The hospital is in a state of disarray. Patients are dying, the power is out, and the water is rising. The hospital seems to be in a state of decay.
With the help of a patient’s family, the team works tirelessly to save their friend and colleague. With only minutes to spare, they finally reach the helipad and Richard is able to disembark. The relief on his face is palpable as he steps off the helicopter and onto the tarmac.
Diane is not happy about the evacuation procedures. She hands over a list of 53 patients to Susan, but it’s hastily discarded with a list of other paperwork in the office. Diane is understandably not happy about that, and urges them to take this seriously.
Susan tries to calm her concerns and promises to do what she can to get those patients out. The thing is, the Coast Guard helicopters are only for Memorial and not Lifecare which only complicates matters further, and breaks down what strenuous communication there was between the two. ..
The helicopter arrival has turned the tide for the hospital. The influx of people has caused a serious strain on resources and the Directors are seriously considering turning away more patients. ..
This concludes a heartbreaking scene where Charles, the security guard, fires his gun in the air to refuse a scared family entry. When he heads back inside, he tells Bryan he was just doing what he’s been told.
Erik and his workers managed to make a hole in the wall of the hospital, saving them about 15 minutes. However, these are tiny numbers compared to the scarce resources in Memorial Hospital – time is running out. ..
They are running out of food and water and they only have enough for the next day. The only solution is to re-orientate the evacuation. The way they need to do this is to take the ones who are most able and mobile first, leaving behind those that are the most sick.
The green band is the one who is most able to move, while the black band is for those who have the least chance of surviving. It’s a brutal, harsh way of sorting patients – and Susan isn’t exactly happy about doing this. But then again, there doesn’t seem to be any other way of resolving this.
Susan makes the decision to suspend activities until sunrise in order to avoid any potential mistakes that could cost lives. This is a difficult decision, but it is one that the doctors are not happy with. They want Susan to continue her treatment, but there is no other choice.
The hospital is in a state of chaos as more and more bad news arrives. Anna announces that there are no boats, which greatly reduces the rescue efforts. Even worse, there’s a thief in the hospital and someone is taking their gear. So naturally, some of the doctors take matters into their own hands and arm up, ready for what’s to come next.
Diane begs those outside the hospital to come and help her, pointing out that people are dying and they’re at their wits end. The trouble is, Memorial Hospital is a secondary priority to the authorities and it seems there’s no hope for Mark, who’s desperate to get to his mum who’s inside the hospital.
Mark is grateful to have the help of Guidry, but only during first light. With snipers all around the city, it’s too risky to move in the dark.
As the hours grow shorter, the darkness seems to close in on all of our characters. They are struggling to make sense of what is happening, and whether they can make it out alive.
The Episode Review
On the fifth day of the five-day memorial service for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Memorial and Lifecare find themselves facing down the barrel of a shotgun loaded with bullets of death. The halfway mark of Five Days At Memorial sees a dramatic shift as both Memorial and Lifecare find themselves facing down the barrel of a shotgun loaded with bullets of death. ..
This series has done an excellent job humanizing this awful disaster and showing the raw, horrific ordeal those at the hospitals had to endure during this tumultuous time. It’s also noteworthy to see just how lackadaisical the government were around saving people and getting those in New Orleans out. ..
The various characters at the helm of this one are well written and although we don’t see much of Bryant King this week, we do see more of Diane and the ordeal her and the others at Lifecare have had to try and deal with.
Mark’s story is a heart-wrenching reminder of the power of community and how it can be so important in times of need. But it’s also clear that things are going to get much worse before they get better.
