Quincy M.E. (1976–1983): Season 5, Episode 12 - Honor Thy Elders - full transcript
Something was
waiting for him at home.
Something he was more
frightened of than death.
They prescribe a lethal
overdose to an 81-year-old man.
Parent abuse is
very real, Quincy.
Your son, has he
ever struck you?
I... I must be
getting along now.
She's my responsibility.
I'll take good care of her.
The way you took
care of your father?
Stay away from us.
Please, don't make
any more trouble.
Let's say we told
him the truth...
He'll just turn it around.
If you're right, she
could be in danger.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
I'm glad you're still awake.
Dr. Nelson just gave
me the good news.
If everything's all clear on
the tests tomorrow morning,
you'll be going home
tomorrow afternoon.
Now, don't tell me you're
going to miss the food,
because I eat it, too.
The Doctor's already
called your son and his wife.
They can't wait to
have you home again.
How long has it been?
Eight days? Ten days?
The Doctor has made them
promise to keep a closer eye on you.
Why an 80-year-old man would be
painting a ceiling,
I'll never know.
Do me a favor, Mr. Morgan, at
least stay off of rickety old ladders.
And try to get some sleep.
Tomorrow's a big day.
This is what they were
treating him for at the hospital.
A simple fracture
of the humerus.
Yeah, the placement's
fine. Wonder what killed him?
Mark's already started
the tox on the blood.
He should know something
by the time we're done here.
Let's see what we
can find, huh? Right.
Anything on the tox yet?
Just getting the results
on the Barb Screen.
What's it look like?
It looks like his heart was
pumping pure secobarbital.
Wow. That's enough barbiturate
to bring down a man half his age.
The chart this hospital sent
over shows a safe daily dosage.
Well, somehow, he got
hold of an unsafe dosage.
Well, I guess the pain
got to be too much.
Well, I don't think the physical
suffering was that severe this time.
"This time"?
Yeah, this fracture of the humerus
couldn't have caused that kind of pain.
That could've.
Fracture of the eleventh rib.
I didn't come across
that in the hospital record.
Of course, he could have
gone to a different hospital.
What kind of hospital would let
something like that go by, Sam?
There was no
attempt at treatment.
Look, the bone tissue
is completely unfused.
It formed what they
call a pseudarthrosis.
A false joint in the rib
that acts like a little hinge.
It must have been excruciating.
How long ago do you
figure he got this injury?
Well, with this calcification
here, I'd say 11, 12 months.
You want me to check
with the hospital again?
Yeah, do that, will ya? I
want to talk to the family.
Maybe a doctor
treated him at home.
You thinking of neglect, Quince?
I don't know, Sam.
But somebody's got
some explaining to do.
Yeah, thanks for calling Alex.
Well, we're doing
as well as we can.
Well, surprisingly enough
she's holding up good.
Tomorrow noon at the
West Beach Chapel.
Okay, thanks for calling.
See you tomorrow. Bye-bye.
The hospital... It's the
whole hospital system.
They stick you for
200 bucks every day
and not even a private room.
Then they prescribe a lethal
overdose to an 81-year-old man.
What do you expect me to think?
That overdose
was not prescribed.
Look, I know how
difficult this is for you.
But everything points to your
husband having taken his own life.
Now, the more all
of you can tell me,
the more reliable my
conclusions will be.
Okay. What do you want to know?
I understand it was an accident
that put your father
into the hospital.
Yeah, he fell off
a ladder in there.
He was up on the
ladder painting the ceiling.
Can you believe an 81-year-old
man trying to paint the ceiling?
Then he fell off.
He put his arm out to stop
his fall and he broke his arm.
You were here at the time?
I was upstairs. I heard a yell,
and I got here just in
time to watch him fall
and I was standing here, there
was nothing I could do about it.
We all tried to get him to stop,
you know, but he was
stubborn. He didn't want to quit.
He was a house painter
until he retired 10 years ago.
You see what I think
he was tryin' to do was...
He was tryin' to show us that
he could still function as a man.
And... And do his
work, you know, like that.
Were there many other incidents
like that, falling
off the ladder?
Well, he was accident-prone.
You know, he'd trip
and fall over himself.
God rest him.
I guess that's how
he broke his rib?
The hospital never
said anything about a rib.
It was an old injury.
