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Townsend Residence in
St. Louis, Missouri  A teenage girl,
Marisol Townsend, wakes up in her upstairs bedroom.Her mother, Sylvia, is downstairs in the kitchen. She calls to her daughter: Get moving, Marisol. You're going to be late. Marisol is selecting an outfit to wear when she begins to have trouble breathing.   Sylvia hears a loud thud:
Honey? What are you doing up there?When her daughter doesn't answer, she hurries up the stairs, walks into the bedroom and sees Marisol on the floor having a seizure. Sylvia drops her coffee cup: Marisol! She runs to her daughter and grabs hold of her: Baby! Come on! Paramedics wheel Marisol into the hospital emergency room. Sylvia follows closely behind them.  Paramedic to a doctor: Female, 14
years old.Doctor: Seizure? Paramedic: Yeah, how did you guess? Doctor: I'll take this one. He begins wheeling the stretcher away. Sylvia: Where are we going? Doctor: Intensive Care. Come on.  As they wheel Marisol through a waiting area, Syvlia recognizes a man: Paul? Paul: Sylvia! Sylvia watches as Marisol is wheeled into a room with several other teenaged girls. Doctor: You know these girls? Sylvia: They're my daughter's best friends. |
Dr. Natalie Durant is
examining a patient named Barrett. Barrett: My landlady, Mrs. Widmann,
lives on the top floor of my building. Nice enough woman, never
raised the rent too high. Natalie: Breathe for me. Barrett: She's a big gardener. Spends her days working on her hands and knees. Natalie: Breathe again. Barrett: I've lived in the building nine years now. Never really noticed it until recently, but there's this stand of roses. I just saw her on the way over here, a few minutes ago. And she said they'll start to bud any day now. What do you think the chances are, Dr. Durant, that I'll see them bloom?  Natalie: I think you have a very good chance...I don't understand you, Barrett. You've been in this clinical trial, under my care for almost two years. Twice a week, like clockwork, and you still won't call me Natalie. Barrett: I'll make you a deal. If you can get me to spring, I'll start to call you by your first name, Dr. Durant. Natalie: It's a deal. I'll see you in a couple of weeks, okay? Barrett, as he leaves the room: Thanks, Doc. Natalie's pager beeps. She looks at the number -" 555". As she hurries down into hall, she encounters Dr. Stephen Connor.  Stephen:
You get the page?Natalie: Just got it. Stephen: How's the Von Ricklinghausen trial going? Natalie: I should make t-shirts saying "Taking part in a clinical trial  with us can be hazardous to your mental health".Stephen: Yours or theirs? She walks away. Stephen follows: Hey...Barrett again? Look, Nat, you're making progress on this. You're doing good work. Natalie: Don't tell me I'm doing good work, Stephen. He's not getting better.  Dr. Miles McCabe
is studying alone in a library when his pager goes
off. He looks at it, sees the numbers "555", and appears
confused. Looking around, he sees Eva Rossi in an adjoining room,
as her pager also goes off. She, immediately, stands up and heads
for the hall. Miles walks to the door as Stephen and Natalie walk
past him.Miles to Eva: I just got a page and all it says is "555". Eva: The 5 stands for "S", as in triple "S, Syndromic Surveillance System. Miles: Oh, yeah...The what? Eva: Just follow us. The team is gathered in a meeting room and Frank Powell conducts a slideshow.  Frank: A
new spike. St. Louis,
Missouri. Four teenaged girls, all went down this morning and
were in comas by the time they reached Olson Medical Center.Eva: There are a lot of smart people at Olson. Maybe, we should wait and see how this develops. Natalie: These doctors asked for our help.  Stephen: How much more do we know? Frank: Attempted suicide has been ruled out. And they're all best friends. Stephen: Best friends as a commonality? That's new. Natalie: From how it sounds, if we wait, these girls could die. Stephen: We go. They walk to a waiting airplane.  Miles: Whoa!
