"On Monday morning, a patient named Guernsey... male, middle 70s, was admitted to the h ospital complaining of chest pains." "He had been referred by a n ursing h ome... where the doctor had diagn osed his condition as Angina pectoris." "It is axiomatic... that n ursing-h ome doctors are always wrong." "The intern wh o admitted Mr. Guernsey, h o wever... accep ted the diagn osis and prescribed m orphine... a drug suitable for angina, b ut n o t at all suitable for emphysema... which is un fortunately what the old man actually had." "Within an h o ur, the patient became unresp onsive and diaph oretic... and was raced up to In tensive Care, with an irreg ular p ulse o f 1 50... blo od pressure 90 o ver 60, respiration rapid and shallo w." "The residen t on duty in In tensive Care comp o unded the blunder... by treating the old man for p ulm onary edema." "He gave him digitalis, diuretics and oxygen." "This restored the old man 's color." "He was sen t to his ro om in the Holly Pavilion... ruddy-complected and peacefully asleep." "But the patien t was in CO 2 narcosis, and died at 7 : 30 that evening." "I men tion all this only to explain h o w the bed in Ro om 806 became available." "The in tern in volved was a prickly yo ung b uck named Schaefer... wh o had a go od thing going for him with a technician in the Hematology Lab." "In the haphazard fashion of h ospital romances..." "Dr. Schaefer had been zapping this girl... on wheelchairs, stretchers, pantry shelves... in the kitchen, in the m org ue, in the dark corners o f corridors... standing up, sitting do wn...." "So yo u can imagine what an available bed mean t to him." "S h e i I a, t h i s i s H oward." "I g ot a bed fo r u s fo r to n i g ht." "A real, h on est-to-G od bed." "Dr. S ch aefer...." "Di d you kn ow th at Dr. S ch aefer was i n Room 806 becau se h e' s dead?" "What?" "I ' m j ust tel I i ng you that Dr. Schaefer is dead." "What do you want, Perez?" " I don't know what th is is about... but Dr. Schaefer is i n Room 806 with an iv ru n n i ng, and he's dead." "I d id n't even know he was sick." "What the hel I are you tal ki ng about?" "Do you know what she's tal ki ng about?" "No." "Maybe I' m goi ng crazy." "I don't know." "Isn't Room 806 the patient G uernsey?" "Did someth i ng happen that maybe I d id n't know about?" "I don't know what you' re tal ki ng about." "Th is is the n uttiest th i ng I ever saw." "Dr. Schaefer is i n Room 806, dead." "What Dr. Schaefer?" "Ou r Dr. Schaefer?" "Ou r Dr. Schaefer." "The one who's always g rabbi ng everybody's ass." "Do you know what she's tal ki ng about?" "No." "I don't know what you' re tal ki ng about." "What do you mean, " Dr. Schaefer's i n Room 806, dead"?" "I mean, he's lyi ng on the far bed, stone dead, and with an iv." "If you don't bel ieve me, you oug ht to go and look for you rself." "Maybe you'd better cal I M rs." "Ch ristie." "Dr. Bock." "Y es, M rs." "Ch ristie, what is it?" "It's al I rig ht." "I'd have to be getti ng u p any m i n ute, anyway." "Sorry, I m issed that." "Wou ld you say it agai n, please?" "I know." "Schaefer, the stud with the g lasses, fancies al I the n u rses." "I' m afraid I don't u nderstand." "What do you mean?" "Was he sick?" "I mean...." "What was the cause of death?" "Was he bei ng treated?" "I don't u nderstand." "What was he doi ng i n the bed?" "You d id say...." "M rs." "Ch ristie, d id you cal I the office?" "Good, I' I I...." "It's al I rig ht." "I'd be getti ng my wake-u p cal l any m i n ute, anyway." "People!" "What do you say, S u ndstrom?" "How long do you th i n k you r monopol istic, excl usionary, racist pol icies wi I I work?" "Free the hope!" "Now, hold it." "Herb!" "I' m g lad I caug ht u p with you." "How's it goi ng?" "One of my i nterns d ropped dead th is morn i ng." "Real ly?" "I' m sorry to hear that." "I u nderstand you moved out to a hotel." "Th i ngs got that bad with Phyl I is?" "It's been that bad for 24 years." "You gon na be sol icitous?" "God." "I' m the g uy that broug ht you i nto th is hospital... so I th i n k I can ski p the d i plomatic overtu res." "Marty stopped me i n the hal I yesterday, very u pset." "He had j ust had I u nch with you." "He said you sou nded su icidal." "Marty tends to be extravagant, but he's not the on ly one." "Jack S i nger mentioned that you were boozi ng it u p a lot." "Let's face it, you have been sloug h i ng off." "I u nderstand you haven't even been doi ng rou nds." "I' m goi ng to do rou nds today." "Do you want to take a cou ple of days off?" "Go down to Montego Bay, get d ru n k, get laid, get a I ittle su n?" "For God's sake, I' m 53 years old, with al I the attendant fears." "I j ust left my wife, after 24 years." "A standard case of menopausal melancholy." "Maybe you wan na see Ei n horn." "Don't wan na see a psych iatrist, don't worry." "If I j ust get to work, I' I I be fi ne." "I' m sorry if I caused you concern." "S id cal led from St. Lu ke's." "He said the demonstrators there..." "are plan n i ng a march to joi n those here." "God." "Did you cal I the cops?" "S u re." "They' re al I i n 806, Doctor." "What happened?" "I th i n k l' I I j ust let M rs." "Ch ristie tel I you about it." "Oh, boy, what happened?" "I've seen some pretty good snafus." "But th is one...." "There's a certai n splendor to th is one." "One of the n ig ht n u rses thoug ht he was a patient... and pl ugged an iv i nto h i m." "He was a d iabetic." "What do you mean she pl ugged an iv i nto h i m?" "It's a real ly screwed-u p story." "We had an old man i n there who d ied last n ig ht." "So the bed was avai lable." "You know Schaefer." "He's Sam my Stud." "He tal ked a n u rse i nto zappi ng h i m on the bed?" "A g i rl from Hematology he's been ru n n i ng arou nd with." "God, it's a Roman farce!" "I thoug ht I heard you out here." "I suggest you do that rig ht now." "I' m so terri bly sorry." "As I u nderstand it... a n u rse i nadvertently ad m i n istered an iv to Schaefer." "How cou ld that happen?" "We oug ht to straig hten th is out elsewhere." "Very good idea." "Oh, God, what a mess!" "These th i ngs happen." "I'd better cal I the Med ical Exam i ner." "I sti I I don't u nderstand what happened." "lt took us an hou r to get it sorted out." "A patient named G uernsey d ied last n ig ht, i n 806." "That i nformation wasn't g iven to the n ig ht n u rses." "These th i ngs happen." "At any rate, accord i ng to the cardex... the patient, G uernsey, was down for 25 mg of S pari ne at q. 6h." "M rs." "Reardon sent N u rse Perez to g ive h i m h is 1 2:00 shot." "I n the meanti me, Dr. Schaefer usu rped that particu lar bed... for h is own pu rposes." "Dr. Bru baker suggests it was for a love tryst... and some weig ht is g iven that hypothesis..." "by the fact that Dr. Schaefer was naked." "I get the d rift." "N u rse Perez went i n and sedated Dr. Schaefer... th i n ki ng it was the patient G uernsey." "What I don't u nderstand" "May I fi n ish, please?" "After Perez gave h i m h is shot, she noticed the iv was pi nched off on the bed." "S he reported th is to M rs." "Reardon... who then assig ned N u rse Rivers to restart the iv." "Rivers was a float." "S he d id n't even know the staff people on the floor." "Nobody knew what the patient looked I i ke, si nce he'd on ly been ad m itted that morn i ng." "So she pl ugged an iv i nto h i m." "Y es." "How m uch?" "A I iter." "Five percent g I ucose sol ution won't ki I I anybody." "Was he dehyd rated?" "Did he have any anci I lary cond itions?" "Did n't anybody bother to go check on h i m d u ri ng the n ig ht?" "Even u nder the i m pression that he was merely a patient?" "Was he hyperosmolar?" "Did he have a bad heart?" "He m ust have had some sort of th rom bosis." "I want the post done here, M r." "H itchcock." "You and I better have a chat about you r excessive use of float n u rses." "I've got nearly a thousand n u rses i n th is hospital" "Every ti me one of them has her period, she d isappears for th ree days." "Doctors com plai n they can't fi nd the same n u rse on the same floor... two days i n a row." "What am I gon na tel I Schaefer's parents?" "That a su bstitute n u rse assassi nated h i m... as she cou ld n't tel I the doctors from the patients on the floor?" "My God!" "The i ncom petence here is absol utely rad iant!" "Two n u rses wal k i nto a room and stick need les i n a man... and one of those is a N u m ber 1 8 Jelco, tou rn iq uet the poor g uy... anchor the poor g uy's arm with ad hesive tape... and it's the wrong poor son of a bitch!" "Where do you trai n you r n u rses, M rs." "Ch ristie?" "Dachau?" "Al I rig ht." "Wrap h i m u p and get h i m down to Pathology." "I' m especial ly i nterested i n h is blood sugar." "A