What's that, a $20 bill?
Yeah, can't you break it?
No, no, no, I don't make change.
Get out of here.
What do I look like-- the first national bank?
Sheesh.
Hey, mac, ah, how about some flowers for the missus?
Mm-hmm.
For that you get
A whole arrangement.
Oh, ah, don't... I'll get it, I'll get it.
Here you go.
Item 39721--
Surgical scalpel, ivory and silver handle,
Late 19th century.
Oh, that's a precision instrument
Designed for one purpose... To slice up human beings.
But not solid iron bars.
All the eyewitnesses agreed it was a small knife.
That's what makes it so incredible.
Eh, that's a long shot.
Well, it's still worth checking out.
Who bought it, anyway?
Lewis sold it to one james morgan--
8847 beverlywood street.
Isn't there anything else in there that fits the bill?
Afraid not.
Let me find out what I can about this james morgan
Before we drop in on him, hmm?
Wait a minute, there's a note.
"legend has it that the aforementioned item
May once have been the scalpel of jack the ripper."
In the summer of 1888, he sliced the throats
Of at least five victims in london.
No one who ever saw him at work lived to tell of it.
I don't know where he is.
Jack was supposed to be here a half an hour ago.
He seemed awfully mysterious about this plan of his.
What did you learn?
Our friend, jim morgan is a thug.
He's an ex-con-- still on parole.
What was he in for?
Assault with a deadly weapon.
He was known as a craftsman with a blade.
Come on.
Can I help you?
Ah, maybe. We're looking for a knife.
You came to the right place.
What kind of knives?
Oh, antique knives.
You come to the wrong place.
All I got are household knives, work knives, camping knives.
What about scalpels?
What do I look like, a medical supply house?
It looks like
You've got really quite an extensive collection here.
Yeah, I get by.
You wouldn't have heard anything about a victorian scalpel,
Say, circa 1888?
You wanna buy something, mac,
Or you just wanna waste my time?
You have quite a way of dealing with people.
Look, look, I-I got a friend,
He, uh, he owns an antique shop
And he said you bought
An antique scalpel.
Yeah, well, if I did, I don't remember.
Besides, I got receipts for everything in this place.
There's nothing here that's hot, if that's what you're driving at.
This is it!
This is just the scalpel we were looking for!
Impossible! I sold it...
Who did you sell it to?
Hey, what do I look like, information?
Look, you said you've got receipts for everything.
Did I?
Funny, I just lost my memory.
Well, maybe this will refresh it.
Some negatives from 1979 wouldn't sit too well
With your parole board. Need I say more?
Where did you get those?
Funny, I just lost my memory.
Look, mister,
I run a legit business here.
Nobody ever said you didn't.
My customers, they, uh, they like to remain anonymous.
We wouldn't tell a soul.
Well, I, I did sell a scalpel about two years ago
To a doctor.
Remember who?
Dr. Howlett.
The dr. Howlett?
Listen, you didn't hear nothing from me.
Listen, they call this dr. Howlett the "miracle man".
He's been on the cover of all the news magazines,
All the major talk shows.
He's turned surgery into an art, not to mention a big business.
He takes all the most hopeless cases and then he cures them.
Ah! The only thing I want to know
Is where did you get those negatives?
At the zoo.
They're of you and ryan at the monkey cage.
See, chances are a guy like morgan,
Any year you pick, is liable to be hiding something.
Well, sure worked.
But of course.
Let's go visit the good dr. Howlett.
A man with a knife in his hand cuts open a second man
From sternum to pubis.
Is the man arrested? No.
Why not?
Because the man is a surgeon.
That, ladies and gentlemen, is power.
But it's responsibility, as well.
We must learn to do our job not only correctly,
But miraculously.
Heartbeat stabilized, dr. Howlett.
Let's put a penrose drain in.
That's it, close her up.
Well, vince, one more notch for your belt.
It's really nothing, patricia.
A minor miracle, something on the scale of water into wine.
Here he comes.
Oh. Adam.
Well...
Of course we've all heard of dr. Howlett.
His reputation has preceded him.
But as head of surgery here, I for one, didn't believe it.
No one could live up to that reputation,
Except a miracle man.
Performing surgery on hopeless cases
And never losing a single patient?
So I was wrong.
Dr. Howlett, welcome aboard.
That was a helluva debut.
Thank you.
I'm happy to be the newest member
Of ravenbrook's illustrious faculty.
As some of you may know,
I began my career in medical school at this hospital.
And I'm delighted if my talents
Can now help re-guild this somewhat
Tarnished institution.
Thank you.
I don't understand it.
How can a small hospital like ravenbrook afford
A heavy hitter like, um, howlett?
Well, they really can't.
But from everything I've been hearing,
They really can't afford not to have him.
They've been suffering some serious setbacks lately.
Like what?
Oh, outmoded equipment,
And, uh, poor patient care.
They've had bad press,
Even some, uh, malpractice suits,
And that's not to mention,
Uh, some minor scandals that have happened among the staff.
So, having howlett there can put them back
On the, uh, map again.
Well, they've certainly got the best, haven't they?