Is that ours?Frank: Don't get used to it. Eva: Helping people comes with perks. Miles: How did you manage to score? Natalie: The Navy was about to take it out to the Mojave and let it rust for the next 50 years. Stephen: Instead, they agreed to keep it in operation for various government agencies, including the NIH. Frank: We get to use it once in a blue moon. Natalie: Enjoy it. It might be our last ride for a while. Eva: Wait till you see the inside. Inside the plane. Eva: I've been in touch with Olson Med. All four girls complained of the same mild symptoms last night. This morning, they all seized, lost consciousness and haven't awoken. They're all classmates at North Adams Middle School, apparently joined at the hip. Stephen: What's the situation at the school? Eva: Still in session. Do you want it shut down? Stephen: Not yet, but it's an option. Eva: The doctors have told the parents that we're en route and will be taking point upon arrival.   As Miles
buckles his seat belt, he hears a loud hydraulic
whining and appears nervous.Frank: No need to worry about the sled, Miles. She's solid. Few hundreds of sorties during the Vietnam War without a hitch. Miles: All right. Cool. Wait...Which war? |
| Olson Medical Center -
St. Louis, Missouri Drs. Stephen and Natalie are examining the girls. Stephen, as he checks a girl's eyes: Dilated. It's no wonder. Someone gave them drops.  Natalie: They've stabilized b.p.
with a dopamine drip.Stephen: It was the right call, but it's just a Band-Aid. If we don't find the causative agent, these girls are going to sink deeper into coma. What's the differential diagnosis? Natalie: Take your pick. Brain abcess, subdural hematoma, embolic disease, traumatic hemorrhage, tumor... Stephen, looking at X-rays: These pictures look clear to me. Natalie: Nothing leapt out in the blood work. Poor oxygenation in the brain? Cardiovascular collapse  brought on my anaphylactic shock?Stephen: Hypoglycemia, encephalitis, meningitis... Natalie: Maybe. Could be exposure to carbon tetrachloride from sniffing cleaning fluids, arsenic, cyanide, psychotropic drugs. Stephen: It could be rooted in the liver or the kidneys. Natalie: Or none of the above. Glad you took this case? Stephen: Couldn't be happier.  Stephen looks at each
patient: Wow...these girls are rail thin. Natalie: Starving themselves until they look like Barbie...I'll check their spinal fluid, glucose level and white blood cell count. Stephen: To make this diagnosis, we have to learn more about these girls. I'll talk to their parents. Natalie: You want to know about the private life of a 14-year-old girl, parents are the last people you talk to.  Eva and Frank
are in the waiting room with the girls' parents.Eva: Our presence here, in no way, indicates a lack of confidence in the care at this hospital. We're here, only, to consult. One of the parents: What do you know about our girls? Frank: You'll be briefed as soon as possible.  Miles is questioning Sylvia Townsend: Did your daughter mention feeling, at all, ill? Sylvia: Nothing unusual. She had a headache and cramps. I thought she was just getting her period. Miles: Has Marisol been out of the country recently? Sylvia: Please. I've answered these questions. Miles looks up and sees Stephen. He says to Sylvia: I'll be right back.  Stephen takes
the form Miles was filling out, crumples it
and throws it into a wastebasket: They've already taken all this
information and it led nowhere. That's why we're here. Our
answers lie in the margins. It's as much what they aren't saying,
as what they are, okay?Miles: Okay. Eva to the parents: I'd like you to meet Dr. Stephen Conner. Dr. Connor - the Kendalls, the Sipes, the Whitesides and Sylvia Townsend.  Stephen:
This must be extremely difficult for
you. Please know that we're doing everything in our powers to
make your girls well. But, right now, we need to know everything
you can tell us about their lives, including any risky behaviors.One of the parents: Such as? Connor: Sexual activity, drug use... The parent: Are you serious? They're children, Doctor! Frank: I have three daughters, myself. You all are living my worst nightmare. But, we're here to help.  The
