Original subtitles

[dramatic music]

[helicopter whirring]

[dramatic music]

[machine beeping]

All right, skull looks okay.

Survived the spike.

Nothing grooss.

Femur, we knew about.

Chest, broken ribs, one, two, three.

Pneumothorax.

And maybe the sternum.

Shit.

Who's on cardiothoracics?

[dramatic music]

Operation summary on Andrew Perry.

Aortic valve replacement.

Mediastinotomy, pleura are intact.

Patient full bypass, aorta cross clamped.

You don't have to pick me up.

Hi.

[horns honking]

Never give a stranger your keys.

The valve was excised and replaced

with 31-millimeter diameter mask of Kowalski.

Sutures in place with interrupted

2-0 pledgeted ticron sutures.

Patient came off bypass easily with the heart

readily taking up the circulation.

The chest was closed over two drains and four pacing wires,

using stainless steel wires to the sternum.

PDS and vicryl to soft tissues and skin.

Temperature 30, bypass duration 31,

ischemic time was 13 minutes.

You know, I kind of preferred you in that last outfit.

Wait till you see what I've got in the bag.

So do you manage to go see them often?

Well as often as I can.

I guess they're the only real friends I've got.

It's a terrible thing to say, isn't it?

But they're, well, they're like family.

Mm, spoken like a man who has no family.

You wanna switch the phone off?

Sure.

[phone ringing]

Hi, Julie Fielding.

We've got an RTA just come in on the helicopter

with a transected aorta.

[Alex] Why are you telling me?

V.J. got a transplant offer he couldn't refuse.

Donor's already gone to theatre.

That's wonderful.

[phone beeping]

[Sarah] I thought this was supposed

to be your weekend off.

[Alex] Yeah, so did I.

Look, I'm sorry about this.

[Sarah] Can you stop here?

Sure.

Will you go back to your apartment?

Unless I have an emergency.

[light music]

-Hi. -Hi.

Alex is held up.

Well, you surprise me.

Did it go all right?

Yeah, we just put on a couple of his Velvet Underground

records and smoked a few joints.

We're doing all right, aren't we?

Sure, yeah, we're doing brilliantly.

Larry?

Yeah.

Is something the matter?

No, why?

I don't know.

You just seem a bit shifty recently.

Shifty?

Yeah.

I mean, like avoiding eye contact.

Well, uh,

it's kinda difficult while you're driving, isn't it?

Ho ho ho.

I mean, like, you never told me about last Tuesday.

I did tell you last Tuesday

I was going to buy a birthday present.

What birthday present?

I didn't find one.

You know what I mean.

No.

So everything's all right?

Everything's fine.

I don't know what you're talking about.

We'll have an early night, and I'll suck your toes.

[Marcella] Suck your own bloody toes.

Sorry, Alex, if I hadn't said yes,

it would have gone to Birmingham.

I hope I didn't spoil your evening.

No no, I'd only be having sex

with the single most beautiful woman in London.

Ah, and she told me she was putting

elbow patches on my sports jacket.

We'll need bypass for this.

If he's leaking, we haven't got time.

It's a she.

I'll do a left thoracotomy.

Make sure there's a beanbag underneath.

[Woman] Dr. Lester?

Three, four, five.

Did they tell you we'd had another death?

No.

On the valve programme? No, they didn't tell me.

Causes of death, unknown.

He's already been cremated.

The GP phoned in this afternoon.

That's very helpful.

You're right, Bill. It's a she.

Tie some in?

[Bill] This is Dr. Ryan.

Wanna scrub?

I'm not medical. I'm a psychologist.

Knife.

Okay to cut, cutting now.

[device beeping]

Cutting diaphony.

So what do we need a psychologist in theatre for?

I can't barbecue with this.

What's it say there?

50.

[Alex] Bring it up to 85.

I'm doing my MD on the emotional effects of heart surgery.

[Alex] On the patients or the surgeons?

Surgeons don't have emotions, do they?

Large swab.

Pressure's a bit high, Bill.

We're working on it.

Rib spreader.

[machine beeping]

Opening up the pleura.

And let the lung down.

Got a bit of blood in here, Bill.

Just go gently with that, Margot.

Sucker on.

[machine sucking]

It's about ready to pop.

Tape mounted.

So, Dr. Ryan, how much blood do you think

this heart can eject in a minute?

I don't know.

A good few cupfuls, I suppose.

A bit more than a gallon.

It will burst and be a gallon.

Clamp, and have another one ready.

So, what we do, is we very carefully

go behind

and then ...

Shit!

Clamp, hold that, take this.

Come on.

More blood. I told you we needed bypass.

[Margot] Somebody go to the fridge.

Effexor, anything, hurry!

Damn.

Oh, shit.

[Margot] Here, here.

Adrenaline bag.

Head down, down there.

[dramatic music]

[Alex] Damn.

No, other way.

[Margot] Wrong way, wrong way.

This is no good. Give me the other one.

That thingy on your right there. Behind you, on your right.

No no, the one ...

That one.

Patient's waking up.

What?

No, she's slipping off the table.

What happened to that beanbag?

[Bill] Can you feel a pulse?

I can't feel anything.

Dammit.

[dramatic music]

Come on, come on.

Right, we have proximal control.

Clamp on 922.

All we need now is a heartbeat.

Adrenaline. Massage!

Someone give Bill a massage.

What's that?

Okay, we've got a pulse.

Pressure's coming up.

[container clanging]

Shit!

It's all right.

Calm down.

Well done, everybody, crisis over.

Right.

I want a new gown, glove size eight

and a fresh pair of underpants for Dr. Lester.

Oh, and a mop too, please.

I'd take an early bath, Dr. Ryan.

Fun here, isn't it?

[phone ringing]

[Recording] Hi, this is Sarah.

If you'd like to leave a message,

please speak after the beep.

[beeping]

[soft music]

[phone ringing]

[Recording] Hi, this is Sarah.

If you'd like to leave a message,

please speak after the beep.

[beeping]

[soft music]

[phone ringing]

[Recording] Hi, this is Sarah.

If you'd like to leave a message--

[soft music]

Maggot, I wanna put them right at the top,

right up tight, okay?

Hi ya. We'd given up on you.

Where's what's her name?

She couldn't come.

Alex, what do you do?

Didn't do anything.

She ran off and left me.

[Larry] And you're heartbroken.

Did you finish that?

Yeah, that's all done.

-Hi. -Hi.

I was halfway to Mont Crusoe.

Where's Sarah?

Don't ask.

Alex, you didn't.

What didn't I do? I didn't do anything.

Chucked her.

I didn't chuck her.

You don't know what you're talking about.

Maggot, put them right at the top.

Pack them in tight.

It's dangerous up there.

[Larry] No, but if you pack them in tight,

they'll be fine, they won't shift.

Listen to him. Sounds like bloody Sir Norman Foster.

Look, I was called back to work

and she disappeared, all right?

I liked her.

I thought she was good for you.

She was different.

Well I liked her.

I like her. She's perfect.

Well, seven outta 10.

Marcella?

What? Do you want my opinion.

No no no, I want a black coffee and a bacon roll

and I want it now.

Ooh.

Hey.

[soft guitar music]

What's the Milk of Magnesia for?

It's Larry, he's been getting indigestion.

[Larry] Come on, you're wired.

Pretty disgusting.

[soft guitar music]

Okay.

["Sweet Home Alabama" guitar music]

Okay.

The D.

It's in D, right?

What's this in?

["Sweet Home Alabama" guitar music]

Oh yeah.

* Big wheel keep on turning *

* Carry me home to my kin *

* Singing songs of the Southway *

* I miss our family once again, and I say again *

* Singing, sweet home Alabama *

* Where the skies are blue *

Maggot, take up the slack a little.

Should never have opened that bottle of whiskey.

Tell me about this indigestion, huh?

Uh, gastritis.

Acidity.

Of the stomach.

I know, it's not your department.

Well I tasted that white stuff you've been drinking.

It's not Milk of Magnesia, is it?

That is my special potency treatment.

But don't tell Marcella.

What's he telling you?

Oh, just about some wild affair he's been having.

I'm sorry, was that a secret?

I don't know. Is it?

Maggot, that's a bit too tight.

I'm sorry. I didn't--

No, forget it.

So, did you get hold of Sarah?

Well I've given up trying. She knows where I am.

She can drive.

She knows I'm fond of her.

Fond.

Do you know, I think fond is the most

crapulous word ever invented?

The last resort of the scoundrel.

Marcella.

