The following is not a novelization or an actual script but a dry transcript of the aired episode that includes accurate word-to-word dialogues, settings descriptions, action scenes and/or camera movements where the transcriber felt they were necessary. This transcript is provided by "TWIZ TV.COM - FREE TV SCRIPTS DATABASE" courtesy of Angie's Chicago Hope Homepage. "CHICAGO HOPE" and other related entities are owned, (TM) and © by DAVID E.KELLEY PRODUCTIONS PRODUCTIONS in association with 20th CENTURY FOX TELEVISION. This transcript is posted here without their permission, approval, authorization or endorsement. Any reproduction, duplication, distribution or display of this material in any form or by any means is expressly prohibited. It is absolutely forbidden to use it for commercial gain. For entertainment and educational purposes only. No infringement intended.
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TRANSCRIPT:
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INT. O.R. FOUR -- DAY

DANNY NYLAND paces frantically back and forth in the empty O.R.  After a moment, the door swings open and JEFFREY GEIGER joins him.

JEFFREY:  What's goin' on?  I get stat paged to OR Four. Where's the emergency?

DANNY:  It's not an emergency, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, but -

He hesitates.

JEFFREY:  What?

DANNY:  Georgeann Tuckman.  Remember, I called you in on a consult, myocarditis?

JEFFREY: (patiently) I remember.

DANNY:  And then we thought maybe the flu.

JEFFREY:  I didn't think the flu.  I thought it was some kind of virus she probably snagged at the CDC.

DANNY:  Yeah, well you were right, more right that you want to be. She was just diagnosed in Seattle.  Ebola Virus.

Jeffrey squeezes his eyes shut and swallows hard.

JEFFREY:  How - how contagious?

DANNY:  She was in day four when she was here.

JEFFREY: (a whisper) Oh my God. (aloud, to Danny) We - we touched her.

DANNY:  I know.  That's why I ran in here and paged you.  If we were exposed, we need to be quarantined.  This was the closest empty room I could get to.

JEFFREY:  She was exposed in Atlanta?

DANNY:  Ten days ago.  It'll be one or two days before we know whether we were exposed.

JEFFREY:  Well, day four, our hands were in her mouth.

DANNY:  With gloves.  It's airborne too.

JEFFREY:  She was breathing right in our faces.  Who else examined her?

DANNY:  Just the paramedics.  They were quarantined at Cook County.

JEFFREY:  All right.

He paces to the window and looks out of it, tapping his fingers against the sill.  When he turns back to Danny, he is all business.

JEFFREY:  First off, this place is officially sealed.  You and I are gonna spend some time together.  You play cribbage?

DANNY:  What's the progression?

JEFFREY:  Not good.  Seventy percent fatal.  It's incurable.

DANNY:  I'm sure... I'm sure we didn't contract it.

JEFFREY:  I'm sure you're right.

Jeffrey gives him a playful slap on the side of the head and goes to use the phone.  Danny sighs.

DANNY:  God...

OPENING CREDITS

INT. O.R. FOUR - DAY

Guards in bubble suits are sealing off the O.R. from the outside. Jeffrey is on the phone with PHILLIP WATTERS, who is standing on the other side of the window looking in.

PHILLIP:  I'll be back on the phone with Atlanta in 20 minutes. Meanwhile, we've set up a command post in our lab.  I don''t want you leaving this area.

JEFFREY:  Don't worry.  Do me a favor, when you talk to CDC, find out if they got any plasma from survivors, in case we need transfusions.

PHILLIP:  That's premature.

JEFFREY:  Just ask the question.  Also find out the efficacy of IV interferon.  I read once where it was tried.  And get me a cribbage board.

Phillip looks over Jeffrey's shoulder at Danny, who is still pacing nervously.

PHILLIP:  He okay?

Jeffrey looks over his shoulder at Nyland, then turns back to Phillip with a grin.

JEFFREY:  He'll live.  Maybe.

PHILLIP:  I'll be back.

They hang up.  Phillip shuts the blinds and heads down the corridor.

Jeffrey goes back to Danny.

JEFFREY:  Okay, first the bad news.  We got ourselves a beaut.  This virus wiped out entire tribes in Zaire, the Sudan... Probably came to the U.S. through a monkey.  Maybe this is my payback for killing the baboon.

DANNY:  Give me the good news?

JEFFREY:  The woman was here on day seven, not day four.  That makes her less contagious.  Also, the virus does not spread easily.  Odds we got it, low.

DANNY:  How long before we know for sure?

JEFFREY:  Couple of days.  We gotta do our own blood work.  It's too risky to bring in another doctor.  You married?

DANNY:  No.

JEFFREY:  Figures.  Girlfriend, anybody you've been sharing intimate breathing space with?  If so -

A look of panic crosses Danny's face.

DANNY:  Oh no...

JEFFREY:  Yeah.  Make the call. (He holds out the phone to Danny)  Man or woman?

Danny takes the phone and turns his back to Jeffrey, trying to dial in private.  Jeffrey cranes his neck over Danny's shoulder.

INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY

CAMILLE SHUTT is being escorted down the hall by bubble-suited guards.

INT. O.R. FOUR - CONTINUOUS

The guards shove Camille in and slam the door behind her.  She turns immediately to Danny.

CAMILLE:  What have you given me?

Jeffrey can barely contain his delight.

JEFFREY:  You slut!

CAMILLE:  What have you given me?

DANNY:  I've been exposed to a virus.

Camille takes Danny's arm and turns him away, trying to get some privacy from Jeffrey.  Jeffrey merely leans closer.

CAMILLE:  We used a condom for God's sakes, two of them.

DANNY:  It's airborne; the kissing is just as dangerous.

JEFFREY:  Well, maybe you didn't kiss.  Did you pause to?

CAMILLE:  *Please* don't joke.  I would appreciate you not making jokes.  They said it could be fatal.

JEFFREY:  Camille.  It's just a precaution.  As a precaution, it's important -

CAMILLE:  Look.  Can we just say... I really don't want it put out there that, you know, you and I were... out of sensitivity to Aaron?

JEFFREY:  He knows.

CAMILLE:  He knows I had sex, he doesn't know with whom.

JEFFREY:  Well, what's the difference?

CAMILLE:  It'll make a difference!

DANNY:  Look, let's just say you were in on the examination of the Tuckman woman and you were exposed that way.  There's no need to add to the drama, here.

CAMILLE:  Can we do that, Jeffrey?  Please?

Jeffrey shakes his head; appears to be torn.  Finally:

JEFFREY:  Sure.

The door to the O.R. swings open and the guards shove Nurse MAGGIE ATKISSON into the room.

MAGGIE: (to Danny) What have you given me?

DANNY:  I've, um... been exposed to a virus.

Danny pulls Maggie to one side, hoping for a little privacy.

CAMILLE: (to Danny) You pig!

JEFFREY:  Busy pig.

MAGGIE:  (overlapping) Well, what have I got?

DANNY:  Hopefully nothing.  But I need to be quarantined, which unfortunately includes the people that I've been with.

JEFFREY:  Do we need a bigger room?

DANNY:  Could you be someplace else?

JEFFREY:  It's just I need to order food.  Should I be expecting more?

DANNY:  Not from me!

Jeffrey turns and looks at Camille, who lowers her head with a guilty look.

INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY

AARON SHUTT is being escorted down the hall by guards in protective suits.  Phillip, also in protective gear, walks alongside him.

AARON:  I don't believe this!

PHILLIP:  It's just a precaution.  I thought you and Camille were apart.

Aaron shouts so that he can be heard through Phillip's helmet.

AARON:  We are; we kissed after Rabbi Taubler's funeral. This virus does not spread casually, Phillip, you don't need to be wearing that stupid suit.

PHILLIP:  I'd rather be safe, thank you.  This disease is more dangerous than AIDS.

AARON:  Oh, well, that - that cheers me up.

He continues down the hall with the guards.  ALAN BIRCH approaches Phillip in a protective suit that is much too large for him.  His helmet fogs.

ALAN:  Phillip, I want to be heard.  Anybody exposed should be put in a suit immediately for transport.  I want Dr. Shutt put in a suit immediately, and why is my helmet fogging up?  They've given me defective equipment.

PHILLIP:  We'll get suits on everybody.

Phillip walks away.

ALAN:  Your helmet doesn't fog!  Are you breathing through your nose? I'm blinded, Phillip.  Phillip?

Alan, now alone in the corridor, gropes at the air in front of him.

ALAN:  This is unacceptable.

INT. O.R. FOUR - DAY

CAMILLE:  Well, are we gonna die?

JEFFREY:  Nobody's dying.

MAGGIE:  I heard it could be spread through a sneeze, that it came over here through a monkey. (to Danny)  Tell me you didn't have sex with a monkey!

Camille laughs bitterly.

CAMILLE:  He didn't have time!

MAGGIE:  What?

DANNY:  Please!

The door opens and the guards shove Aaron in.  Jeffrey shoots a surprised glance at Camille.

GUARD:  In here, Doctor.

They lock the door behind him.  Aaron gives the guards a dirty look over his shoulder before turning to Camille.

AARON:  Where did you get it, Camille?

CAMILLE: (wheedling) Aaronnn...

AARON:  Never mind "Aaronnn..."  They say we gotta be isolated here for two full days.

Jeffrey steps in, trying to keep order.

JEFFREY:  Hey, look - Don't get yourself all -

Maggie suddenly grabs a basin and begins to moan.

MAGGIE:  I feel nauseous.  I could throw up.  We are going to die.  I mean, I - I just took this job, now I'm exposed to a deadly virus?

DANNY:  (going to her) Take it easy...

CAMILLE:  Don't touch her.  You've done quite enough.

DANNY:  What is that supposed to mean, Camille?

AARON:  He gave it to her?

Jeffrey steps in and takes control.

JEFFREY:  Hey, everybody stay calm.  As of yet, nobody's manifested any symptoms.  The likelihood is we're all completely safe.  We'll do the blood work, remain isolated, in a few days it'll be behind us.  In the meantime, hey - (taps Maggie on the head) nothing is served by panic.  Everybody, just call the people that need to be called, if you haven't already done so.  Otherwise, just sit back and stay calm. Everybody stay calm.

The door swings open again, and the guards push in the next victim, wearing a protective suit.  Everyone stares, trying to figure out who it is.  Finally he removes his headgear - it is ARTHUR THURMOND.

Everyone looks at everyone else.

AARON: (to Maggie) You gotta be kidding me.

MAGGIE: (offended) Don't look at me!

JEFFREY: (to Danny) You little brown nose.

DANNY:  I didn't touch him!

Arthur looks around the room.  His eyes fall on Camille.  Aaron follows his gaze and turns to look at Camille, incredulous.  Camille giggles nervously.

CAMILLE:  It's not what you think.

ARTHUR:  We shared a stick of licorice.  Red.  The chewy kind?

AARON:  Were you two together?

JEFFREY:  I can't picture that.  Which is a blessing, I get vaso-vagal.

CAMILLE:  Jeffrey...

AARON:  Quiet, I want to hear this.

CAMILLE:  We weren't together.

ARTHUR:  Licorice... red.

JEFFREY:  Chewy?

CAMILLE:  Stop it!

AARON:  Jeffrey!

CAMILLE:  I have to tell them, Arthur.  Like you said, it was nothing, so -

ARTHUR: (pointing to Jeffrey) He'll make it something.

CAMILLE:  No, he won't! (she turns to Aaron) Dr. Thurmond passed out last week in the research lab.  I thought he stopped breathing and -

ARTHUR:  Which I didn't.  I just fainted.  It was hypotension, that's all.  Nothing more.

CAMILLE:  I *thought* he wasn't breathing and I started giving him mouth-to-mouth.  That's why I thought maybe if I had the virus, maybe I'd exposed him.

Jeffrey is no longer interested in the virus.  He leans over the gurney to Arthur.

JEFFREY:  You're having fainting spells and you're going into the O.R.?

ARTHUR:  You see?  Told you he'd make something of it.

JEFFREY:  Damn right I am.  What if you go face first into somebody's intestine?

ARTHUR: Oh, don't be ridiculous.

JEFFREY:  (turning to Camille) How the hell can you stay silent?  His episode could cause a patient to die.

CAMILLE:  I stayed silent because he told me it was one isolated incident and I knew you'd be quick to try to take away his scalpel.

Everyone starts arguing at once.

JEFFREY: (to Arthur) How long have you been having these blackouts? How dare you put your patients at risk?  What other symptoms have you been suffering?

ARTHUR: (overlapping) It was just one and I never stopped breathing, she was mistaken.  Don't be making a mountain out of this.

AARON: (overlapping) We really don't need you two yapping at each other -

They are all silenced when the door opens again and another suited figure enters.  All eyes turn to the figure.

He removes his helmet.  It's Phillip Watters.

There is a long pause.

JEFFREY:  Am I the only one in this hospital not having sex?

Aaron turns to Camille accusingly.

CAMILLE:  (protesting) Hey...

Everyone looks at Phillip.  His eyes are on Maggie.  As one, everyone turns and looks at Maggie.  She looks down at her basin.  All heads turn back to Phillip.

ARTHUR:  (with an evil grin) Did you concubine with that nurse, Phillip?

CAMILLE:  She's been here less than a month!  You're Chief of Staff, what in God's name were you thinking of?

