"A hundred and fifty years ago, the Gates Falls Mill stood here." "It employed 200 men and women." "Good Yankees, all." "Sixteen-hour shifts during the Civil War... when the Gates Falls Mill made uniforms for the Union Army." "The job of the men wearing those uniforms... was to end the peculiar institution." "The peculiar institution being slavery." "When the mill burned in 1869... most of them got out." "The fire started in the first floor." "Most of the adult mill workers escaped." "Most of the children...." "Most of the children did not." "This is the realm of darkness." "Years later, a hospital was built here." "Kingdom Hospital." "The bleaching and dyeing vats have given way to doctors and researchers... and operating rooms filled with modern equipment." "Here, life is charted with lasers... and EKGs and MRIs." "There is no place for superstition." "Rational thought has replaced whispered myths... about the unquiet, hungry dead." "But there is such a thing as intellectual arrogance." "And arrogance is blind." "Perhaps the ground Kingdom Hospital stands on... is still uneasy... for the cold and damp have returned." "Time for your enema, Mr. Stillmach." "By tonight, that impacted colon will be a thing of the past." "is someone there?" "Little girl?" "Girl-watching is thirsty work." "I brought you this." "You scared the hell out of me." "Problem with the elevators?" "With 2, always 2." "Hook, did you just see a little girl, in the hallway, maybe?" "I didn't see anyone." "But then, half the lights are out again." "Abel to Security." "lt's Otto." "And Hook." "The lights are out in West 1 ." "And Elevator 2 is acting up again." "And Blondie, did you see him?" "No." "Flipping a breaker isn't a solution." "It's only a Band-Aid." "Did you see a little girl?" "If kids are wandering out of Paeds, Dr. James is going to be very unhappy." "I have never seen Dr. James unhappy." "There you are." "I've been so worried about you." "Hon, stay on the lane, okay?" "I hate it when you run on the main road." "It's October, in case you haven't noticed." "There's no traffic on the main road." "All the summer people went home a month ago..." "God bless their pointy little heads." "Well, still, it makes me nervous, so just stay on the lane, okay?" "l suppose I could." "Great." "And by the way, you were great." "So were you." "See you later." "Peter, what are you painting?" "The new, strange one?" "How many times have I told you?" "I don't like it-- l know, you don't like me looking at your works-in-progress, but I peeked." "It's weird." "You know it's weird, because you never cover your paintings." "I'm going." "See you later." "Hon. I didn't mean to piss you off." "Quit it, Charlie." "Get out of that." "Damn it, Charlie, that's my dinner." "Get out of there, Charlie." "Get out of there." "Hey, help me up here, would you?" "My hip hurts a little bit." "I think you might have brushed me going by." "Come on, fellow, help me." "Just a close call." "I'm sorry, man. I'm really sorry." "Quit gibbering and help me get up." "I think I sprained my hip getting out of the way, and my back hurts a little." "Oh, my God." "Did you really hit me?" "I can't deal with this right now, man, okay?" "I got 1 2 points and a dui on my license already... and there's an ounce in my glove compartment." "What are you talking about?" "Help me." "It's not really primo stuff or anything, but an ounce is an ounce, right?" "Besides, someone will come along pretty soon." "What the hell are you talking about?" "I think I'm really hurt here." "Help me, you son of a bitch." "I mean, even out here, right?" "Someone always does, eventually." "I'm sorry I hit you, man." "I'm really sorry, man." "What were you doing, running in the middle of the road, anyhow?" "Can I move my...." "No." "Bug out of here." "Hey, stop." "I need help." "I'm down here." "Get off me." "You look pretty tasty." "Get away from me." "I think I'll start with your eyes." "Get away from me." "Yum. "Ant-solutely" delicious." "Please, don't hurt me." "You're a real mess, my friend." "I mean, seriously racked up." "Please." "Save your strength." "That would be my advice." "You'll need it." "Help me." "You'll be all right, fellow." "Just lie still." "I think I'm paralysed." "Can you...." "You'll be all right." "You'll be fine." "I'm not actually talking, am I?" "This