Previously on Gideon's Crossing: We establish that this is a teaching hospital. Ben says that the new technology can be wonderful, but sometimes doctors hide behind it. We establish that Max is the head of the hospital, and Ben makes a crack about the workings of said hospital. Ben lectures to a group of interns, and tells them that they have graduated medical school, and now it is time to learn how to do their jobs. The chief resident, Boies, is afraid of incompetence. Ollie and Sid are roommates. Ollie flirts with married-since-high-school Wyatt, a.k.a. Hapless Intern, a.k.a. Carter. Ben offers up the Zen koan, "A doctor is always in control, except when he's not." Hey, what about the female doctors?
Ben banters with a woman named Becky. Get used to the bantering -- it happens a lot. Apparently, Becky called him to get a prescription, "something for the pain," and Ben wants to discuss her pain more. Becky just wants to get the prescription and get out. Ben says he never said she was a complainer, and that he's a good listener. Becky says she's not one of those people who "gazes through the drizzle on [her] kitchen window with her flavored coffee, musing at the irony of it all." That was a pretty good line. Becky says she has a life, and Ben reveals that she is facing a "reoccurrence of breast cancer." Becky is looking awfully familiar to me, so I look her up in the IMDb, and it turns out she played Carrie Brady back when I was in college and used to watch Days Of Our Lives. And she was also Laura Kingman on -- you know, the one who was crazy, and nearly killed herself in the theater, back when Brenda was becoming an actress? Yeah, that girl. Anyway, Ben reveals that Becky is refusing treatment, and Becky reveals that she lost a breast at twenty-six. It's the first scene of the show -- there's a lot of revealing. It's less heavy-handed than I'm describing it here. Ben writes out the prescription and asks where Becky teaches. She says it's a "little school in East Cambridge -- three- and four-year-olds." Ben gives her a prescription for morphine, and starts to explain the dosage and side effects, but Becky says that she knows about "all the side effects from [her] Tao healer." Ben casts aspersions on the "Tao healer," but Becky is walking out of the office. Ben follows her to argue that "good chemotherapy" can "keep this cancer at bay." Becky observes that "good chemotherapy" is like "benign neglect or love handles" -- that is, an oxymoron. I knew that English degree would come in handy some day. Becky refuses the treatment, saying that she already tried it once. Ben says there have been new drugs developed "in the four years since [her] cancer first appeared." Becky says, "I didn't refuse treatment. I refused treatment from you." Ben looks taken aback. Becky continues, "The Tao has powers beyond what Western medicine has ever imagined." Isn't that a line from Star Wars? Becky says that she thinks the Tao will heal her, and walks off. Credits. Yes, all that happened before the credits. I know.
Ben is lecturing. He informs the students that in the past ten years, a revolution has taken place in medicine, not just in technology, but in the relationship between patient and doctor. He calls on Cherry, who says that ten years ago, patients used to listen to their doctors and now the doctors work for the patients. The two banter about the doctor's role, and Cherry concludes that now, "the patient decides." Ben counters that this is the same patient "whose lifetime of bad decisions," like drinking or smoking, has brought him to this place. Cherry gulps and says, "You don't judge." Ben goes on to ask if, when a patient arrives with some "third-hand lunacy foraged from an Internet chat room," the doctor should let twenty years of education and experience get in the way. Cherry, getting less sure of his footing with each answer, replies, "Absolutely not." Ben keeps belaboring the point, and Cherry says that Ben's not going to get him to disagree. Ben asks, "Why should the patient decide?" Wyatt pipes up, "It's his life." Ben says that if the patient wanted to "treat mental illness with a .44 Magnum," the doctor would say no. But if the patient wants to treat cancer with herbs and a Tao healer? Wyatt continues to disagree. Ben says that when his father was a doctor, he would command his patients, "You do as I say." Wyatt thinks that is "an abuse of the relationship." Ben think it's what a friend does, "oversteps his bounds." Have I mentioned the natural light flooding the lecture hall? I didn't think there was this much natural light in Boston, ever.
