ER (1994–2009): Season 4, Episode 7 - Fathers and Sons - full transcript
Ross and Greene travel to a near-deserted stretch of California to investigate circumstances surrounding a death in Doug's family.
Previously on ER.
Uh, my dad died.
What? Wh‐wh‐what happened?
I don't know.
Some car wreck or something.
They weren't real clear
on the details.
Um, but I got
to go...claim the body
and stuff like that, so..
‐ I'm sorry.
‐ Yeah.
♪ Don't worry for me ♪
♪ Well I'm alright ♪
How much farther?
About 20 minutes or so.
A subcompact?
It's all they had.
What is it,
110 degrees out here?
I asked for a mid‐sized.
They just didn't
have one, that's all.
Didn't they tell you that the
air conditioning didn't work?
It's November. Who asks
about air conditioning?
Next time,
you get the luggage.
‐ I'll get the rent‐a‐car.
‐ Alright.
♪ Carry me home ♪
How much longer?
Uh, 30 seconds
since the last time you asked.
You this tough to travel
with all the time?
Both my knees
are in my chest.
17 miles. We got 17 miles
till we get there.
Every summer,
no matter where we were
we'd have to pile
in the car
and go see some
god‐forsaken national park
or...go see some
distant relative someplace.
Weeks on end.
I hated it.
Every minute, hated it.
Uh.
17 miles,
is that what you said?
16 and a half.
♪ Pony boy carry me home ♪
♪ Alright ♪
♪ Pony boy carry me home ♪
Doug, here.
Thanks.
You see the highway patrol
is down the road to the left.
We can't miss it.
What the hell was your
dad doing out here?
Oh, he was probably heading up
to Tahoe or Vegas or somewhere.
He liked to gamble?
Yeah, you might
say that. Yeah.
I got you a present.
‐ Thanks.
‐ You okay?
I'm fine.
Listen, we don't have
to do this.
We could, uh,
find some air conditioning
get something to drink.
You know, we're in no hurry.
Come on. Let's get
this over with.
When his name
showed up in the paper..
...a woman called
from Barstow
told us he was
renting a room down there.
Found you
in his address book.
Barstow?
He was in a motel.
You weren't in touch?
No. No, no.
We got this stuff from the trunk
in the evidence locker.
I, uh, couldn't tell
what was his and what was hers.
‐ Hers?
‐ Yeah, a, uh...Sherry Fox.
'Having trouble locating
her next of kin too.'
'I was, uh, hoping
you could help me with that.'
Uh, no..
Um...was she killed?
Your father ran a stop sign
two nights ago doing 120.
Hit a pickup truck.
Killed himself, Miss Fox,
the driver of the pickup
a, uh, Pedro Lopez,
father of six.
'His blood alcohol
level was .33.'
Four times
the legal limit.
What a place to die?
He never drove
less than 70 miles an hour
his entire life.
He used to think it was funny
to drive with his knees..
...with his eyes closed,
like it was some sort of game.
Idiot.
Couldn't even
kill himself right.
He has to...
take other people with him.
Leave me
to clean up the mess.
I don't think your dad planned
on dying out here, Doug.
No, he never planned on doing
anything his entire life.
He never planned to lose
our TV in a poker game.
He never planned to be gone
for more than a couple of days.
He never planned to...
hurt anybody in his whole life.
Your dad lost
your television in a poker game?
I should have
killed him myself..
...saved everybody the trouble.
He was paid up
through thanksgiving
so I figured I should
leave everything
where it was
until the rent ran out
or somebody showed up.
Yeah.
'The bathroom's in here!'
‐ 'You're a doctor, aren't you?'
‐ Mm‐hmm.
'He talked about you
all the time.'
So, uh, he wasn't here
by himself?
Oh, no, honey.
He had his wife with him.
'You all gonna want
to stay in here tonight?'
'I can get some clean sheets
and towels from the‐‐'
No, thank you. But, uh, if you
have a couple of extra rooms..
‐ Adjoining?
‐ Fine.
Mm‐hmm.
Such a nice couple.
‐ Terrible what happened.
‐ Yeah.
‐ Wife?
‐ I doubt it.
Who's that?
I have no idea.
‐ Is that you?
‐ Where?
Yeah. That's, uh,
that's high school.
Look at that hair.
Played varsity?
Yeah, we went
to state that year.
Yeah. I played JV.
I was...wasn't very good.
Oh, man.
Your mom?
Yeah.
For a guy that didn't care..
...he sure had a lot
of photos of you guys around.
Yeah.
You hungry? You want to get
something to eat?
There's a taco stand
down the street.
Ah, no, that's okay.
I'm not hungry.
You go ahead
if you want to.
I found this
in the closet.
I think movies
or something.
I didn't find much
to tell us about the wife.
Just some clothes, cosmetics.
No letters or
mail or anything.
Uh, she was probably a hooker..
...or a cocktail waitress
or something.
Is there any money in here?
No, just a couple
of pawn tickets.
Well, there it is.
There's my inheritance.
Some women's clothes..
'...a couple of half‐empty
liquor bottles..'
...and, uh, two pawn tickets.
Sounds like my dad.
'Well, here you are.'
Whoo!
Thirteen.
Fourteen. Oh, honey!
Down on the corner,
away from the highway noise.
Oh, I forgot
to tell you earlier.
Your daddy's car
is parked around back.
Oh, he...he didn't wreck it?
No, it must have been her car.
'His car's still here.'
Son of a bitch...he kept it.
He was always out here,
polishing it.
Said he'd had it
for years.
Since the '70s.
'It's a beauty!'
Hey, maybe the keys are
with your dad's stuff.
That envelope's still
in the rental car.
Pull the garage door
shut and lock it, huh..
...when you're finished,
alright?
Yeah.
I learned to drive
in this car.
Yeah?
Yeah, my dad. We wouldn't see
him for months.
Then he'd just
show up, and he'd just..
He'd bring my mom a present.
He'd bring me a‐a signed
football from, uh..
...Joe Namath,
Bob Griese or somebody.
And, uh, then he'd
gather me up
and he'd tell my mom
we were going to a ball game
which she knew was a lie
and then, we would
just hit the road.
We'd...we'd
disappear for days.
We'd be driving to Vegas.
Sometimes, we'd drive
to Atlantic City.
It was..
It was back, uh,
it was before my mom remarried
so we were still living in
Kentucky at the time, so..
...I was maybe
13, 12, I think, maybe.
So, we'd be in...
Oklahoma or Indiana
middle of the night.
My dad would wake me up
and say, "Okay, you're driving."
So we'd get off
on some side road..
...and I'd slide in
behind the wheel.
Just floor it.
Just feel those..
...426 horses.
It just felt like..
...I was flying.
Sounds pretty great.
He had his moments.
‐ Gas?
‐ We got a quarter of a tank.
'Look.'
Oh!
'Hang on.'
Now what?
My dad used to keep
a gas can in the trunk.
Wow.
You usually don't see
that much baby stuff
all in one place.
No gas.
Hola.
Como esta?
I'm doing fine.
Looks like you had
a long night, though.
Sure this is the right place?
I don't know about
that last left.
Hello!
Maybe everybody's working.
