Knots Landing (1979–1993): Season 2, Episode 8 - Scapegoats - full transcript

Sid.

- Wake up.
- What?

Downstairs.

What?

Listen.

Stay here.

Not on your life.

Michael.

What's wrong?

Kids sleepwalk all the time.

Michael was not sleeping. He was walking
around in circles in the dark. He was awake.



- What would he be doing at 4:00?
- I don't know. That's what's worrying me.

- He was sleepwalking.
- No, he wasn't.

- He was awake. He does that all the time.
- Does what?

Gets up and walks around.

- Have you ever asked him why?
- Yeah, he says he doesn't know why.

- See you later.
- Yeah, so long.

- Sid.
- He was fine this morning. Relax.

Sure.

Maybe I'll do a few laps
around the living room.

Service, line three.

There's no getting around it. We're losing
money every time we service cars we sold.

Yeah, I know. It's the parts.
Wholesale costs increase every month.

What was the deal?

Uh, parts and labor for three years?



Yep. That's the deal I made.

Hey, I'm not blaming you.
It looked like a great plan on paper.

- Well, it doesn't look so hot on this paper.
- Nope. But a deal's a deal.

I'm sure they're gonna hold us to it.

Sure. But they're businessmen too,
and they like us.

We ought to talk to them.

- Am I interrupting anything important?
- Nope. Come on in.

- What's up?
- We just got the stress test from the lab.

- And you're not gonna believe it.
- Let's have a look.

Gary, you can talk to them if you want...

but I'm sure that we're gonna end up
eating crow as well as our losses.

Showroom, line three.

That's pretty big.

- Yeah.
- Oh, gosh.

That's wonderful.
I didn't know you could do that.

Nice, very nice.

Right after. I'll meet you at the movies.

That's neat.

Ooh, purple.
Yummy, yummy, yummy! Ha, ha.

Very nice.

Gosh.

Hey, can you pass that yellow
over here, guys?

That's terrible.

Right after. I'll meet you at the movies.

That's neat.

- That is good.
- That's good.

- Hey, watch out.
- Oh, watch out, yourself.

- What's that?
- None of your business.

It's weird.

Okay, you asked for it.

All right, all right, stop it.

Stop it now.

He started it, Mrs. Crane.

He's right, Mrs. Crane, I saw him.

Again, Michael?

Is anybody home?

Yeah, I'm out here.

- Hi.
- Oh, hi, Laura.

Do you know anything about plants?

- Uh, not much. Why?
- Well, this one's sick.

I can't figure out whether it's aphids,
mealybugs or African root rot.

Maybe I'll just give it two aspirins
and put it to bed.

- That's supposed to be funny, Laura.
- Heh.

You okay?

Yeah, I guess so.

No.

I don't know.

Oh. That covers all the bases.

What's going on?

Well, I wanted to talk to you
about Richard...

and Abby.

Oh.

Have you...?

Have you noticed anything?

I mean, at first I thought it was
just an act to make me feel bad.

And sometimes I think
they're really having an affair.

Laura.

- Have you talked to Richard about this?
- No.

I guess I wanted to talk to someone else,
and find out if I was imagining things.

Hang on.

Yeah? Hello.

Yes.

Oh, no. I...

Yeah, I'll be right down.

Uh, can we talk later?
I've gotta run down to school.

- Is it Michael?
- Yeah, again.

- Sure. Sure.
- Come on. Let's go.

Once you figure out the day's expenses
and you add up the day's income...

You post everything to the general ledger,
and then you run your totals.

Heh. Sid, bookkeeping is bookkeeping.

The same principals apply
whether you're selling cars or catnip.

- Hi. How's it going?
- Well, I can't complain.

I've been here over an hour.
I haven't had a coffee break yet.

- She hasn't tasted our coffee. Ha, ha.
- Oh, I smelled it on the way in.

- What this place needs is a woman's touch.
- You bet.

Uh, Gary, Sid said if I had
any questions to ask you.

- Is that all right?
- Oh, sure. Anytime.

