"Previously on Royal Pains..." "Her father's on the way." "No, he's already here." "I'm the lucky dad." "It turns out the source of your pain is not an ulcer at all, but a four-millimeter kidney stone." "Nothing that small could cause this much agony." "This is your first day." "I have the job?" "Unpaid internship." "I thought I should add back a little hydrocodone." "How much do you need?" "Mr. Lawson, we would be happy to consider your waiver." "Okay." "How long will that take?" "Six months to a year." "I'm running for village council." "You were right." "This guy's got flair." "Shh!" " Oh, look who's here." " Shh!" "Hey, don, I get the feeling I'm a little late." "Don't try that lame "saving lives" excuse." "Yeah, well, some of my patients actually" " keep their appointments." " Well, my bad." "It's been busy." "Are you doing okay, though?" "Yeah, no more kidney stones." "Just been feeling a little tired." " Well..." " I know I'll reschedule" " the follow-up." " Tomorrow before work?" "Sure." "Perfect." "Looks like a good crowd tonight." "Yeah, folks love this young guy." "I don't know his music much, but I admire what he does with at-risk kids." "Speaking of..." "Say hello to Dr. Lawson, Molly." "Hello, Dr. Lawson." "Hello, Molly." "Run along, Slack." "She's got work to do." " All right, see you later." " See ya." " Boy drives me nuts." " His name is Slack?" "Yeah, it's a family name." "I assume they came over on the Mayflower and did nothing." "The boy's dad's in and out of jail, which wouldn't bother me, except that we're neighbors." "And the boy's always pestering my girl." "Hey." " I try, Hank." " I'll see you in the A.M." "Paige." "How lovely." "Isn't it amazing?" "Yes." "If it weren't for this migraine..." "I cannot survive the Rimsky-Korsakov." "Oh, I'm so sorry." "And such a week I have ahead." "I have to oversee the packing of a... of an exquisite Chagall that's off to auction... unless you'd like to take that on." "A Chagall?" "Of course." "The crating assistant will meet you at 10:00." "Tomorrow at 10:00?" "Inconvenient for you?" "No, no, it's just usually I'm with Hankmed on mondays and with you... it's no problem." "I'm on it." "Bye." "Hi." "Two... black." "Mr. Lawson... man of the hour." "Ms. Ballard." "Why am I the man of the hour?" "You are running for village council, aren't you?" "Against my appointment for the open seat." "Tara in the clerk's office said you picked up a packet." "She did?" "I asked her not to mention that." "Don't fret." "You're new." "I've lived here for over two years." "Oh, dear, no, I meant new to politics." "I'm sure you'll catch on." "I'm impressed you think you can gather enough signatures to get on the ballot on such short notice." "Or one could pay a filing fee." "Yes, you do have the option to forgo public support, if that's the kind of candidacy you want." "Well, of course I'm getting signatures." "200 should be a piece of cake." "It's 300 for special elections... to discourage poseurs." "We best get back." "Good luck." "Right." "Aah!" "Excuse me." "Sorry." "Excuse me." "Excuse me." "Coming through." "Hi." "Hi." "I'm a doctor." " Are you okay?" " I'm fine." "They finish playing." "They work so hard." " Thank you." " Are you all right?" "I'm okay." "Let's go." "Okay, everybody, sit down." "Come on." "Come on." "Hey, we can examine him afterwards." "All right, Mussorgsky." "Royal Pains 5x05" " Vertigo Original air date July 17, 2013" "The C.T. confirmed a minor concussion, but considering the fall he took," "Santi was lucky." "Oh, Santi." "One ride to the hospital, and she's on a nickname basis." "Two rides, actually." "I also gave Santi a lift to a patron's studio, where he's staying while the kids, you know, finish their local concert dates." "Thank you very much." "And on to you." "Is he as passionate in person?" "Wait a second." "Since when did classical dudes" " get groupies?" " I'm not a groupie." "I am a philharmonica." "And, yes." "I'm following up with him later today." "Signing your sheet reminded me that I forgot to get his autograph." "Thank you, guys, again for giving me the day off to crate this painting." "If Russel ever sends our client's address." "Nice." "And on to you, Henry." "If I sign this, does that mean I'm obligated to vote for you?" "You're not, but you will." "I don't know." "What's in it for me?" "The convenience of seeing patients again in your home office." "Way to pander to your base." "Not bad, right?" "Bam!" "At this rate, I'll be done by lunch." "All right." "We're out." "See you guys." "What's wrong?" "I just got the client's address." "So?" "Who is it?" "I don't understand." "Like, Blythe