John Carter quotes from E.R.

Abby

Today was the first day I saw an old person die and I guess I'm just not used to it.

Carter

Well, you want the good news or the bad news?

Abby

Give me the bad.

Carter

You never get used to it. The good news is you never get used to it. At least I haven't. So you may have come up here to be alone, but you're not.

Chen

Right pupil is five millimeters and reactive, left is- John! John!

Carter

Deb?

Chen

Look at me. D'you know where you are?

Carter

My back.

Chen

You were stabbed. We've got your pressure up.

Carter

Lucy?

John, I'm officer Bennini, did you see the man that stabbed you?

Chen

Wait, wait, do we need to do this right now?

It's better if I can...

Chen

You'll have to wait, I'm sorry!

Carter

What?

Luka

Nothing, looks like he missed your spinal chord.

Carter

Is that Lucy?

Abby

Yes. She's alive.

Benton

Carter, don't worry, I'm going to explore the abdomen. I'm going to check out everything.

Carter

I'm glad it's you.

Benton

Hey, I'm getting you through this, man. You hear me?

Benton

Just when did you lose the filter between your brain and your mouth?

Carter

I think you might have taken it out in the OR last week.

Um... Can I ask you something?

Carter

Yes.

When you were... Well, when that man stabbed you, what did you think? No--I mean, what did it feel like?

Carter

Well, um... It happened really fast, and I didn't really know what was going on. But I didn't feel a thing.

No pain?

Carter

[shakes his head] No pain.

Benton

Hey, how are you feeling?

Carter

Ready to go.

Benton

Yeah? You know, I saw your MRI. Looks like you're recovering just fine.

Carter

Yeah, I should be able to get rid of these things in about a week or two.

Benton

Carter, take your time. Don't push it, alright?

Romano

Well, it looks like a P to me. Bisoprolol.

Benton

It's a C. Why would I order a beta-blocker for constipation?

Romano

What's that say, Carter?

Carter

Well, I-I can see how the pharmacy could have read it wrong, but, they really should have called.

Romano

Sure. Blame them, you coward.

Cleo

It could have been read both ways.

Romano

Hey, you, come here. I need an impartial observer.

Benton

Oh, come on, that's a fax copy. You can't even...

Romano

Quiet, Peter! Is that a C or a P?

Abby

It looks like a Q.

Romano

Someone else who can't read it.

Benton

I prescribed bisacodyl. That's what I ordered. That's what I wrote.

Romano

Then why is this patient currently undergoing an angioplasty for a life-threatening myocardial infarction?

Benton

You heard me say bisacodyl?

Cleo

Yeah.

Romano

Did you even bother to read the pharmacy label before you handed it out?

Cleo

There was a trauma coming in.

Romano

Oh! Oh, a trauma came in. Oh, well, that makes everything okay. When traumas come in we can just hand out whatever meds happen to be laying around.

Carter

Dr. Romano was...

Romano

Carter! What does this have to do with you? Nothing. So shut up.

Abby

Can I go?

Romano

The growing level of incompetence around here is frightening. It's a wonder we haven't been shut down.

Cleo

It was an honest mistake.

Romano

No, it was tag-team negligence. Okay, you are both prohibited from writing prescriptions until further notice.

Cleo

How are we supposed to treat the patients?

Romano

I'm sure Dr. Carter or one of the other colleagues will be happy to write them for you.

Benton

How long?

Romano

Until your penmanship approves and until you learn how to read.

Cleo

I know how to read.

Romano

Then do it!

Benton

Thank you, Carter. Thank you, Carter.

Benton

So you just gave him a bottle of pills without even looking at it?

Cleo

Peter, what you wrote wasn't legible.

Benton

I shouldn't be writing your scripts anyway.

Cleo

I didn't ask you to.

Benton

He was your patient. You always check the label before you give the drugs. They teach you that on the first day, Cleo.

Dave

What are you guys watching?

Abby

Where have you been?

Carter

Shooting near a school. Weaver sent Benton and Kovac.

Dave

Wait a minute, why did they get to go?

Carter

Because they don't get sick in the chopper.

Dave

I already told you, I had the flu.

Abby

MVA coming in, single auto versus parking structure.

Abby

5 to 10.

Carter

Get Weaver, I'll meet you in Trauma 2.

Dave

Hey, hey, why do you get it?

Carter

I'll call you if he needs his oil changed.

Kerry

John, you've demonstrated compulsive drug-seeking behavior.

Carter

When? Just tell me when.

Kerry

You know, I think mainlining Fentanyl in the trauma room qualifies.

Carter

So, what are you supposed to talk about in an exit interview anyway?

That you don't have all the answers.

Carter

No argument there.

You scared?

Carter

I don't remember the last time I wasn't scared.

Good.

Carter

What? That's it? Be afraid. Be very afraid?

Carter

This place grows on you.

Abby

So does foot fungus.

Carter

Oh, Mark, I'm sorry. What are you gonna do?

Mark

Die, I guess.

Carter

Legaspi was trying to find a bed for your mom, and she just took off.

Abby

I figured. Thanks.

Carter

Thought maybe you'd want to check your apartment...

Abby

She's not there.

Carter

You checked?

Abby

No. This is the end of the cycle. Our cycle. She disappears and for months, I don't know where she is or what she's doing or if she's alive. And then eventually, she'll turn up somewhere, and I'll have to deal with it.

Carter

I'm sorry.

Abby

Don't be. I knew how it would end when she showed up. It's the dance we do. You get lost in it for a little while, but it always ends the same.

Chen

I'm being selfish. I have the money to raise him. There's no reason why I can't.

Carter

There's a couple out there who desperately want to raise a child and you're giving them a great gift.

Chen

What happens eighteen years from now when he shows up looking for an explanation?

Carter

Tell him the truth. You know, tell him that you wanted to provide the best home possible for him.

Chen

Do I tell him I was a coward? That my bigoted parents were more important to me than he was?

Carter

Well, I think that you've got to take your family out of this. Now, if you want to keep the baby, keep the baby. But if you don't, or you can't, then you want to make sure that he goes to somebody that's going to love him, who's going to want him and know that you're not abandoning your baby, you're creating a family.