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E.R.
"Chances and Changes"
Act Two
Scene opens with Carol Hathaway rushing down the E.R. hallway to find Mark
Greene. Follow her all the way down the hallway.
Cut to show Mark in another room, reading over notes. There is a patient in
the room and several other attending doctors. This is not a crucial
emergency situation.
Cut to show Carol in the doorway quickly.
Carol:
Mark? Got a minute?
Mark (doesn't look up...stays focused on his notes):
Sure.
(puts his notes aside and goes to the door to give Carol his attention)
What have you got?
Carol (carefully):
Doug's down in three with a B.P. of 210/130 and a nosebleed.
Mark (starts away with her quickly):
What happened?
Carol (as they proceed up the hallway):
He leaned over to pick something up off the floor and when he stood up, his
nose was bleeding. I couldn't get a B.P. on a standard cuff...we had to go
digital.
Mark (following closely behind her):
So, this came on suddenly?
Carol (as they reach the doorway to #3):
He was asking for something for a headache earlier this morning.
Mark (stops in the doorway):
Come to think of it, he was nursing a headache when I saw him a little while
ago, too.
Mark and Carol enter the room. Pan to follow them from the doorway. Cut
shot to show Doug resting on the table. He is still attached to the B.P.
machine and looking a little pale. His eyes shift from Carol and Mark
entering the room over to the numbers on the B.P. machine.
Mark (turns machine around):
Don't watch that. You're not a doctor now. You're a patient. Patients
don't need to know what their b.p. is...
Doug:
It's going back up. The nosebleed relieved some of the pressure, but, not
for long. Lowest reading I saw was 195/115. It's back up to about 205/120
now.
Mark (takes out a penlight flashlight):
Well, now, don't worry...we'll get it down.
(Mark shines the light in each of Doug's eyes. Doug winces in pain)
That hurts? Still got a headache, huh?
Doug (nods):
Yeah...bad one.
Mark :
Can you describe the pain?
Doug (matter-of-factly):
Severe. It feels like my head is going to explode.
Mark (to Carol):
Procardia...sublingually...
(Carol exists the room quickly on this order)
(Mark turns back to Doug)
Had these headaches for very long?
Doug (reluctantly):
A couple of days, maybe.
Mark (listens to Doug's heartbeat through stethoscope):
Ever had them before?
Doug (shakes his head):
Not like this!
Carol returns with the ordered medicine and breaks open an orange capsule of
liquid. She stands close to the table beside Doug.
Carol (softly):
Open up, Doug...
(Doug opens his mouth and Carol squeezes the liquid out under his tongue.
Doug makes a bitter face once the medicine is all in)
I know....tastes awful.
(smiles weakly at him)
Mark (to Doug):
I want you to just rest here a few minutes and give that stuff time to kick
in. Can you do that for me?
Doug (sarcastically): Do I have a choice, 'Doctor'?
Mark (smiles mockingly):
No, 'Doctor', truthfully, you don't!
Doug relaxes back onto the table. Follow Mark and Carol back to the
doorway, where they stop together out of earshot of Doug.
Mark (low voice):
Keep an eye on him. The Procardia will take some time to kick in. Watch
those numbers. Anything over 220 systolic or 140 diastolic, I want to know
about it. He's way too high. These numbers are well in stroke range. I
don't want to take any chances.
Carol: I won't leave the room.
Mark nods and touches her shoulder on his way out the door.
Carol goes back over to sit on a stool close by Doug's bed. She gives him
an encouraging look. He gives her a forced grin. He knows as well as she
does he is in danger. Neither says anything to the other.
Cut to show time lapse. Show Mark coming through the doorway. Once he is
in the room, Doug is resting on the table and Carol is going over notes
beside him. Follow Mark across the room to stop at the foot of the table.
Mark (to Carol): So, how's our patient doing now?
Carol (looks at B.P. machine):
195/125...been holding there for about 10 minutes.
Mark:
Let's give him another dose of Procardia and I think we might be getting it
on a decline now.
Carol (nods and starts out of the room):
Right away.
Follow Carol out of the room. Cut back to show Mark as he sits on the stool
beside Doug's bed for one on one confrontation.
Mark (concerned):
Everything OK?
Doug (quietly):
I thought when you stopped drinking your blood pressure was supposed to go
down. Not up.
(laughs lightly)
Mark:
How long ago did you quit drinking?
Doug (proud of himself):
Haven't touched anything stronger than beer in about 6 weeks!
