55 Steps

Subtitles by explosiveskull

- No! - Calm down!

No, I don't wanna!

No, I don't wanna!

I don't wanna!

I said, I don't want it! You're giving me too much!

Too much! You know that.

No! No, I'm not going to.

- No! - Grab her legs. Grab her legs.

No!

- Take it easy, Eleanor. - No, I don't wanna go in there.

No, I don't wanna go in there. No, I don't wanna go in there.

- No. No. - Settle down.

Please. Please. Please, don't hurt me.

Okay. It should be fine now.

All right. She's gonna be all right.

All right.

Yeah, okay.

- You good? - Yeah.

Okay. Let's go.

Okay, get back into your room.

All right.

Hello? Let... Let me out.

Yeah.

I-I need to go to the-the bathroom.

I need to... I have to go... The bathroom.

Please, somebody.

Somebody, help.

Come out. Help me.

Please, I... I need help.

It really hurts.

Oh, no.

Oh, no, it hurts. Sorry.

I'm sorry.

Oh, Mama.

I need to use a telephone!

I... I want to use a phone!

I-I need to use a telephone!

I heard you so.

Don't you wanna clean up first?

No, I... I wanna use a phone.

Okay. Okay.

Hello?

Is...?

Is this Patients' Rights?

Yes, it is.

My name is Eleanor Riese.

And...

I want a lawyer.

We're hoping we can get her out by the weekend.

[PEOPLE CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY]

- Hi. - Hi.

I'm here to see Eleanor Riese.

I'm her lawyer.

May I see your ID?

You can wait there.

Okay, but I'm only gonna wait five minutes.

Then I'm gonna call the state board of hospitals

and complain that you won't let me see my client.

I'll see if I can find a nurse to show you up.

Thank you.

All right, sweetheart. Now drink up.

Take a little pill. That's it.

I want you to know you're dealing with

a very explosive patient.

Thank you.

You don't need to touch me. Don't touch me.

Ms. Riese?

I'm Colette Hughes.

We spoke on the phone. I'm here to help you.

Yeah, everybody's here to help me.

Yeah, that's why I need help.

You can talk here.

Thank you.

I'm sorry. I only speak to my clients in privacy.

[PEOPLE CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY IN DISTANCE]

I don't like lawyers.

Why not?

Why not?

'Cause of the un-defending defender.

That's what I call a public defender.

And you-you wanna know why?

'Cause he doesn't defend me.

When they tried to keep me here, I told him:

"I don't wanna stay here."

And he said I didn't mind.

He didn't listen to me.

He didn't listen to me at all.

If I represent you in this lawsuit,

I will listen. You have my word.

Aw. I know how you think about me.

Yeah, like I'm crazy. Yeah.

People, they don't care about their word with crazy people.

Tell me I'm not right.

Just tell me I'm not right.

You don't know how I feel about you. We just met.

And I do keep my word with everyone.

How long have you been a lawyer?

Two years.

Aren't you kinda old to be a lawyer only two years?

I mean, what are you, slow?

No.

I'm not slow.

I was just doing other things before becoming a lawyer.

Like what? Belly dancing?

How'd you guess?

Yeah, why do you wanna help me?

Because I want the same thing you want.

I want doctors to respect your rights

when you're in the hospital

and not give you medication

without your permission.

What about money?

I can't pay you.

If we win, I'll get paid for my time.

If we don't, I won't.

If we win, you'll get money too. But only a little.

This won't be a damages case.

There's something else you have to know.

I can pursue getting you released now.

But if you want me to proceed with a suit,

if I get you released right away,

the court might dismiss the case because they would say

that you weren't in harm anymore.

But if you prefer, I can just concentrate getting you out.

Well, so...

So if I sue the hospital,

you can make sure

they can't give people any drugs they want to?

No matter what it does to them?

If we win the case,

no hospital in the state can do that to people

on 3-to 17-day involuntary holds

just because the hospital wants to.

You would be representing 150,000 people with this case.

You know, I-I like your clothes.

But your hair...

gotta change.

Are...

Yeah, you're hired.

[MUSIC PLAYING INDISTINCTLY]

No "hello" or anything?

Oh, sorry.

I forgot you were coming over tonight.

Hungry?

Professor Cohen, it's Colette Hughes.

I'm sorry to call so late.

I think I got the plaintiff for a case

for informed consent for medication.

She's at St. Mary's. Her name's Eleanor Riese.

And she's been exposed to medication without her consent

over numerous hospital stays.

Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women.

Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

[WOMAN CRYING IN DISTANCE]

Please help me.

Please.

Help me.

Help me, please!

Please.

Help me, please.

Please, help me.

Please!

Here.

Please, help me. God.

- No. - Karen.

Help.

Hey, hey, I'm gonna get you out.

I'm gonna get you out.

Karen.

- No. - Karen.

- I'm here. - No! Help me.

You aren't alone.

She's diagnosed with chronic paranoid schizophrenia

with slight mental retardation.

She can be highly mistrustful.

She gets very angry.

She can be loud, but she's not a danger to herself or others.

That's good.

She has extreme panic attacks because she has a fear of dying.

That's why she committed herself.

- Because she wanted help for her fear. - Mm-hmm.

But when the hospital started doubling her medication,

and she started refusing it,

that's when they then said that

she had a delusion about her medication.

- I see. - I think she knows exactly

what her medication's doing to her,

and she's furious about it.

I think she has the will to see this through.

How many patients did you represent

in hearings last year as part of your job?

About 200.

Uh-huh, and how many other patients' hearings