From Epnenbelle. 7/26/03
Abby discusses with Lewis about the pregnancyand how she can attempt telling Carter. From the part of the script we have, Abby does plan to go through with it.
From Epnebelle at a.t.e:
SEASON 10 PREMIERE
"WHAT NOW?"
Carter returns from Africa and heads straight to Abby's place from the airport in an attempt to apologize. However, it is awkward between them at work and Abby bitches to Susan about him, while he does the same to Pratt about her.
The new medical student, Neela, is the one who picks up the call with the news about Luka (see spoilers for episode 10.2 "The Lost", previously labelled as the season premiere).
The ER is being renovated and there are construction workers about. Weaver gives the foreman a piece of her mind when their progress seems to be delayed.
The ER treats victims of an extensive car wreck which includes 3 young children.
from Epnebelle:
EPISODE 10.1
SEASON PREMIERE
"THE LOST"
Carter heads back to Africa upon receiving word that Luka has been "murdered" there. With Gillian (the Canadian nurse from the season finale), he desperately seeks to find Luka's body to bring back home.
Meanwhile, Luka is alive (barely), watching those with him get shot one by one. They have spared him because they believed he was a priest as he was chanting and feverishly praying, delusional from the malaria. A crucifix that was given to him earlier, hung from his neck. A boy who witnessed Luka's delirious praying, later leads Carter to him.
a summery
ER Exchange summary
Spoilers from Stormwatcher, Northern dancer and Freya. These are only some of the pieces of the puzzle. Don't
parse the words.
The teaser finds Carter on a plane back to the Congo, looking tired and wishing to be left alone. His seat mate
however, a drunk and very persistently curious American embassy staffer, has other ideas. After the writers get
in a few digs at multinational corporations operating in Third World countries ("spreading democracy one Big Mac
at a time" -- a new spin on the concept of product placement), Carter finally shuts the man up by telling him he's
going to the Congo on personal business - to claim the body of a friend who was murdered. A distraught Gillian
meets him at the airport and tells him that they hadn't heard from the clinic in Matenda for three days. They talk
to a Red Cross official whom Gillian knows and who shows Carter Luka's bloody ID, obtained from the Mai Mai
(along with personal effects belonging to others on a list of known dead provided by the rebels when the Red
Corss negociating team were able to retrieve wounded prisoners). Carter asks questions, trying to get definitive
confirmation of Luka's death, but the information available is minimal. Carter wants to know if there is a way to
retrieve the body, but is told there's nothing to be done but wait until the fighting stops, when the Red Cross will
go in and make every effort to identify remains. Carter persists in wanting to know whether Luka's body was
buried, and is told the negotiating team might know more, but they're in Kisangani. Gillian indicates she knows
the members of the negotiating team.
Carter talks to a representative from the US Embassy who ascertains that Luka was not an Amercian citizen and
advises Carter to try Luka's embassy. Carter asks if there is a Croatian embassy in the Congo. The official says
no and asks whether Luka was a close friend. Carter replies that he and Luka worked together for years. Carter
keeps asking if there is actual proof that Luka is dead. The official can't say for sure but is extremely pessimistic.
Carter wants to know whether an exchange of some sort couldn't be set up to retrieve the body. The embassy
official tells him that's not likely and echoes the Red Cross official's advice to wait for the fighting to end and for
the UN to claim the bodies. Carter joins Gillian in the lobby of the building and suddenly remembering the
embassy staffer he met on the plane, decides to pay him a visit. Carter asks him if there is anyway to negotiate
for the body. The man is evasive and advises him to wait until the fighting stops but Carter pointedly asks him if
he would accept that if the body were that of a friend or family member. The man relents, hinting that in the
Congo, there isn't much that can't be bought. Carter asks how much money he'll need. The man answers "a lot".
Carter is next seen getting 20,000 dollars cash from a French-speaking bank teller in Kinshasa. When Gillian
translates the teller's concern at the amount of cash Carter will be carrying on his person, Carter replies that he
doubts the Mai-Mai will accept travellers cheques.
Carter and Gillian travel to Kisagani, where they find the French surgeon from the previous episode (S9 finale).
She tells Carter how sorry everyone is about Luka. Carter delivers a huge duffle bag stuffed with supplies
"donated" by County before he left and then helps her with a GSW to a young child.
In Act III, Carter, Gillian and one of the UN workers arrive at a school house, lead by a young Mai Mai whose
cooperation was obtained in exchange for Carter's I-Pod. Inside Carter and Gillian are horrified to find many dead
and decaying bodies. Carter shows the young boy Luka's ID and the boy recognizes him, calling him "the priest"
(in French, Gillian translates). Luka is not among the bodies.
Meanwhile, interspersed throughout Carter and Gillian's search for Luka's body, are scenes chronicling what
happened to Luka. At the Matenda clinic earlier, Luka has only three patients left, including a young girl who lost
her foot in an explosion (see S9-22) and the girl's mother. He seems in good spirits, joking with the mother that
she is lucky to have two pretty daughters.
In Act III, Luka, another worker, an eastern European man and another man are being held in the Matenda clinic
by Mai Mai. The little girl is sitting in the dirt outside the clinic and her mother is with the Mai Mai in the staff
quarters. The eastern European man is a geologist and very frightened. Another member of the medical team
from the previous episode is alluded to. More Mai Mai arrive, including older individuals who seem to be in charge.