I set up a meeting with Roy and Frank.
We're gonna meet at 1.

- Okay. Just a second, I'll get dressed.
- Uh, Sid, let me take care of this.

Don't you think it would go better
with us there?

That's overkill.
I know these guys and they may like me.

I'll stroke them a little
and see what happens.

I meant what I said.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate.

I won't.

Okay.

See you then. Bye.

- Suspension?
- I'm afraid so.

Yes?

Oh, Sheila, hi.

No, I was just checking to see if you're
all set for the meeting tomorrow. Right.

I'm going to bring the backup figures
just in case the board isn't satisfied.

Okay. I'll see you then. Bye.

I'm afraid his behavior
gives us no choice.

But suspension, uh...

He's so young.

Unless you would let us put him
in the special class for LD's.

- What's that?
- Learning Disabled Children.

Michael? He's so bright.

All parents think their children
are bright.

Excuse me.
Michael has always been bright.

If you check his, uh, testing scores
all the way back, you'll see.

Uh, you have checked his records,
haven't you?

Yes?

Okay, I'll look into it right away,
and I'll get back to you.

Ha, ha. I know. I don't
believe that. That is just...

That's so interesting.

Yes. Yes, in a minute.

Think about the LD class, Mrs. Fairgate.

What about his records?

Are you gonna look
before we discuss this or not?

Look, I'll check his records but...

- Uh, hold the calls, please?
- Excuse me.

Hold my calls, please, for five minutes.

Look, you sent for me.

You made two suggestions:

suspension and a class for slow learners.
Two serious courses of action.

And you haven't even checked his records.
You don't know my son.

I haven't looked at the records.
I should have. I will.

But whatever they say,
we are going to have an unruly kid...

with a zero attention span who cannot
get along with the other children.

We don't make the kids, Mrs. Fairgate.
We work with what you send us.

I'm sorry.

You come up with a suggestion that works,
we'll listen.

I will.

Michael, get down.

Michael, get down.

Gary, we really appreciate your situation.

Well, I feel pretty damn foolish
about the whole thing.

Well, we're businessmen, right?
I mean, we speak the same language.

- We've had a lot of our share of mistakes.
- Sure, I mean, we're all human, aren't we?

Look, uh, Sid and I are willing to work
with you guys any way we can.

- If you've got any suggestions...
- As a matter of fact, we do.

After we got off the phone with you,
we called our business associates.

- Some parts jobbers.
- Wholesale parts.

We explained your dilemma, pulled strings
and came up with this parts inventory...

- that you're gonna be looking at.
- This is fantastic.

- If I had an inventory like this...
- You do.

It's being put together for you right now.

Wait a minute. You guys are going
a little too fast for me.

- Uh, I don't think we can afford...
- Say, uh, 50 grand.

At regular wholesale prices,
these parts are worth three times that.

Gary, Gary, you went out on a limb for us.
We're just returning a favor.

- Are these new parts or used?
- Reconditioned.

But fully guaranteed by our associates.

Uh, fifty grand for
the whole inventory, huh?

You'll wanna talk it over
with your partner, won't you?

Yeah, sure.

But it's just a formality.
I think he's gonna like this deal.

He'd have to be crazy not to.

Gary, it's a pleasure doing business
with you.

Here's to a long
and enjoyable relationship.

Suspension?
That's a bit extreme, isn't it?

This is the third time this month
I've been called down there.

His grades are slipping,
he's fighting a lot.

If he's been such a monster...

why am I just hearing about this
for the first time now?

I don't believe you just said that.
I've mentioned this all to you.

Besides, you live here too.
You see how he's been acting.

- He's been acting like a normal kid.
- This morning was not normal, Sid.

Well, maybe we have
too much pressure on him.

Well, what kind of pressure?

To get good marks.
To live up to Eric and Diana.

Maybe you ought to back off a little bit.

- I? I ought to back off?
- Yeah, you know how you are.

How I am sure beats neglecting him.

- What's that supposed to mean?
- It means you're never home.