And ravenbrook becomes
The most important hospital in the country.
Uh-huh. All right.
We know what's in it for ravenbrook.
What's in it for howlett?
Oh, oh, look, he just loves the limelight.
He can take a place like this and turn it
Into a really top-notch institution single-handedly. Ho!
Sounds like an okay guy to me.
Well, his critics say that he's turning medicine
Into a three-ring circus.
But, look, I mean,
There's no denying his perfect success rate
And all the good work he's done.
No, there's no denying that.
But you know, it's ironic.
Jack the ripper was supposed to have been a doctor, too.
Dr. Cordina to emergency.
So tell me, what does a medical superstar do
In his time off?
Oh, I wouldn't want to bore you with my little hobbies.
On the contrary, you fascinate me, dr. Howlett.
As your professor, I do remember you from med school,
And given your performance there, I'm amazed
That you ever qualified as a surgeon.
My track record does speak for itself.
And do I detect a note of jealousy?
Jealous of what?
My reputation, the admiration of my peers,
The press I've been receiving.
Let's make it perfectly clear, vince.
I do not approve
Of your showbiz approach to surgery.
Like it or not, patricia, it works.
400.
Clear.
Nothing. 400 ms.
400.
Nurse, we're looking for dr. Howlett.
Clear. His airway's clogging.
Dr. Howlett.
Yeah, he went that way. Thanks.
You can catch him if you hurry.
Carotid pulse is thready, regular 180 over...
No!
Let me go!
Howlett! I'll follow him.
He's a killer! Stop him!
No! Let me go!
I gotta do it before he kills again!
Stop him!
Find micki and meet me in the waiting room.
I'm gonna talk to that lady.
Nurse rodgers to ward 7...
Dr. Johnson to station six west, please.
Lemme outta here!
You have no right to keep me in here. No right!
Jean?
Is this your daughter?
I remember when she was just a little baby.
So shy.
She'd bury herself in my skirts
If anyone talked to her.
And he carved her up.
Howlett?
She was in med school,
Wanted to be a doctor.
Like him.
She worshipped him,
Read every book he wrote.
When she heard he was coming to town,
She went off... To where he was staying.
Said she'd talk to him if it was the last thing she did.
2:00 a.M., the phone rings.
They found her
In an alley--
Most of her.
Jean, how did you know it was howlett?
I didn't know,
But the cops, the cops had nothing.
I had to do something,
So I started following him,
Keeping tabs...
The clippings you had in your bag...
Everywhere he went, another killing.
Or two.
It was no big deal, just back-page stuff.
I just kept waiting for him to make that one slip
So someone would listen to me...
But he was too smart...
And I couldn't let it go on.
It's okay.
Just one more thing.
What about the weapon?
You're no doctor.
Who are you?
I'm a friend.
A friend?
Then let me outta here.
I can't. Not just yet.
I thought so.
You're in on it.
Like all of 'em.
I'm gonna kill you, you hear me?
Kill you!
Dr. Howlett?
Yes?
How do you do? I'm lucy bender,
Supply and services here at ravenbrook.
Just, um, checking to make sure everything's all right.
Oh! I see they did give you that leather chair.
Yes, everything's just fine.
Thank you.
Well, great.
If you need anything else,
Just call me.
There you are.
Oh, shh!
Listen, he's got it, ryan, I saw it.
He's in there now? Yes.
Okay, I'll keep an eye on howlett.
You tell jack. He's in the waiting room, okay?
All right.
Jack...
Where's ryan?
Watching howlett. He's got the scalpel.
Micki, howlett's killed dozens of people already.
If he so much as suspects that ryan knows something...
Dr. Howlett?
Micki.
The scalpel's gone.
And look at this.
What? According to his surgery schedule,
Howlett's not even down to operate again today.
So where did he go with the scalpel?
Micki, I think that jean's right.
Howlett is a mass murderer.
The question is why?
Well, he's gone with the scalpel
And I'd say it's a pretty good guess
That he's using it not only to operate but also to kill.
The up side and the down side of the curse.
Exactly. I think the scalpel acts
As a sort of rechargeable battery, in that it...
If it doesn't kill for a certain period of time,
I think it runs down, loses its ability to-to heal.
Slowly at first, and then...
Ryan.
Yeah, you're right.
I did see dr. Howlett a few minutes ago,
But, I really couldn't tell you where he went.
Well, thank you.
Which way now?
Not that way, obviously.
Could be anywhere.
Ryan!
Micki?!
I'm in here!
Ryan?
Micki!
Oh!
Where's howlett?
Jack!
Jack'd say "where's the fire"?
Uh, hello.
I'm dr. Price, chief of surgery.
We're trying to get mr. Marshak stabilized.
Does he have any family?
No.
Uh, we're his family.
Well, um... May need one of you to sign the release for surgery.
Surgery?
Is it that serious?
Yes, I'm afraid it's very serious.
You just hold on here.
I can't believe it.
Not jack...
That bastard howlett.
Wait a minute, I'll be right back.
Ryan, where are you going?
I gotta do something.
We need you to operate tonight.
I'm not available.
I thought you'd jump at the chance to do this one.