They take the male prisoners into the yard and begin shooting them one at a time.
Later, Luka is on the ground in the yard, along with the young girl and her mother, as another execution takes
place inside the clinic. He is sick with malaria, perhaps delirious, and begins to hear voices, then music (Barger's
Angus Dei). He gets to his knees and in a kind of transe, begins to pray in Croatian, tears running down his face.
The Mai Mai boy who we later see guiding Carter and Gillian watches Luka pray and begins to think he is a priest
because he is wearing a cross that the girl's mother gave him. He kneels and asks Luka to bless him but Luka is
delirious and keeps on praying. The girl's mother confirms that Luka is a priest and as the older leader of the Mai
Mai appears, tells the Mai Mai they cannot kill a priest. The other Mai Mai boys begin to kneel and ask to be
blessed. The older Mai Mai leaders join them.
In the last script excerpt we have, Carter, Gillian and the UN worker, led by the Mai Mai boy who knows Luka as
"the priest", arrive at a refugee camp. Inside a hut, they find the young girl, her mother, and in the corner, a lump
of cloth that the Mai Mai points to, saying "the priest."
Spoiler from Rbeezer at AEB for Episode 10.2, "The Lost":
Carter sits on a crumbling wall outside one of the bombed out buildings, the two big tents now set up behind him and filled with refugees. He's tired, unshaven and listening to his I-Pod. Debbie says Want a beer? Debbie has come up from behind; he can't hear her. She taps him on the shoulder. He turns, pulls off his headphones. Debbie says Beer? It's warm and tastes like formaldehyde but itís wet. Carter says No thanks. She joins him on the wall, there's a long moment. Debbie says What is that thing? A radio? Carter says I-Pod. Digital Music.
Debbie says fancy. What are you listening to? Carter says Les Nubians. Debbie says No Dixie Chicks on that thing? Carter says Dixie Chicks. Debbie says You don't like the Dixie Chicks. Carter says Country and Western. I don't know. Debbie says Don't know what you're missing.
...The conversation goes on into Carter telling Debbie about Abby, about how wrong they are for each other...
Debbie says We'll go back in the morning. Carter says How many can we take. Debbie says As many as can fit on the trucks. Carter says There are so many stars here, you forget when you live in the city. Carter looks to where the mai mai boys sit around a fire beside their pickup, roasting a goat. Carter says You never worry they're just going to get bored, start shooting? Debbie says Don't think about it. If I did, I'd probably never leave Boulder. What are you doing out here? You don't seem the type.
Carter says What's the type. Debbie says Macho adrenaline junkies and save the world peaceniks. Carter says Which one are you. Debbie smiles and says What do you think. He's smart enough not to answer. Carter says You know, I consider myself as reasonably well informed. I read the New York Times, watch Nightline, listen to NPR. But before I came here I hadn't heard a thing about the Congo. Debbie says Nobody gives a damn about what happens out here. There are no real American interests in West Africa. Half the continent is dying of AIDS and the pharmaceutical companies won't produce cheaper versions of their HIV drugs to save millions of lives. Just a bunch of savages that get what they deserve. She drinks her beer and says We'll drop into any Third World s**thole to protect a pipeline for Texas oil interests, but three million people are slaughtered and we're too busy watching Survivor.
Carter nods, smiles. They sit for a beat. Then finally:
Carter says I'm not sure what I'm doing out here. I'm not sure what I'm doing period. Seemed simple six months ago. I've been seeing this woman, a wonderful woman who I know I shouldn't be with-- it's not good for her or me.
Carter says My Grandmother died recently, I know that doesn't sound like much but she really raised me. Gamma had all these expectations, ideas about who I should be, what I should do. But I don't see myself fulfilling them. It's all been very confusing. Then Carter says But out here, I don't know. It's simple, clear. There are people who need help and I can help them. Make a difference. Nobody expects more of me than that. Debbie's just watching him in her unblinking way. Carter says Sorry, I think I'm tired.
She takes another moment and then stands. Debbie says Get some sleep, I'm going to wake you up early. We'll take the Rover over to Kasese with a couple of the mai mai while everybody else loads the trucks. See what we can find out. Carter is surprised. He says Thanks. She's not too comfortable with gratitude. Just nods and walks away.
Carter says What made you change your mind? Debbie says About what? Gillian watches both of them from the back, surrounded by the haze of smoke from her cigarette. Carter says Coming out here. Debbie says You've come a long way, figured the least I could do was help you get the last ten miles. She swats at the air and says Damn Gillian, how can you smoke this early in the morning. Gillian doesn't answer. Debbie says to Carter It is gonna cost you though. Carter says What is. Debbie says I had to bribe the mai mai to get them to bring us out here. Carter says I thought you were against anything that would compromise your neutrality. How much? Debbie says Not money, your digital gizmo. Carter says The mai mai want an I-Pod? She nods. Carter says And that won't get you into any sort of trouble? Debbie says They can't eat it or use it a weapon, I think we're safe. Then she says Here we go.
They turn into the Kasese school compound.