How old? About a year.
Oh, he never... he
never said anything to me.
Mama, did he did he ever mention
anything to you
about a broken rib?
No.
Well, he probably... he probably
didn't even know he had it.
Oh, he knew it.
It must have given
him considerable pain.
Well, if he never
talked about it,
how were we supposed
to know about it?
I know what you're
doing, Dr. Quincy.
I know what you're doing.
You're trying to say that I didn't
care enough about my father
to take good care of him.
Well, you're wrong. I
cared about my papa.
I cared about him until
God took him from us.
I don't think the
Doctor was accusing us.
Okay, Claire, that's it. I
think that's enough questions.
Questions aren't
gonna bring him back.
Now, will you please excuse us?
I'm sorry. I'm sorry
if I've upset you.
Thanks, Mom.
I don't see what harm there would
have been if you'd have told him.
Don't even talk like that.
Well, after all, it
was an accident.
You didn't mean
to hurt your father.
Now, you don't think that
he'd believe that, do you?
But you could explain to him
that it wasn't like that at all.
That there wasn't...
I don't want to
explain anything.
Just the hint...
Just the hint that I had
anything to do with the accident,
and we might as well forget
about our summer camp.
Do you know that he
could make me look
like I was some
kind of a monster.
Mama, our...
Mama, our business
is not doing well.
A jolt like this coming down
on us would wipe out our family.
The body is ready
for re-autopsy, Quince.
Let me see those
x-rays again, Sam.
Okay.
Good grief.
Why are you always one step
forward and two steps behind, Quincy?
What'd I do now?
Well, I guess what you've
done adds up to nothing.
Nothing, nothing, nothing.
Haven't we already
autopsied this body?
Yes, we have.
Simple barbiturate overdose.
That's right.
Any reason to
question the findings?
No, no, not at all.
Except the injury
I want a look at
was sustained
prior to his death.
Oh, terrific. Maybe I should
read your job description to you.
It says ascertaining
the cause of death.
Not picking apart every injury and
illness in a person's medical history.
Unless the injury has
a bearing on the death.
Well, does it?
That's what I want to find out.
You're... You're being very
thorough. That's what I've always said.
Yes, you always have said that.
Well, and I'm very happy you're
beginning to see things my way.
Thank you, Sam.
- It doesn't fit.
- What doesn't?
Morgan's son claimed
that the arm was broken
when the old man tried to cushion
the impact of the fall from the ladder.
Let me have the
scalpel, will ya?
Bones do get brittle with age.
Yep. And an impact like that
certainly could have
caused the humerus to snap.
So what's the problem?
Come here. I'll show
you the problem.
See, there are two bruises here.
One caused by the break
and the second just above it.
Only they didn't
happen at the same time.
The break was the first blow.
Blow?
Blow. That's right.
Take a look at the elbow.
No injury at all to the joint.
And there would have been damage
if the impact had been
transmitted up the arm.
Both injuries are caused
by direct, blunt force trauma.
Then it wasn't accidental.
Unless he fell off the ladder
twice in exactly the same way
and broke the
humerus on the first fall.
So you think the
injuries were inflicted?
What else is there to think?
Well, who would have
done that? His son?
Why else would he lie to me?
When was he scheduled to
go home from the hospital?
The morning they found him.
He decided to kill
himself instead.
Maybe something was
waiting for him at home.
Something he was more
frightened of than death.
Early lunch?
No, I'm late for an appointment.
Personal? Business.
I'm gonna see Sharon
Ross about the Morgan case.
How is she involved? She's not.
But she does run a
care center for the elderly
and I need an expert's opinion.
You mean you haven't reached
a conclusion on the Morgan case?
I've signed the
death certificate.
And the "Cause of death"?
Suicide by barbiturate overdose.
Well, then the case is closed.
Almost. Almost?
There's still one
blank to fill. Why?
A lot of these operators
are slicker than pomade.
So, if someone asks you to
withdraw a large amount of money,
it doesn't matter
what they're promising
or who they claim to be,
or how short a
time they need it,
you can always figure
it to be a bunko scheme.
Mr. Garber's an ex-cop.
He teaches this class
in crime-prevention.
And this is Mr. Brown.
He's beautiful with children.
The whole thing is goin' slow.
Don't try to rush it.
