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E.R.
"Chances and Changes"
Act One
Scene opens at the hospital....daytime...but a relatively quiet moment for
the E.R. Carol is working at the desk of the Nurse's station while every day
noise goes on around her. She picks up a file to move it to another place on
the desk and stops short.
Cut to focus on a single red rose lying on the desk.
Cut back to focus on Carol's face as a smile creeps across her lips. She
reaches down and picks up the rose to smell it sweetly. She closes her eyes
for just a moment as she takes in it's aroma. Then, she opens her eyes and
turns around to Jerry sitting close to her.
Carol (to Jerry, holding the rose in her hand):
Jerry, did you leave this here?
Jerry (looks up and shakes his head):
No, sure didn't.
Carol (puzzled):
Well, do you know who did?
Jerry (shrugs):
Don't know! I didn't see anybody come through here. Whoever left it must
have gotten here before I did.
Carol nods and goes back to her work. She takes time, however, to check the
sign in page to see who has already reported for work.
Cut to show her stopping her pencil beside Doug Ross' name and noting his
sign in time was 5AM.
Cut back to show a look crossed between pleased and confused on Carol's
face. She shakes her head. And goes back to work.
Cut to show time lapse. Mark Greene comes quickly through the E.R. and
begins going over files at the nurses station, quickly making notes.
Cut to show Carol coming slowly up beside him, waiting for him to be free.
Cut to show Mark closing a file chart and putting it over the counter onto
the desk.
Carol (smiles):
Got a minute?
Mark (nods quickly):
Sure! (turns to look at her face to face)
What's up?
Carol (shrugs):
Can we go someplace private?
Mark (looks around...scanning to see what's available):
Sure!
(motions to an empty medic room)
Step into my office.
Follow action as Carol and Mark step into the medic room and Mark closes the
door. Carol folds her arms against her chest and gives Mark an unsure look.
Mark (repeating):
Now, what's up?
Carol (laughs nervously):
I'm not sure where to start...
Mark (concerned): Something wrong?
Carol (shakes her head):
No, not really. I think I just need to talk to someone who might
understand. Someone who might know some answers.
Mark (sits on table casually): You'd rather talk to me than your
shrink?
Carol (smiles slightly):
I'd rather talk to a friend about a friend, yes.
(sighs)
Doug came by my house last night. He doesn't know I know he was there. He
came up to the door, but, he never knocked.
(Mark doesn't say anything, just nods his head, and listens as Carol
continues)
He stood out by the curb for the longest time. I stood in the window and
watched him. He looked so lost and confused. Part of me wanted to rush out
and wrap my arms around him. The other part of me wanted to open the door
and let him know I was there.
Mark:
What kept you from doing either one?
Carol (shrugs):
Chickened out, I guess. Same reason he probably didn't knock on the door.
(Mark chuckles)
This morning, I found a rose at my desk. No card. No note. But, he was
here at 5AM. I'm pretty sure he left it.
Mark:
Maybe it's a peace offering?
Carol:
I think about him a lot. Sometimes when I don't even realize it he creeps
into my mind.
Mark:
Have you tried telling him that?
Carol (shakes her head):
We don't talk personal things anymore. Everything we say to each other is
strictly professional now.
Mark:
Is that the way you want it?
Carol (sighs):
I don't know, Mark. I spent a lot of time convincing myself that I was over
him. But, I'm not. I don't think I ever will be. A part of me is always
going to love him...always care about him. But, another part of me is always
going to be afraid of being hurt again.
Mark:
Did you love him?
Carol (closes her eyes in thought):
Yes.
(nods, and opens her eyes to look at Mark)
Yes, I did.
Mark:
And this is gone forever? You could never love him again?
Carol:
I'm not sure I ever stopped. Everything I went through with Tag, Doug was
always on my mind. I tried to deny it for a long time, but, the truth is, I
think about what could have been. (pause) A lot.
Mark:
You should talk to him. You should be telling him these things. Not me.
