Original subtitles

Anytime you need to be in two places at once, I'm happy to help.

Thank you, Rhiannon. I'll keep that in mind.

Wouldn't have given up one minute with her.

(Laughs)

Cody Frost, 23-year-old male.

Car versus pedestrian.

He's got an open compound fracture on the right leg

and he's got a haematoma in the right frontal region.

Loss of consciousness at the site but he's alert and orientated now.

His GCS is 14. IV access has been obtained.

What's this? Cake. He was covered in it.

OK, on my count.

One, two, three.

Arrgghh!

I hate that bit! Let's put in another cannula.

2mg increments of morphine until he's pain free.

Done.

Just gonna shine a light in your eyes.

Pupils are equal and reactive. That's good.

And head wound looks fairly superficial

but we'll do a CT, just to make sure.

Open right tibial shaft fracture.

So what happened this morning?

Witness says he just fell in front of the car.

Nothing surprises me anymore.

I wasn't trying to kill myself, not that it would've worked.

Think I'll leave you guys to it.

Right foot is slightly dusky in colour but pulses are strong.

Well, we have some tenderness, right side, possible rib fractures.

So what's the story with the cake? Birthday cake.

Oh, it's your birthday. Can't you tell?

Well, I bet you didn't think you'd end up in here on your birthday.

This is exactly the sort of thing I thought would happen to me today.

Sebastian Powers, expected TIA.

Hi, Sebastian. I'm Jack. Hi, Jack.

Now, can you tell me a little bit about what happened this morning?

Er, yeah, when I woke up my face felt kind of numb

and I had some trouble swallowing.

Did you have a headache? Oh, a monster.

OK. But you collapsed at work?

I'm a lucky guy. I mean, I live alone.

If I hadn't gone to work, who knows when someone would've found me.

Yeah. OK, and has anything like this happened to you before?

Oh, no. Mm-hm.

And have you had any drugs or alcohol this morning?

At a video conference?

We have to ask, mate. It's routine. Right.

Well, I don't drink or take drugs.

Neuro assessment's normal. No deficits. BP's raised.

Pulse and temp are normal. Good. Thank you.

All good, then? Thank you.

Thank you, Steve. OK. Cool.

PHONE RINGS Huh...

No, don't worry about it, boys. I'll get it.

Emergency.

I'm sure she's dying to find out.

Gabrielle Jaeger.

No, no, no. No! No, I specifically requested someone for today.

Oh, that's it? Is it? That's...

No, that's great. Thank you very much. Thank you. Goodbye.

Everything under control, I trust? Yep, yep. Fine.

So where's Goldman?

He has specialist appointments. You know that.

Uh-huh. And Beaumont?

Um...

Here. Oh, look, thanks for doing this.

It's OK. Sorry.

Um, Zac has a temperature. We've both been up all night.

I don't really feel right about leaving him today.

How high's the temp?

It's not that high. It's just he's very, very clingy.

Have you given him anything?

I gave him some paracetamol half an hour ago

and it just put him straight to sleep.

So you're OK to go to work, then?

Charlotte, I look after sick kids every day.

I will call you if anything even looks like being a problem.

Um... Just leave it.

OK.

Thank you. OK.

'Bye.

Your ECG's normal. How's your pain?

Bearable. Terrific.

Can I get a repeat ECG done in one hour?

Sure.

You on any medications? Nup.

Take any drugs?

Any history of epilepsy? No.

Maybe you just tripped over, then. I didn't trip.

Well, how do you know?

'Cause I remember almost everything.

Well, can you tell us what you do remember?

Well, yeah, it's my birthday today, yeah?

Sure.

So this morning I snuck out to buy myself a massive cake to...

..to cheer myself up.

I knew no-one at the office would remember.

Anyway, at the lights I popped open the box to have a look at the cake.

"Happy birthday to Cody", it says.

"May life bring you all that you deserve."

Suddenly I found those words incredibly funny

and the next thing I know I wake up on an ambulance stretcher.

Ashleigh Wellburn.

She's febrile. Her BP is elevated and oxygen sats are at 92%.

(Breathes harshly, coughs)

Hi, Ashleigh. I'm Dr Beaumont.

OK.

I'm just gonna get you to open your mouth for me.

Right, oropharynx is slightly inflamed. Membranes are dry.

There we go.

Do you work, Ashleigh?

I was a musician.

I mean... Huh! I am a musician.

