SUMMARY
Aaron Shutt's real father appears much to his surprise. Watters tried to rebuild a relationship with his son and Austin must try to bring a child prodigy and his father together before the boy dies.
AARON: All right. Lets get Mrs. Bradley to ICU and let me know if there's any change, especially in her ICP
NURSE: O.K.
AARON: I'll be in my office, if I can make it that far.
Aaron enters his office and sinks into his chair behind the desk. Someone comes in banging on the door and talking loudly. Aaron is not pleased.
ZOLTON: Aaron? Aaron Shutt?
AARON: Yes? Who ... who are you?
ZOLTON: Do I seem familiar?
AARON: No
ZOLTON: You don't recognize this face?
AARON: NO!
ZOLTON: I am Zolton Karpathein. You don't know who that is?
AARON: No
ZOLTON: You never heard of me?
AARON: No. What do you want!
ZOLTON: You have a mother, Claire?
AARON: Yes
ZOLTON: You speak to your mother?
AARON: Yeah , of course I speak to her, what the hell is going on, please?
ZOLTON: She never told you about me?
AARON: NO (shouting)
ZOLTON: O.K. Here we go
Zolton walks over to the couch and sits down.
ZOLTON: Many years ago your mother and I had a something
AARON: A ... A something?
ZOLTON: Yes. We had an experience
AARON: Well, what sort of an experience
ZOLTON: It was an affair kind of experience, and this affair produced issue
AARON: So, what ... so what are you saying? Are you saying that I have a brother or something?
ZOLTON: No, not a brother ... you'd better call her up
Aaron calls his mother on the phone. He is totally confused
AARON: Yeah, Hi Mom. It's me. Yeah, I got those. Listen, ah, there's a guy in my office who claims ... yeah, that's who it is .... uh-huh .....uh-huh ..... uh-huh. Oh ... Oh .....Okey Dokey. Yeah. I'll ,ah , I'll talk to you later, yeah. You're my father?
ZOLTON: Ah, yeah.
Aaron faints dead away in front of Zolton who says Oh-oh and stands to help him.
OPENING CREDITS
AARON ENTERS PHILLIP'S OFFICE. Phillip is standing behind his desk reading a document. Aaron has a cut in his forehead which is bleeding.
AARON: I'm loosing my mind
PHILLIP: You're loosing it through that cut in your forehead
AARON: My father's in my office
PHILLIP: Well, the ghosts of our past are always with us. You want me to take a look at that cut?
AARON: Have you ever heard of Zolton Karpathien
PHILLIP: The sculptor? Sure. Sure, I saw his work at the Museo Dorssei years ago. Wonderful stuff
AARON: He's my father. And he's in my office
PHILLIP: Well, you're certainly having a more interesting day than I am. Maybe that hit on your head was a little harder than ...
AARON: No, no, no. I called my mother, it's true. It's all true. I mean, I'm not clear on the back story but .. but ... he ... he ... he's my father
PHILLIP: Now I'm not clear either. Are you saying that Warren Shutt, was not ...
AARON: He's not Warren Shutt!
PHILLIP: Ah!
AARON: I mean, wait ... he ... he's Warren Shutt, I'm not Aaron Shutt
PHILLIP: Well, Warren Shutt is dead
AARON: Yeah, I saw that with my own eyes ... I ... I ... I don't know what the truth is anymore.
PHILLIP: All right then, who are you if you're not Aaron Shutt?
AARON: A.. Aaron Karpathien! Phillip, he's in my office, after all these years ..... what do I do?
PHILLIP: Well, if he really is your father ... then the obvious thing to do is ... get to know him.
Aaron goes to leave but hesitates at the door
AARON: I'm not sure I want to get to know him. I mean, why should I put the time in, when he turns up expecting ....
PHILLIP: Why? Because he's your father! And a son should make peace with his father.
ELEVATOR OPENS AND KATE AUSTIN WALKS OUT. She is looking at material samples.
KEITH: You should go with the vertical stripes, yeah, I hear they make you look thinner
KATE: What are you saying?
