Army Wives (2007–2013): Season 3, Episode 12 - First Response - full transcript

Previously on "Army Wives"...

- Ms. Leblanc? I'm Claire Decker.
- Hi, nice to meet you.

- This is Finn.
- Hello.

I may not be anything special,
but I know that my son is,

and I just want a fair
shake for him. That's all.

This is Mrs. Decker
from Fordham Academy.

Finn's been awarded
a full scholarship.

- Welcome to Fordham.
- Thank you!

I walk back with the souffle,
and Denise is sitting by herself?

It was incredibly rude.
The simple fact

is that you can't stand to be in
the same room as Denise, can you?



What she did violates
everything I believe in.

I remain Claudia Joy's friend,

and that will never change,
but I don't have to be yours.

- Thank you for all your kindness.
- You didn't have to do that.

You two will be guests at the
Dream Haven spa this weekend.

Massages, facials-- the works.

Look out!

It's me, Claudia Joy.
Just try to be still.

- Ma'am, are you okay?
- Yeah, I'm fine. It's my friend.

Arterial lac to her lower left wrist.

I'm elevating, applying pressure.

Positive L.O.C. Pulse is thready.
Airway is okay.

- E.M.T.?
- Nurse.

Yeah, I'm right here,
Claudia Joy, right beside you.



I'm a paramedic, ma'am.

I'm gonna take over
for your friend now.

Can you stabilize?

You're gonna be fine.

You're doing so well, Claudia Joy.

Just hang in there, okay?

I need to step in.

Ma'am, we'll take it from here.

We need to make sure you're okay.

I'll be close by.

- Denise.
- Yeah.

She's my best friend.

~ Willow's Team ~

{\pos(192,235)}Your mother's gone only a few hours,

{\pos(192,235)}and our eating habits
have gone completely to hell.

{\pos(192,235)}Speak for yourself.

{\pos(192,235)}Soy ice cream. Mmm.

{\pos(192,235)}Tofu... not.

{\pos(192,235)}General Holden.

{\pos(192,235)}Speaking.

What happened?

{\pos(192,235)}She's stable.
Her head CT came back clear.

{\pos(192,215)}She cut her wrist during the accident,
had to get stitches.

What about you?

{\pos(192,215)}I'm okay, kiddo.
Just a couple of bruises.

What happened?

I don't know.
It all happened so fast.

I'm here for my wife--
Claudia Joy Holden.

{\pos(192,195)}I just spoke with Dr. Spencer.

{\pos(192,195)}- We can take you right back.
- Thank you. Emmalin.

I'm all right.
I should try to reach Frank again.

Go.

{\pos(192,185)}Mom.

Don't worry.

{\pos(192,215)}Don't worry, honey. I'm fine.

{\pos(192,215)}I'm Dr. Spencer.
I've been treating your wife.

{\pos(192,215)}Thank you.

{\pos(192,215)}In addition to a mild concussion and
some superficial bruises and contusions,

{\pos(192,215)}your wife suffered an arterial
laceration to her left wrist.

{\pos(192,215)}We've closed the wound
and expect it to heal normally.

{\pos(192,215)}Profusion to the distal
extremities looks good.

- Come again?
- Sorry. Long day.

{\pos(192,215)}With this kind of trauma, circulation
to the fingers can be a problem,

{\pos(192,215)}but that doesn't appear to be the case.

- That's good, right?
- Yes.

And her head scan proved normal.

- Can we take her home, doctor?
- Well, not yet.

{\pos(192,215)}We'd like to hold her overnight,
uh, keep her on the IV.

{\pos(192,215)}Plus, any time there's
a loss of consciousness,

we prefer to err
on the side of caution.

- But she's okay?
- Well, as far as we can tell, yes.

But we want to watch for blood clots,

uh, make sure her mental
status remains clear.

{\pos(192,215)}I assure you,
this is purely a precaution.

Emmalin, don't forget-- seat belts.

{\pos(192,215)}Mom.

The only thing Mrs. Holden
really needs right now is rest.

Understood.

See you tomorrow?

{\pos(192,215)}- Thank you, Dr. Spencer.
- Yes, thank you. - You're welcome.

Did you see Denise?

- Yeah.
- How is she?

