SCENE 28
Scene 28 opens with a light musical interlude. Fade in to closeup of a bookshelf, camera slowly panning over surgery book after surgery book. [Use surgery section at Major's, but don't show the "Surgery" sign, just the books] Down to the row below, more surgery books - linger on this for a while to give the audience the sense that we are in a transition. After some suitable time, a hand shoots into the shot and grabs one of the books. Cut to shot of Dr. Jackson walking down an aisle, wearing scrubs and holding the surgery book he just grabbed. Pan to Dr. Jackson's POV as he scans the length of the aisles perpendicular to him. In the middle of one of these aisles is an attractive lady. He passes by that aisle then stops, backs up, looks again. He then walks around to approach the attractive lady from the other side of the aisle. She's scanning a section of books, and he comes up behind her and looks over her shoulder. She doesn't pay much attention. Dr. Jackson stands there for a moment, sizing her up, and then "accidentally" drops his surgery book, face up, right in front of her. He waits for her to notice the book, then reaches down to pick it up.
Dr. Jackson
Excuse me.
After seeing the book, she shows more interest.
heather
That's okay.
She takes a look at Dr. Jackson as he pretends to look at the books in front of him.
heather
Are you a surgeon?
Dr. Jackson
Yes, yes I am.
Heather has stopped what she's doing in an attempt to engage him in conversation, but Dr. Jackson continues to peruse the bookshelf in front of him.
heather
Wow.
Dr. Jackson
affected modesty
Oh, it's nothing. You could do it too.
heather
No way! All that blood!
Dr. Jackson
dramatic
Yeah, well there is a lot of blood. It can be difficult to keep your cool when you get one of those big daddy bleeders just spraying blood all over the place, and you know you only have a minute to fix it before the patient dies right there in front of you.
heather
impressed
Man! That's crazy. I could never do that.
Dr. Jackson
Yeah, you're right. You probably couldn't. But someone's got to. Someone's got to put in the 120 hour weeks. Someone's got to be there when your aorta explodes and you have 15 minutes to live.
heather
I hope when my aorta explodes you're there to save me.
Dr. Jackson
dead serious
I'll be there.
Just as he says that, his pager goes off.
Dr. Jackson
with exhaustion, as if he gets paged every twenty minutes
I'm sorry. Just one moment.
Heather
beaming
Of course. No problem.
Dr. Jackson checks his pager, then whips out his cell phone and dials a number.
Dr. Jackson
into phone
This is Doctor Jackson.
Yes Dr. Cox, of course.
Adult circumcision at two, laparoscopic appendectomy at three, cholecystectomy at four.
Oh, really?
I'm sorry about that Dr. Cox, that shouldn't be your concern. We'll take care of it.
Okay.
Dr. Jackson hangs up.
Dr. Jackson
Sorry about that, that was my boss.
heather
Dr. Cox.
Dr. Jackson
Yes, he operated on President Kennedy after he was shot.
heather
amazed
Wow, and you get to work with him!
Dr. Jackson dials a number on his cell phone.
Dr. Jackson
It seems my excuse for a med student isn't pulling his weight, once again. Let me page him.
heather
I'm sure he's doing his best.
Dr. Jackson finishes dialing and hangs up.
Dr. Jackson
Oh he's definitely doing his best, it's just not good enough. Some people don't have what it takes to contribute to a surgical team.
Cut to face shot of Richard asleep, but sitting down. His head is tilted back in an obviously uncomfortable position that could only be made tolerable by extreme exhaustion. Slowly pan out, and we see that the setting is a bathroom stall, and Richard has fallen asleep on the pot. After giving the audience time to digest this, Richard's pager goes off.
At first Richard does not respond, but slowly he is roused and opens his eyes. He looks at his watch, and realizing how late it is, curses. He stands up, pulls his pants up, and quiets his pager. He attempts to pull his pager off his scrub bottoms but after a little bit of a struggle we hear a KERPLUNK and Richard's eyes open wide. He goes after his pager in the toilet.
Cut back to bookstore. Dr. Jackson and Heather are now in line to pay for their books, continuing to chat.
Dr. Jackson
Right. This guy's got an infection of his glans and now has a penile abscess, so we've got to drain it and take off the foreskin.
Heather, horrified, gasps and covers her mouth with her hand.
Dr. Jackson
So remember: if you're not circumcised, you have to clean the glans regularly.
Heather
laughing
I'll keep that in mind.
A man walks up, presumably a stranger.
stranger
to Dr. Jackson
Hey doc, is this cancer?
He extends his wrist to Dr. Jackson, who looks at the skin for a moment, brushes it with his hand, examines it closely.
Dr. Jackson
No.
stranger
relieved
Whew. Thanks, doc.
Dr. Jackson
No problem.
Stranger walks away.
heather
smitten
So, have you always wanted to be a doctor?
Dr. Jackson
I've wanted to be a surgeon since middle school.
Cut to middle school. Younger Dr. Jackson (wearing corduroys and an Izod top, hair slicked to one side) is standing next to young lady, dressed and made up in typical eighties fashion. They are in the school hallway.
little schoolgirl
amicable but firm
Joe, I'm sorry but I can't go out with you.
young Dr. Jackson
But I love you.
little schoolgirl
I know, but you're a dork.
They stand there looking at each other, and we hear a cell phone ring, and as Little Schoolgirl speaks the cell phone rings again.
little schoolgirl
I'm sorry Joe but sometimes you've got to tough it out.
Cut back to bookstore. Dr. Jackson is on his cell phone.
Dr. Jackson
Oh you haven't gotten to Ms. Fester yet? Well the nurses are harassing the big boss about her wound that you were supposed to have cleaned and wrapped hours ago.
Pause. Dr. Jackson looks at Heather and shakes his head in disgust at whatever Richard is saying.
Dr. Jackson
Richard, don't complain to me about how many patients you have. When I was in your position I carried twice as many and knew them all twice as well. Sometimes you've got to tough it out. I'll be up there in ten minutes.
Dr. Jackson doesn't wait for Richard to respond to this; he just hangs up and puts away his cell phone.
Dr. Jackson
to Heather, irritated
Nothing better than useless, whining medical students.
heather
Don't be so hard on him.
Dr. Jackson
Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?
heather
I would love to.
Cut to black.