You leave early, you come home late.
You even spend weekends on that engine.

That engine is not the source
of Michael's problems.

Well, neither am I.

It's just not that simple, Sid.

Look...

Michael's in trouble.

I'd like him to see someone.

A psychologist.

Isn't that going a bit far?

I think he needs professional help.
I really do.

Look, we don't need a shrink...

to help us solve the problems
with our own kids.

I'll take him to that picnic at the beach
this weekend. I'll talk with him.

- Simple problem, simple solution.
- Sure. It worked with the other kids.

- Why make an exception with Michael?
- Because Michael is an exception!

We've never had to go through
anything like this before!

Well...

Then why don't we deal with it right here,
huh? It's worth a try anyway, isn't it?

You try.

If you gave him half the time you give
that engine, a quarter of the time even...

we'd all be a lot better off.

Those Orchid Cab guys are terrific.
No problems, no hassles, nothing.

- They just wanted to help.
- Why?

They appreciated the deal
we gave them on those cars.

They're returning the favor.
It's good business.

If we did business like this,
we'd be out of business fast.

- What do you mean?
- What do you figure those parts are worth?

Uh, I'm not sure, Sid.

A lot more than $50,000, right?

- It's hard to say.
- Then let me say it.

Anybody offering prices like this
is either stupid or crooked.

- Which is it with Frank and Roy?
- Come on. This is an opportunity.

Let somebody else snap it up.
I don't wanna do...

- This could make a big difference.
- I'm sorry, Gary. The answer is no.

We're running a business here,
not a Sunday school.

When the hell is he gonna realize that?

Richard.

Honey.

Richard.

I hope this is worth interrupting
Ravel's "Pavane for a Dead Princess."

I don't know
if I can compete with royalty.

No harm in trying.

I just thought maybe we'd talk.
We don't seem to anymore.

Then talk.

You wanna talk, we'll talk.
What do you wanna talk about?

This isn't exactly what I had in mind.

What exactly did you have in mind?

Nice talking to you, Laura.

Hey, Mike.

Basketball season's starting again, huh?

You gonna go out for guard again
this year?

Hey, I asked you if you're gonna
play guard this year.

Yeah, I guess so.

First, you're gonna have to straighten out
things with your schoolwork, okay?

Here, little monkey.
No bouncing the ball in the house.

You know that.

- Having a few problems at school, huh?
- No.

No?

Yeah, I guess.

I'm trying, Dad,
but there's so much to remember.

I get bored.

Pretty soon I'm all confused.

Then the teacher treats me different
and the kids laugh at me.

- And then I feel lousy.
- Yeah, it's kind of rough, isn't it?

I hate it, Dad.
I just wanna be like everybody else.

Yeah, I know how you feel.

I had a problem sort of like that
when I was in school.

Everybody else was into jitterbugging
and sports, listening to crooners.

Me, all I cared about is building
model airplanes and model cars...

messing around
with my brother's hot rod.

But they all used to laugh at me.

Think I had a nut loose somewhere,
so I tried to be like everybody else.

I played sports. It was fun...

but what I really wanted to do
was get my hands on an engine.

Then I decided, what the heck,
I think I'm just gonna be myself.

And it worked out pretty good.

Maybe that's the way it'll go for you too.

Hey, you listen to me?

Hi.

Come on in.

If you weren't the boss, I'd accuse you
of trying to impress the boss.

I always work on Saturdays.
What about you?

Trying to impress the boss.

- Not going to the picnic?
- Ugh, no.

The kids went, but, uh, I hate the beach.

All that sand and people
lying around like lizards. Yuck!

I'll take my pool and my privacy any day.

Besides, I told Sid that I'd get
those postings done by Monday.

Oh, I see you've got company.

Yeah, would you excuse me?

Mm. Sure.

- Roy, Frank, good to see you.
- Gary. Nice seeing you.

- Why don't you come on in?
- Sure.

Have a seat.

Uh, I appreciate you coming down.

So, what's the good word from Sid?

It's not so good.