Ollie and Sid banter (see?) about his date last night, and if Ollie left any food for him. She left chili on the stove -- the same chili Sid made two nights ago. Haven't these people heard of refrigeration, for God's sack? They're doctors -- they should know the dangers of bacteria. Ollie walks off while telling Sid they could use some milk. Boies walks up and says to Sid, "You reject a man's chili, you reject the man." I really don't get the relationship between Sid and Ollie. They're roommates. He has a crush on her? She's not interested? I need some backstory, people!
Ben tells his administrative assistant that she should cancel the ethics committee meeting. There's banter. She cancels it.
Ollie is treating a middle-aged gentleman who is suffering from fatigue, headaches, and itching. He also comes home "so grouchy, [his] wife is ready for a divorce." Ollie says that will never happen, since a woman knows a good thing when she sees one. Wyatt looks up, startled. Is Ollie flirting with the guy? Is Wyatt jealous? Damn it, I'm not used to subtlety! Ollie hears a "slight wheeze" in his lungs, and the guy says it's been happening "since they moved us into that new building." I think this guy is supposed to have a Bostonian accent, but it's not working. It fades in and out. Ollie exchanges a look with Wyatt and notes the building information on the chart.
Ben meets with Becky's Tao healer. Ben tries to intimidate him with his (admittedly impressive) credentials. Tao Healer muses that if he hadn't gone to India, he'd be in Ben's spot right now. Tao Healer went to India as an undergrad, and when he got back, he withdrew all his medical school applications. Ben says India has "a shortage of doctors" and Tao Healer says the U.S. has too many, and that he's always "contending with the failures of doctors." Ben asks if Becky is a doctors' failure. Tao Healer says that Becky is "so much more than her illness," and Ben counters, "Not if it kills her, she isn't." Tao Healer tries to drop some non-science on Ben, who thinks Becky's cancer needs to be treated aggressively. Tao Healer offers, "The healer unifies. The physician divides." Ben replies, "And the quack?" Whoo! Ben, don't hold your tongue or anything. Tao Healer protests that his master's is from Yale, and that he is a licensed psychologist. Ben threatens to get his license pulled for a lot of big words that boil down to "quackery." Tao Healer says he listens to Becky. More banter about Eastern versus Western medicine. Ben wants Tao Healer to tell Becky to accept medical treatment. Tao Healer doesn't tell Becky what to do. Ben says that he knew if he pushed Becky too hard, he would scare her off, so he's trying to scare Tao Healer off instead. Ben ends the meeting with a threat. Hmm, maybe not so wise.
The guy who played Hubby on Freakylinks last week is a patient now. What, do these people follow me around? I'm getting a complex here. Anyway, he's having a penis problem. Apparently, he has an erection. All of the time. For two weeks. So, he is christened Boner Guy. He won't let Wyatt examine him, and he wants to see a specialist. Wyatt tries to figure out if it's physical or psychological, but Boner Guy won't let him look. Wyatt suggests "draining the blood with a needle," and, well, you can imagine what Boner Guy's response is to that.
Ollie is telling Boies that her middle-aged patient reminds her of her father. She suspects sick building syndrome, even though all of the tests have been negative. Boies is skeptical, and thinks it's nothing. Ollie feels like she's letting her patient down. Boies jokes that he's disappointed in her empathy. Ollie says her patient is the guy who takes your picture at the DMV. Boies cracks that he "deserves to die." Nice.
Ollie runs into the lab and asks Sid for a favor. He's having none of it. She brings up some sort of "candy striper" incident, and Sid denies any knowledge of what she is talking about, repeating, "Nothing happened." And yes, there is bantering. Now we know where all of the writers for Sports Night went when that show got cancelled. If there were any writers besides Aaron Sorkin. Anyway, Ollie finally says, "She wrote you a letter," which gets Sid's attention. Apparently he gave the candy striper Ollie's name, and she wrote a letter. Anyway, Ollie wants her patient's blood tested for some specific bacteria, and she doesn't want to wait three weeks. Sid does it. Montage of medical lab equipment. Yes, it's fascinating. And a nice break for my wrists.