KEITH: Oh, no ... not that you need to loose weight, I was .. I ... um ... never mind
They both laugh at him.
KATE: I'm redecorating my daughter's bedroom, you see she's moving back with me on Monday, so ... in fact that's where I should be right now but Shipera's dumped a patient on me. Hey does the name Dr. Noah Fielding ring a bell?
KEITH: Ah, there's a Dr. Fielder in Obstetrics
KATE: No, God! Doctors make suck lousy patients. Pains in the butt
KEITH: Yes we are
Kate looks around and sees a young boy in a wheelchair. He is sitting alone writing in a book.
KATE: Hey there. What are you doing here all by yourself? Wheelchair break down?
BOY: You shouldn't sneak up on people. The orderly brought me up, he's coming right back.
KATE: Coming right back, huh? Ah, great. Tell you what, I'll stick around 'till he gets here, how's that?
BOY: You don't have to
KATE: Well, unfortunately you're not supposed to be here unsupervised, so ... So, what is that? Math?
BOY: I'm sure it's way beyond your comprehension
Kate pulls a picture out from under the book. It is a hand drawn picture of a horse.
KATE: What's this? Oh, did you draw this picture of a horse?
BOY: Don't look at that
KATE: I'm sorry, I didn't mean that ...
BOY: And it's not a horse, it's a pony
KATE: Oh.
The orderly comes back and see Austin standing there.
ORDERLY: O.K., my man. Are you ready? I only left him for a minute
KATE: I'm sure. Just take him back to his room now and have the nurse take a look at him, he looks a little pale
ORDERLY: Yes, Dr. Austin
Looking back at the Nurses station Kate finally finds a nurse attending the counter
KATE: Ah, finally. I'm looking for a patient named Fielding. He's on deck for a heart transplant?
NURSE: Dr. Fielding is in room 363
KATE: 363, thank you very much
She starts to head towards the room when her beeper goes off.
KATE: Argh, I'm not getting out of here tonight
BACK IN AARON'S OFFICE he is still trying to get the picture
AARON: Let me run through this one more time, O.K? Now, you're saying that my mother was a wild woman?
ZOLTON: The wildest person I ever met, besides me
AARON: And you loved her
ZOLTON: I loved her
AARON: and the reason you didn't stay with her?
ZOLTON: She wouldn't stay with me! She was busy running around Europe like a wild goat
AARON: So, I was just a result of some fling
ZOLTON: No, not a fling ... yes, a fling but ... but deep and passionate, and painfully agonizing. It was the greatest time of my life
AARON: ha ha .. you know, I feel like I'm on brain dialysis
Aaron sits down in a chair by the window. He looks stunned and Zolton goes over to sit by him.
ZOLTON: You know in the long run she did the right thing by not marrying me. I am not such a picnic to live with, believe me
AARON: Well, she didn't make such a great choice with the guy she wound up marrying
ZOLTON: he was a surgeon
AARON: Yeah, he was a heart surgeon, lousy one
ZOLTON: But he was good to her?
AARON: No, he wasn't.
ZOLTON: She told me he was good to her
AARON: He was not good to her and he was not good to me
ZOLTON: This I was not aware of
AARON: So, all these years, the man I grew up with, a man I detested with every fiber of my being was not my father! Zolton, this calls for a celebration
IN THE CITY Phillip is driving around side streets. He stops outside a building with the numbers 544. He looks around then rings the bell. He has a parcel under his arm.
VOICE ON THE INTERCOM: Yeah, who is it?
PHILLIP: Your father
Inside the loft Phillip's son, Michael, is not happy to see him and is hostile. Bright artworks hand on the wall.
MICHAEL: Why are you here?: I brought you a present. I know your birthday was last week, but ...
MICHAEL: You're kidding, right! I don't want anything from you
PHILLIP: Michael, I think it's about time we start....
MICHAEL: Start what? Huh? Start being my father? Gee Pop, why don't we go outside and, ah, chuck the old football around while we're at it, huh? I think you'd better leave. Please? Go.