is bad." "I'm just going to go call for a...." "Just try not to move." "This is really bad." "If there's a Smokey or a mobile EMT unit with your ears on..." "I got a seriously injured fellow here on Route 7." "I got you, good buddy." "He's on the shoulder and" "Good." "Block him from oncoming traffic... with your truck." "Don't run him down." "I don't think the company would be too crazy about" "Just do it. I'll call the Sheriff's Department" "This is Deputy Frank Downes, Oxford County Sheriff's Department." "I have my ears on and am en route." "Copy." "All right, so are we, Deputy Downes." "Kingdom, this is Castleview 19." "Do you read?" "Five-by-five, 19." "We're going mobile." "Sir, can you hear me?" "Sir, can you move your arms and legs?" "How's he looking?" "The right pupil is fixed and dilated." "The left pupil...." "I don't know." "Say again, Ollie?" "It is Ollie, isn't it?" "Yeah, it's Ollie and Danny." "All right." "Never mind his eyes." "What about an airway?" "is he breathing?" "Do you copy, Ollie?" "What else have you got?" "is he conscious?" "I don't know what to say." "His eyes are open, but.... lt's not the same thing, Ollie." "Yeah, sorry about that, Kingdom." "We've got a multi-trauma." "Major head injuries." "He's breathing, dazed, but conscious, probably shocky." "Minimally responsive, compound fractures to the ribs, both tibia." "Fracture to both ankles." "Looks like his pelvis is fractured as well." "But it's hard to tell." "We've got multiple head injuries." "BP is 78 over 44, it's going down." "Respiration is, I'm going to say, 32." "He's tachy." "Heartbeat clocking 1 40." "Make that 150." "All right, get a line in him, Danny." "Colour?" "Saturation?" "His eyes are open and he's still looking around, but" "There's Ollie the ophthalmologist with more eye data." "Got the line?" "Line's in." "Normal saline, wide open." "Four milligrams morphine, iv Push, PRN." "lmmobilize that spine with a collar, side head supports, and straps." "Be very careful." "Okay, that's a roger." "The respiration is rapid and shallow." "Oh, yeah." "Easy." "Did he say anything about who hit him?" "No, man, he didn't say anything." "Easy." "There we go." "Sugar." "Ollie, he's going to crump on me." "Can you...." "Do you want me to pull over?" "I got it, I'm styling." "Just get us there." "Watch for Mary." "Listen for her bell." "It's a death bell." "I'm bagging away here, but I'm getting airway resistance." "Has his trachea deviated?" "Big time, to the right." "Fudgebar." "He's going V-Fib." "The fun never ends, huh?" "Clear." "Come on, Danny." "Ladies and gentlemen, we're back." "Liz, get a cutdown tray ready for chest tube insertion, please." "You okay with this one?" "He's okay with this one." "You have a case." "Druse." "Again?" "Mama." "Hush up, Bobby." "This could be serious." "I've got pins and needles all up my right arm." "There. lsn't it lovely?" "Ready?" "And one, two, three, up." "Sweatpants, no pockets." "We can't do a wallet biopsy on this one." "I know who he is." "You want me to guess?" "is there a prize?" "l can't get air in him." "l know." "Really?" "Want to share?" "His name's Peter Rickman." "He lives in Castleview." "He's a famous artist." "Liz, could I get an 18-gauge needle, please?" "No syringe, just the needle." "Are you" "Yes." "Tension pneumo, Elmer." "Pleural sac is inflating like a beach ball." "Time for a party trick." "May I be excused?" "Never mind." "Mr. Rickman, can you hear me?" "Now, don't move." "Just blink your eyes if you can hear me." "Thanks." "Please, let this be a dream." "I want a dozen double-stuffed Oreos, iv push... ready with 1,000 milligrams of peanut butter crackers and two amps of Nestle's Quik." "Good afternoon." "Hello." "My name is Christine Draper." "I'm a neurosurgeon." "Sally Druse." "Are you a good doctor?" "As good as Dr. Hook?" "No problem there." "Your hand's acting up?" "Yeah." "Needles and pins." "And I need it for my pendulum." "I'm psychic." "I've been written up in several magazines." "Patient complains of needles and pins." "Noodles and prunes." "He's got one hell of a blood puddle in there." "I'm surprised the blow didn't crack his skull wide open." "First, we open our craniotomy and then we excavate the haematoma." "Capisci, Elmer?" "Yeah." "Okay, there it is, Elmer." "I always pause here and imagine that I am the