"Janine?" "I Wonder how ling I'II have to wait because I Ieft Aunt Ruth with Dad." "You'II see Dr. wally." "Dr. Surabh is on vacation." "See Dr. who?" "I'II be right back." "I'II tell you, needles bother me alone" "Augustina could I have your arm?" "May I call you Augustina?" "My name's Bessie." "Bessie!" "I'm sorry." "It's been a bit hectic here." "Where's the what 'cha-ma-caII-it?" "The tourniquet?" "That's it." "I'm sitting on it." "usually Dr. Surabh sees the patients." "I'm a pathologist." "I bring Dad and Aunt Ruth in to Dr. Sarabh." "I've seen your father." "He's a very frail man?" "Dad's a bone." "I hope they're all right for now." "They're fine." "Good." "Except Dad's dying." "He's been dying for 20 years, doing it real slow so I don't miss a thing." "Dr. Surabh has worked a miracle with Aunt Ruth." "She's had back pain since she was born." "But he had her get this electronic anesthetizer." "You put the wires right to your brain." "Anytime she has pain she just turns the dial." "That's wonderful." "Any time she uses it our automatic garage door goes up, but that's a small price to pay." "I agree." "Are those all for me?" "Yes, Dr. Surabh gave me specific instructions." "That seems like a Iot of blood." "It is lot of blood, so what you're feeling is normal." "Why don't we get this over with?" "This is sealed so it's sterile." "I think I'II come back later." "It's just a vitamin deficiency, right?" "I said it might be a vitamin deficiency." "Good evening, Bruno's." "hold, please." "Lee!" "What?" "telephone!" "It feels so hard!" "Don't touch it." "why put your hands in your hair unless you're nervous?" "There's no reason to be nervous, ever, if you have a positive mental attitude." "Switch!" "quietly!" "Yeah." "Yeah?" "Excuse me , where do you --?" "Where do you take the --?" "Where's your brother?" "He started it." "When we heard it broke our hearts" "You can make it your own until you get on your feet." "Do you have any relatives?" "No." "well, my boys." "No relatives." "That can be a blessing." "No!" "please, Lance!" "Don't!" "No, Lance, don't!" "Stop!" "I'm warning you!" "You disgust me." "We didn't make love we had sex." "Like animals." "Like pets." "Hi, honey." "Lance just raped coral." "I am surprised, because coral performed the surgery on him that got his sight back." "coral's a doctor?" "Has been for weeks now and does that ever make Amber jealous!" "Did you give Dad his 2 o'cIock?" "I was going to." "Ruth!" "I asked you to do one little thing!" "AII right , all right." "Open." "Open up." "You've sucked all the ink off the Yahtzee dice." "How are we going to play?" "Huh, Dad ?" "AII right." "Are you okay?" "Is this his 1 o'cIock?" "Stupid me" "I'm so useless." "No, you're not." "Come on, quit hogging the bed." "It's my cure." "You used to blame the pain and now you blame the cure." "Open." "That's right." "Good." "What happened?" "The doctor took blood." "It looks tender." "ShouIdn't you see a doctor?" "I did ." "I have a vitamin deficiency." "You don't make stinky enough." "I do so !" "Stinky is poison!" "You have to get rid of it ." "When you're constipated you get a headache." "He needs his pills at the same time." "You usually give Marvin his pills" "But today I asked you to!" "You shouldn't leave me alone." "What if he tries to kill himself with Parcheesi men?" "he puts thing in his mouth because he likes the way they feel." "What if he dies while you're gone?" "Then you'II call me, and I'II come home" "shall I make tomato soup?" "No, you're just going to make a mess of it." "I'II get you one of my vitamin pills for your deficiency." "I'II get some real ones later." "Mine are real." "Do you want pebbles or Bam-Bam?" "Dad!" "Wait a second." "I know." "Let me do this for you." "Look what I got , Dad." "Look at that!" "See?" "Isn't that nice?" "Is it nice, Dad?" "What?" "What do you see there?" "is that the Northern Lights?" "You want it over there?" "Now I got you some carrots and some butternut squash." "AII right , then, how about some tomato soup?" "And some juice." "And what does that face mean Mr. Innocent?" "You mind if I smoke?" "Yes." "Thank you for asking." "How about if I blow it out this way?" "There's