I iter of g I ucose never ki I led anybody." "You r lad ies m ust have done someth i ng else." "Wi I I there be anyth i ng else?" "No." "Before you cal I the fam i ly, I wish you'd speak to M r." "Mead about th is." "We'd I i ke, natu ral ly, to avoid I itigation." "A few th i ngs have been pi I i ng u p." "Wou ld you I i ke to go i nto them?" "A q u ickle." "Dr. Esterhazy wants to start h i ri ng tem porary people... to cover the su m mer vacations." "He says, last year, some of the replacement people... d id n't receive thei r checks u nti I they waited six months." "He wonders if you cou ld do someth i ng about getti ng these people paid prom ptly." "Ms. Aron ivici com plai ns the lab reports are com i ng i n slow i nto the ER." "I cal led Dr. I m mel man about that, and she says th ree m icroscopes... have been stolen out of her lab i n the last two months." "Charl ie Walters also com plai ns about pi lferage." "I've cl u m ped al I these together for you." "As you know... we've ag reed to take over the local am bu lance cases... as part of the hospital's com m itment to the com m u n ity... and it's created a serious overload i n ER." "I don't know why th is was d u m ped i n ou r lap, but they seem to th i n k" "Fi nd out if Dr. Ei n horn is i n h is office." "Wh ich Dr. Ei n horn?" "Ophthal mology or Psych iatry?" "Psych iatry." "Never m i nd." "I' I I look i n, myself." "Is he i n?" "Can I have a m i n ute, Joe?" "Of cou rse." "I've been havi ng periods of acute depression, recently." "Apparently, it's becom i ng noticeable." "A n u m ber of people have remarked about it." "Joh n S u ndstrom thoug ht it m ig ht be a good idea if I spoke to you about it." "Do you want to sit down?" "No." "I' m not good at confessional." "What can I tel I you?" "The last year, two, th ree...." "It goes way back, I su ppose." "I remem ber entertai n i ng su icidal thoug hts as a col lege student." "At any rate..." "I've always fou nd I ife demand i ng." "I' m an on ly ch i ld of a lower-m idd le-class people." "I was the g lory of my parents." "" My son, the doctor." You know." "I was always top of my class." "Scholarsh i p to Harvard." "The boy gen i us." "The bri I I iant eccentric." "T errified of women, cl u msy at sports." "God, how do I go about th is?" "I u nderstand you j ust separated from you r wife." "I left her a dozen ti mes." "S he left me a dozen ti mes." "We stayed th roug h a process of attrition." "Obviously, sadomasoch istic dependency." "My home is hel l." "We've got a 23-year-old boy." "I th rew h i m out of the house last year." "A shaggy-hai red Maoist." "I don't know where he is." "Presu mably, bu i ld i ng bom bs i n basements as an expression of u n iversal brotherhood." "I've got a 1 7 -year-old daug hter who's had two abortions i n two years... got arrested last week at a rock festival, for push i ng d rugs." "They let her go." "The typical affl uent American fam i ly." "I don't mean to be faci le about th is." "I blame myself for those two useless you ng people." "I never exercised parental authority." "I' m no good at that." "Oh, God, I' m no good at th is, either." "Let's j ust forget the whole th i ng." "I' m sorry I bothered you." "How serious are you r su icidal specu lations?" "I am use myself with d ifferent ways of ki I I i ng myself that don't look I i ke su icide." "I wou ld n't want to do my fam i ly out of the i nsu rance." "Dig ital is wi I I g ive you an arrhyth m ia." "A good toxolog ist wou ld fi nd traces." "Potassi u m's m uch better." "60 m i I I i-eq u ivalent." "I nstantaneous." "Then you' re stuck with how to get rid of the hypoderm ic." "Forty m i I I i-eq u ivalent." "G ives you ti me to d ispose of the evidence." "You seem to have g iven considerable thoug ht to the matter." "You oug ht to know that a man who tal ks about it al I the ti me never does it." "I don't know." "I see a man exhausted... emotional ly d rai ned, ridd led with g u i lt... has been systematical ly stri ppi ng h i mself of wife, ch i ld ren, friends... isolati ng h i mself from the world." "Are you i m potent?" "I nterm ittently." "What does that mean?" "I haven't tried i n so long, I don't know." "Let's j ust d rop the whole th i ng, Joe." "I feel h u m i I lated and stu pid." "I j ust got to pu I I myself together and get back i nto my work." "I' m sorry I trou bled you." "T ake care of you rself." "I' I I see you later." "T en-fou r, save ou r homes." "Two, fou r, we the poor." "Don't go ' rou nd." "Don't tear us down." "Al I set?" "Y es, si r." "Who was that exotic g rou p?" "You got me." "They've been here about an hou r." "I th i n k they' re with the old man i n 806." "Dr. Perry said he picked the tu bercu losis and I iver nodes for today." "Y es, si r." "Good, because that's the one I stud ied u p." "A hel I of a case." "Y es, si r." "Who's presenti ng?" "I am, si r." "S hou ld I start?" "M r." "Hem m i ngs!" "Is there anybody seated who hasn't been to see me fi rst?" "Is there anybody here who has not g iven me thei r health-i nsu rance n u m ber?" "Emergency Room." "I don't know, Sybi I." "What's h is name?" "Wait a moment, please." "I' m on the phone." "Can't you see I' m on the phone?" "I am, Sybil." "I' m looking." "Of course not." "Do they ever?" "Wou ld you m i nd, please?" "Excuse me." "Thirty-two?" "T elescope sig hts." "They fol low me everywhere." "Th ree big Black men." "Naked, com pletely exposed, rig ht i n the street." "Hang i ng down to thei r knees." "It's d isg usti ng." "Did you cal I u pstai rs and tel I them to ad m it a patient named M itgang?" "ls that the concussion?" "I don't know." "They said you d id n't fi I I out the chart." "Where do you come off send i ng anyone u p to Ad m itti ng without my okay?" "Wou ld you get the hel I out of here?" "The patient's i n the hold i ng room." "You want h is Bl ue Cross n u m ber, go get it." "Dr. S pezio, may I see you for a moment, if you don't m i nd?" "Is th is you r handwriti ng, if you don't mind?" "Am I supposed to read this?" "Was that a sprai n, a broken wrist?" "I can't read that scri bbl i ng." "I have to bi I I these people." "I know you are the m i n isteri ng angels... and I' m the bitch from the accou nti ng department, but I've a job, too." "If you don't m i nd, Doctor." "The kid had a col ly fractu re, we had h i m i n the OR." "We red uced it, and we gave h i m a smal I cast." "But d id you g ive h i m a sl i ng?" "You m ust've taken x-rays." "How am I su pposed to make out the charges?" "Are you M itgang?" "l' m M itgang." "Do you carry Bl ue Cross Bl ue S h ield, if you don't m i nd?" "Do you have you r card with you?" "Do you know you r n u m ber?" "You are not leavi ng th is room u nti I I have th is i nformation." "Do you m i nd if I at least ask th is gentleman to fi I I out h is chart?" "May I have you r AHS pol icy n u m ber, si r?" "Do you carry Bl ue Cross Bl ue S h ield?" "Dr. S pezio!" "I th i n k one of you r patients i n here is dead." "Why do you say that, M rs." "Cush i ng?" "Because he wou ld n't g ive me h is Bl ue Cross n u m ber." "Ch rist!" "How long has th is man been lyi ng here?" "Isn't he the doctor that came i n arou nd 9:00?" "" Pete's sake, " I said, "Th is is a hospital." "One of ou r feed I i nes j ust blew."" "We were I ucky to trace it i n ti me." "Have we covered everyth i ng?" "Dr. Kish has been d rivi ng me n uts about the OR sched u le." "He's su pposed to see me about that." "Th is is the Emergency Room." "One of the doctors d ied of a heart attack." "One of ou r staff?" "I th i n k so." "T om, you want to go down to the Emergency Room?" "One of ou r doctors j ust d ied." "Another one?" "See what that's about." "I' I I be on Hol ly 8, and I' I I be rig ht back." "It's no longer pi lferage." "It's reached the poi nt of pi racy." "That's the th i rd m icroscope th is month." "Let's get together on th is later today." "How about 1 :00?" "1 :00 wi I I be fi ne." "You r brother's i n h is room." "What one is it?" "806." "You' re gon na be i n the hospital for two lousy days." "What's the fuss about?" "You' re su pposed to be a big wheel here." "The private rooms are fu I I." "If they broug ht i n Jesus Ch rist fresh off the cross, I cou ld n't get h i m one." "l' m not stayi ng i n a room with a dyi ng man." "He's not dyi ng." "They' I I screen h i m off." "You won't even know he's here." "If you want a private room, go home." "I' I I cal I you when one comes u p." "But you phoned me, i n a pan ic." "You' re goi ng on vacation." "They' I I cut th is polyp out tomorrow." "You' I I be home Th u rsday, i n M iam i Friday." "Wi I I you tal k some sense i nto th is I u natic?" "You said it." "He's a I u natic." "Big wheel!" "Can't even get me a private room." "I' I