Carol:
I don't know if I'll ever have the chance. I mean, I've pushed him away so
many times now, he's pretty much quit trying.
Mark:
Maybe he's just giving you space that he thinks you need. I have a feeling
that if you gave him even the slightest iota of a sign that you were
interested he'd break his neck coming back.
Carol (eyes him suspiciously):
Do you know something I don't?
Mark (shakes his head):
No. I don't.
Carol:
But, I'm still afraid. Suppose I give him another chance and he hasn't
changed a bit? And I end up getting hurt again.
Mark (nods):
OK, that's one way of looking at it. Another way is what if you don't give
him another chance and he has changed? You might be missing out on
something
good.
(Carol doesn't answer, just listens as Mark continues)
And I do see some changes in him. He's here a lot more now. If he's
spending more time here, that means he's spending less time other places I
can think of he could be. He seems a little calmer now...he's more willing to
listen now. I think when he thought he was out of here it helped him realize
that maybe this is where he wants to be.
Carol: I guess I hadn't noticed...
Mark: I'm not sure you would. You're not with him as much as I am. I see
changes in his attitude and his concentration. If there's changes there, who
knows where the others might be.
Carol (nods in agreement):
Thanks for listening, Mark. I think I need to think about this some more.
Mark (reaches to open the door behind him):
My office is always open! Anytime!
Follow action as Mark and Carol leave the medic room...Mark goes one way
down the hall, Carol goes back to the nurses station.
Cut to pick up Doug as he comes down the hall from another direction. He is
reading casually over a chart as he walks. He stops briefly, and lays his
hand gently to the side of his head. He shakes his head and strolls over to
where Carol is working.
Doug:
You have anything back there for a headache?
Carol (looking): Got some aspirin! That's about it!
Doug (nods and reaches his hand out):
I'll take it. Give me about 4 of them....
Carol (raises an eyebrow):
Standard dose is 2...
Doug gives her an annoyed look and shakes 4 pills out into his hand.
Doug (nods as he starts to walk away):
Thanks!
Carol watches him as he goes on away. He stops at a water fountain and
takes the aspirin. Then he disappears on down the hallway and out of sight.
Cut to show time lapse. Show Doug sitting at a table nursing coffee from a
cup in front of him. Pick up Mark at the doorway as he enters the room.
Focus on Mark as he sees Doug and makes his way over to the table where he
is.
Mark (motions to chair):
Mind if I join you?
Doug (doesn't look up...rubs his temple gently):
Be my guest.
Mark sits down and starts fixing his own coffee the way he wants it. He
looks over at Doug, who is still rubbing his temple, and gives him a
concerned chuckle.
Mark:
Got a headache?
Doug (nods):
Yeah, little one. Can't get rid of it!
Mark: Take anything?
Doug:
Aspirin. It'll get better.
Mark:
If it doesn't...
(Doug cuts him off with a perplexed look. Mark shrugs)
Something on your mind?
(Mark gives his friend a knowing look. Doug looks up directly into his eyes
and shakes his head)
Doug:
Nothing important.
Mark (chuckles):
Greene's Counseling Service is in session. Feel free to bend my ear. You
know I'll listen.
Doug (begins to toy with his coffee cup):
I went over to Carol's last night. I was going to see if we could just
talk.
Mark:
And?
Doug (looks at him):
We didn't talk.
Mark:
Why not? She wasn't home?
Doug:
I chickened out. I walked all the way up to the door and didn't have guts
enough to knock.
Mark:
Why not?
Doug (scoffs):
Couldn't face the rejection, I guess. I don't know. Maybe I didn't even
know what to say.
Mark:
What did you think you wanted to say?
Doug (shakes his head):
I don't know.
(Mark gives him a sarcastic look)
Well, I don't know! I just thought maybe if we could sit down and talk to
each other like two civilized adults something might come out of it. I don't
know what I was thinking.
Mark:
Something might come out of it? Something like what?
