"I can't come now." " I'm cleaning this up." " How are you doing up there?" " You about done?" " Lift up." " Hey, give me some slack, will you?" "  What the hell is this thing anyway?" "  What do you mean, "What is it?"  It's art." " Hurry up, you turkey." " Do you think you might possibly be finished before the dedication tomorrow?" "  Catch." "  I can do it." " Hey!" " Okay, people." " I don't want any of you to forget there is no extra credit for this." " Don't turn into an angry mob." " Now, listen." " I want the term papers in by Wednesday and tell Becky I want it legible." " Okay?" " Police the area." "  I gotta go." "  Okay." "  You really did it." "  Yeah?" " Yup." " I'm really proud of you." "  That's really something." "  Yeah?" "  You really made a..." " Yeah." "... big pile of sticks." " I used you as a model." " I gotta go." " All right, I'm cooking tonight." " What do you want?" " Just a salad or something, you know." " How about baked Alaska?" "  How about a lobster Newburger, baby?" "  Give me a break." "  How about MM's?" "  MM's sound good." "  I'll see you later." "  See you tonight." " Fly ball to second." " This will put it away and that's it." " Total of five runs, 10 hits and two errors for the Mariners." " Eight runs, nine hits and two errors for the Red Sox." " Charlie Snow inviting you to see..." "Watch your head, Joe." " Gurney coming through." " Open it wide." " Come on." " How you doing now?" " Take it easy." " You all right now?" " Stay back." " Whoa, whoa, whoa." " Watch it." " That's jagged." "  unit 612." " We've got a possible broken neck here." " Trauma, double fractures, lacerations." " The man is cyanotic." " BP is 160/90..." "Move it." " Out of the way." " To the right." " Off to the right." " Lisa, I need your help." " Ventilate this guy." "  Dorothy, 1 gram of Solu-Medrol." "  One gram Solu-Medrol." "  Two units of plasma." "  Two units of plasma." " Type and cross-match." " Possible pneumothorax." " I can feel at least four fractured ribs in this guy." " And fractured pelvis." "  Who's the anesthesiologist?" "  Levinson." " Tell him 15 minutes." " Get him into X-ray, stat." "  Right tibia, left tibia fracture and fibula." "  You hang in there, pal." "  Come on, you gotta fight." " Fight." "  Move him out." " You have a fractured right rib puncturing the right lung, so a pneumothorax." " We have a fractured left tibia and fibula, right tibia and fibula." "  God, what didn't he break?" "  I think this is gonna be our problem here." "  Shit." "  He's never going to dance again." " We'll have to very gently fuse this spinal column together." " I can do that." " I think the best we can hope for, though, is a quad." "  I want him alive, Tony." "  I'll do the best job I can." "  Get started?" "  Yeah." "  How you doing on your side, baby?" "  Oh, pretty good." " Okay, now one more knot to go and we are in terrific shape." " Over easy, please." " One, two, three..." "Good." "  Hi." "  Hi." "  Thought I recognized those shoes." "  Well, I wore them just for you." "  Dizzy?" " You want anything?" "  I'd like a martini." " He wants a martini." " Alrighty." " Now how's that?" "  Gin tastes like water." "  It is water." " I thought everyone in Intensive Care got gin." " Well, intravenously." "  Hey, honey?" "  Yeah?" " You know that dinner dance next Saturday?" " I think we ought to tell them we'll be late." " Okay." " You want to come along, Miss Sadler?" " Yes, ma'am." " Good morning, Mr. Harrison." "  Good morning, Mr. Harrison." "  Morning, Rodriguez." "  Here's a new face for you." "  Hello, new face, hello." " Rodriguez, I thought you were gonna bring me ugly old hags." " Going down." " Orthopedics, Gynecology, Nurses' Station Rubber Goods, Water Sports." "  Get the pillows out from under his arms." " Watch it." " Arms over chest." " Down with the sheets and the spread." "  Neatly, neatly." "  Why don't you say something nice to her?" " You need a haircut." " That's nice." " Ready?" " And good." "  Now..." " Hello, darling." "  My little flesh pudding." "  Align the legs." " Up." " Over." "  Hear the one about the plastic surgeon?" "  No." " He melted in front of the fire." "  You get it in the end, don't you?" "  Terrible." "  Thank you very much." "  Now rub." " I see any bedsores, it's gonna be you and me." " Used to dream of situations like this." "  Being injured?" "  Being massaged by two beautiful women." " Lay off or I'll keep my student nurses out of here." "  You think you can manage?" "  Yes, ma'am." " Well, be careful." " We don't wanna have him on the floor." " Oh, God." " Somebody have me on the floor." " I was once had on the floor, Rodriguez." " It was incredible." " You are impossible." " Make that improbable." "  So what's your name?" "  Mary Jo Sadler." "  Most of my friends call me Joey." "  That's nice." " Don't let Rodriguez hear you say that." " You're supposed to answer:" ""Miss Sadler," with a smile that is filled with warmth but not a hint of sex." "  Sorry." "  Don't be sorry." " I'm gonna call you Joey when we're alone and you're caressing my backside." "  I'm rubbing your heels right..." " Don't spoil it." " I can't feel a thing anyway." "  Am I your first back rub, Joey?" "  Yes, you are." "  I graduate in two weeks." "  Really?" "  Anybody home?" "  Joey, quick!" " Get under the bed." " It's the other woman." "  Hi." "  Are you going to class?" " Rehearsal." "  Does he ever stop?" "  Stop?" " I haven't laid a glove on her." "  I don't know." " It's my first day with him." "  Oh, you'll learn." " I'm Pat." "  I'm Miss Sadler." "  And for you." "  Beautiful." "  Beautiful." "  Well, good morning." "  Good morning." "  How are you this morning?" "  Okay." "  And how are we doing here?" "  Fine." " Miss Rodriguez, you promised me you wouldn't send cute ones in here." " Should've seen the one in here last night." " After lights out, she snuck me out." " We went skateboarding." " Only trouble was, I was the skateboard." " No, no, no!" "  Are you finished, Miss Sadler?" "  I..." "Pillows." " Right." " And..." "One..." "Okay, could you straighten my hand out?" " And bend the hand down palm down into the pillow?" " That's it, that's it." " Now smooth the fingers out." " That's it." " Perfect." " Now..." "Now, bend the thumb a little bit in." " That's it, that's it." " That's it." " Now relax the hand just a little bit." " That's it." " Thank you." " I gotta keep going." " Give me a kiss." " Love you, okay?" " I got some steps to work out before the rehearsal." "  How's your knee?" "  It's okay, if I warm it up really carefully." " Kallis is coming again." " He's interested in the large nude." " Kallis always was interested in large nudes." " Try and make him behave, Rodriguez." " Nice meeting you." "  Bye." " Tomorrow." "  Bye." " Alrighty." "  Are you comfortable, Mr. Harrison?" "  Rodriguez, you give great sheet." "  Go to sleep or something." "  What's the "or something"?" " Stay awake." "  How long has he been like...?" "  Six months." "  Will he ever be able to...?" "  Nope." " John, Mr. Harrison's ready." " You better do him now." " Well, he ain't going nowhere, man." "  What you say, man?" "  Uh-oh, a black man with a razor." " Okay, fleet-foot, let's see you tap-dance." " Okay, here we go." " Man, but this is boring, you know." " Shaving dudes all day." " They won't let me near the girls." " All you could get near is the ones with the mustaches." "  Bitchy, bitchy." "  Envy, envy." "  Listen, from where I'm laying..." " Yeah?" "... if I could get off at all, even by myself, that'd be great." "  I hear that, man." " I hear that." "  John." " Shake it out." " Dr. Emerson's making his rounds this morning." " If I shake it any harder, man, it's gonna fall off, you know?" "  So how's the punk band coming?" "  Oh, great, man." " I even added a xylophone to the band." " Punk xylophone?" " How the hell does that sound?" " Man, great." " We be jamming and I ain't jiving." " Listen." " Hey, man, this knee needs tuning up, you know." " Hey, John, John, John." " This isn't your day." "  What's going on here?" "  He was testing my reflexes." " Yeah, you see, Dr. Scott, this man's toe bone connected to his knee bone." " And I'm just connecting myself to another patient." "  Goodbye." " Well, we're all bright and chipper this morning." " Oh, it's marvelous, the courage of the human spirit." " Nice to hear the human spirit's okay." " How's the heart?" "  Then they went to the lobby..." " Selling tickets." "  You heard that one?" "  Yes, you told me twice yesterday." "  Our relationship must be on the skids." "  You're looking great today, Mr. Harrison." " Take a deep breath for me." " Hold it." " Let it out." " Okay, I think we can start stepping up your physical therapy now." " To what purpose?" " To what purpose?" " So that you can feel more comfortable and start leading a more normal life." "  More normal, huh?" "  Yes, more normal." " Meaning I can resume my basketball career?" " No, I think you're a little too short for basketball." "  Cute." "  Thank you." " I see Dr. Emerson is making rounds again this morning." "  Yes, he is." "  Is he gonna do it in the normal fashion or