no smoking on this floor." "Okay, I'II be real quiet." "It's good to see you here, Lee." "May I call you Lee?" "Sure." "We've missed you other days." "So has Hank." "I'm sorry ." "I with I couId visit more often, but you know." "you're not a nurse, are you?" "I'm a psychiatrist." "You're the one Hank talks to." "I'm in charge of his therapy." "You know he lies." "He told his school counselor that I beat him." "So, see what I mean?" "You're thinking, "I wonder if she does beat him?"" "You think I think that?" "Don't you?" "Do you want me to think that?" "What do you mean?" "What do you think I mean?" "What do you mean, "What do I think you mean?"" "What do you think I mean by, ' What do you think I mean?"" "We want you involved in Hank's therapy to visit more often." "Doctor, can I be honest with you?" "I have forced my way through school, and I'm about to get my degree." "And I'm picky now about the kind of guy I'II go with." "And I keep... used to keep..." "a really clean house." "Hank makes fun of my degree in cosmetology he terrorizes any guy I go out with." "This last one," "Hank made fun of his being on parole he made fun of how he holds his liquor, of his Pinto!" "Hank cost me a potentially good relationship." "And as for my house.." "Hank is not something I can control." "What's the point of visiting?" "He says he misses you." "I'm here ." "So let me see him." "You want one?" "Hi, Hank." "It's Mom." "Can you hear me?" "You be good." "I'II leave some of these." "So when you wake you can have them." "Okay, well, I'II see you." "Does this count as a visit?" "Do you think this counts as a visit?" "Excuse me." "Dr ." "wally may be late." "He was an 1 1-month baby." "I was premature." "Sorry to have kept you waiting ." "I got stuck at the hospital." "You must be busy." "I wanted to check on your test." "I weighed one pound at birth." "No, you didn't , Bob." "I was this big." "follow me." "Not you ,Bob." "follow me." "So...how are we today?" "You tell me." "Dr. wally speaking." "I know there's someone in my office." "I am in my office." "That's all right." "Yes." "Is there a problem?" "He's just new." "he'II get the hang of it." "With my blood test." "Did it get lost?" "Because I was getting all worked up thinking horrible thoughts." "It's not lost." "I would Iike to run other tests, to rule out some possibilities." "What possibilities?" "Some I would Iike to rule out." "Do I have a vitamin deficiency?" "We've ruled that out." "should we rule that out?" "Don't be nervous." "I'm not nervous." "Good." "I'm going to give a local anesthetic and remove bone marrow from your hip." "What?" "!" "Not to be nosy, but what's the test for?" "let me do the worrying." "I'm thinking it's worse than it is." "Is it serious, Iike a brain tumor?" "Oh, no." "M.S.?" "No." "Cancer?" "One of the possibilities" "I was hoping to rule out is leukemia." "My mother had" "I know." "I saw that in your file." "hold all my calls, please." "Bessie, I just" "Dr. wally speaking." "Yes that was me." "Didn't you recognize my voice, Bob?" "That's all right." "That's what I get for hiring my brother." "I haven't felt as bad lately, not nearly as tired." "Lie on your side , face the wall and we'II get this over with soon" "What does it mean if it's leukemia?" "There are a variety of leukemias and a variety of treatments." "If you have, for example chronic myelogenous leukemia a bone marrow transplant is a real option." "We would test family members for possible donors." "You do have family." "dad and Ruth." "Your file mentioned a sister." "Yes, I do..." "I..." "I have a sister, Lee." "Good." "I just had it done last week and it's driving me crazy." "Is God punishing me for vanity, or is it always that way?" "If you have a permanent done right it shouldn't itch you at all." "Convent." "Convent?" "Sister Lee Lacker, please." "Sister Lee Lacker telephone." "hello?" "Lee?" "Hi, it's me, Bessie." "Bessie?" "What's wrong?" "They had reservations about letting Hank go." "A week is all we could get." "But if one of us is a match" "We'II deal with that then." "Hey." "Look at you." "You look like a pig." "I'm working on an engine." "They don't let you shower?" "They told