- She's okay.
- We saw her on the way in.

Oh, god. I feel so foolish.

Denise offered to drive, and--

Michael, the car.

Don't worry about the car.

You should go home.
You should--

Emmalin, you have school.

She has school.

I'll be right back.

All right. Okay.

I'm gonna stay
with your mother tonight.

- Me, too.
- I know that you want to, sweetheart,

but I need you to do something for me.
Colonel Sherwood is at the Pentagon,

and that means
Mrs. Sherwood is all alone right now.

Right.

I need you to take her home
and make sure she's okay.

- Can you do that for me?
- Yeah.

That's my girl.

I'll tell her.

I'm gonna say good night to mom first.

Excuse me.

Did you help out with that car
accident on route 12 tonight?

Yes, sir. I was one of
the responders on the scene.

Thank you. That was my wife.

Appreciate that. But the person
you should really thank is her.

She's a hell of a nurse.

If she hadn't have been there
to stop that bleeding, your wife...

Well, it might have been
a different story.

Good morning.

And how are we feeling today?

I don't know yet.

Here.

- I can get that.
- No. You're the patient.

I'm the nurse.

Brought you a few things from the house.
Emmalin helped me pick 'em out.

- How is she?
- She's good.

She stayed with me last night.

Oh, thanks.

Everyone's asking about you.

I practically had to bar
them from driving over here.

Denise, I am so sorry.

Stop. There's no need to apologize.

I was so stupid. I don't--
I don't know what happened.

The only thing that
matters is that you are alive

and that you'll be home
before you know it.

Look who's awake.

- Hi.
- Good morning, Denise.

Good morning. I-I brought
some clothes for Claudia Joy.

Thanks.

I was just confirming
the age-old truth about hospital food.

That for me?

It is now.

How's my sleeping beauty?

Very funny. I look awful.

Hardly.

- Well, I better get going.
- Really? So soon?

I can get some more coffee.

No, I have a million
things to do. And...

- I'll see you at the house.
- Thank you.

Tell everyone not to worry about me.

Fat chance.

Bye.

- How do you spell "Holden"?
- H-O-L-D-E-N.

- I was asking mom. Mom.
- He's right.

- See?
- Know-it-all.

Good news. Claudia Joy
is coming home this afternoon,

Denise says
she's doing really well.

Oh, thank god.

Yeah, I'm gonna let Roland know.

Great. Did she say how it happened?

2-lane road, night.

She thinks Claudia Joy was blinded
by headlights, overcorrected.

- What's up, little man?
- We need to go.

Oh, you're right.
Can't be late for our first day.

- Looking good, Finn.
- Thanks.

- It's my new uniform.
- I know.

I'm starting a new school--
Fordham Academy.

I know.

Would you mind? I promised
Trevor he wouldn't miss anything

- while he's away at recruiter school.
- Sure. All right, get together.

Dork.

One more.

- Bye, Arabella.
- Bye, mommy.

Excuse me. Hi there.
Can you tell me where to park?

Park? Honey, this is
lower-school drop-off only.

Oh, well, it's his first day.
I wanted to walk him in.

Didn't you read the parent handbook?

Yes, but I didn't memorize it.

Newbie in the lower
lot holding up the line.

You need to pull out,
make a left on Fordham drive,

turn where it says "north lot" and park
in one of the spots marked "visitors."

Oh, give it a rest.

Some people, I swear.

Who's your teacher, handsome?

- Ms. Sutton.
- My daughter Anna's in that class.

You'll love Ms. Sutton.

She's in the first set of classrooms
on your right once you park.

Okay, thank you.

Read your handbook...
All of it.

Yes, ma'am.

And wash that car!

The nurse explained your wound care?

- She did.
- Now be sure to report

any numbness or tingling
in your finger or hands.

Those stitches should be
ready to come out in a week.

Now because you mentioned
blurry vision,

I'd like you to follow up
with an ophthalmologist.

Oh, I was tired.
My eyes are fine.

When was your last eye exam?

Ophthalmologist-- got it.

Okay, uh, one more thing.

We ran a standard blood panel
when you were admitted.

Your glucose level came back high.

We thought it could be stress,
so we repeated it this morning.

- Your levels remain elevated.
- What does that mean?