Ballard Blythe Ballard." " Yes." " No." "No." "No." "Paige, no." "You are absolutely not going into that lioness' den." "She..." "Wait a second." "Hold on a second." "This is perfect." "You can be my eyes and ears." "You can get inside and expose her corrupt nature." "Or I could be professional and do my job." "Or you could do that." "It's not fair." "I wasn't with Slack." "You're just... you're seeing things." "You ditched your community service." "I took a break." "No, you left!" "You left!" "It was a long break!" " Ugh!" " Yeah, ugh!" "Bad time?" "Yeah." "Yeah, it's called adolescence." "Hey." "Molly has some objections to being grounded." "Grounded on a boat..." "it doesn't even make any sense." "No TV." " Sorry to interrupt." " Unh!" "Are you kidding?" "Please do." "So you mentioned not feeling so great." "What's up?" "Well, I'll stick to the medical." "Probably best." "Uh, I've been getting short of breath when I exercise, a little weak and light-headed." "I've been having some blurry vision." "Any sharp abdominal pain?" "No, no, none of that." "You still taking the diuretics I prescribed after your kidney stone?" "Not happily, but, yeah." "Well, good news..." "I'm taking you off those." "The symptoms you mentioned could all be side effects from those water pills." "And since you're having no more issues..." "Oh, thank God." "I hate taking those pills, man." "Sorry, doc." "I know that meds get a bad rap, but I just..." "I still hate 'em." "No, look, I get it." "I had a surgery last winter, and afterwards I couldn't stand to look at those pills by my sink." "Just knowing they were mine, it was depressing." "Are you okay now?" "I am." "And you're off all the meds?" "Yep." "Okay." "Well, your whole family is full of surprises." "I take it you work for Russel, Ms. Lawson." "I do, but, please, Ms. Ballard, call me Paige." "Please, Paige, call me Blythe." "Blythe, if my assisting with your artwork is uncomfortable for you..." "If I were to shun every neighbor with an issue before the council," "I'd be a hermit." "Don't tell me." "Russel has one of his migraines." "Chicken." "You want to see my baby?" "The Chagall?" "Yes." "Very much." "Wow." "She's amazing." "I don't know why I say "she." It's both of them." "It's Bella, Chagall's wife." "He's lost in love." "The painting was my grandmother's." "In some ways, over the years, I've mixed Bella up with grams... both strong women who didn't surrender easily." "But now I'm the one who has to surrender her." "It must be so intimate to live with a piece like this, not just stand in front of it for a few minutes in a museum." "When do your henchmen cart her away?" "Our packers should be here shortly." "I will make sure your painting is handled properly." "Excuse me, sir?" "Hi." "Could I just have one moment of your time?" "I'm Evan R. Lawson, and I'm collecting signatures to get on the ballot for a vacancy on the village council." "I'm gonna stop you right there." "I spend summers here, but I'm registered in the city." "Oh." "But you own a home here?" " I do." " Well, that's crazy." "You own a home here, but you can't vote?" "Owning property has nothing to do with voting, not since the 18th century." "And you really can only vote in one precinct." "Oh, okay." "Well, that's the first thing I'll change, then." "It's kind of in the constitution." "And if it's any consolation, after this little chat," "I wouldn't have voted for you anyway." "See, kids?" "That's why you do your homework before video games." "Yah." "Come." "Divya, you're early." "No, I think I'm on time." "Oh." "Oh, please, just one moment." "I'm not so used to this software." "Ugh, I can't believe it's so late." "I had a brainstorm before dawn, and I started composing." "I should hit my head more often." "As a medical professional, I can't recommend that." "Hmm." "This wave came." "It's, uh... an overture..." "I think." "I don't know." "It's something for the kids to rehearse on their European tour." "I hate to tear you away for a post-concussive exam, but I'll be brief." "No, it's good." "It's good to break." "Any headaches or nausea?" "No." "No, I feel, uh, inspired." "Well, it's only fair." "You've inspired so many others." "Not to mention all you give to your kids." "Everybody says this, but, you know, it's the students that give to me." "They are like sponges, you know." "Well, you demand a lot of them." "No, but it's the music demands, you know?" "I mean, it's what my teacher gave to me." "He knew the power of music." "To pull a boy from El Cartucho, the toughest streets in Bogota, and give to him a world..." "I can never repay this." "Well, you