| "Ruby Redux" | |
| Season 11, Episode 19 | |
| [[File:|center|]] | |
| Air date | April 28, 2005 |
| Written by | Lisa Zwerling & Lydia Woodward |
| Directed by | Paul McCrane |
| Episode Guide | |
| ← Previous "Refusal of Care" |
Next → "You Are Here" |
Ruby Redux is the 19th episode of the 11th season of "ER"
Summary[]
Jules Rubadoux (whose wife was a patient of Carter's nine years ago) comes into the ER with heart problems and wanting nothing to do with Carter, whom he feels is responsible for his wife's death.
Anspaugh and Kayson advise Ruby to have surgery, but Abby tries to get him to consider the alternatives. In the end, Ruby allows Carter to tell him the truth about his chances.
Pratt asks Olivia from Ceasefire out. When he shows up at her office to pick her up, he's ambushed into speaking at an anti-violence meeting.
Susan meets with the tenure committee. Sam is in her own world all day and buys a pregnancy test.
Ray tries to stop the Chadwick sisters from leaving without having been seen by social services. Morris may end up becoming Chief Resident.
NBC Description[]
HEALING OLD WOUNDS IS NOT EASY AT THE ER: 85-year-old Jules Rubadoux (guest star Red Buttons) is wheeled in and erroneously accuses Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle) of killing his wife ten years ago.
Although Abby (Maura Tierney) believes Rubadoux is too old to undertake surgery to correct a heart murmur, the attending doctors opt to go ahead with the operation.
Meanwhile, Dr. Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) treats a domestic violence victim and makes a date with the social worker assigned to her case.
As Pratt arrives for the date he realizes he has gotten himself into more than he bargained for. Also starring Shane West, Sherry Stringfield, Linda Cardellini.
Trivia[]
- In this episode, Red Buttons reprises his Season 2 role of Jules "Ruby" Rubadoux. His portrayal garnered him an Emmy Award nomination for "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series."
Quotes[]
- Carter (to Abby): When I was a student on my surgical rotation, Rubadoux's wife was very sick. She was part of this research study. When her results, uh... when she was no longer useful, there was a lot of pressure to get her out. So I did. I dumped her into a nursing home.
- Abby: Did she belong in one?
- Carter: We all figured she'd end up back in the hospital which would be on Medicine's shoulders, not ours.
- Abby: So...? Surgery dumps another patient on Medicine. Happens every day.
- Carter: I told Rubadoux that she was going to get better, told him that her situation was going to improve, told him what he wanted to hear... You know, when you're a student, you're so desperate for approval. You want everybody to like you: you want your patients to like you, you want their families to like you. Gotta be efficient too, though. You gotta impress your superiors.
- Abby: Yeah, you don't have to tell me. I'm still on the bottom rung of the ladder.
- Carter: I mean, when the Chief of Surgery tells you to get rid of her, you get rid of her.
- Abby: Yeah.
- Carter: And then she came back three days later and she died, and Rubadoux was so surprised. Ultimately it was the Attending's fault. It wasn't my responsibility.
- Luka: John! What happened on the Morris meeting?
- Carter: I don't know. I left.
- Luka: Kerry's leaning towards him.
- Carter: Yeah, well, OK.
- Luka: Well, OK?
- Carter: We've had worse.
- Luka: No, I don't think so.
- Carter: I need to know everything about your patients. I need to know the status of every single one of them. I need to know how they are, where they are, where they're going, why they're going... You're still an intern, Ray. I'm the attending. I'm responsible.
- Ray: I'm sorry.