Harry's Law Episode 1.08 In the Ghetto

Adam and Lewis stand on the street, talking to Kareem Anderson, a witness to an accident. Adam and Lewis try to convince Mr. Anderson to tell them what he saw because they're trying to help one of his neighbors. After Lewis makes a personal plea and Adam offers to come back tomorrow, Mr. Anderson says, "We'll see," which to Lewis means "probably." Lewis feels good about their chances.

Just then, a car of gangbangers rolls up. One of the passengers asks Lewis who he's with. When he says he's not with anybody, the bangers open fire, shooting Lewis six times. Adam yells for help, dialing 911. Out of nowhere, two kids, Willie and Jamaal, appear. Willie takes charge, and starts treating Lewis with a kit of medical supplies. Willie does what he can to stop the bleeding to Lewis' abdomen, pulls a bullet out of his arm and sutures his neck, with Jamaal assisting. When Willie realizes Lewis isn't breathing, he quickly plunges a needle into Lewis' chest, which immediately relieves his respiratory distress. As the paramedics and police arrive, Willie and Jamaal take off. The police pursue them.

Back at the shop, Adam updates Harry. Lewis made it through surgery and is still alive - for now. Damien comes in just as Adam tells Harry about Willie, teenaged doctor. Damien shares that Willie Blue has been running an "underground M.A.S.H. unit since he was 14." The paramedics look the other way, but Damien reports that the police just caught Willie, and asks Adam if he can help. Adam heads to the police station - he's got to look at mug shots anyway. Adam meets with Willie, who explains that he learned his medical skills online and on the street. When Willie asks about Lewis' condition, Adam reports that he's alive, but not good.

Harry, Jenna and Damien are still at the shop. Harry can't bring herself to go to the hospital while Lewis is still in recovery, attached to so many wires. Damien gets off a call on his cell phone and tells Harry that he takes his job as their security seriously. He's going to find whoever did this to Lewis and if Harry wants them dead, they'll be dead. Harry doesn't know how to respond.

The next morning, Harry, Adam, Malcolm and Jenna talk about the shooting and Willie's case. Malcolm has heard rumors that some gangs have Willie on retainer to remove bullets for them. Adam tells Harry that he doesn't yet know what the charges are against Willie, and his arraignment hasn't been set. Harry wants Adam to talk to somebody about the trauma of being in the line of gunfire, but Adam insists he's fine and leaves for a meeting at the DA's office. A moment later, Damien enters the shop. Harry instructs him to find out who shot Lewis, but not to put himself in danger. Once Damien finds out the identity of the shooter, Harry insists that he tell the police - and that's all. She heads out to visit Lewis in the hospital.

Harry finds Lewis awake, talking to his mother in his hospital room. Mrs. Epps thanks Harry for all she's done for Lewis, but Harry's not sure she's been a positive influence, since Lewis was shot while tracking down a witness for her. Dr. Christie enters the room and updates Mrs. Epps on Lewis' condition. She explains to Mrs. Epps that Lewis' liver is in very bad shape. Suddenly, Lewis starts seizing. Dr. Christie jumps to action, and Harry and Mrs. Epps are rushed out of the room.

Harry calls Adam to share the bad news that Lewis is in liver failure and needs a transplant that he probably won't qualify for because he's in such bad condition. Harry will stay at the hospital for a while and try to wrangle a meeting with the Hospital Transplant Board. Adam heads into his meeting with ADA Kim Mendelsohn. He tries to convince her not to prosecute Willie at all. Kim considers Willie to be a dangerous felon. Adam appeals to Kim's compassion, arguing that Willie saves lives, but Kim's a cynic. She's charging Willie as an adult with a number of crimes, including unauthorized practice of medicine, and obstructing justice (because Willie treats gangbangers whose gunshot wounds would otherwise be reported to the authorities if they were treated at a hospital).

Adam returns to Willie's cell to give him the bad news about the charges he's facing. On the bright side, Adam tells Willie that he'll be released pending arraignment, but he can't practice any more medicine. At the hospital, Harry meets with the Transplant Board. She argues that Lewis' condition should make him Status One, and therefore at the top of the transplant list. The members of the Board explain, with varying degrees of sympathy, that due to Lewis' grave condition, they can't give him priority. Frustrated, Harry threatens to sue the hospital for wrongful death if Lewis dies because they won't prioritize him for a transplant.

Harry, Adam, Malcolm and Jenna discuss Lewis' condition. Unfortunately, Lewis' mother was not a match, so she can't donate part of her liver to Lewis. Tommy breezes in, announces to Adam that he can help with Willie's case because Tommy and Kim, the ADA, used to have "a thing." Tommy assures Adam that Kim is putty in his hands and the case is in the bag. Adam accepts his help and they head out to meet with Willie. Jenna tells Harry that she thinks they should move, because the neighborhood's too dangerous and it's dragging them down.

Adam and Tommy find Willie treating people at a makeshift underground clinic. They watch Willie diagnose an ear infection in a little boy, to whom he gives antibiotics. As Adam questions Willie as to where he obtained the antibiotics, two kids rush in, one with a knife in his thigh. Willie asks Adam and Tommy to help - Adam does, but Tommy begs off because he's in a $4,000 suit. Willie pulls the knife out and immediately treats the wound.