do a fine job trying." "And it seems that you've sustained no lasting effects" " from your fall." " Oh, thank you." "Sorry." "Should I bring the horns back later?" "No, no, no, it's okay." "I think we're finished." "Divya, this is Lily." "She is our orchestra's concertmaster." "It's nice to meet you." "I enjoyed your playing last night." "Thank you." "Is he okay now?" " He is." " Hey, everybody, we are leaving for Vienna on schedule." "Ah, ha ha." "As long as you stay podium-bound and don't try to fly again." "No, but this is what I'm saying." "If the music soars, then you must soar." "You don't have a choice." "Then, please, soar with care." "Divya, I appreciate everything that you've done." "I hate to be a gushing fan, but I would love to get your autograph if I..." "Santi." "Santi." "What happened?" "I don't know." "The room was like..." "Were you dizzy at all last night onstage before you fell?" "Why?" "What would it mean if I was?" "We'll need to run some tests to find out." "Yeah, I'm just checking in." "Okay." "Yeah, I'm spying." "Look, I just want to make sure that you stay grounded." "Yeah, or decked... whatever you want to call it, okay?" "I've got to go." "Good-bye." "Good-bye." "Thanks for meeting me on my break." "No problem." "Can I have your hand, please?" "Sounds like your shortness of breath is worse and that Molly still isn't cutting you and Slack." "Sorry." "Couldn't resist." "I have to call her landline every couple hours to check up." "Well, you know, she could forward your landline." "Aren't you supposed to make me feel better?" " Sorry again." " No whip mocha." "Yeah." "You know, I try not to come down too hard on Molly, but she keeps pushing." "When her mom left, Molly was only seven years old, and I thought she was gonna act out, but she didn't." "She was my rock." "And then she hit her teens, and I braced myself, but she stayed my sweet little girl... up until this year." "She's just so angry all the time, and it's like, she shuts me out." "I really miss her." "I miss us being a team." "Well, I hear they come back." "Yeah, if I can hang on that long." "To that point, I want to follow up on your shortness of breath and this cough you've developed." "Plus, your oxygenation isn't great." "Do you have time to get a chest X-ray at Hamptons Heritage?" "I got a court appearance in an hour, and my car's in the shop." "Well, how about I pick you up when you're off duty?" "Quickly..." " Go." " Oh." " Any light-headedness?" " Mm, no." "Actually, no, I just had a thought of adding violas to my theme." " Is that a symptom?" " Not to me." "But I am partial to violas." " Did you play?" " In school." "Pursuing music beyond that was not practical." "Hmm." "I loved playing, though." "Your parents didn't approve?" "No, it was me." "I thought I needed a more dependable career path." " Ah." "Okay." " Lie back again..." "Quickly..." "Go." "Do you think that there's some truth to musical talent being inherited?" "Oh, absolutely." "Everyone in my family plays." "The marimbas were always alive, and there was always dancing in my house ever since I was a baby." "So then my child could be musical." "You have a child?" "I meant one day." "I believe you will pass your love for music along." "Hmm." "So no nystagmus..." " eye movement." " So is that good or bad?" "Well, it rules out benign positional vertigo... neither good nor bad, just puzzling, since it doesn't explain your dizziness." "Okay." "I'd like you to see an audiologist." "Can it wait?" "I mean, we play Stony Brook tonight, and then we have two nights in Manhattan, and then we go to Europe." "What if I got you an appointment this afternoon?" "Well, I mean, I could get Lily to warm up the orchestra, but I have to be in white tie and on the podium by 8:00." "I'll see what I can do." "Hi, there, guys." "Could you give me one second of your time?" "Okay." "Thank you." "All I need is one signature, and I can get on the ballot." "No?" "If I give you a little tap dance, maybe sign it?" "Nope?" "Just one signature, sir, one signature." "Please." "My name's Evan R. Lawson." "I'm begging you." "Resident?" "Sir, are you a resident here?" "Ladies..." "I'm so sorry." "No chance that you're a resident here, is there?" "Born and raised." " Really?" " Yeah." "Are you registered to vote?" "Dude, I haven't missed an election since I was 18 and wasted my vote on Ralph Nader." "Well, my name's Evan R. Lawson, and I'm running for village council." "Oh, for Bostwick's seat, right?" " Yeah." " Nice." "I heard the old dude retired." "He did." "But in with the new, right?" "You got it." "I'm gathering signatures so I can get on the