I get you a tranq u i I izer." "" Five." "A fu I l..." ""abdomen..."" "contrasted with wasti ng elsewhere." ""S ix." "Ascites..."" "with a protei n content above 4 g rams." "U nexplai ned anem ia, leu kopen ia." "U nexplai ned elevation of the seru m gam ma g lobu I i n level." "Especial ly abnormal floccu lation tests, and of cou rse, a positive PPD." "Al I of these fi nd i ngs assu me special sig n ificance i n Neg roes." "Th is has been a very com mendable worku p." "It's as com mendable a worku p of an FUO as I can remem ber." "The staff on th is floor is to be applauded." "Al I rig ht, let's go take a look at the g i rl." "It's a reportable case, Bru baker." "I'd write it u p." "N u rse... who's the sen ior resident on th is floor?" "That wou ld be Dr. Bru baker." "But he's at Ch ief-of-Service rou nds, now." "That's th is way?" "I wonder if there's some correlation between hepatic tu bercu losis and d rug add iction." "Presu mably, there was an early consideration of S BE?" "Y es, si r." "We d iscou nted it after repeated blood cu ltu res were negative." "You, Am bier." "Is that rig ht, "Am bier"?" "Y es, si r." "What else do you look for i n Bacterial Endocard itis?" "Dr. Bru baker, can I see you for a m i n ute, please?" "Sti I I a I ittle icteric." "Who's got an ophthal moscope?" "Did anyone note Roth spots?" "Don't worry about it." "There aren't any." "Am bier, you' re ou r big man on S BE." "What was the latex fixation?" "lt wasn't done, si r." "Don't you th i n k that's an i m portant test to d ifferentiate S BE from m i I iary TB?" "Not you, Biegel man." "Am bier." "There's about a 70 percent i ncidence of false-positive latex i n S BE." "You have been read i ng u p." "If the d iag nosis were S BE... wou ld a positive latex i nd icate anyth i ng i n the therapy?" "We'd expect the latex to become negative." "lf...." "If the anti biotic therapy were successfu l." "Are you applyi ng for you r i nternsh i p here?" "l' m not su re." "Come and see me." "Wou ld you sit u p, please, m iss?" "We've got a I ittle th i ng here, Doctor." "The g i rl over there is the daug hter of the patient i n 806." "He is at the moment comatose, and req u i res i ntravenous feed i ng and meds." "The daug hter wants to take the father out of the hospital... and back to Mexico, where they I ive." "The patient's name is Dru m mond." "He's apparently a Method ist m issionary." "They ru n some ki nd of rel ig ious m ission among the Apache I nd ians." "The daughter says she's a licensed nurse... so she can give the necessary lvs and treatment." "I don't think he should be let out of the hospital." "The attending, the guy in brown over there, concurs." "Wait, let me have al I that agai n." "As a matter of fact, th is is Dr. Biegel man's case." "Never m i nd the professional eth ics." "What happened?" "I don't know why I' m coveri ng u p for that son of a bitch i n Farkis Pavi I ion." "The patient, a man of 56, was ad m itted to the hospital 1 0 days ago... i n good health, for a checku p." "No visi ble d istress." "We d id the mandatory worku p on h i m." "Blood cu ltu res, stool, LE preps, chest EKG." "Al I negative." "However, there was some evidence of protei n i n h is u ri ne." "I don't know how that g uy i n Farkis Pavi I ion fou nd out." "Maybe he had a deal with one of the g i rls i n the lab." "He tu rned u p the next day... con ned the patient i nto sig n i ng an authorization for a biopsy." "What g uy i n Farkis Pavi I ion?" "Some postg rad fel low named Ives." "El roy Ives." "I never met h i m." "He's on one of the i m m u nology research prog rams." "Some postg rad came u p here, d id a biopsy on the patient?" "Y es, si r." "He con ned Biegel man with that story" "Protei n i n the u ri ne?" "And he biopsied the man?" "And he n icked a vessel." "They woke u p Biegel man at 2:00 i n the morn i ng, as the patient was i n shock." "Biegel man cal led the kid ney people for a consu lt." "But what was there to see?" "The patient was sou r and bleed i ng." "S poke to th is fel low, S utcl iff." "He referred us to a su rgeon named Wel beck." "That barber?" "You ai n't heard noth i ng yet." "We fi nal ly got Wel beck arou nd 4:00 i n the morn i ng." "He said go ahead." "So they laid the su rgery for 8:00." "Wel beck tu rned u p half-stoned, orders an ivp, clears h i m for al ierg ies" "Without actual ly testi ng, and the patient went i nto shock." "And tu bu lar necrosis." "They lopped out the bleed i ng kid ney... ran h i m back to the room, we waited for u ri ne." "Fever began spi ki ng I i ke hel l, u rem ia, vom iti ng." "So we arranged hemod ialysis." "He's putti ng out good water now... but some n u rse goofed on h is last treatment." "A sh u nt separated, someth i ng." "Blood pressu re pl u nged." "They ran h i m u p to icu... gave h i m two u n its of whole blood." "Vital sig ns are normal, but he's comatose." "That was two days ago." "I n short... a man comes i nto th is hospital i n perfect health... and i n the space of one week, we chop out one kid ney... damage another, red uce h i m to coma, and dam n near ki I I h i m." "Y es, si r." "You know, Bru baker..." "last n ig ht I sat i n my hotel room, reviewi ng the sham bles of my I ife... and contem plati ng su icide." "I said, " No, Bock, don't do it." "You' re a doctor, you' re a healer." ""You' re the Ch ief of Med ici ne at one of the g reat hospitals of the world." ""You are a necessary person." "You r I ife is mean i ngfu I."" "Then I wal k i n here, today, and I fi nd out that one of my doctors... was ki I led by a cou ple of n u rses who m istook h i m for a patient... because he screwed a tech n ician from the Neph rology Lab." "Hematology" "Now you come to me... with th is goth ic horror story i n wh ich the enti re mach i nery of modern med ici ne... has apparently conspi red to destroy one lousy patient." "How am I to sustai n my feel i ng of mean i ngfu I ness i n the face of th is?" "I' I I tel I you someth i ng." "If there were an oven arou nd here, I'd stick my head i n it." "What was the name of that g uy from Farkis Pavi I ion, agai n?" "Ives, si r." "El roy Ives." "Somebody oug ht to ream h is ass." "l' m goi ng to ream h is ass." "I' m gon na break that Wel beck's back." "I' I I defrock those two can n i bals." "They wi I I never agai n practice i n th is hospital." "I' I I tel I you that." "What about the g i rl?" "S he says we have no rig ht to stop her... from taki ng her father out." "S he's wi I I i ng to sig n an AOR form." "Let h i m go... before we ki I I h i m." "Get me Dr. G i I ley." "I want to tal k to h i m rig ht now." "Put h i m on page, if you have to." "I don't care if he's operati ng." "You get me some mon key named Ives." "I-V-E-S." "Fi rst name, El roy." "He's i n the Farkis Pavi I ion." "I want to tal k to you, Joe." "Come i n my office, please." "You got some pu n k rotati ng i n you r department, named Ives?" "Also, I want to ask you what ki nd of d ialysis room you' re ru n n i ng." "Excuse me." "G i I ley?" "Bock." "Did n't you tel I me a few months ago... you were gon na cut off al I privi leges for that assassi n, Wel beck?" "Wel beck, yes!" "He j ust butchered another one of my patients!" "The man's a buccaneer." "I want h i m broug ht u p before the Med ical Executive Com m ittee." "He's i n you r department, not m i ne." "He's putatively a su rgeon!" "I' I I be here." "I th i n k you shou ld know you've got some research g uy named Ives... i n you r department who's doi ng some d u bious biopsies." "We' re havi ng enoug h problems squeezing grants..." "out of the Nixon Administration-- -Ives is dead." "That's why I' m here." "What do you mean?" "I mean he's dead." "He had a heart attack i n the Emergency Room." "He had a heart attack i n the Emergency Room?" "What is th is?" "Some ki nd of plag ue?" "Where is he now?" "They were j ust taki ng h i m down to Pathology." "...the next th i ng anybody knew, th ree hou rs later..." "M rs." "Cush i ng said there was a dead man i n the hold i ng room." "You don't fi nd anyth i ng a I ittle g rotesq ue about al I th is?" "What do you mean?" "I mean, at 8: 30 th is morn i ng... we meet over a doctor who's ki I led i ntravenously... and here we are fou r hou rs later, with another doctor... who's d ied of a heart attack i n the Emergency Room." "What are you suggesti ng?" "You th i n k we have a mad ki I ler stal ki ng the hospital hal ls?" "Presu mably, Dr. Ives d ied of a heart attack, and Schaefer i n a d iabetic coma." "People do d ie of these th i ngs." "It's al I col ncidental, but I wou ld n't cal I it g rotesq ue." "How long are they gon na be on Schaefer's post?" "I don't th i n k you'd I i ke to cal I next-of-ki n?" "No, than ks." "God, I need