Doug (shakes his head):
I don't know. I just know I think about her all the time. I think about
what we had. And what we lost. And the way we lost it. I made so many
mistakes...
(Mark doesn't talk...just listens as Doug continues to ramble)
I can never take anything back that happened. I know that. And, I think
we're both past that pretty much. But, it destroyed anything that could have
been. Or could still be. Sometimes, I feel like I just want to wait in an
empty room someplace and grab her when she comes by...pull her into my
arms and make her listen to me the only way I know how.
Mark:
So, what's stopping you?
Doug (chuckles):
I think there's easier methods of suicide!
(gives Mark a wry smile):
I think she's made it pretty obvious how she feels about me.
Mark ( shrugs): People change, Doug. You've changed. Why do you think she
can't?
Doug:
What do you mean I've changed?
Mark:
Well, it seems to me that no matter what time I show up, you're here. Now,
if you're spending that much time here, then you are obviously not spending
it other places you used to frequent...
(Doug chuckles lightly)
And you're a lot easier to work with lately. We haven't hit heads over
anything in, oh, what? At least a couple of weeks!
Doug (laughing):
At least!
Mark (softly):
You know, if I didn't know you better, I'd think you just might be growing
up.
(Doug chuckles)
Seriously, Bud, you need to talk to the lady. That's the only way to know
for sure.
Doug (nods):
You might be right.
Mark (in mock confidence):
Of course I'm right!
Doug (softly):
Well, I'll give it some serious thought. Is that good enough?
Mark (nods):
For now.
Loudspeaker will page both Doctors to E.R.
Follow action as both of them rush out of the room and cut scene.
Cut to show time lapse. It is now the middle of the day. Pick up action as
Doug and Carol are picking things up in a vacant exam room. Focus on Doug. He
leans over to pick something up off the floor. When he raises up, he lays a
gentle hand to the side of his head and closes his eyes against obvious pain
and discomfort. Cut to show blood oozing quickly from his nose. He opens
his eyes and touches the top of his lip with his fingertips, drawing his hand
back to see the blood.
Doug (aggravated):
Oh, great!
Carol looks up from where she is working across the room and sees the blood.
She walks quickly over to Doug and attempts to take his hand away so she can
get a better look.
Carol (guiding him to the table):
I think you better sit down.
Doug (agitated):
It's OK...
Carol (sharply):
Sit down, Doctor!
Reluctantly, Doug lets her guide him to the table and he hops up onto it.
Carol takes his hands away from his nose to get a look at it herself.
Carol (looking closely):
This just started?
Doug (looking deep into her eyes):
Yeah, when I stood up....
Carol (looks away to avoid his close look at her):
Let me get a B.P. reading...
Doug (starts to get off the table):
It's nothing! I'll be fine!
Carol (sternly):
Would you let a patient off the table until you knew what was wrong?(Doug
gives in with a reluctant shake of his head) Then, I'm not letting you up
until I know either! Take off your jacket and roll up your sleeve.
Reluctantly, Doug does as she instructs. She puts a b.p. cuff on his arm and
places her stethoscope in her ears and on his arm and starts pumping. She
makes a concerned face, and keeps pumping.
Doug (reaching for the cuff):
Hey! Ow! That's enough already!!
Carol (shakes her head, still listening):
I'm not getting anything. I think I better go get Mark...
Doug (concerned now):
What do you mean you can't get anything? Try a finger cuff...
Doug reaches his hand to her and Carol snaps a finger cuff on his right
index finger. The two of them together watch the reading until it
registers...
Doug (flabbergasted...and slightly alarmed):
210/130? That's impossible! I'm still conscious!
Carol (starts away quickly):
I'm going after Mark! (points back from the doorway) Stay there!
Follow Carol as she rushes out the door and into the hallway to find Mark.
Cut back to show Doug leaning reluctantly back to rest his head on the
upright headrest behind him and sighs. He closes his eyes and presses his
fingertips gently against the temples of his head.
Fade Act One to Black.
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