Chapter 10: The Forgotten
SCENE: ALEX AND JO'S BASEMENT
(Amber and Cobra are on the floor of the basement having an indoor picnic with them lying on a blanket, plates of sandwiches, French fries and watermelon beside them and a bottle of apple cider already open. They are on their sides kissing and enjoying the dim and romantic atmosphere of their date)
Amber: (Chuckles and pulls back) I never had a picnic indoors before but I gotta say it's way better than if we were at a park.
Cobra: (Grins) How so?
Amber: Well the food won't get spoiled by ants, there aren't any kids throwing balls at us and we have the privacy to do this.
(Amber tenderly kisses Cobra who moans in pleasure)
Cobra: When you put in like that, I can't think of a reason to let this end.
(Amber and Cobra continue kissing until the door opens and they stop looking up to see Levi coming downstairs looking ready to leave)
Amber: What?!
Levi: It's time to go to work come on.
Amber: (Groans and lies back on the floor with a thud)
Levi: So, does that mean your going at the regular time or…?
Amber: (Sighs in despair)
Cobra: (Strokes her arm) Are you okay?
Amber: (Sarcastic) Oh yeah everything is great, I barely get to operate anymore and when I do, they don't even recover enough to go home. Oh, and how could I forget the refrigerator truck full of dead bodies that I get to pass on my way from the parking lot to the hospital? I am lying back to keep myself from bursting with joy.
(Cobra looks at her sympathetically and continues stoking her arm)
Levi: (Sad but on a clock) So you're going?
Amber: (Irritated) Why do you care?
Levi: My bike has a flat tire and you're my ride.
(Amber groans before getting up. She turns and kisses Cobra goodbye)
Amber: I'll let you know if my test is negative, I'll see you later.
Cobra: (Still lying down) Good luck it sounds like you'll need it.
(Amber grins gratefully and gives him a quick kiss before going upstairs to get ready for work)
LATER AT THE PARKING LOT
(Amber and Levi are walking to the hospital side by side)
Amber: You know that I love you and I appreciate you especially during these uncertain times that are driving me up the wall.
Levi: I feel the same way too.
Amber: Let me finish, but if you ever interrupt another date between me and Caleb, I will kick you out faster than you can say Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. If you don't think I'm serious I suggest you don't test me.
Levi: Hey you took pity on me and your brother took pity on you so neither of us should be living in that palace of clean air.
Amber: (Fake cries) Yeah well that palace is gonna turn into a nightmare dome when Stevens moves in. Maybe I can sleep on Kim's couch while you distract him with your sexual prowess, what do you think?
Levi: I'm pretty sure he would notice even if I brought my A plus game, speaking of Stevens any word on when she's coming down?
Amber: None so far but Alex says that she found a buyer for her land so yippee. God look at us we're in our twenties and living with my brother and pregnant sister-in-law. I swear I would punch us if I was some stranger on the streets. (Realization) Oh my god! I've never had a home I could call my own!
Levi: What are you talking about?
Amber: Think about it, I moved here from New York and instead of getting a cheap apartment I lived in a roach motel. After that my brother and his girlfriend graciously invited me to live with them at their tiny loft where I spent the better part of my internship. And then for a while I lived with Dr. Grey, Pierce and Shepherd, I even slept in the same bed as Dr. Shepherd! My residency started and so did me living with my boyfriend at his apartment. Cut to I'm living with my brother and sister. Again! Do you see the pattern here?
Levi: …I see where you're coming from, you're like a modern queer nomad.
Amber: (Sighs in despair) We have to move.
Levi: Where? We barely make 60 grand a year and that's after taxes, we work 160 hours a week and I highly doubt the apartments for rent are sanitary right now. And besides you had the chance to get your own place. You could've guilted DeLuca into giving you his apartment but you didn't.
Amber: Yeah, but that would mean being constantly reminded of my worst moments of 2020 before covid happened so no.
Levi: Maybe we can afford a place if we invite Taryn to live with us, I mean with her money we might get a studio in Tacoma and that's assuming you don't mind rats as our roommates too.