is he gonna walk on water?" " Look up for me, please." " That isn't fair, you know." " You're very lucky to have him." " He's the best one around." " I'll remember that in my prayers." " Okay, see you in a few minutes." "  With Emerson?" "  Right." " I won't hold my breath." " Miss Rodriguez, Mr. Harrison seems a bit more agitated this morning." " He's beginning to realize what he's up against." " That's what I thought." " Okay, I'm upping his Valium to 5 milligrams." "  Valium, 5 milligrams." " TID?" "  Right." " Thank you." " What, in your enlightened opinion, Mr. Hoffman was Mr. Holmes suffering from?" "  I'd say pneumonia." " No, it wasn't pneumonia." " All third-year students say pneumonia." " It wasn't pneumonia and it wasn't arthritis." " Hello, Jim." " How long?" " About 12 minutes." "  What did you do?" "  Palpated radial artery." "  Gave him D5W, bicarb and epinephrine." "  Why didn't you transfer him to ICU?" " Well, his vitals were stable at 6:00." " He just went sour real fast." " This was Andrew Dryer, age 56." " Out of surgery yesterday." " Cancer of the colon and liver." " What's your name?" "  Everett, sir." "  Well, Mr. Everett how do you feel about this?" "  Feel, sir?" " Yes, feel." " You feel sick when you look at this?" "  No, sir." "  Why not?" "  I'm used to seeing bodies, sir." "  Oh, I see." " You been here, what?" " Three years?" " Cut up cadavers with the best of them." " Death holds no fear for you does it, Mr. Everett?" "  Sir..." " Let me tell you." " This makes me sick." " It ought to make you sick too." " Look there." " That's the enemy." " The enemy has won." " Mr. Dryer was 56 years old." " And I want you, Mr. Everett and I want all of you to feel sick when you see a body that hasn't reached its allotted three-score years and 10." " That's if you want to be doctors." " Not just money-grubbers." " Shit." " Oh, sorry." " Dr. Arlene Franklin, sixth floor waiting area, please." " Did you say something to me, man?" " I think she likes me." "  Hello, hello." "  Hi." " Is that something to put into my face?" " It's coffee." "  No, it's not." "  Yes, it is." "  No, it's not." "  It is." "  It's not." "  It is." "  It's caca." "  No, it's not." "  Oh, really?" "  It's good for you." " You have to drink it." "  Looks like somebody already drank it." "  Take a sip." "  I don't want any of it." "  It's not that..." "Oh, shit, I'm sorry." "  I'm sorry." " It was my fault." "  It's all right, I can clean it up." "  I'm sorry." "  I'll just change the sheets." " Don't panic." " How someone who can't move a muscle can screw up a whole bed is..." " It's just eating its way through my p. j.'s." "  I have to pull you towards me." "  Oh, God." "  I feel like Charlie McCarthy." "  Oh, God." "  How did the quadriplegic cross the road?" "  Oh, I don't know." "  It was stapled to a chicken." " Joey!" " Joey!" "  Help!" " Nurse!" "  Oh, God, oh, God..." "Nurse, help!" " Somebody help!" " Nurse!" "  Help!" "  John!" " Got him." "  Somebody help!" "  I got him." "  What happened?" "  I don't know." "  Get him on the floor." "  Got him?" " All right." " Ease him down." " Let's just set him down." "  Take it easy, now, watch it." "  Watch your head, man!" "  Give me a clean sheet." "  I just spilled the coffee." "  Okay, get ready to lift him." "  It wasn't her fault." " It wasn't her fault." " It was just an accident." " Get ready for a lift." "  What's going on here?" "  Get out of here." " They're just changing the sheets." " That's all for now." " See you tomorrow." "  Turn him on his back." "  Easy, man, watch the head, now." "  Easy." "  Watch him." " You got to be gentle." " On the count of three." " Okay, one, two, three." " Roll the body." "  Slowly." " Slowly." "  Easy now." " Out of the way." "  You dizzy?" "  No." " Pillow, please." "  What happened here?" "  He almost fell out of bed, doctor." " Really?" "  How do you feel?" "  Great." " It's always good to get out of bed now and again." " Let me take a look at you." " Now move your head." " Gently." " Gently." "  Does that hurt?" "  No." "  Are you okay?" "  Oh, yeah." "  You'll be fine." "  Are you kidding?" " Have the chart, please?" " Miss, can I have the chart, please?" " Just breathe normally." "  I see you upped his Valium." "  Yes, I did this morning." " The dialysis seems to be holding him stable." "  Just continue the schedule, all right?" "  Four hours every other day." "  Right." "  Okay." " Well, Mr. Harrison, we seem to be out of the woods." " Now, if we can keep you in that bed, off the accident list, we'll be fine." " When do "we" get discharged?" "  Pretty soon now, I expect." "  Really?" " Discharged?" " Or transferred?" " This unit is for the critically ill, which, I'm happy to say, you no longer are." " I'll send you to a rehab." " You'll be comfortable." " I get it." " You just grow the vegetables here." " The vegetable store is somewhere else." "  I don't think you understand." "  I think I do." " What chance do you think I have of my ever being just partly dependent on nursing?" "  That's difficult to say with any certainty." "  I am not asking for a guarantee." " I'm asking for a professional opinion." " You think I'll ever walk again?" " No." "  Regain the use of my arms?" "  No." " Or my..." "Or my hands?" " No." "  Thank you." "  What are you thanking me for?" " Your honesty." " We were wondering when you'd ask." " Why didn't you tell me before?" " We didn't think you'd hear us." " Look, I know it's difficult but it's surprising how we can come to accept..." "You mean, things like falling out of bed?" " Dr. Scott has prescribed something which I think will help." "  Yes." "  Fabulous." " Get Mrs. Boyle in here." " Let's start some meaningful therapy." "  Right away." "  Isn't that a great idea?" " All right, Harrison." " I'll stop in on you later." " Be sure to phone first." "  I may not be in." "  See you later." " Miss Sadler, let's get a clean gown on him." " What'd you give him, 5 milligrams of Valium?" " Yeah, TID." " I think we may have to up it to 10." "  You might be right." "  I want him transferred out one month, tops." " I have to go to a board meeting." "  Okay." "  Talk to some tight-ass tick-tocks about inflation." "  I hope you have a wonderful time." " I'd rather have my prostrate examined." "  Excuse me, Mrs. Cole?" "  Hold on." " Yes, doctor?" "  Have you given Mr. Harrison his Valium?" "  No, not until noon." "  Give it to him now." "  Now?" "  Yeah." "  Hold on, let me call you back." " Oh, wait, just a sec." " On second thought, let me have it." " I'll give it to him myself." " Dr. Norton, report to Hydrotherapy, fourth floor." " Dr. Norton." "  Hello again." "  Hello." " I was just practicing lying here." " I brought you something to help you relax." "  What for?" "  What for?" " The fall?" " I'm all right, I'm just angry." " I don't blame you." " I'm changing the nurse." " She's not experienced enough..." " Don't do that." "  Why not?" " Because it wasn't her fault." " It was just an accident." " At least I should have someone around here I could talk to." " Here, I think this will help you." "  Don't do that." " Don't give me that." "  Why not?" " It'll make you feel better." " Quieter, you mean." " Look, Mr. Harrison your body cannot handle all this excitement." "  Now, I think you need this." "  Why?" "  Lf I wanna be mad, I'll be mad." "  It's a very small..." "If I wanna make noise, I'll make noise." " Just because you are upset you can't do anything for me does not mean I'm the one that has to get tranquilized." "  However, it is prescribed..." " You haven't heard a word I said, have you?" " Now, you listen to me, Dr. Scott." " The only thing that I have left is my consciousness and I don't want that paralyzed as well." " You understand that?" "  Yeah." " I hear what you're saying." "  Good." " Very good." " So if you want any tranquility, you eat the pill." " You want me to...?" " Eat it." "  We'll see." "  Good." " That's what I always say." " If you're ever in doubt whether to take a tranquilizer sleep on it." " Okay." " Right." " That's bullshit." " When he came here all shaken to hell, he didn't protest the IV saline." " When he was gasping for breath he didn't say, "I don't want any Solu-Medrol. "" " No, but those were inevitable in emergency situations." " So is this." " Look, Clare we'll have to help him to accept his condition." " Then maybe his consciousness will be of help to him." " But how does a depressant drug like Valium really help him to accept his condition?" " Listen." " Ken Harrison is an intelligent sensitive, articulate, wonderful person." " Yes, he is." " But he's not gonna prescribe for himself." "  Will the owner of a blue Cadillac..." " Okay." "...  licence PWB 112...  ... parked in Emergency, please move it immediately?" " This is Dr. Emerson." " I'd like you to prepare Valium." " Ten milligrams, IM." " I'll be right up." " Dr. Jackson, outside call." " Dr. Jackson, outside call." " They've sent in the godfather." " Why are you giving my staff such a hard time?" " Dr. Emerson, I must insist that you do not stick that needle in my arm." " You don't even know what's in it." " Well, I assume that it is one of a series of measures taken to keep me alive." " That's right." " You, pal, are a valuable life." " I don't think so." " I've decided I don't want to stay alive." "  You can't decide that." "  Why not?" " Because you're depressed." " Does that surprise you?" " No." " In time, you'll learn to accept." " Until then, let us help you." " Do not stick that fucking thing in my arm." " Goddamn you!" " I specifically refused you permission to do that." " It was necessary." " Now, I want you to sleep." " I don't wanna goddamn sleep." " I wanna goddamn think!" " When you were sculpting and things weren't coming out right, did you quit?" "  No, I didn't." "  Well, neither do I." "Is that what I am to you, huh?" " Emerson?" " Wait a minute." " Wait a minute!" " Is that all I am?" " Is a lump of clay?" " Will you come on?" " I told you my feet hurt." " And I've ordered three times already." " Don't forget." " Oh, my God." " My chocolates." " You like this one?" " It's nice." " How's this?" " That's lovely." "  Oh, that's it." " That's it." " Don't move." "  This one?" "  Well, hurry up." "  Stay there." " Don't..." "Rewind." " You gotta go back." " You like that?" " Show me the one that's two steps after it." "  With the elbow?" "  Yeah." " That's nice." "  Sadler, you wanna do some rounds?" "  Yes." " Okay, let's go." "  And good morning to you." "  Good morning." " Back with the sheets." " And spread." " And voilà." " The night nurse said you had a good night's sleep." " Well, I had some help, if you remember, from Emerson." " Like being hit on the head with a soft baseball bat." " But your eyes look bright this morning." "  I've been thinking." "  Ready?" " And..." "You do too much of that." " What other activity would you suggest?" " Jogging, perhaps?" " Hey, Rodriguez, you remember that lawyer that came here a few months ago from the insurance company?" "  His name was something Hill?" "  Yeah, I remember." "  You think you could call him for me?" "  Sure." " Since I'm gonna be around here for some time, I think money would help." " Good thinking in there." " His card is in my top drawer." " You'll call him?" " Knock, knock." " Hi, everybody." "  Hi." "  Great day, huh?" " I had to park about four miles away." " Oh, you look pretty dry." "  Would you ladies excuse us, please?" "  Yes." " I got some new music for you." "  How are you today?" "  Fine." " You don't seem the same." " You come here every day." " It's remarkable." " What's so remarkable about it?" "  I love you." "  Oh, I know." " And I'm honored by that and moved." " What's wrong with you today?" " I want to ask you a question." " We make cute little jokes about nurses and hints of sex you know?" " Now, obviously, I haven't slept with anyone for over six months." " Have you?" " No." " Why not?" " Not interested in other men." " I love you." " Without self-pity, I am no longer someone to love." " I am an object that has to be taken care of for the rest of his life." "  I don't know why you're doing this." "  I have to be on a dialysis machine four hours a day." "  None of that matters to me." " Matters to me." " Pat, I know you love me and when I was Ken Harrison, I loved you but that was a long time ago." " At least six months and one spine ago." " I am not the man that loved you." " Now, you have been loyal and you have been loving and you have been self-sacrificing." " I don't want any part of it anymore and I want you to walk out of here and not come back." "  Hey." "  I just want you to find a new life." " Find a man and get married and have babies." " What am I to do?" " Go to the Salvation Army?" " Patty, if you were laying here and I was standing where you are I'd leave you flat." " You would, would you?" " I may still love you, but I'd leave you." " Well, you have got a lot of balls to lie there and make decisions without me about our future." " Everything we've ever done together everything we've had together, or been to each other everything you've given me that's part of me now, and I won't give it back." " I can't give it back." " Do you know that every time that you walk into this room you remind me of the way things were?" " Every time I look at you I see what I cannot do and what I will never do again." " And I can't stand it." " I know you love me, Patty." " But if you don't wanna torture me, you'll go now, please." " Don't do that." " You know, I always say that if a man can't use his hands he's got to be a real dumb son of a bitch to cry, you know?" " I mean, it's just another way of getting your gown wet, man." " I'm all right now, John." " Thank you." " Well, I didn't do nothing except save meself the trouble of carrying a wet gown all the way to the laundry." " Dr. Greenberg, please call Physical Therapy." " Dr. Greenberg, please call Physical Therapy." " Stop it." " Don't do that." "  I can't help meself, me dear." "  Oh, God." " Now I have to get these instruments sterilized again." " Don't say things like that." " Just the thought of it makes me crazy, you know." " Everything to you here is a big joke, isn't it?" " Can't take a place like this too serious, you know." " I mean, one floor people dying of poison air and water the next floor, ladies having belly tucks." " Clean shit." " Well, look what they've done for Mr. Harrison." " Yeah, and how much does it cost to keep him alive?" "  Thousands of dollars a week." "  That's not the point." " Well, the point is, in Africa people die of the measles, you know, little babies even." " Only cost a few pennies to keep them alive now." " There's got to be something crazy somewhere." "  Well, that's wrong too." "  Check." " So how about going out with me tonight?" " We could discuss it some more." "  I don't think..." " Come on." " We could get something to eat." " Later, my band is rehearsing." " It would be fun." " We're sounding good." " I have an anatomy final." " It's a real killer." " Anatomy, is it?" " Well, your problems are over, you lucky girl." " You see, I'm an expert on anatomy." " I could come over and show you the hard parts." "  Yeah, I'll bet you could." "  John." "  Are you out of work?" "  This man in this place?" " Never." " I was about to start scrubbing the ceilings don't you know?" " Miss Sadler, your job is to lower the temperature of the patients not raise the hopes of the orderlies." " Yes, ma'am." "  So who's my blind date?" "  Hey, it's a real nice lady, man." "  Don't tell me, she's lots of fun." "  It's Mrs. Boyle." " Mrs. Boyle?" "  Yeah." "  Do I have to see her?" " Well, Dr. Emerson asked her to stop by, you know." " Well, then I will see her." " If I refuse he'll dissolve her in water and inject her into me." " Excuse me." "  Mr. Harrison." "  I used to be." "  Kate Boyle." " John." "  Come to cheer me up?" "  I wouldn't quite say that." "  No?" " Would you like to go over to that corner?" "  Sure." "  John?" " Anything you say." "  How's it going, Ken?" "  Pretty good." " Stick around." " This lady's gonna cheer us up." " We could use that around here." " She's gonna saw us in half or do a belly dance." " Not exactly." "  Well, if that's not what you do..." " If you need me, I'll be over there." "... what exactly do you do, Mrs. Boyle?" "  Come to see if I can help you." "  Really?" " There is a rumor going around that you don't want any more treatment." "  Good." "  Why good?" " Because I didn't think anyone around here heard me." " I heard you, and that is why I want to know why you don't want any more treatment." " Because I don't want to go on living like this." " Why not?" " I mean, it's a lousy break but you'll be surprised at the things you'll be able to do with training and a little patience." "  Such as?" " You're gonna be able to operate a reading machine and I think, an adapted typewriter, maybe even a calculator." " Gee and wow." " The three R's." " Doesn't exactly make for an abundant life, does it?" " Do you realize that Monet was almost blind when he painted the Water Lilies?" " And that Renoir's hands were so crippled, they had to tie brushes for him to paint?" "  And that...?" "  No, no, no." " Don't go on, please." " Please don't go on." " I know, you're going to read to me from the Reader's Digest "My Most Unforgettable Lame. "" " You're an artist." " Sculpting isn't the only art." " Have you ever thought about dictating into a tape recorder?" " You could write a book about sculpture, a novel, poetry." " Wait a minute." " Wait a minute." " Do you think you change your art like you switch your major in college?" " I'm a sculptor." " My whole being, my entire imagination speaks to me through..." "Spoke to me through my fingers." " I was a sculptor." " And that was what my life was all about." " Now, you people seem to think that it's about survival, no matter what." " Now, if I'd wanted to write a goddamn novel, I would've done it." " If I'd wanted to dictate poetry, I would've done that." " How do you know you won't wanna do that unless you try?" " Because trying isn't important." " The work is important." " The work." " And not the credit and not the..." "The reward." " And it is the work that I will never do again." " How