Nice and easy and slow.
Nobody ever climbed up
Mount Everest by running up it.
Has lots of time.
And we have
classes in nutrition,
senior's legal rights,
self defense, gardening.
Oh, and we have a skills bank,
where they can trade off services.
That's terrific.
We even serve a hot lunch.
You've done so much with
this place since I last was here.
And most of this is run
by the seniors themselves.
I just stand back and give
them room to do what they want.
And pay the bills.
Oh, I can afford it.
My rich friends are
afraid to call me.
I'm always putting
the bite on them.
I mean, it really is not
that expensive to run.
And if I could just get out
legislators to realize that,
we might be able to get them to
open a whole string of activity centers
for the aged
throughout the country.
Places where they can come
together and make a contribution
to themselves, to society,
while they're still alive.
Where'd the kids come from?
Oh, that is a whole new program
that I am really excited about.
We've been bringing
together children
who have been victims
of abuse with old people.
It seems to be working.
It's great. Oh, I wish I could
convince the County of that.
They are about to open a big
new facility for abused children
and I've been trying to
get them to hire seniors
for half their staff, but
they won't listen to me.
If you want to get it
done Sharon, it'll get done.
Is that confidence,
or blind optimism?
Or are you calling me pushy?
A little touch of each.
You sounded a little
cryptic on the telephone.
No, I'm just confused.
I just did an autopsy
on an 80-year-old man.
He took an overdose of Seconal.
And you can't believe
someone who made it that far
would choose to end it all.
That's part of it.
You are naive, Quincy.
Look around you, on park
benches, in tenements, in alleys.
There's nothing easy about
growing old in our society.
Healthy, productive
people are put out
to pasture long before their
enthusiasm for life declines.
What's this man's story?
Well, he and his wife were living
with his son and daughter-in-law.
Well, that can be stressful.
Another main function
for a place like this
is to get the parent out
of the house for awhile.
Even one someone's
intentions are the best,
the situation can
become dangerous.
You mean, like
child abuse cases?
Exactly. Why?
Well, because the
roles are reversed.
The child becomes the parent,
and you add financial
hardships, crowded conditions...
The circumstances are ripe.
Ripe for what? You name it.
For one thing,
the child can begin
to hate the weakness
in his parents.
They're reminders of
what is waiting for him.
Well, the man
supposedly fell off a ladder,
but there was no fall
and there was no ladder.
You suspect his son?
Yeah. But I have no proof.
Did you say that he left a wife?
Yeah.
If you're right, she
could be in danger.
Even more so now
the husband is gone.
If you could have
seen this man...
He was so vulnerable, I just can't
believe anybody would hurt him.
Would you believe a
74-year-old woman being forced
to crawl on her hands
and knees by her daughter,
and made to eat scraps of
food off the floor like a dog?
And what about the man
who was tied to a chair
in the basement by his own son
and when the old man complained,
the son beat him
into unconsciousness.
There are even instances
where several family members
all gang up on the
same old person.
Parent abuse is
very real, Quincy.
I see more cases
of it every day.
You see that man over there?
That's Mr. Coogan.
He lives with his daughter and
son-in-law in three small rooms.
Oh, Mr. Coogan!
How you feeling today?
Much better.
Why do you keep chasin'
this thing around the flagpole?
My father killed himself.
He's dead, he's gone. It's over.
Not really. He
did leave a widow.
My mother, she's my responsibility.
I'll take good care of her.
The way you took
care of your father?
He had no complaints.
He had a roof over his head.
He had good food
to eat. I saw to that.
He paid a high price for it.
Hello.
Yeah, hi, Mr. Daniels.
How you doin'?
Well, I had to increase
the camp rates.
Well, you know as well as I do
how the interest rates
on bank loans go, right?
Well, we're puttin'
eight new cabins up.
I know that's no concern of...
Look, don't...
don't talk like that.
Look, maybe you're right.
Why don't we talk about it.
I mean, you're like family. I think
we can make an arrangement.
Yeah.
Yes.
Okay.
Damn!
That's quite a temper
you have there.
Well, that's not any
concern of yours.
I mean, I just lost two
more kids in the camp.
A tantrum isn't going
to solve anything.
Look, Dr. Quincy, I
have enough problems
without you breathing
down my neck.
What are you? Dear
Abby or somethin'?