Amber: (Confused) Wait Helm? Why is she looking for a place? I thought she had a two bedroom with that girl who owns a goat yoga studio.
Levi: She did but she's getting tired of goat hair in her shower, couch and coffee so she's looking for a new place. Is it okay if I invite her on our search? We could use the money and she's a good cook. What do you say?
Amber: …Fine but that's assuming we can find a place by the time that snake slithers into town.
Levi: Awesome I'll tell her the news.
Amber: Whoa hey look.
(Amber and Levi look at the bench outside the front entrance and find a black man lying on it with dirty clothes and a shopping cart full of cans next to him)
Amber: I thought security took care of bums like him, why is he there?
Levi: The guys don't work for the next ten minutes.
Amber: (Sighs) Perfect come on.
(Amber moves to walk toward him with Levi following him scared)
Levi: What are you doing? What if he has a knife? Or worse a used needle?
Amber: I've dealt with worse in the East Village come on.
(Amber and Levi cautiously approach the man on the bench)
Levi: Excuse me sir? Are you okay?
(The man doesn't respond)
Amber: Sir I'm sorry but you need to go, find a homeless shelter to take you in before security carries you out.
(The man still doesn't respond. Amber walks toward him gently shaking him to wake him up only to be startled by him falling face first on the pavement)
Levi: Oh god is he dead? Did he die outside a hospital?
Amber: (Feels his pulse) His pulse is low and his breathing is shallow, go inside and get a gurney and a crash cart ready.
(Levi runs inside while Amber stays and rolls the man on his back checking his vitals)
CUT TO BLACK
SCENE: COVID WARD
(Amber is inside the homeless man's room with Levi trying to get him stable)
Amber: Sir, can you hear me? (To Nurse) His pulse ox is 90 up his O2 to 80 percent and see if you can get Dr. DeLuca.
(The nurse does that and Andrew walks inside the room)
Andrew: What happened?
Amber: Black male possibly in his 60's, we don't have an ID on him. We found him outside on the bench, he probably got kicked out of a shelter after testing positive. His pulse is brady and his breathing is shallow we have him on 80 percent oxygen.
Andrew: Okay and does he have anything on his person? Where he's from? Maybe family he wants to call?
Levi: He hasn't said a word since we found him, I don't even think he's coherent.
Andrew: Okay I got it from here, you two out now.
Amber: Andrew I tested negative yesterday so did Schmitt.
Andrew: Yeah and I want to keep it that way, you two know the rules, no residents inside the room of a positive patient. Call the shelters see if anyone knows who this guy is and who we should call. Go!
(Amber and Levi quickly leave the room. Amber pulls out her phone)
Amber: All right I'll text you half of the shelters to call and I'll take the rest. Give them the guys description and hopefully we'll get an ID and not put anonymous on his death certificate.
Levi: We don't know if he'll die.
Amber: We've seen his numbers and patients his age are more likely to die from this thing. Lets just find out who he is and who we need to call to say goodbye.
(Levi nods and goes with her to the station to call shelters)
TWO HOURS LATER IN THE HOMELESS MANS ROOM
(Andrew and Maggie work on the man who wakes up barely keeping his eyes open)
Maggie: Sir, my name is Dr. Pierce, you're at the hospital, you just tested positive for covid, can you tell us your name?
(The homeless man opens his mouth but only a ragged breath comes out before he passes out)
Andrew: Damn it, can we give him epi or something to wake him up?
Maggie: Not unless we want to kill him faster, are you sure there's nothing in his person to give us an ID?
Andrew: (Looks inside the bag with his clothes) Nothing but five dollars in change, a couple of stale sandwiches and a flask. His alcohol level is through the roof. I'm guessing this guy's been on the streets for a while now maybe even years.
Maggie: (Sighs) I guess his drinking got so out of hand he lost everything, including his house. God, you know he's not the first PEH we've had since the pandemic, right? And he won't be the last.
Andrew: PEH?
Maggie: Patients experiencing homelessness, it's gotten higher last year and that was before covid. You know the mortality risk after exposure to covid is increased 2-fold for PEH against the general population.
