Chapter Five: The Haunted Marine

- - Coping mechanisms.

We all have them.

Just ask any New Yorker.

We need them to get through the day...

...to keep our heads up...

to deal with our traumas...

both physical...

and emotional.

Sometimes our trauma causes us to seek solitude.

While, other times, it causes us to examine ourselves...

- ...opening us up to connecting with others,

even if-- especially if-- we also fear it.

It's honestly so chaotic.

They're rebooting the third sequel but calling it a prequel?

Mm-hmm.

That is so wild. Wow.

So... that was my morning.

30 minutes of doom-scrolling

with a side of espresso... and a Benzo.

- - Wait. Girl. Are you not here?

Hmm?

- Sometimes the ghosts that haunt us can be seen by others.

And other times, our ghosts are visible only to ourselves.

- Mr. Hill? -

You ready?

- I'm Dr. Pierce. Welcome to Bronx General.

- Vertical eye movements are still intact, consistent

with an injury that spared the mid-brain tectum.

Good morning, sir.

- - Slept through your alarm?

I got caught up doing research.

I lost track of time. I'm so sorry.

- Based on our exam and his last EEG,

it appears that our John Doe is suffering

from Locked-In Syndrome.

It's a rare condition that happens

when part of the brain stem is permanently damaged.

- Often due to a stroke, which we know John Doe had.

- Correct. LIS leaves patients

completely paralyzed in all their limbs.

He can't talk or communicate

except through vertical eye movements.

- Which suggests that JD's cognitive abilities

are still intact.

- It's just like the Martin Pistorius case.

He understood everything that his family was saying to him.

He just didn't have a way to respond.

- If we're right, John Doe has been

in a very lonely place for a very long time.

- Wolf: Based on our exam and his last EEG,

it appears that our John Doe is suffering

from Locked-In Syndrome...

What about you, Dr. Markus?

Any observations you'd care to add?

Um... no. Nothing.

But I'll let you know if I have any gut feelings.

Please do.

Wolf?

Mind if I steal you? I could use an assist.

- John Doe's eyes are his voice now.

There's somebody behind them.

Our job is to find out who.

So, who's your patient?

- His name is Steve Hill. He's a veteran. Marine Corps.

Suffers from severe anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts.

- Not uncommon in your department.

- Except near the end of our session,

he told me he's been seeing ghosts--

of people he served with.

A "Haunted Marine."

- It feels that way, yes. His wife is on her way.

Maybe she can give us some background and history,

help us figure out where these "ghosts" are coming from.

Here, babe. I got you.

I told her she didn't need to come.

Last thing I need is for my wife to go into labor on the Six.

- Well, worse things have happened on the subway.

- - I wanted to be here.

Steve's been struggling since he got home from his deployment.

- A lot of days, I'm fine, but then there are days

when I go to lace my shoes and I just...

I break down. It's not pretty.

Anna's got enough to deal with.

I want to be a help to her, not a burden.

- Well, the fact that you're here seeking answers

tells me that you are not a burden.

Uh, what's in there?

My medical records.

I've got everything documented.

- Yeah, well, I see you've been to the VA.

Were there any help at all?

Um, they gave him some meds

for anxiety and depression,

but he didn't like how they made him feel, so he stopped.

I don't want to go back there.

Um...

When you break down, are there any physical symptoms?

Headache, heart palpitations, blurry vision?

- Sometimes. A bit more lately.

- Tell me about these visions you've been experiencing lately.

Wait. What "visions"?

- Nothing to worry about, babe. Uh...

You know I just said bye to Aiden.

W-We served together.

His funeral was last week.

It's been... painful. That's all.

- How far along are you, Mrs. Hill?

Um, 34 weeks.

I am so ready. - We both are.

- Your first? - Yeah.

- Steve told me he wanted kids on our first date.

- And she didn't ghost me, believe it or not.

I've always wanted to be a dad.

And this stuff on my mind,

I want to get it under control before our son is born.

- Well, we're here to help, and the first step

is determining a correct diagnosis.

- He's clearly withholding something to protect his wife,

but based off his symptoms, my first thought was PTSD.

That would explain his hypervigilance, his insomnia,

his intrusive thoughts,

his grief over losing his friend Aiden.

It's very common for people with PTSD to relive trauma

Can make you feel like you're living in the past

and the present all at the same time.

Kind of like someone I know.

- Okay, the VA already treated him for PTSD--

trauma-based CBT, EMDR, exposure therapy,

multiple SSRIs, even prazosin.

What if PTSD is only part of the story?

It doesn't account for all of his symptoms, namely his delusions.

Remember-- he's been seeing ghosts.

- PTSD could be present in an underlying neurological issue,

like a tumor or-- or hydrocephalus.

- He hasn't had a recent MRI, but at least his CT scans

didn't show anything too concerning.

It can be an episode from psychosis

due to schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

- His age is a little unusual for a schizophrenic first break.

No history of mania.

Uh, what about frontotemporal dementia?

- It could be early enough that he's not showing any of the telltale signs.

- Well, all possibilities. We need more data.

Ericka and Jacob, track down

his military history, anyone who served with Steve.

Look into this Aiden fellow, see if he was treated for similar symptoms.

In order to understand Steve's present condition,

we need to know his past. Go.

- And I'll talk to Josh, see if he has any ideas.

You talk to Josh?

Yes. I do. He's my friend.

- Oh, but by "friend," you mean colleague,

like you share a cold, exacting,

professional connection with him?

- Unlike you,

I actually enjoy the company of other people.

And... I happen to know that he was in the military.

Well...

- Why you never call my Paulina?

Every time I come for dialysis, I tell you--

my granddaughter is single, smart.

Looks like a Russian Megan Fox.

Good genes.

Like her Babushka.

- I'm-- I'm sure Pauline is lovely.

It's just I-I really don't have time to date.

- Your generation

doesn't know how to have fun anymore!

How many times, Mrs. Petrov?

You cannot smoke in a hospital!

Dr. Warner...

- So... what was up with you and Wolf earlier?

- I-I don't know what you're referring to.

- Don't gaslight me, Ben. He went out of his way

to get your take on John Doe.

Why are you suddenly his favorite?

Oh, my God! You're sleeping with Wolf!

What?! No. No. No. I--

He-- He asked for my opinion

because he recently diagnosed me

with Mirror-Touch Synesthesia.

Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow!

You have Mirror-Touch? Hah!

So all those times when you were freaking out

in front of patients...

you were just feeling what they were feeling.

This makes so much sense!

Did you know that MTS only impacts 1.6% of the population?

Van, you basically have a superpower!

- Yeah, well, it feels more like a super curse, okay?

And if I'm being honest,

I'm still processing what it all means.

Hmm.

Have you ever noticed that you can't spell "Dana"

without the letters N-D-A?

I will take this to my grave.

Thank you?