Larry paces alone in his office and then goes to the phone and picks it up and dials a number.

Larry: Uh, hello, Diane, it's Dr. Wolek. Has the Chief of Staff got any time available this afternoon? I realize that, but this is very important. (he checks his watch) No, that's fine. Yeah, thank you.

As he hangs up, there is a knock at the door.

Larry: Yeah?
Brenda: Hi, Larry.
Larry: What are you doing out of bed?
Brenda: I'm just getting ready to check out. And don't worry -- I'm not going to work. I'm going home. I'm just gonna get some rest. I don't think I need to be taking up a hospital bed here. Can I talk to you for a minute?
Larry: Sure, have a seat.

Larry sits at his desk, and Brenda sits down in the chair across from Larry's desk.

Brenda: Well, I've been going over and over this in my mind, what I was gonna --

She breaks off, seeing something she doesn't like in his face.

Brenda: Look, getting this anger from you, here! It's making it very hard for me to talk. Larry, I feel so bad about what's happened, especially between you and Dan.
Larry: Yeah, I feel pretty bad about it, too, Brenda, but if you're not going to be rational about this --
Brenda: Oh, Larry, please --
Larry: No, listen to me! You listen to me! Suppose this weren't your case. Suppose this were -- if this were your patient, you'd be pretty horrified at watching an intelligent woman ignore the -- the scientific evidence and her own medical knowledge.

Larry gets up from the desk and begins pacing.

Larry: You'd be pretty horrified watching her dismiss her doctor because he won't give her the prognosis she wants and then let a -- a resident take over her case --

At the mention of Dan, Brenda clearly becomes more upset.

Larry: -- because the resident will tell her what she wants to hear. Now, that's -- that's foolish, Brenda! That's hysterical!

Brenda angrily whirls on him.

Brenda: You know what? You told me you were in love with me yesterday. I find that hard to believe when you're talking to me like this!

Larry bends down to speak to her at eye-level and holds her shoulders reassuringly.

Larry: I do love you, Brenda McGillis. And I would do anything in my power to save your life, even risk your hate, anything to convince you to do what's best.

--end scene--

Brenda: Larry, if I decided to have a caesarian right now, and something went wrong, I would never forgive myself for that. I would spend the rest of my life thinking if I had just had the courage and the patience to wait another week or maybe another day, the baby could have been saved! And I know you don't agree with that any more than you agree with my decision, but that's how I feel.
Larry: Okay, I accept -- Brenda, I'm not going to argue with how you feel. But the medical evidence tells me that this baby should be delivered now. Yes, he will be premature, but we can deal with that.

Brenda puts her hand on his mouth to silence him.

Brenda: Listen, Larry. Do you love me? Do ya?

Larry takes her hand and kisses it.

Larry: Very much.
Brenda: Then would you please stop this? I really don't think I can take any more of it. I feel so much for you. I mean, I don't know if you can call it love or anything. Steve hasn't been gone that long --
Larry: I know --
Brenda: And I'm carrying his child.
Larry: I'm not asking for a declaration from you. But I think it's important that you know how I feel. I think it's important you know why I'm fighting so hard to save your life -- why I cannot stop fighting.
Brenda: Well, you're gonna have to, or it is gonna put a wedge between us. Now, you have been my closest friend, and my support, and if I have ever needed you, God, Larry, I need you now.

Larry looks conflicted and finally gets up to begin pacing again.

Larry: I can't do it, Bren! I just can't -- I have spent too many years as a physician trying to save lives, trying to save your life! I cannot stand by and watch you risk your life.
Brenda: Larry, I could be in a car at a stoplight, and another car come up and side-swipe me, and, boom, I'm history --
Larry: Come on, come on -- don't talk --
Brenda: No, it's true. We risk these kind of things every day of our lives.
Larry: I'm not looking for guarantees, Brenda. I'm looking for better odds!

Brenda sighs in exasperation and then gets out of her chair.

Brenda: Oh, Larry. What have you gotten yourself into with me, huh? Oh, come here.

Brenda grabs him and hugs him.

Larry: I don't know, kiddo. I don't know.
Brenda: I just feel like you're my best friend, you know? And we're going and fighting on opposite sides of the war.

Larry laughs.

Brenda: And I will never understand your point of view, but you know what? I'll never shoot you. (laughing) I just want you to know that.
Larry: (laughing) Hey, that's the nicest thing you've ever said. Maybe we can, uh, work something out?
Brenda: (hopefully) Yeah? And maybe you can work something out with Dan, too? I mean, this thing hasn't caused an irrepairable damage to your relationship, has it?