a d ri n k." "M r." "Mead?" "I have an i njection for you." "What the hel I is goi ng on i n there?" "Honey, we got a witch doctor i n 806... and you better go i n there." "You know that I nd ian that was sitti ng i n 806 al I n ig ht?" "He's sti I I there." "And the g i rl's there, and they' re doi ng some voodoo i n there." "And I ai n't kidd i ng!" "What' re you tal ki ng about?" "I mean that I nd ian's i n there, half-naked, goi ng with a I ittle bag." "You j ust better get i n there, M rs." "Du n ne." "You wan na see someth i ng, baby?" "You j ust come here." "It's a perfectly harm less ceremony." "It's noth i ng to get excited about." "It' I I be over i n a few m i n utes, anyway." "M r." "Blacktree is a shaman who gets h is power from the th u nder... and it's i m perative he concl ude h is ritual wh i le the storm is sti I I gol ng on." "Visiti ng hou rs were over at 9:00." "Al I that's goi ng on i n there is a si m ple Apache prayer... for my father's recovery." "The marki ngs he's made on my father's arms... are from the pol len of the tu le plant." "The twigs have no sig n ificance, except they've been struck by I ig htn i ng... and are conseq uently appeals to the spi rit of I ig htn i ng." "It's al I enti rely harm less." "A rel ig ious ceremony, not a med ical one." "You don't seriously bel ieve al I that m u m bo j u m bo's gon na cu re h i m?" "On the other hand, it won't ki I I h i m." "Okay." "Go ahead." "Than ks." "You sti I I gon na take you r father out?" "I have to arrange an am bu lance." "ls there a phone here I cou ld use?" "Use my office." "Than k you." "Hel lo." "I'd I i ke to arrange an am bu lance." "I'd I i ke to arrange an am bu lance at 1 : 30, tomorrow afternoon." "Dru m mond." "Fi rst name, Barbara." "I' I I pay cash." "You' re to pick u p my father, Dru m mond, Edward... at the Man hattan Med ical Center, Hol ly Pavi I ion, Room 806." "It's a stretcher case." "I presu me you provide the stretcher." "He's to be taken to American Ai rl i nes..." "Ken nedy Ai rport, Fl ig ht 729 to Y u ma, Arizona." "I' I I accom pany the patient." "Than k you." "You bel leve i n witchcraft, M iss Dru m mond?" "I bel ieve i n everyth i ng." "You I i ke a d ri n k?" "Y eah." "My father, you shou ld know, was a very successfu I doctor i n Boston." "A mem ber of the Harvard Med ical Facu lty." "He was a widower, and I was h is on ly ch i ld." "He was not an especial ly rel ig ious man, a sober Method ist." "One even i ng, seven years ago... he attended a Pentecostal meeti ng at Harvard... and fou nd h i mself speaki ng i n tong ues." "He san k to h is knees at the back of the room and began to tal k fl uently... i n a lang uage wh ich no one had ever heard before." "Th is sort of th i ng happens freq uently at Pentecostal meeti ngs... and began happen i ng reg u larly to my father." "It was not u n usual to wal k i nto ou r home and fi nd my father sitti ng i n h is office... utterly serene, happi ly speaki ng to the ai r i n th is strange, foreig n tong ue." "I was, at that ti me, 20 years old... havi ng my obl igatory affai r with a m i nority g rou p." "I n my case, a Hopi I nd ian, a postg rad uate fel low at Harvard... doi ng h is doctorate i n aborig i nal lang uages of the Southwest." "One day, I broug ht the I nd ian boy home... j ust as my father was si n ki ng to h is knees i n the entrance foyer i n one of h is trances." "The I nd ian wheeled i n h is tracks, and he said, " l' I I be a son of a bitch! "" "You see, my father was speaki ng an Apache d ialect... an obscu re d ialect, at that... spoken on ly by a ragged band of u n reconstructed I nd ians... who had rejected the reservation, and gone to I ive i n isolation... i n the S ierra Mad re Mou ntai ns i n Northern Mexico." "What do you say to that?" "What the hel I am I su pposed to say to that?" "I' m sitti ng here boozi ng, and you come i n and tel I me... some demented story about you r father's rel ig ious conversion." "You m iss the poi nt." "Not my father's conversion, m i ne." "You see, I'd been h itti ng the acid pretty reg u larly at that ti me." "I had ach ieved a few m i nor sensory deform ities, some su icidal despai rs... but noth i ng as wi ld as fl uency i n an obscu re Apache d ialect." "I mean, I i ke, "Wow, man! "" "Here was I lvl ng afflatus rig ht before my eyes!" "With i n a week, my father had closed h is Beacon H i I I practice... and set out to start a m ission i n the Mexican Mou ntai ns." "I tu rned i n my S DS card and my crash hel met, and I fol lowed h i m." "It was a d isaster, at least for me." "My father had received the revelation, not I." "He stood gau nt on a mou ntai n slope and preached the Apocalypse... to solem n ly am used I nd ians." "I mastu rbated a lot." "We I ived i n a g rass wicki u p... ate raw rabbit and crushed pi ñon n uts." "It was h ideous." "With i n two months, I was back i n Boston." "A hol low shel l, d isenchanted with everyth i ng, and d izzy with deng ue." "I tu rned to austerity, com bed my hai r tig ht, entered n u rsi ng school." "I became haggard, d riven... had shamelessly i ncestuous d reams about my father." "I took u p with some of the sen ior staff there." "One of them... a portly psych iatrist, explai ned..." "I was generated by an u n resolved I ust for my father." "I cracked u p." "One day, they fou nd me wal ki ng to work naked and scream i ng obscen ities." "There was tal k of i nstitutional izi ng me." "So I packed a bag and went back to joi n my father i n the S ierra Mad re Mou ntai ns." "I've been there ever si nce." "That's th ree years." "My father is, of cou rse, as mad as a hatter." "I watch over h i m, and have been cu riously content." "You see, I bel ieve i n everyth i ng." "What was that al I about?" "I thoug ht I was obvious as hel l." "I' m tryi ng to tel I you, I have a th i ng about m idd le-aged men." "I ad m i re you r candor." "You've been ad m i ri ng a lot more than that." "You' re wasti ng you r ti me." "I've been i m potent for years." "Ru bbish." "What the hel I is wrong with bei ng i m potent?" "Kids are more h u ng u p on sex than the Victorians." "I got a son, 23 years old." "I th rew h i m out of the house last year." "Pietistic I ittle h u m bug." "He preached u n iversal love, and he despised everyone." "Had a blan ket contem pt for the m idd le class, even its decencies." "Detested my mother because she had a petit bou rgeois pride... i n her son, the doctor." "I can not tel I you how brutish ly he ig nored that rather good lady." "When she d ied, he d id n't even come to the fu neral." "He felt the chapel service was an hypocrisy." "He told me h is generation d id n't I ive with I ies." "I said, " Listen, everybody I ives with I ies."" "I g rabbed h i m by h is poncho... and I d ragged h i m the length... of ou r seven-room, despicably affl uent... m idd le-class apartment, and I fl u ng h i m...out." "I haven't seen h i m si nce." "You know what he said to me?" "He's stand i ng there on the land i ng, on the verge of tears." "He sh rieked at me:" ""You old fi n k." ""You can't even get it u p anymore."" "That was it, you see." "That was h is real revol ution." "It wasn't racism... the oppressed poor, or the war i n Vietnam." "The u lti mate American societal sickness... was a I i m p d i ng us." "My God." "If there is a despised, m isu nderstood m i nority i n th is cou ntry... it is us poor, i m potent bastards." "I' m i m potent, and I' m proud of it." "I m potence is beautifu l, baby!" "Power to the i m potent!" "Rig ht on, baby!" "Rig ht on!" "You know... when I say i m potent, I don't mean merely I i m p." "Disag reeable as it may be for a woman, a man may I ust for other th i ngs... someth i ng a I ittle less transient than an erection." "A sense of permanent worth." "That's what med ici ne was to me, my reason for bei ng." "When I was 34..." "I presented a paper before the an n ual convention... of the Society of Cl i n ical I nvestigation... that pioneered the whole goddam n field of I m m u nology." "A breakth roug h." "I' m i n al I the textbooks." "I happen to be an em i nent man." "You know someth i ng else?" "I don't g ive a goddam n." "When I say i m potent..." "I mean I've lost even my desi re to work." "That's a hel I of a lot more pri mal passion than sex." "I've lost my reason for bei ng." "My pu rpose." "The on ly th i ng I ever tru ly loved." "It is al I ru bbish, isn't it?" "T ransplants, anti bod ies...." "We man ufactu re genes." "We can prod uce bi rth ectogenetical ly." "We can practical ly clone people I i ke carrots... and half the kids i n th is g hetto haven't even been i nocu lated for pol io!" "We have establ ished the most enormous... med ical entity ever conceived... and people