Chapter Two: The Disembodied Woman

We are all connected.

Genetically, all humans are 99.9% identical.

Composed of the same elements.

Oxygen. Carbon. Hydrogen. Nitrogen.

Calcium. Phosphorus.

But society creates barriers that separate us.

Disconnect us.

Sometimes we fear those who are different.

Ignore them. Block them out.

Or simply look away.

What if we took a moment to stop?

Look? Listen?

Step outside of ourselves and into their shoes?

Perhaps we could find a way to connect.

Hey, there. Hi. Um...

My name is Oliver Wolf. Uh, I'm a doctor.

Are you okay? -Everyone's just walking around,

acting like everything's normal.

-I mean, I don't think that there is any standard way

of being or perceiving.

-Do you see it, too? -Uh, sure.

Just, um --

Just remind me one more time, exactly what are we seeing?

The dragon.

The dragon.

This is Pete.

He is in the throes of an extremely vivid,

sustained hallucination of a dragon.

Oh, cool.

I mean, not for him. Like, uh, medically speaking.

-We talking Pokemon dragon or Game of Thrones?

-Dragonite is so baby. I love him.

-I have no idea what any of that means,

but I would say whichever's scariest.

-Found his social. -Let me guess.

Frat boy from Fordham?

-Bingo. -How did you do that?

-We get one like him at least twice a week.

College kids gone wild in the big city.

Probably hit his head on a keg.

And now he needs our help.

-Okay. We'll run labs and a UTox.

-Hey, hey. Where did he come from?

I saved him.

From a dragon.

Of course you did.

Okay, well, make sure he gets formally admitted.

You know, standard patient procedure.

You may have heard of it.

Chief wants to see us right away.

And do not make a dragon lady joke.

Your words, not mine.

Ericka, take point on Pete. And not just labs.

I want to know exactly what he's seeing and why.

Ah.

I'm having trouble with one of my patients this morning.

Scheduled for a lap chole for chronic cholelithiasis.

-Why is the Chief Medical Officer removing gallbladders?

-Too many surgeries, not enough surgeons.

Anyway, as I was saying,

my patient has called off her surgery this morning

because she had a disturbing dream.

Woke up feeling that she was temporarily unable to move.

-Sleep paralysis, pre-operative anxiety?

-That's what I said. But she has gotten hysterical.

She's expressed that she doesn't feel listened to

or like she's being taken seriously.

And we all know how that can blow up

if she takes it to social media.

-So you called us here because you're concerned about optics?

-No. I need neuro and psych evaluations.

Make sure she's safe for surgery.

We're doing our due diligence.

-Yeah. Listening to her and taking her seriously

seems like a great place to start.

We are on it, Chief.

Thank you.

Wait.

Your patient is Jessica Williams?

-Mm-hmm. -As in Jessie from the block?

-Yes. -Jessie from which block?

The boogie-down Bronx, baby.

WNBA All-Star, all time assist leader,

and just all around good people.

She retired last year,

and now she coaches a local girls Varsity team.

She's a hometown hero.

My husband and daughter and I, we never miss a game.

Oliver, may I have a word?

Carol, if you don't mind --

I do not.

Have a seat.

Am I in trouble?

I just wanted to reiterate

how happy I am that you're on the team.

There's no one who is more devoted to their patients

than you. And everyone in New York knows that.

I'm sensing a "but."

-Well, where you get into trouble

is with the establishment. Your disregard for rules.

-Only when they get in the way of what's best for my patients.

Yeah. Right.

So, this should help.

-Please tell me you did not write a memoir.

-It's a manual outlining the protocols for our hospital.

Sounds riveting.

Mugwump,

there aren't many hospitals left in this town

that are willing to take a risk on you.

I may very well be your last chance.

Lucky me.

-Outside hospital records for the patient in Bed 4.

Thank you.

Good morning to you, too, Dr. Wolf.

**

Are you the brain doctor?

They told me to come and see you.

Jessie. Um...

Yeah, uh, you can call me Wolf. Or Oliver.

Did they tell you I was crazy?

-I believe the word that they used was hysterical,

which, by the way, our generation knows

not to say anymore.

Ever have one of those dreams

that feels so real, you can't shake it?

Haunts you the rest of the day? -All the time.

This is 100 times worse.

I can still feel it in my body, like something is wrong.

-Can you describe the dream for me?

I was in my bed.

But I was floating above,

looking down at myself.

And when I tried to move, I --

I-I couldn't.

I felt...disembodied.

That is agate.

The youngest of its kind is almost 13 million years old.

That piece you're holding took thousands of years to form,

molecule by molecule, layer by layer.

-I'm so sorry. -No, no, no.

There's -- There's no need to apologize.

That's -- You know, it's just a silly rock

that happens to be exceedingly rare.

-Basketball players should be better with their hands.

I don't know why this is happening.

-You know, um, the mind doesn't produce a nightmare

without a reason, much like an agate can't form

without a preexisting rock.

Am I making any sense?

Shockingly, yes.

-Good. I'd use a basketball analogy,

but I'm worried I'd "strike out."

Any, um, physical symptoms, Jessie?

I'm a little shaky, obviously.

I don't know if that's physical or just in my head.

Well, when we have a bad dream,

our logic brain, the prefrontal cortex,

goes offline. It becomes physical.

Heart rate rises. Breathing quickens.

-So you don't think it's just psychosomatic?

-No. What you're feeling is very real.

Now, it is my job to make sure it's nothing serious.

So let's just run some tests, and then my colleague

Dr. Pierce, uh, is gonna spend some time with you.

A warning -- She is a fan.

- Thanks for the heads up.

-You're in good hands, Jessie. We are gonna take care of you.

He has green, glowing scales.

These big, sharp, red talons.

And his eyes are like tiny, dim light staring right at me.

Pete. Something like that?

-Damn, Jacob. That's pretty good.

-Wouldn't have pegged you as the artist of the group.

-Well, Dana, I am a man of many talents.

-Can one of those talents be checking Pete's UTox results?

-Already done. Lab's backed up, but Portia's rushing it for me.

-Who's Portia? -Don't worry about it.

Pete, any of these look right?

Pete, what's wrong?

Are you seeing one right now? Dragon?

I think he's gonna hurl.

-Good catch. How's Pete? -Extremely hungover.

-Uh, give him a liter of LR. Add thiamine and folate.

I need two volunteers to help me with a workup on...Jessie.

Uh, you two, let's go.

**

-Why am I always stuck babysitting bros

who O.D. on shrooms and binge "House of the Dragon"?

-You're describing me. Every Sunday.

Find anything?

-Uh, these labs are all in the black,

but I want to give this thing time to declare itself.

We need to keep an eye on her. -Too late.

She's going in for surgery. Said she was feeling better,

said she wanted to get it over with and get out of here.

Signed her paperwork and my ball.

-Well, that must be nice, to have a collectible.

Jessie broke my agate.

-Your what? You know what? I don't even --

How did things go with your mom?