AUSTIN ENTERS ROOM 363. The patient is under the covers with a flashlight. Kate is confused and knocks on the door.
KATE: Dr. fielding? Ah, I'm sorry I'm late. I was paged and then .... ah
The boy from the wheelchair sticks his head out.
KATE: Dr. Fielding?
NOAH: It's O.K. to call me Noah
KATE: O.K. Noah
PHILLIP IS DRIVING THROUGH THE BACK STREETS. It's dark, late and he notices that his fuel gauge is on empty. He starts looking around for a gas station. A voice yells out to him and next thing he knows a body is hit by his car. He leaps out to assist the victim. Suddenly, there are footsteps, running and Phillip is attacked by other youths.
GANG KID LEADER: Get the money, get his wallet
GANG KID #2: Oh, man Eddie really got hit, he's bleeding
GANG LEADER: Yo, forget him. Leave him, man. Forget him, let's go
They jump into Phillip's car and drive off turning back the way Phillip had come. Phillip is left laying on the road with the gang kid he had hit. Both are stunned. Phillip gets to his knees and tries to help the kid, Eddie.
PHILLIP: Stay Still. Don't try to move.
EDDIE: My leg, what's wrong with my leg?
PHILLIP: O.K, listen. Don't move, try to be calm. I'll try to stop the bleeding. Don't move your neck. I saw a payphone a few blocks away, I'll have to call an Ambulance.
EDDIE: Don't leave me, man
PHILLIP: You're tough enough to steal my car, you're tough enough to wait five minutes by yourself. Just hang on.
EDDIE: Don't call any cops, man, I don't want to go back to Juvie
PHILLIP: O.K. No cops, no cops
Phillip places his coat over Eddie then runs back toward the payphone. It has been vandalized so he runs to a shop that still ha a light on. He bangs on the security mesh and begs for help but the store person just waves his hands at him.
IN AARON'S OFFICE the two men are quietly getting tipsy.
AARON: So, I'm not really familiar with your work. You ... you wrap buildings? Like the other guy?
ZOLTON: Christoph? Yeah, accept he's an idiot! He takes it seriously. I do it for the money.
AARON: I don't know why anyone would even think of wrapping a building
ZOLTON: I do it for the publicity. It gives me the freedom to pursue my real work
AARON: Which is?
ZOLTON: I'm a sculptor. You know how you be a sculptor in Hungary today?
AARON: No
ZOLTON: First! You steal a piece of marble ....
AARON: Ha ha ... that's where you're from? Hungary?
ZOLTON: I don't know where I'm from. I am without portfolio! My mother didn't tell me, my father didn't tell my mother ... the lines, they cross so many times ...
AARON: And you're in Chicago because you have a show?
ZOLTON: Yeah. At the Art Institute. And I have to catch a plane in four hours
AARON: Four hours? After 42 years that's all you're gonna give me, is four hours?
ZOLTON: I have to be in Florence tomorrow
AARON: Yeah, but Zolton, why did this happen now. Why after all this time have you suddenly decided you had to find me?
ZOLTON: I've never been to Chicago before
AARON: Oh, that's a load of crap
Zolton slaps Aaron hard across the face. Aaron is speechless for a moment
ZOLTON: You talk disrespectfully? Four hours is Zolton is like a life time with any other father!
AARON: You ... you slapped me!
ZOLTON: Yes, and I will do it again if you are not a good boy. Now tell me about yourself. Who are you?
Zolton reaches out and grabs Aaron's cheeks. Aaron is so stunned, he sits there rubbing his face.
KATE IS IRYING TO TALK TO NOAH
KATE: Everything looks, uh, O.K.
NOAH: I have Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomiopathy. Without a new heart, I'll die
KATE: Well, I ....
NOAH: You don't have to sugar coat it Dr. Austin, I'm not a child
KATE: I realize you are very intelligent, Noah, but you are still only 11 years old
NOAH: I have a PHD in astrophysics. My IQ is over 240. I could do quadratic equations before I was four. But of course ... if you still insist on relating to me as a child ...
