"So how'd it go last night?" "Oh, no!" " Would you hand me that?" " Nice gloves." "Are they new?" "What do you got when you have a lawyer up to his neck in cement?" " Your boyfriend out of jail yet?" " Not yet." "Jack, one guess." "Four Seasons." "That's easy." "What's the flip side?" "Flip side?" "Flip side." "What is the flip side?" "Oh, shit, now my whole day's ruined." "Is everything laid out?" "Everything you like." "Oh, these are my favorites." " What's the story on our friend?" " He jumped, five floors." "Oh, good grief." "What do you want on this?" "Pickle, lettuce, tomato?" "Onion?" "What do you want?" "Want a coke?" "No coke?" "No, use more Betadine, sweetheart." "He needs the color." "Let's go, Jack." "I'm having trouble keeping his pressure up." "Just splash and slash." "You know, Murray, they ought to teach a course in suicide technique." "I mean, five floors is just not good enough." "People use the wrong knife, can't tie a decent knot." "It's terrible." "Nancy, when are you gonna run away with me?" "I'm desperate." "I can't eat." "I can't sleep." "OK." "Blade." "I'm going right in." "We'll tidy up on the way out." "Oh, look at that." "You made him bleed." "Retractor." " Oh, boy, he's a gusher." " I hate blood." "Cell-saver suction." "Malleable, Nancy." "The BP's dropping all the time." "I can't keep up with his loss." "This guy's aorta is in big trouble." "Cut down on the ventilation, Joe." " Move the lung out of the way." " OK, I'm hand-ventilating." "Oh, shit." "The aorta's completely transected." " What do you wanna do?" " Turn off the music." "Clamp and run." "Give me a 20-millimeter Dacron graft." "On my way." "Clamp?" "Thank you." " We need some over here." " I'm getting in a clamp above." " Snap!" " Clamp." "I'm getting in a clamp below..." " I got it, I got it." " Start the clock!" "OK." "Take this, will you?" "Get it." "Take it out." "Graft." "I got it." " 4-0 Prolene, let's go!" " 4-0 Prolene, Doctor." " Give him more blood, Joe." " He's got all we had." "We sent for more." "Knit one." "He's 60 over zip." "But we still have a cardiac rhythm." "Not for long." " Nancy, are my hands shaking?" " No, Doctor." "That's amazing." "I always tremble when you're near." "You've got about three minutes, Jack, and then he's in big trouble." "What's the difference between a..." "Nancy, if you know this one, don't say anything." "What's the difference between a lawyer and a catfish?" " You know?" " No idea." "One is a scum-sucking bottom dweller..." "and the other one's a fish." " Right over left and under." " Left over right and under." "Good scout." "OK, here we go." "I'm going to unclamp slowly." "Watch the BP." " Clamp." " Easy." " Off." " No leaks." "We made it." "Looks beautiful." "Ooo-wee!" "Let's pack our bags, guys, and go home." "Closing music, Joe." "Oh, that was great, everybody." "And, Nancy, I wanna hear you sing." "Sure, Doctor." "Nancy, you're not singing, doll." "One day, Nancy, one day before I die, you're gonna sing for me." "Doctor, please." "Sing it." "Sing it, buddy!" "You're gonna be OK." "What's this kid's name?" "Sing it, Nancy, baby." "Dr. MacKee?" "Dr. Blumfield would like you to stop by OR 2 and take a look at his patient." " Wow." "Where ENT meets ESP." " Rabbi calls." "Go take a look." " The spirits wait." " Will you finish up here?" "My pleasure." "Don't forget your crystals." "Or a Ouija board." "Jack, you throw the wildest parties." "Come on, little doggie." "Come on, fella, wake this kid up." "Have him join us." "When that boy wakes up, tell him, next time, ten floors minimum." " Reach for the sky!" " Look out!" "You hear that, boy?" "That was Dr. Jack MacKee." " I need a gown." " Here you go." "Here, Doctor." "Thank you for coming, Doctor." "I've got a rigid bronchoscopy, and..." "I'd like you to take a look." "I think I found a lesion in the right main bronchus." " He's under for another 20?" " Mm-hmm." "Sergio, this is Dr. MacKee." "He's an expert in heart and lungs." "And I'd like him to check you out." "There's nothing to be nervous about." "Hi, Serge." "How's it hanging?" "I gotta tell ya, if you can hear me," "I'd fire the anesthesiologist." "Dr. MacKee likes to joke." "Doesn't mean he's not caring, that's just his way." "He's a fine doctor." "Mm-hmm." "Oh, yeah." " Blumfield's amazing." " Yeah." "He published a paper:" ""Dialogue With Unconscious Patients"." "Personally I keep it under my pillow." "But this guy really believes that they hear us." " I talk to you." " But I pretend I'm conscious." " You eating?" " I don't know." "I have some chores." "What is it with this throat thing, huh?" "You know, Pete wants to do a bypass on that short order cook." "What's his name?" "Such a stupid name." "Heart the size of Pennsylvania." "He's 65, he's 250 pounds, he had a stroke, smokes two packs a day..." "Sounds in pretty good shape." "So the guy crumps in six months and it shows on our survival stats." "Hi." "Hi." " Hello, Doctor." " Sarah." "See you later." "You hunk." " Ta-ta." " Toodle-oo." "Aaah." " How long have you had this throat?" " All my life." "I don't know." "A couple of..." "A little while." "I can't really see anything." "A little swelling, some inflammation." "Nothing to really worry about." "Are you steaming or what?" "What?" " No, nothing." " No, nothing." "No wonder you still got a tickle." "What are you doing wasting my time?" " I'm married to a doctor's wife." " You too, huh?" " Should I be referring you to someone?" " No." "You're right." "I should be steaming." "I'll write you a note for some antibiotics." "Better I should write to Anne, prescribe TLC." "How is she?" "She's terrific." "I never see you guys since your dad passed on." "No, I-I kept clearing my throat, it was like this habit thing." " Here, Jack." " Thanks." " How's business in the big league?" " We're killing 'em." "Hi." "How're we doing?" "I'm sorry I kept you waiting." "Busy day." " Are we looking after you?" " Yes, thank you." "Good." " Have you been sore?" " A little sore, yeah." "OK." "Oh, yeah." "That's healed fine." "Let's just get those staples