It could reflect any number of things,
but it needs to be checked out.

I've conferred with your
primary physician over at Mercer--

Melinda Jernigan. She can
see you tomorrow at 10:00.

Saturday? It can't wait till monday?

This isn't the kind of thing
that you want to ignore.

- She'll be there.
- Good.

Go back to sleep.

When I was in the car
waiting for the ambulance...

Rest.

I kept seeing you...

and Emmalin...

And thinking about
all we've been through...

How much we have to live for.

Can I call your friends and tell 'em
to forget about this afternoon?

No. They've been too kind.

I don't want to disappoint them.

I'll be fine.

I know.

I think I will rest my eyes a while.

Good.

I really can't explain it.

One minute, we're on our way
to the spa, and the next...

we're headed for a tree.

I know it was my fault, but...

for the life of me,
I don't know what went wrong.

That's why
they call 'em accidents.

You get paid big bucks for
that kind of analysis, huh?

So, Roxy, what's this I hear
about Trevor being a recruiter?

Oh, yeah. How about that?

He's at Fort Jackson doing training,

and then he's home
for a good long time.

So... the Leblanc house
is higher than a kite these days.

- I'm happy for you.
- Thank you.

Oh, no, you don't, Missy.
I got it.

I'm not an invalid, you know?

You've had a major trauma,
Claudia Joy.

- You need to take it easy.
- Listen to the doctor.

Sorry I'm late.

- How are you doing?
- I'm happy to be home.

- How are you doing, Denise?
- Are you okay?

Nothing a little ibuprofen
can't help. I'm just a little sore.

I am bringing a casserole for dinner.

- I put a lasagna in the freezer.
- I made chili.

And in the interest
of a speedy recovery,

I purposely avoided making anything.

My cookies came in a sealed box.

- You're all spoiling me.
- Oh, come on. Enjoy it.

Whenever I'm sick, I always
milk it for everything I can.

I'm just not good with
all this fuss. That's all.

That's because
you like to be in control.

- Wouldn't you agree, Dr. Burton?
- I'm not gonna go there.

All I will say is that you
both need to take it easy.

Yeah, stay on that couch,
or you're in serious trouble.

What would I do without you guys?

I like science the best.

We looked at a butterfly
wing in a microscope.

- Have you ever done that, mom?
- Nope.

Then we had music.
That was the best.

- I thought science was the best.
- It was.

You can't have two bests, stupid.

- T.J., watch your tone.
- Well, you can't.

Go ahead.

I played a clarinet.
It sounds like a goose.

- Anybody home?
- Dad! - Daddy!

Boys.

- Welcome home, soldier.
- Thanks, baby.

- How was recruiter school?
- It was great.

- Finn, how is your new school?
- Great.

My teacher-- Ms. Sutton--
has freckles and bouncy hair.

- Bouncy hair?
- I had this spelling test--

And she gave us juice boxes
'cause we did so good at math.

- Then we sat on the quad for reading.
- What's a quad?

- It means grass.
- I had this spelling test--

And in science, Mr. Sanchez gave me
a chapter book about caterpillars.

Let me tell dad about my test.

Toby Jack Leblanc,
we do not hit in this house!

- What was that about?
- He's been in a mood all day.

I think it's a little sibling rivalry.
I tried to talk to him,

but I got nowhere fast.

You okay, little man?

- Is everything okay?
- It is. Claudia Joy is resting.

- How are you? You feel okay?
- Yeah, I'm fine.

Good.

- Would you like to come in?
- No, thank you.

I just stopped by because...

I know that you and I have
had our differences, Denise...

I came by to say thank you.

Thank you for saving Claudia Joy.

I think I owe you an apology.

No.

I understand.

You're welcome in our home anytime.

Thank you.

Good night.

Good night.

{\pos(192,225)}What are you smiling for, Sherwood?

{\pos(192,225)}It's 110 out here in the shade,

{\pos(192,225)}and there ain't no shade.

{\pos(192,225)}I'm just happy my parents
are back together,

{\pos(192,225)}- that's all.
- Well, get over it, a'ight?

{\pos(192,215)}You're pissing me off.

{\pos(192,215)}You know I'm just playing
with you, right?

