1.07 - Black Noise

In a courtroom, a judge is calling a list of names. He comes to "Johnny B. Goode" who is apparently not present. He then addresses members of the jury to discuss their possible connection to the case.

The first woman he speaks to is a friend of both the defendant and her lawyer so the judge dismisses her. The second woman he calls on admits that she does not know the defense attorney, Fletcher, personally but knows of him. Her daughter, Tiffany, worked for the attorney when she was eighteen. Fletcher got her daughter pregnant, insisted that she get an abortion then fired her for missing work.

As she relates this, Fletcher becomes more and more agitated. He stands to request that he be excused from the case then collapses with a heart attack. He looks up at the judge but sees Antubis in his place.

At Kingdom Hospital, Dr. Massingale is examining Dr. Swartston (who still seems to be somewhat under the influence) along with the ER nurse and the two EMTs. Swartston tells them he is a seismologist and starts talking about "Black Noise" or infrasound; sounds too low to be heard. He keeps hearing strange noises and tries to get the others to listen but they hear nothing.

Dr. Massingale tries to change the subject by talking about how the "Robins" are in the World Series for the first time in years but Swartston starts demanding his shoes; saying that the floor is burning his feet. He also sees Mary but of course no one else does.

The EMTs get a call about Fletcher and they leave for the courthouse.

Dr. Stegman has finally found his way back to his office (which is once again in shambles due to the latest earthquake). He receives a call from the Hospital's attorney who asks if he is certain that he has turned over all of the records on the Klingerman case. Stegman says he has but he is distracted by the appearance of a large number of cockroaches and several rats.

Dr. Stegman calls maintenance. Johnny B. Goode is, of course, not available (he's on jury duty apparently) but he tells the woman filling in for him about the roaches and rats. The rats we learn have escaped from one of the labs and are very important for Stegman's research so he insists that they be captured but not harmed. The woman tells him that she will do what she can about the roaches but says that everyone is complaining about them and that the earthquakes are driving them out.

In his quarters, Dr. Hook hears an alert about a "Code Blue" in ICU. He comments that it is in Peter's room and gets out of the bed he is sharing with Dr. Draper.

In the ICU, Dr. Traff and a nurse are treating a badly burned Rolf. Neither seem to be too concerned over him and are also discussing the Robins. Mrs. Druse sneaks out of the bathroom and past them. She stops briefly beside Peter's bed to tell him that she will bring Mary's doll then leaves.

The ambulance carrying Fletcher arrives at Kingdom Hospital. The EMTs note that he has had previous surgery and that he is a personal injury lawyer.

Dr. Stegman encounters Dr. James in the hallway and starts complaining about the earthquakes and asks what Swartston is planning to do about them. James points out that there is nothing they can do about the earthquakes. The reason they have called in Swartston is that a large hospital chain is looking to buy Kingdom Hospital but they are worried by the rumors that Kingdom is haunted and that the earthquakes are caused by ghosts. They wanted Dr. Swartston to prove that the earthquakes are a natural phenomena. Stegman is unimpressed.

Dr. Swartston, meanwhile, is in his own room. He is still complaining about his feet burning but neither the nurse nor Dr. Massingale can find anything wrong. They start talking about the Robins again while Swartston stares at his feet, which he sees as being covered in ants.

He then sees Antubis who tells him, mockingly "If you get thirsty, give me a call."

Dr. Hook arrives at the ICU followed closely by Natalie. Dr. Abelson attempts to keep Natalie from entering but she tricks her into answering the phone and goes on in. She sees them pushing Rolf out of the room and demands that he not be brought back but stops when she sees that Peter is conscious.

Both Dr. Hook and Natalie try to talk to Peter. He tries to respond to them but cannot (though we hear him as usual). He then reaches around for a pencil. Natalie give him one and Dr. Hook gives him a pad of paper. Peter starts to draw another picture but Dr. Hook gets called to the Emergency Room.

Elsewhere, Blondie is running through the hospital. He hears Otto calling and runs "through" a wall, somehow traveling to the Old Kingdom. There, he sees the headless body carrying the head around. The body finds a shower room and goes into it.

Elmer enters the morgue where he finds a doctor standing over a body with a number of residents (including Dr. Gupta and Carrie) watching. The doctor calls Elmer over to him and draws a line on Elmer's throat.

The doctor then makes a longish speech about the "intimacy" of death; how with sex you are intimate with one other person but when we die we are intimate with everyone. He then talks about how the dead give while the living take and talks about the "sanctity" of death and how anyone who disrupts it will be turned over to the appropriate authorities. Elmer and Gupta look uncomfortable.

The doctor finally begins his lesson and starts an incision on the body. Carrie gags and runs from the room.

Dr. Hook arrives at the ER to find Fletcher there. He starts giving orders but both of the nurses back off, pointing out that the patient is a lawyer and both are afraid of being sued if they make a mistake. Fletcher swears that he won't.

There follows a bizarre sequence in which Dr. Hook suddenly starts speaking in very precise, legal-style terminology. He demands that everything be filmed and Dr. Massingale and one of the nurses immediately produce cameras and start recording the proceedings. He says that all orders must be typed in triplicate and notarized and a notary appears. Another nurse starts recording what is going on using a court stenographer's machine. Hook produces a set of paperwork, has the attorney sign it then has it stamped by the notary. Meanwhile, the attorney starts hallucinating that Hook is ordering peanut-butter IVs and high explosives.