out." "Doctor, my husband..." "He's a good man, and he..." "I think he's a little nervous." "Will the scar always be so...?" "Tell your husband you look like a Playboy centerfold." "You have the staple marks to prove it." "No, no." "No!" "No, no." "I can smell tobacco from 50 paces." "I can smell it through the phone." "You know how I quit?" "I'll tell you the truth." "I could kill for a cigarette this very second." "I'll give you back to my secretary." "We'll arrange to have you in for some tests." "Carrie, take him back." "Slap his wrist." "He's not taking the cyclosporine and he's smoking again." "Whoa." "Wait a minute." "What?" "Pete?" "Just tell him I'll call back." "My, my." "Legs!" "Whoo!" "I wouldn't be caught dead with someone stupid enough to drive that car." "Too bad." "You'll be missing my electric roll-in-the-hay bar." "Well, why didn't you say so?" " Hi." " Hi." " We have a dumpster." " Mm-hmm." "Do we have a contractor?" "No." " We do." " This is a record." "They've started." " Yeah, they started wrecking the place." " Anne..." " What?" " Anne..." "They'll have the old kitchen out and the new one in, and you won't feel a thing." " And I know about pain." "I'm a doctor." " "I'm a doctor."" " Is it OK about tonight?" " I'm a little nervous, but it'll be fine." " Why are you nervous?" " Gee, I don't know." "I'm usually so comfortable speaking in front of 200 people." "You don't have to speak." "I'll speak." "You just stand by my side and look gorgeous." "No, I have to speak." "Wait, wait." "Are we talking about the same thing here?" "Jack?" "The parents' meeting?" " Oh, no." "No, Jack." " Hello?" "Don't tell me you forgot again." "And then you wonder why the kids call me "Miss" MacKee!" " You're a total disaster." " Well, I need you tonight as well." " Hey." " I have to change." "We can have dinner together somewhere later." "And you'll still forget next year, won't you?" "Yeah." " Hola." "Lucy." "Como estas?" " Bad." "OK." " Hey, kneepads and helmets." " Why?" "We're staying in our yard." "And what, you think our concrete is softer?" " Hi, Max." " Hi, Dr. MacKee." " You, too." " OK." " How was school?" " Pretty good." "Good." "If it leaks again, just..." " Hi." " Hi." "How'd it go?" "Not bad." "I only fainted once." "How was yours?" "I personally collected a check for $50,000 towards a new wing from some guy who's big in glue." " Let's go spend it." " Yeah." "Well, what do you know?" "Oh, you're not gonna answer it?" "Come on." " No." " Jack." "You're sounding tired again, you know." "You are." "You're doing too much, honey." "Let's just skip dinner and go home and I'll fix you something while I still have a kitchen." "OK." " Hello." " Jack..." "Yes, OK." "Yeah, OK, put her through." "Mrs. Street, this is Dr. MacKee." " Dr. MacKee?" " Yup." "Well." "You know what it is." "I'm lying here worrying." "Why would that be?" "You took out my husband's lung a month ago." "Now he wants to mow the lawn." "Can he do that?" " Well, it's pretty dark, but..." " Excuse me?" "What's he saying?" "Does your husband have a power mower, or does he push it?" "Power mower?" "I don't know." "Whatever you say." "He'll mow the lawn anyway." " That's the way he is." " You know I got a damn power mower!" " What?" " I got a power mower!" "He says it is a power mower." "Hello?" "I'm sure it'll be fine." "The exercise will do him good." "OK?" "OK." " You OK?" " What?" "Yeah, I'm fine." "What's that on your shirt?" "Jack, is that blood?" "You know what?" "I must have burst a blood vessel trying not to laugh." "Jack, I have blood on my dress." "My God, I have it in my hair, Jack." "What's going on?" " Hey, relax." " Relax?" "Has this happened before?" "I'm not bleeding to death here." "There's a danger in feeling too strongly about your patients." "A danger in becoming too involved." "Surgery is about judgment." "To judge, you have to be detached." "But isn't it unnatural not to become involved with a patient?" "There's nothing natural about surgery." "You're cutting open someone's body." "Is that natural?" "One day you'll have your hands around someone's heart." "And it's beating." "And you'll think, "Uh-oh." "I shouldn't be here."" "Well, then all the more reason to care about what the patient feels." " The patient feels sick." " A surgeon's job is to cut." "You've got one shot." "You go in, you fix it and get out." " Fix it." "Get out." " Get out." "Yeah." "Caring's all about time." "When you've got 30 seconds before some guy bleeds out..." "I'd rather you cut straight and cared less." "Now, Harris here took a walk from a fifth floor window." "Should we come back?" "I'll be back." "Here, Alan." ""Transected aorta, partially controlled by the pleura."" " Procedure?" " Clamp above and below." "You can suture the tear direct or use a Dacron graft." "What do we look for when we go in, Jay-Jay?" "Apart from a great deal of caring?" "Anyone?" "Significant continuing blood loss and color." "Yeah." "How're we doing?" "I hadn't planned on ever waking up." "I feel stupid." "You want my advice, Robert?" "Next time you wanna give yourself some real punishment... try golf." "There's no greater torture." "Thank you." "I need you to take as deep a breath as you can." "If you were looking for a good ENT man, who would you go to?" " The Rabbi?" " Give me a break." "Had the lowest mortality stats in hospital." "So would I if I took out tonsils." " Jack, my arrested lung's aphasic." " You mean Richards?" "Shit." "Obviously some damage from the arrest." "He must have had a stroke." "Transfer him to Neurology." "No one dies in our service." "I can't." "I'm out." "His wife fired me." "She's already phoned their lawyer..." " How bad is he?" " Horrible." "As of now, his speech is slurred, he doesn't make any sense." "So he moves to Texas." "And you wonder why I'm so uptight about our malpractice insurance." " It's never enough, you wait and see." " Calm down." "You did a responsible procedure." "Sure." "If you sneeze in this place, they slap a lawsuit on you." "Jack." "There's your ENT man." "Ooh!" " Who is she?" " That's Leslie