Ok, this is kind of just a curiosity thing, but if Carter was just shooting up to get high, why would he carefully take the time to use an alcohol wipe on his wrist? Does your average drug-user do that? Or is it just so engrained in him from being a doctor????

Oh, and where's Romano?

-- catherine (catsclaw_007@yahoo.com), May 23, 2000

Answers

Yes, Carter is a doctor and using the alcohol swipe is just second- nature. The only thing I wondered about was why Carter wouldn't go to a stall in the men's room to shoot up. Except for the fact that this was the season finale of a TV show, which means they had to have some reason to let us (and his co-workers) catch him in the act.

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), May 23, 2000.

By having him inject the drugs in the trauma room maybe they were trying to show that he was in so much pain after being kicked that Carter was desperate for painkillers right at that moment and it didn't even occur to him that he could be caught.

Romano was up in ICU for most of the day but did make a brief appearance in the ER to inform Corday that she needed to assist him in surgery.

-- Kasha (kasha_f@yahoo.com), May 23, 2000.

Actually, I think he was swabbing himself with lidocaine - to numb himself. Notice that he tapped his wrist a couple times afterward, to make sure he was numb.

-- debbie (riccardoiii@aol.com), May 23, 2000.

I thought it strange that he would reuse a needle. What about all the diseases he could get?! Being a doctor he should know that!

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), May 23, 2000.

i think he tapped his wrist to make his vein bulge out a little, so he could see it better to put the needle in.

-- ALexis Springer (lexicat1@webtv.net), May 23, 2000.

In regards to the "sharing needles" question -- I wasn't paying /too/ close attention but usually they inject the medicine directly into the IV tube, so it doesn't actually contact any bodily fluids. I think that's why Carter was able to re-use the needle.

-- Lynn (lynn@wordsmyth.org), May 23, 2000.

Carter did inject the medicine into an I.V. which makes any risk almost non-existant. I think Carter subconsiously gave himself the medicine in the trauma room so he would get got caught. I think there was part of him deep down that was asking for help. Carter did not realise he was doing that.

-- Brenda (jckwfan@aol.com), May 23, 2000.

I agree that Carter just didn't care anymore... he needed relief and he was determined to get it right away. I suppose when you are that desperate getting caught doesn't seem so bad.

-- maryann (map5860@aol.com), May 23, 2000.

I thought that him shooting up in the er was to show how far he had fallen. Previously when they had heavily implied that he was doing drugs, he did so in the bathroom. That was already bad but now he was starting to slip even farther and his judgment had degenerated to a point where he no longer took the proper precautions to avoid being caught.

-- Rusty Priske (rusty.priske@hrdc-drhc.gc.ca), May 24, 2000.

I think carter took pain killers( prescribed pain pills or non prescribed shot) while he was in the bathroom. I think he did it after having another flashback. Carter looked like he was starting to have another flashback when they cut to another scene.He had that look in his eyes that showed that without ER giving us the audio on it.

-- Brenda (jckwfan@aol.com), May 24, 2000.

Thanks guys! That answers my questions about sharing needles and I am quite relieved that he wasn't THAT stupid or desperate!

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), May 24, 2000.