No, I believe you, and I'm very fond of you.

Okay, you wanna know the truth?

God no.

The truth is I wanted to be here on my own.

Tough, we got here first.

No no, with you and Larry.

Do you ever hear from Linda?

No.

It's a mistake, you know,

comparing everyone to her.

Well I don't actually.

I compare them to you.

[soft music]

[Julie] How's our girl?

Drain's out, peeing well.

Good call.

You know the passenger was her sister?

No.

That's who V.J.'s heart was from.

[Woman] They're waiting, Mr. Marsden.

Yes, I'll be with you in a moment, all right?

Alex.

[Alex] Paula.

About these audit figures.

I'm on the case.

You know you've got teaching today.

And that magazine wants to know

if you've approved the proofs

Oh and the clinical woman from VazioMed's here.

I told her to go straight in.

Hi.

Hello.

I tried to call you.

Can we talk about work?

Yeah, okay.

What is this I hear about you suspending

the valve programme?

Apparently, there's been another unexplained death.

[Sarah] What age?

72.

That's still two deaths out of 50 in the first year.

And what makes you think that the valve killed them?

I don't, but two deaths at this stage is four percent,

which is two percent more than the age match controls.

Come on.

Which means we might have to hold back a bit.

And how much is a bit?

Two years.

Two years?

We have to see how the other patients do.

If there's no excess mortality, we're in the clear

and we can start the programme again,

but if the figures are not so good,

we might have to stop production.

Alex.

Do you have any idea how much money my company

has invested in developing these things?

Yes.

Two and a half million pounds.

Now I told them to go through with your design.

If it falls through, how are they going

to regard that decision?

The same way they regarded it back then,

a calculated risk.

Look, you win some, you lose some.

That is the nature of business, isn't it?

I guess it is, Alex.

I guess it is.

[machine beeping]

Lungs good.

[machine beeping]

Right main bronchus.

Thought you were interested in hearts.

Hearts, lungs, anything potentially fatal.

I'm interested in how much people understand

what's happening to them.

How they calculate their chances.

Well, they don't have to here.

We calculate it for them.

Wanna see what a cancer looks like?

Mm, horrible.

So who's the lucky girl this evening, eh, Alex?

Biopsy forceps.

Paula, I guess.

As in Paula?

Well she's been on my back for weeks about those figures,

about how many operations we've done, what the outcome was,

who the surgeons were.

All the raw data's on computer, of course, but

as we can't afford a statistician.

Well I've done the statistics.

I'll do it if I can use some of your data.

Believe me, this is a bad idea.

Sure, why not?

[light music]

Unbelievable.

What's unbelievable?

You're not bonking the psychologist, are you?

Bonking?

I don't think bonking is something that grownups do anymore.

Is it?

Sorry, is this boys' talk?

No, it's girls' talk?

Oh, that was quick.

Sit down.

I'm Charlie Hawkesmore.

Oh yes, the man with the big shiny Merc.

[Charles] Oh, are you interested in cars?

No.

Is it all right then?

Well, for a start, anything that's not

open heart surgery has got to be removed.

What's this?

Postop stay, 69 days, that must be a misprint.

It's six days postop, nine days total.

Death should be here.

Not here.

What's this? Temporary pacemaker.

That's not a complication.

It is actually a piece of hardware.

This is a good one.

Insertion of tunnel line, outcome death.

Chap had an artificial heart, for God sake.

I'll do it again.

No thanks, I'll do it myself.

Oh, whatever you like.

What was that about?

Alex has agreed to do the league tables.

It's not the league tables, Charlie. It's what we do.

Come on, it's tedious.

These meetings are always tedious.

An hour and a half with Paula banging on

about some old fart who died of a bowel perforation.

That's not the point, is it?

The point is to identify the avoidable deaths.

Not the inevitable ones, the avoidable ones,

so that we can avoid them.

You mean so we know who to blame.

No, so we know what's going wrong.

So it's not just a case of outcome death

on the final report.

I mean, death is meaningless.

Absolutely.

3,000 years of Hindu philosophy in a nutshell.

Oh take it out on a squash ball.

I'll phone the club and book a court.

[Alex] Thanks, but I've got company.

Aha!

No, it's a couple of friends coming up from the country.

In town for an agricultural show.

Bluff.

[laughing]

[rain tapping]

[doorbell buzzing]

-Oh. -Hi.

Hey, Larry can't come. The roof's blown off the barn.

I'll take that.

It's okay, I can manage.

No, I'll do it, I'll do it.

Okay, hello.

Hi, happy to see you.

-Okay. -Come on.

Woo.

[footsteps approaching]

So how is he?

[Marcella] Who, Larry?

Yeah, how's he going?

The same, he's fine.

Well,

not fine really.

He's ...

I don't know, we haven't really been connecting, you know,

these past few months.

He's, he's sort of ...

Maybe it's just me.

That was a joke about him having an affair.

Well.

Oh, come on.

He never would.

You know he wouldn't.

Well people do.

Mind you, not a lot of opportunity today,

though, it has to be said.

What?

What are you looking at?

No no, it's just something I read in that magazine.

It says that a woman would never reveal a part of herself

that she didn't intend to.

And if you can see it, probably they're showing it to you.

Sounds like bullshit.

Oh.

Are you telling me I'm showing too much leg?

No no no, they're great. Top quality.

But you want me to cover them up.

No, they're great just as they are.

Am I being an asshole?

Yep.

[phone ringing]

[laughing]

[phone beeping]

Dr. Marsden's assistant.

[laughing]

Yeah.

I've just been taking notes.

Ugh, toys for the boys, mainly. I've got some brochures.

Ah, you mean

Britain's most celebrated heart surgeon.

He's just been telling me what great legs I have.

Mm-hm, mm.

Yeah, that's what I thought [laughs].

Yeah, yeah, no, you wanna have a word with him about that.

No, oh, no, I don't blame you at all.

Mm-hm, yeah, I will.

Okay, all right, honey.

Okay, bye.

Yeah, and you. Okay, bye, bye.

That was Larry.

He says he's gonna fight you after school

by the big chimney.

Mm.

I'm sure I've got some jeans in my bag.

No no, come on, come here, come here, look.

I was just, I don't know, I was just trying to,

to be clear.

Oh you were.

You were clear.

Absolutely.

[glass smashing]

You all right?

Yeah, yeah.

Put your shoes on.

You little bastards!

You broke it, you're gonna fix it.

You little bastards!

You all right?

Yeah, yeah, are you?

I'll get a Hoover.

Okay.

Have you got something to cover the window?

I'll just pick the big bits up.

What the hell was all that about?

Who are they, some yokels?

God knows.

Plenty of glue sniffers around here.

It's not your ex-girlfriend?

Sarah, no no, it's not really her style.

A small incendiary device perhaps, but not this.

What do you want to do, call the police?

Oh, what's the point.

Bugger!

Hey.

Hey hey.

[soft music]

Purely experimental.

I just always wondered what that would feel like.

So now I know.

Right.

Good.

Okay, um.

We patch up the window. We clean up the glass.

Then you cook dinner while I'm taking a bath.

[footsteps fading]

[rain tapping]

[soft music]

[food sizzling]

[soft music]

[food sizzling]

[soft music]

[food sizzling]

[soft music]

Shit!

Shit.

You okay out there?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Everything's just about under control.

That was good.

That was crap.

[laughing]

Okay, it was crap.

The wine was good.

What's for dessert?

Nothing.

What do you want?

Uh.

What?

What am I showing too much cleavage now?

What cleavage?

[laughing]

Well here's to being clear.

To being clear.

[glasses clinking]

You look tired.

Yeah.

You should get to bed.

Yeah.

Good night.

Well thanks, thanks for that.

See you in the morning.

Yeah, night.

[throat clearing]

[water running]

[thunder cracking]

[soft music]

Night, Marcella.

Good night.

[soft music]

[thunder rolling]

[soft music]

[thunder rolling]

[soft music]

Marcella?

Alex?

You know that experiment of yours?

Yes.

I came to check the results.

[soft music]

You mean that one?

My boss in Dublin used to say,

the trouble with the English is,

they think too much.

That's right.

He's right.

You think we think too much?

Definitely.

[soft music]

[knocking on door]

You wanted to see me?

Oh come in.

Come in.

And, uh, have a seat.

Good.

Now, this came through the window of my house

on Friday night.

Oh look, they spelt it wrong. It begins with a B.

Rachel?

I've been in this particular situation before,

and I'd quite like to avoid the same kind of pattern.