more information we learn about your daughters, the sooner we can find
a way to save them.Parent: What do you need? Stephen: For starters, please allow Mr. Powell access to your homes and your daughters' rooms. Parent: Of course. Stephen: Thank you.  Stephen to Miles: Dr. McCabe?Stephen to parents: Excuse me. Stephen to Miles: Head to their school. I need you to find out where and what these girls eat, drink and smoke. Everything. Miles: Okay...uh...how am I supposed to gain the trust of a 14-year-old girl? Stephen: Eva, go with Miles. |
| North Adams Middle
School As Eva and Miles question the students, a girl approaches Eva: Excuse me...uh...can you just tell me how they are?   Eva: We're
doing everything we can. What's your name?Girl: Ruby. Ruby Williams. Eva: Let me guess - Age: 14. Height: Five-six. Weight: 105. Ruby: 102, actually. (She sneezes twice.) Eva: Are you okay? Ruby: Yeah. Yeah, it's just allergies... Eva: What's wrong, sweetheart? You can tell me.  Ruby: They're my best friends. I was supposed to go get coffee with them after school, but I didn't because I was mad at Tamra 'cause she said she lost my JoJo CD and I didn't believe her. And, now, her, Marisol, Tina and Ariel are in the hospital and I'm not. I should be there, too. Eva: If you ever want to talk, I'm here for you. It's my job, really. Ruby: Can I talk to him? (She indicates Miles.) Eva smiles: Sure. Miles and Ruby exit the school.  Ruby: What
do we do? Sometimes, we get taken
to high school
parties. But, mostly, we just shop, study, hang out at the mall,
look for boys. The suburbs suck.Miles: Yeah, I grew up in the suburbs outside San Francisco. You ever been? Ruby: I've been to Disney World. Miles: You guys don't do drugs, do you? Ruby: The only drug we do is caffeine. Miles: And what about dating? Ruby: What about it? Miles: Are you seeing anyone? Are any of the others? Ruby: None of us have any boyfriends, if that's what you mean. The guys here - not cool. Miles: Come on, you must be interested in one of the guys, at least. Ruby: Maybe...You seem too cool to be a doctor. Miles: I'll take that as a compliment. Ruby notices a girl walking along the sidewalk: This wasn't an accident. I know who tried to hurt us.  Miles: Who do you think? Ruby: The Pest. Miles: The Pest? That's kind of harsh. Ruby: It's because her Dad's a bug exterminator. Charlotte Raymond's her name. She totally hates us. Miles: Why? Ruby: Come on. I mean, look at her. |
At
the Townsend residence, Frank inspects
Marisol's bedroom. He takes photographs of her CDs, posters,
photos, screensavers, hair care products, etc. At the hospital, Sylvia Townsend watches Natalie administer to Marisol. As Natalie finishes the medical procedure, she looks at Sylvia, smiles slightly and nods. Then, she gently caresses Marisol's hair. After running a test, Natalie calls out to Stephen: Stephen... Stephen: What do you got? Natalie: You won't believe it. Stephen and Natalie confront the girls' parents in the waiting room.  Stephen: We believe your daughters
have encephalitis.Sylvia: I'm sorry. Exactly, what is encephalitis? Natalie: In laymen's terms, it's the inflammation of the brain. It's usually caused by a virus. Stephen: It can be brought on by any number of viruses. In this case, it's herpes encephalitis. One of the parents: Did you just say, herpes? Another parent: That's not possible. Why are you wasting your time on this? How the hell did our kids get herpes?  Natalie: Type one herpes causes cold sores and lays dormant in most people. Type two is sexually transmitted. When either becomes activated, it can travel to the brain. A parent: What type do they have? Stephen: They have type two. Another parent: There must be some mistake. Natalie: We just did a test called a Western Blot, which confirmed it was type two herpes. Stephen: Herpes plus coma usually equals encephalitis. Sylvia: How confident are you that that's what it is - encephalitis? Stephen: The only way to be sure if the virus is in the brain is to do a biopsy.  Another
