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In Short: Dr. Watters supports a woman who refuses to give up on her legally dead infant. A baby boy needs a heart transplant. Dr. Shutt and Dr. Antonovich grow closer.
Guest Starring: Margaret Colin (as Dr. Karen Antonovich), Lauren Tom (as Dr. Yao), Nina Siemaszko (as Mrs. MacKinnon), Tuck Milligan (as Steve Wheeler), Deirdre O'Connell (as Ellen Wheeler), and Philip Baker Hall (as Wellington)
Story: Michael Braverman
Teleplay:
Directed By: Tim Hunter
TOP Summary:A little baby is rushed to the ER because she can't breathe. The mother, Mrs. McKinnon, tells them she's encephalic--the baby has no skull. Aaron tells Phillip that the baby can't possibly breathe on her own. They tell the mother the baby is legally dead--although most of her organs are working she has no brain function. Phillip decides to admit the baby. Thurmond needs the encephalic's kidneys, and Angela informs Phillip Karen Antonovich is coming back to use the encephalic's heart for a transplant. Angela puts the encephalic on the donor list.
Mrs. McKinnon won't allow her baby's organs to be used so Jeffrey and Karen do a surgery on the Wheeler baby that will buy him some time, but he still needs a transplant. Mrs. McKinnon tells Phillip the father is not involved. He tried to make her have an abortion. Karen and Aaron go out to dinner and talk about how they tell parents their children have died. Karen admits she wants the encephalic to die so her patient can have its heart. Aaron reminds her it is dead. Back at the hospital Karen gives him a little peck which really unnerves Aaron. Jeffrey approaches Mrs. McKinnon again about organ donation. She won't do it. Aaron tells Jeffrey he might "like" Karen.
Phillip won't kill the encephalic but Jeffrey tells him it already is dead! He accuses him of bringing religion into it. They can save the Wheeler baby, buy not the encephalic. Camille sees something between Aaron and Karen. Thurmond tells Phillip to "grow the hell up". Religion has no place in medicine. Karen tells Aaron they could forget the whole thing even happened, but that would be very hard for her. "For me too," Aaron admits. They kiss. Jeffrey can't believe God would create such a thing as the encephalic. He'll stick with science. "Because God wasn't there for your son", Camille asks. "It's not about that," Jeffrey says. "With you everything is about that," Camille counters quietly.
Phillip finds Mrs. McKinnon in the chapel, and tells her everything that's wrong with her baby. She will die soon anyway. Her soul is not in her body--her soul is in Heaven now. It's time to give her peace. Mrs. McKinnon reluctantly OKs it.
The Wheelers thank Mrs. McKinnon as they wait anxiously during the surgery, which goes well. Christopher Wheeler will be fine. Jeffrey tells Aaron he finally realizes Joey's purpose--to let him love him. And he did, so much that he couldn't let God take him. He's still not over it. Phillip goes to church for confession--it's been four years.
TOP Facts:
TOP Quotes:AARON: Let's go home. We won't do anyone any good if we don't get some sleep.
JEFFREY: I won't sleep with you.
AARON: Well I suspected not.Geiger to Shutt:
"Think I'm certifiable Aaron? Sometimes I wonder if you really even like me. Sometimes I think you've been assigned to me to keep me sane. Executive Committee tells you to hold my hand."
Shutt's response: "That's exactly right."
TOP Transcripts:Jeffrey to Karen Antonovich while they are operating:
Jeffrey: You know Doc, if you're gonna be here awhile, I should warn you. I'm prone to sexual harassment. I throw out the warning 'cause the Eel says: Assumption of the risk could be a defense. I could be wrong, but you strike me as an ice maiden, for when she thaws, drips lava.
Karen: Suck here.
Jeffrey: Absolutely.
Camille: God Jeffrey, grow up.
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