NURSE: The latest blood cultures
KATE: Have you reached Mr. Fielding yet?
NURSE: Not yet
KATE: Keep trying. Un, I'm gonna need to go look at your x-rays, Noah. Why don't you try to get some sleep
NOAH: I don't sleep
KATE: Everybody sleeps, Noah
NOAH: Maybe 2 hours during the day
KATE: Oh yeah? What do you do while everybody else is sleeping?
NOAH: I read, think
KATE: Well, all right then, uh, why don't you just lie back and think! I'll be back in a while
NOAH: Dr. Austin?
KATE: Ah, yeah?
NOAH: I know it's not rational, scientifically but, do you think it's possible there could be certain alterations in my brain chemistry with the introduction of a new organ?
KATE: I'm not sure I follow
NOAH: Could my personality change after the heart transplant?
KATE: Well, ah, some patients do feel a little sad after surgery
NOAH: I'm not referring to depression. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly what you would call normal. Other kids feel thinks, I think, I analyze ... and I was just hoping that maybe ...never mind ..
KATE: I'd like to say it could happen, Noah, but, um, no. Surgery can't do that for you. Besides, I'm sure you feel things very deeply. You seem to care alot about horses
NOAH: I told you! They're ponies
KATE: I'm sorry
PHILLIP IS STILL RUNNING DOWN THE STREET looking for help for Eddie. He finds his car abandoned and out of gas. Michael's present has been ripped open and dumped in the street.
DENNIS HANCOCK IS IN THE X-RAY ROOM. Kate walks in to view Noah's x-rays.
KATE: Sometimes this job really sucks!
DENNIS: Just noticing?
KATE: Yeah, I've been waiting for a heart for an 11 year old kid and now I've gotta take him off the list, he's got an infection. Clebcillea. I've got him an antibiotics but, I mean, it could take a week to clear up. Meanwhile his heart's failing his kidneys are gone, he's got large plural effusions ... this kid will be lucky to make it through the night, let alone a week. Hey Dennis, would you take a look? I just wanna be sure I'm not missing something.
Dennis checks through his chart.
DENNIS: Well, he's maxed out on Tacacillin and Clendimiacin and in terms of the heart failure you could start a tebutameine infusion but .. .ah ... I don't know what else to tell you, Kate.
KATE: I've gotta call his parents. The nurse said his father's already left for the day. Can you imagine that?
DENNIS: What are you telling this kid?
KATE: I don't know yet. Like I said, sometimes this job really sucks.
AT MICHAEL'S LOFT Michael lifts his mattress and picks up a gun.
PHILLIP: You don't need that
MICHAEL, Incase you haven't noticed, this is kind of a rough neighborhood
PHILLIP: You have no phone, no care but you have a gun!
MICHAEL: Did I ask your opinion? You said you were in trouble.
PHILLIP: Where can I make a phonecall around here?
MICHAEL: There's a gas station three blocks away
PHILLIP: Fine, we'll call for an ambulance there
MICHAEL: As long as you don't plan on an ambulance showing up, not in this part of town. Ambulance won't come for hours, if at all. Now, you said he was hurt bad so we're better off just filling a gas can and just driving this guy ourselves
AARON & ZOLTON ENTER AN EMPTY O.R. Aaron is giving Zolton the grand tour and both are in scrubs.
AARON: Here is where it all happens. Ah ... generally the patient would be here, his head would be positioned here ... ah ... we'd have anywhere from six to a dozen people in the room, assisting surgeon, anesthesiologist would sit there, circulating and assisting nurses ...
ZOLTON: Who's in charge of all this?
AARON: That would be me
ZOLTON: You run everything?
AARON: In here, I run everything, yeah
ZOLTON: You're good at what you do?
AARON ... yeah ...
ZOLTON:Say it!
AARON: Yes, I am an excellent surgeon!
