Read ‘The Pitt’ Season 2 Script “1:00 PM”

Editor’s note: Deadline’s It Starts on the Page features standout drama series scripts in 2026 Emmy contention.

In The Pitt episode 207, “1 P.M.,” when a sexual assault survivor walks into Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, the fictional hospital in HBO Max’s hit medical drama, she is put in the care of Dana Evans, the daytime charge nurse played by Emmy winner Katherine LaNasa. Mustering all the courage and strength one would image a survivor of such a crime would need to seek help, Ilana Miller (Tina Ivlev) is on edge.

Dana, who is also certified as a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner), does her best to reassure Ilana that she is safe as she walks her through the process of collecting evidence required for a rape kit. Each beat of that scene is gentle and caring, while also tense and heartbreaking. One can imagine the room is cold and sterile, but Dana’s sensitivity and warmth toward after such a traumatic event is perhaps the best scenario one would hope for under such circumstances.

As Kirsten “Cookie” Pierre-Geyfman, who wrote the episode alongside series creator R. Scott Gemmill, notes, “It takes an incredible bravery for a survivor to not only come forward but to endure the process.” That’s what at the center of Episode 207 and further shows the power nurses like Dana have to help allay fears, while also helping to collect evidence that could make or break a case.

Below is more from Pierre-Geyfman, followed by the script for “1 P.M.” The Pitt received two writing Emmy nominations last year, including for Gemmill’s series premiere. The series has submitted two episodes for writing this year, “1 P.M.” and Valerie Chu’s “12:00 P.M.”

As we do with all our episodes, we put a lot into writing this with the utmost accuracy and care. We had always intended to include a sexual assault storyline in the show as it’s an unfortunate reality of the emergency department. And with the real-time aspect of The Pitt, there was opportunity to see the visceral intensity of a rape kit collection. It takes an incredible bravery for a survivor to not only come forward but to endure the process and we wanted to highlight that as well as the very special work of a SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) and how important they are in these heartbreaking cases. Dana takes her time with our survivor in quiet and thoughtful scenes juxtaposed against the chaos of the ED as the heat wave peaks on the 4th of July, with heat stroke and exhaustion cases, a gnarly boat accident and of course Abbot’s return with his injured SWAT team buddy.

With the continuous nature of The Pitt, every episode is really a team effort as storylines weave through and some begin and end. We also have an incredible production team who take so much pride in their work that the smallest details are accounted for. For example, when Dana first opens the rape kit collection box, the seal must be broken. Our incredible prop team were so overly prepared for these scenes we had almost an endless supply of boxes – real kits sent to us from Pittsburgh – to get as many takes needed to get the very important breaking of the seal just right. And all the Pittsburgh and local L.A. experts we talked to were gracious enough to indulge every one of our questions. Co-writing with Scott was an incredibly collaborative experience. It helps that we have a similar writing process – outlines are neither of our forte. We both enjoy the journey of having our characters speak to us on the page, ultimately letting them and our stories lead us where we need to go.

Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman

Read the script below.