do you know you won't find new work?" " Look, just give it a chance." " Let me bring the reading machine tomorrow." " One try." " You might surprise yourself." " Are there many books for that machine?" " Yeah." " Quite a few." " You think I could make a request for the first one?" " Anything." " How about  Sculpting With No Hands, Self-Taught?" " Okay." " You win." " I can see that you are not ready for this discussion so I will just come back when you are." " You know, you are amazing, you know?" " All you goddamn people are the same." " Every single time that I say something even a little bit awkward you just pretend I haven't said anything at all." " It's amazing." " Why can't you try to relate to your patients like human beings?" " You know what's happening?" " You're getting very angry." "  I can understand your anger..." " Oh, Jesus." " You're doing it again." " Just listen to yourself." " I've just said something offensive about you and you have turned your professional cheek." " If you were a human being or if you were treating me like a human being you would've told me to screw off." " Now, can you understand that is why I don't wanna go on living?" " And I am more convinced of that now after your visit, than I was before." " How do you like them apples?" " The very exercise of your so-called professionalism makes me want to die." " What's happening?" "  I can't breathe." "  Okay, what's wrong?" " Just go away, please." " John." "  I'm sorry." " I'm sorry." " Please, just relax." "  John." " Is there a nurse?" " Is there a nurse, please?" " I'm sorry." " Is there a nurse here, please?" " Relax." " Watch out, Mrs. Boyle." " Let the nurse take care of it." " It happens all the time." " Watch out!" " Relax, man." " Relax your body." " Get the hell out of the way!" " Back!" " Nurse Rodriguez!" " Nurse Rodriguez, he can't breathe now!" "  Call Dr. Scott." "  He can't breathe, man!" " You'll be all right, John." "  Open your mouth." "  All right." "  Come on." " Come on." "  Jesus Christ, fix him now." " Hold him, John." " Hold him." "  Hold your head." "  Hold him." " Breathe in." " Breathe in." "  Just take it in." "  Okay, just relax." " Relax." "  He's gonna be all right, yeah?" "  Relax." " Okay, yeah." " He'll be all right." "  He's going to be all right." " Okay." "  Okay." " Feel okay?" " Yeah?" " Yeah." " Yeah, he feels okay." " Just get him on the bed." " Hey, man's in bed with his wife, you know." " Turns to the lady and says:" ""Why don't you never let me know when you're having an orgasm?"" " She looks over at him and says:" ""Darling, it's because you're never there. "" " Two, three." "  I think you got a smile, John." "  Yeah." "  You got a smile." " I hear a laugh." " " It's because you're never there. "" "  One and..." " Yeah." " Yeah." " All right." " This hospital will kill no quad before its time." " I called Mr. Hill." " He said he'd be here tomorrow." " Didn't know exactly when." " Well, I'll be in all day." " Is everything okay in here?" "  This must be Grand Central Station." "  Is there any obstruction?" " No, just a spasm." " He'll be fine." "  Hello there." "  Hi." " Is your breathing okay now?" " What was all the fuss about?" " I had a run-in with Mrs. Boyle." " I know I should've just smiled and nodded." " The last thing I wanna do is to get Emerson down here again with his pharmaceutical nightstick." " Yeah." " I'm sorry about that." " Well, I don't suppose it was your fault." "  I'll be on the floor if you need me." "  All right." " Thanks." " Mr. Harrison do you think perhaps I could give you some advice?" " Why don't you take the pills?" " The dose is so small, it's like taking nothing." " They're not gonna dull your consciousness, not like the injection will." " You have beautiful breasts." "  What did you say?" "  I said, you have beautiful breasts." " What an odd thing to say." " Why?" " I know you're a doctor, but you're not gonna tell me that you only regard them as mammary glands." "  No." " I know." "  You're perfectly safe." " I'm not gonna jump out of bed and rape you." "  Yeah." "  Did I embarrass you?" " No, you didn't embarrass me." "  You just surprised me a little bit." "  And embarrassed you." "  Yeah, just a little." "  Why?" " I admit it's unusual for a man to compliment a woman on her breasts when only one of them is in bed." " One of the people, that is." "  Not one of the breasts." " No." "  Not one of...?" " That...?" " It's not the reason, is it?" " Look, I..." "I don't really think this is helping you to talk like this, do you?" " Because I can't do anything about it, you mean." " Well, yeah." " Right." " You know, I've noticed you walking around this room bending over me, examining my body." " It's amazing." " It's amazing how relaxed a woman can be when she's not in the presence of a man." " Yeah." " Look, I'm sorry." " I mean, I'm sorry if I have provoked you in any way because, believe me, it was not intentional." " No, no." " You haven't provoked me, as you call it." " But you are a woman." " And even though I only have a piece of knotted string between my legs I still have a man's mind." " Now, the other things I've noticed is that I now engage in sexual banter with young nurses." " I'm constantly searching for the double-entendre in the most innocent of remarks." " Every time they leave the room, I just go cold with embarrassment." "  Is that disgusting?" "  No." "  Pathetic?" "  It's sad." " I'm serious, you know, about wanting to die." " Ken, come on." " Believe me, you'll get over this feeling." "  How do you know?" "  I know from experience from watching other patients who are worse off than you are who go through the same thing." "  We all respond the same?" " We vegetables?" " It's probably very difficult for you to know what you want right now." " Well, Dr. Scott, I do, with a free and working mind and it is your moral obligation to accept my decision." " No." " Wait a minute." " Not according to my morals." " Why?" " Why are yours better than mine?" " I'll tell you why." " Because you're more powerful than me." " I am in your power." " Well, I think you should try to get some sleep now." " You've had a tough day." " I'm afraid I have to get going." " I was just in the middle of another patient." " Oh, I thought you were just passing through." "  Dr. Scott." "  Yeah." " You still have beautiful breasts." " Well, thank you." " That's it." " That's it." " Let's go." " Come on." " Good." " Way to fire it." " Playmaker, let's go." " All right, good." " That's in, that's in, that's in." " Mr. Hill." "  How are you?" "  Oh, I'm better." " I had a terrible cold last week." " I was, you know, flat on my back for..." "You know, I couldn't move..." "You know, those guys are very good, just like a real team." " No, their dribbling sucks." " Well, I've got all the papers here, and..." "I don't wanna talk about the accident." " I can understand that, Mr. Harrison, but I'm afraid that we really must." " No, no, no, I don't wanna..." "I didn't ask you to come here because of the insurance claim." " Mr. Hill, do you think you could wheel me over to that table?" " Thank you." " You have to undo the brake under my right elbow." " Okay." " Let me ask you a question." " You don't work exclusively for the insurance company, do you?" " No." " I'm with a..." "A small firm." " So there's no reason why you couldn't represent me independently?" " No." " Is this all right?" "  That's just fine." " Thank you." "  All right." " I'd like you to do something for me, if possible." " All right." " I'd like you to get me the hell out of here." " Well, I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean." " It's really very simple." " I'd like to be discharged from this hospital." "  To another hospital?" "  No." " Well, they wouldn't keep you here any longer than necessary." " You wouldn't think so, would you?" " Mr. Hill, I can't exist outside this hospital." " They have to keep me here in order to keep me alive." " And they do seem rather intent upon doing just that." " But I have decided that I do not wish to go on living like this and so I would like to be discharged so that I could die." " And you want me to represent you?" " Tough luck." " Astonishing request." " My sculpture isn't very orthodox either." " You mean, just lie there somewhere and die?" "  And die, yes." "  Well, what's the hospital say?" "  They don't know about it yet." " But do you realize what you're asking me...?" " I do realize that I am not asking you to make any decision concerning my life and death." " I am only asking you to represent my position to this hospital." " Now, lawyers, as a matter of course represent criminals who they know to be guilty, don't they?" " Yeah." " So don't you think I have the same rights as any ax murderer?" " Mary Jo!" " Wait!" " She's such a lovely girl, you know." " We'll go for a little extra ride, Mr. Forman." " I'm going to Gynecology." " Gynecology." " He'll love it." " Where are you going?" " Now, why won't you go out with me?" " Oh, God." " I can't." " You know, negative thinking never got nobody nowhere." " Oh, yeah?" " Well, I'm busy." " Besides, I hardly know