I'm looking after my son at the moment.

How old's he? Two and a half.

I'm just gonna have a listen to your lungs.

Big breath for me.

Again.

Decreased air entry on both bases. Crackles heard.

Ashleigh, it looks like you're fighting some type of infection

and the bug's gotten into your lungs.

So I'd like a bag of saline over four hours.

Also a sputum sample and a chest X-ray.

How long will all this take?

If you're worried about looking after your son,

the hospital can arrange something for you.

No, thanks. Um, my sister's looking after him.

He really can't be minded by people who don't know him well.

He's been diagnosed with autism.

I'm sorry.

About a month ago.

But I'm still getting used to it.

(Coughs)

Is it just you at home? No, no.

But my husband's hours are not negotiable.

Long days. For both of you, huh?

A stroke?

It's a mini-stroke.

We call it a TIA,

which is a temporary interruption of the blood supply to the brain.

Um, at this stage we don't know what's happened.

Your head CT shows nothing.

You don't have an infection, diabetes. Sodium levels are fine.

So we'll keep you here until we figure out why it's happened.

Do what you have to do.

What do you do for a living? I'm a life coach.

Oh, interesting.

Sebastian? Is there anything you need to tell us?

Any clues as to why this happened would be enormously useful.

It's no secret.

It's just my father died at 41 from a massive stroke.

And I'm 40. Right.

But I'm the exact opposite of him.

He smoked, he drank, he never exercised.

The old bugger can still get at me from beyond the grave.

OK, well, you know, family history is important

but it's just one of many things we need to consider.

So what I'm gonna do is order a repeat ECG

and a cardiac echo and then we just go from there, OK?

OK.

Yeah, let's get this sorted. Enough feeling sorry for myself.

Hey, that's the attitude.

Well, you can't let what happened in the past ruin the future, can you?

Hmm!

He stayed at the daycare centre for a couple of weeks

and it didn't work out.

It's really hard to think anything is normal in a two-year-old, you know?

Everybody's... But whatever Max was doing wasn't normal.

(Coughs)

You know, he cries all the time

and then he'd rather bang his head on the floor than have me hold him.

Things like that are hard.

Sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry. A little bit understaffed today.

Um, did we find out what was wrong?

Pneumonia. Oh.

So we're gonna start Ashleigh on some broad-spectrum antibiotics.

OK, I will get that organised.

Thank you. Thank you.

Theo? What are you doing here?

You weren't sick this morning. It's just a cold.

Um, hello, sir?

What? Er, Theo, I'm Dr Beaumont.

What is my wife doing in hospital for a cold?

It's a, er... a little more serious than a cold.

I have pneumonia.

Well, what are you giving her for it?

Antibiotics. How do you know it's bacterial?

It may be viral and you'd be wasting your time.

Theo, they're taking care of me, sweetheart. Don't fret.

When can you come home?

We think Ashleigh should stay in overnight.

What?

We need to treat the infection aggressively,

which means admitting her to a ward.

No, that can't happen.

Theo! No, don't stay here, Ashleigh.

Theo, please, just go back to work

and if worst comes to worst I'll call Felicity.

I'm sure she can keep Max overnight.

Please?

Look, Mr Wellburn, this is potentially very serious.

Please?

Listen, is there any chance I can take those antibiotics at home?

Really.

I'm alright.

OK, well, your head CT is clear.

But you have a pool of blood called a haematoma around your liver.

It's not actively bleeding, which is good.

Sounds great.

Well, I say 'good' in the sense that

we may be able to manage its treatment without surgery.

We'll need a repeat abdo CT with contrast in four hours.

Sure.

Your X-ray also confirms several rib fractures.

And there's also some calcification of two of the lower ribs,

which suggests old fractures.

Does that sound right?

I broke them eight months ago falling down stairs.

Yet another happy chapter in the book of Cody Frost.

Cody, you were hit by a car.

You've gotta understand how lucky you were

to get out of it with a broken leg.

Which will require surgery, unfortunately, to realign it.

Sounds like a barrel of fun.

Um, call me if his liver deteriorates any further.

Sorry about this. I know there are a million of them.

How many patients would you see here a week?

In here?

This ED? I dunno. 900, 1,000.

Wow! Mmm!

And you personally?

Oh, 300 maybe.

And do we all look this attractive?

Every single one of you.

Yeah.

You're tougher than you look. Ha!

Well, don't be too hard on yourself.

