Casualty scene 1

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Esther offers the man a kind smile before he moves on - where
he sees LILY - he breathes deep - he's been told to have a
word with her about a rare mistake she made - he tries to
keep it light and jovial
ESTHER (CONT' D)
Lily, did you tell Jamie to give
paracetamol to the kid in cubicle
three?
LILY
Yes - Temperature of 39.7 - classic
febrile convulsion.
ESTHER
(in - throw away)
Great - brilliant - I think I even
read the same text book you got
that from...
(light - awkward)
But did you actually prescribe it?
You know, like... write the words
down.
LILY (IN)
I'm juggling six patients here..
ESTHER (BACKING OFF)
Of course - I get that - Thing is,
failing to follow the procedures
for a prescription - is When errors
start to creep in...
LILY
what has he done?
ESTHER
Given paracetomol to the wrong
patient!
This infuriates LILY.
LILY
You're kidding me!
ESTHER
(taking the edge off)
Luckily - the patient in question -
is still... alive.
(awkward laugh)
The dosage was appropriate to
weight, but in another situation.
 2.

LILY (IN)
My instructions couldn't have been
clearer...
A beat - ESTHER winces slightly - She's not so sure.
ESTHER
Yes -
'The dirty child in cubicle
three' ... were the words... I
believe you used.
LILY (IN)
What's wrong with that?
ESTHER
(trying to still be nice)
Well, you know... Aside from it
being professionally indiscrete...
(awkward laugh).
There are arguably two 'dirty'
children currently sitting in or
ED.
(beat)
The one in cubicle three has been
moved to cubicle seven.
She looks - realises her error - her heart sinks.
ESTHER (CONT' D) (CONT'D)
(hushed - light)
In future, if you insist on an
informal approach to prescription,
I'd suggest you find more
descriptive terms for the
patients...
(beat)
'boy' and 'girl' would have avoided
this particular slip up - '
LILY (IN)
I've got it.
ESTHER
Cool - lesson over - and don't
worry, I do stuff like that all the
time.
(smile)
But until the GMC catch up with me
I'll keep burying the bodies and
blaming it on the junior doctors.
Laughs at her own joke.
 3.

LILY (IN)
If he'd looked at the child he
would have known it wasn't a
febrile convulsion..
ESTHER
(In)
Hey - I was being all nice in the
hope that you'd take it on the chin
and move on - you want to keep
protesting I can make it official!
A look between them - she backs down - she respects him as a
doctor and that shows.
LILY
Sorry - I don't like messing up.
A beat - he knows she's taken it in - goes back to Mr nice.
ESTHER
No worries -
(moving on with a smile)
But you'd better get used to being
the newest kid on the block..
LILY (CONFUSED)
What are you talking about?
ESTHER
I thought you wanted to specialise
in dermatology...
LILY
So?
ESTHER
They always start from scratch!
She walks off with an amused grin at her own joke -
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