PHILLIP:  How I was exposed is none of your concern.

MAGGIE:  He and I were not... together, I, uh... God, it's so embarrassing.  Can you just tell them?

All heads rotate back to Phillip.

PHILLIP:  Certainly.  After the morphine episode with Dr. Antonovich, Nurse Atkisson became nauseated and lightheaded.  As I went to steady her, she had occasion to vomit, unfortunately on me.  It got on my hands, thereby creating the risk of exposure.

Arthur chuckles.

ARTHUR:  Who do you think you're kidding?

INT. OFFICE - DAY

Alan is holding a press conference.  A panicked grin is glued to his face.  A large group of reporters clamor for his attention, shouting questions.

ALAN:  I am in charge.  I am in complete charge.  You... (he gestures towards a reporter.  One is much more vocal than the others, he finally settles on her)  Okay, you!

REPORTER:  How many doctors have been infected, and how did the transmission occur?

ALAN:  No, no known infections, this is simply a precautious quarantine.  Chief of Staff Phillip Watters is included, thereby chain of command, according to hospital by-laws, passes to House Counsel. Uh, no, no, no, no, no.  Chicago Hope continues to be open for business, and uh, I'm in complete charge.  Uh... not to worry, not to worry at all.

He attempts to field more questions.  Reporters shout and wave microphones at him.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

INT. O.R. FOUR - DAY

Food has been brought in.  Everyone is making lunch.  Arthur has taken off his bubble suit.  He's not wearing any pants (maybe they were making a whipping sound?).  Aaron has discarded his lab jacket and tie.

Alan, helmet fogging, is at the window shouting back and forth with Phillip.  Arthur is looking over Phillip's shoulder.

ALAN:  CDC's very encouraged!  Paramedics at Cook County have developed no symptoms.  And their risk of exposure is probably greater.  Uhhh, the Board's a little upset that you're quarantined in the O.R., making the room unavailable, but I have assuaged them on that front.

ARTHUR:  I can't see his face.

Alan rubs some of the condensation away from the inside of his helmet. Phillip shoos Arthur away.

PHILLIP:  All right.  Tell Kadalski not yet, Alan.

ALAN:  Okay.  Everything's under control!

PHILLIP:  I'm sure it is.

Phillip and Arthur walk away from the window.  Alan gropes for assistance back down the hall.

PHILLIP:  All right everybody, pay attention, I don't want to say it twice.  Our period of incubation will be over by Friday.  If we haven't developed symptoms by then, we're clear.

CAMILLE:  What are the symptoms?

PHILLIP:  Could be like the flu - fever, headaches, abdominal pain. Or could be worse - nosebleed, rash.

Jeffrey leans towards Phillip and murmurs under his breath.

JEFFREY:  With all that's been going on, somebody must have a rash.

PHILLIP:  This is not a funny situation.

JEFFREY:  Oh, I lost my head.

PHILLIP:  All right.  Anybody - symptoms?  Hmm?  Good.  All right, after we finish the blood work, we'll do some cultures.  Food and blankets are here.  Temporary toilet facilities have been set up off the scrub room.  Now -

ARTHUR:  I want to see the chart on the Tuckman patient, I want to see her symptoms.

PHILLIP:  I personally reviewed the Tuckman records when she was treated here, I think we're clear there -

ARTHUR:  Forgive me.  My life is on the line, I want to see the chart.

PHILLIP:  You don't trust my opinion?

ARTHUR:  I'm just concerned that you may have been busy that day lecturing senior doctors on how they should stay away from young nurses.

PHILLIP:  I told the truth on how I was exposed.

ARTHUR:  I want to see the chart on the patient.

Danny and Aaron are at the gurney, which has been set up as a buffet for the cold cuts.  Danny leans across Aaron to reach the lunchmeat. Aaron sniffs him.  Recognizing the smell, he leans closer and sniffs again.

DANNY:  What are you doing?

AARON:  (in a quiet but deadly tone) You smell familiar.

Camille sees the exchange and goes into overdrive.

CAMILLE:  Hey!  I have an idea, Phillip!  Your Christmas party was scheduled for tomorrow night, why don't we have it right here?

PHILLIP:  What?

Aaron watches her suspiciously.

CAMILLE:  Well, we, we - we're all together, we could have it here instead of at your house -

AARON:  Why are you acting like that?

CAMILLE:  Acting like what?

AARON:  Like you act when you're hiding something.

CAMILLE:  I just want to have a Christmas party, it's the holidays - what is so wrong with that!

AARON:  (overlapping) You're acting the way you act when you get nervous, and I think you got nervous when I started smelling him!

ARTHUR:  What are they yapping about?

PHILLIP:  I don't know.

Jeffrey waves his sandwich in the air with a big grin.

JEFFREY:  I do!

DANNY:  Please!

CAMILLE:  (overlapping) Never mind!

AARON:  Now, you *say* that you were exposed to the virus by treating the Tuckman patient.

CAMILLE:  I think so, yes.

AARON:  You *think* so.  Well, we're getting the woman's chart.  If you were in on the examination, it'll be reflected in the notes, won't it?

He sniffs Nyland again.

DANNY:  PLEASE don't sniff me!

Camille grabs Aaron by the arm and starts to lead him away.

CAMILLE:  Aaron, may I see you in the scrub room, please?

AARON:  Ohhh, certainly...

They go into the scrub room and shut the door.  Jeffrey watches through the window, then turns back to the rest of the group with a grin.

JEFFREY:  This could be worth the price of the virus right here.  (to Danny)  Bet you'd like to be a little fly on that wall.

DANNY:  Your seniority aside, there's only so much disrespect I'll take from you.

MAGGIE:  (to Danny)  Well, wait - you were with her, too?

DANNY:  It doesn't concern you.

MAGGIE:  Well, before or after me?

DANNY:  (increasingly nervous)  Never mind!

PHILLIP:  (to Maggie)  Was I before or after him?

MAGGIE:  After, but see, I don't know if I was after her, because if I wasn't, then it could be her to him to me to you -

ARTHUR:  (overlapping) I'm confused...

MAGGIE:  (continuous)  I don't know where the mouth-to-mouth comes in, and I heard something about a monkey -

JEFFREY:  (mouth full) The monkey wore a condom.

DANNY:  Quiet!

PHILLIP:  Jeffrey...

INT. SCRUB ROOM - DAY

Aaron is leaning against the sink, enraged.  Camille wrings her hands guiltily.

AARON:  So it was *Nyland*?

CAMILLE:  A one-time thing.  After I dropped Rabbi Taubler's heart, I was upset -

AARON:  I'm going to recommend that you be terminated, Camille.

CAMILLE:  What?

AARON:  Phillip's right, you and I in the same hospital... it's no longer a workable situation.

CAMILLE:  What are you talking about?

AARON:  I have no objections to your having a personal life, but, I mean... to be having one-night stands with other surgeons in this hospital...

CAMILLE:  What about you and Antonovich?

AARON:  That was a different situation.

CAMILLE:  Well, you tell me how it was different!

AARON:  I am Chief of Neurosurgery.  I have a chain of command in this place that is dependent upon my maintaining respect with this staff. I can't have that respect undermined by a promiscuous ex-wife whose sexual escapades serve to humiliate me.

CAMILLE:  You know, the only reason I don't take your head off right now is because those people can see through the glass.

AARON:  You want to take my head off, Camille?  Go ahead.  The truth is, there's nothing you can do to me you haven't already done!

BACK TO THE O.R.

Jeffrey is eating his lunch and watching Camille and Aaron argue. Thurmond watches with him.

JEFFREY:  She's gonna fake to the left, go back up the middle. (Camille fakes left and goes back up the middle)  I saw this on a PBS special.  That's not friendly body language.  You see those little specks of spit coming out of her mouth?  That's hostility.

ARTHUR:  That Nyland fellow slept with them all?

JEFFREY:  I believe so, yep.

ARTHUR:  And I get sued for asking a girl to lunch!

Jeffrey offers him some potato chips; they continue to watch the show.

Maggie approaches Phillip at the table, where he is making himself a sandwich.

MAGGIE:  Look, I'm sorry that they don't believe what really happened.

PHILLIP:  Well, it's not important...

MAGGIE:  Well, it's not my habit to vomit on people, and I just want you to understand, you know, that it was a fluke.

PHILLIP:  What's done is done, hmm?

Satisfied, Maggie walks away.  Phillip looks at his sandwich, now unable to eat.

BACK TO SCRUB ROOM

The Shutts still in mid-argument.

CAMILLE:  So, I'm just at this hospital as your subordinate, is that it, Aaron?

AARON:  As my ex-wife, no.  But as doctor-nurse, yes, you are subordinate.

CAMILLE:  What?  According to who?

AARON:  You want to try your hand at a craniotomy, see if you can pull that off?

CAMILLE:  You want to try your day as a scrub nurse?  You think you could do that?

AARON:  Yeah.  I could.  You're a nurse, Camille.  You're not a rocket scientist, and you're certainly not a brain surgeon!

Pause.  That one hurt.

CAMILLE:  You know what, Aaron, I left you way too soon.  There is so much more to hate about you.  I get the feeling I could have left you for a hundred reasons I haven't even discovered yet.

AARON:  Well, that's one thing about being a quitter, Camille.  One reason is enough.

CAMILLE:  (smiling sarcastically)  Yeah, is that right?

AARON:  Yeah, that's right.  You want to seize on chauvinism as the Issue of the Day, go ahead.  It really doesn't matter to me.  The only thing that matters is that you got unhappy, you chose to lay the blame for it on our relationship, and you checked out.  Did you ever fight for us?  Did you try therapy?  Did you once try to communicate?

CAMILLE:  I'd have to get scheduled for your procedures just to talk to you!

AARON:  That's a lie!  We laid in bed together every night.  If you were upset enough to toss and turn, why not talk?

CAMILLE:  You always wanted to sleep!

AARON:  I WAS HAPPY!  When you're tired and happy, you sleep!  *You* were unhappy, you let it fester!

CAMILLE:  Why couldn't you see that I was unhappy?  Why couldn't you figure out that your neglect made me unhappy?  I mean, maybe I did let it die, Aaron, maybe I didn't fight hard enough.  But you let it die, too!

She turns and walks away from him.

AARON:  I loved you.

In the OR, Arthur puts a glass up to the window so he can eavesdrop better.

CAMILLE:  And still you did nothing.  So what did I have to look forward to?  This was you loving me.  We stopped talking to each other, stopped touching each other, all we had in common was a joint checking account.  And this was you loving me?

Aaron sees Arthur holding the glass up to the window.

AARON:  Hey!  Haven't you got something else to do?

ARTHUR:  (what a stupid question!) No.

Aaron comes back into the O.R. to confront Thurmond.  Camille follows.

AARON:  This is not a sideshow put on for your benefit!

THURMOND:  It certainly is, it's a circus!  Started by Mr. Penishead there!

DANNY:  Hey, you know what, I'm sick and tired of being pimped by everyone around here for no other reason than being young!

ARTHUR:  You think it's so bad being young, try growing old!

AARON:  (overlapping) Aww... You give new meaning to the word "pimp."

Danny takes a step towards Aaron, Phillip holds him back.

DANNY:  Excuse me?

AARON:  Get him outta here!

Aaron makes a move towards Nyland, Jeffrey puts a retraining arm on Aaron's shoulder.

JEFFREY:  All right, come on -

Aaron throws Jeffrey off and wheels on him.

AARON:  Hey hey hey, get your hands off of me!  You know, you're not the only person with a license to go nuts around here, Jeffrey, you just keep your hands off of me.

He thrusts his finger in Jeffrey's face for emphasis.  Jeffrey backs up, hands in the air, hurt and surprised.

JEFFREY:  All right, all right ...

ARTHUR:  Geez, his finger was right there, you could've bitten him.

AARON:  Dr. Thurmond.  Why don't *you* go in the corner and faint?

ARTHUR:  This is a horrible Christmas.

PHILLIP:  All right...

Jeffrey, meanwhile, has cornered Camille.

JEFFREY:  What were you saying to him?

CAMILLE:  It is none of your business, Jeffrey, it has always been none of your business.

JEFFREY:  If it affects this hospital, it becomes my business.

Already frazzled, Camille snaps.  Aaron watches with concern.

CAMILLE:  Enough of for the good of this damn hospital!!

AARON:  Lay off my wife, will ya?

JEFFREY:  She's not your wife, she's your significant ex-other.  If she were really your wife, she'd be creaming you for alimony.

AARON:  (overlapping)  Hey, would you do me a favor and stay out of this - stay out of it, Jeffrey!!

The two nearly come to blows.  Maggie surprises everyone by screaming at them.

MAGGIE:  HEY!!!  Listen to you people!  You're all nuts!  I mean, I come to work at Chicago Hope, and this is supposed to be this great place, and you're all completely CRAZY!

Arthur decides to step in and try to calm her down - probably a bad idea, considering he has no pants on.

ARTHUR:  Excuse me, young lady, your name again is?

MAGGIE:  Maggie Atkisson!

ARTHUR:  Yes, I apologize again, um, who is it here that you slept with?

MAGGIE:  Well, what if I said it was you?  Would you know differently?