The pincushion look doesn't work for everybody.

Mmm.

Still, I mean, at least you get volume.

Mmm?

Spare a thought for us in the corporate canyons,

seeing the same faces weeks on end.

It's lonely.

So, I, um... I suppose you've never been tempted.

By a patient?

Never. Oh.

Wait, it's the gown, isn't it?

Yeah, it is almost definitely the gown.

Well, I'm glad you're feeling better.

What did you say? I said I'm glad you're feeling...

Sebastian, what's going on? (Slurs) I'm falling. I'm falling!

Alright, deep breaths for me. Jack? Jack!

Come on. Jack! Jack! Hold me.

OK, deep breaths for me.

Alright, his oxygen sats are down and his speech is slurred.

OK, we'll get him on his side. He's probably having another stroke.

I'm falling. Deep breaths for me.

Good. Now, same as before.

Squeeze both of my hands.

That's great. Good strength, both sides.

Hey, that's good news.

How are you feeling now?

Yeah, OK. Don't force it.

Listen, Sebastian, we think you had another stroke

and if it is a TIA, these symptoms you're experiencing now,

there's a good chance that they won't be permanent.

OK, so what we need you to do is just sit back and stay very calm

and hopefully all of this will return to normal soon.

And I will try and figure out what just happened, eh?

Don't forget, he's just found out his son's autistic.

Anyway, I'll have a word with him.

Mr Wellburn, I'm Frank Campion.

Scottish?

Originally, yeah.

Er, anyway, I want to talk to you about your wife's care.

Which clan? You got me there.

Cameron? Campbell? Wouldn't have a clue. Sorry.

Theo loves genealogy. Ah.

Yeah, 'Forget Not', that's the Campbell clan motto.

Ashleigh, er, look, I was wondering whether you might

need assistance with your son today.

I can organise something.

Oh, thank you, but I think we'll just go. It's the easiest thing.

I'm afraid if you did that you'd come straight back in here

and probably much sicker than you are now.

You need oxygen, IV antibiotics.

It's just pneumonia.

People die from pneumonia.

I'll bring the car round the front and I'll see you in 10 minutes.

Mr Wellburn?

What do you want?

To let you know we understand

how stressful this is for you and your wife right now.

Even the best of parents, they need a helping hand from time to time.

Especially when there's a child with special needs involved.

The hospital has services available to you.

You don't know what we need.

No, but I know your situation

and I know that your wife can't do all of this on her own.

She's a good mother, so... Yes, but she can't go on like this.

She's worn out.

Theo? MOBILE BEEPS

Your wife needs you. Your son needs you...

Theo Wellburn.

Are there any DA conditions that we should be concerned about?

Tell me, was it the childcare centre that first noticed Max's autism?

No, they were the first one to put a name to it.

Oh, so you'd noticed something before?

Max is a gentle, sweet little boy

but he's not like kids his age.

He's very self-contained.

Never really smiles. Never gives me a hug.

God! That sounds selfish.

It's hardly selfish to want a hug.

We all want one sometimes.

Tell me, have you established any routines for Max?

We've taken...

..photo of us doing things so he can see what 'bath' and 'dinner' means.

I made... a schedule

for what happens every day.

You know, it's normal to establish routines with any child.

But he's not gonna be a normal child, is he?

No.

It's just so hard.

And I know Theo is struggling as much as I am.

More, if anything.

I know he's hurting

but he keeps it to himself.

It's worth it. Is it?

Yes, because every day your son's gonna do something

that'll make you smile or laugh or cry.

It's not easy but it's worth it.

And the movement in both your arms?

Oh, very impressive.

I've never been so scared in my life.

I... I thought I was dying.

Hmm. Sebastian, could I just ask you a question?

Mmm.

Um, while we were treating you we just noticed a bruise on your neck.

Yep. Do you mind if I take a closer look?

(Grunts) OK.

(Sucks teeth) Gee.

Do you know what's caused that? No. I don't know.

But you knew that you had it? Er, not really.

Have you been in a car accident by any chance?

No. No?

Fall over, hit your neck? No. Nothing like that's happened.

Have you been to a chiropractor or maybe had a regular massage?

No, I wouldn't say 'regular' and never on my neck, no.

OK, I'm gonna call Radiology and organise an ultrasound.

Yep.

Do you think this is what's causing the strokes?

Well, I'm worried that the carotid artery might be damaged, so yes.

I'm surprised you don't remember how it was caused.