are sicker than ever!" "We cu re noth i ng!" "We heal noth i ng!" "The whole goddam n wretched world... is strang u lati ng i n front of ou r eyes." "That's what I mean when I say i m potent." "You don't know what the hel I I' m tal ki ng about, do you?" "Of cou rse I do." "I' m very ti red." "And I h u rt." "I've got noth i ng goi ng for me anymore." "Can you u nderstand that?" "Of cou rse." "Can you also u nderstand... that the on ly ad m issi ble matter left is death?" "Sou nds to me I i ke a fam i I iar case of morbid menopause." "Ch rist." "It's hard for me to take you r despai r seriously." "You obviously enjoy it so m uch." "Bugger off!" "That's al I I need now, is cl i n ical i nsig ht." "Some cockamam ie 25-year-old acid head... is gon na reassu re me about the menopause now!" "I'd I i ke to be alone." "Why don't you j ust beat it?" "Close the door and tu rn off the I ig hts on you r way out." "M r." "Blacktree d isapproves of my m i n iski rt... but it was the on ly th i ng I had to come to the city with." "Back at the tri be, I wear an kle-length buckski n." "Swel I." "Close the door and tu rn off the I ig hts." "What' re you shooti ng?" "Leave me alone." "Potassi u m." "You take enoug h of th is stuff, it' I I ki I I you." "I thoug ht I m ig ht have read you wrong, that you real ly were su icidal, so I came back." "Who asked you?" "Leave me alone!" "Why can't you leave me alone?" "Leave me alone." "Why d id n't you let me do it?" "I' I I see you." "Do you have a match, Doctor?" "You wou ld n't be awake?" "What ti me is it?" "Al most 7:00." "I swi ped th is for you out of the n u rses' locker room." "I' I I make good on you r d ress." "I' m afraid it was torn beyond repai r." "I' I I buy you a new one, or g ive me the size and I' I I send it on to you." "I wan na tal k to you about that." "T al k to me about what?" "You r father." "You real ly shou ld n't take h i m out of here i n h is cond ition." "I've j ust been looki ng at h is chart." "There's no reason to presu me brai n damage." "You can't pred ict anyth i ng i n these i nstances... but he cou ld come out of that coma at any ti me." "I th i n k you shou ld leave h i m here." "I' I I personal ly look after h i m." "Is th is you r way of sayi ng you'd I i ke me to stay i n town a few more days?" "That wou ld be n ice, too." "What do you say, M iss Dru m mond?" "I expect you can cal I me Barbara... consideri ng you ravished me th ree ti mes last n ig ht." "Th ree ti mes?" "Look at h i m pretend i ng he d id n't cou nt." "You were as puffed u p as a toad about it." "Pu nched a cou ple of holes i n you r crusade for u n iversal i m potence, d id n't it?" "I th i n k we' re on fi rst-name basis now." "I' I I cal I you Herb." "Let's g ive you r father a week, Barbara." "What do you say?" "I don't want my father i n th is hospital." "I had a d ream about th is hospital." "I d reamt th is enormous... starched, wh ite-ti le bu i ld i ng sudden ly eru pted I i ke a volcano... and al I the patients, doctors, n u rses, attendants, orderl ies... the whole I i ne-staff, food-service people, the aged, the lame... and you, rig ht i n the m idd le... were stam ped i ng i n one h ideous, scream i ng, su icidal mass i nto the sea." "I' m taki ng my father out of here, and as q u ickly as I can." "You' re real ly a fru itcake, you know?" "Let me put it th is way." "I love you." "I fancied you from the moment you came I u m beri ng down that hal lway, u pstai rs." "I said to M r." "Blacktree, "Who's that h u I ki ng bear of a man?"" "The Apaches are reverential about bears." "Won't eat bear meat, never ski n bears." "Bears are thoug ht of as both ben ig n and evi I, but very strong power." "Men with bear power are h ig h ly respected and are said to be g reat healers." ""That man, " I said, "gets h is power from the bear."" "Swel I." "Now, look." "You haven't got a hotel room or some sort of accom modations..." "where you can stay" "Let me put it th is way." "My father and I accept the i m placabi I ity of death." "If he d ies, he d ies." "I' m getti ng h i m out of here and back to Mexico at 1 :00 p. m." "I want you to come with us, because I love you and want ch i ld ren." "I' m afraid Mexico is a I ittle too remote for me." "We cou ld use you down there." "There's a cu riously h ig h i ncidence of TB." "You'd be a doctor agai n." "You'd be necessary agai n." "If you love me, I don't see any other choice." "What do you mean, if I love you?" "I raped you i n a su icidal rage." "How d id we get to love and ch i ld ren?" "I oug ht to know if a man loves me or not." "You m ust've told me half a h u nd red ti mes last n ig ht you loved me." "You m u rm u red and shouted it." "You even opened the wi ndow and bel lowed it out i nto the street." "Those were more expressions of g ratitude than love." "G ratitude for what?" "For resu rrecti ng feel i ngs of I ife i n me I thoug ht dead." "My God, what do you th i n k love is?" "Al I rig ht, I love you!" "You love me!" "I' m not about to arg ue with so relentless a romantic." "S i nce we have th is g reat passion goi ng for us... why don't you stay arou nd New Y ork for a week or 1 0 days?" "It's u p to 1 0 days now." "J ust u nti I you r father's cond ition i m proves." "No." "I've had these prophetic d reams for seven n ig hts." "Seven is a si n ister n u m ber." "The mean i ng of these d reams is very clear, seven ti mes as clear." "I' m to get you and my father out of here before we' re al I destroyed." "You' re certifiable." "Half the ti me you' re an i ntel I igent you ng woman... then al I of a sudden, you tu rn i nto a Cabal ist... who bel ieves i n d reams and witchcraft and bear power." "I don't I i ke the way you d ism iss my whole I ife as u n necessary." "I do a lot of heal i ng here i n Man hattan." "I don't have to go to Mexico to do it." "I also teach." "I send out 80 doctors a year i nto the world... often i nspi rited, at least com petent." "I've bu i It u p one of the best departments of med ici ne i n the world." "We have a hel I of a heart u n it, we have a hel I of a kid ney g rou p." "A lot of people come i nto th is place i n big trou ble... and go out a lot better for the experience, so don't tel I me how u n necessary I am." "So why were you tryi ng to ki I I you rself with an overdose of potassi u m?" "Where are you goi ng?" "My hotel." "I have to check out." "M r." "Blacktree doesn't speak any Eng I ish." "You' re com i ng back, of cou rse?" "Of cou rse." "I have to settle the bi I I, pack my father." "I th i n k you need a few hou rs alone to make you r decisions." "What decision?" "You' re a very ti red, very damaged man." "You've had a h ideous marriage, I assu me a few tacky affai rs along the way." "You' re u nderstandably rel uctant to get i nvolved agai n." "And here I am with th is preposterous idea... you th row everyth i ng u p and go off with me to some barren mou ntai ns i n Mexico." "Utterly mad, I know." "On the other hand... you fi nd th is world as desolate as I do." "You d id try to ki I I you rself last n ig ht." "So that's it." "Either me and the mou ntai ns, or the bottle of potassi u m." "I' I I be back i n an hou r or so." "I' I I be i n my father's room." "Al I rig ht, I love you!" "My God!" "I repeat, I'm asking you to come out peacefully." "These buildings are condemned and unfit for habitation." "You people are possessing this b uilding illegally... and in violation of the law." "I'm asking yo u to come o ut peacefully." "S o th e h ospital h as assu m ed th e respon si bi I ity... for fi n d i n g 400 h ou si n g u n its i n g ood bu i I d i n g s." "Th e h ospital wishes to poi nt out that th is row of bu i ld i ngs on Fi rst Aven ue... was condem ned by the city before the hospital acq u i red ownersh i p... and even then... on ly after responsi ble leaders i n the com m u n ity... approved the bu i ld i ng of ou r new d rug-rehabi I itation center." "God dam n it." "I've got a dozen com m u n ity leaders waiti ng for me i n the I i brary." "We' re tryi ng to work out a negotiable form u la for two years... with no hel p from you people i n the U rban Affai rs Division, I m ig ht add." "I am not goi ng to th row al I that down the d rai n... because some cockamam ie activist g rou p... is showboati ng for the television cameras." "You get those people out of those bu i ld i ngs before a wal I col lapses... or a fi re breaks out and we've got a riot on ou r hands." "Okay." "Havi ng you r trou bles?" "I won't take m uch of you r ti me." "My name is Wel beck." "I've been associated with th is hospital for six years... and yesterday afternoon, Dr. G i I ley cal led me... to tel I me he was cutti ng off my privi leges with the hospital." "Do you know