...First Do No Harm Page #7
- PG-13
- Year:
- 1997
- 94 min
- 553 Views
- tell us options?
- Didn't you say Doc Peterson,
talked with his neurologist
friends about Robbie...
- ... and not one of them mentioned
a diet? - That's right.
Just drugs... and surgery.
If this stands any chance
of working, let alone...
...a one in three chance
of stopping his seizures altogether...
...why would they rob us
of that hope?
Dave Reimuller.
We'll be there.
Meeting with Abbasac in an hour. She
wants to talk about Robbie's surgery.
- Oh.
- Uh.
I'll, uh, I'll meet you.
Don't see anyone
until I get there.
I'll meet you in an hour.
Doc?
Hi. Dave tells me I might
be of some help to you.
Come in.
- There's no need to have an
attorney present. - I'm not a lawyer.
- I'm a friend of the family.
- This is Jim Peterson. Dr. Abbasac.
This is Dr. Alison, the pediatric
neurosurgeon I mentioned to Lori.
- How do you do?
- Hi.
Please sit down.
I examined Robbie this morning
and, uh, reviewed his record.
We have his procedure
scheduled for tomorrow morning.
I'll just need the signed consent form I
gave you so we can process the paperwork.
The Reimullers have decided
to go in another direction.
They're gonna enroll their child in the
ketogenic diet program at Johns Hopkins.
I told Lori what conditions
for safe transfer must be met...
...including a medical doctor
to accompany Robbie.
Now, I don't know
of a single M.D. who would endorse...
...the kind of foolishness she's
proposing to subject her son to.
Of course you don't.
Since so many in our profession...
...choose not to look beyond
the limits of drugs and surgery.
It's what made me change careers, but
I've kept my medical license current.
- You're a physician? - We'll meet your
conditions for Robbie's safe transfer.
I'll accompany him
to Baltimore.
I assume you've spoken to Johns Hopkins
about these arrangements?
I have, and the arrangements
have been made.
They're expecting us.
Dr. Peterson?
I assume you know all the evidence in
favor of the ketogenic diet is anecdotal.
There is absolutely
no scientific evidence this diet works.
When you say scientific evidence,
if you mean double-blind studies...
...then I have to ask you, where are the
double-blind studies on the effects...
...of the interactions between all
the drugs you've had Robbie on?
Where are the studies
on the surgery you'll propose...
...as a result
of the electrocorticogram?
Dr. Abbasac, to arbitrarily pretend that
your treatments for epilepsy are science...
...and then argue against
a ketogenic diet...
...seems to me to be the cruelest
of double standards.
When you and I became doctors, we swore
an oath that said, "First do no harm. "
to control their son's seizures...
...by changing what he eats
instead of drugs and surgery...
...well, I think
they deserve that chance.
Dr. Abbasac gave the order
to pull him off the paraldehyde...
...to prevent respiratory problems
while he's traveling.
Hopefully there'll still be enough left
in his blood to keep him from seizing.
I put in for a couple
of vacation days, and my supervisor's...
...pulling together the meds
he'll need for the trip.
You're goin' with us, then?
Things don't fall into
place the way this has...
Dr. Peterson offering
to go with you...
...another space opening up
for Robbie at Hopkins...
unless they're meant to be.
Besides, I think Dr. Peterson is
volunteering his degree, not his expertise.
he'd need me.
I haven't seen a doctor
insert an IV in 15 years.
- Heads up.
- Hey.
Found a place for you
to stay... free!
Wh... Holy Sisters
of Saint Francis?
Mmm! My sister
was a novice there.
She says the nuns are very nice,
even though they don't talk.
Uh! Mom in a silent convent?
Well, it could happen.
Come on, buddy.
Whoa!
We're goin' on an airplane,
you know that?
Big, big, big one.
I'm excited, Mommy.
You know that I believe in my bones
what you're doing is wrong.
I know you do.
I've been told over the years that I'm
not the easiest person to deal with.
I hope you're not sacrificing this beautiful
child to a personality conflict with me.
He's my boy, and I'm his mom.
I'm just doing what I think is right.
If it were your child, can you honestly
say you'd do anything different?
I'll be sending you
little bird kisses.
Hope you get to ride
in a jumbo jet.
Bye, buddy.
- Bye, Mom.
- Bye, Mom.
- I'll take care of him.
- Okay.
- Thanks.
- Be nice to the nuns.
Be careful.
- Bye, Robbie.
- Have a good flight!
Good luck, squirt.
- Put this underneath.
- We've arranged for an ambulance.
- It's okay.
- It's already been 15 minutes.
- Should we give him some
Valium intramuscularly? - That's it.
- He's okay.
- Good. I'll tell the pilot.
That's it, sweetie.
- Hi.
- May I help you?
I'm...
I'm Lori Reimuller.
Oh, yes, Mrs. Reimuller.
Your son's appointment was two days ago.
I know, I know, I know. But, uh, this
was the soonest that we could get here.
I'm sorry. Don't you remember
I told you very clearly on the phone...
...we have no appointment
openings with Dr. Forman
- or available beds in our hospital program.
- He has to be in the hospital.
He transferred out of pediatric
intensive care to come here.
Wait here.
What do we got here?
Oh! This is Robbie Reimuller.
I'm his mom.
- Uh, I have his medical records.
- I've seen them.
As my receptionist told you,
there are no more beds in the clinic.
Please, you're not gonna tell me
after we've come all this way...
...that we have to turn around
and go... back.
It's of the utmost importance
that the ketogenic diet be started...
...under strict
medical supervision.
There are risks.
Do you have a place nearby to stay?
Yes, yes.
Five minutes away.
No needles. Follow.
When was his last meal?
Uh, breakfast, this morning.
Push.
All right.
No more food for two days.
And then we'll start the diet.
You know, they took him off
paraldehyde to make the trip out here.
And the place where we're staying isn't
really set up for a sick child.
He wants to be treated
Do that, starting now.
I've been on an airplane.
And how'd you like that?
Fun.
I'm sorry. I thought he would be
staying in the hospital.
I wouldn't ask you except that
we don't have anyplace else to go.
No male has ever
slept on these premises.
If you can manage with
the simple essentials...
...you're both welcome to stay
with us as long as you need to.
- Thank you. - Sister Josephine
will show you to your room.
Can I have a minute?
If, uh, he gets bad,
you be sure and call 911.
a bed on an emergency basis.
I know "sorry" doesn't
begin to cover it, but...
You understand
if anything had happened...
...Marissa could've lost
her license and her livelihood.
- Thank you.
- Oh.
I wonder if you'll ever know how lucky
you are to have this lady for a mother.
Translation
Translate and read this script in other languages:
Select another language:
- - Select -
- 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
- 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
- Español (Spanish)
- Esperanto (Esperanto)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- Português (Portuguese)
- Deutsch (German)
- العربية (Arabic)
- Français (French)
- Русский (Russian)
- ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- עברית (Hebrew)
- Gaeilge (Irish)
- Українська (Ukrainian)
- اردو (Urdu)
- Magyar (Hungarian)
- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
Citation
Use the citation below to add this screenplay to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"...First Do No Harm" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 19 Jan. 2025. <https://www.scripts.com/script/...first_do_no_harm_7909>.
Discuss this script with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In