For instance, when you came round that night

to go through the report.

Yes?

Well the thing is, sometimes women that I get involved

with professionally feel ...

What?

Well, they feel attracted to me.

Maybe because I don't make things clear,

but the other person feels ...

Feels what?

Oh.

You think this was me.

You think I threw this through your window

because I felt rejected.

[laughing]

That's unbelievable.

Listen ...

Rachel.

Rachel, if I've misinterpreted the signs--

What signs?

Am I signalling something?

God, I knew you were vain but--

Can I just say something?

No, I'd like to say something.

Go ahead.

I think you're a total dickhead.

Well thank you for that contribution.

You know, when I think about it,

I'd quite like to have thrown this through your window.

And I'm sure there are quite a few nurses

who feel the same way.

Look, Rachel.

You waft around here in this cloud

of your own self-importance.

You hardly notice the people who are working with you.

If people do try and help,

you're positively insulting to them.

Well I'm sorry if you feel that way.

You know, I think you're so sexually insecure

that you have two modes of interacting with women.

Either flirting with them or being actively rude.

I mean, tell me if I'm wrong, but

do you have any proper female friends?

I think this conversation has gone as far as it needs to.

Oh, you mean piss off and die.

Unless there's something you wanna get off your chest.

I'd quite like to hear an apology.

Well if I'm wrong, I apologise.

Thank you.

[soft music]

Perfume.

I thought about buying some black underwear as well.

Do you think it'll be necessary?

Obviously not.

[soft music]

You okay?

No, I'm a mess.

You don't look a mess.

I am completely out of control.

I mean it.

I lie in bed at night when Larry's asleep

thinking mad things like

what if we could leave the country?

Or I could just pack everything up

and come and live with you.

Why don't you?

Alex, I'm serious.

I didn't want it to be like this.

I just want you all the time.

And then I think about Larry and I just feel fractured.

He's had you for 15 years, how can he object?

Are you not thinking?

No.

You love him too.

Yeah, I know.

Well?

It's the same.

Obsessed.

I can see you when I'm operating.

I can talk to you when I'm driving the car into work.

And I see you when I'm sitting in the clinic.

I just think, if we do this often enough,

I'll get it out of my system, but it doesn't work.

No, it just gets worse.

Yes.

What do you suppose we should do?

[upbeat music]

Just grab them underneath.

Just back them up right in the corner, eh?

Grab them underneath. Open the gate.

There's one.

Come on.

You back him right in the corner.

Lift it up. Lift up them up, do the gate.

Okay.

[groaning]

They got you in the bollocks now, did it?

Oh yeah.

Oh.

[soft dramatic music]

Do you want some water or something?

Yeah.

Yeah, I'll be okay.

Look, I'll get the vets.

The vet, oh my God.

I'll phone Marcella then.

Look, I'll be all right. I'll be okay.

[hard breathing]

Where are we going, Alex?

Straight to hell.

It's very strange, but I've got this

horrible feeling that I've always been in love with you.

You'll be late, won't you?

Yeah.

[phone ringing]

Damn blasted thing.

Hang on.

[phone ringing]

[sighing]

Yeah.

[Larry] Hello, Alex?

Larry.

[Larry] Hi. Is Marcella with you?

Marcella? No.

It's funny, because she's gone up to London

and she said she was gonna have lunch with you.

Well yes, you know, I've been sort of busy, and

might not have been able to get hold of me.

Look, if she calls, is there anything I can tell her?

[knocking on door]

[Larry] I called the doctor, and I've asked him

to come over to ask him about this pain.

Sorry.

Sorry, what was that?

He's on his way, and well, it's been getting

a bit worse, actually.

Pain? What pain?

I mean, your indigestion?

[Larry] Well no, actually, it's more of a chest pain.

Well what, what kind of chest pain?

[Larry] Look, if you see Marcella.

[Alex] Like what? Like you're being crushed?

What?

[Larry] Well it's only when I work hard.

And how long does it last?

[Larry] A couple of minutes.

[Alex] And does it go up into your arm?

My arm?

Um, yeah.

Maybe.

[Alex] Come on, Larry, look, that's heart pain.

That's angina.

Look, the doctor said he was coming straight away.

Why didn't you tell me this before?

[Larry] Well look, it was never like this before,

and I'm gonna get it checked up.

You ordered some tea.

-Go away! -Sorry.

Alex? What's going on there?

No, nothing, Larry, nothing, look, look.

I need to get you into a hospital.

You need cardiac enzymes and an ECG.

[Larry] Yeah, well look, it's probably nothing.

I'm feeling better than I was.

I don't care.

As soon as you're fit, you're coming up here.

And no more exercise until I see you, all right?

Okay, if you hear from Marcella.

[Alex] Yeah, I'll tell her.

Yeah, but, look, I don't want you to worry her

because it's probably nothing.

It's not nothing, Larry, it's angina.

Now remember, no strenuous exercise, all right?

Yeah, okay, I heard you the first time.

Oh look, there's his car now.

Look, I'll talk to you later.

Well, get the doctor to ring me afterwards, all right?

Yeah, okay, bye.

Bye.

God.

He had some chest pains while he was working.

Apparently, it's been going on for quite a while.

Is he all right?

Yeah, he's with a doctor now.

Oh God.

God, I knew it was something. I knew it was something.

Bloody Milk of Magnesia, he wouldn't tell me about it.

Where are my knickers?

Oh, shit!

Marcella.

Angina, that's the same as a heart attack.

No, it is not a heart attack.

We don't know yet.

Well you sounded like it was urgent.

Well it is urgent until we know what it is.

This is a judgement .

This is a judgement !

Come on, this is not a judgement .

What's wrong? I never heard you talk like this before.

That's because I've never done this before.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, I'm just a little bit feeling bad.

It'll be all right. It'll be all right.

Yes.

[pager beeping]

Look, I have to see you again.

Yes.

No, I mean to talk about what we're gonna do.

Yes, yes, yes.

Oh God.

What?

I'm leaking.

I'm gonna have a shower.

Just, you need to go. You go.

Will you be all right?

Yes, I'll be all right, yes. Just go.

[door opening and closing]

[soft music]

Alex, I need you to--

Joshua, I'll come and see you.

Oh, Alex.

Your bypass, Mr. Morris, he's got 200 mils in his drain.

We've been trying to get hold of you.

I'll be there.

And your transplant's urine has fallen off a bit.

I'll come and see him.

-Alex? -Yeah?

Having a quick poke at East Ham.

No, I've been--

Don't apologise, never explain.

Did you ever submit those mortality figures to Paula?

I'd rather hoped she'd forgotten.

Because I'd rather like to talk about it

before it gets much further.

Charlie, I'll get back to you.

-No, Alex. -Alex.

[Alex] Sarah, this is not a good time.

This thing about waiting two years,

I've been thinking that you're really being

a bit conservative on it.

I've talked with Charlie Hawkesmore,

and he reckons a year should just about straighten it out.

It is not Charlie's decision.

You don't even have to put the valves in.

Charlie says he'll do the operations himself.

He has no right to. This is ridiculous.

If you switch surgeons halfway through,

it just balls up the figures.

I mean, I won't let him.

My name is on that valve.

Alex, can I acquaint you with the business world?

I'm not interested in the business world.

If your people are overstressed in this financially,

it really has nothing to do with me.

You came into this with your eyes open.

There has been a glitch. It is not my fault.

Now, if you think you can get around this by recruiting

my colleagues to hijack my research, you're wrong.

They won't do it, and even if they did, I wouldn't allow it.

So you can forget it.

I've got patients to see, and I'll see you around.

[soft music]

[machine beeping]

[Larry panting]

Okay, let's stop there.

[panting]

[soft music]

Okay.

Now.

This

is gentle exercise,

and that's fine, nothing to worry about here.

And

this is when it gets tougher.

Now in a normal heart, the pattern

would remain the same, but in your case,

when you start getting chest pain, it changes.

These are the ST sections.

We label them PQRST, and your ST sections

here, are all down, you see?

And that's bad?

Yes.

Is it ever wrong?

Well it can be normal when you're sick,

but if it's like this--

You're buggered?

Well, you need more investigations.

I knew this was coming.

Now, what we normally do is a pretty common procedure.

You know, that's a word I really hate.

All we have to do--

You know, when my mother was 65, she had an ovarian cyst.

And they said to her, come in,

it's a very simple procedure, you'll be out in no time.

It's not like that.

So she went in, she had the operation and they said,

oops, you've got a clot in your leg.

We'll just put you on these clever anti-clotting tablets.

