SCENE 20
Scene 20 opens with Richard running up to the doctor's work area next to a nursing station. He opens the door to reveal his resident and the other student on his team, Becker. They are reclined, laughing at something they were just discussing, and have obviously been waiting for Richard.
Richard
Hey Becker.
Becker waves with a smirk that says, "You're late, dumbass."
DR. mehta
You must be Richard.
Richard
Yeah.
dr. mehta
Glad you could make it. I'm Sam.
Richard
Hi. Sorry I'm late, I got really lost.
dr. mehta
Right. Today's your first day in the hospital?
Richard nods.
dr. mehta
Yeah. Make sure to leave lots of extra time to get places until you figure out where you're going.
Richard
Sorry.
dr. mehta
Right. I'm your resident, which means I run the service. Steve Lewitton is the intern, so he's the guy who does all the work. He's busy at the moment but you'll meet him later. I report to our attending, Dr. Toto, who writes your evaluation.
A patient down the hall starts moaning in agony. Cut to Richard, who is obviously bothered by this but doesn't want to lead on that he's not devoting all his attention to Dr. Mehta.
Dr. mehta
Let me repeat that: Dr. Toto evaluates you, so kiss his ass, please do not kiss my ass. You'll see him in the mornings. The way this works is that we're on call every fourth day, when we admit patients. You'll carry five patients, and manage them with Steve. Anything that comes up regarding your patients, take it to Steve, not me. In fact, anything that comes up at all, take it to Steve and not me.
Richard
Should we go see if that guy's okay?
Dr. Mehta has worked in a hospital too long to even hear the patient moaning at the top of his lungs.
dr. mehta
a little irritated - he wasn't finished
What guy?
Richard
The guy moaning.
Dr. Mehta concentrates for a moment to listen, meanwhile the patient sounds like someone's pouring battery acid all over his eyeballs. Finally Dr. Mehta hears him.
Dr. mehta
He's fine. Anyway we're actually admitting today, and Steve and I already worked up our first four patients. You each have two, I've told Becker about his. Get out a notecard. Mr. Shilling is on nine east. He is a 66 year old intravenous drug abuser who prostitutes himself in order to support his habit; he's here with disseminated gonorrhea. Mr. Jones is on seven west. He's a 34 year old guy who was just diagnosed with CLL, will probably be dead in a year, we're just going to try to keep him as comfortable as we can while all his organs fail over the next few months.
A nurse appears.
nurse
Dr. Mehta, are you taking care of Mr. Vandismal?
Dr. Mehta
thinks about if for a moment
Yeah, I think that's one of ours.
nurse
His blood pressure is 240 over 155, and he's bleeding out of every orifice.
Dr. Mehta
irritated
Okay, so page Dr. Lewitton.
Nurse
He's also been seizing for about 40 minutes.
Dr. mehta
Do I look like an intern?
Nurse disappears.
Dr. mehta
Okay so you two familiarize yourselves with your two patients. We also have two more patients in the ER we need to admit.
Dr. Mehta takes out his list.
dr. mehta
Becker take Ms. Silver and Richard take Ms. Roberts. Do a complete history and physical exam, and we'll discuss them after lunch, say 1:30. All right?
Richard and Becker rise, get ready to move.
Dr. Mehta
Soon you're going to think, "Why is Dr. Mehta such an ass hole? Doesn't he remember what it's like to be a third year student?" Well I just want to let you know that I actually don't remember what it's like to be a third year student.
Pause.
dr. mehta
We'll see you in an a few hours.
Richard and Becker move.
Dr. Mehta
Oh, Richard - the nurses couldn't get blood off of Mr. Shilling, so I told them you'd get it. Do that before you go downstairs to see Ms. Roberts. And don't get stuck, he's HIV and HEP-C positive.
Richard blinks. Moaning patient cries out at the top of his lungs for someone to make it end, that human beings weren't meant to live like this.
Cut to Richard walking into Mr. Shilling's room, he begins setting up the blood draw stuff on a table.
Richard
Good morning, Mr. Shilling. I'm just going to draw some blood from you.
Mr. shilling (dr. foster)
Like hell you are.
Richard stops in his tracks. He turns to looks at Mr. Shilling.
Richard
Excuse me?
Mr. Shilling
I'm scared of needles.
Richard
Don't you use IV drugs?
Mr. shilling
Yeah. Weird, huh?
Cut to ER. Becker is walking out as Richard is walking in.
Becker
You just now getting here? We're supposed to meet Sam in twenty minutes.
Richard
Yeah, I got a needle stick trying to take blood from one of my patients, so I had to go to employee health. Now I have to take like ten HIV medicines for a few weeks.
Becker
Man. I know a guy who had to do that, and he had terrible diarrhea the whole time.
Pause. Cut to Richard looking a bit dejected at this news.
Becker
And he still got HIV.
Cut to patient room. Ms. Roberts is sitting in a chair with her husband, a body-builder wearing the skimpiest possible shirt.
Richard
Good afternoon Ms. Roberts, how are-
Ms. Roberts
Are you my doctor?
Richard
I'm a medical student.
Husband gets angry, and punches his hand while cursing.
husband (John phelan)
angry
Motherfucker.
ms. roberts
angry
I want a doctor. Do you understand me?
Cut to black.