{\pos(192,215)}I'm glad they worked it out.

You never told me
about your mom and dad.

- They together?
- Together?

Man, if they were any more
together, they'd be one person.

Check this out.

Damn.

That's your family?

Extended family.

Grandparents, parents, cousins,

aunts, uncles, nieces,
nephews, cats, dogs--

We have annual reunions.

- So which ones are your folks?
- Oh, right here in the middle.

That's my mom, that's my dad.

- Must be nice.
- Yeah.

My family's tighter than
a can of sardines, bro.

Everyone's in everybody's business.

Family's everything, man.

Word.

Incoming!

Scrounger, you tool.

Take it easy, Shirley.
Just open the thing.

You know you scared
the crap outta me, right?

- How'd it get here so fast?
- Bro, I told you.

The scrounge-a-nator's
got a hookup on everything

and anything. Enjoy, ladies.

- That's half mine.
- I'm first go. That was our deal.

Saddle up!

We'll settle this later, all right?

Byron's in my reading class

and music.
He plays trumpet.

Finish your cereal, okay?

- Someone's up early.
- I have a play date.

With Byron, his new
best friend from school.

He's coming here? I'll go change.

- No, I'm going there.
- Yeah, they're coming to pick him up.

Hey, sleepyhead.
What do you want for breakfast?

- Nothing.
- Nothing?

Buddy, how can you play
shortstop for the Braves

if you don't eat anything?

He's here!

- Hey, Byron!
- We saw a tank driving in.

Cool.

- Are you Byron's mom?
- No, I'm his au pair.

His what now?

- She's my nanny.
- Oh, okay.

I'm, uh, Roxy Leblanc.
Thanks for coming to pick Finn up.

Madeline Marcon,
and it was no trouble at all.

Mrs. Dunwood would be here,
but she plays tennis on saturdays.

Right.

Our contact number and address.

We'll be at the park,
then home for lunch.

Is Finn allergic to shellfish?

He doesn't have any
allergies that I'm aware of.

Good. I think
we're having she-crab soup.

Okay. Well, Finn would be
over the moon with pb&j.

He's really not picky.

You boys ready to go?

Andiamo.

- Finn, mind your manners.
- Bye.

Y'all have fun.

Hey, bud. How you doing?

You got any big plans today?

How would you like to go
to dad's secret fishing spot?

- Really?
- Yeah.

Of course, you gotta get dressed first.

Okay, sure.

What do I wear?

Well, you know, adventure stuff,

like cargo pants, boots.

We're gonna be trekking through
some pretty rugged country, you know?

Can I bring my cub scout knife?

Absolutely. We may need it.

Cool.

You used to hate having your hair
combed when you were little.

That's because it took forever.

One snarl after the other.

And now I know who to blame.
Talk about thick hair.

It's not such a bad thing.

- In the summer it is.
- Well, blame your grandmother.

Does it hurt?

Oh, it throbs every now and then.

Think you'll have a scar?

Probably. Took 14 stitches.

How long will we be at the doctor?

Oh, no, honey.
You don't have to stick around.

I'll be there most of the day.
Your dad will pick me up when I'm done.

How come you'll be there so long?

They're running some tests.

- And that takes all day?
- This one test does.

I have to drink some goo and
then wait for a couple of hours.

Why?

Check levels in my blood.

That doesn't sound good.

Honey, I'm sure it's nothing.

I've never been sick a day in my life.
You know that.

You have good genes.

Except for the hair.

Quit complaining. Keep combing.

Yeah, okay.

Hmm. Frank sent these.
He knows lilies are my favorite.

Well, I brought you something
a bit more practical.

- You mentioned being sore.
- Thank you.

I'll soak with this tonight.

- How's Joan?
- Busy.

You remember how much has
to be handled before deployment.

- Can I help with anything?
- We're covered.

I just came by here to make sure
that you were taking it easy.

- Following doctor's orders?
- Exactly.

It's Claudia Joy you have to worry
about. She never slows down.

That's true.

But she's not the only one
around here who puts others first.

You doing okay?

I am.

Considering what could've
happened, I feel very lucky.

In fact, I keep thinking about

all the things I have--
my health, my family, my friends.

I'm so blessed, Roland.
I really am.

