Slow Night, So Long - Recap

The show opened with the narrator saying that medical residents never get enough sleep and went on to give illustrations of what can happen when they do not. Mistakes will be made and care should be taken that they do not, but sometimes it simply cannot be helped. It is just one of the risks of the career. Mark and Owen were discussing how important it was to get enough sleep.

Christina Yang seemed to have completely left the occupation of becoming a medical doctor. She had instead turned to learning how to make and serve fancy drinks in a local downtown bar. The owner was behind the bar showing Christina how to make a drink colored with blue dye when some of the medical residents walked in. They sat down at a table and discussed aloud if they had an obligation to persuade Christina to come back to the hospital, to encourage her not to lose her chance in the program to finish her course of study. It was decided that this was something she would have to conclude for herself, if she ever did. For now, she seemed to be having a great time making drinks for bar patrons and mixing with the crowd. She even went as far as to sit down at a large crowded table and begin to toss back strong drinks herself, making herself the life of the party. The residents began to wonder if she had lost her mind. What was going on?

Two teen age brothers were brought into the emergency room, victims of a car accident. The fifteen year old had been driving, had lost control and had crashed the car into a tree. It had been a tragic and terrible accident. The older brother, Riley the seventeen year old, was dying on a gurney as the team struggled to keep him alive. He had terrible road rash over most of his body, blood and bone mingled together, drowning in his own blood. His heart defibrillated and the team powered up the electrical paddles after giving him a shot of adrenaline directly into his chest, using the paddles over and over, but finally having to pronounce him dead. His brother was being worked on by other residents in the space next to Riley, calling Riley's name, saying that he would be just fine. The younger boy was whisked away to an operating room where he would have to undergo some needed surgery. He was not told of his brother's death. Meanwhile, the parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nash, arrived at the hospital and frantically asked for their sons. They were told that Riley had passed away, which met with shock, but the other boy was still alive, going to have surgery very soon. The parents broke down and cried, wanting to see the older son's body, which they were allowed to do. Then they settle down to wait for news of the younger boy. They were told by the doctors that their younger son could not be told of his brother's death until he had recovered somewhat, which they agreed with.

Doctor Stark was called to attend to a case concerning a little boy with chest pains, cause as yet undetermined. Stark was being a complete jerk to the attending residents as usual when they tried to tell him that the boy needed some texts to determine the cause of chest pain. He snidely told them that it was only some indigestion or some such thing and stomped off to do something less stressful. Dr Grey went ahead and ordered the needed tests. It was proven to be an perforated ulcer on the boy's stomach. Surgery was needed immediately which was performed and the danger was allayed. When Doctor Stark found out, he was infuriated and called Dr Grey and Mark to a conference room where he proceeded to scold they savagely. Doctor Webber appeared outside the room in the window and as Dr Grey made a face at him, Webber just smiled and shrugged, indicating that they were in no trouble whatsoever. Just the usual Stark scold, it seemed, meant nothing. At least the little boy was out of danger, luckily, thanks to Grey and Mark.

April was assigned to a young fifteen year old couple who had super glued their forearms together and despite her efforts, trying to use everything she could think of, the two were stuck together. A very drunk Bailey showed up at the hospital and when April asked her what to use, she suggested a little warm water and soap and some acetone. That worked and a happy April told Bailey she was a genius, trying to befriend the woman, but was soundly rebuffed. Bailey told her that just because she was drunk, don't think that they would ever be friends, and to keep Bailey being drunk to herself. April concurred that she would, that it would be their little secret.

Back at the bar, an inebriated Torres made a move on a female bar patron, but was rebuffed. Feeling very lonely, she and Mark went home where they had a romantic interlude and after sobering up, Torres decided that it was not for her. She missed Arizona very much.

Christina was becoming very drunk, and did not know it, but had been fired by the owner that night. Her husband, Owen, had heard that she was at the bar drinking too much and had gone there to bring her home, which he told the bar owner. Owen finally convinced Christina that she was no longer working there, that she shouldn't have drunk with the patrons, that she needed to sober up at home. She did not want to leave the bar, having had such a good time, but allowed Owen to take her arm, pull her out to the car and drive her home. She collapsed on the bed, then staggered to the bathroom and promptly threw up. Owen held her head and offered her his loving sympathy and support. He knew that she would have one heck of a hangover and headache in the morning.

Mr and Mrs Nash gratefully thanked the doctors who had performed the needed surgery on their surviving son and grieved for the son they had lost. The surviving son was told of his brother's death and felt responsible for it since he had been driving, but his parents said that Riley would not want him to feel that way, to get on with his life and be productive. They prayed together and vowed to do better as a family.



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