Abbott." " I think we're talking different talents." " Absolutely not." "She does great throat." " Puh-lease." " I'm serious." " Is this for you, Jack?" " What?" "He's been doing a little coughing for months." "Well, if you won't see Leslie, I'll check you out." " You're a gynecologist." " So?" "Drop your pants." "Hello." "Sorry to keep you waiting." "Busy day." " Jack MacKee." " Hmm?" "Yes, I know." "Have a seat." "Right." "Murray Kaplan sends his best." "Oh, that's right." "You're in practice together?" "Till we get it right." " So what seems to be the trouble?" " What?" "Nothing." "I mean, I have... a tickle." "I've been hoarse." " Mm-hmm." " So..." "All right." "Let's take a look." "Uncross your knees." "Back in the chair." "Sit up." "Hands on your knees." "Chin forward." "And open." "Let's take a look." "Close." "Uh-huh." "Open." "Open." "All right." "Open." "This might be a little bitter." " That's an anesthetic." " I want to take a closer look." "Whoa." "A periscope!" "Won't be pleasant." "Tongue out." "All the way." "And hold it... with your hand." "Head forward." "And open." " And "E"." " E-E-E." " Again." " E-E-E-E..." " Again." " E-E-E-E..." " Again." " E-E-E-E..." " One more time." " E-E-E-E..." "And that's all I need." "Doctor, you have a growth." "What?" "A tumor." "Laryngeal." "Here on the true vocal cord." "I know what "laryngeal" is." "We're gonna need chest X-rays, blood chemistry, blood count, UA, EKG..." "I'll have to check with my secretary, but if it's remotely possible," "I'd like to do a biopsy tomorrow." "OK?" "Thanks." "Don't mention it." "Hi." "Hi." "You OK?" "I thought you had a bypass tonight." "His EKG wasn't so good." "We postponed." "I'm fine." "So great!" "So we have an evening together." "Yeah." " Yeah." "I'll call Nicky." "Nicky!" " Coming!" " Say hi to your Dad!" " Oh, OK." "Hi, Dad." "Dad?" "Mom, we got disconnected." " Oh!" "Hi, Dad!" " Special live appearance." " How're you doing?" " Pretty good." "Your dad's home tonight." " What are you doing?" " Hi!" "Hi." "So, tell me." "There's nothing to tell." "You know, the longer you don't tell me, the more frightened I'm getting." "Anne..." "What is it, Jack?" "What have they found?" "Huh?" "Have they found something?" "Yep!" "OK, so... we'll beat it." " "We"?" " Mm-hmm." "'We" don't have it, Anne!" ""We" don't have it!" "It's not a team game." "OK." "Why don't you come to bed?" "I have a biopsy tomorrow." "It's a laryngeal tumor." "Oh, God." "A doctor tells this man, "You have a growth."" "Man says, "I demand a second opinion."" "Doctor says, "OK... and... you're ugly."" "Oh, sweetheart." "Oh, baby..." "What am I doing sitting here like one of the herd?" " Name?" " Dr. MacKee." " First name?" " Jack." "I've been an attending surgeon on the staff of this hospital for 11 years." "Then you should know all about filling in forms." "We've been sitting here for 30 minutes." "Why didn't she give us these when we first arrived?" "She should have." "MacKee!" " MacKee!" " Yeah." " Go home, Anne." " No, I'll wait." " Really, it's no big deal." " But I want to..." "I'll call when I can manage a croak." "OK." "MacKee." " I don't need a wheelchair." " You have to sit in the chair." "Listen." "I know you." "I'm Dr. MacKee." "I don't need a chair." "I'm perfectly capable of walking." "Please sit in the chair, Doctor." "If you fall over, the hospital is liable." "I don't fall over in hospitals." "I know that Dr. Abbott has been a little delayed." "But we'd like you to undress, please." "Put on the gown you'll find on the bed." "They'll be down for you shortly." "There's been a mistake." "This isn't a private room." "Yes, I'm afraid we don't have any private rooms just at the moment." " I'm not about to share a room." " We don't have any private rooms." "I understand Dr. Abbott felt this biopsy was urgent." "Hey!" " Hey." " Don't let her rattle you." "They want your bare butt hanging out just so you don't get up and bother them." "I'm Ralph." "My bowels are all screwed up." "What are you in for?" "Jack MacKee." "Throat." "What, your tongue, your voice box, your tonsils?" "There's a lot of software in there." " Voice box." " Oh, you poor bastard." "Your first time under the knife?" "I bet you feel like you don't know what's going on?" "Am I right?" "Well, don't worry." "They don't know, either." "My doctor, the son of a bitch, half the time he's lying to me." "And I can tell." "I'm a cop." "What's your line?" "I'm a doctor." "They're gonna cut you, doc?" "Yeah." "Hey, Jack." "How's it hanging?" "Don't tell me, I can see for myself." "Hi." "What's going on here?" "The Ritz was full." " What time are they doing you?" " When Madame shows up." "I spoke to her lawyer." "He's very bullish." "He says you're the expert, so we need you on the witness stand, OK?" " Don't go shuffling off to Buffalo just yet." " But after that..." "Sure, after that, do what you like." "I couldn't care less." "You OK?" "You want me to go in with you?" "I want you to go in instead of me." " I did your bypass." "Very clean." " Great." " I even played your closing music." " Did Nancy sing?" " No, Nancy did not sing." " That's good." "Yeah, it's this one." "She's never gonna come back 100%." "I know." "Do you suppose you could get me a thinner sheet?" "I'm not sure everyone can see through this one." "It must be some sort of a shunt." "What do you think of those blood gasses?" " She's hypoxic." " I know." "But I saw the chest today and the atelectasis is almost gone." "There's something else going on." "Does she have a murmur?" "You could be dealing with an Eisenmenger Syndrome." "Yes, it talks!" "Amazing!" "I have the radiographic video." "You wanna take a look at it?" " Yeah." " Who's the internist?" "Oh, hey, hey, Barry, I've been looking for you." " So?" " I was late." "It was very late." "Good morning." "Everything all right there?" " Now you're gonna feel a little prick." " Please, Doctor, we've only just met." "Looks like a sweet dream." "Huh?" "Now, just keep dreaming." "Don't wake up." "There's no need for you to wake up, OK?" "Keep dreaming." "We're