me you were here, so I came." "You behaving , yourself?" "They're not strapping me down anymore." "Don't abuse that privilege." "How come you're visiting me?" "I don't need a reason to visit ." "You never visited before." "I did . you were unconscious." "it doesn't count." "I didn't know." "Conscious or not, I made the effort." "Your mother has news." "It's not good news." "But..." "Doctor says it's okay to tell you because partially I have no choice." "what?" "Your Aunt Bessie has leukemia." "She's not doing well." "She might die." "I didn't know I had an Aunt Bessie." "She 's been to the house." "When?" "Right after your dad and I married." "Mom, I wasn't born yet." "I know I mentioned my sister." "I didn't know about her." "Every goddamn Christmas I say ," ""Bessie didn't send a card again either."" "Oh, Yeah." "That's your Aunt Bessie." "My sister." "As her relatives, they want to test us maybe save her life with a bone marrow transpIant" "It's only a week." "Doctor says it's okay to go ." "Why would I want to go ?" "Because one of us might save her life." "Go clean up." "I'm not going to take you Iike that." "Isn't there something you want to say?" "will this take long?" "We should go" "Mom I'm sorry I burned the house down." "Is that it?" "Because I'm really anxious to get on the road." "No matches." "I've got to light the thing." "charlie light this for him , please." "Being confined to your bed is nothing to be afraid of." "I'm not confined to my bed, I'm just" "I'm tired today." "I was confined to bed most of my Iife." "You find things to do." "Like what?" "You can sleep..." "or you can lay there awake." "you want this?" "You must eat all of that to make yourself strong." "How's Dad?" "He's fine." "Do you want your orange?" "You can have it." "Not if you're going" "Thank you." "Does he miss me?" "I haven't actually told him you're gone." "Doesn't he wonder where I am?" "I tell him you're just in the other room busy with something then he faIIs asleep." "and when he wakes I say he just missed you." "Who does he think that nurse is?" "I pretend not to notice her." "What do you mean?" "If she walks in the room when I'm there..." "I pretend that she doesn't exist." "What does Dad think ?" "I think he thinks he's hallucinating." "You have to tell him." "The only time it bothers him is when she carries him to the bath and I say, "OH, Marvin, look, you're flying!" "Bessie'II want to see this, "and I run to get you." "He must think he's going mad." "What am I supposed to tell him?" "That his little girl is." "Then he'd really think he was losing his mind." "It would be so upsetting to him." "He's your father." "AII right , Ruth." "I wouldn't know what to say." "Here." "tell him I'm going to be fine." "I know I am." "See?" "That's okay." "Sure." "What is Grandpa like?" "I don't know , charlie." "It's been a while." "Why haven't we seen him before?" "He's been sick." "We were in Ohio." "It's hard to travel with little kids." "What's Bessie like?" "I don't know." "This is the first I've heard from her in 20 years." "Why haven't you heard from her?" "I couldn't help her when Dad got sick and she got mad at me." "Why?" "Jesus!" "Shut up!" "Read your book." "You ever heard of Larry Lacker?" "Who?" "My dad." "He's the greatest race car driver ever." "No, I never heard of Larry Lacker" "Those guys know Dad." "hi." "Bessie." "Come on." "let's go." "I was listening to that!" "hello?" "God." "What are you staring at?" "My goodness!" "Look at you !" "What ?" "Just look at you!" "Oh, God, are you that old?" "How old does that make me?" "Why , I Iook old?" "You're a Iot older...but" "You look really good, though, Bessie." "I Iike your hair." "This is a wig." "It's from my chemo" "I know it's a wig." "I don't know why I pretended not to." "Not that is looks like a wig." "I'm wearing a fall." "Look." "See?" "I Iove the length, but I don't have the patience for it," "I just wear it when I want to look great." "You look good. though." "Thank you." "Sit down." "I've got to soak these." "Dad had an accident." "How is he?" "He's still with us." "Let me help." "Oh , no." "You sure?" "I've been doing it this long." "Daddy?" "It's me." "Lee" "AII