ZOLTON: Good, be proud of yourself
AARON: OK
ZOLTON: What is this? (He picks up a piece of equipment)
AARON: Ah, that is a stereo-tactic halo, it's used for mapping co-ordinates and marking specific areas of the brain. Ah ... this is a wheatlander retractor, it's used for holding back tissue .... it locks in place ....
ZOLTON: You did into people's heads with this?
AARON: Well, if you want to get to their brains you gotta to go ... through their heads
ZOLTON: You do this all day long?
AARON: Yeah
ZOLTON: Sometimes people die?
AARON: Sometimes, yeah
ZOLTON: How do you deal with it. where do you get the courage?
AARON: I ... I don't know
Aaron's beeper goes off.
IN ICU MRS BRADLEY IS FLAT LINE. Keith Wilkes has tried to save her but it is obviously all over. Aaron runs in.
AARON: What's going on?
KEITH: Sorry Aaron, we ran a code but it was too late
AARON: What happened?
KEITH: Well, near as I figure, she threw a clot. Mrs. Bradley's husband's in the waiting room, do you want me to ...
AARON: Ah .. no, thanks, thank you
KEITH: O.K.
He walks out to show Zolton in the doorway.
ZOLTON: She's gone?
AARON: Yeah. I gotta go tell Mr. Bradley his wife is dead. You asked me earlier how I faced death? This is the hard part
While Aaron tells Mr. Bradley the bad news Zolton watches through the corridor widow. He looks proud of his son.
PHILLIP AND MICHAEL HAVE EDDIE IN THE BACK SEAT. Phillip is putting the gas in the car while Michael tries to make Eddie comfortable
EDDIE: Am I gonna die?
MICHAEL: No
EDDIE: I ain't scared of dying
MICHAEL: You're not dying
PHILLIP: (getting in the driver's seat) I can take it from here
MICHAEL: I'd better stay with him while you drive
They close the doors and start for the hospital
AARON & ZOLTON ARE WALKING DOWN THE CORRIDOR. Zolton is back in civilian clothes and Aaron is still in scrubs.
AARON: So, would you want to observe an actual surgery?
ZOLTON: No, I can't stand the sight of blood
AARON: Well, that's something that wasn't passed down
Zolton stops and watches Aaron who turns to see why he stopped.
AARON: What?
ZOLTON: It's very disquieting. You look just like my father, you walk just like my father, I keep waiting for you to hit me in the head. Here, look ...
Zolton mimics Aaron's walk for him.
AARON: What? Is that supposed to be me?
ZOLTON: Yeah
AARON: Get out of here
ZOLTON: Spitting image
AARON: Get out, that's not me
ZOLTON: Just like him
AARON: Crazy
ZOLTON: So, tell me are you married?
Aaron reaches the nurse's station and stops to check a chart.
AARON: Ah ... I'm divorced. Technically, I'm seeing someone. Thank you (nurse hands him a file) Last person on earth even I thought I'd be involved with. A 22 year old nurse.
ZOLTON: Sounds Good. Does she have a younger sister? I'm almost joking! I'm almost joking.
Zolton pats Aaron on the back and they walk away.
KATE IS CHECKING ON NOAH.
KATE: Hey, father arrived yet?
NOAH: No
KATE: Where's your Mom, where is she?
NOAH: She died when I was two
KATE: Well, how about I read to you 'til your Dad gets here, huh? (she looks at a book) "Quantum Physics and the Second Law of Thermal Dynamics", whoa, long title!
NOAH: I don't think you'd like it. It's about ants being quantum systems
KATE: O.K. How about one of these (gesturing to a pile on the cabinet)
NOAH: They're kid's books
KATE: Yeah?
NOAH: The nurse brought them up. Forget it, I don't like to be read to anyway
Noah's father walks in
Mr. Fielding: Noah?
KATE: Ah?
NOAH: My father
KATE: Hi
Everyone looks uncomfortable. Kate talks to Mr. Fielding in the corridor. She can't understand his attitude
KATE: Your Son's condition is worsening, rapidly and I can't really say how much time he's got left.