Next thing, she was vomiting because of the tablets.

She gets a transfusion, through her neck

with some dirty great thing which gives her an infection

and that's what killed her.

The cyst was benign. She coulda lived with it for years.

It's not like that here.

And the last thing she said to me before she died,

she said, you know, Larry, isn't it great that I was

in hospital when all these things happened to me?

My father had the brains.

I still think you need an angiogram.

[phone ringing]

What's an angiogram?

Well we put a catheter into his heart,

shoot some dye into the coronary arteries

and then see if there any blockages there.

When do you want to do this to me?

Seeing as you're here now, and you can stay

the night at my place, tomorrow.

He's loving this.

This is your idea of heaven.

Lying me on a table naked and sticking needles into me.

So you'll do it then?

I'm gonna have the steak with cream sauce, well done.

And extra pommes frites.

And some courgettes in butter.

And a cigar.

Actually, forget the cigar.

I'll have salmon and green beans and boiled potatoes.

And a bottle of Number 34.

I'm paying.

Actually, I think I left my wallet in my jacket. Hang on.

[diners chattering]

Well, Larry seems happy.

He's scared stiff.

You look lovely.

I feel rotten.

I keep wanting to touch you.

I know.

Do you think we could ever go back

to the way we were, before?

[diners chattering]

It's bizarre.

At the time, I didn't think sleeping with you

would make any difference.

Does it?

Come on.

I get the shakes every time I see you.

I don't know how he can't have guessed.

He hasn't, Marcella. I know that for a fact.

He hasn't guessed.

What haven't I guessed?

Actually, I have guessed.

You don't stick tubes in people's hearts

unless it's pretty serious.

Still, no sign of the wine?

Excuse me.

[soft piano music]

She saved my life, you know that?

I'd have gambled the whole farm away if it wasn't for her.

I mean, I look at her sometimes, up to her ears in mud,

and it's like looking at a beautiful piece of furniture

that someone's left out in the rain

because they don't know what it's worth.

And do you remember when we all met?

I was certain that she was gonna end up

with some smooth-talking bastard like you.

Yeah, that's fine.

You know why the north of Australia

was so unpopulated for so long?

Because they couldn't get any women to live there.

Good grazing, lots of water, no women.

Whatever she's got, that,

that, that thing, that

womanness, it's the most precious commodity on the planet.

You think I'm raving.

And I better go easy tonight, because I'm either going

to cry or burst into song.

[soft piano music]

You're a great guy, Alex.

[glasses clinking]

We who are about to die salute you [laughs].

Good.

Breathe away.

[soft music]

And again.

Good, breathe away.

[exhaling]

[soft music]

Who's that?

Glad it's not me anyway.

Actually, it's a friend of mine.

Oh, I'm sorry.

No no, it's what I suspected, I suppose.

Pretty good ventricular function anyway.

Yeah.

What do you think about his right?

Difficult to say, isn't it?

Smoker?

Yeah.

I'll be doing that LV assistive device

in two, if you want to look in.

Sure.

How is he?

Sleeping.

No I'm not.

Well, you want the good news or the bad news?

No news.

I've had a word with that psychologist.

I'm gonna skip anger and resentment

and go straight into denial.

Well the bad news is--

Na na na na na, I'm not listening.

-The bad news-- -I'm not listening.

[Marcella] Larry.

[Larry] I'm not listening.

Larry.

All right.

The bad news, followed swiftly by the good news.

Your coronary arteries are shot.

You have three main blood vessels to the heart.

Two of them are blocked.

If the other one gets blocked, you're dead.

So what's the good news?

The good news is we can fix it.

Take a vein from your leg,

plug it in, bypass the blockage.

What if I just leave it?

Oh, you can't just leave it.

No no, that's another bit of good news.

You see, you don't have to think about making a decision.

There is no decision to make.

You need the operation, end of story.

Is it risky?

[Alex] No no no, with a good surgeon, we're 99% certain

that he'll survive the operation.

Who do you recommend?

Well I think V.J. Krishna should do it.

I've done the figures for the past year,

and he's just about the best.

Even better than you?

It's a bit like playing the piano, you see.

Some people have it. They're just sort of born with it.

What about that guy who does all the big shots?

The white-haired guy who's always on television.

Charlie Hawkesmore.

No, I wouldn't recommend him.

Not Oscar Peterson?

More Richard Klaterman.

[Larry] Thought he was the most expensive in London.

Oh he is.

You want V.J. to do it.

Actually, I don't particularly want anyone to do it.

I think we should go home and talk about it.

I think he should stay in hospital.

What, and do it now?

Why not?

Alex, Alex, look, you're talking about letting some

hairy-armed bandit rummage around inside my chest.

The idea does take a bit of adjusting.

It's a perfectly straightforward ...

-Procedure. -Procedure.

Yeah, so was the last one.

It still scared the shit outta me.

I'll show you the statistics.

You have three vessel disease.

Three already? It was two a minute ago.

Two of them are blocked,

and the other one looks pretty grotty.

Now without the op, you have a 70% chance

of lasting five years.

With the op, 90%.

Well, minus the chance of dying at the operation.

That's a tiny risk.

Still, seven to nine on.

If it was a horse, I wouldn't exactly be

peeing myself with excitement.

I'll think about it.

[Alex] And freedom from chest pain.

Oh sure, and free air miles.

Come on, Alex, I mean, how long have my arteries

been like this, five years, 10 years?

It's impossible to say.

Precisely. So what's the rush?

Pass me my trousers.

Alex, whatever happened to the holistic approach?

Oh, you're in the wrong hospital.

We're strictly half-istic here.

[knocking on door]

I just want you to live.

Well that's good to know, because for a minute I thought

you wanted to kill me and run off with my wife.

[sighing]

We'll talk about it.

[soft music]

[car door closing]

-Hi. -Hi.

That looks nice.

It's falling apart.

It's the paint holding it together, really.

Here to see Larry?

Well I've come to see you both.

Look, I've told him everything you've told me.

He's not gonna do it.

No, leave it, leave it. Mind your feet.

He's in the barn.

Right.

[cows mooing]

Ah, the Grim Reaper.

[cow mooing]

Marcella says you won't do it.

Well that's not actually what I said.

I said I'd have the operation if you did it.

Well that's ridiculous.

Well, everyone says you're the best, apart from the fact

you can't play darts to save your life.

Would you pass me that spanner please?

[cows mooing]

Thanks.

Forceps.

Pliers.

Oh.

So why not?

I can't do your operation, Larry.

Well that's what Marcella says.

That's what anyone would say.

Look, you need the operation,

you need the same operation as anyone else would get.

But you need someone who's not ...

Not what?

Who's not personally involved, for God sake.

Well it's a pretty personal thing, Alex.

You're asking me to let some stranger open up my chest,

take out the arteries to my heart

and replace them with a bit of old radiator hose.

It's a vein from your leg, I told you that.

Well I wouldn't let a stranger do it.

I wouldn't let a stranger fix my tractor.

Well I think you're being unreasonable.

Well that's how I feel.

[soft piano music]

[lighter clicking]

[soft music]

[fire crackling]

You know what he's saying?

He's saying he'll go through with it if I do the operation.

No, Alex.

I know it's mad. I know, and I said I wouldn't do it.

Good.

You know his father died when he was 49?

Yes, of course I know that.

Why'd you have to say that, Alex?

Why did you have to come here and say that?

Do you not think it's hard enough for me?

[exhaling]

What's going on now?

Well all I know is that someone has got to operate.

It's getting worse, isn't it?

I mean, you walk 50 yards against the wind

and it feels like an anvil sitting on your chest.

Next week, it'll be 30 yards.

You can't work. You can't make love.

You can't even trust yourself to drive the car.

Every time, you close the front door behind you,

you wonder if you're ever coming back.

It's true.

Well, isn't it?

[sighing]

[Larry] Look, you said it was my decision.

I've decided to have the operation.

[Marcella] That's not the problem.

The problem is Alex.

Why? It's his job, isn't it?

I mean, he said so himself before.

You just turn off the emotions and you do the operation.

That's bollocks. He's just being macho.

Anyway, he won't do it. I won't let him.

You won't let him?

He'll do what he likes.

What is it with you two anyway? What's going on?

[soft music]

Okay, if you want me to do it, I'll do it.

If that's what it takes,

I'll do it.

Have you seen Charlie this morning?

No.

I'd maybe steer clear of him.

Why?

He's in his manifestation as Sheba the Destroyer.

About what?

Alex, there's been a cock-up.

