Dr. Anspaugh quotes from E.R.

What the hell is going on in here?

Why? What's the problem?

I rejected this patient as a poor surgical risk. Or didn't Dr. Carter tell you?

No, he didn't.

I got a 23 year jump on you, kid. You trying to outflank me?

Carter

No, sir.

What makes you think your judgement is superior to mine?

Carter

I don't. I don't. I thought that the patient...

This has nothing to do with the patient. This is about the practice of medicine. Interns do not make end runs on the chief of staff. I want you in my office at 5 o'clock sharp to discuss your future as a surgeon. If you have any hope on continuing in this program, you will explain your actions with the appropriate degree of contrition and respect and the assurance that nothing like this will ever happen again.

Carter

Dr. Hicks...

Scrub out, Carter.

This job is about determining what a patient needs and the best way for us to meet that need and as surgeons, we cut.

Carter

Dr. Anspaugh, as a doctor, if I can find a way to do what my patient wants that's medically acceptable, that's what I should do. I don't believe I should cut somebody open just because I can.

It bothers me that this patient is willing to risk death rather than undergo a simple surgical procedure, but it bothers me even more that you're so willing to help him do that.

What's on your mind, doctor?

Carter

Now? I was hoping for an appointment this afternoon.

There's no time like the present.

Carter

I'd prefer to come back later if that's okay with you.

Are you intentionally trying to irritate me, Dr. Carter?

Carter

No, sir.

Then speak up.

Carter

I've been contemplating leaving the surgical program. I've been considering it for quite some time, and I feel that I've made an error in selecting surgery as my specialty. For the most part, the training has been excellent, but I just feel that ultimately, I don't belong in surgery, and I would suspect that you would agree with me.

I certainly do not!

Carter

You don't?

You entered into a contract, doctor. A contract with this institution. We agreed to give you the finest surgical training in exchange for 6 years of your best effort.

Carter

I understand, but I think....

I do not give a damn what you think! This is not summer camp. You cannot just run home to mommy. You're going to suck it up and stick to it! That's what men do. Are we communicating here?

Carter

Yeah.

Good! And if I ever hear this crap coming out of your mouth again, the only medicine you'll be practicing is picking out a cough suppressant for yourself down at the Jewel.

Dr. Carter...

Carter

Uh... I'm not coming.

You're what?

Carter

I have a patient who needs my attention.

Rounds are a pre-requisite for this program, Doctor.

Carter

So is patient care.

You come to rounds today or don't ever come to rounds again.

Carter

I'll be there if and when I can!

You two took it upon yourselves to cover up a serious breach of a federally funded program?

Kerry

We thought it was in the hospital's best interest to keep the incident from becoming public.

Well, it's gonna go public now. And in connection with a high-profile euthanasia case.

Where the hell did Ross get a PCA?

Mark

From the clinic.

God, what a fiasco.

Kerry

What about Ross?

Romano

Take him out back and shoot him.

Patients with psychological problems falsely accuse their doctors of all sorts of things. I had a guy today blame me for hypnotizing him in order to drink his blood.

Romano

Well, we'll have to look into that another day, Donald. But the fact is, to the best of my knowledge, you are not actually a vampire.

Kerry

You know, I'm not down there, Donald. I don't run the ER anymore.

Which leads me to a second issue. The board has concerns about Dr. Kovac's ability to manage the department.

Kerry

You're not serious.

Are you satisfied with the job he's doing?

Kerry

He's doing the best he can with what he has.

Abby Lockhart

I can't do this. I can't pretend everything's gonna be ok. Premies don't make it out of the OR.

Maggie Wyczenski

Let it go. Abby, Abby. All the bad things you've seen, let it go.

Abby

And I can't believe I let myself get talked into this.

Maggie Wyczenski

Stop it!

Abby

I spent a month in the NICU, I know how this ends.

Maggie Wyczenski

Abby! You have a lot of great qualities, but optimism is not one of them.

Abby

[laughs] Whose fault is that?

Maggie Wyczenski

Yeah. Alright. I did not create a good environment for a child to grow up believing things would work out. But you're not a child any longer. You're the mother now. And that baby down there needs you to believe he's gonna be ok.

Another round of epi! Guys, he's grey. Point 2 of epi. 10 cc's of pav, now!

Abby

I'm trying! I am really, really trying!

What about emergency power for all the rooms?

Luka

We're getting to that.

And the bathrooms still aren't ADA-compliant-

Luka

First I need to upgrade the nurse-call systems and get automatic fire-drills.

Well, you'll have plenty of time to do that when we close.

Luka

Just- just give me another week, okay?

I gave you a month!

Luka

We're too busy!

We're busy every day.

Luka

Look, I haven't prepared the staff.

Well, you have the rest of your shift to do so.

Luka

[pause] What about the patients?

We've increased capacity at the urgent care clinic.

Luka

You promised shuttles to other facilities-

We don't have enough money for that!

Luka

You have no idea what it's like to be down here.

[sharply] I covered trauma in this E.R. for twenty years! We're trying to improve the way it works!

Luka

How long are you gonna shut us down for?

As long as it takes.

Luka

So we can comply with trivial rules?

Without accreditation, we can't run this hospital!

Luka

Come on, Donald-

In twelve hours, we close the E.R. End of story.

You did it, Dr. Kovac.

Luka

I don't like this.

Hey, it's not all Mercedes and racquetball.

Luka

I know that, but I'm beginning to feel that the politics aren't worth the paycheck. First you make me fire Weaver, then I spend half my time in BS meetings, I'm flooded with paperwork- and now, this.

Welcome to management, Luka.

Luka

This isn't me. I'm resigning as chief.

Luka, part of being the boss is being the bad guy.

Luka

I'll leave that to someone else. I just want to be a doctor. Good night. [walks away as the lights of the ER go out]

[during the M&M] Sit down, Lucien! You're out of line!

Dubenko

No. I won't sit down and I'm not out of line, I'm not out of line at all. That's a joke. Wanna know what's out of line? I'll tell you what's out of line: a system so pathetically underfunded that we have a single trauma attending to cover the entire hospital at night. That's out of line. Letting a patient bleed out in the ICU because of a stupid rule; that's out of line. And you wanna know what else? Wanna know what else? Sitting by and watching my resident try and hide the fact that I left her alone in the OR; that's out of line. It's all out of line.