just gonna roll you over on your side." "Come on." "Help me out." "Help me out." "Help me out." "Nice." "You just stay there for me." "Hey!" "Mr. Brown, relax." "Mr. Brown, relax, man." "Hey, hey!" "Just relax, don't strain." "Keep dreaming." "Mr. Brown, you know you're scheduled for a barium enema." "Relax." "It's just an enema!" "Now breathe." "Just tell Mr. Jaconelli Dr. MacKee's wife called and that I expect him to get back to me personally about this, OK?" "Right." "Thank you." "I'm Leslie Abbott." "Jack?" "Jack, honey." "Dr. Abbott's here." "Hi." "I'm sorry." "I understand there was some confusion regarding beds and procedures." "Yeah." "I hope you biopsied my throat and not my colon." "I'm sorry." "So, did Path throw the I Ching?" "The tumor is malignant." "The tumor is malignant." "It's a T-2 lesion." "You're welcome to a second opinion." "No." "One enema's enough for any tumor." " How will you treat it?" " I'm recommending radiation therapy." "I want it cut out." "Radiation will reduce the mass for this kind of tumor, and we got a high cure rate." "80% or better." "And if I have to cut, I risk losing the voice." " Do you know a good radiation man?" " Clark Kent." "Charlie Reed is terrific." "You could meet with him, get an MR and they could start fitting you for treatment as of tomorrow." "What time tomorrow?" "I have open heart scheduled for tomorrow." "Dr. MacKee... you've got cancer." "Tomorrow's great." "Thanks." "I've signed you out." "I think you're gonna be more comfortable in your own bed." "And you shouldn't be talking." "OK, we'll see you later." " I can do it." " OK." "Honey, listen, just... bring the car around, OK?" "OK." "Dr. MacKee?" "I just heard." "Did they get the biopsy results back yet?" "Yeah." "It's positive." "How'd you hear?" "Did they post it in the men's room?" "No." "Come on, I'll walk down with you." "I'm fine, thank you." "I'll be just fine." "I feel like having a cigarette." "I have a tumor, my throat feels like shit, and I want a cigarette." "Yeah." "We should have come in the red lobster." "This car always makes you depressed." "We're laughing." "They cut my throat and we're laughing." "Can you believe it?" "I couldn't bear it if..." "Better." "Not better." "We'll strip it down on the weekend." "Nicky?" " Max is waiting." " Yeah." "Your mother told you I had a test yesterday?" "Yeah." "Well, it turns out I've got a growth, a lesion in my throat which is... not great." "But it's the kind of tumor which responds well to radiation, which is great." "Which is..." "It... it's pretty great." " Dad, I gotta go." " OK." "This MRI examination takes about 40 minutes." "And it's very important that you don't move at all during that time." " Are you claustrophobic?" " Only in cramped spaces." "I just filled in all these forms." "I don't get this." "Why don't you get this stuff from Radiology?" "It's 50 feet down the hall." "I know." "I'm sorry." "It's the same for everybody." " We have to have our own records." " Yeah, but..." " Hi." " Great hat." " Thanks." " Hello." "Radiation Therapy," "Laurie speaking." "No." "Yes." "Yes." "Wait till you see the disclaimer forms." "They deliver them in a truck." " Uh-huh." "Let me have a look." " Um..." "I'll be right with you." "Let me call you back once I've located it." "Well, you know, busy." "Yeah." "What seems to be the problem?" "I don't wanna pull rank, but I don't know if you realize" "I'm an attending surgeon at this hospital." "I knew that, Doctor, yes." "OK, good." "So you'll appreciate when I say I have patients of my own who are waiting for me while I'm waiting for you, which is why I mention I'm not looking for VIP..." "You know, the pity is you were late getting here, so..." "Hang on!" "I was not late getting here." "Radiology was late with my MRI." "I was not..." "Please don't make me strain my voice." " Dr. MacKee?" " Yeah." "I'm Charles Reed." " Oh." " Come in." " How we doing?" " Super." "Sit down." "No, I've been sitting." "Dr. MacKee, my feeling - for what it's worth - if we're going to treat you, you're going to meet the team here every day for the next six weeks." "And?" "I don't know what it's like at the top of this building, but down here, we try to be civil." "Oh, well, upstairs we're very hostile." "We meet our patients, we come right out and tell them our feelings... for what they're worth." "OK." "So... we're not gonna fall in love." "What else do I need to know?" "Your chest is clear." "We'll get the MRI from tomorrow and get started assuming there's no spread to the lymph nodes." "And the rest of this visit, we'll fit you up for treatment." "Good." "And if the lymph nodes show positive?" "I'll discuss a different treatment with Dr. Abbott." "And me." "Yeah, sure." "Watch your step." "Through here." "If we can just have you come around on this side... and hop up on here and lie so your head faces that way." "Careful." "Your last guest stole the bed linen." "Here, we're gonna put your wrists in the straps." "When I ask you to, I want you to pull up really hard." "OK?" "Head down." "OK, and pull." " What are you doing?" " Just marking the target." " OK." "This mark'll come off." " Hey, it's nothing to worry about." "We just need to take a film and make sure we're hitting the right spot." " What are you doing?" " We're just making a mask of your head in this position, all right?" "It's real fast." "All right." "...for an hour already." " I understand." "I'm sorry." " Great." "Finally!" "Dr. Taylor..." " I know, I know." " Just give me five minutes." " Doctor..." "Hello, Mrs. Arcari." "We'll be right with you." "Oh, man." " Hey, partner." " Hi." "God, Jack, you look like shit." "Is this the radiation?" " No, this is nearly the radiation." " What are you doing here?" "I have a room full of patients." "What about the valve job later?" "What's his name?" "Choy." "That'll be fine." "I wouldn't want you cutting my heart today." "I told you, I'll be fine." "Jack, we had a talk this morning." "Nobody planned..." " "We"?" "Who's "we"?" " Pete, Ed, me." "The practice." "No." "Pete, Ed, you and me