Andrew: Yeah, old age combined with lack of care and already decreased life expectancy.
Maggie: It's a bad combination and the state is in argument over sending funds to get protective housing programs for homeless communities. I mean it should be a no brainer protect them from this virus and keep them off the streets so they don't infect others. I hate my life.
Andrew: Yeah, I hate mine too. I'm gonna check to see if Schmitt and Karev found out who the hell this guy is.
(Andrew leaves the room)
LATER AT THE NURSES STATION
(Amber is on the phone talking to the last shelter giving a description)
Amber: Are you absolutely sure? He's black and bald with a gray beard, he had a flask so he's a heavy drinker are you certain no one of that description left your shelter? … (Makes a fist) Okay thanks.
(Amber hangs up and slams her phone on the station frustrated as Andrew approaches)
Andrew: I'm guessing by that slam it's not good news.
Amber: I have checked half of the homeless shelters and halfway houses in Seattle and none of them discharged a man with our John Doe's description. I'm just hoping Levi had better luck.
(Levi approaches them with a head shake)
Amber: (Incredulous) You have got to be kidding me.
Levi: I gave them descriptions twice and nothing. I guess yours was a dead end too.
Amber: How do we even know he's from Seattle? He could be from a shelter out of town, maybe we could check Tacoma, Spokane.
Andrew: You can check every shelter in the state and by then his body will be transported to county.
Amber: It's that bad?
Andrew: We just checked his labs and it looks like the virus brought on alcoholic liver disease, with that plus his pulse ox rapidly going down with 100 percent O2 he might not even survive by tonight. If we don't have a name by then his death certificate will be marked as John Doe, unidentified.
Levi: What about dental records?
Amber: It won't do any good, regular office visits aren't a priority for people who live on the streets. What can we do?
Andrew: Nothing by the time we ID him he'll be cremated and his family will have missed saying goodbye. Right now, we just make him comfortable and hope he goes quickly.
(Amber leans back in her chair in defeat)
Levi: Now I wish I didn't ask you for a ride this morning.
Amber: Me too.
Andrew: I'll check on you guys later and let you know when John Doe is gone.
(Andrew turns to leave when Amber speaks)
Amber: Wait, (Andrew turns) let me know when he's near the end. I want to be there when he does.
Andrew: Are you sure? Me and the nurses will be inside so he won't be alone.
Amber: I'm the one who found him, it feels right if I was there in the end. I don't know what his story was but I do know that nobody deserves to die alone.
Levi: I'll be there too; I was also there when he was on that bench.
Andrew: (Knows he can't talk them out of it) Okay I'll page you guys and you can come up to say goodbye and be by the window you can't be in the room. I'll see you later.
(Andrew leaves them to continue their work in silence)
THREE HOURS LATER AT THE NURSES STATION
(Jo is charting when Taryn Helm approaches her with roses confusing Jo)
Jo: Um Helm what are these flowers for?
Taryn: Their congratulations flowers, for your pregnancy it's from me and the rest of the residents.
Jo: (Flattered) Oh wow their lovely thank you but you should've given it to me outside the building because I'm probably gonna sanitize these and their gonna wilt so…
Taryn: (Embarrassed) Right sorry I guess I was just so excited I forgot.
Jo: Why would you be excited?
Taryn: Well I know the world is terrifying and people are dying left and right but new life being born is kind of the first good news you get during a pandemic.
Jo: (Raises eyebrow) Kind of? That's all my baby gets, a kind of?
Taryn: Um no shoot I am so sorry it's just uh-
Jo: (Chuckles) Helm I'm messing with you, thank you these are lovely and tell the other residents that.
(Taryn turns to leave when a question pops into her head)
Taryn: Hey uh since your house is pretty much a castle and I need sleep without my roommate's goat sounds waking me is it okay if I sleep on your couch until we find a new place?
Jo: We?
Taryn: (Confused) What? Didn't Amber tell you?
Jo: (Narrows her eyes) Tell me what?