ARTHUR:  It's a trick.  It's a trick question, Phillip.  She's a trickster.  I am Dr. Arthur Thurmond.  Don't ever try to trick me.

MAGGIE:  Two weeks ago, I get in trouble because I didn't kill his patient fast enough (indicating Aaron).  Now I could have a fatal disease, and I'm locked in a room with the people who represent the nerve center of the whole hospital, and you're nuts!  You're all NUTS!!

A tap on the window behind her causes her to scream again.  It's the Eel, with a big smile on his face.

ALAN:  Good news!  I've got the piano and my helmet's fixed!

COMMERCIAL BREAK

INT. O.R. FOUR - DAY

Geiger is playing the piano and singing "Somethin' Stupid."  Maggie sings along in an off-key voice and dances nearby.

Aaron is lying on his back on the table.  He has discarded his shoes, and is keeping rhythm with two test tubes.

Nyland walks by with a small Christmas tree.

AARON:  Is that a real tree?

DANNY:  What do you think?

Danny continues by and puts the Christmas tree on the end of the piano.  Arthur walks by and leans over to Aaron in passing.

ARTHUR:  Why don't you smell it?

AARON:  Was I talking to you?

Phillip is ushering the Eel out the door.

ALAN:  Good news from the lab; all the blood tested negative.  They would like some specimens, though.

PHILLIP:  You shouldn't be in this room, Alan.

ALAN:  I'm in my bubble!

PHILLIP:  Out, out, out.

He gets Alan out the door and turns to face the utter chaos in the room.  Maggie's singing grows louder and more off-key, Geiger is laughing and bangs harder on the piano.

PHILLIP:  All right, stop the music.  (no response.  He finally whistles for order.)  STOP THE MUSIC!!

Jeffrey stops playing.  Everyone turns to Phillip.

PHILLIP:  You know, maybe we should send for Ray Kadalski.  I know that the fear of death can make people agitated, and the way we've been acting -

DANNY:  It has nothing to do with fear of death, sir; in this situation, fear of living could be more stressful.

JEFFREY:  What a profound thought, it should come with bubble gum.

DANNY:  Go to hell!

Dangerous silence.

DANNY:  Maybe that came out of fear of death.

JEFFREY:  Fear of getting fired should be more of a concern.

PHILLIP:  All right!  Now, that's enough, that's enough.  Obviously this little group has some demons to exorcise.  Maybe there's an odd blessing to this quarantine.  Since we're all stuck in here together, why don't we put this to some therapeutic purpose?

ARTHUR:  Now I'm going to puke.

Phillip pulls up a stool and sits down, facing the group.

PHILLIP:  This is an order from your Chief of Staff.  Now, everyone has immunity; there's no threat of retaliation.  You have stuff on your mind, say it now.

No one says anything.

PHILLIP:  Mr. Nyland, you seem particularly motivated, you start.  Go on, go on.

Danny hesitates.

DANNY:  Well, first off, I don't believe for a second the part about no retaliation.  He (pointing to Geiger) likes to grind my stones for sport, God help me if I should antagonize him.

JEFFREY:  All right, then, let me start.  Complaint number one, there isn't a single resident in this place with any stones.  They're all obsequious, cowering little sycophants who would rather suction my drool with their tongues than stand up to me.  (grins at Nyland) 'Kay, your turn now.

Danny grins back at him, ready to attack.

DANNY:  All right, I'll go.  Jeffrey Geiger breeds malice, oozes contempt, and until he finds some peace with himself, he's a liability to this hospital.  Dr. Thurmond, the legend, if only he was cared as much about saving his patients as he does his reputation.

ARTHUR:  You say that again and I'll sue you.

DANNY:  Dr. Watters, gifted hands, great mentor, but tolerates his (points to Jeffrey) childishness and forgives his (points to Arthur) waning skills.  You send the message that the surgeons come first.

PHILLIP:  I have never sent that message.

CAMILLE:  Yes, you do, Phillip; it's all about the surgeons in your department.  You coddle them.  How on earth could he (also indicating Jeffrey) get away with the way he acts without your tacit approval?

JEFFREY:  (with a surprised grin) Hey, how's this about me?

CAMILLE:  This is also the most blatantly chauvinistic institution I' ve ever seen, it's a boy's club!  And if a woman surgeon ever gets ahead here, it's because she acts like one of the guys.

JEFFREY:  That's crap.  Name me one woman surgeon who shares that opinion.

CAMILLE:  (unhesitatingly)  Karen Antonovich.

JEFFREY:  Dead, doesn't count.  Name a live one.

CAMILLE:  You see that?  Look what goes on here!  During a bypass, he comes on to Winslow with a toilet fetish!

JEFFREY:  (total innocence) She accepted.

CAMILLE:  In surgery he hits on women with "Hey, I'm prone to sexual harassment, here I come," and gets away with it.  Dr. Thurmond fires a nurse, then asks her out on a date.  He's already being sued.

ARTHUR:  I have a motion to dismiss pending.

JEFFREY:  What?  These women lack the capacity to say yes?  There's an argument for equality.

CAMILLE:  These women know that to get along, you go along.

AARON:  Is that why you ended up with Dr. Nyland?

Pause.  He's got her there.

JEFFREY:  I'd like to hear the response.

CAMILLE:  You want my response, Jeffrey?  I'll give it to you.

She gets off the supply cart that she's been sitting on and faces Jeffrey.

CAMILLE:  The chauvinism in this hospital is so pervasive, it killed my marriage.  I lost my husband to another man.  That man is you.

JEFFREY:  I beg your pardon?

Aaron sits up, astonished.

AARON:  What?

THURMOND:  Are they homosexuals, Phillip?  Not that they don't have rights, they throw a lovely parade.

CAMILLE:  They're not gay, Dr. Thurmond, they're just best friends. The camaraderie of the surgeons, the male bonding... I just couldn't compete with it.

Aaron is stupefied.

AARON:  Well, *there* is an excuse that shatters all records.

CAMILLE:  It's true.  Anything fundamental that happened to you - call Jeffrey.  Something torturing you, you couldn't wait to tell him.  I slowly became an accessory, Aaron, we both know that; someone to hand you a scalpel at work and a napkin at home.

AARON:  Well, once again, Camille, you manage to locate blame in the most convenient of places.  Maybe I started talking to him because you stopped talking to me!

CAMILLE:  No.  With every day you lived within these walls, this veil went up.  And after awhile, I just couldn't pierce it anymore, couldn' t reach you as my husband.  I promise you, it was you, not me. Because you don't know how I cried over it.  And I'd see you with him, the way you share, and laugh... I lost you to him.

Camille turns back to Jeffrey.

CAMILLE:  All this anger at you, the truth is I probably owe you an apology.  I mean, much of my disgust you deserve, your behavior is usually repulsive, but a lot of my anger... I'm jealous.  I wish he loved me the way he loves you, and I'm jealous.

On the verge of tears, Camille returns to her seat.  Jeffrey and Aaron exchange glances.

Arthur stands up and moves towards Camille.

ARTHUR:  You lost your husband to this hospital, young lady.  He lost himself.  You play God on a daily basis long enough, you forget how to be human.  Let's face it, how many surgeons are any different?  Oh, we roll out the bedside manner for our patients, but we put our hands in people's insides every day, holding vital organs.  To function we have to think of ourselves as Godlike.  If we admit we're fallible, we're lost.  This man (indicating Aaron) can make the dead come back to life.  It's miraculous.  But it robs him, too.  The smell of a flower - where's the wonder?  Hold a brain in your hand, the smile of a child simply fades.  I've saved over a thousand people, people living today only because of me.  I have *three* friends, if I'm lucky.  I don't know my grandchildren, never knew my own kids.  He has no choice, young lady.  No choice.

Overcome with emotion, Arthur returns to his seat.

AARON:  I don't believe that.  I can't believe that.  I won't end up not knowing my own kids.  I won't end up like you.

CAMILLE:  You're forty years old, Aaron.  You don't even have a wife, let alone kids.  You'll probably never have a family; you'll never take the time.

Silence.

MAGGIE:  Why is it I feel, I don't know... being quarantined with a fatal disease should somehow be more fun?

JEFFREY:  All right.  Is it my turn to speak?  It really feels like my turn.

PHILLIP:  Go.

JEFFREY:  Thank you.  First off, let me say how sorry I am for you people.  What with the homeless and the stuff going on in Bosnia, even the patients I see every day, I lost sight of the true victims in society, which happen to be you.  Beginning with the unfortunate Dr. Nyland, Yale bred, silver spoon stuffed deep into his esophagus.  He now has to treat sick people while the people here aren't nice to him. I - I should say the senior surgeons aren't nice; the nurses seem to be extremely supportive.

DANNY:  See, this is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about -

JEFFREY:  Problem is, I'm talking now.  (Nyland shuts up.)  This is a hospital.  This is not a company that likes to give points for treating the personnel well.  This is by necessity a cruel place.  We bust your ass to make you a better doctor, and you know what?  You might one day be the best doctor.  Doesn't change a thing.  Because as soon as you're not, this place will be just as cruel all over again. You don't believe that?  You ask him.

He thrusts an arm in the direction of Dr. Thurmond.

JEFFREY:  (back to Nyland)  You wanna be treated nice?  You go work at Wal-Mart.

He looks around the room, then settles on Camille.

JEFFREY:  And you?  Blaming this hospital for killing your marriage, blaming me?  Grow the hell up.  As cruel as this institution is, marriage is a much tougher one.  It takes work, it's a lot of work, lady.  And even if you work as hard as you can every damn day, there's no guarantee your wife won't snap and drown your child anyway.  Bottom line:  he loves you, more than life.  Trust me on that.  Maybe it's not enough to make it work, but it should be enough to prevent you from walking out the door.  And I will not apologize for me loving him, or him loving me.  That's probably my deepest joy.

He turns his focus to Aaron.

JEFFREY:  And you... as much as I love you, I'm getting tired of your moping.  You want to complain - heck, that goes for all of you.  We could go to work in a bank.  Sit pleasantly next to our co-workers for forty years and never know them. We come to this place, we see each other raw every day, our guts are hanging out - that's not misery, that makes us *lucky*.  I don't give a damn how much tumult and antagonism there is, it's life, we're deep into it every day, and I feel lucky to be here.  I'm not buying into any of your despair.  Go see what's out there.  Talk to your patients.  See what real people are up against, and then complain.  You're a bunch of spoiled babies. Every one of you.

A pause.  The staff reacts.

DANNY:  You know, that was a very impressive speech, Dr. Geiger.  It might even make us lose sight of the real truth that you cause most of the antagonism around here, and it doesn't make us feel lucky at all. And no doubt you feel good about yourself, that's pretty obvious, but it doesn't change the fact that you're the most hated surgeon in this joint, and some of us other doctors have to pick up the people you leave in pieces.

JEFFREY:  Is that what you do with your nurses?  Damage control?

DANNY:  If they're coming to me, don't you wonder why?

Danny walks away from Geiger.  Aaron hops off the table and blocks his way.

AARON:  What's that supposed to mean?

DANNY:  I was talking to him.

AARON:  Well, talk to me.

DANNY:  Talk to your wife, then she wouldn't be needing me.

Aaron backhands Nyland in the mouth; Nyland stumbles back against the wall.

CAMILLE:  Aaron!

Maggie and Phillip go to Danny's aid; his nose is bleeding.

CAMILLE:  What the hell's wrong with you?

PHILLIP:  Hey, hey...

ARTHUR:  He's got the virus, see?  His nose is bleeding.

PHILLIP:  Shut up, Arthur.  (turns to Aaron) Now, you listen to me.

AARON:  No, I won't listen to you!  I'm tired of you jumping in as referee trying to legislate everything.  I don't listen to you, Phillip, you know why?  Because you're not a real person.

JEFFREY:  Aaron -

AARON:  (viciously) You shut up too!  (back to Phillip)  You glide around here on this even keel, so poised, so unflappable, always ready to step in and help somebody out - isn't that ironic that's why you ended up in this room?  You caught her and she puked on you.  Well, there's plenty more vomit where that came from, Phillip.  Life is not lived on an even keel, okay, we explode!  See that, I just punched a guy!  Maybe I punched the wrong guy.

PHILLIP:  You want to take a swing at me?  Oh, please. You know, I come here every day, trying to be a rudder to you prima donnas.  You don't know the frustration I have to bottle up inside.  I would love to blow.  I go to bed and pray somebody will take a swing at me and give me the opportunity.  Do me the biggest favor known to man, Aaron. Swing at me.  I would *love* to lose it.  G'ahead.  C'mon, first shot. Hmm?

The two stare at each other.

CAMILLE:  Maybe we should all sing a song.

A pause.  No one breathes.  Aaron looks about ready to back down (good thing, too, Phillip could take him apart).  Arthur takes a step towards Phillip, then staggers, clutching his heart.

JEFFREY:  Dr. Thurmond.

Arthur collapses against Aaron and Phillip.

PHILLIP:  Arthur!  Get him up -

JEFFREY:  Get him on the table.

Aaron, Phillip and Jeffrey lift Arthur up and stretch him out on the table.  Danny adjusts the overhead lamp and turns it on, Maggie and Camille scramble for equipment and gloves.

DANNY:  Get him on an EKG; get an IV set up!