you." " Right." " That's why I think we ought to go out, you know." "  Oh, yeah?" "  Yeah." "  Well, ask me next week." "  Next week?" " Yeah." " After exams, okay?" " Okay, it's a deal." " And I'll ask you this afternoon as well." " Now, wasn't that fun?" " You want me to kill my patient?" " No." " I'm simply presenting Mr. Harrison's wishes in the matter." "  Would you sign this, please?" " But you do represent Harrison in this matter?" " No, I told him I had to talk to you before I made that decision." " Releasing Harrison to anything but a full-service hospital is tantamount to murder." "  No, murder's a legal term." " Murder's a legal term, doctor." " I'm merely representing my client's needs and wishes if I choose to represent him." "  You believe in capital punishment." "  Oh, come on." "  That's what you're recommending here." "  No, I'm not." " I'm not recommending anything yet." " Yet?" " Look, Mr. Hill." " We've spent six months and a lot of money trying to save this man's life." " Good morning." " We're not gonna throw that down the drain." " That is not the issue, doctor." " We're talking about a man's right to determine his life not the quality or expense of your treatment." " Mr. Harrison would like to be discharged from this hospital." "  Will you do that?" "  No." " Why not?" " Because it's my sworn duty to preserve life, not to destroy it." " I'm not gonna let this man die through any legal chicanery." "  He is a voluntary patient here." "  This interview is at an end." " I do not see any legal basis for you to hold him here against his wishes." " Just try to understand one thing." " Mr. Harrison is not capable of making any rational decision about his life or his death." " He's in a state of depression and using his situation for your personal gain is the lowest form of banality." " In your opinion, then, Mr. Harrison is mentally unbalanced?" "  Correct." "  In my opinion he is not." " Jesus Christ!" " You're not a doctor." " Well, would you object to my bringing in a qualified psychiatrist who would examine Mr. Harrison?" " We have several on staff who would be happy to examine Mr. Harrison." " I'm sure you'll understand if I ask my own psychiatrist whose opinion you are not so sure of in advance." " Goodbye, Mr. Hill." " Well, thank you for your time, doctor." " Four, five..." "You weren't in the SS when you were a kid, were you, Michael?" "  Come on, you're doing great." "  I'm doing great." "  Come on." "  There we go." "  Gently, gently, gently." "  Hello." "  Hello again." "  Hello, hello, hello." "  Hey, did you find anything out?" "  Quite a bit." " See if you can find Dr. Jacobs." " Ask him to call me." " And get me the hospital administrator, stat." " Dr. Emerson does not feel that you are in a healthy enough mental state to make a rational decision, especially one of this seriousness and finality." " Now, I'm not qualified to decide whether or not he's right." " Well, what will help you decide?" " I'd like to have you examined by an independent psychiatrist..." " That's fine." "  I will accept his view of the case." "  Fine." " Has Emerson agreed?" "  Yes." " He already has." " That's great." " That's a good beginning." " Probably, he'll want the hospital psychiatrist to examine you too." " I imagine you'll end up with two conflicting views." " I would imagine so." "  And where would that lead us, exactly?" "  Well, that's hard to say." " Emerson was very adamant." " He'll probably use the Mental Hygiene Law." " Now, that means that if he can get two psychiatrists to sign statements saying you're mentally unbalanced he can commit you here and give you any treatment he wants." " Can he do that?" " And I have no say in that?" " Some." " You can then request a hearing and see how it goes from there." " Well, let's get this show on the road, okay?" " Let's wheel in your shrink, all right?" " Dr. Jacobs, please call extension three." " Now, are you going to represent me?" " I don't know." " I'd like to get the shrink in here first." " I'll be in touch." " Okay." " Well, call him 11:00 on Wednesday." "  Oh, Sandy, thanks for sparing the time." "  Never too busy." " How do you feel?" " You want a cup of coffee?" " No, thanks." " Just keeps my heartburn awake." " Who's your problem?" " I have a 32-year-old man." " Auto accident, severe trauma C4 transect, nephrectomy, dialysis, usual C4 comps." " He wants to be discharged, to go off dialysis to go home and die." " Would he?" " Without dialysis he'd be dead in a week." " I gave him steroids, I balanced his electrolytes I stabilized his dialysis." " We just about have a viable human being again." " Clare." " Sandy Jacobs, Clare Scott." "  Good to see you, Sandy." "  You too." " I was just telling Dr. Jacobs about Ken Harrison." "  What about him?" "  He's got a lawyer." " Threatens to sue unless we discharge him." " If I'm gonna keep him alive we'll have to commit him under Mental Health." " Okay, even if I agree, you're still gonna need another consult." " That's no problem, is it?" " Depends if he's clinically depressed, right?" " Look, if I walk in, he says, "Hey, I'm a teapot," you're in." " Depressed?" " What the hell do you mean?" " He's suicidal." " I can name several prominent psychiatrists who wouldn't accept suicide as evidence of insanity." " And I can name several prominent psychiatrists who in themselves are evidence of insanity." " I'll accept that." " Okay, I will talk to your suicide for you." " Good." " And do me a favor for the second signature." " Try to find an old bastard like me who believes in something better than suicide." " I will..." "Listen, there is an old bastard at St. Joseph's." " Staunch Catholic." " Thanks, Sandy." " I appreciate it." " So will Harrison when he realizes." " Right." " Doctor." " So you're committing Ken Harrison as mentally incompetent?" " I don't believe this, Michael." "  I know it stinks." "  Yeah." " But he'd be dead in a week if we don't." " I don't understand this." " Wait a minute." " Where do we get the right to commit him?" " Isn't this his decision?" "  Aren't we talking about his life here?" "  But goddamn it, it's our responsibility." " Now, I can't accept the fact that a man of Harrison's intelligence would choose suicide." " I know what you mean, Michael, but apparently he has." " Therefore, I say he's unbalanced." " Just because we don't agree with his choice, doesn't make him crazy, does it?" " I mean, look at him." " Does he look crazy to you, Michael?" " Look at him lying there." " Come on." " I mean, Christ, he's got no privacy at all, he's got no sense of dignity." " I'll tell you, if that happened to me, I don't know if I'd have the courage to live." " How about you?" " Can you stop playing doctor for one second and tell me would you wanna live like that?" "  Don't give me that right-to-die routine." "  We're doctors." " We're committed to life." "  Don't lecture me, all right?" " When a patient is brought here in his condition I don't stand around wondering whether his life is worthwhile." " I don't have time for that." " I try to save it." "  I'm a physician, not a judge." "  Interesting." " You're behaving like a judge." " Clare." " Clare." " I'm sure it's not necessary for me to say this but if Harrison should suddenly sour and die on us I'll order an autopsy and I'll act on whatever's found." " You fucker." " Here we go, off to dialysis." " Oh, dialysis." " Why don't we go to a bar?" " Skip the damn dialysis." " Hey, come on, now." " Come on, man." " You know I can't do that." " I need this job." " This job's gonna pay for me xylophone, you know?" "  Yeah?" "  Band sounds good, you know." " We can make a record even." "  Oh, yeah?" "  Yeah." " Listen:" "Hello, baby." " Hello, old man." " Old man?" " Good morning, Roberta." " Lissa, anybody ever tell you that you are absolutely gorgeous?" " Got your hair cut, didn't you?" " I'm not gorgeous." " I have a mirror." " And?" " I'm not gorgeous." " Mirrors speak with forked tongue." " Harrison speaks the truth." "  Guess what." "  What?" " I'm being cut down to once a week." " You're kidding." " That's great!" " Oh, Lissa, that's fabulous." "  You know what that means, don't you?" "  What?" " That means that soon you're gonna be cut down to once every two weeks." " And then you'll be cut down to once every none weeks." " God." " You got a hell of a life ahead of you, kid." " Well, you get better, Ken." " Oh, I am." " I will." " I have to." " I signed to play shortstop with the Red Sox this spring." " Fantastic." " Actually, I signed to wear red socks for the shortstops." " Actually, I'm dating a shortstop who was wearing red socks." "  Bye, Ken." " See you." "  I have to stop red mark on my socks." " And I got my red socks." "" Bye, Ken. "" " Lissa, you ever been to a disco?" " See you, Lissa." " Mr. Harrison." " The very same." " I'm Sandy Jacobs." " You're a psychiatrist." " Does it show?" " Thank you, nurse." " I'll watch him now." "  Okay." " I'll see you." " I'll be outside." "  Thank you, Roberta." " You for me or against me?" " Oh, did that sound like paranoia?" " You would hardly expect me to make an instant diagnosis." " Well, did