There's no way we'll fit all this in.

Yes, we will.

Joshua's going to open up the chest for me.

Then he'll move next door and do the lung.

Joshua?

Yeah.

How many lungs has he removed?

Couple more than you, Bill.

[door opening]

Hi.

I suppose it was you that told them to shave my chest.

I was jealous.

Childish of me. You okay?

She's fine. It's me who's having the bloody operation.

[knocking on door]

Yeah.

[Alex] Yeah, you can come in.

You won't see me till afterwards.

Well, it's your last meal at our place if I do.

-Mr. Marsden? -Yeah.

See you, pal.

Right this way, Miss.

Lean forward a bit, sir. We're ready to get going here.

Larry?

What?

I love you.

Oh, thought my arse was showing.

Right here, come here, round your side.

That's it.

All right with you, sir?

[Larry] Yeah.

[Orderly] Lovely job.

He'll be awake this afternoon,

sitting up in intensive care.

He'll be a bit spaced out, but you can visit him.

Anyway, if you wanna get away for a bit.

Marcella, I do this operation two or three times a week.

He'll be fine. Honestly, I promise.

The silver one's to the front door.

Okay.

I'm just going to stick this pad on your leg, okay?

Injecting now.

[soft music]

I love you too, honey.

What was that?

[soft music]

I'm looking for Alex.

He's not here.

Tube, tube?

Alex, before you run away, I've had VazioMed on the phone.

They want names and addresses for the patients

involved in your valve trial.

That's confidential information.

I've already told them that.

Yeah, well maybe you'll have a word with them.

I've had a word, Paula. There's nothing else to discuss.

[soft music]

Ah, hello, Charlie.

Hello yourself.

Do you wanna tell me what this is?

Yes, the perioperative mortality.

No, I mean this.

Here, what's that supposed to mean?

Well, there are your figures for bypass graphs.

Those are V.J.'s, and those are mine.

Get in there.

Look, can't we discuss this--

No, we can't discuss it later. Get in.

Who sees this?

Well you, me, V.J., the executive, of course.

The whole of the executive?

It's your stuff, for goodness sake.

You gave me the raw data.

Data, yes, but not like this, not like this.

I mean, look at that. What does that say?

Charlie Hawkesmore has double the perioperative

mortality of anyone else.

Is that what you think, is it?

The figures aren't that bad.

You know what I've got this afternoon?

A 60-year-old diabetic rheumatoid on steroids

with severe three vessel disease.

What have you got?

We all have difficult cases.

A fit young farmer who's bounced up the queue

just because he happens to be a friend of--

We all get the difficult ones.

So I'm just incompetent?

It's just a couple of percent.

It's double!

It's three versus 1.5. It's my bloody career!

You know what this'll do to my referrals.

I'm up for an A Merit award in two months,

two months for God sake.

I'm up for an extra 30 grand a year

every year through retirement, and you shaft me with this.

It's only figures, Charlie.

Well sod them, sod your figure, and sod you

and the sodding boat you sailed in on.

[door slamming]

All set?

[Bill] I need some more saline.

Thanks.

[machine beeping]

Dr. Ryan.

I asked Mr. Duggan if he'd cooperate with my study.

If that's all right with you.

Anything special about Dr. Hughes.

He's got a nasty tumour right in among the big vessels.

He suffers from chronic bronchitis.

Everything's going to be stepped down.

Get a good exposure from the roof of the lung.

That's the main trick.

Send someone through if you get into trouble, all right?

Patient doesn't seem to have a heartbeat, Bill.

First string for the aorta, please.

[machine beeping]

Is the Heparin in?

[Bill] Yes.

ACT please.

500.

[machine beeping]

Cut.

Knife.

Canyoner.

Clamp.

[machine beeping]

Saline.

Looks like a big smoker.

He gave up spirits and gambling when he got married.

Rollups were his last remaining vice.

How's it going with that vein?

-Getting better. -Excellent.

Clamp.

[soft music]

Scissors.

[soft music]

Slow wind, please.

[soft music]

Okay.

Must keep it.

Now go and bypass now.

Pump's on.

One litre on bypass.

Two.

Three.

Write down the flow.

Blue thing.

Okay.

Okay so now,

dribble, then run.

How much do you want?

-700. -Running.

[Alex] 700 into the aortic route,

and the rest down in the graft.

Fibrillating.

And

stopped.

[machine hissing]

-How much is that? -About six.

Okay, off.

[Bill] Cross clamp on at 1510.

Right.

Let's go to work.

Hello?

Alex?

Huh.

[door closing]

Hello.

Sarah?

Marcella.

He lent me his keys.

I didn't think you and Alex were still ...

We're not. I just came by to retrieve some things.

Oh.

Well if it's work, I could ring and ask his secretary.

No, it's more like correspondence.

I'll be gone in a minute.

Right.

I'll let him know I've taken this.

You just here for the day?

No, Larry's in hospital.

Alex is operating on him.

Operating on Larry?

He's having a coronary bypass.

I'm,

I don't really know what to say other than good luck.

I'll leave the keys.

Yes, see you again?

Maybe not.

Goodbye, Marcella.

[soft music]

[Margot] Problem?

Hm.

I need a probe. Give me 1.5.

[soft music]

It's diseased all the way down.

Have to endarterectomize it.

Watson chain.

Hate doing this.

[soft music]

That's all out of the room.

How much vein do we have left?

All right, let's have it.

It's going to be a messy one, isn't it?

Hm.

That's good.

You never use loops for this bit.

When you need loops,

you're too old for it.

Charlie uses loops.

So what was he throwing Teddy out of the cart

for this afternoon?

[Alex] Would you stop that line kicking, Harry?

What?

[Alex] Did you stop that line kicking?

You have the veinous line a bit.

Normal menopausal behaviour, was it?

That's better.

Or was it because you pulled out of the valve programme?

The valve programme has got nothing to do with Charlie.

Why would he be upset about it?

[Bill] Largely because of all the money he's losing.

[Alex] How could he be losing any money?

Well you know, he's got a big investment in VazioMed.

If you pull out and the share prices plummet,

you will have comprehensively stuffed him.

You knew that, didn't you?

No I didn't. Oh, damn.

Broken stitch. Forceps.

[soft music]

What's the clamp time?

35 minutes.

Shit.

Mr. Marsden.

Mr. Marsden?

Not now.

What?

[Messenger] Message from Mr. Ernersleeve.

Yes?

[Messenger] Can you come now?

He's got a bit of a problem with the PA.

[Alex] Are you sure he said the PA?

[Messenger] The pulmonary artery.

It's bleeding quite a lot.

Take this.

Shall I call V.J.?

No, he's gone.

Private day.

Charlie will be free.

Tell Mr. Hawkesmore to come down and take over.

No.

-Alex, you still-- -No, I said no.

Just.

[soft dramatic music]

Needle can, please.

-One. -One.

-Two. -Two.

-Three. -Three.

-Four, five. -Four.

-Six. -Six.

-One. -One.

-Two. -Two.

-Three. -Three.

-Four. -Five.

Would you ask Mr. Hawkesmore to come

to Theatre Two immediately please?

Okay, we need another unit.

Whatever we've got, now.

Sorry about this, Alex.

Give me a swab.

The sutures are just going through here.

Big one, big ones.

And another one. It'll be fine.

Give me a side clamp.

[machine beeping]

Let me in there.

Keep your hand on it.

Keep your hand on it. That's it.

What's happened to the suction?

[machine hissing]

What's this?

Right angle.

Retractor.

Thank you.

Put the light where the bleeding is.

Where the bleeding is.

Clamp.

I need you, Mary, don't turn your back on me.

Three oh chrome.

We don't have that.

Well four oh.

String, anything you've got, for God sake.

I've got a dying heart next door.

Three oh chrome from next door. Run, hurry up.

Margot says you need me to take over next door.

No thank you, I'm fine.

So she's going to do the last two grafts herself?

I'll be finished here before you can scrub.

Fine, you know best.

Come on, come on, come on.

Right, another spool.

Quickly.

Now, I'll take the swab from here.

You put the sucker on the bleeder, all right?

Only got one chance at this.

Ready? Go.

No, you've gotta be quicker than that.

Ready. Go.

Like that.

Clip.

Long dissecting scissors.

Long ones.

Come on.

Damn.

Suture.

This is hopeless.

There's tumour all over the highway.

The guy'll be dead in a couple of months anyway.

Joshua, that's the main bronchus.

Right.

The PA's tied up.

You've just got the bronchus and veins to deal with.