ballot." " Yeah, hand it over." " Really?" "Yep." "So is this, uh... is this like a special election?" "That's exactly what it is." "You are very well informed." "Well, I have to be." "I'm on the village payroll." "So you're working with Blythe Ballard, then, I guess." "No, no, I'm running against her candidate." "Dude, I can't sign this." "Ms. B... she's been great for us lifeguards." "She got us these chairs." "Before that, I was out here cooking in the sun all day." "I got second-degree burns once." "Speaking of which, you do have some sunscreen on, right?" " Yeah, I'm covered." " Nice." " Thanks." " Yeah." "Good luck." "I'm sorry if I called at a bad time." "My lawyer can't call your lawyer." "Bubbles facing out." "36 years of marriage, and you're a total stranger to me." "Go to the truck and get more tape." "I've got plenty." "Were you always this devious?" "Then take a break." "If you really want to hide assets from me, you should adopt your mistress." "She's the right age." "Franklin, did you hang up on me?" " You did." " We should be finished soon." "Mr. Ballard is creating financial problems for me." "Which is why you have to part with Bella?" "One really should be more careful when falling in love." "Don't listen to me." "I'm going through a bitter period." "I'm sure you and Mr. Lawson will never have this kind of trouble." "That's very sweet of you to say." "Well done." "No need for good-byes." "Would you like a little more time with her?" "We could come back in the morning." "I hope this chest X-ray is clear." "I don't have too many sick days left." "I thought you were Superman in your department." "I don't take off for illness." "They're Molly crisis days." "Or "molidays," as I like to call them." "Well, you shouldn't worry about the X-ray." "I'm just being extra cautious." "But if it is pneumonia," "It's better to catch it early." "Speak of the devil." "Molliwog, what's up?" "Whoa, whoa, slow down." "Where are you now?" "All right, listen to me." "Do not confront him." "I'm on my way." "Molly." "Molly!" " Where are we going?" " The marina..." "Slack's family boat." "His father has a gun." "This is O'shea." "Send all available units to the marina." "Move back, folks." "A family's being held hostage on their boat..." " shots fired." " Where's my daughter?" " Dad!" " No one has made contact with the father yet." "He's drunk or high or something, and he's waving a gun around." "I know." "I know I shouldn't have been there," " but I jumped off the stern..." " Listen, listen, you stay here with Hank, and you get behind the car, you hear me?" "He pulled a gun on Slack's mom." "Okay, I'm gonna take care of this." "I'm gonna take care of it, all right?" "All right, Mike, Andy, secure the perimeter." "Give me all eyes on the boat." "Let's go." "All right, Molly, let's get behind the car." "Molly!" "Molly, stop!" "Terry, it's your neighbor Don." "Listen, I'm a little concerned about Rita and your son." "Is everything okay in there?" "No, don, it's not okay!" "It's not my fault!" "Get out of here!" "No, no, no, no." "It's okay." "It's all right." "Your dad's got this." "Hey, no, Terry." "No one's saying it's your fault." "Listen, the bluefish are gonna be coming in in a couple weeks." "Weren't you and Slack gonna take out the dinghy?" "He doesn't want to be with me." "He hates me." "No." "No, that's not true, Terry." "I see the way Slack looks up to you." "Now, listen, don't you think you should let him come out?" "I do." "Terry, are you there?" "Terry, are you still there?" "Talk to me." "It's all right." "Slack's okay." " Okay, Terry." " Come on." "All right, now I need you to put the gun down and come on out." "Can you do that?" "Come on out." "Hands!" "Show me your hands right now!" "Hands up!" "Hands up!" "Keep 'em up!" "Get down on your knees!" "Get down on your knees now!" "Cover me." " Is it over?" " It is." "It is." "He did it." "He did it." "Watch your head." "Hey, Don..." "I noticed you were having some trouble with your eyes." " You mind if I take a look?" " No, not at all." " Is the sunlight painful?" " Uh, a little bit, yeah." "Then I apologize in advance if this makes it worse." "Open and look straight ahead." "Mm." "Bingo." "What's that about?" "Photophobia... sensitivity to light can have various causes." "I'm also seeing red, not just around your irises but in them." "And let's face it..." "your vision was blurry before." "You clocked that, huh?" " I did." " Yeah, well, if this doc thing doesn't work out for you, you'll make a decent cop." "Thank you very much." "You have a swelling and irritation of the eyes called uveitis." "We'll treat it with