first neurosurgeon." "The first to boldly journey into the workings of a human mind." "Cool." "Yes, it is." "Inside this skull is another universe... the biggest, scariest haunted house of them all." "Elmer, will you hurry up and tell Dr. Hook how profound he is... so we can get inside this poor guy's noggin and reduce the cranial pressure?" "Anyway, after I've paused to reflect on the gravity of what it is I am about to do... and only after I've done that, do I proceed with my mission." "Yes, Doctor." "Steady as you go, Otto." "Patient to Nine, Neuro." "Standing by." "You'll be fine, Mrs. D." "Yeah, I will." "You tell Bobby not to worry." "Bye-bye." "These things are so slow." "Mommy." "Someone was crying in the Children's Ward?" "We call it Paediatrics these days, Mrs. Druse." "Well, whatever you call it, it sounded like it was right on top of the elevator." "A little girl." "I see." "It's very hard to get a place in here." "A gusher!" "Mop. irrigation people, come on." "Don't let this man drown." "Come on, you're up, Elmer." "Jump in here, please." "That's not my job." "Your union steward is not on duty today." "If you wouldn't mind jumping in, right about now." "Come on, son." "Right there." "Very nice." "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" "We took those photos less than an hour ago." "Why is the size of the haematoma in that scan... three times the size of the one in this man's skull?" "It's like the whole mess is healing itself at warp speed." "The home number was unlisted, but Rickman was in the ER last year... with a badly cut finger, and his wife had a Pap smear." "Dr. Willock." "Dr. Willock, excellent." "And who's taking care of this fellow now?" "It's not Dr. Stegman, is it?" "No." "Steg isn't in. I believe Hook." "Hook?" "Excellent." "Do you think so?" "Yes, indeed." "You say this Peter Rickman is quite well-known?" "Yes. ln fact, here." "I included this, in case you hadn't seen it." "I see." "Thank you, Brenda." "Quick work, and even quicker thinking." "Thank you for this." "Here, take this, and one of these... and, of course, one of these, for your car window." "Aren't they wonderful?" "Aren't they really excellent?" "Very nice." "Jesse, if this works out, the Rickmans are in a position... to give Kingdom Hospital a great deal of help." "Filthy rich, are they?" "l don't know if I'd say that, exactly, but" "No, but just between us?" "Excuse me, Jesse. I've got to run." "Have a great day." "Have yourself a "morning air" day." "l will." "Filthy rich." "Let's call a spade a spade and a chicken a chicken." "Julie, call me the minute that Peter Rickman is out of the OR." "The very minute." "Yes, Dr. James." "Perhaps you can get me an update on Hook's progress." "Yes, Dr. James." "Okay, Elmer, there it is." "A three-pound universe." "What do you know?" "Go back to sleep." "Elmer." "That nurse down there is no longer dancing to the sound of the Big Brass Band." "Would you mind squirreling her away in a corner, please?" "Thank you." "What the hell did you just do?" "I don't know." "And tonight's big old fish belongs to Jamie Parker of Durham." "He caught a four-pound pickerel in Runaround Pond... and wins a case of Nozz-A-La." "Way to go, Jamie." "Our runner-up is little Kristen McCurdy of Pownal." "The forecast.;" "Showers, heavy at times, with occasional thunderstorms today... and a high of 45 degrees." "Partial clearing tonight with a low of 35." "More showers developing tomorrow, with highs in the low- to mid-40s." "Showers and thunderstorms will continue through most of the week." "Precipitation tapering off just in time for a cold front moving in from the north." "But we may see some sleet, or even snow, if temperatures dip before then." "We have breaking news from Castle Rock, where a hit-and-run victim was discovered... lying by the side of State Highway 7 and was taken by EMT rescue unit... to Kingdom Hospital in Lewiston." "Officials are remaining tight-lipped." "It's believed the victim was there for some time." "Hello?" "Is this Mrs. Rickman?" "Yes." "This is Kingdom Hospital calling." "Your husband's been involved in a serious accident." "No." "That's not possible." "He's actually just" "I think you should get here as soon as you can." "A hospital source claims the victim was this man." "Peter Rickman, 4 1, one of America's best-known