You're absolutely right, Gary.
That's not so good.

What happened to this basket?

I think Michael got into it
on the way down here.

Why didn't you stop him?
Why didn't you say something?

I figured he's been
getting in enough trouble.

It's a couple of sandwiches.

The cookies, and the fruit.
He's taken little bites out of everything.

Oh, heavens. We'll all get rabies.

Fine. Here's what's left of your ham
and cheese.

Thanks.

- Michael!
- Hey, Porky, take it easy.

- When are we gonna eat?
- Eat?

You just had breakfast
and you ate half our picnic.

- I'm starving already.
- No. Not now, honey.

- Don't eat anything now.
- Let's play some volleyball.

- All right. Let's go.
- Come on, Eric. Get a game started.

Diana, go play ball.

Oh, Ma.

You still haven't told Kenny
that you're pregnant?

I think I'm afraid of what he'll say.

Or what he won't say.

Do you still love him?

I don't know.

I don't know how I feel.

My head's telling me one thing...

my body's saying another.

I'm just so confused.

There's one thing you can depend on.

Me.

I know that doesn't sound like much
right now but, uh, I'm here.

For you.

I wanna help.

Thank you.

You're so sweet.

- I'm not even divorced and I'm pregnant...
- Hey, hey, hey.

So what?

Every relationship has a few obstacles
at first.

- Mr. Avery, Mr. Avery!
- I hope this is bigger than Ravel, Michael.

Come on,
everybody's gonna go play volleyball.

- What?
- Everybody's gonna go play volleyball.

- If that involves running, forget it.
- Come on. It'll be fun.

Besides, my Dad told me
to make sure and ask you.

- Come on. Let's go.
- All right, stop pulling!

Let's go on.

Come on.

Sid's attitude seems to be
a little shortsighted, Gary.

He knew those were stolen
the minute he looked at that list.

- There's no way he's gonna handle them.
- Why don't you talk to Sid?

Explain that we've got a deal.

- What do you mean, deal? We just talked.
- That's what you call your verbal contract.

Those parts are being collected
even as we speak.

Custom ordered.

Exactly.

You'd be very foolish
to pass up on a deal like this, Gary.

Believe me, very foolish.

Yeah. That would be stupid.

I'm gonna have to get back to you.

Take your time.

We'll talk again.

Say, the middle of the week?

Yeah.

- Hey, ready.
- Come on. Come on.

- Ready?
- Yeah, let her rip.

You play right there.

- Come on.
- Go.

That's okay. We'll get her back.

That's it. Okay. Let's do it again.

Your serve. Come on, serve it up.

- Come on, Val. Serve it up.
- I'm gonna serve it up.

- Serve it up, darling.
- Get ready.

- Great, great.
- All right. All right.

Michael, play your own area.

Okay, you turkeys, now you get ready.

Okay, one for the black hats.

Hey, Michael. Stay in
your own area. That was my ball.

- Honey, that's it.
- All right, all...

Up in the air. Come on,
over, over, over. That's it.

I know this game so well.

- Okay.
- Your serve.

- That was Laura's. Don't get...
- Your serve.

- Okay, you ready?
- Ready, two, three.

- Here it comes.
- Get it.

Up and over.

- Mike?
- Michael.

Michael, get off the court.

Dad, it was an accident.
He didn't mean it.

Come over on this side.

- I want him off the court.
- It's only a volleyball game, Sid.

He's gonna break somebody's neck.

- Why don't we just call it quits?
- No, no, no.

You big nerd. They told you to stop.

- They told you!
- Oh, shut up, Olivia! Just shut up!

Michael. Michael!

Michael. Michael?

- Come on, let's play.
- All right.

Michael, I wanna talk to you.

Michael!

I tried to stop, Dad,
but I just couldn't do it.

Michael.

- What's wrong with me, Dad?
- There's nothing wrong with you, son.

Nothing.

Only weirdoes go to shrinks.

Oh, that's not true, honey.

Eric's friend, Steve, sees a psychologist
and he's not a weirdo.