anyth i ng about that?" "That's news to me." "He said he sent the report on." "l' I I probably get the report tomorrow." "I assu me" "A report about what?" "I' m not su re myself." "I d id a neph rectomy on a man about seven days ago." "Emergency cal led i n at 4:00 a. m., and the man was hemorrhag i ng" "I' m real ly sorry." "I do have a meeti ng to go to." "I n any event, there's noth i ng I can do about it." "If G i I ley...." "I' I I be i n the I i brary." "If G i I ley wants to cut you r privi leges... he's Ch ief of S u rgery, it's with i n h is provi nce." "You' I I have to have the heari ng." "I have a laparotomy for today." "I assu me I' I I be able to go th roug h with that." "I've been con nected with th is hospital for six years." "It seems to me I've had you r name down here before, for someth i ng." "Wait a m i n ute." "You' re the fel low... with the Med icaid col lecti ng busi ness... who i ncorporated and went pu bl ic, rig ht?" "Someth i ng I i ke that?" "M i lton Mead was tel I i ng me about you." "You' re a whole med ical cong lomerate." "You've got a factori ng service, a com puterized bi I I i ng com pany... a few proprietary hospitals, a few n u rsi ng homes." "Good heavens, you shou ld n't be broug ht u p before a com m ittee of mere doctors." "You shou ld be i nvestigated by the Secu rities and Exchange Com m ission." "You have to go th roug h with the heari ng." "I can't do anyth i ng about that." "... i m perial izi ng the Blacks." "We reject the bou rgeois, m idd le-class Black traitors and fl u n kies... who are sel I i ng out the Black proletarians..." "to the expansion ist, racist pol icies" "Let's get back to the abortion issue." "What the hel I does the male establ ish ment know about abortion?" "Who the hel l raised the issue of bi rth control?" "The issue at hand is the control of d rug add iction... i n th is com m u n ity and i n the g hetto, personal ly." "We don't want no goddam n abortion." "Let's get to the core of th is matter." "The poi nt is that th is hospital is the land lord for those bu i ld i ngs... and i nstead of teari ng them down... and bu i ld i ng some i m perial istic extensions of the med ical establ ish ment... th is hospital oug ht to be rebu i ld i ng those tenements..." "g ive those people decent housi ng." "Please." "You know, I hal I uci nated last n ig ht." "I hal I uci nated there was an I nd ian doi ng a war dance i n here." "You weren't hal I uci nati ng, M r." "Mead." "There was an I nd ian i n here last n ig ht." "There was?" "Okay." "Down to the Operati ng Room." "Dr. Norris said about half an hou r." "Okay." "Com i ng u p fi ne." "Half an hou r." "Hold h i m rig ht there." "M iss S h i rley... it's j ust an ovarian cyst." "Okay." "Go u p to Hol ly 6... on the dou ble." "Go." "Who is that?" "Is that Mangafran n i?" "Y eah." "N u m ber 3." "Good morn i ng, Doctor." "It's legal for a doctor to i ncorporate i n New Y ork, isn't it?" "S i nce last Septem ber." "If they'd had that when I was you r age, I'd have put away a cou ple of m i I I ion." "It g ives you a variety of deferral devices." "Profit shari ng, for exam ple." "Let's say you pick you rself an October 31 fiscal." "You declare a bon us payable i n '7 1." "An accrued item payable to a pri nci pal shareholder m ust be paid... with i n two and a half months after the year end, to get the ded uction i n the prior year." "But you r corporation doesn't pay that tax... because we've el i m i nated the taxable i ncome with the bon us." "With two taxable entities, you can bu ry a lot of expenses." "Hel lo, th is is Wel beck." "Any messages for me?" "I' m at the hospital." "I gotta cut open some g uy soon." "I' I I try to make it as fast as I can." "How u rgent d id he say it was?" "Doctor Hogan made those arrangements with the u nderwriters." "The reg istration statement was fi led with the S EC wel I over a year ago." "If he cal Is agai n, have me paged here." "Mangafran n i, rig ht?" "Rig ht." "What do you say?" "We' re not gon na hang it i n the Louvre." "There's no pu lse, Doctor." "What's the pressu re?" "There's no blood pressu re." "No pu lse." "Get the tu be and EKG." "What's the matter?" "I can't feel a th i ng here." "What the hel I happened?" "I don't know." "S he m ust have th rown an em bol us." "S he was doi ng fi ne, u p to now." "Did you check the gases?" "I d id." "'Cause the on ly ti me I saw anyone con k out... some jerk switched the n itrous oxide and the gas I i nes." "Get the dam n leads on." "For Ch rist's sake, what the hel I is th is?" "S he's a you ng woman." "S hou ld we open the chest?" "S he's 53, you button-head." "Bicarb." "Jesus H. Ch rist!" "Stop for a m i n ute." "V-fi b, Doctor." "Get me the padd les." "I may be crazy, Doctor, but I don't th i n k th is is you r patient." "What the hel I are you tal ki ng about?" "I don't want to get i nto an i ntesti ne hassle." "The mal practice here is mon u mental." "As you can see, Dr. Schaefer's blood sugar was 23." "No g I ucose sol ution is goi ng to do that." "The on ly th i ng that' I I do it... is at least 50 u n its of i nsu I i n, probably more." "We m ust presu me one of the n u rses shot 50 u n its of i nsu I i n i nto h is bloodstream... either by i njection or iv, althoug h how i n God's name a th i ng I i ke that...." "I' m very sorry, Doctor." "May I use you r phone?" "Certai n ly." "Did you ask the head n u rse from eig hth to tel I you..." "when a M iss Dru m mond got here?" "Y es." "S he j ust got there." "I better get down there d i rectly." "Have you cal led the OOD?" "You better cal I Dr. G i I ley." "And cal I M r." "S loan." "I' I I be rig ht down." "I' m very sorry." "There's a very nasty one i n the OR." "They've j ust operated on the wrong patient." "I don't u nderstand." "Is she back i n her room?" "When d id she get back i n her room?" "Who broug ht her back?" "S he's back i n her room." "Who?" "M rs." "Mangafran n i... the woman who was su pposed to have been operated on." "Are they sti I I worki ng on that woman i n 3?" "I' m sorry, M rs." "Fried, cou ld you say that agai n?" "Nobody i n th is office sent her back u p." "Al I rig ht, M rs." "Fried." "I' I I have to cal I you back." "Did any of you take a woman patient named Mangafran n i... out of the hold i ng room, back u p to Hol ly 5, arou nd 1 0:00?" "What happened?" "I don't know what happened." "A patient named Mangafran n i was sched u led to have a hysterectomy... at 1 0:00." "Dr. Mal lory." "I tal ked to Sylvia, i n the hold i ng room, who ad m itted her, so she was here." "Now I j ust spoke to M rs." "Fried on Hol ly 5... and she says an orderly broug ht M rs." "Mangafran n i... back to her room about 20 m i n utes ago." "Now M rs." "Mangafran n i is i n her room, sleepi ng." "Who's the woman i n the operati ng room?" "I don't know." "Is she dead?" "They had to open her u p, and that's not good." "I better get M r." "Mead." "Now, we can rectify the i nj ustices... of the world tomorrow, but rig ht now... cou ld we get those people out of those bu i ld i ngs?" "Wi I I you please I isten to me?" "Wi I I you sh ut u p?" "Wi I I you please sh ut u p and I isten to me?" "Let's cal I a halt to th is... partici patory democracy... and add ress ou rselves to the i m med late problem!" "When d id it happen?" "About half an hou r." "Cal led the Med ical Exam i ner?" "No." "You'd better do that now." "Cal I the preci nct station house, too." "Good morn i ng." "Th is is real ly someth i ng, isn't it?" "I thoug ht she looked d ifferent when they broug ht her." "I said to one of the n u rses, "S he looks you nger without her dentu res."" "I tal ked to her half an hou r before." "Does anyone know who she is?" "What's her chart say?" "Her chart and her bracelet say " Mangafran n i."" "The on ly th i ng that isn't Mangafran n i is the woman." "Jesus H. Ch rist!" "I've been choppi ng out 3 uteruses a day for 30 years... is it too m uch to expect you people to bri ng i n... the rig ht goddam n Jesus Ch rist uterus?" "I tal ked to her i n the hold i ng room." "S he was perfectly fi ne." "A I ittle d rowsy." "I thoug ht it was fu n ny that when they broug ht her i n, she was out cold." "We' I I have to stay here ti I I M r." "Mead or someone from the OOD comes back." "I' m not taki ng the rap for th is." "I've got one mal practice su it pend i ng." "I' m not taki ng the rap for th is one." "You' re not leavi ng." "I love you, and I' m not gon na let you go." "Let's start putti ng you r father's th i ngs back." "He's stayi ng here." "I' I I fi nd you an apartment." "I' m stayi ng i n a fi lthy I ittle hotel room." "We can't use that." "I can't make it, u p here." "I' I I crack u p." "I can retai n my san ity on ly i n a si m ple