the way down from Ohio." "You shouldn't smoke in the house." "Dad's oxygen tanks." "You can smoke in the yard." "I don't have to smoke." "Oh, look who it is!" "Aunt Ruth!" "You're up and about!" "It's my cure." "I'm part machine." "Are you going to give me a hug?" "Give me a real hug." "I won't break!" "Oh, sweet Jesus!" "That's much better." "I brought cookies." "Thanks, Lee." "Dad and Ruth can't have sugar, and I stay away from it too thins is just a lovely canister." "Oh, I'm missing my program." "You go watch your program." "Where are your boys?" "Did Hank get out of the mental institution?" "We don't like to call it that ." "What do you call it?" "The nut house or Ioony bin, to show we have a sense of humor where is he ?" "Where's CharIey?" "I've got two nephews I've never seen!" "I did invite you to Ohio for both their christenings." "They're in the car." "The car?" "Hank will do things like this just to get attention." "They say to ignore it , or give him an ultimatum." "He hasn't agreed to be tested because it makes him the center of attention." "He hasn't ?" "No." "Don't worry." "He will." "I'II make him, if I have to." "How You can't make him come in from the car." "Hey, you two!" "What the hell are you doing?" "I want to hear # 1 of the top 1 00 countdown." "What are they on?" "86!" "I'm warning you!" "Get out of the car now!" "Hi, I'm Aunt Bessie, who you never laid eyes on I don't care how grown you are," "I expect a hug." "And you must be charlie?" "Look who's here!" "Look who's here" "This is your Aunt Ruth." "Come on, say hello." "He's excited about meeting you." "Let me get him ready." "He wants to make a good impression." "Marvin, company's coming!" "Wake up!" "This is Lee... your daughter." "And ...there's charlie." "Right there , see him?" "And Hank." "Your grandsons." "It's okay." "He's not used to a Iot of people." "What'd you do?" "Nothing." "I said hello." "Maybe we should clear out." "Give him a second." "Lee?" "Were you offered chip?" "They're to eat." "He must wait to be asked." "Put the chip back, Hank." "Put it back." "Put back the chip." "I put them there for the kids." "You must understand, he has to wait to be asked." "No thanks, not right now." "The polite thing to do would be to take one." "I don't want one." "Then no DisneyworId." "I couId give a fuck!" "That's it!" "Get out!" "I don't care where." "Just so I can't see you." "would you Iike a chip?" "Go ahead, if you want one." "Take a bunch." "Not too many." "You'II ruin your supper." "Don't get any crumb on your aunt's floor." "Not Amber, no!" "No, Lance, that's Amber!" "No!" "I'm not used to somebody else out here." "You want me inside?" "No!" "unless, are you not supposed to be here?" "will your mother care?" "No." "She's asleep." "I don't see any harm in it." "We're all glad you're here." "We should do it every 1 7 years." "Your mom and I haven't always gotten along." "So I wasn't in touch much." "I wish you could have really known your granddad." "He would've loved having a boy around." "Do you ever wish he'd just die?" "Don't ask that." "Why not?" "Because...it's rude." "I haven't decided about getting tested." "What're you doing with the tools?" "Looking." "I'II put them back." "I didn't think you'd steal them." "Take them." "really?" "Sure." "You'II give them to me?" "Sure, why not?" "They're cool tools." "They were your granddad." "He'd Iike you to have them." "hospital won't let me keep them." "You won't be there forever." "They're going to move me into a place for adults." "Why?" "I turn 18 in three weeks." "Happy birthday." "If the fire hadn't spread it wouldn't be a big deal." "They're making sure I'm no threat" "You're probably the best." "A dude on my floor held a razor blade under his tongue 5 hours." "He talked, ate and everything." "Why would he do that?" "He was trying to break my record." "What do you want to be when you grow up?" "I am grown up." "Marvin liked to fix stuff?" "He used to make your mom mad." "He'd leave that radio in pieces and she used to love to turn it up and dance wild around the house." "Mom liked to dance?" "You bet." "Who's this right here?" "Let me see." "That's your grandmother." "She looks like