♪ this is "nightline." tonight, the human touch. the human toll. >> you keep fighting. you keep fighting. you got this. >> a couple separated by covid and a wife's reunion with her husband. inside one hospital in oklahoma approaching brink. >> how far do you think you are from the breaking point? >> yet so close to a green light. could we see a vaccine rollout as soon as next month? plus transition turmoil. why a rare republican says it's time for the president to concede. and stand up for heroes. how one veteran got his best wish. >> the greatest thing that's ever happened to us. experience clean

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lines, witnessing hope in the darkness. >> hey, babe. i love you. >> reporter: suzanne simms is desperate to believe her husband, curtis, can hear her. >> you keep fighting. you keep fighting. you got this. we've been through a lot. >> reporter: this is the first time she's seen him since she dropped him off at the hospital ten days ago. through a snarl of tubes and iv drips, she clutches his swollen hand. fully aware she's getting a moment that so many thousands of families have missed, a chance to see their loved ones in the icu. >> i can't believe i actually got to come see you. >> reporter: comanche county memorial hospital in lauten, oklahoma, just one in a growing pool of health care systems

across the country on the brink, close to breaking. there are more than 76,000 covid patients currently hospitalized in the u.s., more than at any other point in the pandemic. >> we knew this was coming for months and we didn't build up our stock of ppe, we didn't prepare our hospitals and icus. now, unfortunately, they are facing a really large crunch across pretty much all parts of the country. >> reporter: the u.s. has surpassed 11 million cases so far. just tonight, that new grim milestone. more than 250,000 lives lost to the coronavirus. >> we're losing 1,000 to 1,500 americans every single day. i expect between now and end of january, we're going to probably lose another 100,000 americans. >> reporter: mere in lauten, comanche county memorial granted abc news unprecedented access to its covid wards. dr. scott michener is the chief medical officer. >> why are you fired up? >> because you see what we're

dealing with. you're here. i'm glad you're here. you're seeing what we're dealing with. and everyone in the whole country is dealing with this. and we have no help. we have no support. >> reporter: oklahoma is one of only ten states that still does not have a statewide mask mandate. dr. michener's hospital is running out of beds and equipment. but the patients keep coming. and he can see the cliff's edge. >> how far do you think you are from the breaking point? >> we had a day last week where we were down to one ventilator. we had a day this weekend where we had to pull a ventilator out of an ambulance. >> reporter: the city of lauten has fewer than 100,000 people. early in the pandemic we saw massive hospitals in america's biggest cities struggle to keep up with the influx of patients. smaller cities and towns learned lessons from the first wave and tried to adapt. >> most covid unit moved the pump outside. as you can see, the nurses are hanging their drips out here, running them in.

every time they go in the room, it takes ppe. so they can manage this stuff out here. >> reporter: now as covid is slamming into the heartland, dr. michener knows the cavalry isn't coming. because every other hospital in the region is fighting its own war. >> you're well over capacity. >> yeah. >> what happens if a bus crashes on the interstate? >> then you see all these people that are doing the groundwork. maybe more. all you can do. >> this is what keeps you up at night? >> i'm not sleeping very well these days. hard. you're seeing it. >> reporter: suzanne and curtis have lived here since forever. they raised their family in this small town. after 37 years of marriage, this is not how she envisioned their golden years. >> we're fighting a battle. and we need to come together and

work together. do the things, wear a mask, wash your hands. >> reporter: 57-year-old curtis started feeling ill on halloween. he initially waved off going to the hospital. until about a week later when suzanne says he was suffocating right in front of her. >> you don't know if the next time he takes that deep breath, is that it? >> reporter: following hospital rules, she had to drop him off at the e.r. fully aware she may never see him again. >> you just go to the parking lot and sit and cry. >> reporter: in a few hospitals, that is changing. when we sat down to talk with suzanne, we were actually just one floor below curtis' room. he's now on a ventilator. >> so the hospital has started to allow some visitors to visit loved ones. they told us that they would actually allow you to get into ppe and be able to see your husband, curtis. if that's okay with you.