Mr. FIELDING: I see (he starts to walk away)
KATE: Excuse me, Mr. Fielding. Did you hear what I said?
Mr. FIELDING: yes
KATE: Well, I'm going to put in what is called a central line and then put him on dialysis. You can be there if you like
Mr. FIELDING: No, that's all right. I'll be in the waiting room. Call me if there's any change
KATE: Mr. Fielding, your son's condition is critical. Don't you think you should be with him? Look, I'm sorry but I don't understand this.
Mr. FIELDING: Look at me, Dr. Austin! I never finished High School, never knew nothing about the things he needs. Don't understand what he says. Everytime I look at him I'm reminded of that. I love my son, but it's a mistake he's mine. Like I said, I'll be in the waiting room.
He walks away leaving Kate standing there stunned.
AARON AND ZOLTON ARE NOW HAPPILY DRUNK. They are in Aaron's office toasting with scotch.
ZOLTON: May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future, or something like that, it doesn't translate very well
AARON: To Mary Bradley
ZOLTON: To Mary Bradley, whoever she is, who is she?
AARON: That .. ah .. is the woman who died today
ZOLTON: Did you know her well?
AARON: No
ZOLTON: Do you fell so strongly about all your patients?
AARON: Ah .... most .... not all. It's getting ...ah... hard to avoid. Didn't used to be. Medicine used to be a place to avoid the chaos. There's order, there's control
ZOLTON: No more?
AARON: No, It's ... it's still there ... it's just not enough now, not enough. How do you find the balance in life, Zolton?
ZOLTON: You came to the wrong guy
AARON: You came to me
ZOLTON: Not to talk philosophy ... I just wanted to have a drink
AARON: Maybe I should become a sculptor
ZOLTON: Argh! I would rather look at a hundred corpses than some of my own work. People, come and go ... bad art is forever!
AARON: Well that's ....that's a lot of help!
ZOLTON: You want help? Go to a psychiatrist! Let's have fun
PHILLIP AND MICHAEL ARE STILL TRYING TO GET EDDIE TO HOSPITAL. Michael is examining him in the back.
MICHAEL: He's having trouble breathing, his trachea's shifted to the right
PHILLIP: How do you know that?
MICHAEL: Also, possible retractions, dull noise on percussion, looks like a tension pneumo. He needs a chest tube. Where's your medical bag?
PHILLIP: What are you talking about? What do you know about relieving a tension pneumo thorax
MICHAEL: Where's your bag?
PHILLIP: Under the passenger seat
MICHAEL: Got it. I'm in my second year of med school. I work nights as a paramedic at county.
PHILLIP: Med School?
MICHAEL: Do you have an angiocath in here?
PHILLIP: Bottom of the bag. You sure you know how to do this?
KATE IS CHECKING NOAH'S MACHINES.
KATE: So, Noah: you didn't wanna see your Dad?
NOAH: Actually I think he's scared of me. We just don't know how to be around each other.
KATE: At your age it's normal to just wanna be with your friends
NOAH: I don't have any friends
KATE: Oh, come on
NOAH: I used to play chess with this professor in the physics lab but he stopped because I won all the time
KATE: Well, sometimes with friends you've gotta be willing to loose a game, see friendship isn't about winning, it's about trust and sharing stuff, you know, like your last piece of bubble gum or your deepest secrets. Friends tell each other everything. Maybe you and I could be friends like that
NOAH: You'd tell me a secret?
KATE: Yeah
NOAH: Really?
KATE: Yeah, O.K. I will. Guess what? You and I are not all that different. See when I was your age I didn't have any friends either. I was kinda geeky. I was alot taller than most of the girls and I was definitely taller than all the boys and ... well.... I was smarter too. Not as smart as you, of course but I know how hard it is being the smartest kid in class
NOAH: That's not the secret I wanna hear. I wanna know .... am I gonna die? It's all right, you can tell me, we're friends. Just stay with me, won't you?
KATE: Yeah
Kate moves closer to Noah and holds his hand.
PHILLIP AND MICHAEL BURST THROUGH THE EMERGENCY ROOM DOORS WITH EDDIE. Keith Wilkes is right there.