Yeah, but Steve's 16.

Tommy Franklin is one kid I know
my age...

and he goes to see a shrink,
and he's definitely crazy.

I'm feeling better, Mom. I am.

- I'll be good. I promise.
- This isn't a punishment, honey.

It's to help us understand
what's bothering you.

What's bothering me
is going to see a shrink.

Dad says there's nothing wrong with me.
Isn't that right, Dad?

- Your Mom thinks Dr. Phillips can help.
- But I don't need help.

I'm not anything like Tommy Franklin.

He's really crazy.

- Do you think I'm crazy?
- Of course not, son.

Then why do I have to go see this guy?

Salesman, showroom floor.

Showroom, line two.

Showroom, line two.

Excuse me.

You handle the Orchid Cab account,
don't you?

Pretty much. Why?

Someone from their office asked for copies
of the service records...

that we keep on the cars.
Insurance thing, I guess.

- Give them to Johnny in the garage.
- I've already taken care of it.

I thought instead of mailing them,
you could give them to Roy or Frank...

when you see them this week.

How'd you know I was gonna see them?

- Didn't you tell me?
- No.

Oh.

- I guess I heard it around here somewhere.
- Service, line one.

Service, line one.

"Dr. Ronald Phillips. Dr. Ronald Phillips.
Certificate of accomplishment."

It's hard to say.

He's worried and confused
about what's happening to him.

- What is happening to him, doctor?
- I don't know yet.

I need to get to know Michael
and both of you a little better.

Tell me, has there been much stress
in the family lately? Anything unusual?

Um...

Michael. He's been unusual.

He's been a bit nervous lately...

but frankly,
I don't really see any problem.

Uh, anything else?

Well, we were involved in a court trial.

Some pretty nasty things hit the paper,
and Michael got very upset.

What sort of a trial?

- I was accused of attempted rape.
- But he didn't do it.

Well, um...

this girl, she said he did. Ha, ha.

But he didn't.

- Does Michael think you did it?
- No, I'm sure he doesn't.

Did you ever ask him about that?

It's not the type of thing you sit down
with a boy and have a conversation about.

Did you sit down and let him air
his feelings? Do you know how he feels?

Karen, there's no point in trying
to make it look like this is my fault.

I'm not saying it's your fault.

I'm just saying that maybe
you haven't paid enough attention...

We fight a lot.

I don't mean in a bad way.

I mean, in, uh, you know, healthy...
Healthy way.

I don't see the point of all this.

If there are feelings we haven't expressed,
we have to, uh, express them.

Okay, then let's express them
to each other.

I don't think we have to
bring a doctor into all this.

You agreed to come here
because you wanted to help Michael.

- I don't have any problem talking.
- No, only listening to him.

Wait a minute, please.

Let me ask you both.

Do you really want to be here?

- No.
- Yes.

Maybe you ought to go home
and think about it.

I can't help unless you want my help.

- Thank you.
- Ahem.

Excuse me.

Thank you.

- Michael, you made such a mess.
- Oh, I'll clean it up.

Son, forget it. Come on. Come on.
Let's go home.

I'll be right there.

Hey, guy, come here.

Sit down.

- So, what'd you think of Dr. Phillips?
- He was all right. He was quiet though.

Oh, yeah, ha, ha. Isn't that something?
He sits there like a bump on a log.

He gets all the money
and we do all the work.

Hey.

How'd you like to come and work
with me at the shop tomorrow?

That would be great!

- Will I get to see that new engine?
- See it? You'll be working on it.

All right! That's great, Dad.
Thanks a lot. Yeah.

Hey, Mom, Dad's gonna let me see
that engine.

That's great.

You're gonna take him
down to the shop, huh?

Yeah. One day there is worth six months
in Dr. Phillip's office.

That's your solution to the problem, hmm?

Well, sure. You heard him just now,
didn't you? He's all excited, all happy.

He was yelling. I hear it all the time.

Karen.

Changing spark plugs, Sid,
is not the answer.

- Why can't you see that?
- Are you gonna make a big deal...?