Mom." "Yeah, she takes after her." "Do you want this too?" "No, I don't care." "I'm going to keep it then." "I don't think I'II get the test." "Can I ask why?" "No reason." "Maybe your mom wouldn't want you up so late." "AII right." "You know nobody does anything to be nice." "They always want something." "You believe that?" "Yeah, you needed something." "Why do you think I spent my Iife down here to get something?" "Or you wouldn't have." "Or maybe you wanted to hide out." "Or thought you'd never get married." "When you're gone, a nursing home can do this job." "Your mother wouldn't put them in a home." "Why not?" "She doesn't give a shit about anybody." "I'm putting this with your things" "Why?" "Because they're yours." "You're my nephew and I Iove you." "No matter what you've decided." "Good night." "Don't waste time making friends with him." "We're only here a few days." "We're starting a procedure to look for a match." "please, Bob." "I'II take this." "We're starting a procedure to look for a match." "Questions?" "How big is the needle?" "It's not important that you understand." "Bob." "follow me, please." "Are you fixing the door for Ruth?" "It's so boring." "There's nothing else to do." "Want to keep me company?" "Sure." "It's a Ford, huh?" "would you Iike to drive?" "Are you sure?" "Yes" "You want me to drive?" "It's okay, you can drive." "I'm fast, I'm warning you." "Be careful." "Don't go too fast." "You're a natural born driver." "I have an idea where we can go!" "Turn here." "Do you know my dad?" "I met him once." "Doesn't your mom talk about him?" "No." "I know your mom war nuts about him." "Did you go to the wedding?" "No." "I knew I war going to be down here with Dad and Ruth so I went back home to sell the rest of my stuff." "Did they have you over for dinner" "No, it wasn't much of a visit." "I just stopped by." "Your dad was asleep, and Lee didn't want to wake him so we stood in the hallway and talked a while." "Your dad was still asleep when I Ieft." "How'd he seem?" "He seemed nice enough." "What?" "We ware just down by the water." "I'm sorry." "Dr. wally called." "He'd Iike to test the boys next." "Dad, what's Wrong?" "No, Dad, it's just us." "You awake?" "You might be afraid about this procedure but I hear it's like having a tooth pulled." "I'm not afraid, I just haven't decided yet." "You'II have the test!" "My sister is not going to die so you can have one of your moods" "Correct me if I'm wrong, but leukemia that's a disease they've worked out, right?" "That is wrong." "What'II happen to my sister?" "On the chance you can't find a donor?" "Why don't you sit down?" "Without a bone marrow transplant, we rely on chemical therapies, chemotherapy, as a way of sustaining the patient over a number of years." "What kind of a number...1 0?" "A lower number." "Nice?" "A much lower number." "As the immune system suffers under chemotherapy she'II grow weaker and could have respiratory problems." "She may be bedridden, totally dependent hopelessly depressed." "You'II need a nurse to help you." "help me, what?" "Your sister your father and your aunt." "I'm not doing any." "Why'd you think that?" "I assumed." "No." "I Iive in Ohio." "I just got a degree in cosmetology." "She's going to be fine." "Yes." "How can one sister be so good and the other so bad?" "So, you're saying coral is good and Amber's bad?" "coral Used to be bad." "But she's been a saint ever since her car accident." "That volvo was a blessing." "I bet they have good care here." "Dad never put Mom in a home." "Remember how he cared for her?" "I was little." "I wasn't allowed in the room." "I get my degree next quarter." "You should be proud of that." "I already did a freelance job." "I did hair for a local TV commercial." "Guess what it paid?" "I don't feel like guessing." "Guess." "300 dollars?" "Right." "Why'd you guess that?" "It popped in my head." "Most people would guess lower." "$300 is a Iot of money." "I fell like my Iife is finally starting." "Ladies." "What a beautiful room." "WouIdn't Ruth love this?" "This place gives me the creeps." "Marry me, coral." "I want to be your wife." "Do you mean it?" "I'II drop the charges." "What's coral up to