Why don't you tell me what
you want and then just get out.
I know your father
didn't fall off any ladder.
I also have a good hunch
how his rib was broken last year
and I want you to know
if anything like that
happens to your mother
I'm comin' after
you with the police.
I don't know what
you're talkin' about.
Try parent abuse.
Parent abuse?
What, are you accusing
me of hitting my father?
Get out of here.
I don't have enough
evidence to accuse you.
Just enough to warn ya.
Lovely afternoon.
I'm Dr. Quincy. Remember me?
Of course I remember you.
I'm old, but I'm not senile.
Your daughter-in-law told
me I could find you here.
Yes.
Arnold loved to feed the ducks.
He had names for a lot of them.
That's Ernie, I
think, the local bully.
What time is It, Dr. Quincy?
Almost 3:00.
Time for my medicine.
Three times every day or the
whole machinery breaks down.
Funny.
I never realized how
big these benches are,
till you sit in one alone.
I just talked with your son.
Oh?
He's very high strung.
Well, he's under
a lot of pressure
lately with his
business and all.
These are hectic times.
It wasn't like that in my day
when Arnold and
I were starting out.
You know, those really
were the good ol' days.
The summer camp
was my husband's idea.
He was always such a dreamer.
I was the cook.
I wish you could have
known him, Dr. Quincy.
If a child couldn't
afford the tuition,
why, Arnold, he
covered it himself.
He called it his
"scholarship program".
He worked as a house
painter in the winter
just to keep the camp going.
With Timmy it's just a business.
A business he hates.
Has he ever struck you?
What?
Your son, has he
ever struck you?
No. What kind of
a question is that?
Well, you know, he
had struck your husband.
I think on more
than one occasion.
No. He never hit him.
I... I must be
getting along now.
Dr. Quincy...
Would you care to walk with me?
Sure.
Dr. Quincy, my husband
was a wonderful man.
But he became... Well,
cantankerous with age.
At times... And the Lord
forgive me for saying so,
he... he became
a downright pest.
Sometimes he got
on Timmy's nerves.
Now, Tim is not a bad
person. He's a good provider.
Please, don't make trouble.
If you put any more
pressure on him,
it'll only make things worse.
Not only for me, but for Claire.
She's a wonderful girl.
I won't make
trouble. I promise you.
We never should have
moved in here with them,
but we had nowhere to go.
Do you help at the camp?
No.
Tim says we're just in the way.
That Arnold, keeps
giving away scholarships.
And I was too slow.
I know a place that could
use your cooking talents
and you can be as
slow as you want to.
Where is that?
A place where they don't
punish you for getting old.
I have to go now.
Thank you.
Of course she can cook.
In fact our chef is 83 and he
needs all the help he can get.
Do you think she'll come?
I don't know. I hope so.
Her son is living on
the edge of his nerves.
Did you tell her
that? Not really.
It would have been so
presumptuous of me.
I mean, evidently,
he hasn't touched her.
Not yet. But, you
see, he didn't have to.
He took everything
out on his father.
But she's such a
sweet, wonderful woman.
What I am going to show you now
will remove your
naivete forever.
I would have opened it for ya.
I forget.
Home of the Prentiss
Sisters, both of 'em past 90,
living in conditions that
are pretty disgraceful.
It must have been a
nice house at one time.
It's even worse on the inside.
Don't they qualify for Welfare?
Well, that's the amazing part.
Apparently, they have or
they had a lot of real estate.
I did some snooping
and I found out their
nephew is the one
who is supposed to
be taking care of them
and is actually
robbing them blind.
He's been handling
all their affairs
since his father
died six years ago.
Well, can't they do
anything about it?
Apparently, it's
all perfectly legal.
They've signed over
right after right to him.
We don't get very
many visitors anymore.
We'd like to do more for them.
Well, Eloise...
Dr. Quincy, I believe.
Quigley.
I'm sorry. We were hoping that
we could do something for you.
Oh, goodness, no.
Roger does everything
for us. Doesn't he, Muriel?
Expect cat food. He's
always forgetting cat food.
Oh, yeah.
You didn't bring any
cat food, did you?
No, but we could.
Do you have enough
food here for yourselves?
There go the lights again.
We've got to remind
Roger again, Muriel.
Edna, you were going
to tell me about the food.