is the practice!" "Gosh, wherever I go these days, I'm getting cut out of the talk." " What?" " So..." "What did "we" talk about?" "Jack, you're sick." "Stay home." "Stay home a week, two weeks, three weeks, whatever it takes." " I don't want to stay home." " Annie called me." "She's worried as hell." " I don't wanna stay home!" " OK." "What we don't want to happen, buddy... is to start canceling surgery time, missing appointments, losing ground on the stats, that's all." "From tomorrow, I have 15 minutes' treatment a day." " Sure, Jack." " 15 minutes in six weeks, that's it, it's gone." "So let's go back to work." "And can everybody wipe that caring look off their face!" "Is that possible?" "Because it's a royal pain!" "Come on, Carrie, let's go." " Ow!" "Ow!" "What are you doing?" " I'm just giving you a tiny tattoo." "What?" "You're what?" "Nice and still now." "These are gonna be permanent marks." "Shouldn't there be a lead apron?" "Oh, no." "The beam is focused on your larynx, doc." "You don't need it." "But can we have the apron anyway though, please?" "Really, you don't need it, doc." "But, don't move." " I don't wanna wear kneepads." " You've got to wear 'em." " Anybody need a doctor?" " Yes." "It's an abrasion." "Leave it open." " Good day?" " Great." "I thought to myself, "What the hell?" I went out and I got drunk, and decided to have myself tattooed." "What do you think?" "That's where they shoot the X-rays." "Dr. Reed's not here yet?" "Oh." " Um..." " Oh, thank you so much." "I'm not doing so well today." "Hi." "Sit down." "I'm leaving anyway." "Thank you." "Oh, Dr. MacKee." "I'm sorry." "Dr. Reed can't be here this morning." "No." "No." "Why not?" "He's been held up." "I think there's some admin meeting all day today." " When do I see him?" " He'll be here next week." "No, look it, if I can't see him today, I'll see him tomorrow!" " We're closed weekends." " Laurie?" "I'll be right there, Carol." "I was told this was to be a daily treatment." "Well, I'm sorry." "I don't make the rules." "I'm sure that..." "Why don't we from now on, in this hospital, we should drop "I'm sorry" from conversation, OK?" "Let's just assume it begins every sentence." ""I'm sorry, the doctor can't see you today"," ""I'm sorry you have to fill in another form"," ""I'm sorry we gave you the wrong treatment."" "What do we think?" "There's not much point shouting at Laurie." " Excuse me?" " She's just doing her job." "If you want to shout, go shout at a doctor." " I am a doctor." " Not when you're sitting here." " How come you're so calm?" " Who?" "You." "You seem to be taking it so well." "No." "I have a grade four brain tumor." "It took my doctors three months to find it." "I didn't take that so well at all." "Actually, they didn't find it." "I rear-ended a few cars, fell over, blacked out." "Short of the tumor jumping out and singing, there was nothing else it could do to get recognized." "See, now I'd call that negligence, wouldn't you?" "Well, that's-that's..." "it's difficult to comment." "Oh, yeah." "It's a club, isn't it?" "I forgot." " Did you get tests?" " Sure." " What?" " CAT scan... two." "Of course that was way down the track, after they gave me aspirin and sent me home." "Oh, and then what?" "There was stress management." "Yeah." "Oh, and then traffic school." "That was really helpful." "My father had a patient." "Same diagnosis, grade four." "He has grandchildren now." " Are you serious?" " Sure." " June." "Let's do it." " That's me." "June." "See you later, June." "You look good today, June." " I'll check it." " Thanks, Walter." " Anytime." " Murray, do me a favor, will ya?" "Call Radiology and ask them for the results of my MRI." " Doesn't Leslie have them?" " I can't get her." "I can't get Reed." "And I can't wait any longer." "They ought to release them to you straight off." "I mean, I don't know what you think I'm going to accomplish." "Hi." "Who's this?" "Hey, Joanne, Murray Kaplan." "How you doing?" "Good." "Listen, do me a favor, Joanne." "Pull me an MR file, would you?" "Jack MacKee." "Capital "M", capital "K"." "No." "No, it's Leslie Abbott's." "No, I know that, Joanne." "Sure..." "Hello, this is Dr. MacKee and this is my file." "No, it's not my patient." "It's in my name." "I'm the patient." "No, you do not need to clear it with anybody." "You just go now, open the file and tell me if it shows any spread to the lymph nodes." "Thank you." "Dr. MacKee." "We're ready in one." "We'll be right with you." "Thank you." "Thank you, I appreciate that." " Zero spread." " Oh, thank God!" "Oh, God!" "Dr. Blumfield..." "This is the ghost of a thousand murdered tonsils." "Put us back..." "Dr. Eli!" "This is your tongue depressor - lick me!" "Hi." "Anne!" "Anne!" "Nick!" "Well, hello." "Chicken or sausage?" "Uh, hi." "What are you doing out here?" "I'm celebrating." "No spread to the lymph nodes." "They're clear." " What?" " Yeah." "Oh, my God, that's wonderful." "That's, um..." " Oh, thank God!" " Yeah, I thought so." "So join the party." "Have a piece of sausage." "Oh, no, no." "I'm..." "I've eaten." "OK." " Where's Nicky?" " He's sleeping over with Max." "Great." "Doesn't this smell great?" "Jack, are you angry about something?" "You know, I always work late on Friday nights." " Sure." "Do these look burnt?" " I mean, if I'd known..." "But, I didn't even know you were expecting this news." "Why didn't you tell me?" "You should've called me." "I would have..." "Let's go inside." " Aren't you cold?" " Yeah, you are cold." "Will you just tell me how you want me to be, Jack?" "OK?" "Because I never know these days." "Really." "Like, like, like, what are we now?" "Are we happy, are we not happy?" "Are we close, not close?" "Please just tell me, I'll be there." "Well, this is quality time." "Why couldn't they send us the new IDs through the mail?" "Do we know?" "Tell them you're a big doctor." "Cut in line." "Are you angry with me?" "You lied to me." "What?" "My tumor." "I see it giving me certain freedoms I never allowed myself." "Yeah, like being incredibly hostile." "Like being honest and