Dr. Emerson send you?" " Would you describe yourself as suffering from paranoia?" " Nope." " What would you say paranoia was?" " Well, I think it would depend on the person, myself but generally speaking, I think it's someone who believes that what they think is right and will brook no denial." " Now, if this person were a sculptor we would, indeed, diagnose this condition as paranoia." " Lf, however, the person were a doctor, we would call it professionalism." " You don't like doctors." " You like your patients?" " Some." " I like some doctors." " What is it about doctors, then?" " Oh, I..." "I don't think many of them realize that many of their patients can and want to understand what's wrong with them and they're capable of making decisions about their own bodies." " And what they need, of course, is information." " Well, a doctor doles out information like a kosher butcher doles out pork sausages." " That's true, but wouldn't you agree patients need medical knowledge in order to make good decisions?" "  Absolutely." " I would be very grateful for any information so that I might make the proper decision." " It would, however, be my decision." " Now, let's just say, for example that you came into my studio and you took a look at my pieces and you said:" ""Well, I think I'll take the mother and child," and I said, "No, no, no." " You don't know a damn thing about sculpting." " You get the flamingo. "" " You'd think I was nuts." " But we are not talking about a piece of sculpture." " We're talking about your life." " That's right." " That's exactly right." " My life." " Think about it." " And your obvious intelligence weakens your case." " I'm not saying that you would find life easy." " I'm saying that you have resources an unintelligent person doesn't have." " No, no, no." " Wait a minute." " That's not fair." " That's Catch-22." " If you're clever enough and sane enough to put forth an invincible argument for suicide that demonstrates that you ought not to die?" " You know, you've got a nasty little tidiness compulsion there." " I was an only child." " But enough of me." " Well, what about your parents?" " Are they living?" " No." " No." " I have no living relatives, which really isn't bad considering birthdays and Christmas." " You know, presents?" " After all, how many hats can you wear?" " Listen, I'd like to do some tests." " Tests?" " What kind of tests?" " I'll tell you right now, my time in the 100-yard dash is rotten." " And I'd like to confer with Dr. Emerson." " Confer." " That's when two doctors support each other's mistakes, right?" "  You seem very angry." "  No shit." " What are you gonna do?" " Put me down as being in the manic phase of a manic-depressive cycle?" " No, I certainly would not do that, Mr. Harrison." " Your lawyer, Mr. Hill, asked me to see you." "  Lf anything, I'm on your team." "  My team?" " Dr. Barrows, do you understand the trap that I am in?" " Can anyone prove that they're sane?" " Could you?" " I'll come and see you another time." " No, you will not come and see me because each time you see me the more I will get angry and frustrated and depressed." " Please just leave me alone!" " Hello?" " Pat?" " Anybody here?" " Oh, God." " Hello?" "  Hi." "  Hi." "  Sorry I couldn't meet you." "  That's okay." " I rehearse and study and perform, and take care of the studio and arrange Ken's business affairs." " His work's gone up a lot." "  Did you get a look around?" "  Oh, yeah, I did." " It's pretty amazing." " He has an incredible talent." " Yes." " He had." " Here's your key." " Thank you." " The place is really great." "  I'm gonna have to close it up." "  Really?" " Turn Ken's work over to a gallery." " They're just better equipped to take care of it." " I wanna thank you for agreeing to this meeting." " You'll have to excuse my rush." " I'm late." " I have a date." " Well, just go ahead." " I'll just take a couple minutes." " Pat, I could really use your advice." " I'm looking for some possible way to help out Ken Harrison." " Some way to get through to him." " You mean, the late Ken Harrison." "  What do you mean?" " I mean, he's not..." " Yes, he is." " He may not be to you, but he is to me and to himself." " Understand me, doctor." " I loved the late Ken Harrison." "  And I grieve for his death but..." " I'm sorry." " I don't understand this." " I can't believe you're just giving up on him like this." " Giving him up?" " Ken Harrison is gone, doctor." " You wanna see Ken?" " Look around you." "  Take a better look." "  Yes, I know." " He's..." "He's special." " That's why we've gotta find a way to change his mind." " Look, Pat, I know that if we can just get him to wait a couple of months..." "Dr. Scott." " I respect Ken's wishes because I respect Ken." " Why can't you do that?" " Why don't you respect him?" " I do." " Then just let him do what he wants to do." " Let him go." " Wake up, bimbo, it's feeding time." " I can't wait." "  Dinner is served..." " Oh, not leftover Thanksgiving." "  Chicken." "  Oh, how creative." " Chicken instead of turkey, I see." " Why are there no bunny rabbits on my bib?" " I want bunny rabbits on my bib." "  I want bunny rabbits..." " Shut up." " Eat." " You eat." " Be a good boy." " Oh, great." " I'm eating the drumstick and you're licking your fingers." "  You must be starving." "  I'm..." "Why don't you eat the drumstick and I will lick your fingers?" " How about the peas?" " Wanna try the peas?" " I hate peas." " They're all clones." " No, I'm not ready for the peas." " I'm not ready..." " Come on." "  Wasn't totally ready for the peas." " Come on, don't be gross." " I want you to make a circle with your thumb and your forefinger." " My thumb and my forefinger." " Like that." " Oh, I know what you're gonna do..." " Bull's-eye." "  Right on the mark, baby." " Here, I'll put the peas back in where they came from." " Watch out." " I'm a quadriplegic, you can't hit me." " Yes, you can." " Yes, you can." " I think the evidence is against me." " But I don't think that we're talking about euthanasia." " Well, I'm sorry, because I think we are." " Well, what would you think if by a sudden miracle Ken gained the use of his arms for 30 seconds and swallowed a bottle full of sleeping pills?" " What would your reaction be?" " Look, I told you I'm a doctor and I have a responsibility to my patient." "  Yeah..." "No." "  Okay?" " You, as you." " You mean, how I would really feel about that?" " I don't know." " I guess..." "I guess a part of me might be a little relieved, why?" " Would you try to save his life?" " With stomach pumps and all that?" " I..." "I don't think I would." " Great." " So we're not adversaries." " No." " Well, so I've got a bottle of Rémy at my place waiting for two non-adversaries to open." "  No, thank you." "  It's very close." " No, it would be..." "A nightcap after a good dinner." " No." " Thanks very much but I gotta..." "I gotta go." " Oh, it couldn't possibly be two hours..." "I thought I'd change your position early." " I didn't expect to see you here tonight." " Yeah, I had some work to finish up in the office." "  You look real nice." "  Well, thank you." "  You been out?" "  Yeah, I went out to dinner." " Good company?" " You're fishing." " You're right." " Actually, yes, it was very good company." " I had dinner with your lawyer, Carter Hill." " Well, well, well." " The horny little bugger." "  Didn't take him long." "  It was just a dinner." " I know I asked him to represent me but this is ridiculous." " It was just a dinner." " Did my surrogate self behave myself?" " Yes, you were a perfect gentleman." " I want you to get another surrogate." " Could you, please?" " Why?" " Do you really mind?" " No." " Ken, I might've done something that you're not gonna be real thrilled about." " Something bad." "  Man." "  Yeah." " This I gotta hear." " Well, I went to your studio." " You went to my studio?" " What for?" " I don't know." " I guess because I wanted to know more about you." " Know more about me?" " No woman had ever examined me so thoroughly." " I'm really glad I got a chance to see your work." " I think you're..." "Well, you're okay." "  You're good." "  Thank you." " So I was just thinking maybe you'd wanna have a couple of pieces here." "  Well, look, I'll make you a deal." "  What?" " You can take any pieces that you like free of charge." " What do you say?" " You know, I'm very glad you just said that because I just happen to have here with me one of your pieces." " An art thief on top of it all." " Yeah." " It's just so amazing." "  You do have excellent taste." "  Well, thank you." " And it happens to be my favorite piece in the studio." "  I think it's the best thing in the studio." "  It's beautiful." " It's by Michelangelo." " What?" " This..." "It's a realization from the Sistine Chapel." "  You see, God, who gives life to man..." " Oh, shit." " This is Michelangelo." " Well, it's obvious." " Is my face a little red right now?" "  Look, I'm sorry." "  Don't be sorry." " Really." " Don't be sorry." " Actually, come to think of it I wouldn't mind looking at that now and again." " Ken, I'm..." "I'm getting this very strange