RR5 010: Blood And Guts

Blood And Guts is a Road Rules 5: Northern Trail episode first aired on 1998-03-16.

The episode featured Jonathan Holmes, Roni Martin, Tara McDaniel, Dan Setzler, Noah Rickun and Anne Wharton.

Official Description
This week's show is not for the squeamish. If you get nauseous at the sight of a paper cut, you'd better watch this one from between the fingers of the hands that cover your face. Just when you thought ROAD RULES had reached a plateau of adventure and excess, along comes a mission that materializes as the most challenging ever...

Lives are literally hanging in the balance as the Roadies roll through the dilapidated Detroit wasteland at five a.m. They arrive at Detroit Receiving Hospital, where they are immediately introduced to the local staff of residents and the chief of Surgery, DOCTOR D. Your mission? Spend 27 hours on duty as resident doctors. The Roadies fall silent at the intimidating order, but there's no time to consider alternatives (like how do I get out of this one?!) as the Roadies are shoved into lab coats and sent on their first tour of rounds.

As the Roadies scurry down the hallways, LISA, a five-year resident, explains the various trauma codes, one through three. Three is DOA, dead on arrival. One is the most important - a life in danger of slipping away. At first, the hospital is comfortably quiet. Lisa shows the Roadies how to check blood test results, using an intimidating computer. She explains how to retrieve and display x-rays. Now the beepers sound and the intercom blares, "incoming, code one!!" An ambulance roars into the receiving area and the Roadies help wheel the gurney into the OR. The victim is a twenty-year-old girl. Her name is Melissa. She was sleeping in the back seat of a moving car when the car was rammed from behind. Her spine is broken and twisted, pressing on vital organs. Jon holds her hand and talks her through the pain. The doctors cannot determine if Melissa will be paralyzed.

Without warning, the Roadies are whisked off to another crisis. Elizabeth is an elderly woman who is undergoing stomach surgery. The Roadies watch in mystified horror as a breathing tube is inserted near her belly button and brought out of her throat. Noah can't take it. He dashes into the hallway and collapses on the floor. Yes, he's fainting. The beepers and intercom again, and another ambulance roars up to the hospital. Doctor D explains, "this one is a car accident and this is as bad as it gets." The victim is rushed into surgery. Doctor D. chooses Dan to assist. The doctors slit the victim from waist to throat and start removing his organs, searching for damage. Dan is speechless, but he remains on his feet. Dan steps from the table to speak directly to the camera, "it's frightening, this guy might die."

Meanwhile, Noah and Anne have hooked up with Doctor Tim. He's maneuvering a dislocated leg back into place. Noah helps out, lifting the ankle, as Tara applies pressure, as directed, to the pelvis. Now the leg must be moved into traction. Dr. Tim explains, "you just have to drill a hole through the bone and slide the bolt through." Noah is shocked, "we have to drill a hole!?" Dr. Tim assures Noah he'll do the drilling - and he does, and we show it all. In one side and out the other. Noah snips off the extra ends of the bolts. The beepers, the intercom, another ambulance.

This one is a tragedy. A man's car stalled, so a good Samaritan stopped to give him a jump. The two cars were placed nose to nose, the men standing between. A third driver appeared, ramming into the back of the first car, crushing the two men between the cars. Dr. Tim immediately sets the legs and begins to apply a plaster cast. Jon assists, pulling on the limb in an attempt to attain a pulse. Apparently, there is no pulse in the foot, which could result in amputation. Jon pulls with all his strength, sweat rolling down his face. And guess what? He brings back the pulse - saving the leg. Jon admits, "this is the crowning achievement of my whole life."

Another auto crash. Anne follows Doctor Tim to the OR. She calls him "quickie pants," he calls her "slow poke." They both laugh. Is this flirting? Doctor D drags Anne over to the operating table, where she must hand-pump vital fluids into the victim. She can't take her eyes off the surgery, nearly forgetting her own duties. The doctor screams at Anne, "keep pumping, faster!"

Later, all the Roadies move upstairs to check on Dan's patient. Lisa informs the cast that the man has just died. Dan quietly recalls how a mere hour ago, he heard the man's voice, and now that voice echoes in Dan's head as the man lies motionless, a bloody sheet pulled over his face. The Roadies move over to Melissa's room. She's got feeling in her toes and is responding well to the tests performed on her. She'll be all right. Noah reminds Jon, "it could just as easily been one of us." Jon explains that working in the ER has made him realize how fragile life is: "we're walking around in glass bodies - we can break at any time." Dr. D congratulates the Roadies on a fine tour of duty. They helped save some lives.

Now a quick nap and it's on to the party at Lisa's house. Anne grabs a plate of food and immediately snuggles in next to Dr. Tim. They're chatting and laughing within a few moments. Hey, let's get out of here.

Anne and Tim leave the crowd behind to head into the city for a few drinks and some live music at a local pub. There's really an energy between them. He's digging her scene. Anne wants to go hot-tubbing back at the Doc's house and he agrees, "let's go right now!" They disappear into the night, wrapped in each other's arms...

The next day, Anne wakes with her roomies at the hotel and immediately dials her favorite physician. Dr. Tim offers to take the group water-skiing for the day. Everyone's having a great time, eating some waves, jumping the boat's water wake. As night falls, Dr. Tim drops the Roadies back off at the Winnie. Anne bids all goodnight. That's right - she's leaving with the Doc. See you in the morning! Her brilliant, sexy dream man has arrived and she's not letting him disappear.