The Pitt, Season 2 Episode 8 - 2 PM. Everything Old is New Again
- Marielle Bokor
- 2 minutes ago
- 15 min read
Alright. It’s 2pm, we’re coming off of lunch and ok, let’s be honest, in the real world 2pm is generally when that post-lunch sleepiness is setting in, but in this case, I’m hyped. There’s a LOT going on in The Pitt right now, and though I admit to some apprehension as well, I just want to know what’s about to go down.
It’s time to look at the recap crystal ball to see what might be important this go-round:
We’ve got Dana and our sexual assault victim - we hoped it wasn’t over and this little tease suggests it isn’t. I’m really hoping this hints to her getting as much help as is available to her.
We see our deaf patient, frustrated and waiting for someone who can finally actually figure out what’s going on with her. This, frustratingly, and infuriatingly, is apparently surprisingly accurate to the experiences of lots of hearing-impaired and ASL fluent Americans who are just trying to receive equal care.
King’s highlighted here, and she’s still freaking about her deposition. But honestly girl, we would be too, and it’s not like her environment really lends itself to finding a way to center, especially if you’re a neurodivergent type, which let’s face it, she is (we are.)
Our hospice patient is trying to stay, and so far it’s looking good. I’m going to hold on to hope that she gets to choose her own destiny here, because that’s all that’s left for her at this point and she deserves that dignity.
We last flash back to our meeting with Mr. CEO, and we’re re-discovering the horror that is all of the computer/internet related things this ER runs on going to black. And then we fade to black for this recap.
Time to join the real world.
Robby’s PISSED, and I mean all caps. He absolutely cannot fathom how he didn’t get brought into the meeting about his ER being basically thrown back into the dark ages. Dr. Hashimi, who looks like she kinda gets why he’s mad, tries to reassure him (sorta?) that it’s just because she specialized in IT security for the ER at the VA, but y’know, it’s just not really m aking him feel better. He, being the petulant brat he can sometimes be, tries to tell her that since she’s the expert she can just tell everyone what to do, but Hashimi doesn’t really stand for that shit - she’s not a jerk about it, but she always stands up for herself and I think she’s a good foil for Robby when he DOES go petty.
Meanwhile, Santos has a driveby “What the FUCK?” that more or less speaks for everyone
Turns out, Robby IS going to tell everyone what to do. Imagine my surprise. There’s some murmurings in the staff that there’s already been a cyberattack on the hospital and the shutdown is less than voluntary but no one’s confirming that and they’re actually trying to quell that.
Rumor’s going around that they had an attack, but people are saying it was to prevent one. Seems like it’s gonna be a circulating rumor. The question we’re also trying to get answered is how long? And it looks like it could be up to 24 hours.
Whit, who we thought saved the day by taking a photo of the boards they’re now about to recreate in hi-def dry erase, did not take a legible photo. BUT. Joy remembers. All of it? Yep. Turns out she’s unlikeable with a photographic memory. Ok, that’s harsh, especially since she’s saving their bacon, but still.
Now if you’re wondering, where’s Dana at a time like this because she’s the absolute best person for this job (not a knock on her age, just a nod to experience) then let’s recall that she’s in with our sexual assault victim (her and Babynurse/Emma) and therefore will not be able to put all this chaos in check. This means Princess is in charge. Ok, I’m worried for her cuz I like her but she seems pretty damn competent. Still, I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.
The board is almost completely full, and damn, that’s impressive, Joy. 10 points to Gryffindor. (maybe I need a new catchphrase)
We’ve finally, finally got an interpreter for Harlow, our deaf patient. She and Santos have a conversation, and you can tell Santos realizes that her frustration was the equipment not the person and she drops the attitude. They actually communicate and it’s muscle pain in the neck. She asks about screen time and positioning – and we’re all a lot calmer and working together well. I mean, that might not be the point of this scene, but mightn’t it also?
Back with Robby, it’s a round of Olds show Gen Z things. He shows them the chart rack, Dr. Al teaches them how to actually use paper and pen ass charts, how triplicate works (though not well enough, this WILL come up later). There are clerks to help with filing, there are bells to indicate…something? I forget already. And there’s a big fat dusty old fax machine plopped right into the middle of the nurse’s station. Oh yeah, we’re going old school. This is how you’re about to be doing labs and x-ray results, kids!
A break in our walk down memory lane, because Princess gets a call that there’s a trauma coming in. And we meet Howard. Howard’s a pretty big dude, and he’s got abdominal pain. One could make the obvious associations and a fat joke and therefore reinforce the poor standards of care for people of size in American medicine, or, one could introduce himself to the other person in front of him, listen for real, and actually do the work . Which do you think Ogilvie picks?