feeling that you're really enjoying all this." " I'll tell you something, Clare this is the first time in months that I've begun to feel like a human being again." " And isn't that the whole point, Ken?" " I mean, isn't that what all this is about?" " I'm sorry, I just can't believe you're really fighting for death." " I just don't buy that." " You're right, in that I had to be sure that I really wanted to win what I was fighting for, you know." " That I wasn't just doing it in order to prove to myself that I was still alive." " And are you sure?" " Oh, yeah." " Yeah." " Yeah." " Clare, could you fix these pillows for me?" " Sure." " Clare?" " Clare." " Life for me is over." " I cannot do the things I wanna do." " I can't even say the things I wanna say." " So for me it might as well be over." " You do understand that, don't you?" " Yeah." "  So..." " So tomorrow, on with the fight." "  Right." " On with the fight." "  Good night." "  Good night." " Clare?" " You driving home?" "  Yeah." "  Use your seat belts." " Good night." " Good night." "  I'm gonna lose my job." "  You're not gonna lose your job, baby." " Not for doing something like this." " Hey, come on." " Cool it." " Be quiet, we're almost there." " Okay, now." "  You got to be ready, now." "  Yeah, okay." "  Okay." "  Okay." " Let's go." " What are you doing?" "  You're not supposed to be on duty tonight." "  There's duty and there's duty." "  What are you doing?" "  Hey." " Keep that blabber shut closed, okay?" "  Where are you going?" "  Dialysis." "  Hi, Ken." " How you doing?" "  Pretty good." "  But where are you...?" "  Dialysis." " Now that I know we're not going to dialysis, where...?" " Hey." " For one time in your life, man, shut up." "  What took so long?" "  I came as fast as I could." " Now, shut up, woman." " One, two..." "One, two, three, four!" " Shake, shake." " Shake, shake, shake." " Shake, shake, shake." " Hey, man." " Yeah, we was jamming, man." " Hey, Ken, I want you to meet the members of the Rebel Rockers, man." "  Here on keyboards is G.T., man." "  Hey." "  We got Red Locks here." "  How you doing?" " Right there, man, Teodoro." " And toking on some ganja, Rossan, right here." " Herbal inspiration." " Is that an illicit narcotic I see?" "  No, this is herbal." "  Herbal, schmerbal." "  Get it over here." "  On the steel drums there, man is Michael, you know." "  What about Sonora?" " Sonora?" " Check it." " One love." "  I think he like that, man." "  Hey, John." "  I think he like it, now." "  John, wait." "  Play that song you did last night." "  All the rockers, you want to rock, man?" " Yo." " Hey." " One, two..." "One, two, three, four!" " Stop." " Wait, everybody stop." " Listen, stop, somebody's coming." " Stop." "  Stop it." " Somebody's coming." "  Somebody's coming." " Forget the doobie and get the microphone, man." " Hurry, man." " Hurry, now." " Get the ganja, man." " Get the ganja." "  Come on back." " Let's go." "  Hurry it up." " Get the door." "  Oh, shit, man." " I forgot my cymbals." "  Okay." " What is?" " What the hell is going on here?" " Who are you?" " What are you doing here?" " Isn't this dialysis?" " Okay, one, two, three." "  All the way over." "  Come on." " Rodriguez." " Rodriguez, my beloved saint." " Couldn't you spare me three or four thousand aspirin, please?" "  How about one Tylenol?" "  How about two Tylenol?" " I got my lawyer coming this morning." " So, what were you doing in the basement?" " I was on my way to dialysis." " Your breath smells like my whole neighborhood." " Who is that?" " Who is that?" " It couldn't be a doctor." " They all wear Italian loafers and silk socks." " Carter Hill." " The man who sues, eats, and chases girls for me." "  How you doing?" "  Oh, I'm all right." "  How are you feeling this morning?" "  Just wonderful." " Okay." " Back over." " Turn him slowly." " He gets dizzy because of lack of circulation." " Yeah, I don't get to circulate very much anymore." " So, what's your decision?" " So, how are you feeling this morning, Mr. Harrison?" " You slept well last night, did you?" " Like I got hit in the head by a spade." " Oh, cute, man, cute, for a cripple." " I'm..." "I'm going to represent you." "  All right." "  When is the hearing?" " Why?" "  I haven't applied for it yet." "  Two reason..." "Excuse me." "  Sadler, get the Tylenol, please?" "  Why not?" "  Two reasons." " Commitment judges usually find for the hospital and I..." "I think I have something better." " Really?" " That sounds interesting." " Miss Rodriguez." " Could it be that Dr. Emerson suggested to you that you hang around while my attorney was here?" " I'm just here in case you get excited or something." " Rodriguez, it's you that excites me." " Where are you going?" " Get away from there, you slut." " You Puerto Rican flesh pudding, I love you." " Thought I was gonna get lucky there for a second." " So, what's better?" " I wanna go for a writ of habeas corpus." " Habeas corpus?" " I thought that had to do with criminals." " Usually it does." " It is against the law to deprive anyone of his liberty without due process." " And if that happens, he can apply for a writ of habeas corpus which means, "give us the body. "" " That's right on the nose, in my case." " And if sufficient cause can't be established to detain the individual the judge will order him released." "  How long will this take?" "  Not long." " A couple of days." "  And will I have to go to court?" "  I doubt it." " I would think that any judge would allow the hearing to take place right here." " Well, well, well." " All's well that ends." " Well, I'm off to find the judge." " See you soon." " Be an unusual case for you, won't it?" " Making a plea for your client's death?" " Look, I'll be honest with you." " This is a case I could bear to lose." " Well, if you do, it's a life sentence for me." " You're new, aren't you?" " Yup." "  What's your name?" "  Stella." " Stella?" " Well, Stella, you're very kind." " Most of the nurses just yank you around till they wake you up and then they disappear for about two hours." " You're trying to be released, aren't you?" " Be taken off your medication?" " Everybody knows about it, huh?" " Oh, yeah." " Sure." " Aren't you afraid?" " Yeah." "  This what you wanted, now?" "  Oh, yes." " If you'll put it behind this desk." " Don't I get a special breakfast or anything?" " Not for some miserable jive-ass moaning on about wanting to die." "  Good luck." "  Thank you." " Hey." " Aren't you gonna wish me luck?" " No." " Hey, I wish you luck." " Judge Wyler." " Thank you." " Please sit down." " This is an informal hearing, which I'd like to keep as brief as possible." " Mr. Kenneth Harrison?" " Yes, Your Honor?" " Mr. Harrison, I've decided in consultation with Mr. Eden and Mr. Hill not to subject you to examination and cross-examination." "  Your Honor, there may be things I want to..." " Mr. Harrison, if I have any doubts I'll question you myself." " Dr. Emerson, we'll start with you." "  Will you take the oath, please?" " Mr. Eden?" "  Thank you." " Raise your right hand." " Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth the whole truth, nothing but the truth?" "  I do." " Be seated." " Dr. Emerson, what is your position here?" " I'm chief of medical services." " Would you give the court a medical history of the treatment Mr. Harrison has received here?" " Following an automobile accident on the evening of April 27th of this year Mr. Harrison was admitted to this hospital in shock and suffering from a fractured left tibia, fractured right tibia and fibula fractured pelvis." " Four fractured ribs, one of which punctured the right lung." " A dislocated fourth cervical vertebrae, which crushed the spinal cord." " He suffered internal damage to the spleen and kidney for which we performed a splenectomy and double nephrectomies." " He remained unconscious for 30 hours." " As a result of treatment here all the bones and ruptured tissue have healed with the exception of the spinal cord." " That, together with the mental trauma, are all that remain of the initial injury." " Will there be an improvement in the spinal cord?" " No." "  Kidney function?" "  I regret not." " And the mental trauma?" " It's impossible to violate the body to the extent of Mr. Harrison's without suffering severe mental aberration, depression, even loss of reality." " In your view, is Mr. Harrison suffering from such mental aberration?" " He's depressed." " Clinically depressed?" " Yes, clinically depressed." " Thank you, doctor." " That's all." " Mr. Hill?" " Just one second, please." " Doctor, is there any way you can demonstrate this clinical depression any tests or measurements you can show us?" " No." " Then how do you distinguish clinical depression which might preclude the ability to make informed and logical decisions from a perfectly sane, justified feeling of depression as a result of existing conditions?" " By relying on my 18 years as a physician dealing with both types." "  Are you a psychiatrist, Dr. Emerson?" "  No." " Have you any degrees, credentials or have you any specialized training in psychiatry?" " No." " No further