Ben asks his assistant if Becky rescheduled her appointment, and the assistant reveals that Becky is going to find another doctor. Ben heaves a heavy sigh and quotes Shakespeare, "'Now boast thee death, in thy possession lies a lass unparalleled.'" Hey, I think I want someone to say that at my funeral. Someone make a note of that. Although hopefully I won't die at a point when I could still be called a lass. The assistant notes that Ben is "very defeatist," and Ben says sadly that he is "just getting warmed up."
Becky pours paint into little cups at her preschool. Ben comes in and offers her a muffin, which she refuses because of the fat content. She goes on to say that she is actually busy, even though it may not look like much. Ben came there to apologize, and he sits and start pouring paint, which he apparently does wrong, as Becky grabs it away from him. I'm not sure how you could pour paint incorrectly, and Becky doesn't tell us. Ben wants to know what he did wrong. Not about the paint, about being her doctor. Becky says he's "not listening" to her. Hmm, seems to be somewhat of a theme this week, no? Doctors don't listen. Ben thinks that by "listen," Becky means "agree." Ben wants to help her continue her work with the children. Becky says that chemotherapy didn't help her mother or her aunt, and it gave her some terrible side effects. Ben talks about how he is a scientist, and also that he's "not [her] other doctors." Becky says that scientists should be open-minded. Before Ben can conjure up some more banter, the children arrive.
Sid and Ollie look at a computer screen, which tells them that Ollie's patient's blood was positive for that bacteria. Now, Ollie is telling Ben about the fungus, and that she thinks it is growing in the building, which is privately owned. Ben asks if any others are sick, and Ollie says she wants to do a study. Ben urges her to call the CDC, but Ollie doesn't think people will talk to the CDC because they will be "scared of losing their jobs." Ben says decisively, "What I want is for you do this properly." Ollie raises her eyebrows and turns away, muttering, "Bossy boss with the hot sauce." I swear to God that's what she said. No, I don't know either. Ben turns away and says, "Boy, did that go good." Okay, I refuse to believe that this man can quote Shakespeare, and yet he doesn't know enough to say that it "went well."
Wyatt and Boner Guy are walking down the hall. Boner Guy is carrying a hatbox to cover his, well, boner. Boner Guy reveals that his problem went away and came back. Wyatt says they are just getting started, and Boner Guy is worried that he will still have his problem at his "adoption hearing on Tuesday." He and his wife have been trying to adopt for eighteen months. Wyatt doesn't understand what the hearing has to do with the problem. Boner Guy demonstrates telling the judge how much he loves children. He really loves children. They should give him a child. Wyatt gets it.
Max, Ben, and the two kids sit on the couch and watch baseball. Max and Ben discuss baseball. Ben's nanny comes into the room. Ben complains that Becky said he was a bad listener. Max thinks Ben is a good listener, and that women just think men are bad listeners. Ben asks his nanny if she thinks women are better listeners. The nanny says that "most women feel like they are not listened to." Ben points out that she is "talking about a subjective feeling." The nanny says coolly, "Then, don't ask," and walks away. Max says Ben is "entering Apache territory." I don't even know what that means. Did I mention everyone but Max is wearing a baseball cap? Even the nanny? The kids munch on potato chips.
Ollie greets her patient in the lobby. The patient has brought his wife. The couple is all excited about the sick building diagnosis. Ollie is thinking that she never actually said the building was the problem. The couple keeps babbling about the building's developer, and his political connections. Every once in a while, the patient throws in a Boston accented word. Ollie asks if this is all true (about the political dealings). The wife gets mad and makes to leave, saying, "Why would a doctor from Metropolitan General ever be on our side?" The patient shakes his head and follows his wife out. Ollie looks thoughtful.