JEFFREY:  Give me a stethoscope.  Let's take his pressure, let's get a monitor on him right now.  Come on, let's go, let's go!  Gimme scissors.

Maggie grabs a pair of scissors and hands them over.

JEFFREY:  Here ya go.

Danny brings the crash cart.  Jeffrey cuts open Arthur's T-shirt and listens for a heartbeat.

DANNY:  A tourniquet, Maggie.

Aaron and Phillip administer oxygen; Phillip speaks soothingly in Arthur's ear.

PHILLIP:  Stay calm, stay calm.

JEFFREY:  Somebody get ready to hang some nitro.

PHILLIP:  You'll be okay, Arthur.  You just lay calm, now, just lay calm.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

INT. O.R. FOUR - NIGHT

Arthur is conscious and protesting further treatment.

ARTHUR:  This is not necessary.

JEFFREY:  Yes, you keep saying that.  I have these funny rituals when people have heart attacks.  (taking the EKG readout from Danny)  Can I see the readout, Doctor?  I hope that wasn't too harsh.

DANNY:  Bite me.

CAMILLE:  Grow up.

JEFFREY:  Just trying to maintain a reputation.

ARTHUR:  How fitting that I should die in this hospital.

JEFFREY:  You're not gonna die, Doctor, too many premiums would go up.

ARTHUR:  If I do die, Phillip, I want you to speak at my funeral.  It was always my hope to speak at yours.

PHILLIP:  I appreciate that.

DANNY:  All right, Doctor, one more for blood gas.

Jeffrey steps away from the table, nodding at Phillip to follow him. They head for the scrub room.

INT. SCRUB ROOM - NIGHT

Jeffrey and Phillip enter and close the door behind them.

PHILLIP:  Yeah.

JEFFREY:  I'm willing to do this.  But we may be looking at an angioplasty.

PHILLIP:  Okay.

JEFFREY:  True, Phillip?  I'm the most hated guy here?

PHILLIP:  Well... with Hackett dying.

Jeffrey manages a rueful grin.

JEFFREY:  I don't need to be loved by everybody, I admit.  But to be hated... that's not a goal, either.

PHILLIP:  Well, sometimes hate is just misplaced fear.

JEFFREY:  All these profundities and still no bubble gum?  (beat)  I'd love to be a resident again.  I'd love to have somebody backing me up. Nobody's backing me up, Phillip.  That's not easy.  I'm alone.  They got people coming in after them, nobody comes in after me.

Phillip reaches out to pat Jeffrey's arm; Jeffrey pulls away and goes to the sink to scrub.

JEFFREY:  No, no, no.  They think it's easy, it's not.  It's not easy.

BACK TO O.R.

Aaron is sitting on the piano bench.  Camille joins him.  Aaron doesn' t look at her.

CAMILLE:  You okay?

AARON:  You wanna talk to me, get yourself scheduled for one of my procedures.

CAMILLE:  Kill yourself.

She starts to get up; Aaron grabs her arm and pulls her back onto the bench.

AARON:  Hey.  You're a *liar*.  You were just as consumed by your job as I was mine.  You flew up through the nursing ranks, Camille, the job, the patients...  You were every bit as taken as me, I mean - how dare you?   The jobs were intoxicants to both of us.

CAMILLE:  Until I woke up one day and realized it wasn't enough.  I turned to you and you weren't there.  You had forgotten how to be there.

AARON:  It takes two to forget, Camille.  It takes two.

The monitor sounds the flatline.

DANNY:  Dr. Thurmond?  Dr. Thurmond?  He's going into shock - Dr. Geiger!

Aaron joins Danny at the table.  Jeffrey and Phillip come out of the scrub room; Aaron grabs the scope from around Jeffrey's neck and listens to Arthur's chest while Jeffrey starts compressions.

JEFFREY:  Probably having an inferior MI.  Got it.  Nyland, get some dopamine and isuprel.

DANNY:  (to Maggie)  Dopamine and isuprel.

AARON:  His lungs are wet.

JEFFREY:  We gotta do a bypass.  Someone get an anesthesiologist in here.

Camille prepares the drape and gets gloves for Jeffrey.

PHILLIP:  (eyes on the monitor) We're losing him.

JEFFREY:  I gotta go in.

PHILLIP:  I'll do the anesthesia.

CAMILLE:  You know how?

PHILLIP:  I know how, let's go.  He's fibrillating.  Come on, Arthur, it's Christmas.

JEFFREY:  Keep ventilating.  Paddles?

Aaron charges up the paddles while Jeffrey continues chest compression.

AARON:  Clear.

Everyone clears; Aaron shocks Thurmond with the paddles.

DANNY:  Nothing.

Jeffrey gloves up.

JEFFREY:  Give him lidocaine, hit him again.

AARON:  Again, clear.

He shocks Thurmond again.

DANNY:  No, he's flattening out.

Jeffrey steps in.

JEFFREY:  Scalpel.

Camille passes the scalpel to him.

MAGGIE:  What about masks?

JEFFREY:  Get the saw.

AARON:  (to Maggie) Forget it, we've already broken the field.

Camille scrambles to get the surgical saw.  Jeffrey makes the first incision.

PHILLIP:  Christmas, Arthur.  Hark the herald angels sing.

JEFFREY:  (to Camille, re: the saw)  Plug it in.  You got the pedal by me?

Aaron helps Camille with the saw.

AARON:  Yeah.

CAMILLE:  Yes.

JEFFREY:  Where is it?

AARON:  Right there.

CAMILLE:  It's right there underneath your feet.

Jeffrey tries the saw, it's not working yet.  He still can't find the foot pedal.

JEFFREY:  Fire it up.  I'm not - I can't find it, please.

DANNY:  Right there.

CAMILLE:  It's right there by your feet.

Apparently everyone can find the pedal but Jeffrey.  Finally he finds it.  At about the same time, Aaron gets the saw plugged in.

AARON:  There you go, you're hooked up.

JEFFREY:  All right.

He fires up the saw and cuts into Arthur's chest.

AARON:  Get the hell in there, Jeffrey.

JEFFREY:  I'm getting there.  Retractor.

He hands off the saw and puts the retractor in place.  He and Danny expose Arthur's heart.

PHILLIP:  Arthur Thurmond, you stay here.

JEFFREY:  Turn his ribs up.  Come on.

He reaches in and gives Arthur heart massage.

JEFFREY:  Paging Dr. Thurmond.  Come on, Arthur.  This muscle feels good.  Come on.

PHILLIP:  I'm getting nothing.

JEFFREY:  Come on, Arthur, come on.  Come on.  I got my hands in your guts.  If you've got that virus, I could get it.  I don't want it to be for nothing.

Jeffrey continues the heart massage.  He looks at the monitor.  Still no change.

JEFFREY:  Come on... COME ON!!

That seems to do the trick.  The monitor beeps out a normal sinus rhythm.  Everyone laughs in relief, except Jeffrey, who reacts with mild surprise.

JEFFREY:  There ya go.

PHILLIP:  (his voice shaking) You old fart.  When you wake up, I'll kill ya for this, I'll kill ya!

AARON:  (eyes on monitor)  That's a good pulse, he's stabilizing.

JEFFREY:  (to Danny)  Doctor, put your hands in, keep pumping.  Do it gently.

Danny reaches gingerly into Arthur's chest and puts his hand around his heart.

DANNY:  Got it.

JEFFREY:  Sure?

DANNY:  I got it.

They switch off; Danny takes over the heart massage.

JEFFREY:  Okay, let's get ready to put him on bypass.  Let's get the equipment over here.  (sings softly)  "I know I stand in line until you think you have the time to spend an evening with me..."

Gradually everyone joins in on the song.  Camille taps two clamps together to keep rhythm; Aaron whistles.  Phillip and Danny hum.

JEFFREY:  "And if we go someplace to dance, I know that there's a chance you won't be leaving with me..."

Maggie, over at the shelving unit, gets caught up in the song and sings in her loud, strident voice.

MAGGIE:  "AND AFTERWARDS WE DROP INTO A QUIET LITTLE PLACE AND HAVE A DRINK OR TWO - "

She breaks off when she finds that the entire surgical team has stopped what they're doing to stare at her.  Embarrassed, she turns back to the shelves.

After a moment, the team returns their attention to Arthur.

EVERYONE:  "And then I go and spoil it all by saying somethin' stupid like I love you..."

FADE TO:  INT. O.R. - LATER

Finishing up the operation.  Drs. Geiger and Nyland are drenched in sweat.  Everyone is exhausted.

PHILLIP:  Where are we?

JEFFREY:  No more bleeders.  Ready to close.  Camille, you've been here too long.  Take ten.

CAMILLE:  I'm all right -

JEFFREY:  Rest.  Atkisson, step in.

Maggie relieves Camille, who heads for the scrub room.

JEFFREY:  (to Maggie)  Do not puke on this patient.

DANNY:  Suction here.  Right over there.  Good.

Jeffrey leans over to Phillip.

JEFFREY:  This kid's good.

PHILLIP:  Why don't you tell him that?

JEFFREY:  Not a chance.

Danny, having heard every word, looks up briefly at Phillip, then concentrates on closing again.

INT. SCRUB ROOM - DAY

Aaron is just coming out of the toilet facilities as Camille enters.

AARON:  Might want to, um... light a match.

Camille laughs lightly.  Aaron goes to the sink to wash his hands.

AARON:  Listen, I'm sorry.  I know I've been acting kind of crazy.  I don't know, the thought of you with another man...

Camille shrugs, but doesn't meet his eye.

CAMILLE:  It's okay.

Aaron dries his hands.

AARON:  You remember all that stuff that you said at Rabbi Taubler's funeral, about anger being buried love?  Do you remember that?

CAMILLE:  Yeah.

AARON:  I think that's what's been going on here.  I didn't mean half the crap I said, and punching Nyland... well, *that* I meant.

It's an effective tension-breaker; they both laugh.

CAMILLE:  Well, it's understandable.  The thought of me being with another man, that has to make you upset.  I mean, it's unthinkable, really, me being with anybody else.

Aaron nods.  It takes him a moment to realize what she's just said.

AARON:  What are you saying?

CAMILLE: (a whisper) I want to come back.

AARON:  Is - is this because of, uh... Christmas?  I mean, I - I know people get lonely this time of year, is it...

CAMILLE:  Because I can't live without you, Aaron.  I know that we have a lot of work to do, I won't even go so far as to say that I'm confident, but... I love you.  (she starts to cry)  I could never love anybody the way that I love you.  And I want to come home.

Aaron smiles, nearly in tears himself, and embraces her.  They kiss.

Jeffrey enters, throwing them a cursory glance.

JEFFREY:  Hey, what are you doin'?  Come on.

Aaron and Camille cease kissing, but keep their arms around each other.  Jeffrey steps up to the sink and scrubs.

JEFFREY:  He's off bypass.  Did it without you.

AARON: (quietly) We're getting back.

Jeffrey turns around, drying his hands.

JEFFREY:  What?

AARON:  You heard me.  Go ahead, say something smart.

Long silence as Jeffrey stares at him.

JEFFREY:  Thank God.  That smart enough?  (he looks at Camille)  So I get to be nice to you again?

CAMILLE:  (laughing)  And I could use it!

Jeffrey leans in and kisses her on the cheek.

JEFFREY:  So could I.  Welcome back, Camille.  (he pats Aaron on the chest on his way out of the scrub room.)  Welcome back.

He leaves them alone.  Aaron kisses the top of Camille's head; they embrace again.

INT. BIRCH'S OFFICE - DAY

Alan is holding a press conference, holding up a calendar.

ALAN:  One more day.  By this time tomorrow night, we may be able to lift the quarantine.

REPORTER:  What's been going on down there?

ALAN:  It's pretty uneventful, really.  They're cooped up, they're bored.  Lot of card playing, uh, some Scrabble.

REPORTER:  Not even any cabin fever?

ALAN:  No, no, no.  These are seasoned professionals.  They're well-versed in crisis.  They're handling this with the typical poise that reflects the cool calm of Chicago Hope Hospital.  Control and excellence.  They're both systemic to Chicago Hope.

Alan leans back in his chair authoritatively, beginning to enjoy being in charge.  His chair hits a metal object which falls to the floor with a loud crash.

ALAN:  (loudly)  That's not gonna change with me in charge!  Cool and calm.  I'm in charge.

A few journalists exchange amused looks.  Alan points to another reporter.

ALAN:  So... you.

INT. O.R. FOUR - NIGHT

Sweeping panoramic shot takes in the quarantined staff members in varying states of exhaustion.  The piano plays softly.

Aaron is seated on a table, head back against the window, asleep. Camille is cuddled up with her head in his lap.

Danny is leaning against some equipment, asleep on his feet.  Maggie dozes in the chair in front of him.

Phillip snoozes on a stool next to the gurney, where Arthur stirs awake.  He mumbles, waking Phillip.

PHILLIP:  It's all right, Arthur.  I'm right here, I'm right here.  We had to do a bypass, but everything went fine.

ARTHUR:  Who did it?  Not Penishead.

PHILLIP:  Dr. Penishead assisted, but Geiger did it.  You'll be up on your feet in a week; you can expect a full recovery.

ARTHUR:  What about the virus?

PHILLIP:  Still no symptoms.  I think we're okay.

ARTHUR:  Speak for yourself.  It's been a horrible day.