questions." "  Mr. Eden?" "  No further questions." " Thank you, doctor." " You're excused." " Dr. Robert Barrows." " Dr. Robert Barrows to the stand, please." " Dr. Barrows, what position do you hold?" " I'm the consulting psychiatrist at the Monroe State Mental Hospital." " Then you must see a large number of patients suffering from depressive illness." " Yes, I do." " All right." " You've examined Mr. Harrison?" " Well, we know that, or else why would he be here?" "  Remember the word "informal. "" "  Yes, Your Honor." " Would you say that Mr. Harrison is suffering from a depressive illness?" "  No, I would not." "  The court has heard evidence that Mr. Harrison is depressed." " Do you dispute that?" " In my opinion, he's reacting in a perfectly rational manner to a very bad situation." " No further questions." "  Mr. Eden?" "  Doctor." " Are there any objective results that you could produce that would prove that Mr. Harrison is capable?" " There are clinical symptoms of endogenous depression." " Disturbed sleep patterns, loss of appetite, lassitude, and many more." " Even if they were present, they'd be masked by Mr. Harrison's physical condition." " Then how can you be sure that this is, in fact, a reactive depression?" " By experience." " By discovering when I talked to him that he has a remarkably incisive mind and is perfectly capable of understanding his position and deciding what he wants to do about it." " Do you think he made the right decision?" " Your Honor, is this relevant?" "  No, not really." "  I'd like to answer that, if I may." " Go ahead." " No." " I think he made the wrong decision." "  Oh, shit." "  Mr. Hill." " When I said "informal," I didn't mean uncontrolled." " Now be quiet." "  I'm sorry." " I..." " Thank you, doctor." " That's all." " Dr. Jacobs, the consulting psychiatrist for the hospital, wasn't able to be here today." " I have a sworn affidavit." " He agrees with Dr. Emerson's position." "  Have it entered in the record." "  Yes, Your Honor." " Mr. Harrison, you feel like answering some questions?" " Yes, I do." " I'll try to keep them uninflammatory." "  You're too kind." "  Not at all." " No, I meant that." " I think I'd much prefer a hanging judge." " Either way I decide, I am a hanging judge." " Now, Mr. Harrison, the medical director and the consulting psychiatrist claim that you're not capable of making an informed, intelligent decision." " That's right." " They're wrong." "  What does that mean?" "  It means they're good doctors." " And they won't let a patient die if they can help it." " Do you think you're suffering from depression?" " Well, I am completely paralyzed." " I think I'd be insane if I wasn't depressed." " But wanting to die must be strong evidence that your mental state has gone beyond simple depression." "  I do not want to die." "  Then what the hell is this case all about?" " Make that read, "Then what is this case all about?"" " There was a "hell," and I think he said "shit" before, so maybe you ought to cross..." "Sorry." " I do not want to die, because as far as I am concerned, I am dead already." " I merely want the doctors to recognize that fact." " I cannot believe that this..." "This condition constitutes life in any real sense of the word." " Legally, you're alive." " I think I could challenge even that." " Any reasonable definition of the word "life" must include the idea that it be self-supporting." " Now, isn't it true that in heart transplant cases it's legal to take someone's heart if they can only be kept alive by the use of respirators and other medical hardware?" " There also has to be no brain activity at all." "  Yours is certainly working, Mr. Harrison." "  Certainly working and certainly sanely." "  That's what we're here to decide." "  Your Honor I am not asking anyone to kill me." " I'm only asking to be discharged from this hospital." "  Which will kill you." "  And that's exactly my point." " I'll spend the rest of my life in this hospital with everything in it geared just to keeping my brain alive." " And I'll never have a possibility whatsoever of being able to direct a good goddamn thing." " Now as far as I'm concerned, that's an act of deliberate cruelty." " Wouldn't it be more cruel for society to let people die when with some effort it could save them?" " No, because the cruelty is not a question of saving someone's life or letting them die." " The cruelty is that the choice is removed from the person concerned." " I would like to be able to decide what happens to my own body." " A man who is desperately depressed is not capable of making a reasonable choice." " Well, as you said, Your Honor, that is the question to be decided." " All right." " All right." " You tell me." " You tell us." " You tell me why it is a reasonable choice that you decided to die." "  All right." "  No." " All right." " All right." " The most important part of my life was my work." " And the most valuable asset I had for that was my imagination." " Now, it's just too damn bad that my mind wasn't paralyzed along with my body because my mind, which had been my most precious possession has become my enemy, and it tortures me." " It tortures me with thoughts of what might've been and what might be to come, and I can feel my mind very slowly breaking up." " Now, you take women, for example." " I used to..." "I used to love what they were and how they thought and how they smelled and..." "And now I, I dread it when they come into the room because I loathe the way they make me feel." " You know, I am filled with an absolute sense of outrage that you, who have no knowledge of me whatsoever have the power to condemn me to a life of torment because you cannot see the pain." " There's no blood, there's no screaming." " So you can't see it?" " Your Honor if you saw a mutilated animal on the side of the road, you'd shoot it." " Now, I am only asking for the same mercy that you would show that animal." " And I am not asking anyone to commit an act of violence." " Just take me somewhere and leave me." " And if you don't..." "If you don't then you come back here in five years and you see what a piece of work that you've done here today." " In hearings for a writ of habeas corpus an immediate decision is mandated but I propose to consider the issues carefully." " Therefore, I request everyone to please remain here unless a medical emergency preempts your presence." " Marjorie." " Yeah, I'm still at the hospital." " I wonder if you'd look up something for me." " A Florida decision." " About two years back." " I think it was Saikewicz." " You look up the holding and read it to me, please." " I'll hold on." " See this quarter, man?" " See the quarter, now?" " Oh, you don't see it no more, huh?" " Which hand is the quarter in now?" " Right hand." " He's gonna take the right hand." " Will everyone please return to your seats?" " There are precedents aplenty for both sides of this issue." " In re:" "Karen Ann Quinlan, the supreme court of New Jersey recognized the preservation of a personal right to privacy against bodily intrusions." " In Belchertown v. Saikewicz, the court held that the right to refuse medical treatment in appropriate circumstances extends to both competent and incompetent persons." " And the law holds that a deliberate decision to embark on an action which will eventually lead to death is not ipso facto evidence of insanity." " If it were, society would have to condemn many men to dishonorable burials rather than posthumous medals." " Yet we do have to remember Mr. Harrison's mind is affected and we must, in this case, be careful not to allow Mr. Harrison's intelligence to blind us to the fact that he may be suffering from a depressive illness which would diminish his ability to make an informed decision." " We must ignore Mr. Harrison's cogently argued plea to be allowed to die if we believe it to be the product of a disturbed or clinically depressed mind." " However I am satisfied that Mr. Harrison's a brave and thoughtful man who is in complete possession of his mental faculties and I therefore order that he be set free." " That's it, gentlemen." " Peggy, let me get that." " Hey you got your hanging judge." " I think not." " Thank you." " Thank you very much, Your Honor." " I hope so." " Thank you." "  Goodbye." "  Goodbye." " Thank you." " Where will you go?" " I'll get a room somewhere, I suppose." "  There's no need." "  Don't start it again!" " You can stay here." " We'll stop all treatment, no dialysis." " Even stop feeding if you like." " You'll be in a coma in a few days." " Dead in a week, two at most." " But you won't be alone." " There'll be very little discomfort." " No last-minute attempt at resuscitation?" " Only if you ask for it." " Thank you." " It would obviously be easier for me if I stayed." " Okay, I'll take care of that." " Why are you doing this?" " Because you might change your mind." " Oh, don't." " Please." " Better not, I think." " Okay." " Okay." " Dr. North, you are wanted in Emergency." " Dr. North, you are wanted in Emergency." " Dr. Keys, please call Dr. Fairbanks in X-Ray One." " Dr. Keys, please call Dr. Fairbanks in X-Ray One."