society." "You can't real ly expect me... to I ive i n a g rass shack and h u nt jackrabbit." "Be sensi ble, for God's sake." "I am bei ng sensi ble." "What is it you' re so afraid of leavi ng here?" "You r plastic home?" "You r cond itioned ai r?" "You r synthetic clothes?" "You r i nstant food?" "I' m offeri ng you g reen si lence, and sol itude." "The natu ral order of th i ngs." "Mostly, I' m offeri ng me." "I th i n k we' re beautifu l." "You make it sou nd al most plausi ble." "I don't know why you even hesitate." "What's hold i ng you here?" "Is it you r wife?" "That's al I over." "If I' m married to anyth i ng, it's th is hospital." "It's been my whole I ife." "I can't wal k out on it as thoug h it never mattered." "I' m m idd le class." "Among us m idd le class, love doesn't tri u m ph over al l... responsi bi I ity does." "Don't ask me to stay u p here with you, because I love you, and I wi I I." "And we' I I both be destroyed." "I have the bi I I here to pay, yet." "I' I I come with you." "You wanted to know the name of that d ialysis n u rse?" "Who?" "The one who goofed on you r patient, Dru m mond." "Her name is T eresa Cam panel la." "You' re not gon na bel ieve th is." "S he d ied on the operati ng table of OR 3 about an hou r ago." "What?" "You heard about the screwu p i n OR 3." "You mean she was the one?" "I j ust identified her." "What is goi ng on?" "Every ti me I try to fi nd somebody, they either d ied of a heart attack... or anesthesia shock i n an OR." "I j ust came from the OR." "They' re tryi ng to fi nd a Dr. Schaefer." "Doesn't a kid named Schaefer work here?" "Did." "He d ied yesterday of an overdose of i nsu I i n." "Why?" "The n u rse says there's a Dr. Schaefer hang i ng arou nd the hold i ng room." "Wou ld n't have been you r Schaefer." "N u rse says it was sen ior staff, m idd le-aged man." "There's no sen ior staff by that name." "I told them that." "I said, " I don't know any sen ior staff named Schaefer."" "They've got detectives down there." "A whole big i nvestigation." "How'd the n u rse know h is name?" "H is nameplate." "I am the fool for Ch rist, and Paraclete of Caborca." "For heaven's sakes, Dad." "What the hel l's goi ng on?" "We thoug ht you were at death's door." "What are you doi ng out of bed?" "What happened?" "What's he goi ng at you for?" "Did he say anyth i ng?" "As a matter of fact... he said, " I am the fool for Ch rist and the Paraclete of Caborca."" "S h ut that door, because if he tel Is everybody... he's the fool for Ch rist and the Paraclete of Caborca, they' I I put us al I away." "He's ki I led two doctors and a n u rse." "I am the wrath of the lam b, and the angel of the bottom less pit." "What do you mean?" "I mean he's ki I led two doctors and a n u rse." "He j ust tried to ki I I me." "He has someth i ng agai nst doctors." "He got ahold of some i nsu I i n and put it i n Dr. Schaefer's i ntravenous sol ution." "Somehow, he got Dr. Ives to d ie of a heart attack... i n the m idd le of the Emergency Room." "Somehow, he got a d ialysis n u rse, Cam panel la... to d ie of anesthesia shock on an operati ng table." "He's been ru n n i ng al I over the hospital, d ressed u p i n Dr. Schaefer's u n iform." "They' re looki ng al I over the place for the mysterious Dr. Schaefer." "It's i ncred i ble to us both, but as you can see, you r father is not a hel pless comatose." "I' m not the one who's crazy." "Ask you r crazy father." "I was merely an i nstru ment of God." "I ki I I no one." "They al I th ree d ied by thei r own hands." "Ritual victi ms of thei r own i nstitutions... m u rdered by i rony." ""An eye for an eye."" "Bi bl ical retri bution." "Schaefer was fi rst, because he ki I led God." "God was ad m itted to th is hospital last Monday... u nder the name of G uernsey." "I was instantly aware of a divine presence." "I was convinced this porcelain old man was an angel of the Lord... perhaps even Christ himself." "O ur savior was suffering from emphysema." "He was relen tlessly subjected to the benefits o f m odern medicine... and died at 7 : 30 that evening." "A few h o urs later, he appeared to me in a revelation." "Ri se u p, D ru m m o n d." "Y o u are d ead, n ow yo u are resto red." "T h ose wh o ki I I ed yo u, an d t h ose wh o ki I I ed m e... wi I I d i e i n ou r pl ace." "You are th e Paracl ete of Caborca." "Th e wrath of th e I am b." "Th e an g el... of th e bottom less pit." "Not quite the burning bush, perhaps, but prodigal enough for me." "I was to avenge the death of God, and my own brutalization." "I was to kill doctors Schaefer, Ives, and Welbeck... and the dialysis n urse, Miss Campanella... wh ose negligence caused my coma." "I awaited a further sign from God, which was given to me later that evening." "Dr. Schaefer had arranged an assignation... with a girl from the Hematology Lab named Sheila." "Boy, I su re h ope n obody wal ks i n." "Wh at about h i m?" " H e' s zon ked out." "Wh at' s n ew?" "N oth i n g." "Wh at' s th i s?" "lt' s my i n su I i n." "I forgot to put it back." "What' s the i nsu I i n for?" "I d id n 't know you were a d iabetic." "It ai n 't contag ious, don't worry." "You took the insulin from Dr. Schaefer's pocket and put it in the IV." "Yes." "Then a n urse came... and plugged the IV jar into Schaefer." "G od cl early i nten d ed a m easu re of i rony h ere." "Th e h ospital was to d o al I th e ki I I i n g for m e." "Al I I n eed d o i s arran g e for the doctors to become patients i n thei r own hospital." "The next morn i ng, I pi nched some d igoxi n from the pharmacy... and a sand bag from a uti I ity cart... and fou nd my way to Dr. Ives' laboratory." "I crushed h i m with the sand bag... and gave h i m a massive shot of the d igoxi n." "Th is broug ht on an i nstant cond ition of card iac arrhyth m ia." "I waited for h i m to come to." "Then I broug ht h i m down to the Emergency Room." "He had, at that time, perhaps an hour to live." "Prompt treatment would've saved his life." "He was sudden ly taken i I I." "I got h i m here rig ht away." "As a staff doctor, he was seen with o ut preliminaries." "His vital signs were taken." "An electrocardiogram... which revealed occasional ven tricular premature con tractions." "An in tern to ok his history, and then he was... promp tly, simply... forgo tten to death." "Simply mislaid." "Mislaid am ong the broken wrists... the chest pains, the scalp lacerations... the man wh ose fingers were crushed in a taxi do or... the in fan t with a skin rash, the child swiped by a car... the old lady m ugged in the sub way, the derelict beaten by sailors... the teenage suicide, the paran olds... drunks, asthmatics, the rapes, the sep tic ab ortions... the o verdosed addicts... the fractures, in farcts, hem o rrh ages, c o nc ussio ns, b o ils, ab rasio ns... the c o lo n ic cancers, the cardiac arrests... the wh o le wo unded m adh o use o f o ur times." "W h o' s N u m be r 7 680 20 2-S?" "I s t h e re anybody h e re wh o i s t h at n u m be r?" "In this way... was it revealed to me the manner o f Nurse Campanella 's death." "She was to die o f the great American plag ue :" "Vestigial iden tity." "S o, I ast n i g ht I cru s h ed M i ss Cam pan e I I a wit h a san d bag... sed ated h e r wit h T h o raz i n e, s h aved h e r, p repped h er... an d parked h er i n a corri d or of th e x-ray d epartm ent for five h ou rs." "Why x-ray?" "At x-ray... a sed ated body lyi n g arou nd u nattended for five hou rs..." "wou ld n 't seem u n usual." "Of cou rse." "Her operation, that is to say..." "M rs." "Mangafran n i's operation, was not sched u led ti I I 9: 30." "At 9: 1 5 th is morn i ng, I rang for my n u rse." "Rang for you r n u rse?" "T o i nsu re one fu I I hou r of u n i nterru pted privacy." "I got u p, wheeled M iss Cam panel la off to the operati ng rooms...." "I exchanged M rs." "Mangafran n i's bed with hers." "I transferred the charts and identity bracelets." "S he d ied official ly of anesthesia shock." "I n fact, she d ied because she was weari ng another woman's identity." "God, what do we do now?" "Let me take h i m back to Mexico." "It's a si m ple world there." "He fu nctions there." "If you tu rn h i m i n... they' I I cage h i m i n the Rockland State Hospital for the cri m i nal ly i nsane." "Let me take h i m back." "Are you kidd i ng?" "We' I I both take h i m." "I' m goi ng with you." "Let's get h i m d ressed." "We' I I leave before the pol ice put us al I i n Rockland State." "I haven't fi n ished my work here." "I have th is Wel beck to d ispose of." "I' m the angel of the bottom less pit, and the wrath of the lam b." "He's havi ng another revelation." "That am bu lance m ust be there by now." "You go and get them." "I' I I g ive