If he starts to bleed again, call Charlie, all right?

[soft music]

Right.

Sutures.

I need some saline on this.

[soft music]

What's this?

Five oh chrome.

Seven oh, it's the bottom end, for God sake.

What are we paying you for?

Any more rabbity noises from you, Dr. Ryan,

and you can get the hell out of my theatre.

Forceps.

Are you fixing dinner?

For now.

So what's it like being Superman?

I don't know, Bill. What's it like being an asshole?

And one more.

And cut.

Good.

Just the bottom end of the internal mammary after this.

What's the clamp time?

One hour, 10.

Shit, cut.

Mrs. Duggan.

Apparently, he's still in theatre.

It won't be long now.

Would you like to wait on the ward?

Yes, please.

Okay, I'll take you now.

Okay.

All right, that's profusing.

It should stop bleeding in a minute.

Taking off clamp.

Now, aorta open.

Sump one please.

[Harry] Sump one.

[Alex] Put up the heart then.

[Harry] Saline.

His heart doesn't seem to be doing much, Bill.

Give him any inotropes?

Five of dopamine.

Do you want me to give him anymore?

No.

More atropine.

Not yet.

Well say what you want me to do.

Just wait.

Have your lines come adrift again?

My lines are fine.

[machine beeping]

Incredible thing, the power of prayer.

Give me Lignocaine and start ventilating the lungs.

Ventilating.

[bag hissing]

[soft music]

Thanks, Margot. You were great.

You didn't tell me the patient was a friend of yours.

I didn't think it was important, was it?

Alex, you're not a one-man band. You're part of a team.

I think the rest of the team had a right to know.

You're right. I'm sorry.

Push to the left. Push to the left.

Watch it!

Pipes are good, Bill.

[Bill] Saline.

[Alex] You're right.

I said left, you perk.

[Man] Come on, that's enough.

[Alex] Saline, saline.

Transfusion line, turn it off.

I've got.

Fine. Fine, he's okay.

Now back to ICU, and gently this time please.

All right, sir.

[door opening]

He's all right.

He's gonna be in intensive care for the next couple of days.

And you can go and see him whenever you like.

And don't worry about the tubes and things.

They'll be out in no time.

So it went all right then?

Well, it was complicated,

but nothing we couldn't deal with.

Complicated? In what way?

He's gonna be fine, Marcella.

The blockages are not always in the most convenient places,

but we bypassed all of them,

and his heart filled up nice and pink.

[sighing]

Okay.

Uh, Sarah was at your flat,

looking through your desk.

[pager beeping]

Nothing of any importance in there.

She knows about us.

How can she?

Look, everything is going to be all right.

[PA] Code blue, Mr. Marsden to ICU please.

Code blue, Mr. Marsden to ICU.

I'd begun to wonder if I'd dreamed all this.

It wasn't some delicious fantasy I had.

Anyway, we've got Larry sorted now.

Makes you realise how much--

Mr. Marsden, it's intensive care.

They want you to come now.

[Alex] What happened?

No idea.

I brought him back, and he suddenly went flat.

Adrenaline, one milligramme.

[Harry] No pulse.

[dramatic music]

[Charles] Adrenaline in.

Stop pumping.

Where's the pacing box?

Pacing box.

I've got to reel him.

[chattering]

Who are you?

I'm Mrs. Duggan. I'm Larry Duggan's wife.

There's nothing you can do. You'll have to wait outside.

Charlie.

Seven.

You're not capturing it.

Damn it. Have to open him up.

Gloves. Stop massaging, come on.

[curtain closing]

Someone take that machine away.

[Harry] One, two, three,

four, five.

One two, three, four, five.

It's time, everybody.

And, off.

Knife.

Knife, quickly.

[machine beeping]

Wire cutters.

[cutters snipping]

[machine beeping]

Don't do this to me, Larry. Don't do this to me.

How much adrenaline has he had?

Two, one of atropine.

His heart isn't doing anything.

Shit. What's that?

Pulse is VT.

Right, better shock him.

Quick as you can.

Stand clear, everyone.

And.

[Harry] It's still charging.

Ready, stand clear and.

Mrs. Duggan.

No.

Again at 200, stand back and.

What are they doing to him?

[Doctor] Nothing yet.

[Alex] Go to 360.

Stand back and.

[Doctor] Yes, getting an output.

Good.

Sinus rhythm. That's sinus rhythm.

Grafts are still good. His pupils all right?

A bit big.

[soft music]

Well that's the atropine, isn't it?

I think it's the atropine.

He's gonna be fine.

Larry, don't mess me about.

Come on. Come on, Larry.

Can you hear me? You're gonna be all right.

You can stop the sedation.

When he coughs, take the tube out.

He's not on sedation.

He's been off since we got here.

He's not on sedation.

[soft dramatic music]

His heart's beating again. I don't know why it stopped.

It happens very rarely.

It's either trauma of the operation

or not enough blood getting to the heart muscle.

Now he was out for about 20 minutes,

but he had good circulation during that time.

At the moment, he's not breathing for himself.

I don't know why that is.

Probably because his brain swelled up,

but we can give him some drugs to deal with that.

And then in the morning, we can take him off

the ventilator and see how he is.

Marcella, I'm just very sorry.

You said this wouldn't happen.

Now if you want to stay the night,

there's a bed next to the ICU.

You said this wouldn't happen [cries]!

Still here?

You've done everything you can for him, Alex.

You ought to go home.

[machine hissing]

You think I was wrong, don't you?

I couldn't do what you do, Alex.

I don't have the self-belief.

I think it was a difficult operation.

I think maybe, if it was a stranger,

you would have waited for more space.

You did what you thought was right.

We all did.

[machine hissing]

You gonna give him a brain stem test?

Yes, but it doesn't mean anything this early.

You ought to be home in your bed.

Did you know them long?

15 years.

I was in vascular attachment in Dublin,

and Larry and Marcella were the first people I met there.

I sometimes think that I got married because they did.

My marriage was a disaster, of course, but

theirs was really

wonderful.

Is

wonderful.

See anything?

Nothing.

It's too early to say.

[soft music]

[knocking on door]

Alex, have a seat.

Thanks.

You look tired.

You must be due for some leave pretty soon

if you ever feel the need for a locum.

I'll manage.

How's Mrs. Duggan coping?

Well she's distraught, of course.

Of course. I'm told you knew each other well.

Look, Larry Duggan needed to be operated on.

I would have moved him to the top

of the list, whoever he was.

The thing is I've had some information

and I'm not quite sure how to read it.

I heard that you and Mrs. Duggan were romantically involved.

Who told you that?

Where the information came from is irrelevant.

The only important thing is whether--

It's relevant to me. I'd like to know who told you.

This is only an issue if you tell me that it's true.

No, I'm not going to tell you.

I don't see the importance of it.

Sarah Dalton from VazioMed.

I'm not gonna be drawn into this kind of guessing game.

What do you mean drawn?

I mean, you get me in here to interrogate me

about my private life.

Not altogether private.

Obviously not.

Alex.

Alex, what I'm trying to say is that if, as seems likely,

Mr. Duggan is going to die, and if, as is inevitable,

we have a coroner's inquiry, then it is possible

that your exact relationship with the Duggans

might come under some scrutiny.

From the coroner?

Not just from the coroner.

Then from whom?

I don't know what you're getting at, Paula.

[machine beeping]

I don't know how much Alex Marsden

explained to you about these tests.

But what they try and show,

are the basic primitive responses.

Whether you can swallow, whether you can blink

and whether you can breathe.

As you know, the first set of tests drew a blank.

This latest batch show the same, I'm afraid.

What this means is, is that your husband is dead.

The fact that his heart is still beating

gives us the illusion of life,

but if we were to switch off the machine which is inflating

his lungs, his heart would stop beating in a few minutes.

As there's absolutely no hope of recovery,

that's undoubtedly what we should do.

Although, of course, we need your consent to do that.

Mrs. Duggan?

Do you understand what I'm saying to you?

If you want to go away and think about what I've said,

ask a few questions, then give us your answer.

No.

No, you don't wanna go away and come back?

I don't consent.

Even with tube feeding, it's unlikely he'll--

I don't want the machine switched off.

Okay.

I know Alex wants to have a word with you.

I said I'd let him know when you're in the department.

[machine beeping]

Do you think you could leave me here

for a bit please?

Yes, of course.

[machine beeping]

You wanted the blood results on Larry Duggan.

Thanks.

You know you've got outpatients.

Yeah.

Marcella.