Hello. Anybody here?
'Hey!'
Hey.
How you doing?
You're a Broncos fan, huh?
‐ Dallas.
‐ Dallas?
I'm looking
for the Lopez family.
Which one?
We got two of them.
Uh, Pedro Lopez.
He got killed
in a car accident.
We're trying
to find his family.
Not here.
"Not here" like as in
he doesn't live here
or "not here"
like he's not here right now?
Who are you?
I'm Doug. Listen, can you,
will you do me a favor?
Would you stop kicking that
just for a second?
‐ Do you know where they are?
‐ Everybody's at the funeral.
They're burying
Mr. Lopez today.
'Tomen aciento.'
Saints of God come to his aid.
'Hasten to meet him,
angels of the Lord.'
Recibe su alma
y presente le a dios
y mas alto.
Eternal rest
grant him, oh, Lord.
Recibe su alma
y presente le a dios
y mas alto.
'To you, our Lord.'
'We commend the soul
of Pedro, your servant.'
'In the sight of this world..'
'...he is dead.'
'In your sight,
may he live forever.'
'Forgive whatever sins
he may have committed..'
'...from human weakness.'
'And in your goodness..'
'...grant him eternal life.'
'We ask this..'
'...through Christ, our Lord.'
‐ 'Amen.'
‐ 'Amen.'
'In peace, let us take our
brother to his place to rest.'
♪ Tambien te dice ♪
'Do you want to say
something to the family?'
I don't know what
I'd said anyway.
We could find a florist,
send some flowers.
Doug, it's not your fault.
It's tragic, but it
had nothing to do with you.
You were thousands
of miles away.
I know, it's just...
you know, I just..
‐ Excuse me.
‐ Yeah.
Were you planning on
joining us for the interment?
No, thank you, father.
Did you know Pedro
or the family?
‐ No.
‐ I didn't think I‐‐
My father was the drunk..
...that ran the stop sign
and killed him.
♪ Vaya con dios ♪
But you came.
Doesn't change things.
It shows that
you loved your father.
'I have to go now.
Take care.'
Thank you.
‐ Come on.
‐ Mm‐hmm.
I always wanted a pocket watch.
I don't know if I'd use it, but
I like the idea of it, you know?
An heirloom to pass on
from generation to generation.
I don't think Rachel
would be all that excited
about a pocket watch.
Well, not for Rachel,
but for a son
it would be great.
There something
you want to tell me about?
I don't have a son.
But I mean, if I had
my great‐great‐grandfather's
pocket watch or something
that'd be cool.
The only heirloom
my family has
is my grandfather's
fraternity beer stein.
This must be it. It's got
the right tag number.
‐ What is it?
‐ It's a movie projector.
Hope you didn't pay
too much money for it.
Ten bucks. I didn't
even want it.
But I figured, with all the rest
of the stuff, what the hell?
‐ How much for the necklace?
‐ I'll be with you in a minute.
‐ Which one?
‐ That one.
‐ You got to be kidding me.
‐ Shut up.
‐ It's a real diamond. Yeah?
‐ Sure, they're real.
Which one
you looking at?
Let's see,
that's, uh, 75 bucks.
‐ Cynthia.
‐ Yeah. I think she'd like it.
You buy that, and you're walking
back to the hotel.
Here we go.
We got a Rolex.
‐ Oh, that's nice.
‐ Yeah, my dad loved this.
He used to brush his teeth first
and then use the toothbrush
to clean the watch every night.
‐ Pinkie ring.
‐ Uh‐huh.
Wow. That is a big one.
Three‐and‐a‐half carats.
Yeah. She didn't
want to give it up.
But he talked her into it.
They kept
their wedding rings, though.
They wouldn't even
think about giving them up.
Hey, Carol, it's Doug.
Just hoping to catch you
before you went to work.
We're here in Barstow still.
We're cleaning up, and I was
just...thinking about you
and...wishing you were here.
I just miss you, and...
and I just wish you were here.
So, I'll, uh, I'll
call you tomorrow.
‐ Okay, bye.
‐ Hey, who was that?
Yeah, it's just somebody
I've been seeing
the last couple of months.
Uh‐huh. Couple months?
That sounds serious.
You want any of these ties,
before I give them to Goodwill?
I only wear ties at work.
‐ So is it anybody I know?
‐ Got a nice suit here.
Got an Armani,
I believe it's double‐breasted.
You don't want to
tell me who it is?
Dad had a set
of clubs somewhere.
Why is it that you don't want
to tell me who it is?
'Because I don't.'
It's not my ex‐wife, is it?
No, it's not Jennifer.
Cynthia?
Say you're not, are you?
No, and neither should you.
Jeanie? Chuny?
Are you planning
on naming everybody
who works in
the hospital?
She doesn't
work in the hospital?
It's Carol.
‐ What?
‐ Carol Hathaway.
Your mouth's open.
‐ I'm speechless.
‐ Well, I'm relieved.
You two got back together?
She didn't want me
talking about it
'cause she didn't
want it out at work.
Now, you are sworn to secrecy.
Whoa, she...she swore
she would never get back
together with you
after the last time.
‐ Things change.
‐ Wow!
You know, it's
not that amazing.
Wow!
You can stop saying "wow."
I...can't believe it.
Well...you've said that.
I'm happy for you.
That's great.
Good. Thanks, buddy.
It's just...after
what happened last time
I can't believe it.
Yeah, I, well, thanks.
Does she make you take a lie
detector test every week?
Have you tried the beer?
Because it feels really good.
No! Hey, don't!
Now, that's not fair.
‐ No, no, no, no.
‐ Whoa‐a‐a!
You son of a..!
Give me that!
Get off me!
Is there any more beer?
You could probably
squeeze something
out of the drapes or something.
'Smells like a brewery in here.'
You finding out anything
about the mystery
step‐mom in there?
She had a nice body. She liked
to wear kinky lingerie.
Oh, lucky dad.
Yeah, spent
a lot of time in..
...in Laughlin
and Flagstaff and Vegas.
My dad used to collect
these matchbooks.
That's how we'd keep
account of him. Matchbooks.
Look at this.
‐ That's her. Look at the ring.
‐ Ah, yeah.
I found this...
in the bottom of her suitcase.
It's a Christmas card,
and it's got a return address
in Long Beach.
I'll hang on to that.
Now, look at this.
She had a baby.
Almost every picture
it's her, the baby.
Look, there's my dad.
You think the baby was his?
I don't know. Maybe.
Wow. Kind of weird, huh?
Where you think
the baby is now?
I don't know,
maybe grandparents
friends, in a bassinet
outside a convent.
Knowing my dad, it could be..
The hard part is that..
I just, there's this power
that he held over us
this...yeah.
I would‐I would be so happy
when he would come home
and I would tell myself
that I‐I wouldn't be
and then, he would come home,
and he'd tell a story
he'd give you a present,
and there we would all be
just sitting there
like we were some kind of..
...like a normal family
and...I just..
I just..
...you know,
never told him. I just..
I just...guess I figured
that there
would be a right time.
The son of a bitch
even got control of that.
You want to watch this?
‐ Hmm? What's that?
‐ The movie.
‐ Come on.
‐ No.
