| "Viable Options" | |
| Season 6, Episode 17 | |
 | |
| Air date | April 6, 2000 |
| Written by | Patrick Harbinson |
| Directed by | Marita Grabiak |
| Episode Guide | |
| ← Previous "Under Control" |
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Viable Options is the 17th episode of the 6th season of "E.R."
Plot[]
NBC Description[]
DR. KOVAC AGONIZES OVER CRUCIAL DECISIONS AFFECTING KIDNEY PATIENTS: Dr. Kovac (Goran Visnjic) is unsettled about his responsibility to disqualify a series of patients with kidney failure when a precious donor organ becomes available, especially when one prospect (guest star Leslie Silva, NBC's "Providence") is unaware that she's pregnant and must choose between the baby or the transplant operation.
A few feet away, Dr. Romano (Paul McCrane) decides to mix it up for a day in the ER trenches and clashes with two angry motorists (guest stars Mitch Pileggi, "The X-Files," and Ransford Doherty) as well as Dr. Weaver (Laura Innes) over proper treatment of a terminally ill pneumonia patient (guest star Rachel Roth).
Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle) must do some fast-talking when a former patient, a diabetic young boy (guest star Ben Hecht) whose father previously had no insurance, reappears with dangerous symptoms.
Drs. Finch (Michael Michele) and Benton (Eriq La Salle) are dressed down by Romano when a pharmacy misreads their scribbled prescription and issues a drug that nearly kills a constipated patient (guest star Jack Shearer).
Dr. Greene (Anthony Edwards) gets angry when Dr. Corday (Alex Kingston) conspires with his crotchety father (guest star John Cullum) to place the senior Greene in a hospice. Julianna Margulies, Ming-Na, Erik Palladino and Maura Tierney also star.
Synopsis[]
Jing-Mei Chen and Kerry Weaver take on two patients who came into the ER fighting. One of them grab’s Robert Romano’s pen and stabs the other with it. Romano tells them that he can handle it from here. Jing-Mei stitches up one of the patients. His daughter asks if he’s alright and tells Jing-Mei that he’s been aggressive lately. Jing-Mei tells her that she wants to run some tests and get a head CT so that they can learn more. Jing-Mei talks to Mark Greene about her patient. They look at his scans to see for a mass or liaison but everything is normal. Mark asks about the patient's father and how he died. She says suicide. Mark says that they need to talk to the patient right now. The patient has Huntington’s disease. Mark tells him that it’s genetic and that there is no cure. He also says that that might be why his father committed suicide. The patient worries that he might have passed on this trait to his daughter. Jing-Mei tells the patient that she made an appointment for him with a genetics doctor on Friday. She asks if his daughter wants to take the test to see if she has Huntington’s disease. The father says that he didn’t tell her because he didn't want to prevent her from getting married, having kids, etc. She's had a good life and he wants to keep it that way. Jing-Mei and Mark argue about her telling the daughter but Mark says that she can’t. Jing-Mei is introduced to the daughter’s fiancé. The daughter thinks that her dad's depressed. Jing-Mei says that yes that could why he’s been acting that way. Her father finishes getting dressed and they leave.
David and Mark are waiting in a waiting room to be seen. They argue over David wanting to get his own place in Chicago. David runs into Elizabeth and they head down to the cafeteria together. They talk about David checking out hospices. He says that Mark isn’t going to be happy with it and Elizabeth Corday tells him that Mark isn’t going to be happy about any of this. Elizabeth tells Mark that a hospice center is going to call him. She says it’s for his father. Mark gets upset that she called without telling him. She tells him David wanted her to do it. Mark says that he was going to get a nurse aide to help during the day and that he'd handle the rest. Elizabeth asks if this is what’s best for his father or what’s best for Mark. Mark asks her to stay out of it. Elizabeth says fine. Mark goes home and has dinner with his Dad. David tells him that he saw Elizabeth today. He asks if she said anything about the hospice to Mark. Mark says he checked it out and that they didn't have spots available. Mark says he's stuck with him.