We jump back with Santos and her patient Harlow, where she’s getting injected with an anesthetic and the shot’s hurting her a little more than expected. I don’t know what to make of this, but I’m kind of hoping the point was the breakdown in communication and she’s ok.
Now, we’re back with Howard. Howard had a fever, chills and lots of tenderness. They want to do a CT and some further investigation but due to his size they can’t flip him, and the intubation is trickier. He says he’s not sure if he’s over 450, which is the weight limit for the CT scanner.
Ogilvie makes a joke about sending him to the zoo, but as soon as all the eyes in the room turn to him sharply, he clarifies - it’s not a joke, the zoo has a large animal scanner that can accommodate larger weights. It’s still not a thing to say the way he did in front of his patient and Robby chimes in to let him know that another hospital nearby, Presbyterian, has a heavier duty version.
Outside at the nurse’s station, Princess is trying to get someone to help with some of her extra work, and take the downtime slips, but no one will, and she’s gonna have to do it herself. This is clearly not how it normally is, and Princess leaving while she’s also in charge of everything in place of Dana worries me.
Now, we’re meeting Roxie’s parents. Roxie, if you recall, is our hospice patient. Javadi intercepts them and lets them know she broke her leg and is in a boot, and takes them to see her. They find out she’s staying. They also try to take everyone for ice cream but the oldest child wants to stay in the room. The grandparents have the power of ice cream on their side though and eventually convince everyone to leave and go get some, with a quick father daughter moment between Roxie and him that kills me where he says he’ll bring her some and she squeezes his hand.
Back with Howard, they’re trying to figure out what medications he’s on. Ogilvie suggests a weight loss pill and everyone in the room, and those of us watching, are ready to lay the smack down. He also makes a comment when Howard says he doesn’t exercise much about how maybe it’s just from the couch to the kitchen. Listen, there’s a way 90s medical dramas would’ve dealt with this and it involves the head cuff, and honestly…he clearly has some sort of issue. This finally pisses Howard off enough for him to explain that it took 25 years and five surgeries to get to this point, and honest to God, you don’t know someone’s story and you should keep your opinions on others bodies to yourself.
And we’ve got a new patient and her wife. Brooke can’t see anything, and as an aside, sudden loss of vision is a real nightmare for me. No pain, but no explanation. Mohan and King are there with Dr. Al. It could be a blood clot or an “eye stroke” and no, I’m not going to google that, so I’ll leave you to it. King, who’s usually pretty great with patients, is actually seeming to scare our patient and her wife just a little bit, and should probably be a little more demure about the differential. Rough day, deposition, I kinda get it.
Robby, meanwhile, is checking in on Princess, and finds that the reason no one has drugs is cuz no one has stickers to indicate to the pharmacy they need them. Whoops. The psychiatrist makes a joke about unconscious patients to Javadi, but it’s not landing. He mentions they have someone to talk to Jackson’s parents in more depth though.
Back with our vision loss patient, This eye problem is worse than we thought. She needs a CT also.
Now we’re rejoining Dana and the sexual assault victim. Well, sort of, because she’s not in the exam room. Dana is obviously the kind of person who’s going to give it as long as possible before she gives up, if she ever does. Luckily, she doesn’t need to wait super long, because Emma and our patient are back. I’m so glad. Dana doesn’t assume that means the exam goes on and offers her food, but she’s determined to keep going.
In an elevator far away, McKay is with Ogilvie and not about to pull punches. She gives him the lecture he deserves on treating patients with respect.
Abot comes in for a brief “Olds showing Gen Z things” segment.
Whitaker comes back in from the ambulance bay, where he was able to get cell service and call Howard’s sister. He’s not super thrilled about that, it seems. Surgery, meanwhile, is not confident they can operate if they need to, so they’re pulling for family to come through so they’re able to be there just in case. Ogilvie now seems more interested in solving the problem than mocking a fat person finally, so, hopefully that sticks.
At the nurse’s station, Princess, who’s decidedly not an old, is having to explain to the clerks that they’ve just messed up all the forms they’ve filled out because they’re using felt tip pens, and we’re dealing with carbon copies, so ballpoint is the only way. Oh, children.
Mind you, we also still have an abandoned baby and a lost patient, because Digby is somewhere.
Santos and Hashimi chat about Harlow and it seems like things will be okay there.
Hashimi gets a call and it’s about sudden onset vision loss lady, cuz she’s got central retinal artery occlusion. I’m not sure what that is but if we have to dissect eyeballs or something, then you’re gonna have to take over for me.
More importantly Hashimi has a VA connection for some sort of risky medicine that might actually prove helpful for this I also don’t want to google central retinal artery occlusion, because eyeball trauma is not my thing, but it seems really, really serious.