It's my chance to
see you in diapers.
Again?
You know, my dad and I,
we‐we barely even speak.
'If‐if I call the house,
and he picks up the phone'
he just says, "Hang on,
let me get your mother."
He put in 30 years,
and for what?
He still retired
as a captain.
'He just kept
getting passed over.'
I mean, he did every
crappy assignment
that the Navy wanted him to do
and it didn't matter.
He never got the nod.
Why not?
Probably..
...because of his
winning personality.
Alright!
Now all we need is popcorn.
‐ 'You ready?'
‐ No!
Hit this, and hit that.
'Is that you?'
Yup.
Your mom.
Yeah.
'1877.'
Alma Rodriguez Ruiz.
1846 to 1849.
She was only
three years old.
What are you
thinking about, Doug?
Carol.
I'm in love with her.
I mean, I used to think
I knew...what love was.
I cared about
a lot of women.
I just don't think
I've ever really been..
...in love.
I think about her all the time.
I don't like it
when I'm not with her.
I don't want to be
with anybody else.
‐ That's love, isn't it?
‐ Yeah, that's love.
Yeah, yeah.
It's going
to be hot today, huh?
It's November.
Can you believe this?
That's what I liked
about living in California.
‐ You used to live here?
‐ San Diego.
My parents still live there.
Your parents
live in San Diego?
Yeah. Lot of retired
Navy down there.
That's four hours from here.
We could be there
in, like, lunch time.
No, thanks.
When was the last time
you saw your folks?
18 months.
18 months? Okay.
Come on, we're going.
No, no, no. We got to see that,
uh, that funeral director‐‐
That can wait!
Doug, I made an
appointment for today.
My dad's not going
anyplace, Mark. Come on!
Nice.
Let's go to the
movies instead.
Ah, be in and out
in a couple of hours.
Are you kidding?
There's no such thing
as a quick visit
with my mom.
She's definitely going to insist
that we stay for dinner.
‐ Probably something fried.
‐ Sounds great.
Don't drink her iced tea
unless you wanna risk
lapsing immediately
into insulin shock.
I like sugar in my tea.
Yeah, oh, you want to get
on her good side?
Admire her hummels.
‐ She collects the‐‐
‐ Hummels?
Oh, believe me,
you'll know what it is.
Mm‐hmm.
Still have time
for a clean getaway.
‐ Hey.
‐ That's Jake.
‐ He doesn't bite.
‐ Hi, Jake.
'Hush, hush, Jake, quiet.'
Oh, my God.
‐ Hi, mom.
‐ What are you doing here?
Oh, we were just in
the neighborhood.
Oh, you were not.
Come on. Come on in.
This is my friend,
Doug Ross.
‐ Hi.
‐ Hello, Doug.
‐ How you doing?
‐ Come on in.
I got it. Jake.
Oh, my God, look at you.
You're so skinny.
Oh, well, I'm running again.
‐ Every day.
‐ Oh.
‐ Well, what are you doing here?
‐ Well, Doug‐‐
Why didn't you call
and tell us you were coming?
Well, Doug's father
passed away suddenly
and so, I came
out with him.
Oh, you poor thing.
‐ I'm so sorry.
‐ Well, thank you.
‐ Well, sit. Sit.
‐ Mm‐hmm.
I was just going
through the mail.
All these catalogs.
I always promise myself
that I'm not gonna look at them
'but I always do.'
'You know, you get
on these lists'
'and no matter who you beg,
you just can't get off.'
Well, you two must be thirsty.
Can I get you
something to drink?
I was just having
an iced tea.
‐ Water for me, mom.
‐ I'd love iced tea.
'When did you get in?'
Uh, yesterday.
'Yesterday?'
'And you didn't
call right away?'
Where are you staying?
Uh, Barstow, in a motel.
Not tonight, you're not.
You're going
to stay right here.
Wow.
Thanks, well...
that sounds great.
If we're not
putting you out...at all.
'Oh, absolutely.'
We have two guest rooms,
and never any guests.
Too much sugar?
'Mark always kids me'
about adding too much sugar.
No, it‐it's perfect.
Oh..
...how is my lovely Rachel?
She's wonderful,
and she misses you.
You're a good liar.
I bet she barely remembers me.
You know,
my son always says
that they're going
to come and visit
but I know that if I want to see
'my one and only granddaughter'
'I've got to get on a plane'
and go all the way to Chicago.
What's with
the oxygen, mom?
Uh...it's your father.
He's still smoking, you know.
Doctor says he's got to stop,
but he just won't.
Maybe you can talk
some sense into him.
You know the military.
Everybody smokes.
'They used to give
cigarettes out in C‐rations'
'for God's sake.'
Is it emphysema, mom?
Uh, yeah, well,
the doctor, yes..
...says something like that.
But it hasn't
slowed him down an inch.
Let me get another one.
This is too sweet.
I'm gonna...I'm gonna run
a couple of errands.
‐ But I'll be back.
‐ You're leaving already?
Yes. I'll be back
uh, for dinner
if the‐if the offer
still stands.
‐ Oh, of course.
‐ You're going?
Yes. Thank you
for the iced tea.
And the‐the hummels,
by the way, are beautiful.
‐ Oh, thanks.
‐ 'Beautiful.'
Okay, bye.
He's a lovely boy.
Where's dad?
Dad?
Hello, dad.
Mark.
What the hell
are you doing here?
Came by with a friend.
You look good.
Thank you.
House looks great.
Yeah.
Keeps me busy.
I repainted the trim
a couple of days ago.
Looks nice.
There's no wind.
What?
You're cupping
your hand around there.
There's no wind.
Too many years on deck.
Hard habit to break.
You should
quit smoking anyway.
That's another hard
habit to break.
‐ Emphysema?
‐ Yes.
'You've seen your mother
already?'
They got you on oxygen?
I need help
living my life, Mark.
You'll be
the first person I call.
‐ Woodworking?
‐ 'Yeah.'
I needed a hobby.
Tried gardening for a while..
...but it was too
slow, you know.
Waiting around
for things to grow.
So I decided
to try furniture.
Nice work.
I'm making a dining room set
for your mother...Christmas.
I'm sure she'll like it.
Rachel's great.
She's, uh,
she's gotten bigger.
She's smarter than me,
or at least, she thinks she is.
That's kids for you.
'Well.'
I better get back to this.
Yeah, right.
Dad doesn't look good.
Well, we're all
getting older.
When was he diagnosed
with emphysema?
Here, honey.
Make yourself useful.
He's got to start taking
better care of himself, mom.
Mm. You know
your father.
How high is his
blood pressure?
He doesn't have
high blood pressure.
Mom, I saw the medications
in the bathroom.
Those are my pills, Mr. Nosy.
Since when do you have
high blood pressure?
Last year. I'm fine now.
130/90.
I took it yesterday
at the commissary.
At the base?
Yeah, on one of those
little machines.
I check it every time
I go shopping.
Do you have
your potassium checked?
‐ Oh, I'm sure I do.
‐ Mom, it's very important.
And it's not something
that you can have checked
at the base supermarket.
I appreciate this, honey,
but I have a doctor.
Ah, has your doctor
talked to you
about controlling
your salt intake?
