ER“...As The Day She Was Born”
Original Air Date: April 17, 2008
Becky - TheTwoCents Reviewer
What do you get when you combine a birthday at work, management seminars, blood clots, torn aortas, broken bones, an angry teenager, beautiful red roses and colon cancer? You get a big Neela steak with sides of Sam and Gates and a Pratt salad.
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ER
ReplyDelete“...As The Day She Was Born”
Original Air Date: April 17, 2008
Becky - TheTwoCents Reviewer
What do you get when you combine a birthday at work, management seminars, blood clots, torn aortas, broken bones, a angry teenager, beautiful red roses and colon cancer? You get a big Neela steak with sides of Sam and Gates and a Pratt salad.
At the beginning, we find ourselves hanging out with Neela. Things are fairly normal at the hospital it seems. She's turning in charts and giving orders, readying herself to go home. She tells Sam that cable guy is coming to fix her cable and she's looking forward to watching missed episodes of Project Runway. She gets a couple of nice compliments. Yet no one seems to notice the fact that she's naked. Nor does she. It's not until she goes outside the hospital and starts singing at the camera that this reviewer is clued in that something's not quite right.
Turns out, Neela has fallen asleep in the shower and she's dreaming. Oh, that explains it. Wait, someone is coming in. Dubenko? What's going on? Where is she anyway? And what's that look in his eyes? Oh, she's in the hospital locker room and she's late for her shift. And she's been awake for over 30 hours. That explains everything.
Cut to Sarah and Grandpa Hank playing air hockey. Tony's there, too, and Grandma Becky. It seems that's they worked through their differences. Sarahs' doing well socially and in school. It's all good. Yeah, that can't last. Oh no! Hank collapses during his victory celebration. Good thing there's a doctor in the house. At the hospital, Dr. Morris tells Grandma Becky that Hank has a bloodclot. His best chance is surgery to remove it. Tony has other ideas. Maybe it could be managed medically first, but Becky has all ears for Morris. She even tells Gates to be quiet and listen to the doctor. Ouch. Neela comes in for a consult, Sarah flashes back to her mother dying and how she blames Neela for not being able to save her. Plus, you know, in her pre-pubescent mind Neela was the reason her mom and Tony couldn't be together. It's all too much, and she flees the room. During surgery, there are complications (of course) and I'm sure Sarah is thinking that Neela will kill Grandpa, too. Nope. Wrong. He's going to be fine. Whew!
Pratt is attending a management seminar, because you know he has hopes of being the chief one day. Today's lesson is on conflict resolution. You know Pratt, he's more likely to tell whoever is arguing to shove their problems where the sun don't shine and get back to work, rather than have them talk it out using “I” statements, but evidently, that's not good management. He'll get his chance to practice. Turns out, Morris and Frank are at odds (surprise, surprise). But hey, talking it out really works! Problem solved and there's lots of hugging and coffee. But Pratt's day is not all good. He runs into Tina and she blows him off. Later, he finds her having coffee with anther man. He's a doctor from oncology. Tina's got colon cancer and she's broken off with Pratt because he's not man enough to handle it. Yes, I am. No, you're not. Yes, I am. No, you're not and it's over. I'm setting you free. Crap.
So Hank wasn't the only patient in the ER last night. A lady comes in. She's been in a car accident, but of course, that's not her only problem. She has a torn aorta. That's bad. And Neela pretty much tells her that she should be dead. Oops, did I say that out loud? But never fear. The great surgeons at County General will save you. Got that right, babe. Dubenko insists that Neela herself do the surgery. That's not a good idea, dude. She's been up way too long. Oh, you'll be fine. It's just a woman's life we're talking about here. Insert the feeling of impending doom. Nope, Neela shines again and saves another life.
There is also a man we are going to refer to as “broken bones guy.” He's got a broken arm and x-rays show that his arms is in various stages of healing. That has to mean that someone is beating this dude. Right? He's got a teenage son, Nick, who seems to have anger issues. Well, since 2 + 2 =4, Sam assumes Nick is our culprit. Nope. Wrong. Don't feel bad, Sam. I thought it was him, too. Pratt will get to the bottom of it. Test show that Dad has too much calcium, which makes your bones brittle. Funny, I thought it made them strong. I guess there can be too much of a good thing. Please help me, the boy pleads, and don't call Social Services. I don't want to go back to foster care while Dad is in the hospital. Pratt makes a deal: He'll take care of DSS as long as the boy checks in everyday. Great conflict resolution. You're pretty good at this, Pratt.
Someone has sent Sam roses. Hmmm...wonder who? In a truly wienerific moment, Morris claims that she is sending them to herself. Ah, you caught me, she says. Never mind that she and Gates are attached at the hip with smiles so big you can't see the rest of their faces.
Neela's puppy, Harold, is leaving surgery. By the time he's finished training, he'll be 29! Old! Of course this is coming from a 19-year-old. He wants a life. He doesn't want to be alone. So he's going to Peds ICU. A cute “break-up” scene follows. “It's not you, it's me,” Harold says. This sends Neela to the doctor's lounge where she tells Dubenko that it is her birthday. She's 31 and the closest thing she has to a personal relationship is with a 19-year-old and he just dumped her. Wait! Don't we have a personal relationship? Dubenko wants to know.
Dubenko gives her a makeshift birthday cake made from old pastries left in the lounge, and he has that look in his eyes again. Is something going to happen here? Neela tells him that her dream revealed to her that she's going though life like everything's okay. And it's not. But you have a gift, he says. Look at these people you saved. You are doing what you supposed to be doing.
As Neela is leaving the hospital after she shift, she is stopped by Sarah wanting to know if Hank was going to be able to walk his horses. He loves that. He's going to be fine, Neela assures her. Sarah thanks her and all is well-- except she missed the cable guy and she's going to have to wait 3 more weeks to see Project Runway.