Back with Dana, we’re finishing out the exam, and it’s the cervical and vaginal swabs. No one can deny it’s an arduous, invasive and difficult thing to go through after an assault, but if you had to be with someone, a SANE like Dana and a very empathetic and helpful babynurse are good people to have in your corner. There’s only four more oral swabs to go.
Back with Jackson’s parents- our psych explains that it could be bipolar or schizophrenia.
The diagnosis isn’t as simple as a scan or blood test, so he’ll need therapy, along with observation on the ward.
The parents are pulling for bipolar, but Javadi sort of explains that the best thing to do is hope for happiness. The consult tries to help them reframe this as a new version of their son, and you can see what a blow this could be to family. She tells Jackson’s family about her daughter who’d been studying architecture, but post diagnosis is working at the Giant Eagle where she’s employee of the month, but reassures them that both their lives are full of laughter and love, and that it requires a shift. It’s hard to imagine handling that news gracefully but his parents try their best. Meanwhile, Javadi almost seems wistful for a reason to stop trying so hard, and as fucked up as that might seem, she’s just dealing with so much pressure you can see she’d take any chance for a break. Again, maybe me.
They give Howard a communication device that’s pretty cool so he can talk when he’s intubated or otherwise. He’s very good at it.
Dana’s got a little more time with our patient, since there’s all the prophylactics and pills she’s gonna now need to take to prevent STIs and pregnancy. She takes all but Plan B because she’s got an IUD. Emma gets sent out of the room, and takes the time to encourage the patient one last time, letting her know how brave she is, and how great Dana is. Our patient agrees, saying she’s really, really glad Dana was there. Aren’t we all.
Now, back in with our suddenly blind patient, Dr. Al Hashimi is explaining the risks of the treatment that she’s being offered, which can include death. But, it may save her vision. After a little bit of indecision and wishing her partner could decide for her, she ultimately decides to go for it.
Santos has a new patient, and I love when they challenge someone challenging. We’ve got “The Jackies” who probably wouldn’t want to be called that. There’s Jackie, who we can’t see at first, who’s the patient, slurring her words as though she’s also eating several hot dogs, and Jacquie “with a Q” is along for the ride. They were drinking, and Jackie the patient is bleeding from her mouth a LOT. She insists she didn’t bite her tongue, but survey says, her tongue is bleeding a lot. It’s a deep tongue laceration. So that’s gonna keep bleeding for a while. PSA: tongues bleed a LOT.
Robby and Hashimi are otherwise occupied so Langdon is on the job for this, and our adventurous college girls are absolutely satisfied they’re with the hot doctor.
A quick check back in with Howard, he’s being intubated, and he’s scared, but he handles it well. They’ve got a really cool scope and we get to see vocal chords. Neato! Honestly, I’m all for the non gorey but still anatomy shots.
Dana has finished up with our victim, and she’s got the rape kit ready to be placed in the locked refrigeration unit so the cops can pick it up. She’s doing what she does and training Emma on what needs to be done and how, and as soon as she opens the door, she’s LIVID.
The police seem to not have picked up the last one she left in there. Three weeks ago. If you know anything about this character, and if you’d just seen everything that this poor girl has had to go through and understood how hard it can be, you know that Dana is irate, and for good reason. There will be hell to pay, and honestly, good.
The Jackies are back now, and are arguing about whose fault the entire ordeal is. Honestly, it’s best to just separate them. Our patient Jackie gets a tongue injection and honestly, that’s a new one for my book of “Do Not.”
The eye situation seems to be the highest priority and since I haven’t googled it I’m not 100 percent on board as to why this is so dire. I mean, if pharmaceutical ads are to be believed, and I think, at least for the side effects disclaimer, they should be, almost any medicine that does anything to cure anything serious might also kill you. Still, the way everyone’s acting around her can’t make her feel at ease, cuz it certainly doesn’t help me feel less anxious about her fate.
Hashimi has her set up to go in a different room now that the meds have been administered, and assigns King to sit in there with her in case there’s complications. Mel doesn’t want to, and at first I was confused as to why, but given the deposition, it’s probably because complications lead to lawsuits and our poor girl just does NOT want to double do this.
George is asking for Mohan and to go home. I can’t say I recall where he’s from. Don’t have time to recall because now we’ve got Jackies. Or Jackie. They’ve gotta pull her tongue out more in order to access the parts they have to stitch. Santos and Langdon find themselves working together, and Santos uses this moment to be a jerk to him. And OK, I do understand her beef, but maybe just one of you could try to forgive and support your recovering colleague, eh?