Larry looks unsure.

--end scene--

Brenda: Listen, don't blame Dan. If I am acting hysterically, take that out on me. Don't take it out on Dan.
Larry: I can't --
Brenda: (frustrated) Oh!
Larry: Brenda, I can't do that. Dan is not the one with the emotional crisis.

Brenda settles back into the chair across from Larry's desk, while he stands over her, lecturing.

Larry: Hey, he's a bright, intelligent kid. He's got a high IQ and a lot of common sense. But he took an oath, and he's ignoring that oath by treating you.
Brenda: No, he is not! He is acting very compassionately. He has listened to his patient, and he is trying to help me.
Larry: No, he thinks he is. I question his judgement as a physician.
Brenda: Why? Because he disagrees with Spencer and DeSalvo and all those other people who think that it's time to take my baby and risk its life right now??
Larry: Brenda, none of us likes this -- this prognosis! But we can't ignore it! Dan is doing exactly that, and if you were seeing things objectively, you'd -- you'd question Dan, too.
Brenda: Boy, you really do have your rights and wrongs just lined up right like that. You just don't have any room for anybody else's opinions, do you?
Larry: Not when it comes to risking your life!

Brenda sighs in frustration.

Larry: Especially when Dan's opinion was never asked for, never wanted. He jumped into the middle of this thing against my wishes. Then he intruded himself in a meeting with DeSalvo. And now against my authority and my advice, he's taken on your case.
Brenda: I am the patient here, and you really resent the fact that I've gotten another doctor, especially that it's your son -- isn't that right?
Larry: Oh, come on!
Brenda: Yes! Now, I am gonna go check out.

Brenda gets up from the chair and turns to face him.

Brenda: Larry, I just want to say to you -- if you cannot find a way to understand where I'm coming from and where Dan's coming from, man, we are in for big trouble.

They are interrupted by a knock at the door.

Brenda: Oh.
Larry: Yeah?

Dan comes in.

--end scene--

Dan: Hi, Dad. Hi, Brenda.
Brenda: Hey, Dan.
Dan: I just got back from the lab -- I got those tests. I just wanted to let the both of you know that they're all negative.
Brenda: (sadly) Oh, boy.
Dan: Sorry, Brenda.
Brenda: Yeah, me, too. I'm really glad that we ran them.
Dan: Yes, and I also spoke to Dr. Chen in New York. I faxed him your chart. He had a chance to study it.
Larry: What was his opinion after he saw the chart?
Dan: Well, he agrees that Brenda is taking a chance. He said that if it was his patient, that he would recommend terminating the pregnancy if necessary, but he feels that it's premature at this state. He thinks that you have time and that if you get enough rest --
Brenda: Great --
Dan: -- that you might not even regress to the eclampsia stage.
Brenda: Great, great. Another vote of confidence. (to Larry) You hear that?
Dan: Yeah, well, guarded confidence, Brenda. He's very concerned, and he feels that you should stay in the hospital where you can be monitored at all times.
Brenda: Well, I -- I'll come back if I need to, but right now, I'm going to take a cab home. (to Larry) And, I don't suppose that Dr. Chen's opinion has changed --

She sees on his face that the answer is "no".

Brenda: I didn't think so, so I'll just see you later.

A dejected Brenda walks toward the door, and Larry walks her out.

Larry: I'll call you later, make sure you're feeling all right.
Brenda: Yeah, well, I'd like that. Thanks. Bye, Dan.
Dan: Don't overdo it, Brenda.
Brenda: No, I won't. (to Larry) And you know what? I think you should watch your blood pressure, 'cause that's not good for you, either.

Brenda leaves, and Dan and Larry have a moment of awkward silence.

Dan: So, at least now we know for certain that there aren't any other causes for Brenda's problems.
Larry: Are you ready to take yourself off her case?
Dan: (firmly) No, especially since the patient hasn't requested that.
Larry: Dan, we both know that Brenda's overraught and not very rational.
Dan: Dad, you cannot drag her into the operating room, tie her down to a bed, and perform a caesarian!
Larry: I know that.
Dan: Yes, but that's what you'd like to do, and that's why she's reacting to you in this way. She turned to me because I accept her choice.
Larry: You feed it! Because you feed it, Dan! And you're giving her hope where there is none.
Dan: I -- I disagree with that, and so does Dr. Chen!
Larry: Because you helped him form his conclusion.