Yes, I am. And you're not even willing
to admit there's a problem.

- Sure, I am.
- No, you're not.

Your mind was made up
before we met Dr. Phillips.

I sat there
and listened to that guy patiently.

I'm not impressed
by a lot of diplomas on the wall.

What are you afraid of? That you'll hear
something about Michael? About us?

About us? First it's Michael,
then it's me, now it's us?

- How am I gonna get you to deal with this?
- By letting me deal with it my own way!

At least, when Michael's with me, he
won't have to listen to all this nagging.

Point sales, customer on line two.

Hey, Michael. Uh, don't work him
too hard now, you hear?

Oh, I won't, Aunt Abby. Heh.

- Hello, Michael.
- Oh, hi, Mr. Ewing.

- Everything okay, Gary?
- Yeah, Sid. Fine.

Good.

Linda, you remember Michael?

- He's gonna be helping us out today.
- Terrific.

If you're like your father,
you're gonna be a big help.

Hey, are you buttering up the boss?

Oh, nope, I mean every word of it.

Ha, ha. I'll get you some work clothes.

Service, line one.

Service, line one.

Say, is this the engine
my Dad's been working on?

It sure is.

- It doesn't look like much.
- Here, buddy.

Try those on.

They might be a bit big.

A bit?

- Hi, Gary, come on in. Want some coffee?
- No.

There's an interesting article
in the newspaper.

- Yesterday, you mentioned a mee...
- There's a big oil conference in L.A. soon.

- You ought to read it.
- Why?

Well, your family's involved
in the oil business, as I recall.

Your brother J.R. will probably
be in town for that meeting.

So?

Well, I would think that J.R.
is a good person to know...

if you need money...

quickly.

You overheard the meeting I had
with Frank and Roy.

How much of it did you hear?

All of it.

Did you tell Sid?

Of course not. Sid wouldn't understand
the first thing about this.

- And you do?
- I understand how tough it is...

to find $50,000 in Knots Landing.

Especially when you don't want anyone
to know you're looking for it.

It's pretty hard to find anywhere.

Except maybe in Texas.

Um...

Why are you so concerned
about all this?

A lot of reasons.

I like what you're trying to do for Sid.

- Even if he doesn't?
- Yeah.

And I respect the way you think, Gary.

I admire the way you go after
what you want.

And I love a little excitement.

- Shall I go on?
- No.

And, Gary...

I like you.

I would hate to see you
get into any trouble or get hurt.

That makes two of us.

What are you going to do?

One of the main things that makes
the engine work is the carburetor here.

You see this pretty silver thing here?

This is the air filter.

Hey.

- Are you listening?
- Yeah, Dad.

Okay. Now, this filters out the dust
and the dirt...

but it does let air
into the carburetor.

Now, the fuel, which is a special mixture
that I'm working on...

- comes up through this line here.
- Say, Dad, when are we gonna eat?

I'm starving.

- He's a growing boy, Sid.
- Who ate lunch two hours ago.

Hey, how about if I do a
hamburger run in about a half hour?

Half an hour?

Pal, do you wanna learn about engines
or not?

Sid, line three.

I'll be right back.

Hey, Michael.
Michael, don't fool around with...

Michael, don't touch those things!

I'm sorry, Dad. I'll
clean it up, I promise.

No, never mind. Never...
Michael, we'll take care of it.

Michael!

Michael? Mike?

- I'll call an ambulance, okay?
- No. No.

You just call his mother.
I'll take him to the hospital myself.

Dr. Matthews, report to emergency.

Dr. Matthews, report to emergency.

Uh, Michael Fairgate, please?

- Bay 5, Dr. Russelman.
- Thank you.

Dr. Raffner, report to O.R. 4.

Dr. Raffner, report to O.R. 4.

Oh, Michael.

- Hey, Mom.
- Are you...?

I'm sorry to bother you.
Our doctor's out of town.

No problem, Sid.
Sharon, what have we got?

Minor contusions,
a scalp wound, possible concussion.