Your father
won't eat bland food.
Believe me, mom, dad can live
a lot longer without salt
than he can without you.
Mark, we are both fine.
'I take my walks.'
I watch what I eat.
Now, stop being a doctor
and finish shucking those peas.
‐ Whoa. Mom, mom, mom.
‐ Not a word!
I'm sorry your friend
couldn't make it
back in time for dinner.
Uh, I don't
think he realized
we'd be eating in the middle
of the afternoon.
Mm. I'll put a plate
in the fridge for him.
Remember the Orcas?
Bruce and Christina?
They live here now.
They had two boys about your age
when we were in Pensacola.
I don't think so.
Bruce was in Intelligence,
wasn't he, David?
Communi..
...Communications.
Their oldest boy Carl
is a flyer now.
Lieutenant commander
stationed up at, uh, Whidbey.
Has three little girls
of his own.
Yeah, well, say hello
to them for me.
'Mm‐hmm.'
So you two busy tonight?
Was thinking, maybe we could
go buy some ice cream.
There used to be that place
down on Mission Bay.
‐ Is it still there?
‐ I don't know.
I haven't
been down there in years.
I have to go
to the club tonight.
'You could go tomorrow night.'
I'm meeting Frank and Harry.
You can call them.
It's Thursday. We always
meet on Thursdays.
Well, this week,
you'll meet on Friday.
It's no big deal, mom.
We'll do it another time.
You two go.
Have a good time.
Mark, why don't you go
to the club with your dad?
‐ Mom, I think dad‐‐
‐ Mark wouldn't be comfortable.
No, I think you should
spend some time together.
You'd really enjoy it.
‐ You need the inhaler?
‐ No. I'm fine.
Albuterol?
I know where it is.
I'll get it.
No!
Your father doesn't like
to be helped, you know that.
He'll be alright
in a few minutes.
I'll make him some hot tea. That
always makes him feel better.
'Several other
North County fires.'
'The blaze near Lake Hodges
destroyed two homes'
'and 1,200 acres.'
'It is completely
out now tonight'
'but fire fighters
are still on the lines'
'to make sure hot spots
don't flare up.'
Meanwhile, fire officials say
they'd like to see
new homes built
without wood roofs
and without landscaping
'within 100 feet.'
'Arson investigators
hope the $10,000 reward'
'leaves them to the person..'
'I'm quitting tonight.'
'I promise.'
Good.
You used to smoke.
Yes.
Until someone I know
hounded me into giving it up.
You were, what,
seven or eight?
We were living down
in Kings Bay in Georgia.
Every time I'd come home
with a pack
you'd steal it
and flush it down the toilet.
I was doing you a favor.
You were ruthless.
You wouldn't even lie to me.
You'd just march right in,
and tell me you'd done it.
I could have killed you.
He's asleep in there
in front of the TV.
You'd better wake him if he's
gonna make it to his club.
Oh, well..
...he only makes it about
half the time anymore anyway.
And his friends are worse.
Usually, he goes down there
and he's back home
in less than an hour because..
...nobody he knows shows up.
You still like
living near the base?
It's convenient.
All our friends
live nearby.
Your father's
got the club.
It's a nice life.
I know you never
liked it, but we do.
He misses you.
He'd never say so,
but he does.
He'd like to see you
more often..
...you and Rachel.
I love you, mom.
And I know you feel like
you have to defend him.
But dad doesn't think
about me or Rachel.
Your father loves you
very much, Mark.
He may not show it
in the way
that you want him to,
but he does.
I've never seen him
show it at all.
He's just not
built that way.
You've got to work
harder with him.
‐ I have to work harder.
‐ Yes.
Of course, mom, dad doesn't
have to do anything.
You've got some
wonderful traits, Mark.
But you always assume
that you know
more about everybody
and everything
than you actually do.
I've got some vanilla
ice cream in the freezer
and some fresh strawberries
if you still feel
like dessert.
Hey!
You missed dinner.
Drove up to Long Beach.
Checked out
that return address.
Anything?
Oh, hey, you know..
...it's not
my dad's kid.
He's living in, uh, Arizona
with the ex‐husband.
How's, uh...how's family life?
Dad's got emphysema.
I thought he was going
to cough himself to death
over the fried chicken.
Is he okay?
He's on inhaler, oxygen.
Seemed alright.
Is he getting
decent care?
I'm sure it's fine.
So why don't you
stay here for a while?
I'll...go back up
to Barstow by myself
and you spend
some time with him.
Yeah. Why bother?
You really
didn't miss much
not having
your father around
when you were
growing up, Doug?
Believe me.
That's kind of a..
...a crappy thing
to say, isn't it?
It wasn't my idea
to come down here.
Don't stay.
Don't worry, I won't.
I'm confused now. Your father's
still alive, right?
He's still with your mother?
So that's the criteria
for a good father...longevity?
Did he smack you around a lot
he used to smack
your mom around?
‐ Poor Doug.
‐ Uh, wait. "Poor Doug?"
Did your father, did he‐did he
come into your room
in the middle of the night,
throw up on your bed
and pass out? Did he do that?
Did he leave you
in a hallway in Atlantic City
while he screwed
some hat‐check girl, Mark?
Did he do that?
Did he do that, Mark?
Your father was there
for you every night
you and your mother,
and that's love.
And whether it's the way,
you want it or not..
...it's love, Mark.
You grew up in
Ozzie‐and‐Harriet land.
Get your head out of your ass.
I wrote Carol a note
this afternoon.
It's a card I saw at the gas
station. Reminded me of her.
Will you give it
to her for me?
‐ You're not going back with me?
‐ No.
That woman in Long Beach
gave me an address in Flagstaff.
I think I'm gonna...
head over there.
Look up
my dad's wife's relatives
let them know what happened.
And the kid.
We should have
stayed the night.
Because..
...It wasn't right to leave
the way we did.
I had no right to just
lose it like that.
No.
You were right about me.
I have been acting like a victim
feeling sorry for myself.
Self‐pity isn't one
of my more attractive..
...personality traits.
Don't sell yourself short.
You're very good at it.
♪ And most all
your would be friends ♪
I spent my whole life
holding my breath
afraid that something..
...was going to spin
out of control.
I think that's why
I got into medicine.
I wanted to have power
over the chaos.
I was always terrified
that something awful
was going to happen.
And then, last spring, it did.
♪ Where to start ♪
I don't know who I am, Doug.
That person who I was
died in that bathroom.
And I don't know
what's gonna take his place.
♪ Left me feelin' ♪
♪ That I've done so wrong ♪
♪ Oh I've wasted so much time ♪
♪ Feelin' ♪
♪ Guilty ♪
♪ And as I watch you
sit across the room ♪
♪ Beautiful as
the flowers bloom ♪
♪ T'leave it lay ♪
♪ Just one day ♪
Alright.
I'm beat!
Ugh.
You want to grab
some breakfast?
Maybe a few hours of sleep
before we have to go
to that funeral home?
Doug, you want
to do that?
Doug?
‐ 'This is it.'
‐ Good.
I don't want to climb
any more damn hills.
'Oh, Doug, it's beautiful.'
You want to say something?
A prayer?
