(NYTIMES) - When it is quiet in the intensive care unit (ICU), I escape into one of the call rooms. The air is stale and dry, the bed unmade. I take off my mask, angle the computer away from the tousled sheets and log onto Zoom, where a group of writers and producers is discussing another medical emergency.

A young man's heart has just stopped. The resident rushes to get the defibrillator but before he can, someone objects. It's a producer noting that the scene feels too predictable. We need something more, he says, maybe a medical mislead or an escalation to hook the viewers before the commercial break. He looks to me for guidance.