We're taking him to X-ray right now.

Sid, you and Karen
go to the waiting room.

- Where is it?
- It's right down the hall.

Dr. Marsh, 1747. Dr. Marsh, 1747.

- X-rays.
- Well, I think they're just playing it safe.

You know, he had about eight stitches
in his head.

Poor little guy, he was so darn scared
when they brought him in.

Mrs. Barker, please come to X-ray.

He's gonna have a headache
for a couple of days but that's about it.

- He's a pretty tough kid.
- When can we see him?

As soon as they get him in a room.
We're gonna keep him overnight.

Overnight?

Karen told me a little bit
about how Michael's been lately.

Did that have anything to do
with the accident?

Yeah, I...

When he fell, he was running around
like somebody possessed.

- Like the way he was playing volleyball?
- Yeah, yeah, that's right.

He's been like this
for about six months now.

Look, he's gonna
be here overnight anyway.

- Do you mind if I run a few tests on him?
- What kind of tests?

Blood, metabolism, routine stuff.
Nothing that's going to hurt him.

What are you looking for?

Nothing in particular.

I've got a couple of ideas.

I don't wanna say anything
until I check them out.

I don't think it's serious.

- But we've got to investigate, right?
- Yeah, sure. Go ahead.

I mean, if there's something wrong,
we've gotta find out.

Good. I should have the results
back by noon. See you tomorrow?

- Yeah.
- Okay.

Bye.

- Thanks, very much, Karl.
- Sure.

Hello?

Yeah, he's right here. Hold on.

Who is it?

I don't know.

Hello?

Yeah.

Yeah, look.
I'm right in the middle of din...

Yeah, I know.

Of course I remember.

Yeah, look, I'm not sure...

No, absolutely not. Sid's not part of this.

I understand.

Who was that, darling?

Uh...

A guy we're doing some business with.

Without Sid?

- What kind of business?
- Just business.

- Do we have to talk about it over dinner?
- No, it's all right. I just thought...

You seem kind of, uh...

- Is something wrong, Gary?
- No, there's nothing wrong.

- It sure seems quiet around here.
- Yeah, it kind of grows on you.

- When's he getting out of the hospital?
- Tomorrow.

Thanks, honey.
Then he has a couple of days of R and R.

I can imagine it now.

"I need this!" "Get me that!"

Boy, are we in for it.

It couldn't be any worse
than when you had your appendix out.

That was entirely different.

Oh, yeah? Well, you sure acted like
the Queen of Sheba.

Yeah, well, Michael never talks
when he can yell.

That is why he is in the hospital
for tests, young lady.

And if they find out
there's anything really wrong with him...

Don't worry, Mom.
We'll take care of him, read to him.

Play games, stuff like that.

Yeah, we're all gonna rally
around the cause, right, gang?

Right.

You haven't said a word
all the way down here, Gary.

I've got a lot on my mind.

Gary?

I'd, uh, like to have some words with you.

- Uh, let's go inside.
- Sure.

Sounded like we had a bad connection
on the phone.

- Yeah? I didn't notice.
- Yeah.

I was afraid you wouldn't understand
what I was trying to say.

Look, I told you guys I can't come up
with the money. Not right away.

Gary...

owing people money
is a very bad habit.

It can also be very dangerous.

Be careful, Frank,
you're gonna hurt Gary.

Today's Wednesday.
The shipment will be in next week.

COD.

We'll see you then.

Bye.

God.

- Oh, hi, Karl. Come on in.
- Hi, Karen.

Thank you.

Karl?

Why don't we, uh, sit down?

- Can I get you some coffee?
- Oh, no, thank you. I'm fine.

Okay, right to the point.

I'm certain that Michael is hyperkinetic.
Hyperactive.

He's a little bit old to be
developing symptoms for the first time...

and that's why
nobody recognized it so far.

What do you know about it?

Well, it's neurological, isn't it?

Makes kids overly active, can't sleep...

- can't stand still.
- Mm-hm. Short attention span.

A whole bag of goodies.