PHILLIP: Get me a trauma here
KEITH: Phillip, what happened?
PHILLIP: It's a long story
KEITH: O.K, just give me the highlights, this place is a zoo tonight
PHILLIP: Kid ran in front of my car. Open fractured tibia, possible internal injuries, lets put him in trauma two
MICHAEL: Abdominal distention, maybe a punctured spleen. Had to relieve a tension pneumo-thorax. His pulse is thready but he's got normal breath sounds.
KEITH:O.K., who are you?
PHILLIP: My son, Michael
KEITH: That was my second guess.
PHILLIP: Let's go... good oral airway, a 70 T-tube call the blood bank, 4 units of O-neg, cross match for four more.
KEITH: Ah .. Phillip we're stretched pretty thin here, I've got an MVA in 2
PHILLIP: That's O.K, go...we have it here, (Keith nods towards Michael) He's O.K, don't worry
MICHAEL: CBC, ABG, lights .... come on, come on
PHILLIP: Your heard him. V-Tac ... come on, charge the paddles ... push one amp epi
MICHAEL: Charged
PHILLIP: Clear
MICHAEL: Nothing, nothing
PHILLIP: go 300
MICHAEL: Charged
PHILLIP: Clear
MICHAEL: Nothing, I'm gonna start compressions
AARON AND ZOLTON "SNEAK" INTO PHILLIP'S OFFICE. They are making alot of noise but are so drunk that they think they are being quiet.
AARON: Shhhhhhh ... come in here ....Quiet
ZOLTON: Whao, nice room
AARON: Yeah
ZOLTON: Good aura
AARON: Yeah, yeah .. this office belongs to many men and his name is Phillip Watters (Voice slightly slurred)
Aaron gets into Phillips stash of booze & cigars
AARON: And he has all the good stuff ... all the drinks, smokes ... and musics ..
Zolton picks up a guitar and takes a cigar from Aaron. He smells it appreciatively.
AARON: Hit it mistro (with a cigar in his mouth)
Zolton goes to play and it sounds flat. He says Oh-oh and starts to tune it.
AARON: Don't break it
NOAH IS GETTING WORSE and Kate knows it. He won't last much longer
NOAH: It's my turn to tell you my secret
KATE: I'm listening.
NOAH: I don't remember her. I tell my father I still do but I don't
KATE: Your mother?
NOAH: I know he wants me to but I can't. All I have is a picture of us together, the day she took me to ride the ponies. She's standing next to me but I can't see her face. She's in a shadow. I don't remember her face
Kate strokes his hair.
IN THE WAITING ROOM Noah's dad paces with a cup of coffee. Kate enters for one last try.
KATE: Mr. Fielding, You told me you didn't know what your son needed. Well, he needs a father. Look, right now you still have the chance to be that for him. To tell him the things he needs to hear. He's your son, Mr. Fielding. And He's dying!
MR FIELDING: I don't know what to say, I don't know how to begin
KATE: He just needs to know that you love him, he deserves at least that
BACK IN THE ER Eddie is flat-line. Michael is still trying to save him but everyone else is leaving. Phillip walks around the bed and tried to stop Michael.
PHILLIP: Michael ... son .. it's over. Come on
NURSE: Dr. Waters, any idea how to contact the next of kin?
PHILLIP: I never even found out his name
Michael walks away. Phillip goes after him.
PHILLIP: Michael, where are you going?
MICHAEL: Home
PHILLIP: Michael, we can't continue like this ... (he grabs his arm), Michael! Talk to me
MICHAEL: Get your hands off me
PHILLIP: What are you going to do ... hit me? Go ahead ...hit me, take your best shot!
They start hissing at each other in Spanish.
PHILLIP: Well that's fine, that's fine. You can hate me, but I'm not letting you walk away again
MICHAEL: I don't hate you I just have nothing to say to you
PHILLIP: Then listen. I know how angry you are. Also, yes, I've made mistakes as a father and as a husband
MICHAEL: Mistakes? You broke her heart! You killed her
PHILLIP: What are you talking about? I loved her!