Jeffrey is revealed at the piano, playing "Silent Night."

FADE OUT

THE END.

Reply-To: "Heidi L Sackerson" <heidster@fishnet.net> From: "Heidi L Sackerson" <heidster@fishnet.net> To: "Angie" <hill@misslink.net> Subject: Re: The Quarantine Date: Sat, 20 Mar 1999 20:37:04 -0800 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3

X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by big.fishnet.net id UAA17165

Here ya go... Another biggie.

Oh, by the way.  This is transcribed from the Lifetime rerun, so there may be lines missing here and there.

-------------------------------------

CHICAGO HOPE - "The Quarantine"

Written by David E. Kelley

 

INT. O.R. FOUR -- DAY

DANNY NYLAND paces frantically back and forth in the empty O.R.  After a moment, the door swings open and JEFFREY GEIGER joins him.

JEFFREY:  What's goin' on?  I get stat paged to OR Four. Where's the emergency?

DANNY:  It's not an emergency, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, but -

He hesitates.

JEFFREY:  What?

DANNY:  Georgeann Tuckman.  Remember, I called you in on a consult, myocarditis?

JEFFREY: (patiently) I remember.

DANNY:  And then we thought maybe the flu.

JEFFREY:  I didn't think the flu.  I thought it was some kind of virus she probably snagged at the CDC.

DANNY:  Yeah, well you were right, more right that you want to be. She was just diagnosed in Seattle.  Ebola Virus.

Jeffrey squeezes his eyes shut and swallows hard.

JEFFREY:  How - how contagious?

DANNY:  She was in day four when she was here.

JEFFREY: (a whisper) Oh my God. (aloud, to Danny) We - we touched her.

DANNY:  I know.  That's why I ran in here and paged you.  If we were exposed, we need to be quarantined.  This was the closest empty room I could get to.

JEFFREY:  She was exposed in Atlanta?

DANNY:  Ten days ago.  It'll be one or two days before we know whether we were exposed.

JEFFREY:  Well, day four, our hands were in her mouth.

DANNY:  With gloves.  It's airborne too.

JEFFREY:  She was breathing right in our faces.  Who else examined her?

DANNY:  Just the paramedics.  They were quarantined at Cook County.

JEFFREY:  All right.

He paces to the window and looks out of it, tapping his fingers against the sill.  When he turns back to Danny, he is all business.

JEFFREY:  First off, this place is officially sealed.  You and I are gonna spend some time together.  You play cribbage?

DANNY:  What's the progression?

JEFFREY:  Not good.  Seventy percent fatal.  It's incurable.

DANNY:  I'm sure... I'm sure we didn't contract it.

JEFFREY:  I'm sure you're right.

Jeffrey gives him a playful slap on the side of the head and goes to use the phone.  Danny sighs.

DANNY:  God...

OPENING CREDITS

INT. O.R. FOUR - DAY

Guards in bubble suits are sealing off the O.R. from the outside. Jeffrey is on the phone with PHILLIP WATTERS, who is standing on the other side of the window looking in.

PHILLIP:  I'll be back on the phone with Atlanta in 20 minutes. Meanwhile, we've set up a command post in our lab.  I don''t want you leaving this area.

JEFFREY:  Don't worry.  Do me a favor, when you talk to CDC, find out if they got any plasma from survivors, in case we need transfusions.

PHILLIP:  That's premature.

JEFFREY:  Just ask the question.  Also find out the efficacy of IV interferon.  I read once where it was tried.  And get me a cribbage board.

Phillip looks over Jeffrey's shoulder at Danny, who is still pacing nervously.

PHILLIP:  He okay?

Jeffrey looks over his shoulder at Nyland, then turns back to Phillip with a grin.

JEFFREY:  He'll live.  Maybe.

PHILLIP:  I'll be back.

They hang up.  Phillip shuts the blinds and heads down the corridor.

Jeffrey goes back to Danny.

JEFFREY:  Okay, first the bad news.  We got ourselves a beaut.  This virus wiped out entire tribes in Zaire, the Sudan... Probably came to the U.S. through a monkey.  Maybe this is my payback for killing the baboon.

DANNY:  Give me the good news?

JEFFREY:  The woman was here on day seven, not day four.  That makes her less contagious.  Also, the virus does not spread easily.  Odds we got it, low.

DANNY:  How long before we know for sure?

JEFFREY:  Couple of days.  We gotta do our own blood work.  It's too risky to bring in another doctor.  You married?

DANNY:  No.

JEFFREY:  Figures.  Girlfriend, anybody you've been sharing intimate breathing space with?  If so -

A look of panic crosses Danny's face.

DANNY:  Oh no...

JEFFREY:  Yeah.  Make the call. (He holds out the phone to Danny)  Man or woman?

Danny takes the phone and turns his back to Jeffrey, trying to dial in private.  Jeffrey cranes his neck over Danny's shoulder.

INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY

CAMILLE SHUTT is being escorted down the hall by bubble-suited guards.

INT. O.R. FOUR - CONTINUOUS

The guards shove Camille in and slam the door behind her.  She turns immediately to Danny.

CAMILLE:  What have you given me?

Jeffrey can barely contain his delight.

JEFFREY:  You slut!

CAMILLE:  What have you given me?

DANNY:  I've been exposed to a virus.

Camille takes Danny's arm and turns him away, trying to get some privacy from Jeffrey.  Jeffrey merely leans closer.

CAMILLE:  We used a condom for God's sakes, two of them.

DANNY:  It's airborne; the kissing is just as dangerous.

JEFFREY:  Well, maybe you didn't kiss.  Did you pause to?

CAMILLE:  *Please* don't joke.  I would appreciate you not making jokes.  They said it could be fatal.

JEFFREY:  Camille.  It's just a precaution.  As a precaution, it's important -

CAMILLE:  Look.  Can we just say... I really don't want it put out there that, you know, you and I were... out of sensitivity to Aaron?

JEFFREY:  He knows.

CAMILLE:  He knows I had sex, he doesn't know with whom.

JEFFREY:  Well, what's the difference?

CAMILLE:  It'll make a difference!

DANNY:  Look, let's just say you were in on the examination of the Tuckman woman and you were exposed that way.  There's no need to add to the drama, here.

CAMILLE:  Can we do that, Jeffrey?  Please?

Jeffrey shakes his head; appears to be torn.  Finally:

JEFFREY:  Sure.

The door to the O.R. swings open and the guards shove Nurse MAGGIE ATKISSON into the room.

MAGGIE: (to Danny) What have you given me?

DANNY:  I've, um... been exposed to a virus.

Danny pulls Maggie to one side, hoping for a little privacy.

CAMILLE: (to Danny) You pig!

JEFFREY:  Busy pig.

MAGGIE:  (overlapping) Well, what have I got?

DANNY:  Hopefully nothing.  But I need to be quarantined, which unfortunately includes the people that I've been with.

JEFFREY:  Do we need a bigger room?

DANNY:  Could you be someplace else?

JEFFREY:  It's just I need to order food.  Should I be expecting more?

DANNY:  Not from me!

Jeffrey turns and looks at Camille, who lowers her head with a guilty look.

INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY

AARON SHUTT is being escorted down the hall by guards in protective suits.  Phillip, also in protective gear, walks alongside him.

AARON:  I don't believe this!

PHILLIP:  It's just a precaution.  I thought you and Camille were apart.

Aaron shouts so that he can be heard through Phillip's helmet.

AARON:  We are; we kissed after Rabbi Taubler's funeral. This virus does not spread casually, Phillip, you don't need to be wearing that stupid suit.

PHILLIP:  I'd rather be safe, thank you.  This disease is more dangerous than AIDS.

AARON:  Oh, well, that - that cheers me up.

He continues down the hall with the guards.  ALAN BIRCH approaches Phillip in a protective suit that is much too large for him.  His helmet fogs.

ALAN:  Phillip, I want to be heard.  Anybody exposed should be put in a suit immediately for transport.  I want Dr. Shutt put in a suit immediately, and why is my helmet fogging up?  They've given me defective equipment.

PHILLIP:  We'll get suits on everybody.

Phillip walks away.

ALAN:  Your helmet doesn't fog!  Are you breathing through your nose? I'm blinded, Phillip.  Phillip?

Alan, now alone in the corridor, gropes at the air in front of him.

ALAN:  This is unacceptable.

INT. O.R. FOUR - DAY

CAMILLE:  Well, are we gonna die?

JEFFREY:  Nobody's dying.

MAGGIE:  I heard it could be spread through a sneeze, that it came over here through a monkey. (to Danny)  Tell me you didn't have sex with a monkey!

Camille laughs bitterly.

CAMILLE:  He didn't have time!

MAGGIE:  What?

DANNY:  Please!

The door opens and the guards shove Aaron in.  Jeffrey shoots a surprised glance at Camille.

GUARD:  In here, Doctor.

They lock the door behind him.  Aaron gives the guards a dirty look over his shoulder before turning to Camille.

AARON:  Where did you get it, Camille?

CAMILLE: (wheedling) Aaronnn...

AARON:  Never mind "Aaronnn..."  They say we gotta be isolated here for two full days.

Jeffrey steps in, trying to keep order.

JEFFREY:  Hey, look - Don't get yourself all -

Maggie suddenly grabs a basin and begins to moan.

MAGGIE:  I feel nauseous.  I could throw up.  We are going to die.  I mean, I - I just took this job, now I'm exposed to a deadly virus?

DANNY:  (going to her) Take it easy...

CAMILLE:  Don't touch her.  You've done quite enough.

DANNY:  What is that supposed to mean, Camille?

AARON:  He gave it to her?

Jeffrey steps in and takes control.

JEFFREY:  Hey, everybody stay calm.  As of yet, nobody's manifested any symptoms.  The likelihood is we're all completely safe.  We'll do the blood work, remain isolated, in a few days it'll be behind us.  In the meantime, hey - (taps Maggie on the head) nothing is served by panic.  Everybody, just call the people that need to be called, if you haven't already done so.  Otherwise, just sit back and stay calm. Everybody stay calm.

The door swings open again, and the guards push in the next victim, wearing a protective suit.  Everyone stares, trying to figure out who it is.  Finally he removes his headgear - it is ARTHUR THURMOND.

Everyone looks at everyone else.

AARON: (to Maggie) You gotta be kidding me.

MAGGIE: (offended) Don't look at me!

JEFFREY: (to Danny) You little brown nose.

DANNY:  I didn't touch him!

Arthur looks around the room.  His eyes fall on Camille.  Aaron follows his gaze and turns to look at Camille, incredulous.  Camille giggles nervously.

CAMILLE:  It's not what you think.

ARTHUR:  We shared a stick of licorice.  Red.  The chewy kind?

AARON:  Were you two together?

JEFFREY:  I can't picture that.  Which is a blessing, I get vaso-vagal.

CAMILLE:  Jeffrey...

AARON:  Quiet, I want to hear this.

CAMILLE:  We weren't together.

ARTHUR:  Licorice... red.

JEFFREY:  Chewy?

CAMILLE:  Stop it!

AARON:  Jeffrey!

CAMILLE:  I have to tell them, Arthur.  Like you said, it was nothing, so -

ARTHUR: (pointing to Jeffrey) He'll make it something.

CAMILLE:  No, he won't! (she turns to Aaron) Dr. Thurmond passed out last week in the research lab.  I thought he stopped breathing and -

ARTHUR:  Which I didn't.  I just fainted.  It was hypotension, that's all.  Nothing more.

CAMILLE:  I *thought* he wasn't breathing and I started giving him mouth-to-mouth.  That's why I thought maybe if I had the virus, maybe I'd exposed him.

Jeffrey is no longer interested in the virus.  He leans over the gurney to Arthur.

JEFFREY:  You're having fainting spells and you're going into the O.R.?

ARTHUR:  You see?  Told you he'd make something of it.

JEFFREY:  Damn right I am.  What if you go face first into somebody's intestine?

ARTHUR: Oh, don't be ridiculous.

JEFFREY:  (turning to Camille) How the hell can you stay silent?  His episode could cause a patient to die.

CAMILLE:  I stayed silent because he told me it was one isolated incident and I knew you'd be quick to try to take away his scalpel.

Everyone starts arguing at once.

JEFFREY: (to Arthur) How long have you been having these blackouts? How dare you put your patients at risk?  What other symptoms have you been suffering?

ARTHUR: (overlapping) It was just one and I never stopped breathing, she was mistaken.  Don't be making a mountain out of this.

AARON: (overlapping) We really don't need you two yapping at each other -

They are all silenced when the door opens again and another suited figure enters.  All eyes turn to the figure.

He removes his helmet.  It's Phillip Watters.

There is a long pause.

JEFFREY:  Am I the only one in this hospital not having sex?

Aaron turns to Camille accusingly.

CAMILLE:  (protesting) Hey...

Everyone looks at Phillip.  His eyes are on Maggie.  As one, everyone turns and looks at Maggie.  She looks down at her basin.  All heads turn back to Phillip.

ARTHUR:  (with an evil grin) Did you concubine with that nurse, Phillip?

CAMILLE:  She's been here less than a month!  You're Chief of Staff, what in God's name were you thinking of?

PHILLIP:  How I was exposed is none of your concern.