artists." "Yes, I'll be right there." "We'll have more on this story at 1 1.;00." "No!" "Mama." "God bless everybody." "The artist's wife is here." "Now the flies will spark." "Right." "Where the hell is my husband?" "Dr. James to ER." "Waiting and Receiving." "Dr. James." "Stat." "Please, be there." "What kind of place are you people running here?" "Hook to icu, stat." "Extension 99." "I want to see my husband." "Ma'am." "What?" "You need to be quiet." "This is a hospital." "Dr. Hook to ICU, stat." "Mrs. Rickman. I've been trying to reach you." "Thank goodness you made it safely." "I have very good news." "Your husband is stable." "Will you take me to my husband, please?" "Ms. Rickman, I'm not sure, under the circumstances" "That'll be fine, Doctor." "Come with me, Mrs. Rickman." "Dr. Hook to icu, stat." "Extension 99." "What's 99?" "How the hell should I know?" "I'm just the dog." "Hook." "Yeah." "Just slow down, Otto." "I'm on my way." "Mrs. Rickman, I assure you" "Are you my husband's doctor?" "That would be Hook." "He was on call when Mr. Rickman was admitted." "A neurosurgeon, one of the finest on staff." "l want to speak to him." "He's waiting for us, Mrs. Rickman." "I don't judge the living or the dead." "Antibus." "I grant wishes, prayers and dreams." "Guardian of the gate." "Am I going to die?" "This is Kingdom Hospital... which stands on uneasy ground." "Here, the cold and damp have returned." "And as the gate swings open... the dead may also return." "I'm going to give you a few moments alone with your husband now, if you'd like that." "Would you like that?" "Yes." "l would like that, Doctor" "Hook." "Now, you can speak to your husband, but... he will almost certainly not answer... although he may open his eyes." "is he in a coma?" "He's not conscious or responsive now, but that is not unusual after trauma and surgery." "Now, time may prove me wrong, but I don't expect him to be in a coma." "is he awful?" "No." "You handled that brilliantly, Hook." "And thanks for putting him in the...." "The Presidential Suite is what they call it up here." "Excuse me." "I'll just let you handle this, then, shall I?" "Make one of the Kingdom apartments available to her... if that's appropriate." "There are lots of vacancies." "Peter?" "Look at you." "Just look at you." "Oh, baby." "I didn't mean to piss you off this afternoon." "I really didn't." "Can you hear me, baby?" "Honey?" "Peter, can you hear me?" "Honey?" "Can you hear me?" "I'm here, baby." "The artist has seen the other one." "He's seen Paul?" "Hello, Lenny." "Lenny, how are you?" "Lenny, it's Sally." "Come back, Lenny. lt's Sally." "Come back." "Move your jack." "Cover that bitch." "Yes." "Good." "Lovely." "I've returned, and it's a good thing, too, Lenny." "The vibrations have changed." "They're not good here." "I heard this little child crying in the elevator." "Could be a little girl from the Children's Ward, but... I think that Kingdom Hospital is haunted." "Haunted?" "And we're going to resume our séances tomorrow, first thing." "There's no time to lose." "You have to tell the others." "Sally, you're back." "Lenny." "Oh, yes, Lenny." "Yes, darling, I'm back, and we are going to set things right." "You can count on me." "Thank you." "Can I stay with him tonight?" "No." "But... the hospital keeps apartments across the street... and I can arrange for you to stay in one of those, if you'd like." "You treated him?" "l was the admitting surgeon, yes." "Your husband had a buildup of blood on his brain, a haematoma." "That's what caused his intercranial pressure rise." "We fixed that, we hope." "He has more surgery ahead of him." "Tomorrow, he'll be in the OR again, with Dr. Freeman." "Dr. Freeman's an orthopod." "He has multiple fractures of his lower extremities." "Both his right and his left tibia... his right malleolus, and his pelvis is fractured." "is he in pain?" "He's receiving medication, which relieves the pain." "Morphine?" "I'm afraid that your husband's spine... and skull were also severely damaged." "Will he be able to walk?" "Will he be able to use his hands?" "Because... my husband is a painter." "His spine was damaged between the fourth and the fifth cervical vertebrae." "The good news is that his ability to breathe seems unimpaired." "The bad news is that, up to this point, he has shown... no ability to