today?" "I'm going to show you something that we're proud of." "Out state-of-the-art physical therapy room." "Right over here." "I wouldn't mind living here." "Great!" "Isn't it?" "hello, Doctor." "We have a full range of activities computer games, video library, sing-aIongs Nerf basketball, date nights." "Who's Dad going to date?" "You'd be surprised." "Women outnumber men here 5 to 1." "I don't think we can afford such a nice place." "If you drop to a lower income bracket you get financial aid." "Lower?" "70% of our residents qualified for assistance by spending their savings on something hat has no resale value." "Lower?" "What do they buy?" "Most buy elaborate tombstones." "I'm going to wait in the car." "Do you have something I can take with me?" "Of course." "Can't you take Dad and Ruth?" "I don't think so." "You could move here." "I got Hank to think about." "He's unhappy there!" "If he were happy he wouldn't be there." "Transfer him!" "You find a place for him here!" "You could have the house!" "You could find work down here!" "No." "Why not?" "Just...no." "Give me one good reason!" "I don't want to!" "I decided this before." "When Dad had his stoke, I chose not to waste my Iife." "You think I've wasted my Iife?" "Of course not." "I can't imagine a better way to have spent it." "Then we made the right decision." "What decision?" "Dad got sick, I came to help." "You didn't." "I had plans, a husband." "I couldn't!" "You didn't!" "You think I didn't have plans?" "!" "You're the most." "Say it!" "You've said it a million ways since I came." "Leave her alone!" "Why are you yelling at her?" "She wants to tell you I'm terrible." "I've tried to be nice since you came." "You're think she's being nice suddenly because she felt an urge?" "Shut up!" "Did you ever get a gift from her?" "I thought about you all the time." "How about a card?" "!" "Ever get a card form Bessie?" "!" "We were not close!" "You didn't speak to me for 20 years!" "You've got to care of your family" "I took care of my family!" "I raised two kids, never heard from you!" "I am finally getting my Iife together, nobody's going to take it away!" "I can't wait to get out of here." "Thanks for helping me." "It's a Iot to ask of you to donate bone marrow." "I think it sound neat." "Your medical history care, please?" "Your medical history card, please." "Now, Hank." "I'm charlie." "I'm Doctor wally." "You have to fill out one too." "He's not here to get the test." "Okay." "Am I reading your card correctly" "Are you currently on lithium?" "Yeah." "Isn't it a great drug?" "Can I ask you something did you gain weight since?" "No." "Nervous?" "No." "Thank you." "These offices used to be infested with bugs." "Bugs don't bother me." "No?" "They crawl out the boys' shower drain hide in the auto shop junk pile and float in the basins." "You get used to it." "I wouldn't." "This one dude he catches bugs and puts them on a leash." "A leash?" "A hair Ieash." "He ties a hair to the bug and tacks it down under his bunk." "He had a zoo of bugs walking in circles all over the place." "My friend grabbed his cafeteria tray and smashed them all!" "That was funny." "Why make up these stories?" "What do you mean?" "Razors under the tongue, hair Ieashes." "It's not made up." "Pretending you weren't getting tested?" "Think I'm lying about that?" "Fine, you win!" "I'm lying!" "I haven't told you shit!" "You don't know about it!" "tell me!" "You don't know!" "I was in the hospital." "I hated it!" "I was scared!" "There's this dude." "If this is another tale I'm not interested." "I'm going inside to see if charlie's done." "I played in a pool tournament in my ward." "Mom tell you that?" "No." "I came in fourth." "It's true." "She doesn't think it's a big deal" "That's great." "Got my toe broken in there." "How?" "This guy threw a garbage can on my foot." "Why'd he do that?" "No reason I know of." "There's a Iot of drugs that float around there." "Do you take them?" "Most of the time I just keep to myself." "I think of what it wouId be like to be someone else." "Like I couId have a house with land around it and have dogs around and build a go cart track." "Those places make so much money." "Be