It's pretty significant bruising.

OK. OK.

Gabrielle, can I see you for a minute?

Yes.

So what do you reckon?

There's nothing on that file to suggest any sort of neck trauma.

Goes to the gym quite a lot. What do you think? Maybe steroids?

Could cause thinning of the skin and a tendency to bruise but...

But?

The shape of the bruise is too defined.

Like what? Like a knot.

You think he's been strangled?

No, he would've told us.

Not if it's the kind of thing that you don't wanna remember.

You think he's attempted suicide.

It's gotta be.

You in pain? Mustn't grumble.

Five milligrams of morphine.

Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do here

but you're wasting your time.

Why's that?

There's nothing you can do to help me.

I'm cursed.

What, you think someone's put a curse on you?

There's no other way to explain

how things have gone from absolutely perfect

to total crap in 11 months.

Well, don't things just go like that sometimes?

In the last year, I've fallen down stairs,

been robbed, had blackouts,

I've lost my girlfriend, my house, my wallet and my dog.

This morning I get run over on my birthday.

Is that normal?

It's not a curse. And what do you call it?

I dunno.

Look, believe me, I've gone through every other possibility.

Sometimes a bad thing happens and that's the end of you.

Your life never gets back on track.

I don't believe that. Yeah, I used to be like you too.

Thinking nothing bad could ever happen.

I don't believe that either. Well, goody for you.

My life is a little bit more complex than yours is.

You don't know the first thing about me.

We should chase up that orthopaedic consult.

Bart. What?

The consult. Yes.

Are you OK?

The sooner we get him to theatre, the better.

Yeah, I don't think I've ever met such a sad sack.

But a sad sack with multiple admissions

all in the last 11 months.

So?

So I'm just saying.

Unfortunately, there was some damage to your carotid artery.

Can you treat that? Yes, we can.

Er, but before we do that,

we just wanna have a little talk with you.

About the cause of your neck injury.

We think we know what did the damage.

We can't be 100% sure.

But we've seen cases like this before.

You have?

And we're not counsellors, but we wanna help.

Er, look, I don't feel like talking about this.

And we don't wanna pressure you

but hospital protocols require us to report or refer

anyone who's suspected of self-harm.

I didn't wanna kill myself!

Hey, there's no judgment here. No, I didn't.

Sebastian, something was tied around your neck

tight enough to cut off the oxygen supply to your brain.

That's self-harm.

We just want you to see a psychiatrist.

No. OK.

Well, you don't have any choice, I'm afraid.

I didn't want to die.

I strangle myself, alright?

That's how I get off.

Well, so much for thinking it was a suicide attempt.

Ha! I've woken up after sex and wanted to strangle myself.

Couple of times. (Laughs)

Someone that does it during it...

He doesn't look the type, does he? Oh, and the type would be...?

Well, I don't know what... What do we do now?

Er, we do the same thing we would've done if it was an attempted suicide.

We get a psych review. No, no, no, Jack. It's kinky sex.

It's not... What he's doing could kill him.

Cody, your repeat CT

shows no extension of the bleeding in your liver.

I spoke to Theatre, and as soon as a space becomes available,

we're gonna get you up there to fix up your leg.

OK, then.

So any ideas on how we kill the time?

Why don't we spend it trying to work out what's causing your blackouts?

I told you, you're wasting your time.

When did they first occur?

A week after my ex left me for my best mate.

Almost a year ago.

Around the same time the curse started?

Yeah.

What happened on the day you blacked out?

I'd just found a homemade voodoo doll of myself in the fridge.

As you do.

(Laughs) Yeah.

My ex, she'd got this Barbie doll

and cut and dyed its hair to make it look like mine.

She even went and put a little shirt and tie on it.

It was pretty cute.

What happened just before you blacked out?

I'm looking for a trigger.

I was just looking at the doll and I had to laugh,

thinking about all the love and care

she'd just put into basically cursing me forever,

when the next thing I know, I'm lying on the kitchen floor.

So the doll started the curse?

What do you reckon?

And how long before it happened again?

About two months.

I'd just got back from overseas to discover I'd been evicted.

I lived there for seven years. I mean, what a joke!

My mate and I were carrying the couch down the stairs, when, boom!

Out like a light.

Had you drunk anything or taken any drugs?

With a life as good as mine, why would I need to take drugs?

Look, there's no pattern. I'm telling you.

There's always a pattern.

There isn't.