Mark (smiles):
Good for you! Keep it up. But, obviously, there's something else wrong.
Are you worried about something? Nervous about something? Morganstern on
your back or anything?
Doug (chuckles):
I can handle anything David can throw at me. You know me better than that.
Mark:
Well, I know your job is pretty stressful, but, you've never had any
problems handling that before, either...
Doug (shakes his head):
It's not the job.
Carol returns and cracks open another orange capsule.
Carol:
Here you go, Doug.
Doug opens his mouth and lets her squeeze the liquid out under his tongue
again. He makes a worse bitter face than the first time and shakes his head
against the taste.
Doug (chuckles):
I guess you learn a lot when the shoe is on the other foot, huh?
Carol (to Mark):
I'll be at my station if you need me.
Mark (nods):
Thanks, Carol.
Carol exists the room. Mark turns back to Doug.
Mark (coaxing):
Talk to me, Buddy. What's going on?
Doug (shakes his head):
It's nothing.
Mark:
B.P. skyrocketing like this is not from 'nothing'. You gotta talk to me,
Doug. I have to know what's going on.
Doug (slowly and softly):
Just things I started thinking about.
Mark:
Like what? Like Carol?
Doug (shakes his head):
She's not the only thing. I've been thinking a lot about my Dad and our
relationship and how crummy it is. Then, I started thinking about my own
son. I haven't seen him in almost three years. He doesn't even know who I
am. I started thinking about when Ray called me after that drowning rescue
that I hadn't heard his voice in 22 years. And it made me realize that my
son is going to go through the same thing.
Keep focus tight on Doug, but, shift back to Mark to show he is listening
intently to what Doug is saying...
Doug (continues):
And I don't imagine he'll be any more thrilled with me than I was with Ray
when he called me. I tried hard for us to make a connection, but, it just
wasn't there.
Mark (pats Doug's arm comfortingly):
You'll be more understanding than that with your son.
Doug (bites his lip and nods):
Yeah, well, I started thinking it's not too late to be part of his life
while he's still young enough I can keep something like that from happening.
I decided to try and claim some of my rights to him, but, my ex is giving me
a lot of heat...not that I blame her. But, I got a lawyer and things have
been pretty hot for the past couple of weeks. I'm starting to think the
whole thing was a mistake...
Mark:
You should have talked to me...
Doug (shakes his head):
Not your problem. And I think I've done pretty well at keeping it from
interfering with my work, haven't I?
Mark (nods):
Yes. I didn't realize anything was bothering you.
Doug (shrugs):
Anyway, I don't know how it's gonna turn out. But, I'm not giving up.
Mark (smiles sadly):
Don't you ever give up. I won't ever give up with Rachel. You just hang in
there and keep fighting, too.
Doug: Do you ever wonder if it's worth it? I mean, don't the kids get hurt,
too?
Mark (nods sadly):
Yeah, I think they do. Divorce isn't good for anybody.
(Doug nods agreement with him...Mark turns his attention to the B.P. machine)
You're holding steady at 180/110. And that's still high, but, I like those
numbers a lot better. What I want you to do is just rest here about a half
hour or so and let that Procardia work a little more. Then, we'll see how
you're doing, OK?
Doug (nods):
OK.
Mark (stands up...touches Doug's shoulder):
You'll rest here? You promise?
Doug (makes a crossing motion on his chest):
Scout's honor.
(Gives Mark a Scout Salute)
Mark (starts away, points a warning finger back at Doug):
You're giving me your word...
Doug (nods):
Will you go on back to patients who need you, 'Doctor'?
(smiles)
Cut to show Mark back out at Carol's station. He has a concerned look on
his face. Carol notes his concern as she approaches him.
Carol:
Everything OK?
Mark (going over notes):
Huh? (Looks up at Carol)
Oh, yeah! He's down to 180/110 and declining. I just want him to rest
while we keep an eye on him a little while.
Carol (senses more concern):
Anything else?
Mark:
Well, I don't know...changes in blood pressure can be brought on by so many
things. Would you call Medical Records and have all of Doug's records sent
down here, please? I want to take a look at some of his past readings.
Carol (nods):
Right away.
Mark (hands her Doug's chart):
And please page me as soon as they're here?
Carol (takes chart...nods again):
Of course.
Show Mark going off on down the hallway. Pan back to show expression of
concern on Carol's face as she glances into the room where Doug is still
resting.
Fade Act Two to black.
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