good,
I would have gotten
all the money.

It's half or nothing.
Your choice.

Felicia.

I love your makeup.
"Wow."

So?

Everything I believe
says to fight for life,

to attack pain and disease,
to hope for recovery.

Have faith in life.

I've been taught
we must fight death,
to defeat death at any cost.

Death is the enemy.
We must never surrender.

He won't last without
the ventilator.
I know that.

It doesn't really solve
anything, you know?

This patient will be gone
when you come back tomorrow,

but there'll be a new
patient in his place,

and everything else
will be the same.

Disease, injury, old age,

all the same old problems
will be here.

Hofstader, Butz,
it'll all be the same.

No, it won't.

No?

How could it?
Tomorrow's the start
of National Pickle Week.

Ah!

Come on.
Here we go!
Whoa! Whoa!

Hey, guys!
Don't touch him!

Just leave him alone!

Come on! Get up!

Watch out.

Pal?
What's your name?
Mike.

Mike. Can you wiggle
your toes for me, Mike?

Yeah.
Yeah?

- Good. Good.
- Ernst! Stay away from him!

You want to get sued again?

Damn it! Make sure
he's got insurance!

Better ask him
for proof of insurance!

Haven't you learned
anything from me?

Are you a doctor?

Yeah. I'm a doctor.

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Captions, Inc. Los Angeles