Back at the shop, Harry sits at her desk with Jenna close by. The door opens and a dozen gang members walk in, mostly Boone Park, including Li'l D. Jenna is scared and Harry's not much more comfortable. Li'l D floors Harry by announcing that they're all there to be liver donors. Since it's only a part of the liver that has to be donated, they figure at least one of them must be a match and can help Lewis. Harry is incredulous because these are the very same people who beat Lewis to within an inch of his life. Li'l D explains that they like Lewis, which is why they didn't kill him.

At the courthouse, Tommy tries to work his charm on ADA Mendelsohn to get Willie a deal. But Kim's the furthest thing from charmed - she refers to her time with Tommy as the lowest moment of her life. In addition, Kim reports that ballistics came back on the bullets that were in Willie's backpack. One of them came out of a police officer's gun; an officer who was killed in a shootout after he fired on the gunman and hit him in the shoulder. That means that Willie is complicit with a cop-killer, so there will be no deal.

Tommy updates Adam at the shop. If Willie will identify the shooter, Kim will let him go completely. They decide to go talk to Willie. Malcolm asks Jenna if she meant what she said about moving. Jenna explains that she's just not sure how much longer she can maintain her upbeat attitude with all of the terrible things that keep happening. Jenna feels like it falls to her to always be positive because everyone else in the office is so negative. Meanwhile, Adam and Tommy find Willie. He says he remembers treating the guy with the shoulder wound, but he doesn't know who it was. Willie's also worried that people won't come to him for treatment if they think he's going to rat, especially those who are illegal aliens. Adam and Tommy tell him the police won't leave him alone until he identifies the shooter, but Willie insists he doesn't know the guy's name.

Harry argues before the Hospital Transplant board once again, this time asking for them to allow the directed donation from whichever member of the Boone Park Gang is a match. The Board refuses, concerned that the Boone Parkers aren't motivated by altruism, but rather quid pro quo. The Board seems more concerned with protecting the integrity of the system than saving Lewis' life. The bottom line is that because they don't trust the legitimacy of the procurement, the members of the Board will not allow the transplant to go forward. As Harry gives the bad news to Mrs. Epps, Leland Parks, the Chief of Staff interrupts. He tells Harry that if she can get a court order, he'll make the transplant happen.

Harry goes to Judge Marilyn Coulis, the judge who tried to get her disbarred, for the court order to help Lewis. Judge Coulis cuts to the chase and gets Harry to admit that she chose her because Harry figures Judge Coulis owes her one. Harry appeals to Judge Coulis to do what feels like the right thing, pointing out that giving her the court order won't kill anyone, but not giving it to her... will.

Meanwhile, ADA Mendelsohn finds it hard to believe that Willie doesn't know the shooter's name. Tommy points out that they didn't know each other's names the first time they slept together. Kim tells Adam to get Willie to the police station to look through mug books, then has Tommy stay behind. Kim tells Tommy to stop referencing their time together, because it embarrasses her. Tommy's hurt and surprised, and reminds her that they enjoyed each other when they dated, which is a good thing to most people.

At the hospital, Harry presents Dr. Parks with the court order. Parks tells Harry they found an exceptional match among the donors - it's Li'l D. Back at the shop, Malcolm tries to lighten the mood and make Jenna laugh. There's a spark between them. And at the police station, Willie tries to cut himself a better deal before identifying the shooter, whose image he's seen in the mug shots. Kim's not budging, so Willie finally points out the shooter. It's Li'l D.

Adam calls Harry with the news that Willie identified Li'l D as the shooter. Harry tells Adam to stall Kim so they can get the transplant surgery underway before Li'l D can be arrested. Harry will meet him at Kim's office. Once there, Harry points out that Li'l D is effectively in custody and won't be going anywhere. She implores Kim to delay arresting Li'l D until after the surgery. Kim won't budge. Tommy interrupts to tell Kim that when they were together, he loved her, and one of the things he loved her for was her humanity. Tommy admired how she was a tough DA, but also kind when she could be. Kim relents, agreeing not to arrest Li'l D until after the surgery.

As Li'l D is being wheeled into surgery, Mrs. Epps stops him and thanks him. During the marathon surgery, Harry returns to the office and plays mother to her staff. She orders Adam to get therapy to deal with the shooting, and tells Jenna that for all the neighborhood's faults, it's now part of who Harry is. The battles they're waging matter. Malcolm puts things in perspective, reminding everyone that they can't just fight for everybody else, they have to take care of each other, too.

Jenna and Malcolm drop Harry and Adam off at the hospital entrance and then go to park the car. Malcolm tells Jenna that she shouldn't be afraid to have a bad mood, because you can't just hold stuff in. She thanks him and kisses him on the cheek, which turns into a real kiss. They break and apologize to each other, then kiss again, more passionately. In the waiting room, Harry thanks Tommy, crediting him with making the surgery happen. Tommy tells Harry that this whole thing reminds him of the Elvis song "In the Ghetto," then sings a few lines. Finally, Dr. Christie emerges from surgery with good news - Lewis is doing well. She compliments Willie for saving Lewis in the field and advises him to get training, then tells Harry the donor is awake.

Harry visits Li'l D in his room, but before she can tell him about his imminent arrest, the police show up. Harry urges him not to say a word as the police read him his rights. Later, Adam can't believe Harry agreed to represent him. Tommy advises Harry that if she represents a cop-killer, she can forget about having a good relationship with the police. But Harry explains that she just couldn't hang Li'l D out to dry tonight. She hasn't agreed to defend him in court, but after what he did for Lewis... As Harry and her team leave, she meets the angry and confused gazes of the members of Boone Park. The wear and tear of the neighborhood has affected them all.