raking that stuff in." "And nobody would know where I was" "Just be gone." "mostly I just think about being someplace else." "Then why aren't you?" "Why don't you go?" "What?" "You said people do what they want" "Yeah." "So." "You must want to be there." "No!" "Then show them you don't." "It's not easy." "I don't want you wasting your life." "Neither do I." "Why are you there?" "Because they put me there!" "Why?" "I burned down the house!" "Why did you burn down the house?" "Come inside while we get charlie some juice." "would you come?" "Sure I would." "I forgot my coffee." "Why coffee so late?" "I don't know." "I Iike it." "You have a way with Hank." "I don't" "Yeah, you do." "He's a good boy." "Is he?" "Sure he is." "I wish I knew your secret." "I don't know." "I just talk to him." "You saying I don't?" "I'm tired and we've got Disney world tomorrow." "I can fix that wig for you." "Does it look bad?" "No." "But if you have a wig you should try to have fun with it, try different looks." "Something sporty, out on the town kind of thing." "I just brush it." "I also have my whole makeup kit." "Want to see?" "This is a really great night cream." "I never bothered much with makeup" "You should." "Because it's fun and you might meet somebody." "Goodness, I haven't thought about a man in years." "You're lying." "I'm sorry we haven't seen eye to eye." "I don't want to fight." "We haven't been." "I want to get along." "We do." "I don't want us to just get along be polite." "I don't have any problem with that." "Nothing much seems important to me now." "We're sisters." "ShouIdn't we?" "No, he just startIes himself sometimes, then goes back to sleep." "Are you seeing anybody now?" "usually." "I hope you have someone real in your life." "I don't have any trouble with that." "I'm not talking about that." "You should." "There's no reason you haven't had love." "I had a true love." "You did?" "Yes." "Did he know?" "Yeah." "Why didn't I know?" "He wasn't someone you'd know." "Come on, I won't tell anyone." "clarence James." "Who?" "He was only here during summers." "My God!" "You went with a carny worker!" "A very nice person!" "I didn't say anything." "That's why I kept it secret." "Which one was he?" "He mostly ran the ferris wheel." "Yeah, I remember him." "He was cute." "He had the funniest laugh." "He'd open his mouth wide and no sound would come out." "No sound would come out!" "What happened?" "You know, they'd have that last picnic?" "Down by the river?" "clarence goes swimming, everyone's watching him and everybody's there." "His family, his friends, and me." "He's laughing." "He's making that monkey face." "It gets us laughing." "Then he dunks under the water." "He pops up again, and he's laughing even harder and dives again and he doesn't come up and he doesn't come up and he doesn't come up." "What?" "Laughing and choking looked the same on CIarence." "He drowned." "Oh, God, we were just standing there watching." "Oh, my God!" "And you never told me." "If I couldn't say I had a carny boyfriend," "I couldn't say my carny boyfriend drowned." "You should have told me." "We weren't that close." "We weren't?" "No." "shall I fix that wig?" "What?" "I don't know." "Let me see it." "Here." "No, you got to take it off." "I won't hurt it." "Here." "It's a good wig." "nicely ventilated." "We can do something with this." "You want me to?" "Yeah, sure." "It's a good weave." "I'm glad we made this trip." "I wish we could stay longer." "I'II get my brush." "I found it." "Is that too much wind for you, Hank?" "What?" "Is that too much wind?" "NO, it's okay." "Stick your hand out the window, charlie." "It's like an airplane." "Here we go!" "Faster!" "charlie, faster, faster!" "charlie, slow down!" "We'II meet by Pirates of the Caribbean in an hour." "Where the line starts." "Bye." "Oh, God." "This Swiss family tree house is huge." "I'm really proud of you," "Hank for getting tested for Bessie." "You're disgusting." "You want me to push Aunt Ruth a while?" "I Iike pushing her." "He's a good driver." "I'II catch up." "I'm going to sit in the sun." "AII right ." "Bye-bye." "hold on, Iet' go." "Pick out something nice for Bessie." "How about my bone