MAGGIE:  He and I were not... together, I, uh... God, it's so embarrassing.  Can you just tell them?

All heads rotate back to Phillip.

PHILLIP:  Certainly.  After the morphine episode with Dr. Antonovich, Nurse Atkisson became nauseated and lightheaded.  As I went to steady her, she had occasion to vomit, unfortunately on me.  It got on my hands, thereby creating the risk of exposure.

Arthur chuckles.

ARTHUR:  Who do you think you're kidding?

INT. OFFICE - DAY

Alan is holding a press conference.  A panicked grin is glued to his face.  A large group of reporters clamor for his attention, shouting questions.

ALAN:  I am in charge.  I am in complete charge.  You... (he gestures towards a reporter.  One is much more vocal than the others, he finally settles on her)  Okay, you!

REPORTER:  How many doctors have been infected, and how did the transmission occur?

ALAN:  No, no known infections, this is simply a precautious quarantine.  Chief of Staff Phillip Watters is included, thereby chain of command, according to hospital by-laws, passes to House Counsel. Uh, no, no, no, no, no.  Chicago Hope continues to be open for business, and uh, I'm in complete charge.  Uh... not to worry, not to worry at all.

He attempts to field more questions.  Reporters shout and wave microphones at him.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

INT. O.R. FOUR - DAY

Food has been brought in.  Everyone is making lunch.  Arthur has taken off his bubble suit.  He's not wearing any pants (maybe they were making a whipping sound?).  Aaron has discarded his lab jacket and tie.

Alan, helmet fogging, is at the window shouting back and forth with Phillip.  Arthur is looking over Phillip's shoulder.

ALAN:  CDC's very encouraged!  Paramedics at Cook County have developed no symptoms.  And their risk of exposure is probably greater.  Uhhh, the Board's a little upset that you're quarantined in the O.R., making the room unavailable, but I have assuaged them on that front.

ARTHUR:  I can't see his face.

Alan rubs some of the condensation away from the inside of his helmet. Phillip shoos Arthur away.

PHILLIP:  All right.  Tell Kadalski not yet, Alan.

ALAN:  Okay.  Everything's under control!

PHILLIP:  I'm sure it is.

Phillip and Arthur walk away from the window.  Alan gropes for assistance back down the hall.

PHILLIP:  All right everybody, pay attention, I don't want to say it twice.  Our period of incubation will be over by Friday.  If we haven't developed symptoms by then, we're clear.

CAMILLE:  What are the symptoms?

PHILLIP:  Could be like the flu - fever, headaches, abdominal pain. Or could be worse - nosebleed, rash.

Jeffrey leans towards Phillip and murmurs under his breath.

JEFFREY:  With all that's been going on, somebody must have a rash.

PHILLIP:  This is not a funny situation.

JEFFREY:  Oh, I lost my head.

PHILLIP:  All right.  Anybody - symptoms?  Hmm?  Good.  All right, after we finish the blood work, we'll do some cultures.  Food and blankets are here.  Temporary toilet facilities have been set up off the scrub room.  Now -

ARTHUR:  I want to see the chart on the Tuckman patient, I want to see her symptoms.

PHILLIP:  I personally reviewed the Tuckman records when she was treated here, I think we're clear there -

ARTHUR:  Forgive me.  My life is on the line, I want to see the chart.

PHILLIP:  You don't trust my opinion?

ARTHUR:  I'm just concerned that you may have been busy that day lecturing senior doctors on how they should stay away from young nurses.

PHILLIP:  I told the truth on how I was exposed.

ARTHUR:  I want to see the chart on the patient.

Danny and Aaron are at the gurney, which has been set up as a buffet for the cold cuts.  Danny leans across Aaron to reach the lunchmeat. Aaron sniffs him.  Recognizing the smell, he leans closer and sniffs again.

DANNY:  What are you doing?

AARON:  (in a quiet but deadly tone) You smell familiar.

Camille sees the exchange and goes into overdrive.

CAMILLE:  Hey!  I have an idea, Phillip!  Your Christmas party was scheduled for tomorrow night, why don't we have it right here?

PHILLIP:  What?

Aaron watches her suspiciously.

CAMILLE:  Well, we, we - we're all together, we could have it here instead of at your house -

AARON:  Why are you acting like that?

CAMILLE:  Acting like what?

AARON:  Like you act when you're hiding something.

CAMILLE:  I just want to have a Christmas party, it's the holidays - what is so wrong with that!

AARON:  (overlapping) You're acting the way you act when you get nervous, and I think you got nervous when I started smelling him!

ARTHUR:  What are they yapping about?

PHILLIP:  I don't know.

Jeffrey waves his sandwich in the air with a big grin.

JEFFREY:  I do!

DANNY:  Please!

CAMILLE:  (overlapping) Never mind!

AARON:  Now, you *say* that you were exposed to the virus by treating the Tuckman patient.

CAMILLE:  I think so, yes.

AARON:  You *think* so.  Well, we're getting the woman's chart.  If you were in on the examination, it'll be reflected in the notes, won't it?

He sniffs Nyland again.

DANNY:  PLEASE don't sniff me!

Camille grabs Aaron by the arm and starts to lead him away.

CAMILLE:  Aaron, may I see you in the scrub room, please?

AARON:  Ohhh, certainly...

They go into the scrub room and shut the door.  Jeffrey watches through the window, then turns back to the rest of the group with a grin.

JEFFREY:  This could be worth the price of the virus right here.  (to Danny)  Bet you'd like to be a little fly on that wall.

DANNY:  Your seniority aside, there's only so much disrespect I'll take from you.

MAGGIE:  (to Danny)  Well, wait - you were with her, too?

DANNY:  It doesn't concern you.

MAGGIE:  Well, before or after me?

DANNY:  (increasingly nervous)  Never mind!

PHILLIP:  (to Maggie)  Was I before or after him?

MAGGIE:  After, but see, I don't know if I was after her, because if I wasn't, then it could be her to him to me to you -

ARTHUR:  (overlapping) I'm confused...

MAGGIE:  (continuous)  I don't know where the mouth-to-mouth comes in, and I heard something about a monkey -

JEFFREY:  (mouth full) The monkey wore a condom.

DANNY:  Quiet!

PHILLIP:  Jeffrey...

INT. SCRUB ROOM - DAY

Aaron is leaning against the sink, enraged.  Camille wrings her hands guiltily.

AARON:  So it was *Nyland*?

CAMILLE:  A one-time thing.  After I dropped Rabbi Taubler's heart, I was upset -

AARON:  I'm going to recommend that you be terminated, Camille.

CAMILLE:  What?

AARON:  Phillip's right, you and I in the same hospital... it's no longer a workable situation.

CAMILLE:  What are you talking about?

AARON:  I have no objections to your having a personal life, but, I mean... to be having one-night stands with other surgeons in this hospital...

CAMILLE:  What about you and Antonovich?

AARON:  That was a different situation.

CAMILLE:  Well, you tell me how it was different!

AARON:  I am Chief of Neurosurgery.  I have a chain of command in this place that is dependent upon my maintaining respect with this staff. I can't have that respect undermined by a promiscuous ex-wife whose sexual escapades serve to humiliate me.

CAMILLE:  You know, the only reason I don't take your head off right now is because those people can see through the glass.

AARON:  You want to take my head off, Camille?  Go ahead.  The truth is, there's nothing you can do to me you haven't already done!

BACK TO THE O.R.

Jeffrey is eating his lunch and watching Camille and Aaron argue. Thurmond watches with him.

JEFFREY:  She's gonna fake to the left, go back up the middle. (Camille fakes left and goes back up the middle)  I saw this on a PBS special.  That's not friendly body language.  You see those little specks of spit coming out of her mouth?  That's hostility.

ARTHUR:  That Nyland fellow slept with them all?

JEFFREY:  I believe so, yep.

ARTHUR:  And I get sued for asking a girl to lunch!

Jeffrey offers him some potato chips; they continue to watch the show.

Maggie approaches Phillip at the table, where he is making himself a sandwich.

MAGGIE:  Look, I'm sorry that they don't believe what really happened.

PHILLIP:  Well, it's not important...

MAGGIE:  Well, it's not my habit to vomit on people, and I just want you to understand, you know, that it was a fluke.

PHILLIP:  What's done is done, hmm?

Satisfied, Maggie walks away.  Phillip looks at his sandwich, now unable to eat.

BACK TO SCRUB ROOM

The Shutts still in mid-argument.

CAMILLE:  So, I'm just at this hospital as your subordinate, is that it, Aaron?

AARON:  As my ex-wife, no.  But as doctor-nurse, yes, you are subordinate.

CAMILLE:  What?  According to who?

AARON:  You want to try your hand at a craniotomy, see if you can pull that off?

CAMILLE:  You want to try your day as a scrub nurse?  You think you could do that?

AARON:  Yeah.  I could.  You're a nurse, Camille.  You're not a rocket scientist, and you're certainly not a brain surgeon!

Pause.  That one hurt.

CAMILLE:  You know what, Aaron, I left you way too soon.  There is so much more to hate about you.  I get the feeling I could have left you for a hundred reasons I haven't even discovered yet.

AARON:  Well, that's one thing about being a quitter, Camille.  One reason is enough.

CAMILLE:  (smiling sarcastically)  Yeah, is that right?

AARON:  Yeah, that's right.  You want to seize on chauvinism as the Issue of the Day, go ahead.  It really doesn't matter to me.  The only thing that matters is that you got unhappy, you chose to lay the blame for it on our relationship, and you checked out.  Did you ever fight for us?  Did you try therapy?  Did you once try to communicate?

CAMILLE:  I'd have to get scheduled for your procedures just to talk to you!

AARON:  That's a lie!  We laid in bed together every night.  If you were upset enough to toss and turn, why not talk?

CAMILLE:  You always wanted to sleep!

AARON:  I WAS HAPPY!  When you're tired and happy, you sleep!  *You* were unhappy, you let it fester!

CAMILLE:  Why couldn't you see that I was unhappy?  Why couldn't you figure out that your neglect made me unhappy?  I mean, maybe I did let it die, Aaron, maybe I didn't fight hard enough.  But you let it die, too!

She turns and walks away from him.

AARON:  I loved you.

In the OR, Arthur puts a glass up to the window so he can eavesdrop better.

CAMILLE:  And still you did nothing.  So what did I have to look forward to?  This was you loving me.  We stopped talking to each other, stopped touching each other, all we had in common was a joint checking account.  And this was you loving me?

Aaron sees Arthur holding the glass up to the window.

AARON:  Hey!  Haven't you got something else to do?

ARTHUR:  (what a stupid question!) No.

Aaron comes back into the O.R. to confront Thurmond.  Camille follows.

AARON:  This is not a sideshow put on for your benefit!

THURMOND:  It certainly is, it's a circus!  Started by Mr. Penishead there!

DANNY:  Hey, you know what, I'm sick and tired of being pimped by everyone around here for no other reason than being young!

ARTHUR:  You think it's so bad being young, try growing old!

AARON:  (overlapping) Aww... You give new meaning to the word "pimp."

Danny takes a step towards Aaron, Phillip holds him back.

DANNY:  Excuse me?

AARON:  Get him outta here!

Aaron makes a move towards Nyland, Jeffrey puts a retraining arm on Aaron's shoulder.

JEFFREY:  All right, come on -

Aaron throws Jeffrey off and wheels on him.

AARON:  Hey hey hey, get your hands off of me!  You know, you're not the only person with a license to go nuts around here, Jeffrey, you just keep your hands off of me.

He thrusts his finger in Jeffrey's face for emphasis.  Jeffrey backs up, hands in the air, hurt and surprised.

JEFFREY:  All right, all right ...

ARTHUR:  Geez, his finger was right there, you could've bitten him.

AARON:  Dr. Thurmond.  Why don't *you* go in the corner and faint?

ARTHUR:  This is a horrible Christmas.

PHILLIP:  All right...

Jeffrey, meanwhile, has cornered Camille.

JEFFREY:  What were you saying to him?

CAMILLE:  It is none of your business, Jeffrey, it has always been none of your business.

JEFFREY:  If it affects this hospital, it becomes my business.

Already frazzled, Camille snaps.  Aaron watches with concern.

CAMILLE:  Enough of for the good of this damn hospital!!

AARON:  Lay off my wife, will ya?

JEFFREY:  She's not your wife, she's your significant ex-other.  If she were really your wife, she'd be creaming you for alimony.

AARON:  (overlapping)  Hey, would you do me a favor and stay out of this - stay out of it, Jeffrey!!

The two nearly come to blows.  Maggie surprises everyone by screaming at them.

MAGGIE:  HEY!!!  Listen to you people!  You're all nuts!  I mean, I come to work at Chicago Hope, and this is supposed to be this great place, and you're all completely CRAZY!

Arthur decides to step in and try to calm her down - probably a bad idea, considering he has no pants on.

ARTHUR:  Excuse me, young lady, your name again is?

MAGGIE:  Maggie Atkisson!

ARTHUR:  Yes, I apologize again, um, who is it here that you slept with?

MAGGIE:  Well, what if I said it was you?  Would you know differently?

ARTHUR:  It's a trick.  It's a trick question, Phillip.  She's a trickster.  I am Dr. Arthur Thurmond.  Don't ever try to trick me.