So he's really alright? He's fine.

He didn't get upset when he realised I wasn't there?

Oh, well, he did say 'Mummy' about 20 times

but I distracted him with finger painting.

That sounds great.

Um, thank you.

My pleasure.

Will you just give him a big hug for me?

The second he gets up. Thanks. 'Bye.

What happened?

Well, he said he was getting the car. Then he takes a phone call.

Then he makes three

and just walks back in here as though nothing's happened.

OK, well, so he's changed his mind about taking her home.

I've no idea.

What do we do?

Frank?

Er, Ashleigh's temp is down. 37.3.

Oh, that's good news. Thanks, Gabrielle.

How much longer is this going to take?

I can't interrupt IV antibiotics once they're started.

Theo is right, though. We can't stay here all day.

I assure you, you will not be here any longer than you have to be.

Hmm. Excuse me.

Your, um... your work, Theo, is it the kind that can be emailed home to you?

Some parts of it can.

Oh, good. Perhaps we could email some of it here.

I could arrange for you to work in my office.

That way you wouldn't feel like you were wasting your time

and your wife could get some rest.

No, I work better in my office.

You must be better organised than I am.

What is it you do?

I'm an architect. Oh, yeah?

Residential, commercial? Commercial and industrial.

Got anything interesting on at the moment?

Well, at the minute I'm about to start work on a warehouse complex.

It's 17 acres under one roof.

Wow. That's big, isn't it? Mmm.

Theo can do it. He is brilliant. Won every award.

Mmm.

Was there any change in your work once Max came along?

There's a lot more noise. Yes, he loves the quiet.

That's not strictly accurate.

No.

Music. Yes, he'd have music day and night.

But we can't anymore, can we? Max doesn't like it.

I used to love hearing you play.

You play? What do you play?

The cello. Ah, beautiful.

Do you have a favourite piece?

There are so many. Bach.

Bach's 'Third Unaccompanied Suite'.

You were playing it the night we met.

You don't have much chance to play anymore?

No. Everything's changed.

Hmm.

Anything? BART: Not yet.

Once you've recovered from surgery, come back.

I'll think of some more tests for us to do.

I appreciate the effort, but let's just say this is over for now.

I'm sorry.

What did you do to your girlfriend to deserve being cursed?

She wanted to leave me.

I wouldn't let her.

She cried. It got ugly and she put a curse on me.

Well, you can't stop someone leaving you.

Why not? I was in love with her. Doesn't matter if you're in love.

It has to, otherwise what's the point?

The point is that you loved them.

You ever found a little frozen you in the fridge?

That's what happens when you let someone leave you.

It all came clear to me in Bali.

I was staying at this hostel in Ubud,

doing the whole backpacker thing,

and this mangy little dog comes over and he wants a snack.

So I drop something and he starts to eat.

And this local kid just comes up and whack!

Just kicks the dog and he's really laying into him.

Why'd he do that? He was just saying, "Bad person."

You see, to come back as a cursed, scavenging dog,

it means you made a very bad decision in a past life.

The dog doesn't know this, of course.

He just walks through life getting kicked.

I don't understand the link to being cursed.

I'm that dog.

What's happening to that dog, that's not a curse.

That would be karma. Huh?

Well, the Balinese are Hindus.

It's karma, not a curse.

So I can't even get my own story right!

(Huffs)

Cody?

Cody, can you hear me? He's bradycardic and hypotensive.

Get that oxygen mask on him. Cody?

BP's better and his heart rate is back to normal.

Up we go.

Did I black out again? Yeah.

(Sighs) I'm so sick of this.

You might not have to put up with it for much longer.

Now, this morning, after you bought your birthday cake...

When I got hit by a car.

You said the message on the icing was funny.

Ironic more than funny. Yeah. Did it make you laugh?

I guess so.

Pretty pathetic thing to write on your own cake.

And the other times you blacked out - were you laughing too?

Yeah. That's great.

Is it? Maybe.

I just... I need to do a bit more research.

So when you found out that Max had autism, how did you feel?

Did you feel upset or angry or...

..just relieved that the thing finally had a name

and you could start doing something about it?

I don't believe in autism. Why don't you believe in it?

Well, you tell me -

is it genetic, is it developmental, is it physiological?

There's no consensus about even what it is, let alone what causes it.

Mmm. It makes you angry.

Max is a funny, rowdy little boy.

That's all he is.

