Article 99

Wait!

Breakfast?

Got everything?

I got the discharge papers, d.D. 214, the works.

Don't worry about anything.

Uncle Sam's gonna take care of me just fine.

I know he will, honey.

I'd better get kicking.

Bye-bye.

Good morning.

My name is Dr. Peter Morgan.

It's my first day here.

Lot 4. You got 30 minutes for a verification.

After that, I'll have you towed.

Thanks a lot.

Hey, buddy. You got a butt?

Hell, take the pack.

I quit.

- Thanks. - Yeah.

Look, I keep telling you,

we can't approve your eligibility

until we have complete proof of disability.

- Next! - Wait wait wait, lady,

now, y'all lost my records eight months ago when I transferred here.

Now, eight months, and you still ain't found 'em.

Eight months and you been sending me from one fucking desk to another,

telling me the same old bullshit!

In the meantime, I ain't got no damn benefits.

How am I supposed to live?

Complete this emergency-benefits form.

Lady, I done filled out this damn form three times.

I ain't filling out no damn more and I ain't moving till I get my benefits.

Sir, without certification,

we have no actual proof that you're disabled.

You want proof?

You want proof? All right, now, look.

I'll give you some damn proof. You want some proof?

You need some proof? You need some fucking proof?

Here's your goddamned proof! Here's the motherfucking proof.

Get off your ass.

The goddamn proof right here. There's some goddamn proof.

- Outside, okay? - Now get your ass going and get me some...

Outside, okay? Outside.

- Come on, man! Take it easy. - Come on, man! Relax!

Yo yo yo, my man!

- I'm sorry. - Watch out. Watch yourself.

- I'm very sorry. - Watch yourself.

- First-timer? - Yes.

Luther Jerome, first air cav,

and your best hope of survival in this man's jungle.

- Travis. Pat Travis. - Come on.

What the hell is going on here, Luther?

This is the v.A., soldier.

Now, the enemy is behind those desks.

They got the high ground and you're crawling on your belly and out of ammo.

Now, you only got one chance,

the gospel according to Luther.

Whatever you need, you ain't gonna get.

And whatever you get, ain't worth shit.

- I need a triple bypass. - Shit, forget it,

unless you got a congressman in your pocket.

Otherwise, the only thing bypassed around here is gonna be you.

Hey, baby, what's happening?

I need to know what you're talking about.

Where you been, bro, down on the farm?

- Yeah. - The government's come up with a whole new disease

called the creeping cutback. Hold up.

- I'm listening. - Just a minute.

Just tell me, do I need a lawyer?

Hey, man!

Hold on. Look,

vets can't sue for government benefits.

That's been on the books since the civil war.

Bet you never seen that in no training film, did you, bro?

Carton of camels and a pizza.

Pepperoni, mushrooms, anything?

OK, man, you got it. See you in half an hour.

Is there any way around this garbage?

There's always article 99.

What's that?

Jesus Christ.

Hi. My name is Dr. Peter Morgan.

I was told to report here for processing.

Sara.

OK, Dr. Peter Morgan.

As of now, you work for the federal government.

Filling out these forms properly

will probably be the most significant thing

that you will accomplish during your tenure at this hospital.

Do not, I repeat,

do not fuck them up, OK?

Your beeper number is 2227-2227.

Dr. bobrick. This new 'tern

is being assigned to your section.

OK. What do you say?

- Rudy bobrick. - Dr. Peter Morgan.

- Welcome aboard. - Thank you.

You must be kidding about all this paperwork.

Yeah, dump them anywhere. Sturgess is operating.

Who's sturgess?

He's probably the best surgeon in the whole goddamn system.

Come on.

Some system you got here.

Morning. Morning. Everybody have breakfast?

Good. Then let's open the chest.

Morning, Rudy. Robin, hello.

Thank you, l.B.

Thanks. Yeah. Question?

Yes,

Dr. sturgess,

why are we opening the patient's chest?

Because this patient has a four centimeter aneurysm of his ventricle.

How else would you expect me to get in there?

Not so many options, what do you think, doctor?

Yes, but you see,

he was only scheduled for prostate surgery.

What's your name?

My... my name is, Dr. Felix stone, sir.

Look, Felix, I could tell you this is a revolutionary technique,

going through his chest to get to his prostate,

but you'd know I'd be full of shit, wouldn't you?

- Yes, sir. - Wouldn't you?

Here's the problem.

This patient needs open-heart surgery.

The administration of this hospital will only authorize

a prostate procedure.

Now, what good is fixing his prostate

if he has a heart attack every time he tries to use it?

Right? Tell him, sid. Tell him the rule.

First the ventricles, then the testicles.

But for those of you who have your heart set on it,

there'll be a prostate procedure

immediately following this one. Everybody happy?

It's just that I thought open-heart surgery was no longer,

you know, authorized, that's all.

Look, Felix, we're here. He's here.

Why don't we make the most of this? Right?

We can apologize to him once he comes out of the anesthetic.

All right?

Since you're asking all these hard questions,

I'm gonna let you make the first cut this morning. Why don't you go scrub up?

No, thank you.

Anybody?

Rudy, they never want to make the first cut.

No guts, no glory, sturg.

You the man.

All right, here we go.

Just you and I, sid.

Look, your case will be reviewed.

How long will that take?

Other people are waiting.

Eric! Next.

Hi, my name is Dr. Peter Morgan.

I was told to report here.

Have a seat. I'll let him know you're here.

Thank you.

Stop panicking, Leo. There's no provocation.

We're simply following departmental guidelines.

Our directives are clear and unequivocal.

"Unless an illness or injury is directly related

to the patient's military service, it cannot be treated in a v.A. Facility."

Once we weed out all the ineligibles,

staff caseloads will be cut in two.

So just weed them out, Leo, weed them out.

This excludes half our patients.

Send in Dr. Morgan, please.

Come in, Dr. Morgan. Good to see you.

Thank you.

I don't think you know Dr. Krutz, our chief of medicine.

- Welcome aboard. - Nice to meet you, sir.

Have a seat, Peter.

We're glad you were assigned to us.

I believe you want to specialize in heart surgery.

Well, I'm planning on a private practice.

Good. Very good.

I admire a strong sense of ambition.

Thank you.

Some fine doctors began their careers here.

Unfortunately, you are joining us at a difficult time.

As you probably know,

we're facing a serious funding situation,

as well as shortages in other areas.

We're all gonna have to make some hard choices in the coming months.

You're gonna find your most essential skill

will be flexibility.

I'd call it ingenuity.

Unfortunately, there are still some people around here

who are fighting the new changes.

But you won't have that problem

if you start out with the right perspective.

Did I forget anything, Leo?

No.

Just, follow the rules. You'll be all right.

It looks like I've got my work cut out for me.

Remember, Peter, my door's always open.

- Thank you. - Good luck.

Thank you.

Good day.

Good boy.

Dr. sinclair to admissions.