No.
I hated the son of a bitch.
And I loved him.
Never simple, is it?
Got the cups?
Yup.
Uh, my dad died.
What? Wh‐wh‐what happened?
I don't know.
Some car wreck or something.
They weren't real clear
on the details.
Um, but I got
to go...claim the body
and stuff like that, so..
‐ I'm sorry.
‐ Yeah.
♪ Don't worry for me ♪
♪ Well I'm alright ♪
How much farther?
About 20 minutes or so.
A subcompact?
It's all they had.
What is it,
110 degrees out here?
I asked for a mid‐sized.
They just didn't
have one, that's all.
Didn't they tell you that the
air conditioning didn't work?
It's November. Who asks
about air conditioning?
Next time,
you get the luggage.
‐ I'll get the rent‐a‐car.
‐ Alright.
♪ Carry me home ♪
How much longer?
Uh, 30 seconds
since the last time you asked.
You this tough to travel
with all the time?
Both my knees
are in my chest.
17 miles. We got 17 miles
till we get there.
Every summer,
no matter where we were
we'd have to pile
in the car
and go see some
god‐forsaken national park
or...go see some
distant relative someplace.
Weeks on end.
I hated it.
Every minute, hated it.
Uh.
17 miles,
is that what you said?
16 and a half.
♪ Pony boy carry me home ♪
♪ Alright ♪
♪ Pony boy carry me home ♪
Doug, here.
Thanks.
You see the highway patrol
is down the road to the left.
We can't miss it.
What the hell was your
dad doing out here?
Oh, he was probably heading up
to Tahoe or Vegas or somewhere.
He liked to gamble?
Yeah, you might
say that. Yeah.
I got you a present.
‐ Thanks.
‐ You okay?
I'm fine.
Listen, we don't have
to do this.
We could, uh,
find some air conditioning
get something to drink.
You know, we're in no hurry.
Come on. Let's get
this over with.
When his name
showed up in the paper..
...a woman called
from Barstow
told us he was
renting a room down there.
Found you
in his address book.
Barstow?
He was in a motel.
You weren't in touch?
No. No, no.
We got this stuff from the trunk
in the evidence locker.
I, uh, couldn't tell
what was his and what was hers.
‐ Hers?
‐ Yeah, a, uh...Sherry Fox.
'Having trouble locating
her next of kin too.'
'I was, uh, hoping
you could help me with that.'
Uh, no..
Um...was she killed?
Your father ran a stop sign
two nights ago doing 120.
Hit a pickup truck.
Killed himself, Miss Fox,
the driver of the pickup
a, uh, Pedro Lopez,
father of six.
'His blood alcohol
level was .33.'
Four times
the legal limit.
What a place to die?
He never drove
less than 70 miles an hour
his entire life.
He used to think it was funny
to drive with his knees..
...with his eyes closed,
like it was some sort of game.
Idiot.
Couldn't even
kill himself right.
He has to...
take other people with him.
Leave me
to clean up the mess.
I don't think your dad planned
on dying out here, Doug.
No, he never planned on doing
anything his entire life.
He never planned to lose
our TV in a poker game.
He never planned to be gone
for more than a couple of days.
He never planned to...
hurt anybody in his whole life.
Your dad lost
your television in a poker game?
I should have
killed him myself..
...saved everybody the trouble.
He was paid up
through thanksgiving
so I figured I should
leave everything
where it was
until the rent ran out
or somebody showed up.
Yeah.
'The bathroom's in here!'
‐ 'You're a doctor, aren't you?'
‐ Mm‐hmm.
'He talked about you
all the time.'
So, uh, he wasn't here
by himself?
Oh, no, honey.
He had his wife with him.
'You all gonna want
to stay in here tonight?'
'I can get some clean sheets
and towels from the‐‐'
No, thank you. But, uh, if you
have a couple of extra rooms..
‐ Adjoining?
‐ Fine.
Mm‐hmm.
Such a nice couple.
‐ Terrible what happened.
‐ Yeah.
‐ Wife?
‐ I doubt it.
Who's that?
I have no idea.
‐ Is that you?
‐ Where?
Yeah. That's, uh,
that's high school.
Look at that hair.
Played varsity?
Yeah, we went
to state that year.
Yeah. I played JV.
I was...wasn't very good.
Oh, man.
Your mom?
Yeah.
For a guy that didn't care..
...he sure had a lot
of photos of you guys around.
Yeah.
You hungry? You want to get
something to eat?
There's a taco stand
down the street.
Ah, no, that's okay.
I'm not hungry.
You go ahead
if you want to.
I found this
in the closet.
I think movies
or something.
I didn't find much
to tell us about the wife.
Just some clothes, cosmetics.
No letters or
mail or anything.
Uh, she was probably a hooker..
...or a cocktail waitress
or something.
Is there any money in here?
No, just a couple
of pawn tickets.
Well, there it is.
There's my inheritance.
Some women's clothes..
'...a couple of half‐empty
liquor bottles..'
...and, uh, two pawn tickets.
Sounds like my dad.
'Well, here you are.'
Whoo!
Thirteen.
Fourteen. Oh, honey!
Down on the corner,
away from the highway noise.
Oh, I forgot
to tell you earlier.
Your daddy's car
is parked around back.
Oh, he...he didn't wreck it?
No, it must have been her car.
'His car's still here.'
Son of a bitch...he kept it.
He was always out here,
polishing it.
Said he'd had it
for years.
Since the '70s.
'It's a beauty!'
Hey, maybe the keys are
with your dad's stuff.
That envelope's still
in the rental car.
Pull the garage door
shut and lock it, huh..
...when you're finished,
alright?
Yeah.
I learned to drive
in this car.
Yeah?
Yeah, my dad. We wouldn't see
him for months.
Then he'd just
show up, and he'd just..
He'd bring my mom a present.
He'd bring me a‐a signed
football from, uh..
...Joe Namath,
Bob Griese or somebody.
And, uh, then he'd
gather me up
and he'd tell my mom
we were going to a ball game
which she knew was a lie
and then, we would
just hit the road.
We'd...we'd
disappear for days.
We'd be driving to Vegas.
Sometimes, we'd drive
to Atlantic City.
It was..
It was back, uh,
it was before my mom remarried
so we were still living in
Kentucky at the time, so..
...I was maybe
13, 12, I think, maybe.
So, we'd be in...
Oklahoma or Indiana
middle of the night.
My dad would wake me up
and say, "Okay, you're driving."
So we'd get off
on some side road..
...and I'd slide in
behind the wheel.
Just floor it.
Just feel those..
...426 horses.
It just felt like..
...I was flying.
Sounds pretty great.
He had his moments.
‐ Gas?
‐ We got a quarter of a tank.
'Look.'
Oh!
'Hang on.'
Now what?
My dad used to keep
a gas can in the trunk.
Wow.
You usually don't see
that much baby stuff
all in one place.
No gas.
Hola.
Como esta?
I'm doing fine.
Looks like you had
a long night, though.
Sure this is the right place?
I don't know about
that last left.
Hello!
Maybe everybody's working.
Hello. Anybody here?
'Hey!'
Hey.
How you doing?
You're a Broncos fan, huh?