move his arms or his legs, and no response to stimuli... the prick of a pin, for instance." "But we're still in the first 24 hours, post-accident." "Dr. Hook, when my husband wakes up, will he be a quadriplegic?" "We're hopeful that the spine is only compressed." "If that's the case... then your husband may recover some use of his arms and his legs." "But in this type of accident, we are very worried... the damage may be permanent." "Permanent?" "Oh, my God." "I'm so sorry to tell you this." "Wait a minute." "You...." "Compressed is better than broken or fractured." "Am I correct?" "If the spine is only compressed... then he may recover some limited use of his arms and his legs." "What are the chances of it being a compression rather than a fracture?" "Not good." "How not good?" "I don't want to discourage you with statistics, Mrs. Rickman." "Statistics are for groups." "Your husband is one talented, driven man." "His chances are 100%... or zero." "And we have to be ready for the zero." "l'm sorry." "You're sorry?" "You're so sorry?" "Why do you keep saying that?" "Because there's nothing else." "The chances that your husband will wake up and be the same old Peter are small." "And the chances that he will walk again, or paint, are also small." "Although, of course, we're hopeful." "The chances that he will be his old self, and walk... infinitesimal." "I am still so sorry to tell you these things." "I'm all right." "We can afford the best possible treatment... that money can buy... but we would be glad if...." "l would be glad if you would stick by him... at least to begin with." "Thank you." "You mentioned something about apartments." "I'm going to need one of those." "Open-ended." "He's a fighter." "Good." "Okay, Ron, it's time to beat the chair and win $10,000." "Are you ready?" "I'm ready, Gene." "For $10,000... who starred in the suspense thriller Three Days of the Condor?" "Nine." "Eight." "Seven." "Six." "Five." "Four." "Three." "Two." "Dustin Hoffman?" "I'm sorry, Ron." "Robert Redford." "What a sport." "This is all your fault." "If it wasn't for you, Charlie...." "Somebody in here?" "This is so wasted." "Bobby, isn't it a beautiful morning?" "You promised you'd stop." "Never again, you said." "This is where l work." "Yes, but this time, I think I really am ill." "Still now, Mrs. Druse." "Still as a mouse." "The world is full of mysteries." ""Temporary physician's parking." Right." "Hey, nice one." "Idiots." "Why don't you learn how to drive?" "Stop that." "Sorry, Dad. I...." "Look, Dr. Stegman is clearly not coming." "We've all got a lot to do." "Let's start." "He's got a heavy caseload." "You can't expect him here on the dot." "As he has no neurological complaint, his mental condition... is irrelevant to this meeting." "Come on, Brenda." "Let's start." "lncompetent system." "I should have just been issued a windshield sticker." "Check this out." "Boston." "General." "Why don't you go collect your welfare checks?" "This is a hospital zone." "Look at him." "How's the famous artist, Hook?" "He is stable." "I admitted Eleanor Druse yesterday." "Good-time Sally's back in town." "She's presenting with numbness of the right arm and possible neurological insults." "What is this, her tenth admission?" "And that's just since I've been here." "Sooner or later, the little girl who cries wolf is telling the truth." "I've ordered an mri." "Don't be silly, Christine." "Only the Chief of Neuro can order an mri." "You know that." "That's not true, actually." "What do you mean?" "I did it." "At 7:10 this morning." "I signed off on the paperwork." "Surely not in Steg's name?" "How do I know what it looked like to the tech on duty?" "Come on, Brenda." "Kingdom Hospital Neuro can't grind to a halt because Steg oversleeps." "Don't look at him." "Hey, Doc, you're losing it." "What's up, Doc?" "You should be sterilized." "At least then you couldn't breed." "Hey, you forgot something, Doc." "Maintenance." "This is where l work." "Will you try to remember that, Mama?" "Yes, Bobby." "You're a bit of a crackpot, I guess." "But I'm very fond of you." "l have some work to do up here, so...." "Honey, don't worry about me." "I'll be fine. I know my way around this place like the back of my hand." "Mr." "Goode, I'd like to report" "Johnny's not here." "l'm just holding down the seat for him." "Where may I find him?" "I heard there was a pipe burst in the new underground parking garage." "The one they're building for the docs?" "I heard the place is filling up with water." "It'll set construction back six weeks, probably more, with winter coming on." "Doc, I hope you've got yourself a really big ice scraper... 