expecting people around me to do the same." "What did I lie about for Christ's sake?" "I'm dying." "Please don't waste my time." " Miss Ellis." " Thank you." "Your card." "They should've found your tumor." "You were right." "Somebody screwed up." "You should've had an MRI." "But the system stinks." "Insurance companies tell us what tests we can and cannot do." "An MRI, which I know would have found your tumor... costs about $1,000." "It's appalling." "And what about your father's patient?" "The one who recovered?" "There was no patient." "OK." "Just don't lie to me again." "OK." "One, two, three, four." "One..." "You wanna try?" "Show him how to do it." " Pretty amazing." " I'm not that bad." "I got a date." " Great." " No, I wish." "In court." "So we got to get our stories straight." "What stories?" "Alan, who's first?" " The terminal in 1217." " Terminal?" "What terminal?" "Bus terminal?" "No... the dying patient in 1217." "What's the patient's name?" " Jay-Jay?" " Mr. Winter." "OK, now Mr. Winter is either alive or dead." "So, is Mr. Winter alive, or should we advise the morgue?" "Call another patient "terminal" and that's how you'll describe your career!" "What room is he in?" "Barbara died." "The older woman with the knitting." "She didn't wake up this morning." " What are you thinking?" " I don't know." "That Barbara had been knitting that big shawl for her granddaughter for months... and she finished it." "And I've never been to London... or Italy." "I never had a baby." "I never learned to use chopsticks." "And I had a front-row ticket to see the American Indian Dance Theater." "They were touring here." "God, I've always wanted to see them." "You know, they have these great costumes." "And I was in this place." "So..." "It's just one more thing to add to my list." "They'll be back." "In six months." "Mr. Maris, any questions?" "You know, Doctor... it seems strange." "There's somebody out there alive, walking around..." "Then something terrible will happen, and they'll die." "Then I'll have their heart." "I think about that." "Yep." "So, we wait." "It may take a little while before we have a heart to harvest." "I know." "Mr. Maris, it's always a good idea to set your affairs in order." "My affairs are in order." "Good." "I have confidence in you." "OK." "Thank you." "Dr. MacKee." "I want you to have another MRI." " Really?" "Why?" " Your exams were not what we'd like." "I spoke to Dr. Abbott, she agreed." "We'll do the MRI, and then I think you should talk with her." "What do you mean, "Not what we'd like"?" "We had hoped to be seeing some reduction in the tumor by now." "We haven't." "I'm sorry." "Come on." "I came up here when they finally diagnosed my tumor." "I thought I'd throw myself over the edge." "God, I was so..." "I felt..." "like my skin was coming off." "Oh, I screamed and screamed and..." "There was... there was this bird perched right over there." "And it just looks at me real strange, like "Lady, what is your problem?"" "And I laughed." "I felt so stupid that I just... laughed out loud." "You know what?" "I think it was an angel." "Go ahead and scream." "No one can hear you." "I don't wanna scream." " Go ahead and jump." " I don't wanna jump." "Then fight it." "Fight it!" "That tour, that tour..." "is that still happening?" " What tour?" " The Indians, the dancers." " I think so." " Good." "If they're in New York, we're in trouble." "But we might find they're just down the block." " I can't do that." "I can't go." " I'll take care of it." "It's my treat." "No, no, no." "It's not that." "It's just..." "Excuse me, is this my intrepid friend or not?" "We're going!" "Come on." "Wait, this is crazy." "Look at me." "I'm not dressed for a..." "You look great." "OK, Carrie, call me back when you know." " Hi." "Winnemucca?" " Nevada." "We fly to Reno, we drive for two hours into the desert." "OK, what do we need?" "We need two tickets to Reno, a car, and two tickets to the concert." "No, it's for me and a Miss June Ellis." "You got that?" "Thanks, Carrie, you're great." "Can you just pickup and go like this?" ""I see my tumor giving me certain freedoms I never allowed myself."" "I had a strange, wonderful dream last night." "I flew right over your house with a full head of hair." "I love that song." " Can we stop?" " You mean, take a break or...?" "No, I mean, just stop." "OK, I just..." "I'm a little nervous about missing the concert, the Indians." "Jack... it wasn't the concert." "It's the time." "It's rushing past me." "I don't wanna rush past this." "I don't wanna rush past anything anymore." "I can't." "I just can't, Jack." "Anything." "Anything you want." "I'm sorry for dragging you out here." ""Get in, fix it, get out."" "That's what I tell my residents." "She missed her concert, take her to the concert." "You know what's special to me, Jack?" "I mean, truly special?" "This." "This." "Now." "Do you pray, June?" "Is that what holds you together?" "Oh, I pray." "I meditate." "I eat chocolate." "I go dancing." " Hello?" " Anne, did I wake you?" "Oh, God." "Jack, where are you?" "I don't know." "I'm in the desert, in a phone booth somewhere between Reno and home." "Why?" "What are you doing, Jack, huh?" "I went a little crazy." "I'm OK." "I'll explain in the morning." "No, no, no, no." "Tell me now." " I can't." " Just tell me, OK?" " I don't think the radiation is working." " Oh." "God..." " They don't seem to think it's working." " Oh." "Sweetheart." "Let me come and get you." " I'm with a fellow patient." " Oh..." "She's a friend, Anne." "She has a brain tumor." "Oh." "I missed the plane." "I'll be home in the morning." "Good night." "Jack." " I'm late." " Anne, can we meet?" "Can I find you and talk?" "You're breaking my heart, Jack." " "Where's my lung?"" " Where's my lung?" "That's exactly what he said, this is two years later." "No, it's true." "Apparently he'd seen some shrink who told him he was suffering from "organ bereavement"." "He should ask for his lung back." "I told him he should dial 1-900-LUNG." "Yeah. "Hello, remember me?" "I want my lung back."" "I