parent: A brain biopsy?Natalie: We would need to take a very small sample. Stephen: It's a routine procedure, but we're going to need your permission. Natalie: Although it's rare, neural and cognitive damage are always possible when you operate on the brain. A parent: Brain damage. Stephen: The risk of not performing this is much greater. Now, I understand your concerns, but the more time we wait... A parent: No. You doctors are not going to open up our daughter's head on some damn hypothesis. No. Let's go. All the parents leave the room, except Sylvia Townsend. |
Eva sees Charlotte
Raymond eating lunch by herself and walks over to join her. Eva: This is a nightmare, being
back at school. I like your jacket. I have one kind
of like it. Did you get it on sale?Charlotte: Yeah. Eva: How much? Charlotte: Like $49, I think. Eva: Lucky. I paid $60. Charlotte: It pays to read the paper every day for the sales. Eva: I ate lunch by myself every day when I was your age. Charlotte: You? No way. Eva: The queen bees at my school ruled the place. Charlotte: Believe me, nobody compares to our spoiled princesses. Eva: I'd spend all day plotting ways of getting back at them. Charlotte: Me, too. I've thought of a hundred ways. Eva: What ways? Charlotte: Like ways. But, it's probably too dangerous.  Eva: I know they make your life hell, Charlotte. Charlotte: Why are you asking me these questions? And how did you know my name? Eva: Because I understand why you might want to get revenge for how mean they are to you. Charlotte: I admit it - I hate their guts. Who cares? Everybody hates everybody. But, it doesn't mean I'd want to hurt them. Charlotte stands up and walks away. |
| Whiteside Residence in
St. Louis, Missouri Frank is in their daughter's bedroom taking photos of her posters, CDs, screensavers, photographs, hair care products, etc. Frank returns to the hospital.  Stephen: What do you got?Frank: I went to all four of their homes, but I knew I was onto something after the second one. He shows Stephen the digital photos he took in each girl's bedroom. Frank: You see that? Same titles, same order...Exact same music...Same toiletries...Same. Stephen: So, what's your point? Frank: These girls are living identical lives. Queen bee does something, the others follow. Stephen: That's it? No drugs, no contraceptives, no journal entries that might point us in the right direction? All that you have is that they're like-minded consumers? Frank: The answer's in their habits, their hobbies, their tastes.  Stephen: Frank, I need something concrete and I need it now. These girls' lives are hanging by a thread. Frank: I know that. You're the one that sent me to find the commonalities and I found them. Stephen: Check their makeup, their shampoo, their hygiene products. See if they introduced anything new into their bloodstreams! Frank: Look, what's gotten... Stephen: Just do your job! (He walks away.) |
Natalie and Sylvia
Townsend are sitting at a table. Sylvia: Doing what you do, you
must see such cruel suffering. How can you stand it?Natalie sighs: It's hard. Knowing that I did everything I could in some  places just doesn't mean
much.Sylvia: I lost my husband a lot like this. Natalie: In what way? Syvlia: Without any warning. We went to bed one night...we kissed good night...and he didn't wake up. I can still see the silhouette of his  face in the dark...I've
invested all of myself in Marisol, made my whole world about her.
I've done everything I can to get close to her. I've listened to
the same music which, believe me, wasn't easy. I bought some of
the same clothes. I even slogged my way through pre-algebra right
along with her. I thought the closer I got, the more I could
protect her.Natalie: Sylvia...I've seen some people who stepped off a curb or rounded a corner or did nothing at all, and found death waiting for them. I feel so helpless when someone's taken like that. But, this is different. We can help them, but we need all the information to do so. Sylvia: Okay. I trust you. I'll consent to the biopsy. Natalie: Thank you. |
| Screen captures
courtesy of Bev at: Bev's Web RDAOnline |