You give somebody a label and they stop being a person.

They just start being a disorder.

Hmm. Do you enjoy being a dad?

Yes.

Changes your life, though, doesn't it?

Yes. (Sighs)

Don't you like discussing this?

(Curtly) It's fine.

Do you find it interesting?

Not really.

Oh. Well, what would you rather talk about?

Theo?

It's 75 years today since Mies van der Rohe

was forced to close the Bauhaus school.

Is it? Yes.

What are you thinking about now?

Do you really want to know?

Yes. That's why I asked.

It's Bizet's birthday.

Oh.

But that's 1838.

Tell me - do you have trouble

concentrating on a single topic for long periods of time?

Not if I enjoy it.

And you enjoy working?

Ashleigh says I get lost in it.

Is that how it feels for you?

No. Not lost. The opposite.

First of all, we'll start you on some anti-coagulants

to prevent any further clots from forming.

It's called a heparin infusion.

And then we'll be sending you off to another ward

where there's some staff who are a little more specialised

in dealing with what you're going through.

Alright? Alright.

I'll organise that now.

Thank you.

You can go too, if you want.

Sorry?

You don't need to be here if you don't want to.

Just take me to the other ward, with all the freaks.

The "other ward" is called the neurology ward.

It's where we treat people

with dissections of the carotid artery and TIAs.

And where I'll see the shrink, right?

Right. Yeah.

Sebastian, in this E.D. we hear and we see a lot of things

and nobody gets judged for any of them.

But what you are doing is life-threatening,

and we just have to make sure that you're not going to keep on doing it.

You wouldn't understand.

Oh, wouldn't I?

Then explain it to me.

Von, has Ashleigh talked to you about her home life?

Well, only to say that Theo doesn't lift a finger to help.

Did she say why that is?

She seems to think he's incapable of looking after himself.

Hmm. Why?

I think there's a lot more going on with Theo than we think.

Mmm. What? Asperger's Syndrome.

Right. Well, why wouldn't Ashleigh have told us about that?

Because she probably doesn't know.

Maybe she just thinks he's an eccentric.

Well, he could just be an eccentric.

I don't think so. Hey, you tread carefully.

She's already panicking about how she's going to cope with her son.

This diagnosis will make her life a lot easier.

Or a hell of a lot harder.

If I discovered he had a heart condition, you'd want me to tell him.

Wouldn't you? It's not a heart condition.

Having an autistic daughter doesn't make you an expert on everybody.

So... softly, softly.

And then the belt is so tight.

I can't breathe or even scream, but I want to.

And I try, because I want to see my gut sucking in and out.

I'm trying to get air...

..and then the burning smell.

And then the rush.

And then just as I'm about to black out, I let go of the belt...

..and it's over.

How often would you do this?

Whenever I'm stressed, or feeling empty.

And when did it start?

15.

I mean, I don't remember why,

but suddenly I was standing in front of my dad's bedroom mirror

with his belt round my neck.

I mean, God knows what would have happened if he'd found me.

Have you tried to give up?

Yeah. More times than I can remember.

But I somehow always find myself in a room, on my own, with a belt in hand.

This is part of who I am.

Must be a lonely life.

Yeah, it's lonely.

I know what's wrong with you.

You have a condition called laughter-induced syncope.

When you laugh too hard,

your heart gets starved of blood and oxygen and it can't beat properly.

Which makes you faint. Yeah.

So all this time I've been miserable,

my problem was I was laughing too much?

Yes.

(Laughs)

Sorry, I'd better not do that anymore.

Laughter-induced syncope's usually caused

by an underlying cardiac condition.

So I'd like you to see a heart specialist.

Nice work, Doctor.

Heart specialist. That's not funny at all.

Well, after that, you should be free to laugh again.

Curse removed.

Is Ashleigh coming home? Not yet.

Well, then I don't know what to do,

because it's nearly Max's dinnertime

and my sister-in-law can only keep him until six o'clock.

He's in bed by seven. He's always in bed by seven. No exceptions.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down, slow down.

Do you want me to ring your sister-in-law

and see if Max can stay overnight?

What about tomorrow?

Well, we'll worry about that when tomorrow comes.

No, I can't. No. No. Try.

"He doesn't even try," my dad says. "He's just bunging it on."

About what?

Everything.

He made me play rugby league.

I hated that. I'll never make Max do that, ever.

Well, you don't have to do that. Max will find other things...

Did your father love you, Dr Campion?