don't believe it." "It's Mr. Dribble." "The guy's a fruitcake." " That's your patient." " That's Richards?" "What's he doing?" "I saved the guy's life, and then he just fucks me over." " He's suing me." "Is that crap?" " See you later." "Jack, where are you going?" "Jack!" "The guy's taking us to court!" "I'm telling you, man." "It's unbelievable." " Hey, Mister, you need a hand?" " Keys." "Locked... car." "I'm sorry, you lost your keys?" "Locked..." "Keys." "Locked." "In car." "You locked your keys in the car." "Oh, my." "I'm late." "Speech therapy." "Look, you go on ahead." "I work here at the hospital." "I'll have your keys left for you at the front desk." "I come equipped." "I'll make a call." "It's not a problem." "Name is..." "Richards." "Mr. Richards?" "Don't worry." "It's not a problem." "This... just driving me crazy." " It's gonna be OK." " Thank you." "Aahhh..." "OK." "I'd make a gag, but I'm busy gagging." "How's it look?" "Well, I think Dr. Reed had already mentioned that the, um, the tumor had gotten bigger." "No." "No, no!" "He said it was worried it hadn't gotten smaller." "He didn't..." "Is it bigger?" "It's disappointing because we, uh... we get a very good cure rate with radiation." "Yeah, that's disappointing as hell." "Look, look." "OK, I'm asking." "This is torture." "What is the prognosis on my vocal cords?" "Can you save them?" "I won't know until I'm there." "But that would be the idea, yes." "Maria?" "Yeah, I'm looking at moving the tongue or the parotid a day or two to make way for the laryngeal." "Or the other option is doing the adenoids late on the 20th." "Yeah, that works." "Adenoids late on the 20th and laryngeal afternoon of the 18th." "No." "No, I don't want you cutting me in the afternoon." "Excuse me?" "You'll be tired in the afternoon, and ragged and hungry." "You'll have been on your feet for hours." "Come on, we both know how it is." "I am the doctor and you are my patient." "And I am telling you when I am available." "Now let's get this thing out before it does any more damage." "Knife." "Let's go, boy." " Are you OK, Doctor?" " Jack?" "Let's go, Jacko." "OK, here we go." "It's Jack." "I lost it." "June, I lost it today." "I should go home." "It's too late, I'll go." "No, it's OK." "It's OK." "Come in." "And then, there's Anne." "But..." "No, you know." "Um, I'll go." "This is terrible." "I woke you up." ""There's Anne, but..."?" "I don't know." "I don't know." "I don't know." "I've kept her there, you know, over there, for so long." "And now..." "I can't get my arm down." "I have to have the operation, June." "I'm sorry." "Excuse me, you can't go..." "Dr. MacKee's headed back there." "You'd better come out." "Dr. MacKee." "What is it?" "Do you have a minute?" "You can see for yourself." "I have a waiting room full of patients." " One fewer." " What?" "You have one fewer patients." "I'm out." "Look, Doctor, I know how you must be feeling." "That's the problem." "You don't have the first idea what I'm feeling." "I think we better continue this conversation some other time." "I think you ought to brush up your act, Dr. Abbott." "Because today I'm sick." "Tomorrow or the day after or 30 years from now, you'll be sick." "Every doctor becomes a patient somewhere down the line, and then... it'll hit you as hard as it's hit me." "I'm finding you very offensive, so if you don't mind..." "Sure." "If I had a patient like me when I was a doctor like you, I'd..." "I'll just... wait for my file." "I'll get you your file." "Airmail." "Thank you." " Eli..." " Jack." " May I speak with you for a minute?" " Sure." "I need a partial laryngectomy." "Would you do it?" "I don't know a doctor I trust more." "I'll do it tomorrow." "Tomorrow..." "Yeah, I'm not working, so... we'll get you in." "Thank you." "You know, I've been pretty..." "No, very insulting about you in the past... which I'm ashamed of." "Dr. Blumfield." "Ready in two." "Yeah, well, that's OK, Jack." "I, um..." "I've always wanted to slit your throat." "Now I'm gonna get a chance to do that." "I'll see you tomorrow." "Murray, can I speak to you, please?" " What's wrong?" " Let's go in here." " What's going on?" " I have to have surgery on my throat." " A partial laryngectomy." " Jesus, Jack." "Why didn't you say?" "I knew you were jumpy, and then yesterday..." "I was saying to Pete, I thought it was me or something." " I asked Eli Blumfield." " The Rabbi?" "It's tomorrow." "I trust him." "I don't wanna lose my voice." "Well, me neither." "I need you talking." "Tomorrow..." "But even if I can talk..." "I won't be testifying." "Say that again?" "I won't testify because I tell the truth and the truth is that poor guy had a history of thrombophlebitis." " Well, how did you know that?" " I called his internist." "What'd you think?" "You could just tear up his records?" "It's not relevant, Jack." "You could argue as an expert." "No." "What did you do this for, huh?" "Checking up on me?" "You wanted a witness." "I wanted to know what I was witnessing." "14 years is what you're witnessing." "Me covering your tail, you covering mine." "Why did you pull his file?" "You can't do that." "It's not relevant." "It's a judgment thing." "I'm sorry, Murray." "No, no." "It's not just me, partner." "Your neck is on the fucking line, too." "Yeah, that's right." "Jack, you're killing me." "I have a surgery." "I'll find someone else to help me out." "Jack, hell you will." "Hey, Jacko." "Jack!" "Carrie told me about your surgery." "I was going to..." "Oh, Anne..." "Yeah, well, that's how I find out most things about us, you know." "Dinner dates, messages, your problems... through your secretary." "It's the 28th, is that right?" "It's tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" "Eli Blumfield's gonna do me." "You heard that from me first." "Last night..." "Did you go to your friend?" "June?" "Yes, I did." "You know what I resent?" "I don't resent her." "Truly, I..." "I'm sure she's..." "She must be very special." "It's just that..." "You have a friend to go to." "You know?" "And you were always my friend, and... now