Now’s the moment you’ve been waiting for with Dana, because she’s on the phone, and there’s only one possible call she could’ve made. That’s right, she’s on with the police department. And basically, she’s giving them hell. She lets them know in no uncertain terms that if they expect that their people will get priority if they go down on the job (like our cop from an hour ago) then they need to treat rape kits with the proper priority level. Once they’ve been properly told, she hangs up and fixes all the charts that are messed up.
Langdon and McKay get a chance to catch up, and it’s nice to see colleagues supporting each other. They talk about Howard a little bit, but also about being sober. She’s got 9 years, and hopefully will be someone he can confide in and go to for support.
Ogilvie and Javadi bump into each other in the hall because they’re both supposed to be on a patient.
This guy has a…is that a rash? Because that looks way worse than a rash.
YIKES.
I have no idea, but Javadi does. Apparently it was sudden onset too. I’ll pass on that forever. I’m liking how this sudden meet-cute has encouraged their collaboration. Ogilvie’s just working together with her, instead of competing. I like it. Pats on the back all around.
King is with our eye people. Her bedside manner is off. The nurse reminds her it’s time for another neuro check but someone’s outside the door for Mel, so she steps out while the nurse does the check, and for some reason this makes me sweaty.
It’s another nurse (doctor) who just finished her deposition on the case upstairs. King asks if she should just go up early then (and I feel the wish to get it over with) but she says no. They can’t talk about it technically but the nurse gives her a “monologue” and basically says it was a frivolous malpractice case because the spinal tap was absolutely perfect and they’re arguing reduced capacity but it’s just not real. She’s technically doing Mel a real solid here but she’s so tied up in knots i don’t know if it got through.
Howard, Abot and McKay help our big guy lay down. He’s still giving a hearty thumbs up. They use a specialized scale to weigh him, and it comes back 474. This is going to complicate things, as they now can’t put him in the CT, so they will likely need to get him to Presbyterian. This doesn’t seem like a problem, but it feels like it should be given the whole cyberattack thing. Abot volunteers to go with and McKay reassures him that they’re not going to leave his side until he gets to his destination.
Back with the Jackies, and Santos has got her tongue. To suture. Joy’s observing and Langdon is the guy in charge, but you wouldn’t know it by the way that they’re talking. They’re taking bets on Jackie’s BAC and talking about how wasted she is with not much thought to the recovering addict in the room. I feel like they see it and they just don’t care.
In other news, we finally have pedes in to see the baby, who just basically has a cold. Rhinovirus. They’re fine to go home, but that’s the rub, isn’t it. But there isn’t really a room for the kiddo, and they can’t put him in the nursery since he’s also sporting a cold. Pedes tells them the baby’s their problem for the night, and Dr. Al protests, but ultimately - that’s just how it is.
Outside the baby’s room, Mohan talks to Al Hashimi about potential fellowships she’s considered, none of which are geriatrics, which Dr. Al suggests, based on seeing her in with older patients.
Meanwhile, Langdon and Joy are working on Ol’ Drunk Tongue. That’s what I’d have called her if we didn’t have ‘The Jackies’ thing going. She keeps saying she didn’t bite her tongue but no one’s listening. If she didn’t though, what exactly did happen? This might get worse before it gets better.
We get a glimpse of Howard on his way out, and he looks good, so we’re gonna hope that remains the case. Meanwhile, Digby just walked back in. Apparently, he’d been in with Louie for the last hour. Why they keep playing with my emotions like that.
Ogilvie and Javadi come to Robby for icky rash guy, and Joy has the answer. It’s hard to say, and has to do with him making three gallons of margaritas. Now that sounds like a party. Whatever the term I missed is, he got the horrifying rash from squeezing fresh limes in the sun.
This ought to be a PSA because may I never get that icky a rash so suddenly when I’m just trying to make three gallons of margaritas.
Donnie, meanwhile, has lost his cool. 12 people who need meds don’t yet have them. His darty eyes fall on Dana, who actually takes the moment to give the correct answer to Donnie’s “What would we do without you Dana?” comment.
“You’d be curled up in the fetal position crying like babies”
Yeah, I mean, accurate. Though flowers to Princess for taking that on.
We’re back with Roxie, who’s still in a ton of pain. Robby ok’s a higher dose of pain meds, up to 12 mg from the 10 she’s already on. When McKay raises an eyebrow, he brings up the doctrine of double effect, which apparently is something they live by in palliative care - and that is that negative side effects are ok if they help with pain, because you treat pain first in a hospice/palliative situation. This has some weight behind it for Roxie’s particular situation, but, again, giving her the agency here is the right idea.
Other than that, we pan out to a pissy staff flustered over a fax machine and fade to black. Well damn. That’s just how this hour ends. On to the next one. Let’s hope things get figured out fast.
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