>> yes. it would be great. >> we wish we could let everyone see everyone. but the way the disease process is, we just can't. it's a hard time, it's a lonely illness, they're dying alone. we're doing it because we think it's the right thing to do. >> reporter: the process begins in the hallway with a deep breath. >> it's almost time. >> what are you feeling? >> my heart's jumping out of my skin. >> reporter: we have to get into full ppe. >> god bless. >> thank you. scary. >> it's more than scary. >> reporter: before she can go in, suzanne is debriefed by dr. michener and curtis' medical teams. >> i want you to know he's probably not going to respond, because when the breathing tube's down their throat, we sedate them. there's going to be tubes and lines everywhere.

>> reporter: unbeknownst to us, before their reunion the team has to increase curtis' sedation and turn the vent up to 90%. he is not doing well. >> hey, babe. i love you. the kids came over. the grandbabies sure missed you at the house. they're ready for you to come home. i just love you so much. >> reporter: suzanne soaks up every second with her husband. >> thank you, lord. thank you. lord, raise us up, please. don't you quit fighting on me.

need you at home. need you home. >> how are you feeling, interview zan? >> actually, i'm feeling a little relieved. i got to see him. kind of know where he's at, who he's with, and -- >> he's with the best. >> he is. he is with the best. and i think -- it just -- i don't know. it makes my heart a little happy. not that he's here, but just to be able to see him. >> reporter: in the same hospital we visit alan mccall. >> hey, judge. >> how you doing? >> reporter: a 66-year-old retired judge with covid. he's now sitting up, perusing his release papers. >> i got really sick. >> reporter: he ended up in intensive care on the same night that multiple patients flatlined in the rooms around him. >> i quit counting 17 code blues because i thought i was getting ready to be 18. i just had tears running down my face because i didn't know how my family would deal with that. i saw those nurses just

continually charge back in there every time. just incredible courage. >> reporter: four of the patients would die. having been surrounded by death, he begs for folks to trust science. >> this is not political. this covid virus will kill you. it will kill your family. i don't know how we ever got away from not wearing these. it just doesn't make any sense to me. >> reporter: all across the country, the demand for testing is soaring. >> i passed the two-hour mark an hour ago. >> reporter: hours-long lines in state after state after state. tonight good news. pfizer revealing new data showing its vaccine is 95% effective and works across all age groups, races, and ethnicities. in the coming days the drugmaker says it will submit for an emergency use authorization from the fda. >> this is the light at the end of the tunnel. it is coming. things are going to get better. the problem is that it's going to take awhile. it's going to take two or three

months before vaccines really start getting out there. and probably six months before the majority of americans can get vaccinated. this is the time to hunker down. >> breathing apparatus. >> reporter: in the meantime, judge mccall hopes that common sense and those mask rules will keep most people safe. >> thank you all so much. >> take care. >> reporter: he's finally no longer contagious. leaving the hospital with those thumbs up and a sense of awe for its medical staff. >> just cannot compliment these young folks enough. just can't do it. i'm fortunate, very fortunate, that i'm walking out of here. >> thank you all so much. >> love you all, bye! >> our thanks to matt. coming up, the president still unwilling to concede. could his refusal impact the rollout of the covid vaccines? it's the faster way to clean as you go

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will be measured. tequila herradura, the world's most gold medal awarded tequila. ♪ the president still refusing to concede to president-elect joe biden. so what's the fallout as the presidency nears an end? here's abc's chief white house correspondent jonathan karl with the latest. >> reporter: with the president's legal challenges going nowhere and no evidence whatsoever that the results of this election are going to change no matter what the trump campaign tries, the focus is on what the president will do in his remaining two months. he's already fired his defense secretary, then he went out and fired christopher krebs, the top cybersecurity official in the department of homeland security. krebs was fired essentially because he had said that this

was the most secure election we'd ever seen. in other words, disagreeing with the president saying widespread fraud. the question is, are there going to be more firings, more people that the president is unhappy with, tossed out as he approaches the end of his presidency? unclear where it is going, but a lot of uncertainty as 1600 pennsylvania avenue. >> our thanks to jon. earlier this evening i spoke to janet napolitano, former governor of arizona, former obama cabinet secretary. and congressman denver riggleman, the outgoing republican representing charlottesville, virginia. thank you both for joining us. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> secretary napolitano, you served as secretary of homeland security for president obama. tell me first how crucial chris krebs' role was overseeing election security and the fact that trump fired him for speaking out as cybersecurity chief has so many people outraged? >> well, people are outraged because chris krebs did a great