Uh, yes, yes.

'Cause I don't think mine did...

..and... I don't want to be like him.

But I... I don't play with Max the way other parents play with their kids.

Do you know why that is?

I don't know.

I wish I knew, but I don't know.

Well, I think I might.

I think you have a condition called Asperger's syndrome,

which is a type of autism.

I'm not autistic.

That's ri... Why would...?

There's nothing wrong with me.

I went to university. I did honours at university.

A lot of people with Asperger's are highly intelligent.

Especially in specific areas, like mathematics.

Why do you feel the need to label people with labels?

It's not a cage. It's a way of setting yourself free.

No, no. That's enough. Go away. You can have counselling.

Behavioural therapy. Go away.

Theo! Go away.

Fluids are through. Thank you.

The doctor said I'm autistic.

What?! He said I need therapy.

When? Is he right?

Theo, Theo, look at me. Is he right?

Theo, you're a beautiful complex man. There is nothing wrong with you.

I don't know why the doctor would say such a thing.

Theo, I wasn't lying - when I said you suffer from autism,

I didn't mean in the same manner as your son - it's a much milder form.

How dare you say that to him? Theo is a bit shy, that's all.

Why are you so quick to make it into a problem?

Theo's more than a bit shy. I want you both to see a specialist.

Excuse me? It's a manageable condition.

I've known this man for 10 years.

How long have you - two hours?

Dr Campion's doing what he thinks best.

Your husband was upset. Weren't you?

He wanted the answers to things

he couldn't explain about himself or his son.

You had no right. You're not an expert.

Trust me - I know exactly what you're going through.

I want to go home. So do I.

I don't think that's a good idea.

Ashleigh, please. I'm just trying to help.

Really? Then take this out.

Now.

Well, the small tear in your carotid artery

should repair itself over time.

We'll give you some oral medication that you can take at home

and that should prevent any further clots from forming.

How long do I need to take the medication?

Anywhere from three to six months.

You'll need to have regular ultrasounds and medical check-ups.

But over time, we hope everything should be fine.

But not if I... No. Not if...

I will try, but I don't know if I can stop.

OK. Listen.

That burning smell that you told us about.

That's an olfactory hallucination usually associated with brain damage.

And this rush - that's carbon dioxide building up in your brain,

and when that happens, you've only got one or two seconds

to release the belt, or you're going to be dead.

I know. Alright. I know.

No, no.

Can I ask you something? Yeah. Sure.

You said that this happened in your father's bedroom, with his belt.

Well, that couldn't have been very private.

Just wondering if there was a reason for that.

He didn't abuse me, if that's what you're thinking.

Right.

No. He ignored me.

He said he wished I'd never been born.

Maybe if he'd seen the pain you were in,

he would have done something about that.

Thanks. No worries.

(Ashleigh coughs)

Ashleigh, please reconsider. You're too ill to be going home.

Will you at least take this prescription for oral antibiotics

and the letter for your GP,

and please follow up with your doctor in a couple of days.

Of course. Do you have money for parking?

Yes, love.

OK.

Everything's going to be alright.

Wouldn't exactly call that a win, would you?

Hey, you know that patient I told you about - the one in Resus?

Laughter-induced syncope.

Can you believe it?

Not a curse. Nothing supernatural.

Just an old-fashioned medical condition we can fix.

Good for you.

You alright?

No. I stuffed up today.

Really? Yes, it does happen occasionally.

Very occasionally. Mmm.

Do you want to go for a drink or something?

Or not. Probably got somewhere else you need to be.

Nope. You?

Tomorrow will be better.

Mmm. I tell myself that a lot.

You like Scotch, Homer? Not really sure.

Well, today's the day you're going to find out.

Wow, you've been busy.

I couldn't help myself. I'm a bit OCD when it comes to cleaning.

Thank you so much.

Where's Zac? He's fast asleep.

I tried to keep him up for you

but he was just zonked after his bath, so...

And is he OK?

Yeah. No temperature. He ate all his dinner.

Alright.

Speaking of which, I wasn't sure what you had in mind for yours,

so there's some lasagne in the oven and a salad in the fridge.

I... I don't know what to say. I did not expect you to do any of that.

We made you a present.

Um, your washing is folded on the couch

and I hope you don't mind - I changed your sheets for you.

I just know how nice it is

to snuggle down into fresh ones after a long day.

You're amazing.

I'll get out of your hair.