Didn't you get my message?

I'm fine, please.

Look, I know you blame me for all this.

I never got a chance to explain how it all went wrong.

It doesn't matter how it happened.

It matters to me.

Now listen, we did routine blood samples on him in ICU.

And what happened might have something

to do with his medication.

You see, I could see when I tried to restart

his heart, it wouldn't respond.

And no, we can't be sure, but I think what happened--

Alex, no, Alex, I don't care how it happened.

All I know is you talked him into this operation

and now he's lying on that machine.

He can't blink. He can't swallow.

All I'm saying--

And all you're interested in is telling me

that it wasn't your fault.

I was trying to explain.

I don't care whose fault it was.

I don't give a shit about how it happened.

I don't give a shit if your bloody career is on the line!

My career?

I have to go, Alex. I have to go!

Let me go.

[dramatic music]

Ah!

Oh.

Oh God.

[dramatic music]

Does that hurt?

Yes.

Sorry.

Cut.

You remember the girl who came in

in the helicopter, transected aorta?

Sister the heart donor.

Yes.

You know she committed suicide after that.

Took an overdose of aspirin.

She was so cut up about killing her sister.

All seems such a waste of effort somehow.

I suppose that's what the psychologist is for, cut.

I'll get you some co-codomol

for when the wound block wears off.

Okay.

[V.J.] The bone's not broken.

Still, you won't be operating for a bit.

I've got you some magnipan.

Oh, thanks, V.J.

So, um, what's this about a photographer?

I mean, I knew you were a national celebrity, but um.

Well anyway, from what I hear, those were terrible vessels.

I don't think you can blame yourself for what happened.

I don't.

He was overdosed with Lignocaine.

His postop levels were way too high.

Well, that's obviously something we can look into.

[Vendor] Good night.

No, no, no!

That's not what I said.

I was collared on the doorstep.

I didn't say anything about the anaesthetic.

Look, I'm sorry, Bill.

This whole thing has been blown out of all proportion.

So what did you say to them?

Nothing.

But you must have seen his toxicology.

I mean, his serum Lignocaine was way

outside the normal range.

I could see something was wrong with him

when we tried to resuscitate him.

So it follows I am the one at fault?

No, I never said that.

I mean, anyone could have given him the wrong dosage.

Someone in the ward, someone in the anaesthetics room.

The ODA or the ICU nurses, anyone.

Including yourself?

Sure, in theory.

But you prefer it to be me.

I prefer Larry Duggan to be awake now.

This is his anaesthetic record.

I gave him a total of 200 milligrammes,

and an infusion which was discontinued in intensive care.

Read it.

I don't need to read it.

Well if anybody does,

there is a copy of it with my lawyer.

[soft music]

[machine hissing]

[soft music]

So, who have we got?

Mrs. Jackson and who else?

Well, there's Mrs. Al-Harun and Mr. Drexler.

That's all that's turned up.

Yeah, well, you better see Mrs. Jackson pretty soon.

She has quite severe heart failure at the last visit.

Actually, she phoned in this morning

and asked to be transferred to Mr. Hawkesmore.

All right, you better send in Mr. Um ...

-Drexler. -Drexler first.

Put him in Room Three.

Have to be in Two. They're using Room Three.

Who's using Three?

There are a couple of policemen taking statements

from anyone connected with the Duggan operation.

They're what?

Are they interviewing you?

Got me down for 3:30.

Why the hell aren't they interviewing me?

That's how they operate, apparently.

They like to talk to everyone else first.

They only told me this morning.

What, so they just swan in like the VAT men

and start pulling people in?

Well, with it being on the news, I suppose they just felt

they had to get things straightened out

sooner rather than later.

That's the price of celebrity, I guess.

Why don't you sit down?

So why didn't you try and stop them?

What would I want to stop them for?

Because I resent being treated

like a criminal all of a sudden.

I mean, why the police?

What's wrong with a coroner's inquiry?

It's not a coroner's case

because there hasn't been a death.

Not yet, at least.

Alex, I know this is difficult.

Difficult, you know I can't work.

I can't sleep for the bloody phone ringing.

I'm losing patients off my list and suddenly,

half the world seems to think, against all the evidence,

that I admitted my friend to hospital

with the express intention of murdering him.

Oh, I'm so sorry, am I being unreasonable?

I can understand why you're angry,

but the thing is, we're into damage limitation now.

Ah, I'm sorry. I've got a clinic to be at.

I'm afraid you don't.

We had an emergency meeting of the board.

This police inquiry has suddenly put us all

into quite a difficult position.

Obviously, with all the publicity, there is a question

of patient confidence in the trust.

Alex, you know how much the hospital values you.

I've drawn up your application for a couple of weeks' leave.

Just until this blows over.

Thanks, but I'll keep working.

Actually, we've already booked the locum.

I've been suspended?

You're taking the annual leave, which has been due

for several months and which, under the circum--

No no no, to hell with that.

Who's the locum?

Because you can ring him up right now

and tell him to piss off!

For God sake, how is it gonna look?

How do you think it is going to look

if I get suspended now?

You are not being suspended.

You can't operate. You have injured your fingers.

Well I'll deal with the outpatients.

I'll train Joshua. I'll finish my research.

It's a matter of public confidence, Alex.

Of course we'll back you all the way, but I have 300

other employees who I have to consider as well as yourself.

Don't make this difficult for us. Just take the break.

Difficult for you?

No, I'm not going.

In that case, I shall have to get you

escorted from the premises.

You'd really do that?

Don't try me.

[phone ringing]

[Recording] Hello, there's no one here just now,

but if you'd like to leave a message,

we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

[phone beeping]

[soft dramatic music]

[camera shutters clicking]

[soft dramatic music]

Didn't know where you've got to.

I've been here.

Or at the hospital.

Or at the lawyer's, there's a whole other mess

to sort out there, financial stuff.

The police said it was better for us not to meet.

What do they ask you?

Alex, I think it's better if we don't.

Did you tell them that you didn't want me to operate?

Yes.

Did you say that I talked him into it?

Alex, they have the rules about this.

About what?

Please.

Did they ask you

if you were in love with me?

I loved

how it used to be.

You, me, Larry.

Even those past few months when I could feel him becoming

distant from me, he was still ...

That was his illness.

He was seeing a herbalist.

Actually, he was seeing a bookie most of the time.

He'd gone back to gambling.

Obviously got into some kind of spiral

over the last few years.

According to the bank manager,

we were about to lose the farm.

He never confided in you about that, did he?

No.

Now I'm thinking that it was

worry about having to tell me that caused the chest pain.

His life insurance covers the debt almost exactly.

Almost to the pound.

Do you think that proves the existence of God,

or do you think it was just the limit he set himself?

Marcella, I'm still very--

Oh, fond of me.

Nothing's changed.

Everything's changed.

How can you say nothing's changed?

You think people are just ...

No, that's unfair.

[exhaling]

I know you want me to switch the machine off.

He's dead.

He's dead.

And

you need a body so that the inquiry can go forward

and so everything can be properly disposed of.

Marcella.

And I don't blame you.

I really don't blame you for anything.

I know you meant him no harm.

At least in your conscious mind you meant him no harm.

I just can't see without him.

Everyone's been very good.

But that hospital of yours is a foreign place to me.

But oh,

what they do to a person.

I know it's your life.

I just miss ...

I miss him [cries].

I miss him so much.

No.

No, go, please.

Go.

[soft piano music]

[crying]

[machine beeping]

[soft piano music]

Mrs. Duggan.

[gentle music]

[chattering]

[vehicle approaching]

There he is. Alex, Alex?

[reporters shouting]

Care to comment, sir? Just a few words.

[reporters chattering]

[camera shutters clicking]

He has no comment.

[reporters shouting]

Dr. Lester, I understand from your statement that you

were unhappy with the way this operation was scheduled.

I just felt it was unwise to have two

major operations running simultaneously.

But you're not, of course, suggesting

that Mr. Marsden engineered this situation?

No.

[Coroner] This business of the Lignocaine levels,

what's your theory about that?

[Bill] Well the effect of the drug is cumulative.

It could have been given before or after the operation.

Or during?

The court has my records on that.

[Coroner] Yes, but could anyone else have given

this injection during the operation?

No, not without my say so.

Does the surgeon give injections?

Yes. Yes, I suppose he does.

[crowd murmuring]

Dr. William Lester, capital W, capital L,

the consultant anaesthetist in charge of the case,

hey, you were right.

Worth every penny.

Where was I?