MAGGIE:  Two weeks ago, I get in trouble because I didn't kill his patient fast enough (indicating Aaron).  Now I could have a fatal disease, and I'm locked in a room with the people who represent the nerve center of the whole hospital, and you're nuts!  You're all NUTS!!

A tap on the window behind her causes her to scream again.  It's the Eel, with a big smile on his face.

ALAN:  Good news!  I've got the piano and my helmet's fixed!

COMMERCIAL BREAK

INT. O.R. FOUR - DAY

Geiger is playing the piano and singing "Somethin' Stupid."  Maggie sings along in an off-key voice and dances nearby.

Aaron is lying on his back on the table.  He has discarded his shoes, and is keeping rhythm with two test tubes.

Nyland walks by with a small Christmas tree.

AARON:  Is that a real tree?

DANNY:  What do you think?

Danny continues by and puts the Christmas tree on the end of the piano.  Arthur walks by and leans over to Aaron in passing.

ARTHUR:  Why don't you smell it?

AARON:  Was I talking to you?

Phillip is ushering the Eel out the door.

ALAN:  Good news from the lab; all the blood tested negative.  They would like some specimens, though.

PHILLIP:  You shouldn't be in this room, Alan.

ALAN:  I'm in my bubble!

PHILLIP:  Out, out, out.

He gets Alan out the door and turns to face the utter chaos in the room.  Maggie's singing grows louder and more off-key, Geiger is laughing and bangs harder on the piano.

PHILLIP:  All right, stop the music.  (no response.  He finally whistles for order.)  STOP THE MUSIC!!

Jeffrey stops playing.  Everyone turns to Phillip.

PHILLIP:  You know, maybe we should send for Ray Kadalski.  I know that the fear of death can make people agitated, and the way we've been acting -

DANNY:  It has nothing to do with fear of death, sir; in this situation, fear of living could be more stressful.

JEFFREY:  What a profound thought, it should come with bubble gum.

DANNY:  Go to hell!

Dangerous silence.

DANNY:  Maybe that came out of fear of death.

JEFFREY:  Fear of getting fired should be more of a concern.

PHILLIP:  All right!  Now, that's enough, that's enough.  Obviously this little group has some demons to exorcise.  Maybe there's an odd blessing to this quarantine.  Since we're all stuck in here together, why don't we put this to some therapeutic purpose?

ARTHUR:  Now I'm going to puke.

Phillip pulls up a stool and sits down, facing the group.

PHILLIP:  This is an order from your Chief of Staff.  Now, everyone has immunity; there's no threat of retaliation.  You have stuff on your mind, say it now.

No one says anything.

PHILLIP:  Mr. Nyland, you seem particularly motivated, you start.  Go on, go on.

Danny hesitates.

DANNY:  Well, first off, I don't believe for a second the part about no retaliation.  He (pointing to Geiger) likes to grind my stones for sport, God help me if I should antagonize him.

JEFFREY:  All right, then, let me start.  Complaint number one, there isn't a single resident in this place with any stones.  They're all obsequious, cowering little sycophants who would rather suction my drool with their tongues than stand up to me.  (grins at Nyland) 'Kay, your turn now.

Danny grins back at him, ready to attack.

DANNY:  All right, I'll go.  Jeffrey Geiger breeds malice, oozes contempt, and until he finds some peace with himself, he's a liability to this hospital.  Dr. Thurmond, the legend, if only he was cared as much about saving his patients as he does his reputation.

ARTHUR:  You say that again and I'll sue you.

DANNY:  Dr. Watters, gifted hands, great mentor, but tolerates his (points to Jeffrey) childishness and forgives his (points to Arthur) waning skills.  You send the message that the surgeons come first.

PHILLIP:  I have never sent that message.

CAMILLE:  Yes, you do, Phillip; it's all about the surgeons in your department.  You coddle them.  How on earth could he (also indicating Jeffrey) get away with the way he acts without your tacit approval?

JEFFREY:  (with a surprised grin) Hey, how's this about me?

CAMILLE:  This is also the most blatantly chauvinistic institution I' ve ever seen, it's a boy's club!  And if a woman surgeon ever gets ahead here, it's because she acts like one of the guys.

JEFFREY:  That's crap.  Name me one woman surgeon who shares that opinion.

CAMILLE:  (unhesitatingly)  Karen Antonovich.

JEFFREY:  Dead, doesn't count.  Name a live one.

CAMILLE:  You see that?  Look what goes on here!  During a bypass, he comes on to Winslow with a toilet fetish!

JEFFREY:  (total innocence) She accepted.

CAMILLE:  In surgery he hits on women with "Hey, I'm prone to sexual harassment, here I come," and gets away with it.  Dr. Thurmond fires a nurse, then asks her out on a date.  He's already being sued.

ARTHUR:  I have a motion to dismiss pending.

JEFFREY:  What?  These women lack the capacity to say yes?  There's an argument for equality.

CAMILLE:  These women know that to get along, you go along.

AARON:  Is that why you ended up with Dr. Nyland?

Pause.  He's got her there.

JEFFREY:  I'd like to hear the response.

CAMILLE:  You want my response, Jeffrey?  I'll give it to you.

She gets off the supply cart that she's been sitting on and faces Jeffrey.

CAMILLE:  The chauvinism in this hospital is so pervasive, it killed my marriage.  I lost my husband to another man.  That man is you.

JEFFREY:  I beg your pardon?

Aaron sits up, astonished.

AARON:  What?

THURMOND:  Are they homosexuals, Phillip?  Not that they don't have rights, they throw a lovely parade.

CAMILLE:  They're not gay, Dr. Thurmond, they're just best friends. The camaraderie of the surgeons, the male bonding... I just couldn't compete with it.

Aaron is stupefied.

AARON:  Well, *there* is an excuse that shatters all records.

CAMILLE:  It's true.  Anything fundamental that happened to you - call Jeffrey.  Something torturing you, you couldn't wait to tell him.  I slowly became an accessory, Aaron, we both know that; someone to hand you a scalpel at work and a napkin at home.

AARON:  Well, once again, Camille, you manage to locate blame in the most convenient of places.  Maybe I started talking to him because you stopped talking to me!

CAMILLE:  No.  With every day you lived within these walls, this veil went up.  And after awhile, I just couldn't pierce it anymore, couldn' t reach you as my husband.  I promise you, it was you, not me. Because you don't know how I cried over it.  And I'd see you with him, the way you share, and laugh... I lost you to him.

Camille turns back to Jeffrey.

CAMILLE:  All this anger at you, the truth is I probably owe you an apology.  I mean, much of my disgust you deserve, your behavior is usually repulsive, but a lot of my anger... I'm jealous.  I wish he loved me the way he loves you, and I'm jealous.

On the verge of tears, Camille returns to her seat.  Jeffrey and Aaron exchange glances.

Arthur stands up and moves towards Camille.

ARTHUR:  You lost your husband to this hospital, young lady.  He lost himself.  You play God on a daily basis long enough, you forget how to be human.  Let's face it, how many surgeons are any different?  Oh, we roll out the bedside manner for our patients, but we put our hands in people's insides every day, holding vital organs.  To function we have to think of ourselves as Godlike.  If we admit we're fallible, we're lost.  This man (indicating Aaron) can make the dead come back to life.  It's miraculous.  But it robs him, too.  The smell of a flower - where's the wonder?  Hold a brain in your hand, the smile of a child simply fades.  I've saved over a thousand people, people living today only because of me.  I have *three* friends, if I'm lucky.  I don't know my grandchildren, never knew my own kids.  He has no choice, young lady.  No choice.

Overcome with emotion, Arthur returns to his seat.

AARON:  I don't believe that.  I can't believe that.  I won't end up not knowing my own kids.  I won't end up like you.

CAMILLE:  You're forty years old, Aaron.  You don't even have a wife, let alone kids.  You'll probably never have a family; you'll never take the time.

Silence.

MAGGIE:  Why is it I feel, I don't know... being quarantined with a fatal disease should somehow be more fun?

JEFFREY:  All right.  Is it my turn to speak?  It really feels like my turn.

PHILLIP:  Go.

JEFFREY:  Thank you.  First off, let me say how sorry I am for you people.  What with the homeless and the stuff going on in Bosnia, even the patients I see every day, I lost sight of the true victims in society, which happen to be you.  Beginning with the unfortunate Dr. Nyland, Yale bred, silver spoon stuffed deep into his esophagus.  He now has to treat sick people while the people here aren't nice to him. I - I should say the senior surgeons aren't nice; the nurses seem to be extremely supportive.

DANNY:  See, this is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about -

JEFFREY:  Problem is, I'm talking now.  (Nyland shuts up.)  This is a hospital.  This is not a company that likes to give points for treating the personnel well.  This is by necessity a cruel place.  We bust your ass to make you a better doctor, and you know what?  You might one day be the best doctor.  Doesn't change a thing.  Because as soon as you're not, this place will be just as cruel all over again. You don't believe that?  You ask him.

He thrusts an arm in the direction of Dr. Thurmond.

JEFFREY:  (back to Nyland)  You wanna be treated nice?  You go work at Wal-Mart.

He looks around the room, then settles on Camille.

JEFFREY:  And you?  Blaming this hospital for killing your marriage, blaming me?  Grow the hell up.  As cruel as this institution is, marriage is a much tougher one.  It takes work, it's a lot of work, lady.  And even if you work as hard as you can every damn day, there's no guarantee your wife won't snap and drown your child anyway.  Bottom line:  he loves you, more than life.  Trust me on that.  Maybe it's not enough to make it work, but it should be enough to prevent you from walking out the door.  And I will not apologize for me loving him, or him loving me.  That's probably my deepest joy.

He turns his focus to Aaron.

JEFFREY:  And you... as much as I love you, I'm getting tired of your moping.  You want to complain - heck, that goes for all of you.  We could go to work in a bank.  Sit pleasantly next to our co-workers for forty years and never know them. We come to this place, we see each other raw every day, our guts are hanging out - that's not misery, that makes us *lucky*.  I don't give a damn how much tumult and antagonism there is, it's life, we're deep into it every day, and I feel lucky to be here.  I'm not buying into any of your despair.  Go see what's out there.  Talk to your patients.  See what real people are up against, and then complain.  You're a bunch of spoiled babies. Every one of you.

A pause.  The staff reacts.

DANNY:  You know, that was a very impressive speech, Dr. Geiger.  It might even make us lose sight of the real truth that you cause most of the antagonism around here, and it doesn't make us feel lucky at all. And no doubt you feel good about yourself, that's pretty obvious, but it doesn't change the fact that you're the most hated surgeon in this joint, and some of us other doctors have to pick up the people you leave in pieces.

JEFFREY:  Is that what you do with your nurses?  Damage control?

DANNY:  If they're coming to me, don't you wonder why?

Danny walks away from Geiger.  Aaron hops off the table and blocks his way.

AARON:  What's that supposed to mean?

DANNY:  I was talking to him.

AARON:  Well, talk to me.

DANNY:  Talk to your wife, then she wouldn't be needing me.

Aaron backhands Nyland in the mouth; Nyland stumbles back against the wall.

CAMILLE:  Aaron!

Maggie and Phillip go to Danny's aid; his nose is bleeding.

CAMILLE:  What the hell's wrong with you?

PHILLIP:  Hey, hey...

ARTHUR:  He's got the virus, see?  His nose is bleeding.

PHILLIP:  Shut up, Arthur.  (turns to Aaron) Now, you listen to me.

AARON:  No, I won't listen to you!  I'm tired of you jumping in as referee trying to legislate everything.  I don't listen to you, Phillip, you know why?  Because you're not a real person.

JEFFREY:  Aaron -

AARON:  (viciously) You shut up too!  (back to Phillip)  You glide around here on this even keel, so poised, so unflappable, always ready to step in and help somebody out - isn't that ironic that's why you ended up in this room?  You caught her and she puked on you.  Well, there's plenty more vomit where that came from, Phillip.  Life is not lived on an even keel, okay, we explode!  See that, I just punched a guy!  Maybe I punched the wrong guy.

PHILLIP:  You want to take a swing at me?  Oh, please. You know, I come here every day, trying to be a rudder to you prima donnas.  You don't know the frustration I have to bottle up inside.  I would love to blow.  I go to bed and pray somebody will take a swing at me and give me the opportunity.  Do me the biggest favor known to man, Aaron. Swing at me.  I would *love* to lose it.  G'ahead.  C'mon, first shot. Hmm?

The two stare at each other.

CAMILLE:  Maybe we should all sing a song.

A pause.  No one breathes.  Aaron looks about ready to back down (good thing, too, Phillip could take him apart).  Arthur takes a step towards Phillip, then staggers, clutching his heart.

JEFFREY:  Dr. Thurmond.

Arthur collapses against Aaron and Phillip.

PHILLIP:  Arthur!  Get him up -

JEFFREY:  Get him on the table.

Aaron, Phillip and Jeffrey lift Arthur up and stretch him out on the table.  Danny adjusts the overhead lamp and turns it on, Maggie and Camille scramble for equipment and gloves.

DANNY:  Get him on an EKG; get an IV set up!

JEFFREY:  Give me a stethoscope.  Let's take his pressure, let's get a monitor on him right now.  Come on, let's go, let's go!  Gimme scissors.

