John C. McGinley: Dr. Perry Cox

My Lunch

Dr. Perry Cox

J.D.: [presents a bag of take-away food] Hey. Hungry?
Dr. Cox: No.
J.D.: Guess that lunch was kind of a one-time thing, huh?
[sits down]
J.D.: There's no way you could have seen that coming. I mean... rabies? Come on, there's, like, three reported cases a year. In fact, testing for it would have been irresponsible. You would have wasted time those people didn't have.
Dr. Cox: I was... obsessed with getting those organs.
J.D.: You had to be. The fact is those people were gonna die in a number of hours and you had to make a call. I would have made the same call.
Dr. Cox: [looks over at J.D] Yeah?
J.D.: Yes. Now, I got us lunch, and I think we should eat it.
[J.D. produces two burgers from the bag; Cox rubs his face with both hands and leans forward to take one]
J.D.: [narration] Right then I knew I was gonna pull him out of this. But unfortunately, sometimes the hospital picks a day when it's just gonna pile it on.
[Both J.D.'s and Cox's pagers go off]
Dr. Cox: [face falls] Oh, God. Come on.
[cut to a hospital room; the last organ transplant recipient is coding, and Cox tries frantically to revive him with a defibrillator. The patient dies, and Cox yells and flips the defibrillator cart in frustration. A few moments later, J.D. enters the room]
Dr. Cox: [in despair] He wasn't about to die, was he, Newbie? Could have waited another month for a kidney.

J.D.: Where are you going? Your shift's not over. Hey!
[Cox stops walking]
J.D.: Remember what you told me? The second you start blaming yourself for people's deaths, there's no coming back.
[Cox slowly turns to J.D., looking anguished]
Dr. Cox: Yeah. You're right.
[turns and walks out the door, leaving J.D. stunned]

Dr. Cox: [after Jill Tracey's death] The moment you start blaming yourself for peoples deaths, theres no coming back.

AIDS Worker: Excuse me, could you spare a few minutes for AIDS research?
Dr. Cox: Yes, I can, but I'm not sure how much we'll get done. I'll tell you what, we'll go over there and brainstorm while we wolf down these sandwiches.

J.D.: You know what I was thinking the whole time I was having lunch with Jill?
Dr. Cox: What's that?
J.D.: "God, this girl's annoying."
Dr. Cox: I saw her in that supermarket, too, but I'm not torturing myself. Would you like to know why?
J.D.: Why?
Dr. Cox: Because she didn't come to the hospital looking for help. We just randomly bumped into her out here in the world. Don't get me wrong, if a guy gets shot or if he has a heart attack and I am physically the closest doctor to him, I will intervene. Shy of that, you can't. You just can't. It's too much to ask of yourself.
J.D.: [half-heartedly] Okay. I hear you.
Dr. Cox: No. You don't. Once you start blaming yourself for deaths that aren't your fault, my friend, that's a slippery slope that you can't come back from. And trust me, I've seen it ruin a hell of a lot of good doctors. And I will not let it happen to you.
J.D.: [narration] And because he said that... I knew it wouldn't.

Dr. Cox: All right, people, gather round. Here we go. Now, I'm sure we all recognize just how rare it is to get a win like this; but since we are surrounded by patients who are clinging to life, I'm going to give kudos in whisper form.
[whispering]
Dr. Cox: And since I'm an egomaniac, first props come to me; let me hear it, people.
Dr. Christopher Turk: [whispering] You are some kind of super hero.
Carla: [whispering] You're a god.
Elliot: [whispering] You're a beautiful healer.
Dr. Cox: [still whispering] This was not a complete and total solo effort; it was an extraordinary job done by each and every one of you.
Dr. Bob Kelso: I can't hear a word he's saying!
Dr. Cox: Be older, Bob.
Dr. Bob Kelso: Well, just because I can't hear your silly-ass whispering doesn't mean I'm old! Matter of fact, I'm going to my office and tinker with my new computer.
Dr. Christopher Turk: Uh, what kind is it?
Dr. Bob Kelso: It's about 3.30... Ah ah ah, I heard what he said, people; but damn, that joke's a classic.