Roger comes by.
When he can.
We understand you
own some property?
Yes, we do.
But it doesn't bring
us much income.
The real estate business
has been bad, bad all over.
Do you like cats, Doctor?
Oh, I love 'em.
There's not an
animal I don't love.
When is the last time that
you two had a real meal?
There's Roger. We told you so.
What's going on?
How'd they get in?
I let 'em in.
I thought I told you about
bringing strangers into the house.
Well, that's that nice lady from the
Center with her friend, Dr. Quincy.
Did you remember
the cat food, dear?
I want them outta here.
We just wanted to see if
we could be of any help.
We don't need any help.
What's more, we
don't want any help.
Not from you. Not from any one.
We're not looking for charity.
Roger, please.
Now, if you two aren't
happy with this arrangement,
if this is what I get
in return for all I do,
I won't come around anymore.
You can wait for a
handout from strangers.
How would that be worse
than they're getting now?
Who asked you?
They just dropped
over unexpected-like.
And they're leaving.
But, Edna...
Please... don't.
Come on, Sharon.
And don't come around
anymore or I'll call the police.
That's a thought.
I mean it.
Don't let them in again.
We won't do it again.
We won't, Roger.
Edna?
I promise.
Ah-ah, not yet.
Not until we get
business out of the way.
More papers to sign?
I need your signature.
Shouldn't we read them first?
It's the same thing you've
been signing for months.
I've explained it
a hundred times.
We can keep the house?
They can't take it from us?
That's right. Now, sign.
You promised to send
somebody to take care of the lights.
If I said I'll
do it, I'll do it.
Please sign.
When are we gonna
see you again, Roger?
When you see me.
He forgot the cat food.
Kitty. Come on, come on.
Kitty. Kitty.
Where is he? Come on.
You're my kitty, aren't you?
Kitty...
Poor woman. I can't believe it.
I was just talking to her.
She was more concerned with
her cat's welfare than her own.
Well, the police report says
she fell down the basement steps.
I guess at that age, any
fall can be the last one.
Hmm. She didn't reach that
age by being clumsy, Sam.
Well, she might easily
have stumbled in the dark.
There was no light
in the basement?
No light anywhere.
The police say the
main fuse had blown.
They were having trouble with the
lights when Sharon and I were there.
Their nephew was
supposed to take care of it.
There's no doubt about
the cause of death.
Massive cranial fractures.
There are numerous
contusions and
abrasions and a
secondary trauma.
Quince, what's this rash
on the backs of her hands?
Hmm? I could guess,
but we'll know for
sure when we go inside.
The liver shows
signs of brown atrophy.
Serious atrophy of
the remaining body fat.
Excuse me, Sam.
The tongue is glossy
and scarlet in color.
There's a general
wasting of the skin.
Sam, look how
sticky the tissues are.
That's some marked dehydration.
It's really incredible.
That explains the rash on the
hands you were wondering about.
And her mental state,
that I thought was senility.
This is a case of Pellagra.
That fall only finished a job
that was started a long time ago.
What kind of diet was she on?
A poor one.
The way her body
was feeding on itself,
she would have been dead
in a matter of months anyway
of malnutrition.
Maybe nobody's home.
Maybe she's afraid to answer.
Edna! Are you there?
It's just us, Sharon and Quincy.
Hello, Edna. We were
in the neighborhood.
We thought you might
be low on supplies.
No, I'm fine.
We'd like very
much to talk to you.
No, Roger says I'm
not to let anyone in.
The Doctor said Muriel was not
getting the nourishment she needed.
You've got to get some
decent food in you.
We didn't know what you liked,
so we got a little
bit of everything.
Fresh vegetables and
fruit juice and milk...
Wouldn't you like us to come
in and fix you something?
No.
Well, at least let us
put it away for you.
No, please, go away.
If Roger sees you
here, he won't come back
and I won't have anybody.
Now, listen, I
can't leave like this.
There's gotta be something
we can do to help her.
We don't have the
power to intervene.
But I know someone who does.
Come on, let's go.
People assume from
the name on the door
that I've got a white horse
and a suit of armor in the closet.
But, Mr. Schaefer, we're not
looking for any easy answers,
we're just looking for answers.
Well, from everything
you've told me,
a pretty good case could
be made against the nephew.