Becky attends a yoga class, and finds Ben stretching on the floor. She tells him it's not a beginner's class, and he says he has "the heart of a warrior." She smiles and puts her mat down to him. Cut to Becky and Ben doing yoga, and Ben is struggling. A lot. Like, I'm worried that he might have a heart attack. The instructor tries to help him. Ben cracks jokes. Becky laughs. They walk out of the class, and Ben offers Becky a bottle of water. Becky accepts. Ben talks about the muscles, and Becky says it's about the breath. Basically, you know the drill. He's all about the physical, tangible benefits. She's all about the spiritual ones. Becky talks about how she just has to believe in the Tao, and doctors don't know everything, and how the Tao Healer has told her this and that. Ben wonders why Rob says that when the cancer came back, it was the doctors' fault, but if things don't work out now, it's Becky's fault. Hey, he's right! That Ben is smart. He tells Becky she shouldn't go through this alone.
Ben walks into his office, and it's obvious that he is sore from the yoga. That was the whole scene.
Sid tells Ollie to let the CDC handle the sick building syndrome. Ollie says that she has learned a lot of things about Sid from living with him for a year, but she never thought she would learn that he's a coward. He protests, but she walks off in a huff.
Wyatt tells Boner Guy, "That's not an erection." Boner Guy is all, "What are you talking about? It's a monster!" Hee! That was funny. Wyatt continues to doubt the erection-ness on Boner Guy, and finally Boner Guy asks to see Wyatt's boss.
Wyatt has lunch with Boies, his boss. Wyatt thinks the case is "idiopathic." Boies denigrates his diagnosis as basically meaning, "I don't know." Wyatt introduces himself to Sid and Cherry, who refuse to shake his hand and tell him that he has to stand while he eats for the first six months because he's an intern. What is this, a fraternity? Get over yourselves. Oh, Cherry says it's a joke. Wyatt sits. They discuss the case. When Sid is informed that the problem has lasted two weeks, he comments, "That's not an erection. That's an institution." I had to stop the tape at that point and relay the joke to my boyfriend, J-Dawg, who smirked and went back to playing Tony Hawk 2. Maybe it was in the delivery. Cherry and Sid discuss various fetishes in a very deadpan manner. After Sid's institution line, it's not that funny.
Ollie enters Max's office. Her hair is very lanky and unprofessional. Sars would tell her to put. Her hair. Up. ["Word. My kingdom for a barrette, people." -- Sars] Max says that his friend is coming in to see Ollie, and he wants ten minutes of her time. The friend is Josh Steinman, the owner of the sick building.
Ben sees Becky sitting in the foyer. He sits and asks what's wrong. She's bleeding under the skin on her back. Ben says it could be because the cancer has invaded her bone marrow. Becky says that Tao Healer is concerned too, and he gave her a salve. A fucking salve? If I'm bleeding under the skin, I want more than a fucking salve. That's for damn sure. Oh my God, I think I just channeled my father. Ben offers to do a blood test, but Becky's going to stick with the salve. Ben tells her they are getting near the point where her cancer will be untreatable. Becky babbles about how physical life is not the only life. Ben tells her that she helps those children. Ooh, go for the jugular, Ben! Ben thinks that Becky came to him for morphine because she was skeptical, which is a sign of strength, not weakness. Becky would rather be dead than have to deal with this, and she would just like to move on. Ben tells her she could get two or three more years. Becky's not interested. Ben tells her that a cure could be two years away. Apropos of nothing, Becky tells a long story about seeing her mother's mastectomy scars, and having her mother ask if Becky could still love her the way she was, "like she was defective or something." Becky was seven years old at the time. Ben listens. See that? He was listening.
Ollie meets with Steinman. Ollie tells him his building is making people sick. Steinman thinks that those people don't want to be in his building because "they don't want to commute to a black neighborhood." Ollie tells him that her patient tested positive for that bacteria, and she didn't imagine it. Steinman sighs, and Ollie walks away.