anti-inflammatories, but we still need to determine the root cause, and given your other symptoms, we really need to get that X-ray." "Okay." "Listen, thanks for your help earlier." "Yeah, you got it." "Molly seems to have dealt well with the trauma." "Maybe she has her dad's ability to take charge." "Or like her dad, maybe she just knows how to act tough." "Listen, I'm gonna..." "I'm gonna go be with her, okay?" "Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course." "Your test can wait until morning, but call me if any new symptoms develop." " Thanks, doc." " Sure." "I'm sorry, Molly." "I'll be on the boat." "Ah." "I missed it." "The audiologist?" "Yes, you did." "I am so sorry." "That is so rude, after you made the effort." "And you didn't answer your phone." "I've been lost in this, and I have little to show for it." "You know, it's not coming like it sounds in my head." "I thought maybe there's a glitch or a problem with the subwoofer or something." "Do you want to listen?" "Of course." "It's very powerful." "But it's tinny." "There is no bottom to the music." "Are you kidding?" "The timpani and the double bass are overwhelming." "They are?" "Wasn't there a tuning fork around here?" "Uh, yeah." "But, uh, Divya, I don't have much time." "I have to get dressed for the concert tonight." "It won't take long." "Sit, please." "Okay." " I want to try something." " Okay." " Do you hear anything?" " Yeah." "More in one ear or equally in both?" "It's more in the left ear." "Okay." "Nod when you can no longer hear the tone." "Okay." "Yeah." "Do you hear anything?" "No." "What does that mean?" "You're experiencing conductive hearing loss, especially in your left ear." "So what you are saying..." "the bass is there, but I just can't hear it." "Mm-hmm." "Will this get worse?" "We'll need to do a full workup to answer that before going on tour." "Could I, uh... can I go deaf?" "'Cause my students... you know, I won't be much of a mentor if I can't hear my students." "I know that it's scary, but it's premature to be so dire." "I'll have a list of names of Manhattan ents for you by tomorrow morning." "But, Santi, this appointment you cannot miss, even if you get inspired." "Maybe I shouldn't have wanted so much to be in the company of Beethoven." "If it's progressive, our treatment options have also progressed quite a bit since Beethoven's day." " How's it going, boss tweed?" " Hey." "It's good." "It's going great, actually." "Yeah?" "That bad, huh?" " Horrible." " Ugh." "I'm sorry." "Man, you got some sun." "Didn't you wear a hat?" "Politicians don't wear hats." "They hide your eyes and make you look shifty." "Didn't you at least put on some sunscreen, or does that make you look slick and oily?" "I'm not an idiot, Henry." "Of course I wore sunscreen." "I've been reapplying it all day." "Oh, my God." "Hydrating night cream?" "It's a very similar bottle." "To your hydrating day cream?" "With SPF-40, yes." "I have dry skin, okay?" "Can I talk to you seriously for one second?" "I don't know." "I'm having second thoughts about my campaign." " Okay." " Maybe running just to solve our Hankmed issue's a mistake." "You mean a personal grudge isn't a solid political foundation?" "That's the thing." "I know nothing about local issues." "Evan, you've always been a quick study." "I bet this night-cream mistake doesn't happen twice." "Sorry this took so long." "Ah." "Are you waiting tables, Stu?" "Oh, the joys of owning a business." "Doc, don't tell me you're running for village council." "Uh, no, Evan is..." "I think." "I guess I'll still serve you, even if you do join those anti-business-zoning czars." "Actually, I want to change restrictive zoning laws." "I've been trying to expand for three summers, but those fossils on the council want to keep the Hamptons in the last century." "All they do is throw up roadblocks." "That's exactly why I want to get in there and shake things up." "Well, you got my vote, pal." "And, hey, food's on the house." " Thank you, Stu." " Yes." "Hey, folks, how's the day?" "I think I just got my first issue." "I think you just got your first bribe." " I better eat this." " It wasn't a bribe." "I didn't promise him anything." "Still, to be safe." "Manhattan is going to flip." "It's only for one night." "Unless she changes her mind." "It's just so sad that she has to let Bella go." " Bella was Chagall's wife." " Yes." "You got an "A" in early modernists." "How nice for you." "You were supposed to follow instructions." "If I wanted someone to get all emotional," "I would have gone myself." "You knew it would be tough." "Heart-wrenching." "So many clients