I can't go to you." "Anyway, blah-blah-blah." "I have to go." "You know, it's funny." "I wake up every morning, and I have this... this feeling." "This sensation." "And I didn't know what it was." "What is it?" "Am I hungry?" "Am I tired?" "Am I sad?" "Then I realized..." "I'm just lonely." "June?" " June, it's Jack." " I don't think she can hear you." "It's me." "It's Jack." "And I came over last night and I made you so tired." "I have my operation tomorrow." "And selfish to the end, I was hoping you'd be there to help me through it." "Oh, June..." "I'm..." "I'm really terrified." "That's the truth... which I got from you." "The truth." "Do you know, I don't even know anything about you." "Not really." "I know you love life." "And I know you can dance." "I hope you always fly over my house... with your lovely long hair." "My friend June died today." "How you doing, Jack?" "I'd rather be in Philadelphia." " Hi, Doctor." " Nancy." "Hi." "My, my, my." " We're rooting for you, Jack." " Thank you, Joe." "Yeah, do." "Root like crazy." "Did you find it?" "Great." "OK, Jack, your neck feels clear to me." "Good." "I'm gonna keep telling you everything that I'm doing as I'm doing it." "So I want you to just relax as much as possible." "And before I scrub in, we have a little treat for you." "Oh..." "We got the tumor, and there was no cross-over, which is good." "It's great." "I was not able to save all of the vocal cords, so I..." "I can't make any guarantees about the voice, Anne." "It was very clean, and we're just gonna have to wait and see." " Are you OK here?" " Yeah." "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks." "Nicky?" "I meant to give this to you at the hospital." "Sorry." "That's not the color I asked for!" "No, I wanted the wall to match the cupboard!" "How many times do I have to tell you that?" "We sat down yesterday and I circled the one I wanted." "Remember that?" "Yeah..." "Oh, great, so now I'm color-blind on top of everything else?" "I know what I was doing." "This is what you asked for." " Terrific." " Well, I warned you that color..." "Look, just forget it!" "I'll paint it myself, OK?" "Jack, let go of me." "What are you doing?" "I don't wanna go outside." "Jack!" "No!" "No, I don't wanna yell at you." "I want to go inside!" "Do you mind?" "Yeah, right." "And now it's done." "Are you happy?" "Now would you please let me go inside?" "God, Jack." "You're crazy." "Jack, stop it." "Jack, stop it!" "Stop it, OK!" "OK." "But get in the house." "If you want me to yell at you," "I'll yell at you in the house, OK?" "Now get inside!" "Jack!" "Look, Jack, I don't know what you want from me." "No, you don't." "You don't need me." "No, I don't believe you." "I was there." "I was there for you, Jack, and you didn't need me." "Yeah, me, too." "Me, too." "Stop it!" "Stop blowing that thing!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" ""Start again"?" "Jesus..." "Jack, stop it!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "God..." "Goddamn it!" "I just wish I'd never given you this stupid whistle!" "I love you." "I love you." "You're talking." "Shh." "Aah!" "Hello, Jack." "Welcome back." "So..." "They're harvesting the heart any minute now." "It'll be flown in from New York, whence all good things come." " What's the problem?" " Nothing, Doctor." "What?" "My wife wants to know what's impossible to know about the donor." "She thinks because we say things like "kindhearted"..." ""good-hearted"... that these qualities come from the heart." "Tell her I think they do." "Yes?" "The helicopter's landed." "15 minutes, Doctor." "Thank you, Nancy." "Arturo... here we go." " Here you go." "Good luck." " Thanks." "OK." "We're all hooked up." "Watch your flow and watch your pressure." "Ross clamp is... off." "Start beating, sweetheart." "Go, heart!" "Your wife will be delighted, Arturo." "It's a beautiful heart." "Any messages for me?" "These... and something personal." "Oh, thanks." "It's been an hour already." "I'm out of here, people." " Hasn't been an hour." " Yeah, it has." "Hi!" "Sorry, I kept you waiting." "Good, good, good." "OK, well." "Can you strip naked and put on your hospital gowns, quick as you can?" " Dr. MacKee, this is a joke." " I'm not laughing." "Ah, here they are." "Alan, Roger, Lonnie..." " Let's go." "Sarah, Jay-Jay, Michael." " Anything in a paisley?" "Doctors..." "You have spent a lot of time learning the Latin names for diseases your patients might have." "Now it's time to learn... something simpler about them." "Patients have their own names." "Sarah." "Alan." "Jack." "They feel frightened... embarrassed and vulnerable." "And they feel sick." "Most of all, they want to get better." "Because of that... they put their lives in our hands." "I could try to explain what that means until I'm blue in the face." "But, you know something, it wouldn't mean a thing." "It sure as hell never did to me." "So, for the next 72 hours, you'll each be allocated a particular disease." "You'll sleep in hospital beds, eat hospital food." "Hospital food?" "You'll be given all the appropriate tests." "Tests you will one day prescribe." "Unbelievable." "You are no longer... doctors." "You are hospital patients." "So, good luck." "I'll see you on my rounds." "Dear Jack..." "You've just left." "And I've been sitting here worrying about you." "You were talking about Anne and not knowing how to let her close." "How to let anyone close." "And I thought of this little story for you." "I hope you get it before your operation." "Going up?" "There was a farmer who had a lot of fields." "And he kept all of the birds and creatures away from his crops with traps and fences." "He was very successful." "But he was very lonely." "So." "One day." "He stood in the middle of his fields to welcome the animals." "He stayed there from dawn to dusk with his arms outstretched calling to them." "But not a single animal came." "Not a single creature appeared." "They were terrified." "You see." "Of the farmer's new scarecrow." "Dear Jack." "Just let down your arms... and we'll all come to you."