Why? Who is it?
It's no one important.
Just one of those patients
That you profess to care so much about,
Who has no chance of living unless you perform a miracle.
I can't operate tonight.
You're here to turn the reputation
Of this hospital around, vince,
And this surgery is precisely what will put
Ravenbrook back on the map.
There'll be other cases.
Yes, there will be,
But I'm afraid the press has got hold of this one.
They're already here,
Expecting to see the miracle man in action.
I know you won't disappoint them.
What time?
8:30.
All right... I'll do it.
Strap's too tight.
I'm losing circulation in my arms.
Won't you be a dear and loosen it a tad, will ya?
I promise I won't tell.
Mr. Marshak has an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
What? What is that?
Well, it's a weakness in the artery leading from the heart.
Uh, probably due to the severity of his fall.
It's like a bubble waiting to explode.
It's almost always fatal.
Well, what can you do?
Operate as soon as possible.
Fortunately, we now have the best surgeon
In the country on call.
He's agreed to do the surgery tonight, with your consent.
Now, you may have heard of him.
He's something of a miracle worker.
Howlett?
Hey, skippy, let's go to heidi's house.
Her parents are gone for the night.
Right on. Let's go.
Psych emerg, firestone speaking.
I'm sorry, dr. Masden is here.
He's been waiting for 20 minutes
And the ambulance hasn't arrived.
Well, I've called down to emergency
And they don't know anything about it either.
What do you want me to do about it?
All right, I'll give him a call,
But this is the second time this has happened this week.
I'm sorry.
I don't know what to do about it.
Well, you can talk to my superior.
Fine. Fine! Thank you.
Bye.
Dr. Howlett, call the hospital, please. Dr...
You're late, dr. Howlett.
This is not a tennis match.
Ekg, ct scan, flat plate.
You might want to look at them.
My scalpel, where is it?!
I got it.
How's jack?
Hmm?
Ryan, you've gotta give it back.
What are you talking about?
There's only one surgeon who can save him now.
Where is it?
Where is it?!
Get hold of yourself, vincent!
It's gotta be here.
You have got a patient in there!
He hasn't got time for your emotional problems!
Excuse me, dr. Howlett?
I think this is yours.
There they are, doctor,
Your admiring public.
We're ready, doctor.
Let's get on with it.
No opening remarks tonight?
No.
Scalpel.
Anything wrong, doctor?
No, nothing's wrong.
Don't worry about me, doctor.
I'm not gonna lose one.
Not now... Not ever.
You never know how much somebody means to you
Until you just might...
Me and my folks, we never got along.
Always treated me like I had a screw loose.
They never let me do anything important,
But jack, he was the first one
To act like I had something on the ball.
Give me normal saline through the cdp.
So is it good or bad if an operation takes a long time?
Ryan, I've been thinking.
No matter what happens to jack,
We can't let howlett get away.
I mean, if there were to be any more killings,
It would be our fault,
And that would be the last thing jack would want.
Hi. Would you like some coffee?
Thanks.
¶ ¶
We've done everything we can for him.
Doctor.
Powell, I don't want anyone else
Dealing with this patient's post-op.
I'll supervise his medication personally.
We don't want any surprises.
Doctor, I can take that.
No.
I'll take care of it myself.
Mr. Marshak is in post op
Until the anesthetic wears off.
You can see him then.
Oh-ho. Thank god.
Uh, where's howlett?
Dr. Howlett? Why?
Uh, we just want to thank him for all the help he's been.
Oh, well, um, I left him in scrub.
He probably wants to have a look at his patient before he leaves.
He wanted to supervise the post-op personally.
Howlett.
You turn around and face me.
I take it you don't want my autograph.
You killed my daughter.
Now it's your turn.
Come closer.
You don't want to miss now.
Yes.
That's right.
Jack!
Don't mind me, get howlett!
He couldn't have gone far.
Shh! Keep your ears open.
Look out!
Ryan, look!
We're trapped.
Did you really think you could stop me?
Don't you know who I am?
He with the power to give life
And take it away.
Come on!
Let's get out of here.
Run, micki, run!
Oh.
We need a weapon. Tell me about it.
It's better than nothing.
Hide behind there.
Micki, hide behind this.
Howlett!
You forget,
There's two of us! Forget?
No.
How can I forget you?
I'm just saving the best for last.
It's good to have you back.
We missed you.
Thank you, my dear micki.
No more hospitals for me,
Or that scalpel, I hope.
By the way, you did put it away, hmm?
Yes, jack. We put it in the vault.
It's safe and sound. Mmm.
How did it go?
Jean's on a plane back home.
She should be there in a couple of hours.
How is she? Oh,
She's okay.
She got what she came for.
I think it's high time that I went back to work.
No, you hold on now.
You want to go anywhere, you let me know.
I'll wheel you there.
This is perfectly ridiculous, ryan.
I'm capable of going under my own steam.
You heard what the doctor
Said. Do you think
I'm ever gonna want to hear
What a doctor says again?
Well, now, howlett did a good job...
What? Are you kidding? I mean,
The best part of all is with him out of the way,
He won't be sending you a bill.