Becky takes a massive fall down a huge set of stone steps. Boies finds her.
Ben and Boies look at Becky's x-rays. There are apparently many, many tumors. A tumor in her pelvis is "impinging on the joint" and caused her fall. Becky has consented to a biopsy. Boies says they might be able to "sneak in some radiation while she's not looking." Ben replies, "Believe me, I've thought about that." Boies doesn't know why Ben caters to patients like this. Ben jokes that Boies is a tough guy, and it's always guys like him that marry girls like her. These two have a great rapport. If this show doesn't make it, they should make a movie together or something.
Tao Healer visits Becky in the hospital, and disparages the setting, and he thinks Ben is "distracting [Becky] from the Tao." Shut up, Tao Healer! He sits on the bed and tells Becky that she has to fully believe in the Tao, basically saying that it's her own fault that she's not getting better. Becky says that she's scared. Tao Healer says that is a way that the universe is meant to be. Becky sighs, and looks scared some more.
After a class, Ollie suggests to Cherry that they have sick building syndrome in the hospital. He denies it, but when she starts suggesting symptoms, he thinks he has every one, especially scratching. Oh, I really did not need to see him walking down the hall scratching his butt. What is this, ER?
Ollie is talking to the Sick Building Patient. He says he can't go back to his job, and he won't be able to get disability out of him. Ollie starts asking him a bunch of questions, such as what happens to him when he goes on vacation, and if his house has a leaking roof. Ollie suggest that he doesn't like working in "a new building in a poor black neighborhood." The patient goes off on how much he hates the building, and the neighborhood, and how he doesn't belong there. However, he claims that the whole building is full of sick people. Ollie says that she tested the eight other people and none of them had the bacteria. The patient can't believe it.
Wyatt has been at the hospital all night, trying to figure out what's wrong with Boner Guy. Besides the obvious, that is. Boies asks him what's going on, and Wyatt thinks the problem may be caused by riding a bicycle, something called "saddle priapism."
Wyatt wants to inject some "vasodialators" into Boner Guy, who agrees to go along with it. Wyatt asks if Boner Guy rides a bike, and Boner Guy admits that he does. His wife adds, "He's always on that bike." Boner Guy says he got the idea from doctors, because he wants to be fit. Oh, the irony.
Ollie tells Sid she was wrong, and that her patient must be getting the fungus from another source. Sid says that others in the building had symptoms. Ollie says that none of the others tested positive, and people are very suggestible. Yeah, especially Cherry. Ollie says she was supposed to call the CDC, and now she's been called to Ben's office. Sid looks worried.
Ben tells Ollie that she is supposed to "follow orders or people die." Ollie defends herself by saying that if she called the CDC, the newspapers would pick up on the story, and no one would ever want to build a structure in a poor black neighborhood again. Ben says that they could have tested negative and still be allergic. Ollie is taken aback and says it won't happen again. Ben tells her that she successfully diagnosed a rare illness, so she shouldn't "lose [her] fire. It's who [she is]." Ollie's like, "Did I just get yelled at, or praised?"
Ben tells Becky a story about a tree. It's not very interesting. Becky says she's going to continue to try healing with the Tao. Ben says that the analysis of her tumors shows they can get her two to three years. Becky talks about how working with kids has made her set aside her own problems, because they don't care about that, and just live her life, and that they don't care that she's not perfect. Ben tells her that she inspires fatherly feelings in him, and that to him, she is perfect. Becky smiles, and looks down, and then says, "I want to live."
Ben is lecturing again about how they are taught to maintain clinical distance from their patients. However, management experts say that letting workers see the end product is what makes workers happy. It's like letting people on an auto assembly line see the car run. Ben feels it is the same way with doctors, and that he does "love to see [his patients] run." I'm not sure I like the people-as-cars analogy, but I get it.
week: Some woman gets misdiagnosed. A girl has sex with her boyfriend in an exam room, and Boies gets pissed. Ben says that his patients don't die. Well, that seems to be like tempting fate, no?