marrow?" "Think she'd Iike that?" "Look!" ""Love Bug. "Remember?" "We saw it on TV together." "No." "I remember Dad took me to see "Indiana Jones," though." "You're doing well on this trip." "Sort of." "Stop it." "Tomorrow when we go back, everyone'II hear about how well you did." "Stop it!" "I'm not going back." "I'm staying with Bessie." ""Peter Pan." That was a cute movie." "I saw it with Dad." "No, you didn't." "Dad never hit me." "He did." "I would remember that!" "You were 4 years old." "You're the one who fought with him!" "Yeah." "But he hit you." "My feelings for you are like big bowl of fish hooks." "I can't just pick one up at a time," "I pick one up and they all come so I just tend to leave them alone." "You're a liar." "What happened?" "I fainted." "There was blood in my mouth." "Is your mouth still bleeding?" "No." "Did a doctor look at me?" "No, he thought you fainted so he carried you here to lie down." "Who's he?" "Goofy." "Goofy?" "Yeah." "Goofy carried me to Mickey's house?" "Yeah." "He didn't know you were bleeding." "Maybe you felt faint because you haven't been eating." "Maybe that's all." "I fainted because I was scared." "I can't sleep anymore." "I never sleep." "I'm afraid to close my eyes because if I close my eyes I'm not going to wake up." "So I jerk myself awake." "I yank myself awake all night long and then I pour myself a cup of coffee, but I'm trying to be brave." "Oh, darling , I know." "I'm scared." "It's all right, you're going to be okay." "What've you got to be scared of?" "There's still Hank and charlie." "You're forgetting about them." "You're going to be okay." "where are they?" "They're sitting outside." "You're so lucky to have those boys." "I know I am." "They're good boys both of them." "We re fooling ourselves." "Hank and charlie won't match." "I won't pretend any more." "We have decisions to make." "We don't have to make them now." "We'II hear about the boys' tests tomorrow." "I haven't had reason to pretty myself up since I can't think when." "Today is the day." "They almost got married once before." "But amber set the church on fire." "Is coral the same character who shot Lance's dad in the head?" "They're getting married?" "well, he lived ." "And she felt awful about it." "What a good job!" "You look beautiful!" "Don't make fun of me." "I'm not." "I'm just a silly old woman dressing up for a TV show." "No, you're not." "Where 's your brother?" "I don't know." "Aunt Bessie" "Gone someplace else like you said" "Wish I couId stay." "Love , Hank" "What re you doing up?" "I'm getting Dad's 1 o'cIock." "I was going to do that." "I can do it." "You're suppose to be resting ." "I am." "Want some snacks?" "I'm making nachos." "Better just cut me some fruit." "hello?" "Yeah, she's here." "Who is it?" "Dr. wally." "You did?" "Good!" "What is..." "I see." "Then I should keep taking what I'm taking now..." "No, no!" "I understand ." "I'm not." "Thank you." "Goodbye , Doctor." "They got the boys' tests back , and it looks like it didn't work out." "It's pretty much what we expected" "We knew that the" "May be they made a mistake." "Maybe." "I'II continue my therapies" "That's good, because those are good things to do." "We should tell the boys." "What was I--?" "Oh, Dad!" "You want to go lie down ?" "No, no." "I'm fine ." "I just" "I can do this." "I've been so lucky." "I've been so lucky to have Dad and Ruth." "I've had such love in my Iife." "... and I've had such such love." "They love you very much." "That's not what I mean." "No." "I mean that I Iove them." "I have been so lucky to be able to love someone so much." "Yeah." "You are." "We should tell Hank." "About the tests." "We will." "I better" "Where are you going?" "I'm going..." "Going into the kitchen." "Nobody's had any lunch yet, have they?" "What?" "Nothing." "But if you take a drive or something, you ought to let me know." "I worry about you." "Hi." "Dad's Medication." "Around and around." "See?" "It's just us." "Look, Lee's here , too." "You know Lee, don't you?" "Bessie, you missed it!" "coral finally married Lance." "Wasn't Lance married to coral's mother?" "No, coral was married to Lance's father." "He's really a nice boy."