LATER OUTSIDE THE ELEVATOR
(Amber and Levi prep each other's PPE to get ready to go to the covid ward)
Amber: (Sighs sadly) I feel horrible.
Levi: Why?
Amber: Because there are people overexposed due to living on the streets meanwhile, I am complaining that numerous kind people invited me to live in their lavish and clean homes out of the goodness of their hearts. I am an ungrateful and selfish person and there's nothing you can do to convince me otherwise.
Levi: (Trying to life up her spirits) Well I wasn't going to.
Amber: (Glares at him and chuckles) Thanks I needed dark humor. (Her phones rings) It's Jo hold on (Answers) hey what's up?
CUT TO SURGICAL FLOOR
Jo: (On the phone with Amber) I am going to confront you over the phone for two reasons, one, the hospital is in crisis and we don't need to make things worse with a public scene and two I know your going up to the covid floor so I don't want to expose myself and my baby.
Amber: Got it what's the confrontation about?
Jo: How about you failing to mention that you were moving out with Schmitt and Helm?
Amber: (Shocked) Who told you?
Jo: Helm, she thought you told me which adds further pain to the revelation thank you very much.
Amber: Look I was planning to tell you I was but with everything that's been happening it didn't really occur to me until the whole thing with Stevens which may I remind you that you kept from me for days so do not judge me.
Jo: You know what I thought that after everything we have been through and all I have done for you, you would at least owe me the courtesy of talking to me before you make any rash decisions because of your petty dislike for someone.
Amber: I would but I knew that you would try to guilt me out of it and I can't have that. I need to move out Jo, I am a grown woman I can't live with you and Alex forever I need my space.
Jo: And you think you'll have that rooming with two residents? Do you see why I'm afraid your making rash decisions?
Amber: Jo if I don't get out of that house before she comes in with her holier than thou, scrunched face, judgmental, self-absorbed, husband abandoning, botox filled ass I am going to snap. I am serious Jo one night after her endless snide comments and refusal to accept that her actions have consequences I am going to grab a kitchen knife, walk up to her bedroom, sneak in and go full Blue eyed Butcher on her.
Levi: Didn't she cut off the victim's penis?
Amber: Well who knows what else that she devil hid from my brother?
Jo: (Chuckles at Amber's scenario)
Amber: (Serious) Oh you think that's funny? Well, it won't be when I'm in prison filing appeals for my death sentence while you and Alex are taking care of traumatized twins after their aunt brutally murdered their mother. Do you want that? Because you will unless I move out before she moves in.
Jo: (Knows she's serious) Wow you're really serious, aren't you?
Amber: I might have to work with her I don't want to live with her on top of that Jo. I need some space from her so please respect that because your dumbass husband clearly has not. I need your support on this Jo because you are the only sister I have and choose…please.
Jo: (Sighs) Fine but I get to help you pick out an apartment. Your just a kid and you've never really had your own place, you're like a…modern queer nomad.
Levi: (Grins) That's what I said!
Amber: (Rolls eyes) I gotta go.
Jo: See you at home.
Amber: Hey Jo…thanks.
Jo: Yeah, no problem, I mean you don't really need my permission and-
Amber: No that's not what I meant, thank you for giving me a place to stay all these years. If it wasn't for you and Alex I would probably be in a shelter or worse and…I appreciate you and don't tell my brother this but I appreciate him too. Thanks for giving me a place to call home.
Jo: (Surprised) Your welcome…I'm guessing this bout of affection is from a bad day?
Amber: Yeah I'll tell you about it when you get home, bye.
Jo: Bye.
(Amber hangs up and faces Levi who takes a deep breath before pushing the elevator button and they go inside tensely)
CUT TO COVID WARD
(Amber and Levi are outside John Doe's room while Andrew and a couple of nurses are inside. They stand outside in tense silence waiting for the inevitable)
Amber: …I was homeless for a while you know.
Levi: What?
Amber: Yeah, I was 6 I think maybe 7 by that time me and my brother Aaron were in our third foster home that year because my mom was off her meds again. And even for foster parents the Milton's were the worst I mean they were old school Christians who thought the earth was flat instead of round. They burned all of my Nancy Drew books because they thought it was immoral and insisted we read the bible every day. I had to wear long sleeved ankle length dresses when I went out and Aaron had to wear a poufy white shirt and baggy trousers.