[Coroner] I know you've assisted Mr. Marsden

with many of these operations.

[Margot] Well, especially when we're short-staffed.

[Coroner] But you're not a doctor?

[Margot] No, I'm a senior nurse.

[Coroner] These injections that are given

during the operation--

Well, it's not injections. It's saline.

Salt water, we use it to flush things through

or wash away the blood.

But it is, on occasion, injected into the blood vessels.

Yes.

[Coroner] And this saline is a clear liquid?

Yes.

[Coroner] Like Lignocaine?

Yes, but it's always checked by the scrub nurse

or the assistant.

And this was the case with Mr. Duggan's operation?

Yes.

Including the bag of clear liquid that Mr. Marsden

brought with him into theatre?

[soft dramatic music]

All set?

I need some more saline.

[soft dramatic music]

Well I ...

I really don't remember.

Well, we often bring--

Yes, thank you.

It was normal saline.

And its purpose was?

I used it to inject into the graft to check for leaks.

I also used it to top up the canyoner.

[Coroner] And the contents of this bag

was checked by the nurse?

Well I couldn't swear to that,

but certainly it's my normal practise.

[Coroner] But can anyone reassure us

that this was not Lignocaine?

Sorry, if I can interrupt here.

[Coroner] No, Mr. Cranmere, you're client's

in the course of giving evidence.

Yes, but I feel he made need some advice

on this particular area of questioning.

Well I can't see any reason to stop

right now in the middle--

The reason is I need to advise my client

on questions which may incriminate him.

But I have nothing to hide.

Let me deal with this please.

[Alex] I'd very much like to explain.

Alex, please.

Yeah, tell us how you did it.

[Coroner] Order.

God sake, what are you trying to do to me?

I drew up the saline beforehand to check the graft.

It's something I've done any number of times.

That's not the point.

The point is, did anyone check the bag?

It's something we do automatically.

Did you keep the bag?

No, I put it in the sharp's box.

And the sharp's box is destroyed.

This is a mess, Alex.

This is exactly the kind of stuff they want.

Who wants?

And who's they, for God sake?

They are the police, Alex, the people sitting here

writing down everything you say

to use in evidence in the whole bill against you.

I've done nothing wrong.

Surely the point is, unless I acted--

No no, the point is this, the point is one can postulate

a link between you and the Lignocaine overdose.

You can postulate that with anyone you like.

Alex, wake up.

You were the only person there who stood

to benefit from this death.

That's not true, actually.

Pardon?

That's not true.

[soft dramatic music]

Helen's got people here. We'll go in the study.

That coroner's a miserable bugger.

I've been grilled by him before.

You know his first wife died of a retained placenta.

Clear case of negligence, but the judge ruled against it.

AB, CD.

Accuse, bluster, conceal, deny.

I'm glad you came round.

I've been thinking about the other day. Maybe I overreacted.

Now that's the night you shoulda been here.

I was so pissed you coulda removed

my appendix without an anaesthetic.

I never knew you were in bed with VazioMed.

You were the one who was in bed with them.

I've been a shareholder since the beginning.

Thought you knew.

No, Bill Lester mentioned it.

You must have been pretty pissed off

when I scotched the valve programme.

Well, if that's what you thought you had to do.

I understand you're gonna lose

a fair amount of money on it.

Oh, we'll survive.

Might need to buy a smaller house.

Joke.

The thing is, when I think about who might benefit

from having me discredited, you are at the top of the list.

You know, if I'm labelled as an unreliable surgeon,

VazioMed will blame the operator, not the valve.

They can get it modified, put another surgeon's name on it.

That's not even being discussed.

And on top of this, there's the mortality figures.

I mean, it suddenly occurred to me that another death

on my account would make your figures look pretty average.

My figures are average.

But it bothered you that mine were better.

I can live with it.

I keep asking myself,

how did the Lignocaine get into Larry?

You know, and the more I thought of it,

the more I saw you right through the process.

You were there in the anaesthetic room, before his op.

You were there waiting to take over,

if I couldn't complete his operation.

And, as if by magic, you were right

on the spot when he arrested!

I had a patient in the bed next to him.

What the hell were you doing, Charlie?

What do you mean what was I doing?

Are you saying I was interfering with him?

You think I overdosed Larry Duggan,

that I did it deliberately.

Oh my God, Alex.

What kind of books to you read [laughs]?

This is ...

This is, I just can't say anything. It's just too mad.

Alex, hello, hoo hoo, Charlie Hawkesmore, remember?

I've been working with you for seven and a half years.

You've had dinner here how many times?

I don't deny this is a low point in our relationship,

but kill your patient?

You say you didn't do it?

I'm saying you're off your rocker.

My lawyer has asked the coroner to recall you.

I'll ask him myself. In fact, I'll bloody insist on it.

I could probably have got you out of this, Alex.

Now I'm gonna bury you.

Now get the hell outta my house!

[horn honking]

Before we proceed with this morning's business,

I've had an offer of further relevant information

from a Dr. Ryan.

Dr. Ryan, you're a psychologist studying

the emotional effects of thoracic surgery.

That's right.

One of the things I've been doing is getting people

to take cortisone levels on the patients

before and after the operations to try and quantify

the stress of the operations and see if that relates

to the subsequent mood changes.

Yes, yes.

So I've had blood samples taken from several patients

in theatre immediately after surgery.

One of which was Larry Duggan.

So we tested this for Lignocaine, and it was normal.

Well what this means is that if he did get an overdose

it was given between theatre and intensive care,

where Mr. Marsden was nowhere near the patient.

I mean, I've met some pretty dysfunctional characters

in cardiac surgery, but I don't think

I've met any murderers.

Well, that's what I think.

[soft dramatic music]

Mr. Hawkesmore.

Mr. Hawkesmore?

You also asked permission to take the stand.

I believe you wanted to make some comments

on Mr. Marsden's character, is that correct?

No.

No, I don't.

Actually, on reflection, I don't think he did it.

I know what happened.

[Alex] What happened?

When we trying to resuscitate Larry Duggan,

I noticed there was something dodgy about his IV lines,

even though they got snagged outside the theatre.

I think the saline got confused

with the slow Lignocaine infusion.

I think the bag of Lignocaine got run straight through

instead of the saline.

Then, when we resuscitated him,

I pulled the line out and destroyed the evidence.

She's right. It was nothing to do with Alex.

Huh [chuckles].

It's funny how everyone wants to blame the surgeon,

even though it's patently not a surgical death.

It wasn't Alex's fault. It wasn't anyone's.

It was a common or garden cock-up.

Most deaths in hospital are.

And, as a past exponent of the right royal cock-up,

I know whereof I speak.

Mr. Mardsen?

Dr. Lester?

It's possible.

Well does anyone else remember this happening?

Does anyone remember switching on the Lignocaine?

What does it matter?

Doesn't matter who it was.

Actually, it was me.

I think it was me.

[reporters shouting]

[camera shutters clicking]

Mr. Marsden, Mr. Marsden,

do you feel vindicated by the verdict?

Alex, how much did you pay her to say that?

The verdict of accidental death

must have been a great relief to you.

Is it true you're shagging the psychologist as well.

Are you suing for defamation?

Marcella!

Mr. Marsden, are you suing?

[reporters shouting]

[soft music]

[phone ringing]

[soft music]

Oh.

Hello, Charlie.

So, when are you coming back?

You are coming back?

Haven't decided yet.

She's not suing the trust,

and the nurse has offered to resign off her own bat,

so Paula's happy.

And the FDA is still backing your valve,

so that's everybody.

You still look as though your rabbit died

and you can't sell its hutch.

This stuff about you not coming back,

it's bollocks, isn't it?

[papers thudding]

I came to say we need you. I need you.

Your private patients are driving me bananas.

I thought I did the difficult ones.

Alex, you're not alone.

I've been there. I've got the T-shirt.

Straight back in the saddle, it's the only way to do it.

[phone ringing]

[soft music]

Thank you. I just wanted to thank you.

It was a brave thing you did, standing up.

I couldn't have done it.

Thank you.

[soft music]

You can use the hammer please, Maggot.

[soft music]

So who's in it?

It's Arnold Schwarzenegger, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis.

And it's a film?

No, it's a restaurant. I keep telling you.

What do they want a restaurant for?

I mean, if you had squillions of dollars,

what would you want to run a restaurant for?

[soft music]

Hmm?

Maggot?

Hmm?

I don't know. They just have it.

What you looking at?

[hard breathing]

Nothing.

Right, it doesn't make any sense to me.

[soft music]