Maggie grabs a pair of scissors and hands them over.

JEFFREY:  Here ya go.

Danny brings the crash cart.  Jeffrey cuts open Arthur's T-shirt and listens for a heartbeat.

DANNY:  A tourniquet, Maggie.

Aaron and Phillip administer oxygen; Phillip speaks soothingly in Arthur's ear.

PHILLIP:  Stay calm, stay calm.

JEFFREY:  Somebody get ready to hang some nitro.

PHILLIP:  You'll be okay, Arthur.  You just lay calm, now, just lay calm.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

INT. O.R. FOUR - NIGHT

Arthur is conscious and protesting further treatment.

ARTHUR:  This is not necessary.

JEFFREY:  Yes, you keep saying that.  I have these funny rituals when people have heart attacks.  (taking the EKG readout from Danny)  Can I see the readout, Doctor?  I hope that wasn't too harsh.

DANNY:  Bite me.

CAMILLE:  Grow up.

JEFFREY:  Just trying to maintain a reputation.

ARTHUR:  How fitting that I should die in this hospital.

JEFFREY:  You're not gonna die, Doctor, too many premiums would go up.

ARTHUR:  If I do die, Phillip, I want you to speak at my funeral.  It was always my hope to speak at yours.

PHILLIP:  I appreciate that.

DANNY:  All right, Doctor, one more for blood gas.

Jeffrey steps away from the table, nodding at Phillip to follow him. They head for the scrub room.

INT. SCRUB ROOM - NIGHT

Jeffrey and Phillip enter and close the door behind them.

PHILLIP:  Yeah.

JEFFREY:  I'm willing to do this.  But we may be looking at an angioplasty.

PHILLIP:  Okay.

JEFFREY:  True, Phillip?  I'm the most hated guy here?

PHILLIP:  Well... with Hackett dying.

Jeffrey manages a rueful grin.

JEFFREY:  I don't need to be loved by everybody, I admit.  But to be hated... that's not a goal, either.

PHILLIP:  Well, sometimes hate is just misplaced fear.

JEFFREY:  All these profundities and still no bubble gum?  (beat)  I'd love to be a resident again.  I'd love to have somebody backing me up. Nobody's backing me up, Phillip.  That's not easy.  I'm alone.  They got people coming in after them, nobody comes in after me.

Phillip reaches out to pat Jeffrey's arm; Jeffrey pulls away and goes to the sink to scrub.

JEFFREY:  No, no, no.  They think it's easy, it's not.  It's not easy.

BACK TO O.R.

Aaron is sitting on the piano bench.  Camille joins him.  Aaron doesn' t look at her.

CAMILLE:  You okay?

AARON:  You wanna talk to me, get yourself scheduled for one of my procedures.

CAMILLE:  Kill yourself.

She starts to get up; Aaron grabs her arm and pulls her back onto the bench.

AARON:  Hey.  You're a *liar*.  You were just as consumed by your job as I was mine.  You flew up through the nursing ranks, Camille, the job, the patients...  You were every bit as taken as me, I mean - how dare you?   The jobs were intoxicants to both of us.

CAMILLE:  Until I woke up one day and realized it wasn't enough.  I turned to you and you weren't there.  You had forgotten how to be there.

AARON:  It takes two to forget, Camille.  It takes two.

The monitor sounds the flatline.

DANNY:  Dr. Thurmond?  Dr. Thurmond?  He's going into shock - Dr. Geiger!

Aaron joins Danny at the table.  Jeffrey and Phillip come out of the scrub room; Aaron grabs the scope from around Jeffrey's neck and listens to Arthur's chest while Jeffrey starts compressions.

JEFFREY:  Probably having an inferior MI.  Got it.  Nyland, get some dopamine and isuprel.

DANNY:  (to Maggie)  Dopamine and isuprel.

AARON:  His lungs are wet.

JEFFREY:  We gotta do a bypass.  Someone get an anesthesiologist in here.

Camille prepares the drape and gets gloves for Jeffrey.

PHILLIP:  (eyes on the monitor) We're losing him.

JEFFREY:  I gotta go in.

PHILLIP:  I'll do the anesthesia.

CAMILLE:  You know how?

PHILLIP:  I know how, let's go.  He's fibrillating.  Come on, Arthur, it's Christmas.

JEFFREY:  Keep ventilating.  Paddles?

Aaron charges up the paddles while Jeffrey continues chest compression.

AARON:  Clear.

Everyone clears; Aaron shocks Thurmond with the paddles.

DANNY:  Nothing.

Jeffrey gloves up.

JEFFREY:  Give him lidocaine, hit him again.

AARON:  Again, clear.

He shocks Thurmond again.

DANNY:  No, he's flattening out.

Jeffrey steps in.

JEFFREY:  Scalpel.

Camille passes the scalpel to him.

MAGGIE:  What about masks?

JEFFREY:  Get the saw.

AARON:  (to Maggie) Forget it, we've already broken the field.

Camille scrambles to get the surgical saw.  Jeffrey makes the first incision.

PHILLIP:  Christmas, Arthur.  Hark the herald angels sing.

JEFFREY:  (to Camille, re: the saw)  Plug it in.  You got the pedal by me?

Aaron helps Camille with the saw.

AARON:  Yeah.

CAMILLE:  Yes.

JEFFREY:  Where is it?

AARON:  Right there.

CAMILLE:  It's right there underneath your feet.

Jeffrey tries the saw, it's not working yet.  He still can't find the foot pedal.

JEFFREY:  Fire it up.  I'm not - I can't find it, please.

DANNY:  Right there.

CAMILLE:  It's right there by your feet.

Apparently everyone can find the pedal but Jeffrey.  Finally he finds it.  At about the same time, Aaron gets the saw plugged in.

AARON:  There you go, you're hooked up.

JEFFREY:  All right.

He fires up the saw and cuts into Arthur's chest.

AARON:  Get the hell in there, Jeffrey.

JEFFREY:  I'm getting there.  Retractor.

He hands off the saw and puts the retractor in place.  He and Danny expose Arthur's heart.

PHILLIP:  Arthur Thurmond, you stay here.

JEFFREY:  Turn his ribs up.  Come on.

He reaches in and gives Arthur heart massage.

JEFFREY:  Paging Dr. Thurmond.  Come on, Arthur.  This muscle feels good.  Come on.

PHILLIP:  I'm getting nothing.

JEFFREY:  Come on, Arthur, come on.  Come on.  I got my hands in your guts.  If you've got that virus, I could get it.  I don't want it to be for nothing.

Jeffrey continues the heart massage.  He looks at the monitor.  Still no change.

JEFFREY:  Come on... COME ON!!

That seems to do the trick.  The monitor beeps out a normal sinus rhythm.  Everyone laughs in relief, except Jeffrey, who reacts with mild surprise.

JEFFREY:  There ya go.

PHILLIP:  (his voice shaking) You old fart.  When you wake up, I'll kill ya for this, I'll kill ya!

AARON:  (eyes on monitor)  That's a good pulse, he's stabilizing.

JEFFREY:  (to Danny)  Doctor, put your hands in, keep pumping.  Do it gently.

Danny reaches gingerly into Arthur's chest and puts his hand around his heart.

DANNY:  Got it.

JEFFREY:  Sure?

DANNY:  I got it.

They switch off; Danny takes over the heart massage.

JEFFREY:  Okay, let's get ready to put him on bypass.  Let's get the equipment over here.  (sings softly)  "I know I stand in line until you think you have the time to spend an evening with me..."

Gradually everyone joins in on the song.  Camille taps two clamps together to keep rhythm; Aaron whistles.  Phillip and Danny hum.

JEFFREY:  "And if we go someplace to dance, I know that there's a chance you won't be leaving with me..."

Maggie, over at the shelving unit, gets caught up in the song and sings in her loud, strident voice.

MAGGIE:  "AND AFTERWARDS WE DROP INTO A QUIET LITTLE PLACE AND HAVE A DRINK OR TWO - "

She breaks off when she finds that the entire surgical team has stopped what they're doing to stare at her.  Embarrassed, she turns back to the shelves.

After a moment, the team returns their attention to Arthur.

EVERYONE:  "And then I go and spoil it all by saying somethin' stupid like I love you..."

FADE TO:  INT. O.R. - LATER

Finishing up the operation.  Drs. Geiger and Nyland are drenched in sweat.  Everyone is exhausted.

PHILLIP:  Where are we?

JEFFREY:  No more bleeders.  Ready to close.  Camille, you've been here too long.  Take ten.

CAMILLE:  I'm all right -

JEFFREY:  Rest.  Atkisson, step in.

Maggie relieves Camille, who heads for the scrub room.

JEFFREY:  (to Maggie)  Do not puke on this patient.

DANNY:  Suction here.  Right over there.  Good.

Jeffrey leans over to Phillip.

JEFFREY:  This kid's good.

PHILLIP:  Why don't you tell him that?

JEFFREY:  Not a chance. Danny, having heard every word, looks up briefly at Phillip, then concentrates on closing again.

INT. SCRUB ROOM - DAY

Aaron is just coming out of the toilet facilities as Camille enters.

AARON:  Might want to, um... light a match.

Camille laughs lightly.  Aaron goes to the sink to wash his hands.

AARON:  Listen, I'm sorry.  I know I've been acting kind of crazy.  I don't know, the thought of you with another man...

Camille shrugs, but doesn't meet his eye.

CAMILLE:  It's okay.

Aaron dries his hands.

AARON:  You remember all that stuff that you said at Rabbi Taubler's funeral, about anger being buried love?  Do you remember that?

CAMILLE:  Yeah.

AARON:  I think that's what's been going on here.  I didn't mean half the crap I said, and punching Nyland... well, *that* I meant.

It's an effective tension-breaker; they both laugh.

CAMILLE:  Well, it's understandable.  The thought of me being with another man, that has to make you upset.  I mean, it's unthinkable, really, me being with anybody else.

Aaron nods.  It takes him a moment to realize what she's just said.

AARON:  What are you saying?

CAMILLE: (a whisper) I want to come back.

AARON:  Is - is this because of, uh... Christmas?  I mean, I - I know people get lonely this time of year, is it...

CAMILLE:  Because I can't live without you, Aaron.  I know that we have a lot of work to do, I won't even go so far as to say that I'm confident, but... I love you.  (she starts to cry)  I could never love anybody the way that I love you.  And I want to come home.

Aaron smiles, nearly in tears himself, and embraces her.  They kiss. Jeffrey enters, throwing them a cursory glance.

JEFFREY:  Hey, what are you doin'?  Come on.

Aaron and Camille cease kissing, but keep their arms around each other.  Jeffrey steps up to the sink and scrubs.

JEFFREY:  He's off bypass.  Did it without you.

AARON: (quietly) We're getting back.

Jeffrey turns around, drying his hands.

JEFFREY:  What?

AARON:  You heard me.  Go ahead, say something smart.

Long silence as Jeffrey stares at him.

JEFFREY:  Thank God.  That smart enough?  (he looks at Camille)  So I get to be nice to you again?

CAMILLE:  (laughing)  And I could use it!

Jeffrey leans in and kisses her on the cheek.

JEFFREY:  So could I.  Welcome back, Camille.  (he pats Aaron on the chest on his way out of the scrub room.)  Welcome back. He leaves them alone.  Aaron kisses the top of Camille's head; they embrace again.

INT. BIRCH'S OFFICE - DAY

Alan is holding a press conference, holding up a calendar.

ALAN:  One more day.  By this time tomorrow night, we may be able to lift the quarantine. REPORTER:  What's been going on down there?

ALAN:  It's pretty uneventful, really.  They're cooped up, they're bored.  Lot of card playing, uh, some Scrabble.

REPORTER:  Not even any cabin fever?

ALAN:  No, no, no.  These are seasoned professionals.  They're well-versed in crisis.  They're handling this with the typical poise that reflects the cool calm of Chicago Hope Hospital.  Control and excellence.  They're both systemic to Chicago Hope.

Alan leans back in his chair authoritatively, beginning to enjoy being in charge.  His chair hits a metal object which falls to the floor with a loud crash.

ALAN:  (loudly)  That's not gonna change with me in charge!  Cool and calm.  I'm in charge.

A few journalists exchange amused looks.  Alan points to another reporter.

ALAN:  So... you.

INT. O.R. FOUR - NIGHT

Sweeping panoramic shot takes in the quarantined staff members in varying states of exhaustion.  The piano plays softly.

Aaron is seated on a table, head back against the window, asleep. Camille is cuddled up with her head in his lap.

Danny is leaning against some equipment, asleep on his feet.  Maggie dozes in the chair in front of him.

Phillip snoozes on a stool next to the gurney, where Arthur stirs awake.  He mumbles, waking Phillip.

PHILLIP:  It's all right, Arthur.  I'm right here, I'm right here.  We had to do a bypass, but everything went fine.

ARTHUR:  Who did it?  Not Penishead.

PHILLIP:  Dr. Penishead assisted, but Geiger did it.  You'll be up on your feet in a week; you can expect a full recovery.

ARTHUR:  What about the virus?

PHILLIP:  Still no symptoms.  I think we're okay.

ARTHUR:  Speak for yourself.  It's been a horrible day.

Jeffrey is revealed at the piano, playing "Silent Night."

FADE OUT

END OF SHOW

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