Luka Kovač examines a patient who is waiting for a kidney transplant. Elizabeth arrives with the kidney but Luka tells her that their first patient can’t have the transplant anymore so he called the next candidate on the list. Luka’s new patient is a woman and he tells her that they are just waiting for her labs before the operation. The labs come back and it turns out that she’s pregnant. Luka tells her that she can either have the baby or the surgery but she can’t have both. The woman chooses to keep the baby. Luka sends the woman up to OBGYN when the new candidate arrives. She looks like she regrets he decision. Luka asks if she’s alright and she says that if she could have both the kidney and the baby she would be. Luka confronts the third candidate because he tested positive for cocaine. He tells him that he’s got an hour to get a real candidate in here. Someone who deserves a new kidney. Elizabeth is stressed because Luka called the UNOS list without telling her. She says that they have a candidate in house that can use the kidney. Luka says no because he did cocaine. Elizabeth says that she'd rather use the kidney on a questionable candidate than not use the kidney at all. Luka says that the guy made his choice and to give the next candidate time to get here. Elizabeth says they has 30 minutes or else she's taking the candidate that's here. Luka watches as Elizabeth takes the third candidate up to the ER despite his protests. Luka BBQs at Carol Hathaways house. She makes fun of him about the kidney. It starts to snow so they head inside.
Peter Benton and Cleo Finch are dealing with a patient who is constipated. Cleo says sorry that she thought it was more serious. Peter says to him it is. He writes the patient a prescription. Cleo gives the medicine to the patient before she leaves to deal with another trauma. He’s a patient that was here 5 months ago and has returned because of a high glucose level. She’s upset because they should’ve caught this sooner and asks who the doctor was that he saw. The nurse says Carter. Cleo confronts Carter about her patient who is now in a coma. She tells him that if anyone comes asking about what happened that don’t expect her to lie for him. Carter asks to see the chart. Carter checks on the patient and speaks with the Dad. He’s upset because the patient almost died this morning. The dad blames Carter saying that if he didn’t know this was going to happen how was he supposed to. Cleo tries to avoid ratting out Carter but Mark and another employee keep asking her about the patient. Mark says he’ll look into the matter and Cleo tells him that it was Carter’s patient. Cleo’s first patient returns to the ER. They try to figure out what’s wrong with him and realize that he got the wrong prescription. Romano starts yelling at her and she says that she didn’t write the prescription. He asks who wrote it. Romano talks to Carter, Peter, and Cleo. They are trying to read Peter's prescription. Romano asks if Cleo even bothered to read the prescription before she handed it out. Cleo says no. Romano says that this was negligence. He prohibits Cleo and Peter from writing prescriptions. Peter confronts Cleo and tells her that they teach you to read the prescription bottle on the first day. Carter and Mark are in the locker room as they both head home. Mark asks Carter about Cleo's patient. Carter asks if he's going to be okay. Mark says yes. He asks Carter if there is anything else he wants to tell him. Carter says no that he made a mistake and that he's sorry. Mark tells him to have a nice party. Cleo gets a visit from Peter. He apologizes and the two end up having sex.
Kerry Weaver's patient has phenomena. The mom leaves to go get the patient’s dolls because it calms the patient down. She also asks for a TV and VCR because she loves to watch the Muppets. Weaver tells the mom that they need to put in a central line. Carol asks her to sign some paperwork but she can’t because she isn’t the girl's legal guardian. She says that they need to call DCFS so Weaver has Carol track a representative down. The hospital’s DCFS rep tries to get the legal guardian to let them put in a central line. Weaver takes the phone from her and tries talking to the legal guardian. They refuse and tell Weaver to just give the girl pain meds and make her comfortable. Weaver asks Mark to sign a document that will allow them to do a central line. He does but Robert Romano finds out. He forbids her from doing a central line because it’s too expensive. Weaver does the central line anyway. Carol offers to help but Weaver says it was her decision alone. Romano checks in on the patient and sees that a central line was put in. He suspends Weaver until further notice for disregarding his orders.
Characters[]
- Luka Kovač
- Elizabeth Corday
- Kerry Weaver
- Carol Hathaway
- John Carter
- Cleo Finch
- Peter Benton
- Mark Greene
- Robert Romano
Trivia[]
- Maura Tierney & Julianna Margulies also worked together on the fourth season of The Good Wife.
- The voice of Norm Abram can be heard on the television in Mark's apartment when he's talking with David, but it's unclear whether it's an episode of This Old House or The New Yankee Workshop.
Quotes[]
(A patient was stabbed in the cheek with Dr. Romano's pen)
Dave Malucci: Should I just, you know, maybe yank it out?
Robert Romano: No, we gotta check for damage to the facial nerve. Not to mention the damage to my pen.
Randall James: I've been stabbed, and you're worried about your pen?
Robert Romano: Oh, shut up.