‐ Dallas.
‐ Dallas?
I'm looking
for the Lopez family.
Which one?
We got two of them.
Uh, Pedro Lopez.
He got killed
in a car accident.
We're trying
to find his family.
Not here.
"Not here" like as in
he doesn't live here
or "not here"
like he's not here right now?
Who are you?
I'm Doug. Listen, can you,
will you do me a favor?
Would you stop kicking that
just for a second?
‐ Do you know where they are?
‐ Everybody's at the funeral.
They're burying
Mr. Lopez today.
'Tomen aciento.'
Saints of God come to his aid.
'Hasten to meet him,
angels of the Lord.'
Recibe su alma
y presente le a dios
y mas alto.
Eternal rest
grant him, oh, Lord.
Recibe su alma
y presente le a dios
y mas alto.
'To you, our Lord.'
'We commend the soul
of Pedro, your servant.'
'In the sight of this world..'
'...he is dead.'
'In your sight,
may he live forever.'
'Forgive whatever sins
he may have committed..'
'...from human weakness.'
'And in your goodness..'
'...grant him eternal life.'
'We ask this..'
'...through Christ, our Lord.'
‐ 'Amen.'
‐ 'Amen.'
'In peace, let us take our
brother to his place to rest.'
♪ Tambien te dice ♪
'Do you want to say
something to the family?'
I don't know what
I'd said anyway.
We could find a florist,
send some flowers.
Doug, it's not your fault.
It's tragic, but it
had nothing to do with you.
You were thousands
of miles away.
I know, it's just...
you know, I just..
‐ Excuse me.
‐ Yeah.
Were you planning on
joining us for the interment?
No, thank you, father.
Did you know Pedro
or the family?
‐ No.
‐ I didn't think I‐‐
My father was the drunk..
...that ran the stop sign
and killed him.
♪ Vaya con dios ♪
But you came.
Doesn't change things.
It shows that
you loved your father.
'I have to go now.
Take care.'
Thank you.
‐ Come on.
‐ Mm‐hmm.
I always wanted a pocket watch.
I don't know if I'd use it, but
I like the idea of it, you know?
An heirloom to pass on
from generation to generation.
I don't think Rachel
would be all that excited
about a pocket watch.
Well, not for Rachel,
but for a son
it would be great.
There something
you want to tell me about?
I don't have a son.
But I mean, if I had
my great‐great‐grandfather's
pocket watch or something
that'd be cool.
The only heirloom
my family has
is my grandfather's
fraternity beer stein.
This must be it. It's got
the right tag number.
‐ What is it?
‐ It's a movie projector.
Hope you didn't pay
too much money for it.
Ten bucks. I didn't
even want it.
But I figured, with all the rest
of the stuff, what the hell?
‐ How much for the necklace?
‐ I'll be with you in a minute.
‐ Which one?
‐ That one.
‐ You got to be kidding me.
‐ Shut up.
‐ It's a real diamond. Yeah?
‐ Sure, they're real.
Which one
you looking at?
Let's see,
that's, uh, 75 bucks.
‐ Cynthia.
‐ Yeah. I think she'd like it.
You buy that, and you're walking
back to the hotel.
Here we go.
We got a Rolex.
‐ Oh, that's nice.
‐ Yeah, my dad loved this.
He used to brush his teeth first
and then use the toothbrush
to clean the watch every night.
‐ Pinkie ring.
‐ Uh‐huh.
Wow. That is a big one.
Three‐and‐a‐half carats.
Yeah. She didn't
want to give it up.
But he talked her into it.
They kept
their wedding rings, though.
They wouldn't even
think about giving them up.
Hey, Carol, it's Doug.
Just hoping to catch you
before you went to work.
We're here in Barstow still.
We're cleaning up, and I was
just...thinking about you
and...wishing you were here.
I just miss you, and...
and I just wish you were here.
So, I'll, uh, I'll
call you tomorrow.
‐ Okay, bye.
‐ Hey, who was that?
Yeah, it's just somebody
I've been seeing
the last couple of months.
Uh‐huh. Couple months?
That sounds serious.
You want any of these ties,
before I give them to Goodwill?
I only wear ties at work.
‐ So is it anybody I know?
‐ Got a nice suit here.
Got an Armani,
I believe it's double‐breasted.
You don't want to
tell me who it is?
Dad had a set
of clubs somewhere.
Why is it that you don't want
to tell me who it is?
'Because I don't.'
It's not my ex‐wife, is it?
No, it's not Jennifer.
Cynthia?
Say you're not, are you?
No, and neither should you.
Jeanie? Chuny?
Are you planning
on naming everybody
who works in
the hospital?
She doesn't
work in the hospital?
It's Carol.
‐ What?
‐ Carol Hathaway.
Your mouth's open.
‐ I'm speechless.
‐ Well, I'm relieved.
You two got back together?
She didn't want me
talking about it
'cause she didn't
want it out at work.
Now, you are sworn to secrecy.
Whoa, she...she swore
she would never get back
together with you
after the last time.
‐ Things change.
‐ Wow!
You know, it's
not that amazing.
Wow!
You can stop saying "wow."
I...can't believe it.
Well...you've said that.
I'm happy for you.
That's great.
Good. Thanks, buddy.
It's just...after
what happened last time
I can't believe it.
Yeah, I, well, thanks.
Does she make you take a lie
detector test every week?
Have you tried the beer?
Because it feels really good.
No! Hey, don't!
Now, that's not fair.
‐ No, no, no, no.
‐ Whoa‐a‐a!
You son of a..!
Give me that!
Get off me!
Is there any more beer?
You could probably
squeeze something
out of the drapes or something.
'Smells like a brewery in here.'
You finding out anything
about the mystery
step‐mom in there?
She had a nice body. She liked
to wear kinky lingerie.
Oh, lucky dad.
Yeah, spent
a lot of time in..
...in Laughlin
and Flagstaff and Vegas.
My dad used to collect
these matchbooks.
That's how we'd keep
account of him. Matchbooks.
Look at this.
‐ That's her. Look at the ring.
‐ Ah, yeah.
I found this...
in the bottom of her suitcase.
It's a Christmas card,
and it's got a return address
in Long Beach.
I'll hang on to that.
Now, look at this.
She had a baby.
Almost every picture
it's her, the baby.
Look, there's my dad.
You think the baby was his?
I don't know. Maybe.
Wow. Kind of weird, huh?
Where you think
the baby is now?
I don't know,
maybe grandparents
friends, in a bassinet
outside a convent.
Knowing my dad, it could be..
The hard part is that..
I just, there's this power
that he held over us
this...yeah.
I would‐I would be so happy
when he would come home
and I would tell myself
that I‐I wouldn't be
and then, he would come home,
and he'd tell a story
he'd give you a present,
and there we would all be
just sitting there
like we were some kind of..
...like a normal family
and...I just..
I just..
...you know,
never told him. I just..
I just...guess I figured
that there
would be a right time.
The son of a bitch
even got control of that.
You want to watch this?
‐ Hmm? What's that?
‐ The movie.
‐ Come on.
‐ No.
It's my chance to
see you in diapers.
Again?
You know, my dad and I,
we‐we barely even speak.