job. he ran a sub-agency within the department of homeland security called cisa. part of cisa's role is the protection of our election infrastructure. he worked with people of both parties. he worked with estate and local elected officials. he worked with the private sector. he really made sure that the u.s. election was run and won fair and square. and he was really fired for doing his job. >> and that would certainly cause outrage. congressman riggleman, let me turn to you. you are one of the rare republicans in congress who have acknowledged joe biden as the president-elect and that's 11 days after he was projected to win. you've described some of the misinformation out there as, quote, crossing the rubicon, jumping on the crazy train, headed into cliffs that guard the flat earth. why are so many -- so few,

rather, members of your party challenging these falsehoods? and would you urge them to do so? >> it's time to say, mr. president, there's policies that have been good, there's things we've agreed with, but you have lost this race. it is time to say it's over. just looking at this again, looking at it from the vote counts, they're massive. looking at the data. there's no way this is going to be turned around. this election's over, juju. i know that's going to stun some people to say that after 11 days. i think i'm being a little sarcastic. but it's time for members of congress, those in the senate, time to realize we need to help in the transition. that the country is bigger than a person. that the institution is bigger than any man or woman. i think we need it -- we owe this to the constitution, not to a human being. we all need to remember that and i'm trying to do my best to do so. >> secretary napolitano, how crucial is it for a transition to get under way right away, from a national security perspective, also the pandemic? president-elect biden said by refusing to concede, president trump is jeopardizing a vaccine

rollout. >> there's so little time between the election and the inauguration for an incoming president to take over the reins of the federal government. and from a national security perspective, to get up to speed on the most current intelligence about threats facing our country and possible initiatives or actions that are in the planning stages. and then from the vaccine perspective, you know. rolling out a vaccine for 300 million people is no small feat. and there are a lot of nuts and bolts to it. and the biden team needs to know exactly what the trump folks have in the works, what's already been planned, so they can build off of that and have a smooth transition, and we can move with alacrity to having a national vaccine campaign. >> congressman, president trump's legal team has already

lost or withdrawn 14 separate lawsuits that alleged election fraud. so does someone need to tell them that it's time to concede for the good of the country? and what do you think the most likely scenario is for that overdue transition? >> i think the concession wouldn't happen until after this session of congress is over. what i'm talking about now, maybe into december. as far as the lawsuits are concerned, you're going to want somebody that actually has a technological background to go into court and argue some of this ridiculousness. i would hope all of us can come together and look at this and say, the election is over, we have a new president-elect, let's move forward. let's stop doing things like the secretary was talking about. when you fire somebody like a chris krebs, we're also losing the corporate knowledge for this transition from somebody like esper, somebody like joe kernan, usgi. you're taking away that corporate knowledge and experience to lead us through this transition. >> congressman and madam secretary, thank you for your time and your perspective.

>> thank you, juju. >> thank you. coming up next, abc's bob woodruff. how his foundation is sustaining hope for so many military families. is often unseen. because the pain you're feeling could be a sign of irreversible joint damage. every day you live with pain, swelling, and stiffness... you risk not being able to do the things you love. especially in these times, it's important to keep up with your rheumatologist. schedule an appointment today. it's important to keep up with your rheumatologist. for bathroom odors that linger try febreze small spaces. just press firmly and it continuously eliminates odors in the air and on soft surfaces. for 45 days. a blast of immune support that's more than just vitamin c. it's a unique crafted blend of vitamins,

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finally tonight, stand up for heroes. it's an annual benefit founded by our own bob woodruff, helping raise money to help wounded warriors. tonight, one grateful veteran. >> my job in aviation, taking care of engines, catapults, and to actually launch and help recover the aircraft. my dream was to stay in the navy. we went for a motorcycle ride. and unfortunately, we had an accident. i went paralyzed instantly. the first thing that came to my mind was that, my life is over. >> reporter: for fernando and jessica, their dream was to have a baby. to do that, they needed fertility treatment. >> i think it is up to $15,000 or something like that.

>> us communicating that to the doctor, she told us about the bob woodruff foundation. >> how can we ask people to fight for our country, on to sacrifi sacrifice, when they come home they can't have a family? >> reporter: through donations and support they got this gift. >> i don't know where we would be or i would be without my child, my roman, my little roror. >> hats off to all. that's "nightline." you can watch our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you