We don't know what causes it.

But we do know it's not psychological,
it is physical.

So you can stop blaming yourselves
and each other, please.

Okay, but what do we do about it?

I'm gonna send you to a specialist.
He will tell you your options.

They prescribe stimulants for hyperkinesia,
don't they?

- Mm-hm. Some doctors do.
- I don't like the idea of giving a kid drugs.

Neither do I. And neither does the man
I'm sending you to.

Although I've got to tell you,
sometimes when all else fails, uh...

What do we do instead?

Okay, this is as a friend now. I'll
let the specialist be the official voice.

Most of the time,
hyperkinetic kids grow out of it.

Until that time, you're dealing
with symptoms. Now, changes in diet help.

Well, if he were your boy,
what would you do?

Hyperkinetic kids have
a terrific overabundance of energy.

- So if you rechannel it...
- That's what I'd try to do.

Steer him. Use the energy. Wear him out.

- Oh, that shouldn't be too hard.
- Oh. It is very hard.

We are talking about burning up an almost
inexhaustible supply of energy every day.

Athletics, dancing, exercise.

Whatever burns up energy.

Michael can come out of this better tuned
and in better shape than most people.

But it's hard because he can't do it alone.

If he's gonna run a couple of miles
every afternoon...

someone's got to be there with him
to make sure he doesn't get distracted.

- I'll be there with him.
- Great.

Who's gonna hold you up after dinner?

We're not talking just a couple of laps.
We're talking laps, followed by swimming...

followed by gymnastics,
followed by soccer, followed...

Hyperkinesia can be very tough
on a family.

We're a tough family.

Good.

Yeah, all right. Goodbye.

- Are you all right?
- Yeah.

- I still can't believe what happened.
- It happened.

Gary, you've gotta get them
that money.

Those guys are for real.

No kidding.
And they're talking about $50,000.

Where the hell am I gonna get
that kind of money by next week?

- Was that it? My whole dinner?
- Ha, ha.

One of the first steps in your treatment
is to change your diet.

- Oh, I hope the other steps taste better.
- Ha, ha.

You know, Dad, I'm really sorry.

Look, one thing we learned today is that
you've got nothing to be sorry about.

- Do I have to lose to him, Dad?
- You got no choice.

This has been kind of a rough year
around here for everybody.

I know I haven't been around
to help too much.

So if ever you need me,
just give a holler and I'll come running.

- Is that a deal?
- Sure.

Okay, Eric.

Deal. Heh.

- Is he okay?
- Yeah, sure. He's great.

Good.

- We should talk.
- Yeah, I know.

Let me take this.

- No, no, no, I'll...
- I'll take it.

- We didn't handle this one well, did we?
- No. Ha, ha.

We were so busy blaming each other,
we forgot to look for the real problem.

I know. And it scared me, Sid.

Not just the way Michael was,
but the way we were. You and I.

Since the day we met,
I knew we were an odd couple.

I thought the combination would be great
for the kids. Exposed...

to different approaches to things,
different ways of thinking.

Oh, we are a great combination.
The kids are terrific.

And this hyperkinetic thing,
that's not because of us.

Yeah, I know that now...

but before Karl told us, I was...

Oh, I was really scared.

I mean...

I knew I made mistakes
with Diana and Eric...

but I thought I'd learned
from those mistakes.

I thought Michael was our masterpiece.

When this thing happened,
it really shook me up.

Yeah, scary.

Way down deep,
I knew, distractions or not...

kids are secure by your love.

I guess if the truth be told...

I love you so much
and I know you so well...

that I knew
you couldn't be responsible.

So if it couldn't be you, it had to be me.

Now we know it was neither one of us.

You touched me...

in a terribly vulnerable spot.

I thought maybe you were right,
you know?

Maybe...

the atmosphere I've created
around here...

is too pressurized. Too frenetic.

God...

I still feel guilty.

Don't.

We're gonna solve this thing together.

Michael's gonna be just fine.

I'm sure of it.

I know.

I'm sure of it too.