'If‐if I call the house,
and he picks up the phone'
he just says, "Hang on,
let me get your mother."
He put in 30 years,
and for what?
He still retired
as a captain.
'He just kept
getting passed over.'
I mean, he did every
crappy assignment
that the Navy wanted him to do
and it didn't matter.
He never got the nod.
Why not?
Probably..
...because of his
winning personality.
Alright!
Now all we need is popcorn.
‐ 'You ready?'
‐ No!
Hit this, and hit that.
'Is that you?'
Yup.
Your mom.
Yeah.
'1877.'
Alma Rodriguez Ruiz.
1846 to 1849.
She was only
three years old.
What are you
thinking about, Doug?
Carol.
I'm in love with her.
I mean, I used to think
I knew...what love was.
I cared about
a lot of women.
I just don't think
I've ever really been..
...in love.
I think about her all the time.
I don't like it
when I'm not with her.
I don't want to be
with anybody else.
‐ That's love, isn't it?
‐ Yeah, that's love.
Yeah, yeah.
It's going
to be hot today, huh?
It's November.
Can you believe this?
That's what I liked
about living in California.
‐ You used to live here?
‐ San Diego.
My parents still live there.
Your parents
live in San Diego?
Yeah. Lot of retired
Navy down there.
That's four hours from here.
We could be there
in, like, lunch time.
No, thanks.
When was the last time
you saw your folks?
18 months.
18 months? Okay.
Come on, we're going.
No, no, no. We got to see that,
uh, that funeral director‐‐
That can wait!
Doug, I made an
appointment for today.
My dad's not going
anyplace, Mark. Come on!
Nice.
Let's go to the
movies instead.
Ah, be in and out
in a couple of hours.
Are you kidding?
There's no such thing
as a quick visit
with my mom.
She's definitely going to insist
that we stay for dinner.
‐ Probably something fried.
‐ Sounds great.
Don't drink her iced tea
unless you wanna risk
lapsing immediately
into insulin shock.
I like sugar in my tea.
Yeah, oh, you want to get
on her good side?
Admire her hummels.
‐ She collects the‐‐
‐ Hummels?
Oh, believe me,
you'll know what it is.
Mm‐hmm.
Still have time
for a clean getaway.
‐ Hey.
‐ That's Jake.
‐ He doesn't bite.
‐ Hi, Jake.
'Hush, hush, Jake, quiet.'
Oh, my God.
‐ Hi, mom.
‐ What are you doing here?
Oh, we were just in
the neighborhood.
Oh, you were not.
Come on. Come on in.
This is my friend,
Doug Ross.
‐ Hi.
‐ Hello, Doug.
‐ How you doing?
‐ Come on in.
I got it. Jake.
Oh, my God, look at you.
You're so skinny.
Oh, well, I'm running again.
‐ Every day.
‐ Oh.
‐ Well, what are you doing here?
‐ Well, Doug‐‐
Why didn't you call
and tell us you were coming?
Well, Doug's father
passed away suddenly
and so, I came
out with him.
Oh, you poor thing.
‐ I'm so sorry.
‐ Well, thank you.
‐ Well, sit. Sit.
‐ Mm‐hmm.
I was just going
through the mail.
All these catalogs.
I always promise myself
that I'm not gonna look at them
'but I always do.'
'You know, you get
on these lists'
'and no matter who you beg,
you just can't get off.'
Well, you two must be thirsty.
Can I get you
something to drink?
I was just having
an iced tea.
‐ Water for me, mom.
‐ I'd love iced tea.
'When did you get in?'
Uh, yesterday.
'Yesterday?'
'And you didn't
call right away?'
Where are you staying?
Uh, Barstow, in a motel.
Not tonight, you're not.
You're going
to stay right here.
Wow.
Thanks, well...
that sounds great.
If we're not
putting you out...at all.
'Oh, absolutely.'
We have two guest rooms,
and never any guests.
Too much sugar?
'Mark always kids me'
about adding too much sugar.
No, it‐it's perfect.
Oh..
...how is my lovely Rachel?
She's wonderful,
and she misses you.
You're a good liar.
I bet she barely remembers me.
You know,
my son always says
that they're going
to come and visit
but I know that if I want to see
'my one and only granddaughter'
'I've got to get on a plane'
and go all the way to Chicago.
What's with
the oxygen, mom?
Uh...it's your father.
He's still smoking, you know.
Doctor says he's got to stop,
but he just won't.
Maybe you can talk
some sense into him.
You know the military.
Everybody smokes.
'They used to give
cigarettes out in C‐rations'
'for God's sake.'
Is it emphysema, mom?
Uh, yeah, well,
the doctor, yes..
...says something like that.
But it hasn't
slowed him down an inch.
Let me get another one.
This is too sweet.
I'm gonna...I'm gonna run
a couple of errands.
‐ But I'll be back.
‐ You're leaving already?
Yes. I'll be back
uh, for dinner
if the‐if the offer
still stands.
‐ Oh, of course.
‐ You're going?
Yes. Thank you
for the iced tea.
And the‐the hummels,
by the way, are beautiful.
‐ Oh, thanks.
‐ 'Beautiful.'
Okay, bye.
He's a lovely boy.
Where's dad?
Dad?
Hello, dad.
Mark.
What the hell
are you doing here?
Came by with a friend.
You look good.
Thank you.
House looks great.
Yeah.
Keeps me busy.
I repainted the trim
a couple of days ago.
Looks nice.
There's no wind.
What?
You're cupping
your hand around there.
There's no wind.
Too many years on deck.
Hard habit to break.
You should
quit smoking anyway.
That's another hard
habit to break.
‐ Emphysema?
‐ Yes.
'You've seen your mother
already?'
They got you on oxygen?
I need help
living my life, Mark.
You'll be
the first person I call.
‐ Woodworking?
‐ 'Yeah.'
I needed a hobby.
Tried gardening for a while..
...but it was too
slow, you know.
Waiting around
for things to grow.
So I decided
to try furniture.
Nice work.
I'm making a dining room set
for your mother...Christmas.
I'm sure she'll like it.
Rachel's great.
She's, uh,
she's gotten bigger.
She's smarter than me,
or at least, she thinks she is.
That's kids for you.
'Well.'
I better get back to this.
Yeah, right.
Dad doesn't look good.
Well, we're all
getting older.
When was he diagnosed
with emphysema?
Here, honey.
Make yourself useful.
He's got to start taking
better care of himself, mom.
Mm. You know
your father.
How high is his
blood pressure?
He doesn't have
high blood pressure.
Mom, I saw the medications
in the bathroom.
Those are my pills, Mr. Nosy.
Since when do you have
high blood pressure?
Last year. I'm fine now.
130/90.
I took it yesterday
at the commissary.
At the base?
Yeah, on one of those
little machines.
I check it every time
I go shopping.
Do you have
your potassium checked?
‐ Oh, I'm sure I do.
‐ Mom, it's very important.
And it's not something
that you can have checked
at the base supermarket.
I appreciate this, honey,
but I have a doctor.
Ah, has your doctor
talked to you
about controlling
your salt intake?
Your father
won't eat bland food.
Believe me, mom, dad can live
a lot longer without salt
than he can without you.
