Coma Page #5

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- Lf you look for it.

- It also peaks alk phos.

A real giveaway.

Besides, who can get tannadol?

- Use paradine.

- It has a taste.

We'd make great murderers.

Who knows more than a pathologist?

It keeps my wife in line.

Hell of a lot of crimes

slip through our fingers.

But in this case, a coma.

First rule of crime:

Keep it simple.

What's simple?

Carbon monoxide.

Boring.

Carbon monoxide?

Sure, it's perfect.

Anesthetist uses carbon monoxide

instead of oxygen.

It's colorless and makes the blood red

so the surgeon doesn't notice.

But the brain dies from lack of oxygen.

The patient doesn't wake up.

No other effects?

Sure. Cardiac irritability.

Which this case had.

It'd be better to block

the neuro-muscular junction...

...with succinylcholine.

- Who's gonna do it?

- Who'll feed your carbon monoxide?

That's the problem.

Been 12 coma cases

here in the last year.

They're always different.

Different case, different anesthetist,

different operation.

Hard to imagine it's murder.

Are you sure?

What do you think? There's a conspiracy

at the Boston Memorial Hospital...

...involving all the anesthetists?

I've had a rather hysterical call

from Dr. George in anesthesiology.

Dr. George is a powerful person here,

not only because of his position.

- There are other reasons.

- I gather.

What does that mean?

Just because he has a rich wife,

he's able to throw his weight around.

You're looking for truth and justice.

I'm looking for fairness.

In fairness, you've challenged

the professional competence...

...of a chief of service

at this hospital.

And he didn't take it well.

No reason he should.

- Now he's out for blood.

- I've noticed.

Sue, believe me, I'm on your side...

...for all kinds of reasons.

I don't want to let

another chief of service...

...get one of

my house officers fired.

Dr. Harris, I just wanted

to look at his charts.

Sue, right now, I can protect you...

...because you're good.

And frankly, because you're a woman.

I don't want concessions.

At the moment, you'd better

take any you can get.

You know what happened to Greenly?

Yes.

What happened?

She died.

How do you feel about that?

How do I feel?

I feel...

She was my best friend.

She understood me.

She understood me.

It's not fair.

None of this is fair.

Here.

Nobody understands.

- No one.

- I know, I know.

Dr. Harris, the secretary of HEW

is on the phone from Washington.

Call back.

Too many of us shut ourselves off

from our feelings.

We don't explore them.

We don't understand them.

We don't understand ourselves.

It's the toughest thing

about our profession.

- Dr. Harris...

- I'll take care of the politics.

You just look out for yourself.

Take the weekend off, Sue.

Go walk on the beach.

Get away from the hospital.

I'm so embarrassed by this.

Don't be. Don't be.

Our emotions are what make us human.

Come on.

Come and see me next week.

- Right.

- Good.

- Have a good weekend.

- Thank you, sir.

Women!

Christ!

God!

Just say you don't believe me.

A man fixed your car

so it wouldn't start...

...then followed you

into the MTA station.

Well, it's true.

Your car is always breaking down.

I just think you're tired.

- I'm not tired.

- Why don't we go away for the weekend?

Go up the coast, have some fun

and just forget the hospital.

There are 12 coma cases.

Nobody thinks they're linked,

but I've seen charts for two of them:

Nancy, and now this new guy, Murphy.

And?

And both occurred in O.R. 8.

O.R. 8?

What if carbon monoxide

were being pumped into O.R. 8?

What if that were true?

- Get your coat on.

- Why?

We're going to take a look.

Right now.

O.R. 8.

Well?

Looks okay.

- How many operations you done in here?

- A lot.

You ever had any problems?

Well, I already checked.

The day Nancy had her problem,

there were five other operations.

Four before and one after.

The day Sean Murphy had his,

there were six others.

Two before...

...and four after.

They were all normal.

Let's get out of here.

This is what you call

really working for it.

No fair.

Fair.

I thought we were

taking the weekend off?

Come on. Just a quick look.

Please?

For me?

I don't know.

There doesn't seem

to be anybody around.

- You want to go in?

- Not really, no.

I do.

Can I help you?

I'm Dr. Wheeler.

- You're early, aren't you, doctor?

- Early?

You're supposed to come on Tuesday,

day after tomorrow...

...when the tour is scheduled.

The tour?

Yes, it's every Tuesday at 11.

The regular tour for physicians.

Could I see it now?

I'm afraid that's impossible.

I just thought

as long as I'm here...

We're simply not set up for it.

May I speak with

the physician in charge?

There is no physician in charge.

Well, then, your supervisor.

I have no supervisor.

- Who runs the staff?

- There is no staff.

You're here alone?

Of course not. There are

technicians, security people...

I'm sure when you've taken the tour

Tuesday, it will all be clear to you.

What did you say your name was?

Dr. Wheeler. Susan Wheeler.

We look forward to seeing you

at 11 on Tuesday. Goodbye.

I heard what you said

to Dr. George...

...in the lab.

I heard what you said to him.

You're right.

Right about what?

I've seen how they do it.

I know how it works.

How what works?

Do you want to scrub in

on an aortic valve replacement?

Harvey's doing one in room 16

in 10 minutes.

- Sure.

- Great!

Tom was going to scrub in,

but his case is running late.

I checked them out.

You come down to maintenance tonight.

I'll show it to you.

Good morning, sir.

- Did you have a good weekend?

- I did. Thank you.

Good evening.

Good evening.

You just gonna stare at me?

What'd you do that for?

They said make it look

like an accident.

- What's happening?

- The generator will kick in.

Kelly?

Kelly?

What do you got now?

Nothing.

Try the connector cable.

I think that does it for me.

You got anything else?

No, I don't need anything else.

- Lf we need you again...

- You can reach me at the hospital.

Must be a short in the junction box...

...or the step-down panel.

It should read 14

point something.

14.3.

Okay, now we should have 11.9.

Eleven-nine.

And now there's...

Fourteen-three.

Good. Nothing's shorted so far.

We got lucky.

Poor Kelly.

Poor Kelly?

He got sloppy.

You know what it is?

That drinking at lunch.

I said, "Stop drinking.

You'll get into trouble. "

Two and two's the count.

He can't get more.

- What did you leave in here?

- Just some charts.

I'll call Dr. George

and tell him I let you in.

It's all right.

I have to call him anyway.

Well, okay.

- Boston ahead by one.

- That's great.

I've got $ 20 on this game.

What is it?

Hospital security, doctor.

- What's the score?

- Just a routine check, doctor.

Easy, kids.

Jerry?

- What's going on?

- Jerry, I'm so happy to see you.

That's the nicest thing

anybody's said to me all day.

Is something wrong?

You see, there's this guy.

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