h i m a shot of someth i ng." "We' I I go to the ai rport i n the am bu lance." "You' re hal I uci nati ng agai n." "Powel I never showed u p." "I' m short-staffed as hel l." "It's j ust me and Al ice." "It's I i ke a S u nday." "Nobody's here." "l' I I be i n with the bleeder." "You gotta send me somebody." "We' I I be i n 806." "Then what d id she say?" "I' m Dr. Wel beck." "I have a patient on th is floor named Dru m mond." "I'd I i ke to see h is chart." "Dr. Bock, can I have a few m i n utes of you r ti me?" "Dr. G i I ley tel Is me that you i n itiated these proceed i ngs agai nst me." "l' m busy." "What is it you have agai nst me?" "Eig ht days ago you showed u p half-stoned for a si m ple neph rectomy... botched it, put the patient i n fai I u re, and dam n near ki I led h i m." "Then, pausi ng on ly to send i n you r bi I I, you flew off on the wi ngs of Man... to an island of su n i n Montego Bay." "Th is is the th i rd ti me i n two years we've had to patch u p you r patients." "The other two d ied." "You' re g reedy, u nfeel i ng, i nept, i nd ifferent... self-i nflati ng, and u nconscionably profitable." "Besides that, I have noth i ng agai nst you." "I' m su re you play a hel I of a game of golf." "What else do you want to know?" "How m uch do you make a year?" "For a g uy who makes a lousy $40 to $50, 000...." "Th is is Dr. Wel beck." "Were you pag i ng me?" "You've been tryi ng to reach me al I morn i ng." "He pu I Is out the wi res and the tu bes... and he gets u p and he puts on a doctor's u n iform, and he m u rders doctors." "He j ust went out 1 0 seconds before you came i n here." "I' I I tel I you someth i ng else about th is crazy place." "There was a naked I nd ian here, last n ig ht, doi ng a war dance." "That's the ki nd of crazy place you' re ru n n i ng here." "You gotta get me out of here." "Th is is a crazy place." "Listen to me." "I wake u p last n ig ht and there was an I nd ian i n here, a naked I nd ian!" "What ki nd of a hospital is th is?" "Are you pag i ng me?" "Someti me later, the g uy i n that bed there is getti ng out." "Are the pol ice sti I I here?" "Get them u p here." "Al I day, he lays there I i ke he's dead." "I n the m idd le of the n ig ht, he gets out of bed!" "Thoug ht I was crazy!" "He says, "You' re hal I uci nati ng."" "I j ust...." "Listen." "I saw a naked I nd ian, now I' m seei ng a g host." "I fig u re he's rig ht, I' m hal I uci nati ng." "I' I I be down soon." "It never rai ns, but it pou rs." "A fi re broke out i n one of the bu i ld i ngs." "The sq uatters came out." "The pol ice tried to arrest them." "Now the situation has eru pted i nto a riot." "You m ust be wonderi ng what th is is about." "Don't leave me alone here!" "M r." "H itchcock wi I I stay with you." "Better cal I the cops, T om." "I haven't ti me now." "I' m not gon na try to tel I you th is crazy story my brother j ust told me." "I' I I fi I I you i n on it at I u nch, someti me." "Hold it!" "The am bu lance is here." "But you r father isn't." "Disappeared." "He put on Schaefer's u n iform and took off to do God's work... presu mably the m u rder of Dr. Wel beck." "The g uy on the phone is Dr. Wel beck." "What are you tal ki ng about?" "Also, the other patient i n you r father's room j ust overheard the whole confession... and told the Ch ief Ad m i n istrator." "They' re send i ng for the cops." "Oh, my God." "Who held title?" "Do the u nderwriters know about th is yet?" "What are you waiti ng for?" "Arrest the son of a bitch." "T u rn h i m i n." "Oh, my God!" "When?" "Cal I me rig ht back." "I' m at the Hol ly Pavi I ion, eig hth floor." "H u rry, please." "Are you al I rig ht?" "Am I al I rig ht?" "That son of a bitch is tryi ng to wi pe me out." "My partner." "The em i nent orthoped ic su rgeon, Dr. Noel Hogan... is a m iserable th ief, and he's tryi ng to wi pe me out." "M r." "Dru m mond's chart." "What?" "What room is it?" "806." "I' m expecti ng a phone cal l." "Put it straig ht th roug h to me i n that room." "The son of a bitch has been d rai n i ng the com pany... with phony pu rchase orders on another com pany... of wh ich, it now tu rns out, h is wife is the pri nci pal stockholder." "T ransparent fraud." "I' I I send h i m u p for 20 years." "You don't seem that m uch the worse for wear." "Please use some other phone." "I' m expecti ng an i m portant cal l." "Who is th is g uy?" "l' I I be at the n u rses' desk, Sergeant." "You've got a fever..." "but you' re doi ng wel l." "l' m not Dru m mond." "Dru m mond's the other bed." "That's m i ne." "It's Wel beck here." "Go ahead." "l' m getti ng out of th is nuthouse." "T ake it easy." "I came i n here to get a lousy polyp cut out." "My God!" "What do you mean?" "How many transactions were there?" "I borrowed agai nst that stock." "I' m a sick man." "I' m su pposed to have peace and q u let!" "What do you mean, Brazi l?" "I tal ked to Hogan's office yesterday, and they...." "I' m wi ped out." "The S EC has suspended trad i ng i n my stock." "Card iac arrest." "Hol ly 8." "We have an emergency here." "Please clear all corridors." "Breathe h i m." "Where's Chand ler?" "He went to I u nch." "Get that bed out of here." "G ive me an Am bu-bag and an ai rway." "What's been happen i ng?" "I n here?" "Y eah." "Who is it?" "One of the patients had a card iac arrest." "T otal card iac arrest." "How long has he been I i ke th is?" "A m i n ute." "No pu lse, no heartbeat, no respi ration." "l' I I take over." "We have another emergency i n 823." "Endotracheal tu be." "Was it Dru m mond?" "Who else wou ld it be?" "Who is th is patient?" "What's the story on th is patient?" "Th is h is chart, Dr. Bock?" "What's h is name?" "Dru m mond?" "Y es, h is name is Dru m mond." "That's h is chart." "Ch rist." "The poor son of a bitch j ust had a neph rectomy a week ago." "Hook h i m u p to the mon itor." "Stop the massage." "Ventricu lar fi bri I lation." "Get me the padd les." "Push another am p of bicarb." "Set it for 200." "Set, 200." "Everybody back away." "One, two, th ree." "Did n't convert." "He's sti I I fi bri I lati ng." "Let's go to 400." "Everybody back." "Set, 400." "One, two, th ree." "That d id n't work, either." "Let me have 1 cc of ad renal i n, and an i ntercard iac need le." "Stop the massage." "It's ventricu lar fi bri I lation." "Push another am p of bicarb." "Two h u nd red." "Set, 200." "Is he dead?" "They can't get h i m out of fi b." "I don't th i n k he' I I I ive." "Than k God." "That shou ld close the case, Sergeant." "Nobody's gon na get h u rt." "We j ust want the Di rector." "I've had it u p to here." "I am not deal i ng with th is ki nd of cheap" "Now, look." "We' re looki ng for a hostage!" "Fou rteen people got arrested for" "Where's the camera?" "Wou ld you be cool, man?" "Fou rteen people got arrested for I lvl ng i n thei r homes..." "wh ich you people th rew them out of." "Rig ht on." "Now we are gon na arrest you." "We gon na hold you hostage, and we al n't letti ng you go." "We, the mem bers of the Doctors' Li beration Com m ittee... i nd ict th is hospital for the cri m i nal neg lect of the com m u n ity i n wh ich it is situated." "We demand a d issol ution of the govern i ng and executive boards" "What are you gon na do about those 1 4 g hetto people?" "I am not goi ng to do anyth i ng about anyth i ng." "You are." "If you want to take over th is hospital, you take it over." "We wi I I!" "You ru n it!" "I am fi n ished." "I q u it." "You ru n it." "You pay the bi I ls!" "You fig ht the city." "We wi I I." "You fig ht the state." "You fig ht the u n ions." "You fig ht the com m u n ity." "You th i n k you can do a better job, you do it." "Now, I am fi n ished!" "I q u it!" "It's al I you rs." "Let those who are i n J udea flee to the mou ntai ns." "The age is closed." "The season of the seventh seal is at hand!" "The age is closed." "Dr. Wel beck is dead." "They thoug ht he was you." "I know." "We m ust arrange to have h is body sh i pped to my Apache vi I lage... where we' I I bu ry h i m with fu I I tri bal rites." "We m ust h u rry." "I n a day or two, someone' I I ask..." ""Whatever happened to Dr. Wel beck?"" "It' I I be assu med he absconded to Brazi l to joi n h is partner... the em i nent orthoped ic su rgeon, Dr. Noel Hogan." "Wel beck, too, was m islaid... overlooked, forgotten to death." "I' m not goi ng." "The hospital's com i ng apart." "I can't wal k out on it when it's com i ng apart." "Someone has to be responsi ble." "Everybody's h itti ng the road... ru n n i ng away, ru n n i ng to the h i I ls." "Someone's got to be responsi ble." "Ken nedy Ai rport." "You've got a 2: 30 fl ig ht to make." "You goi ng back i n?" "Y ep." "It's I i ke pissi ng i n the wi nd, rig ht?"