Mark, we are both fine.
'I take my walks.'
I watch what I eat.
Now, stop being a doctor
and finish shucking those peas.
‐ Whoa. Mom, mom, mom.
‐ Not a word!
I'm sorry your friend
couldn't make it
back in time for dinner.
Uh, I don't
think he realized
we'd be eating in the middle
of the afternoon.
Mm. I'll put a plate
in the fridge for him.
Remember the Orcas?
Bruce and Christina?
They live here now.
They had two boys about your age
when we were in Pensacola.
I don't think so.
Bruce was in Intelligence,
wasn't he, David?
Communi..
...Communications.
Their oldest boy Carl
is a flyer now.
Lieutenant commander
stationed up at, uh, Whidbey.
Has three little girls
of his own.
Yeah, well, say hello
to them for me.
'Mm‐hmm.'
So you two busy tonight?
Was thinking, maybe we could
go buy some ice cream.
There used to be that place
down on Mission Bay.
‐ Is it still there?
‐ I don't know.
I haven't
been down there in years.
I have to go
to the club tonight.
'You could go tomorrow night.'
I'm meeting Frank and Harry.
You can call them.
It's Thursday. We always
meet on Thursdays.
Well, this week,
you'll meet on Friday.
It's no big deal, mom.
We'll do it another time.
You two go.
Have a good time.
Mark, why don't you go
to the club with your dad?
‐ Mom, I think dad‐‐
‐ Mark wouldn't be comfortable.
No, I think you should
spend some time together.
You'd really enjoy it.
‐ You need the inhaler?
‐ No. I'm fine.
Albuterol?
I know where it is.
I'll get it.
No!
Your father doesn't like
to be helped, you know that.
He'll be alright
in a few minutes.
I'll make him some hot tea. That
always makes him feel better.
'Several other
North County fires.'
'The blaze near Lake Hodges
destroyed two homes'
'and 1,200 acres.'
'It is completely
out now tonight'
'but fire fighters
are still on the lines'
'to make sure hot spots
don't flare up.'
Meanwhile, fire officials say
they'd like to see
new homes built
without wood roofs
and without landscaping
'within 100 feet.'
'Arson investigators
hope the $10,000 reward'
'leaves them to the person..'
'I'm quitting tonight.'
'I promise.'
Good.
You used to smoke.
Yes.
Until someone I know
hounded me into giving it up.
You were, what,
seven or eight?
We were living down
in Kings Bay in Georgia.
Every time I'd come home
with a pack
you'd steal it
and flush it down the toilet.
I was doing you a favor.
You were ruthless.
You wouldn't even lie to me.
You'd just march right in,
and tell me you'd done it.
I could have killed you.
He's asleep in there
in front of the TV.
You'd better wake him if he's
gonna make it to his club.
Oh, well..
...he only makes it about
half the time anymore anyway.
And his friends are worse.
Usually, he goes down there
and he's back home
in less than an hour because..
...nobody he knows shows up.
You still like
living near the base?
It's convenient.
All our friends
live nearby.
Your father's
got the club.
It's a nice life.
I know you never
liked it, but we do.
He misses you.
He'd never say so,
but he does.
He'd like to see you
more often..
...you and Rachel.
I love you, mom.
And I know you feel like
you have to defend him.
But dad doesn't think
about me or Rachel.
Your father loves you
very much, Mark.
He may not show it
in the way
that you want him to,
but he does.
I've never seen him
show it at all.
He's just not
built that way.
You've got to work
harder with him.
‐ I have to work harder.
‐ Yes.
Of course, mom, dad doesn't
have to do anything.
You've got some
wonderful traits, Mark.
But you always assume
that you know
more about everybody
and everything
than you actually do.
I've got some vanilla
ice cream in the freezer
and some fresh strawberries
if you still feel
like dessert.
Hey!
You missed dinner.
Drove up to Long Beach.
Checked out
that return address.
Anything?
Oh, hey, you know..
...it's not
my dad's kid.
He's living in, uh, Arizona
with the ex‐husband.
How's, uh...how's family life?
Dad's got emphysema.
I thought he was going
to cough himself to death
over the fried chicken.
Is he okay?
He's on inhaler, oxygen.
Seemed alright.
Is he getting
decent care?
I'm sure it's fine.
So why don't you
stay here for a while?
I'll...go back up
to Barstow by myself
and you spend
some time with him.
Yeah. Why bother?
You really
didn't miss much
not having
your father around
when you were
growing up, Doug?
Believe me.
That's kind of a..
...a crappy thing
to say, isn't it?
It wasn't my idea
to come down here.
Don't stay.
Don't worry, I won't.
I'm confused now. Your father's
still alive, right?
He's still with your mother?
So that's the criteria
for a good father...longevity?
Did he smack you around a lot
he used to smack
your mom around?
‐ Poor Doug.
‐ Uh, wait. "Poor Doug?"
Did your father, did he‐did he
come into your room
in the middle of the night,
throw up on your bed
and pass out? Did he do that?
Did he leave you
in a hallway in Atlantic City
while he screwed
some hat‐check girl, Mark?
Did he do that?
Did he do that, Mark?
Your father was there
for you every night
you and your mother,
and that's love.
And whether it's the way,
you want it or not..
...it's love, Mark.
You grew up in
Ozzie‐and‐Harriet land.
Get your head out of your ass.
I wrote Carol a note
this afternoon.
It's a card I saw at the gas
station. Reminded me of her.
Will you give it
to her for me?
‐ You're not going back with me?
‐ No.
That woman in Long Beach
gave me an address in Flagstaff.
I think I'm gonna...
head over there.
Look up
my dad's wife's relatives
let them know what happened.
And the kid.
We should have
stayed the night.
Because..
...It wasn't right to leave
the way we did.
I had no right to just
lose it like that.
No.
You were right about me.
I have been acting like a victim
feeling sorry for myself.
Self‐pity isn't one
of my more attractive..
...personality traits.
Don't sell yourself short.
You're very good at it.
♪ And most all
your would be friends ♪
I spent my whole life
holding my breath
afraid that something..
...was going to spin
out of control.
I think that's why
I got into medicine.
I wanted to have power
over the chaos.
I was always terrified
that something awful
was going to happen.
And then, last spring, it did.
♪ Where to start ♪
I don't know who I am, Doug.
That person who I was
died in that bathroom.
And I don't know
what's gonna take his place.
♪ Left me feelin' ♪
♪ That I've done so wrong ♪
♪ Oh I've wasted so much time ♪
♪ Feelin' ♪
♪ Guilty ♪
♪ And as I watch you
sit across the room ♪
♪ Beautiful as
the flowers bloom ♪
♪ T'leave it lay ♪
♪ Just one day ♪
Alright.
I'm beat!
Ugh.
You want to grab
some breakfast?
Maybe a few hours of sleep
before we have to go
to that funeral home?
Doug, you want
to do that?
Doug?
‐ 'This is it.'
‐ Good.
I don't want to climb
any more damn hills.
'Oh, Doug, it's beautiful.'
You want to say something?
A prayer?
No.
I hated the son of a bitch.
And I loved him.
Never simple, is it?
Got the cups?
Yup.