Life is good.

Hola, suckers.

How does he always score a ride,
and we're stuck humping it?

Oh, think about it.

Who scores top sirloin, kick-ass dvds,

cell phones, video games--
You or Scrounger?

All I'm saying is that
it's not fair that this guy--

Hit the deck! Hit the deck!
Incoming! Incoming!

- How you doin' back there?
- Good.

Good.

When I was first
assigned to Fort Marshall,

I need to find a place where I could...

Clear my head, think a little, you know?

- Yeah.
- Here, watch your step.

So anyways, a buddy and
I kinda wandered out here

and we stumbled
on to this fishing spot.

Watch the rocks.

So as far as I know,

not another human alive
knows about this spot

except for me, my buddy, and now you.

- You ready?
- Yeah.

Well, go on.

Yeah, you said it.

- Hey, you hungry?
- Yeah.

Yeah? Well...

A special spot deserves
special food-- man food.

And you can't tell your mom
or your brother, okay?

- Open up.
- Really?

- Hey, we're in the woods, right?
- Right.

Who needs crackers
when you're in the woods?

- Not me.
- All right, then. Commence firing.

Yeah, that's good.

All right. Who's ready for some fishing?

- Me.
- Okay.

Sir.

At ease. I just wanted to thank you

for taking over
that rot-c tour this morning.

Happy to help.

- How's Claudia Joy?
- Appears to be okay, thanks.

- Please give her my best.
- I will.

Just no accounting for life, is there?

Sir?

As soldiers...

we're used to being in harm's way.

If there's bad news, it usually
involves one of us. But...

Everyone's vulnerable...

Every minute, every day.

Whole thing can turn on a dime.

Yes, sir.

Carry on.

Thanks for your patience.

I know that glucose test is no fun.

It's the fasting that's no fun.

The results aren't good, Claudia Joy.

I'm sorry to tell you this,

but you have type 2 diabetes.

That can't be right.

I watch my weight, I exercise.

I understand.
You don't fit the stereotype.

But about 20% of type 2 diabetics don't.

That's 1-in-5.

Is there any history in your family?

My grandmother,
but she was overweight.

This doesn't make sense.

The symptoms have probably
been there for a while.

Have you had any
unexplained tiredness lately,

walking up stairs, maybe?

Um, once in a while,

when I'm carrying laundry or...

What about thirst?

I try to stay hydrated.

But after you drink,
are you still thirsty?

Sometimes.
It's the south.

I've treated you for two urinary tract
infections in the past nine months.

Taken singly, none of these
problems is terribly damning,

but viewed as a whole, it paints
an entirely different picture.

I'm sorry, but you're wrong.
Can't the test be-- be wrong?

There's always the possibility
of clinical error, but--

Let's take the test again.

There is another test, the a-1-c.

That would show us your average blood
glucose over the past few months.

- There is no refuting those results.
- I want to take that test now.

Please.

Oh, darn.

Yes?

Hi. Hello. It's, uh, Roxy Leblanc.

- I'm here to pick up--
- Finn will be right there.

Okeydokey.

- Hi, mom!
- Hey, there.

He was a perfect gentleman.

Oh, I'm glad to hear it.

Thanks for having me over.

We should get them
together again soon.

- Can we?
- Sure. Anytime.

- Cool. Bye, Finn.
- See you at school.

- So you had fun?
- It was great.

Good.

Buddy, you are a fish magnet.

We've pretty much hit our legal limit.

Do we have to go?

Couple more.

Gotta leave some for next time.

What is it?

I thought I spotted Mr. Fred.

Who's Mr. Fred?

I met Mr. Fred the first
time I fished this spot.

I'd been out here an hour,
maybe two, hadn't caught much.

Then I felt this pull.

Only stronger.

That fish yanked me so hard,
it nearly popped me outta my boots.

Then snap! Broke me off.

- Man.
- I know.

Then I heard this splash,

and Mr. Fred had jumped
clear out of the water.

And right hand to god, T.J.,
that fish was as big as my arm.

Did you ever hook him again?

Nope.

That's why I've been waiting
to bring you out here.

Make sure you were strong enough

to give Mr. Fred a real
run for his money.

Think we'll see him?

Always a chance.