Levi: So, they were nutjobs.
Amber: Yeah…but that's not why we left. One night Aaron caught the Milton's 15 year old son Jared spying on me while I showered and he lost it. Jared lived but he had to have his nose reset and his arm put in a cast.
Levi: Jesus, wasn't he like 16?
Amber: 15, Alex taught him wrestling before leaving for college. Anyways after that his dad kicked us out told us we were gonna burn in hell. We didn't want to go back to child services, we knew they would separate us so we set up our blankets under a bridge and made our own home. We collected cans, got cash for food and slept in a tent from some other runaways.
Levi: How long did you live like that?
Amber: A couple of weeks, the reason it took so long was because the Milton's reported us missing after the government checks came in. We got separated of course, I went to another foster family and he went to a group home for juvenile delinquents.
Levi: I'm sorry Amber.
Amber: Yeah, I know…I look at John and I think, "That could've been Aaron and me." Not identified, not noticed, not getting a care in the world.
Levi: Maybe but it's not, we know who you are and we care so much, too much in fact.
Amber: (Touched) Thank you.
(Amber and Levi turn back to John Doe waiting for a few silent moments until his monitor flatlines. They look at the scene in sadness before leaving the window in tense silence)
CUT TO BLACK
MIDNIGHT
SCENE: AMBERS BEDROOM
(Amber is sitting up in bed reading Shadow and Bone while Levi is on the other side of the bed lying down looking up at the ceiling in thought)
Amber: So I guess Taryn wants to share the rent with us since she talked to Jo about it.
Levi: Yeah, she's in all we need now is a place to share that's cheap enough for us to rent and is not covered ceiling to floor in asbestos.
Amber: (Still reading) I am open to suggestions but not tonight, especially not tonight.
Levi: (Sighs in sadness) …I want us to sit shiva for John Doe.
Amber: (Surprised and stops reading) What?
Levi: Tomorrow, I want us to sit shiva for John Doe, I want to mourn him properly like he was a person and not a statistic. I don't know who he was or how he got to be where he was but even so he deserves to be put to rest properly in spirit anyway.
Amber: (Still confused) And for those of us that never set foot inside a synagogue?
Levi: Shiva…shiva is when mourners come together after the passing of a loved one. They come to the deceases house and bring food, flowers and comfort for the spirits that are still dwelling to the memories of their home. We sit on low chairs and light a memorial candle that burns for seven days signifying the seven days of mourning. We eat food, we share memories of the dead and create a safe space to grieve without it feeling awkward. The mirrors are covered because it keeps guests from selfish thoughts during the time of mourning and the Kaddish is recited. We don't wear shoes, we don't shave or wear makeup. After that sheloshim begins which is a 30-day mourning period, it's less intense than shiva so don't worry. We resume normal activity and go to work, you just can't attend any social events which won't be a problem for us. And on the last day we have a memorial service where Jewish text is taught in memory of the deceased. That's what shiva is and that's what I want us to do for John Doe.
Amber: …is it shiva even if we don't know if John was Jewish?
Levi: Shiva is what I know how to do so…yeah, it's shiva. I don't want to do it just for John I want us to do it for people like him. People that die with no name, no gravestone and no loved ones, they deserve more than a John or Jane Doe on their certificates and being sent to cremate by county. I want them to feel remembered, I want their spirits to pass this god awful plane and into the next. If I do this at least I'll feel like I'm doing something to help them after failing them. I want to do this and I'm asking you if you want to do this with me, what do you say?
Amber: (Thinks on it) …Will I have to cook?
Levi: You can order Chinese and I'll order Pizza.
Amber: Then I'm in, I don't work till tomorrow night is that enough time for John's spirit to stop dwelling and move on?
Levi: I think so, thanks.
Amber: No problem as long as it gives some semblance of closure for John and the others.
(Amber continues reading as Levi goes to sleep)