Elsewhere, the headless body is shampooing the hair of the head.

Dr. Hook eventually returns to Peter's room where Dr. Abelson is angry with Natalie over the phone trick. Hook tells Natalie that Peter may have a type of brain injury where he can form words and even think of what he wants to say but be unable to say it. Natalie then shows him the drawing Peter was working on, revealing it to be of Mrs. Druse. She asks if the picture is of the psychic he wanted to meet Peter.

Some time later, Dr. Hook gets off the phone and tells Natalie that they are still short of beds. Rolf will not be returning as Peter's roommate but he will still have someone with him. Dr. Swartston is wheeled in and Dr. Hook introduces him as a quiet PhD with a drinking problem.

Mrs. Druse is on her way to Peter's room when she runs into Bobby. She tells him that they now know Mary's name and asks him to get access to the medical records. He doesn't think Mrs. Powell, the woman in charge of the records, will give him access but she insists and he, unhappily, agrees to try.

Down in the Old Kingdom, the body has placed the head under a hair dryer while continuing to take a shower itself. Blondie comes and looks at the head, which tries to get him to leave. Blondie takes the head and runs off with it.

Bobby finds his way to the records department but at first cannot find Mrs. Powell. We hear sounds implying that Mrs. Powell is there but having a "romantic encounter". Eventually she comes to the door with her clothing in disarray, to Bobby's surprise and her embarrassment.

Dr. Hook arrives in Fletcher's room and explains to his wife that he needs a heart transplant but that it may take longer than they have to find a suitable donor. She is very upset and Hook leads her from the room to get some coffee.

As soon as they are gone, Fletcher sits up and calls his office. Unfortunately, his partner is very angry with him. Apparently the news of what happened to Tiffany is now all over town, the town has set up a legal fund for her and she and her mother are suing the law firm. The partner blames Fletcher. Fletcher tries to get the name of a former client who dealt in black-market organs but the partner says for him to go back into a coma and hangs up on him.

After Fletcher hangs up, we see that Antubis has been watching the entire conversation.

Dr. James and Dr. Stegman are walking the halls. James is saying how a positive attitude is good for patients while Stegman says he sees no evidence of that. They pass through the pediatrics wing and James points out that even the sick children draw pictures of the sun and trees. As they pass one particular, discordant picture, the camera zooms in on it.

The two arrive at a conference room where the rest of the staff is waiting. Dr. James says everyone needs to support Dr. Stegman since the Klingermans have refused mediation and are going ahead with a trial. He then says he understands that some people have trouble working with Stegman and asks that they talk about it.

No one speaks for a while then Dr. Hook finally suggests that they need better communication. One of the nurses adds that it would be better if Stegman did something besides yell at people. Dr. James (who Dr. Stegman is seeing as two people for some reason) asks Stegman how he responds to that. Stegman just looks at him in disbelief.

Mrs. Druse is in the elevator carrying Mary's doll. She hears Mary crying and says she is trying to help.

The elevator stops and Bobby gets on. He gives her an access card that he got from Mrs. Powell. He says she was trying to get rid of him and seems shaken by his discovery about the "pillar of integrity".

Back at the staff meeting, Dr. James mentions that a hospital chain is looking to buy Kingdom Hospital but is concerned about the rumors of it being haunted. He tells everyone to report anything odd they see. Dr. Hook laughs and when everyone looks at him says that everyone has seen the empty ambulance arriving and heard the girl crying. Dr. Stegman uses the opportunity to get a few digs in on Hook and suggests that he has been to too many of Mrs. Druse's seances.

Rolf Pederson is moved into Fletcher's room.

Mrs. Druse arrives in Peter's room and introduces herself to Natalie. Natalie seems a bit uncertain but Druse gives her Mary's doll and says that she has much to tell her.

Meeting over, Drs. Hook and Stegman are walking the halls. Stegman continues to belittle Hook for believing that something odd is happening around Kingdom Hospital and suggests that the next time he sees something odd to "touch it". He then asks Hook if he sees anything odd right now.

At that moment, Blondie trots up carrying the head. He drops it at Hook's feet then growls at Stegman, who runs off in terror. Hook picks up the head and looks at it.

"Elmer," he says, "you bad boy."

Meanwhile, the headless body has finished its shower and tries to find the head but cannot. It begins to pound on the ground in frustration, causing earthquakes.

The earthquakes are felt in the hospital and wake up Swartston. Mrs. Druse is still talking to Natalie but he calls her over and tells her he needs his computer and instruments that were in his briefcase to start studying the earthquakes. He then tells her about the Black Noise and asks if she can hear it.

Finally, back in Fletcher's room, he and Rolf are lying in their beds and looking at each other. Antubis watches both and smiles, revealing his teeth.

Apparently Blondie can enter and leave the Old Kingdom at will.

Why does Dr. Stegman scoff at Dr. Hook so much when Hook admits to seeing things out of the ordinary. Doesn't he remember his own trip to the Old Kingdom? Or his seeing two Dr. James during the meeting?

Once again the show seems to be bizaare for the sake of being bizarre. What was with the big "legal" sequence in the Emergency Room?