Scrounger's stable.

Chopper's flying him to Baghdad.

He'll get back in the game, man.

The guy is unstoppable.

Man, did you see his leg?

It was like hamburger.

At least he's alive.

What kind of life is that? No leg?

Hey, we don't know that.

Maybe they can save it.

Just promise me something, all right?

If I buy it in the sandbox,
you call my folks,

tell 'em I did my job,
you tell 'em that I was--

What are you talking about?

We're outta here in two
weeks and a haircut, bro.

Your mom's gonna be
all over you next month

crying for new grandkids, right?

Just promise me.

No way.

Nothing's gonna happen.

I'd do it for you.

Nobody's calling anybody, all right?

Mom, are we poor?

What? Where did you get that idea?

Byron's got a trampoline,
a swimming pool

and a wooden fort bigger
than the one at school.

He does?

He even has a computer
and a tv in his room.

Wow. That's a lot of stuff.

- Yeah.
- But, you know,

stuff doesn't really make
a person rich or poor.

It doesn't?

Heck, no.

I mean, we may not
have a lot of stuff, but...

we've got plenty of things
that other people don't have.

Like Lucky?

Yeah, like Lucky.

But also like a roof over our heads

and clothes on our back
and food in our bellies.

A lot of people don't even have that.

- They don't?
- No.

But more importantly,
we have each other, right?

Like your dad and T.J.
and all of our friends.

So we're not poor.

Do you feel poor?

No, but I wish we had a pool.

Yeah, well, me, too.
Come here.

You want to wash the car?

{\pos(192,225)}Y'all can't still be hungry.

{\pos(192,225)}- I'd eat more.
- Me, too.

{\pos(192,225)}Did you boys come home with
hollow legs I don't know about?

{\pos(192,225)}Fresh fish is the best fish, right, dad?

Right.

{\pos(192,215)}It sounds like everyone
had a pretty great day.

{\pos(192,215)}The best day ever.

{\pos(192,215)}Can I go to the secret
fishing hole, dad?

When you're a little older, pal.

- It's not fair.
- It's a long hike, buddy.

Yeah, you just need to grow some first

so Mr. Fred doesn't
pull you into the pond.

Who's Mr. Fred?

Only the biggest fish in
the state of South Carolina.

Okay, who's ready for more fish?!

- Me!
- I am.

Hey, mom?

Jeremy. Is everything all right?

Yeah, everything's cool.

Just thought I'd check in on you.

Dad still in D.C.?

Yeah, till next week.

So... How are you?

Anything going on?

No, not much.

Same old, same old. How about you?

No.

Nothing much here either.

I'm really looking
forward to coming home.

Oh, me, too.

It'll be so nice to have
the family together again.

Yeah.

You know, there is one thing.

Wait till you see
what your father bought.

What?

A motorcycle.

No way. Seriously?

A Harley. Can you believe it?

It's good to hear your voice, mom.

Yours, too.

Hurry up and come home, okay?

That's my plan.

Diabetes?

You're sure?

We performed two different tests.

How is that possible?

Claudia Joy takes
care of herself. She's--

We've been over this, Michael.

We don't understand how diabetes
works in all people, general Holden.

But now that the diagnosis
has been confirmed,

our focus has to be on treatment.

How serious is this?

It's serious.

Some cases are more severe than others,

but this disease is the leading
cause of blindness in adults,

kidney failure, amputations.

That's the scary part.

The good part is that it's manageable.

People with diabetes can
lead full, satisfying lives

as long as they make their health
their number one priority.

How do we do that?

I'd like to start insulin
therapy immediately.

We may be able to consider
oral medications in the future,

but right now, your body requires
insulin to normalize your glucose.

You're both gonna need to learn
how to administer the injections

and monitor your glucose
levels, Claudia Joy.

We need to talk about diet,

keeping good records.

There's a lot to learn.

It's a lot to process.

But I know what
a strong woman you are.

Thank you.

You're going to be fine.

Nurse Albright is a certified
diabetes educator. She's here now.

We'll stay as long as it takes

to make sure that
you both feel comfortable

with everything you have to do now.

Thank you.

I'll leave you alone for a few minutes.

You let me know when you're ready.

~ Willow's Team ~