'cause winter could start any time now, and up here, the winters are long." "lt's not like Boston." "Up here, very little is like Boston, I find." "That's the way we like it." "There's a crack in the parking lot." "You know what?" "I got one of those, too." "In the back of my pants." "Hold on, Doc." "You got to fill out a maintenance form, 44-B." "Johnny should have one here somewhere, but...." "You know what?" "You better take a seat." "This will just take a minute." "My name is Stegman." "Dr. Stegman, Chief of Neurosciences." "Pleased to meet you, Doc." "Earl Swinton." "I don't know where he keeps these things." "It's got to be here somewhere." "Hell." "Hello?" "is somebody there?" "is somebody there?" "Who are you?" "What are you?" "Who's there?" "Please." "You're frightening me." "Can't you stop that, man?" "This is a hospital." "Abel to Security." "Abel, are you down there?" "Abel to Security." "I'm not afraid of you." "I'm not frightened of you!" "I'm interested in getting some hours in the sleep lab-- l only sign off on the paperwork, Elmer, as I think you know." "Good luck." "Dr. Massingale. I heard you need volunteers in the sleep lab." "Elmer, that depends." "On what?" "Whether you're interested in working or flirting." "You've got a bit of a reputation, I'm afraid." "As a flirter?" "And for being a practical joker." "I'll be the best sleeper in the house." "Okay, but you...." "What's going on, may I ask?" "We waited, and then we held the meeting without you." "Really, Dr. Hook?" "Very funny." "But regardless of what Dr. Hook says... the meeting begins when I arrive." "It ends when I leave." "Any questions?" "Have a seat." "Any time." "Any admissions since yesterday?" "Peter Rickman, age 41 ." "Accident." "Brought in late afternoon just after you left for the day, Dr. Stegman." "The patient is presenting-- -l know what he's presenting with." "I read the papers, Dr. Hook." "How's his nut?" "His "nut," as you say, is banged up." "How severely has yet to be ascertained." "Why don't you run some tests?" "I may have to operate later." "Anyone else?" "Sally Druse, age 65, mildly hypertensive... presenting with numbness of the right arm, possible paresis, paraesthesia, or neuralgia." "I've ordered an mri." "I beg your pardon?" ""M" as in "Map," "R" as in "Rat," "l" as in "ldiot."" "Only one person in this department has the right to order an mri." "And that person is me." "Cancel it immediately, please." "l can't." "What did you say?" "It's already happened." "If you'd been in for early rounds-- l have disliked your attitude for the last six weeks, since I've been here, Dr. Hook." "I'm sorry to hear that, Dr. Stegman." "You're insubordinate and arrogant." "I'll have your job for this." "I think that went well, don't you?" "Aren't you worried?" "I got 1 2 points and a dui on my license already." "What are you doing, running in the middle of the road, anyhow?" ""Ant-solutely" delicious." "Fudgebar." "He's going V-Fib." "Come on, Danny, are we open...." "Listen." "It's a death bell." "Wake up." "Open your eyes." "No." "I do you a solid, you do me one." "That's how it works." "Tell Hook about Mary." "Tell the old woman." "They'll hear you, if you make them." "I don't understand." "You will." "And when you do, "ant-solutely" delicious." "Nat." "Natalie." "Peter." "Oh, my God." "Oh, my God, you're awake, Peter." "Hook to icu." "Room 426." "Stat." "You can move." "He's not paralysed." "Hi, baby." "The painter is back from the old Kingdom." "It's just a little one. lt'll stop in a minute." "God, not another one." "Now what?" "Minor shaker, Dr. Stegman." "We have them from time to time." "It will stop shortly." "You can let go now, Elmer. lt's over." "I would have said he was totally gorked." "He was." "What happed here?" "In medical terms?" "A miracle." "But there's a price to be paid for the miraculous." "And Blue Cross doesn't cover it." "This is Kingdom Hospital... where the ground is uneasy... and old secrets have begun to rise to the surface." "Please, come again."