EPHRAM: It's not funny.
DR. BROWN: It's a little funny.
[Dr. Brown and Delia chuckle again and Ephram joins in. Soon all three are bursting into laughter. Delia seizes the opportunity and hands her father a note.]
DR. BROWN: [reading it] What's this?
DELIA: It's a note from school. I'm in "big trouble".
[They continue laughing.]
DELIA: See you inside.
[She jumps out of the vehicle. Dr. Brown and Ephram continue laughing.]
DR. BROWN: She's a crafty, that one.
[Their laughter slowly subsides and they just sit in silence.]
EPHRAM: I see her too, sometimes. Mom, I mean. Not like you do. I don't talk to her or anything. More like I-I feel her, with us, w-when we're all having dinner or when there's a song playing on the radio that she used to like. I-I just know she's there.
[Dr. Brown just ponders for a moment.]
DR. BROWN: Ephram, I wish I could tell you everything's gonna be OK. I know that's what I'm supposed to say. But the truth is, I don't know what's gonna happen to us. But what I do know is that all we have now is each other. I need your help raising your sister. I can't do it alone. She gets us.
[Ephram just considers it for a moment then gives a slight nod and hops out.]
[Cut to the main street of Everwood the following day. Both doctors' vehicles pull up and they get out.]
DR. ABBOTT: Morning, Doctor.
DR. BROWN: Morning.
DR. ABBOTT: What's the matter? Didn't have time for your usual bowl of sarcasm this morning?
DR. BROWN: Actually, I wanted to say thank you for giving my son and daughter a ride home the other night. That was very kind of you.
DR. ABBOTT: You're welcome. Since you seem hell bent on becoming a permanent fixture around here, I suppose I should give you a piece of advice.
DR. BROWN: And that is?
DR. ABBOTT: When I first joined my father's practice, I too went out of my way to become available to all people at all times. I soon realized that exhausting myself was no good for anyone least of all for my family who needed me the most. Being a small town physician is a marathon, Doctor, not sprint. And if one of us is going to win this race, you are going to have to stay in it.
[Dr. Abbott begins walking to his office.]
DR. ABBOTT: [cont'd.] And behold the people...
[He motions toward the long line of patients waiting for his arrival.]
DR. ABBOTT: ...who had every attribute of dogs, except loyalty.
[He opens his door and the patients begin filing in.]
DR. ABBOTT: Go on everyone. Inside. Welcome back. All is forgiven.
[Cut to the Brown family clinic. Edna is sitting on a chair with her feet up reading a magazine. Dr. Brown enters the silent clinic.]
EDNA: You hear that? That was the sound of a pin dropping.
DR. BROWN: After what happened yesterday, I'm surprised you're still here, Edna.
EDNA: You're paying me. We're in this foxhole together, compadre. Don't worry about everyone else. They'll come around. They always do. It's sort of the nature of this place, you're up one day, you're down the next. In the meantime, we have some excellent periodicals.
[Dr. Brown picks up a fishing magazine and reads as Mrs. Dudley enters the clinic.]
MRS. DUDLEY: Good morning, Doctor.
DR. BROWN: Mrs. Dudley, what a nice surprise. How are you?
MRS. DUDLEY: Just fine. Thank you. I wanted to stop by and take the opportunity to say thank you again for the other night.
DR. BROWN: Well, that's quite a long way just to... [realizes] How did you get here?