At this accusation, Dan completely loses his cool.

Dan: (yelling) That is not fair! I would not do that, Father!
Larry: You can redeem yourself a little by resigning from her case right now.
Dan: (glaring at Larry defiantly) Not unless she wants me to.

Larry nods curtly.

Larry: Well. I have an appointment with the Chief of Staff. I will see you later.

Larry gets his coat and leaves the office, and Dan slams Larry's pencil holder down on the desk in frustration.

--end scene--

When the scene returns, Dan is wandering the halls of the hospital. He looks at Larry's closed office door and then walks away from it. Just then, Brenda emerges from the office.

Brenda: Hey! Dan!
Dan: Brenda, I thought you were going home.
Brenda: Yeah, I am. I was just waiting in the office for your father. I wanted to ask him -- how did things go between the two of you?
Dan: Oh, Brenda, he's furious with me. He demanded that I resign from your case to "redeem" myself.
Brenda: Well, Dan, maybe you should. I mean, maybe I should just get another doctor.
Dan: Do you want another doctor?
Brenda: No, I don't want another doctor, but I just feel awful about this rift I've put up between you and your father. I mean, you've only been at the hospital a few days. Look what's happened!
Dan: Yeah, I know, I know -- I thought about this before I came here to work at Llanview Hospital. Working with my father and his rigid views.
Brenda: Your father is one of the finest doctors in this hospital.
Dan: Brenda, I'm not putting him down, Brenda. It's just that I'm making an observation -- that he goes by the book. The medical book, the ethic book, the rule book! Every kind of --
Brenda: Yeah, and that works for most patients. I'm just a real lousy patient, Dan.
Dan: Brenda, are you positive that you want to go through with this?
Brenda: Yes, I am positive. Please, I don't want to go through this anymore. Just stop there.
Dan: Okay. I just wanted to make sure. Otherwise, I'm not being responsible.
Brenda: Well, you are being responsible. You've listened to what I wanted, and you're just trying to help me. You are helping me.

Brenda reaches her hand out to touch Dan's side, and he takes her arm affectionately until he sees Larry approaching them from down the hall.

Dan: Hi, Dad.
Brenda: Listen, I'm gonna go on home now, so I'll see y'all later, okay?
Larry: Bye-bye.

Dan reaches his hand out to Brenda.

Dan: Brenda, do you want me to take you to your car?
Brenda: (shaking her head no) Mm-mm.
Larry: I want to talk to you first.
Brenda: Bye-bye.

As Brenda leaves, she clasps Dan's hand in hers, and he keeps hold of it until she walks away, then lets his hand drop to his side.

Larry: (to Dan) Come on into the office.

Larry leads the way to his office, and Dan follows. Larry shuts the door and faces Dan.

Larry: You are hereby suspended from Brenda's case.

Dan is shocked.

--end scene--

Dan: Suspended? By whose authority?
Larry: By the Chief of Staff's authority. And if you go near Brenda again, or give her any advice, you're gonna be suspended from all duties.

Larry sits down at his desk, and Dan begins yelling.

Dan: You know, I don't believe you! You know, I know you're in love with the woman, but to bulldoze my career --

Larry jumps back up from his chair and slams his hand on his desk.

Larry: Now, you listen to me! I had to convince the Chief not to suspend you right now. He is incensed by your going behind my back and defying my orders.
Dan: (sarcastically) Oh, your orders -- your self-righteous, infallible orders! Yeah! You know, you'd do anything to prove that you're the only one who knows anything.

Dan gets ready to deliver the most biting blow of all.

Dan: Even at the expense of Brenda's child!
Larry: I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that.

Though Larry is staying calm, Dan is boiling with rage.

Dan: Yeah, yeah? Well, do you think she's gonna forgive you for that? She's gonna be furious at you, with good reason.

He begins yelling again.

Dan: The Chief of Staff? You know, I can't believe you!
Larry: Now, listen to me. If you were any other resident but my son, I would have acted immediately, the minute you defied my authority. Whether you know it or not, you were given a break. Now, you better get your act together, mister, in this hospital, because so far, no one is very impressed.

Dan glares at Larry and then storms toward the door, throws it open, leaves, and slams it behind him. Larry sits down at his desk and looks conflicted.

--end transcript--