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E.R.
"Chances and Changes"
Act Four
Scene opens at Carol's station. Focus on her as she toys with the rose in
her hand. Follow her eyes across the way to the room where Doug is resting.
He is nervously toying with her hands, but he is resting comfortably.
Follow Carol as she leaves the nurses station and goes into the room with
Doug. She stops and reads the numbers on the b.p. machine and sits on a
stool beside the table.
Carol (comfortingly):
How are you feeling?
Doug (nods):
OK. How are my numbers?
Carol (nods):
Looking better.
(holds the rose up for him to see) Did you leave this for me? (Doug nods
reluctantly) It's beautiful! Why didn't you leave a note or something to tell me it
was from you?
Doug (shrugs):
I guess I figured if you thought it was from me, you'd probably pitch it
out, but, if you didn't know it was from me, you might just enjoy it for a
while.
Carol (sighs):
Oh, geez, Doug! Have we reached that point in our relationship? You think
I hate you now?
Doug (smiles slightly):
It was a joke! I guess we haven't gotten back to that point in our
relationship, either, huh? You always used to know when I was kidding.
Carol (spins the rose in her hand...looks at her feet):
I guess we've been through a lot with each other, haven't we? Doug:
Yeah, I guess we have.
(pauses, then changes the subject)
Do you know what Mark is looking for?
Carol (shakes her head, looks up at him):
He didn't say. But, he's not very concerned. Doesn't think it's anything
serious. My guess is a chemical imbalance.
Doug:
Thyroid, likely. That was my first guess.
Carol (nods):
Yeah, I thought about that, too.
Doug (chuckles nervously):
One bad thing about being a doctor...when you become a patient, you know
too
much.
Carol (half smile):
It'll be OK. Whatever it is, we'll take care of it.
Doug (nods):
I guess we'll know soon enough.
Carol (nods):
Yeah. You OK?
Doug (shrugs):
Sure.
Carol:
It's so crazy, you know? Everything we say to each other is strictly
professional. We never just talk anymore. I guess a lot of that's my fault.
Maybe it's time we started talking again.
Doug (grins):
Figure I've been punished enough, huh?
Carol (shakes her head):
I never meant to punish you. That wasn't my idea at all. I think, for a
long time, a part of me wanted you to hurt like I did, but, I don't even feel
that way anymore.
Doug:
I hurt. That night the wheeled you in here unconscious, I was hurting. I
was just sure I would never get to hold you in my arms again. I'd never get
a chance to tell you I was sorry. Then, when I did, I did such a lousy job
of it...
Carol (interrupts quickly):
You didn't do a lousy job! I didn't give you half a chance. I had to put
up a shield to keep from getting hurt again. I was so afraid of giving in to
you. You'll never know how much I wanted to. But, I just couldn't bring
myself to do it. But, you were right about what you said to Tag that night
at my engagement party. I did think about you when I was with him. And
Shep. I think about you all the time.
Doug (smiles sadly):
Linda told me before she left that I would never love another woman as long
as I was in love with you. I guess she knew it even if I didn't want to
admit it. When Morgenstern wasn't going to renew my Fellowship, and I
thought I was leaving here, it was probably the hardest time I've ever gone
through with myself. I knew I could work. That wasn't the problem. But,
leaving here was. Leaving you...not seeing you everyday... that was
something I didn't want to have to face. And Mark...he's like a brother to
me. The hospital is like the family I never had. I didn't want to let go of
it. I didn't want to lose it. Thank God I didn't have to.
Carol (looks at her feet):
I didn't know you felt that way.
Doug (lifts her chin to look at him):
Now you do.
Carol (looking into his eyes):
You know you were the reason I didn't marry Tag, don't you?
(Doug doesn't answer...only shrugs his shoulders)
I couldn't marry him. I was still in love with you.
(looks him directly in the eyes)
I still am.
Doug (smiles slightly):
You're just nervous about these tests...
Carol (shakes her head emphatically):
No. I mean it. I am in love with you. I can't get you out of my mind or
out of my heart. Or out of my soul. Everything I do comes back to you.
Everything I think, and everything I dream. I've wanted to tell you for a
long time. I just didn't have the guts.
Doug (laughingly):
And now you can?
Carol (lowers her head):
I watched you through the window last night outside the house. When you
walked up on the porch, I was standing on the other side of the door ready to
rip it open the second you knocked. I almost ran out after you when you
didn't. I was afraid you might be walking out of my life forever.
Doug (shakes his head):
Not this time. For the first time in my life, I don't want to run. And
that scares me to death. I want to stay and fight and see what comes.
Carol (looks up at him):
We've got plenty of time to talk about these kind of things later, OK? I
should get back to work.
Doug (nods):
Yeah. OK.
Carol stands up and starts away, but, before she leaves, she leans over and
kisses him gently on forehead in a friendly fashion. Follow her as she
returns to her post. Focus on him as he grins slightly from the tone of
their conversation.
Cut to show files being placed on top of the desk in front of Carol and
someone walking away. Focus on Carol as she reaches for the files and see
the name "ROSS" printed at the top of it. She opens it carefully and starts
scanning the inside for information, but, before she can read anything, Mark
comes up behind her and startles her with his presence.
Mark (suddenly):
Why, Nurse Hathaway, you of all people should know that what's in a
patient's test results is strictly Doctor/Patient Confidentiality.
Carol (shuts the file quickly and puts it down):
Yes, Doctor.
Mark (reaching his hand to her):
I'll take that, please?
Carol hands the file over carefully. Mark opens it up and begins to scan
over the results. He nods his head a couple of times, but, gives no
indication of any of the contents to Carol, who stands waiting nervously with
an anxious look on her face.
Carol (coaxingly):
Well?
Mark (smiles):
Nothing to worry about. You want to come with me while I give the news to
him?
Carol (nods):
Sure!
Follow Carol and Mark across the way and into Doug's room. Doug catches
sight of Mark carrying files and motions to them.
Doug: OK, give it to me straight, Doc! I can take it.
Mark (in a professional voice):
You have an overactive Thyroid.
Doug (smiles...relieved):
That's it?
Mark (smiles, satisfied):
That's it.
(writes out a prescription and tears it off the pad)
Get this filled. Take your meds. Keep an eye on that b.p. and you should
be just fine. I want to monitor the b.p. and blood levels about once a week
at least for a month or so to be sure the right level of meds are getting in
there. That's about it.
Doug (sits up and swings his feet over the side of the table):
So, that means I'm out of here, right?
Mark (Nods, helps him off the table by the arm):
Yeah, but, I'd like for you to go home and rest the rest of today.
Doug (protests slightly):
But, I feel fine.
(Mark raises an eyebrow)
You're the boss!
(gives him a mock salute)
I'm out of here!
Carol (calls after Doug as he starts away):
I'll call you later and check on you, OK?
Doug (turns back to her with a grin):
Now, that's what I call working overtime!
Both laugh at their private joke, leaving Mark wondering what he missed in
their conversation earlier.
Fade Act Four to black.
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