treat their precious art as only investments." "When someone actually appreciates what they have, I get all gooey." "But you are not allowed to." "Understood." "I will take care of it." "And I'm very sorry to have bothered you" " during your migraine." " Russel!" "We're out of Pinot!" "And there's my migraine." "Okay." " Divya!" " Santi?" "Santi." "Divya, thank God you came." "What happened... dizzy again?" "It's worse." "I feel better now, but..." " My voice... it hurts." " Your throat?" "No, no, no, the sound of my voice... it hurts my ears." "What were you doing when it started?" "Uh, I was taking a break." "I was checking the mixer." "Hey, I got your call." "Yes." "Sorry." "I asked Hank to join us." "I hear you've been having dizzy spells." "It's horrible." "It's like the world is tilting." "Okay, his vitals are normal." "I'm beginning to suspect Tullio phenomenon." "It's a vertigo that is sound induced." "When you were dizzy earlier, the horns were playing, and this time you were mixing tracks." "Do you feel up to testing Divya's theory?" " Sure." "Yeah." " Okay, good." "It's okay." "Okay." "Whoa." "Looks like Divya's on the right track." "It was much worse before." "I'd like to try something else." " Can you sit down for me?" " Yeah, okay." "Oh, ear plugs... perfect." "I don't want you to hear the music." "Santi, can you play back your theme with just the violins?" " Just the violins?" " Mm-hmm." "Okay." "I'd like to take your pulse." "Yeah." "Can you add the percussive hits now?" "Yeah." "Hank, watch his eyes." "The hits match his blinking." "And the strings match the wave of his pulse." "There are flutes that chirp." "They could be in sync with cranial pressure changes." "A chirp... that's exactly the sound" "I was going for." "Santi has been composing a theme he's been hearing since his fall, but he has been having trouble focusing and losing track of time." "I have been feeling cloudy, you know?" "Am I crazy to think that his composition could be based on autophony?" "No, his fall may have caused cracks in the temporal bone in his inner ear." "Santi, I think that your music reflects bodily sounds that you are literally hearing in your head because of a thin or cracked ear bone." "You've been hearing your blood pulse, your eyes moving in their sockets, maybe even the creak of your joints." "Well, so much for inspiration." "But wait." "When we did the C.T. scan for the concussion, it didn't show this?" "A C.T. wouldn't pick it up, but there are hi-def scans that can confirm Divya's diagnosis." "And a soft-tissue graft can repair the damage." "Will my hearing be fully restored?" "Yes." "It will." "Oh, uh, I was gonna wash my hands." "Help yourself." "Please don't feel too badly for me." "I'm not so entitled I don't realize how fortunate I was to have Bella's company for as long as I did." "Nothing lasts forever." "Blythe, where did you get this bowl?" "I have no idea." "It's been in the family for years." "Have you ever had it appraised?" "I never thought to." "It's a sweet thing, isn't it?" "I always liked the glaze." "Now, I could be wrong, but these marks look authentic to me." "Authentic what?" "Song Dynasty ceramic." "And not a chip or a crack in it." "Would it have value at auction?" "Maybe more than Bella... maybe considerably more." "We'll have to get an appraiser out, but in the meantime, you should stop using this as a soap dish, and I should stop the truck." "You mean..." "Oh, Paige, how can I ever repay you?" "Those white areas are swollen lymph nodes in the hilar region." "Is that bad?" "Prednisone will help reduce the swelling, and we'll keep you on a preventative dose." "Okay, so you're saying it may come back, then?" "Yes." "It could." "This inflammation, together with your eye symptoms and recent kidney stone, suggests a serious condition called sarcoidosis." " Sarcoidosis?" " Yeah." "It's treatable, but a complicated disease because its course is hard to predict." "Some people have one episode, and it never reoccurs." "Others suffer chronic bouts." "So, if I'm in that second category," "I may need to take some of those sick days for myself, then." "I'm afraid it's possible." "Look at what Chewy's is up to now." "Trying to sway public opinion with freebies?" " It could work." " Yeah, with the takers." "But those clams are killer." "You're right." "Okay, we'll take a sample." "I'm sorry?" ""Free Chewy's."" "Oh." "No." "No, there's no giveaway." "That's not a bad idea, though." "I'll have to tuck that one away." "Uh, my name is Evan R. Lawson." "I'm running for village council and in support of Chewy's expansion, which, I don't know if you