MICHAEL: No, you wouldn't have cheated on her
They start to wrestle and fall to the floor. Phillip pins Michael down by laying on top of him
PHILLIP: It's time you grew up, Michael. You're 26 and you think you know about love? About life? Well that boy back there was alive five minutes ago. That's how fast things can happen. There's no time for this
They both sit up against the wall.
PHILLIP: I fell in love with another woman after 27 years. It was over the day your mother's illness was diagnosed. Before she died she forgave me, why haven't you?
Michael feels around his neck then looks on the floor. He picks up a chain with a cross on it.
MICHAEL: I haven't taken this off since the day Mom died. It's the one she gave me for my confirmation.
PHILLIP (Teary eyed) Yeah, it was raining hard that day. We almost didn't make it to church.
MICHAEL: Remember I had to wear that crummy suit she got me that summer. I'd grown three inches since she got it so I must have looked like a geek.
PHILLIP: Your mother loved you
Michael kisses the cross.
MICHAEL: I miss her so much
PHILLIP: Me too, me too
They both stand and Michael leaves. Phillip lets him go watching him walk away.
IN PHILLIP'S OFFICE ZOLTON is playing the guitar ... loudly. Aaron is singing as well, in some foreign language. Aaron is sitting on the floor playing bongos. They are laughing and having fun
ZOLTON: I am having so much fun, I am going to throw up
AARON: Oh boy, you know, I can't ... I can not get a handle on any of this and yet it all makes total sense
Zolton checks his watch and starts to go.
ZOLTON: Oh, I have to go
AARON: No, no,no,no , you can't, you can't go. We're having to much fun.. haha ... no,no,no
ZOLTON: You can have fun anywhere. It's easy, just tell everybody to go to hell
AARON: There's no way you can stay?
ZOLTON: No, I have a show to mount
AARON: It's a woman isn't it
ZOLTON: A show, I have a show to mount ... Goodbye
AARON: This is goodbye?
ZOLTON: Yeah
He grabs Aaron's face and goes to kiss him
AARON: no no ... not on the lips ... no no ... get out
ZOLTON: Yes, Europeans
AARON: Aw man
ZOLTON: Aaron. I'm proud of you, you are a good son Aaron. Don't look for all the answers .. this is it!
AARON: If you say so
ZOLTON: Where is my coat? I have a coat ( he starts to leave)
AARON: Hey.....Dad?
ZOLTON: Yeah
AARON: I'll walk out with you
They walk out with their arms around each other. So natural.
NOAH'S DAD AND KATE are at his door. Noah's dad stands by him, nervously.
Mr. FIELDING: I want to tell you about your mother. It's funny ... things you remember most about a person. Just little things, I guess. Like how beautiful her long, brown hair was and her laugh ... that made everybody near just start laughing right along with her. She used to turn on the radio at night and dance in the living room with you in her arms, twirl you and you'd throw your head back and laugh
NOAH: Did she ever read to me?
Mr. FIELDING: All the time. It was kinda like you just couldn't get enough
NOAH: Did I love my Mother?
Mr. FIELDING: You did son, you did.
NOAH: Would you read to me? One of those. (Noah points to the children's books) What's it about?
Mr. FIELDING: This one? Well, let me see here. It's about a bear ... named Winnie the Pooh and his friends, Christopher Robin, Piglet and Owl.
NOAH: Are there ponies in it?
Mr. FIELDING: Well, let me read it to you and we'll find out
They snuggle up on the bed and Kate looks away crying.
PHILLIP IS IN HIS OFFICE. He sits with a drink and we see Aaron sitting on the floor again.
AARON: Isn't it odd that no matter how old we get we're always trying to please our parents?
PHILLIP: And isn't it odd that parents never realize it?
AARON: Think we'll ever stop needing each other's approval?
PHILLIP: I'm not sure, I guess we'll just have to wait and see
They both sit in silence and it fades to the credits.