know, but it's been thwarted again and again..." "That guy comes out here, brand-new..." "He doesn't get the Hamptons." "He bought Chewy's six years ago." "And wants to add a second story." "To an historical landmark." "All right, little-known fact... the original Chewy's had a second floor." "It was blown away by hurricane Hazel in 1954." "This would be a restoration." "This guy wants to expand Chewy's." "Actually, I want a fair and open zoning waiver process." "What's next... franchises up and down the beach?" "No, the moratorium on new structures would not be affected at all." "Until he gets a foot in the door." " Exactly." " You believe this guy?" "I appreciate how thorough you've been, but I've got a favor to ask of you." " You bet." " I'd like to keep this diagnosis between us." "Oh, it's not my place to reveal it." "I'd like to have your blessing in that I not share my condition with my department yet." "Since we don't know how or even if it's gonna come back," "I'd like to keep up my balancing act." "If I have a flare-up, you'll be my first call, the captain will be the next." "Sounds like a plan." "And with these chronic conditions, having a good plan is half the battle." "I guess we all can't have smooth recoveries like yours." " Yeah." " I'll see you." "You know, don, I misled you the other day about being drug-free." "The truth is, I'm still on some pain medication that I thought I'd be off by now." "But my recovery hasn't been that easy, and I guess it's hard for me to admit it." "Well, it sounds like neither one of us can accept being sick." "It's like the whole town's under Blythe's spell." "Changing things might be harder than I thought." "Maybe I have good news." "Oh, yeah?" "I need it." "Blythe actually admitted that she may have been a little overzealous in her anti-Hankmed crusade." "And since she knows that politics isn't your thing, she offered to expedite our zoning waiver so you can withdraw." "She offered to make it go away?" " Yeah." " As long as I drop out?" "Well, she didn't say it like that." "Well, of course she didn't, Paige." "If she did, it would be a bribe." "It'd be a naked bribe." "She was trying to be nice." "But she made it conditional, didn't she?" "She said, if she cleared things up, you wouldn't have to run." "Oh, my God." "What happened to "rules are rules"?" "Suddenly she's just playing favorites." "You know what I think?" "I think she's threatened." "Blythe Ballard is threatened by me." "Okay, that's ridiculous!" "Sorry." "I didn't mean to sound so emphatic." "Just think about it." "She's used to getting her own way all the time." "She manipulates the council." "She manipulated me into this whole signature-gathering time suck, but this isn't about me anymore." "What this town needs is dissent, Paige." "It needs an outside voice." "It needs me." "Oh, boy." "Your recovery will take a few weeks, but you should be back on your feet before your students get back from Europe." "What's this?" "This is the beginning of my composition with that autograph that you requested." "Oh, my gosh." "Thank you." "I didn't think that you had heard." "No, I heard." "And you know what?" "Thanks to you, I will continue to hear." "But honestly, Divya, look," "I don't need this, uh, ear plugs." "And the chair, it's..." "Uh, just in case." "What is this?" "What am I hearing?" "Bravo!" "Bravissimo!" "Hey." "Was your sentence lifted?" "Yeah, served my time." "What's wrong with my dad?" "You should ask him." "I did." "He blew me off." "Look, you know, even if something were going on," "I couldn't tell you, just like I respected your confidentiality." "I can tell something's weird." "He's, like, with you all the time." "Yeah, we've gotten to be friendly." "My dad doesn't have friends." "All he does is work." "And raise you." "And keep secrets from me." "He won't tell me anything." "He's my father." "I have a right to know." "I understand." "But you got to give your dad a break." "And getting so angry doesn't help." "Look, when I was growing up, my mom had a rule... never go to bed angry." "And it worked out pretty well for us." "Yeah, let me guess, to this day, you and your mom are still best buddies?" " Well, no." " See?" "It's a stupid rule." "My mom died... when I was younger than you are." "My dad's not going to die." "I didn't say he was." "But I lost my mom way too soon." "And if you waste the time you have with your dad, pushing him away, you will regret it." "You better not let him die." "Again, I didn't say he was at risk." "But if he were, I would do everything I could to help him," "I promise you that." "Well... if he dies... it's your fault."