We could probably
intervene on her behalf.
Well, that's terrific. Well,
that's just what we want.
Of course we'd have to
have her full cooperation.
But that's just it.
She's too intimidated by the
nephew to say a word against him.
She was so scared she
wouldn't even let us in the house.
Then we've got problems.
You mean you can't help the
abused unless they cooperate?
Now, hold on. I never said that.
I can investigate.
Then if it's justified,
I can even establish
a conservatorship for the woman.
So that someone's legally
responsible for her care
and for the care of her assets.
So what's the problem?
The problem is that the court would
have to declare her incompetent
in order to turn things
over to a conservator.
Wait a minute.
There's a tiger
behind every door.
Are you talking about putting
her away, institutionalizing her?
Well, not necessarily. I
just want you to understand
that this is a last resort.
It means stripping
away some of her rights.
Oh, this is crazy.
Her nephew is ripping her off.
He's practically
starving her to death.
You're the only agency with the
teeth enough to do something about it,
and you can't help her unless
you strip away her rights.
I mean, she can't win, can she?
Easy Mr. Tactful, easy.
Who would the conservator
be in a case like this?
The nephew is the only living
relative as far as we know.
Well, this office itself
could be the conservator.
Or a really creative judge could
make the nephew
himself the conservator.
What? Are you kidding?
That's like putting the wolf
in charge of the henhouse.
I don't understand.
What is the difference between
that situation and what exists now?
There's one big difference.
The conservator is completely
answerable to the court.
Every dime that's spent,
every meal that's provided,
every visit to the doctor, it's all
under the supervision of the courts.
Then there is no way he could
continue the rip-offs or the neglect.
Not unless he
wants to risk jail.
And he would be forced
to take good care of
her or lose everything.
Exactly.
Why didn't he say so before?
Listen, you may not
have a suit of armor,
but you certainly rescue
the damsel in distress.
Thank you so much.
Thank you very much.
You know what? You oughta
learn to talk more like people.
See, that bureaucracy stuff
you say we don't understand
because I didn't like you at
first, but you're a very nice guy.
Thank you.
I've got yours black. Thanks.
Oh, you should've
seen Roger's face
when I told him he'd be
answerable to a judge.
I mean, we really
stuck it to him.
I guess so.
You guess so. You know, you're
a very difficult person to please.
We have only
won half the battle.
Keeping her alive
physically is one thing.
Keeping her alive on the
inside is a whole other matter.
I know what you're saying,
but you gotta tally up the
victories as you go along.
What about the
defeats? Do they count?
What defeats?
The County called this
morning with a definite answer
on my proposal to hire seniors
for their child abuse center.
It was a polite no.
They can't do that.
All you have to do is get 'em down
here and see the program work.
Easier said than done.
Oh, excuse me, sir.
Are you looking for someone?
Excuse me. Are you Sharon Ross?
Yes, I am.
I'm Peter Harper. This
is my daughter Theresa.
Hello, Theresa.
What can I do for you?
I understand you could keep
Theresa here for a couple of days.
My wife...
Look, I'm afraid for
Theresa while I'm working.
I'll pick her up as
soon as I get off.
Mrs. Oglesby. Yes, Sharon.
Could you come here
for a second please.
Yes, of course.
This is Mr. Harper. Hello.
Hi. And this is Theresa.
Hi, darling.
Could you show Theresa some of
those toys you've been working on?
Of course. Come along, darling.
Theresa, go with the nice lady.
Oh, what happened to your dolly?
Got no mouth.
Oh, no wonder she can't smile.
What do you say we
give her a new mouth?
We'll sew it on right here.
Will it hurt her?
No, of course not, darling.
Come on, I'll show
you how to do it.
Let's see, you sit right here.
Don't worry, Mr. Harper.
We'll take good care of Theresa
until your wife is ready.
Thank you, Ms. Ross.
You don't know how
much this means.
What's the name of the guy
who turned down your program?
Walters.
Dr. Quincy.
Mrs. Morgan, what
are you doing here?
Your office told me
where I could find you.
Well, what is it?
My husband told me
you went to see him.
He thinks his mother told
you things she shouldn't have
and I'm afraid for her.
But, it's not
true. I'll tell him.
No, please. That's
why I came here.
To tell you to
stay away from us.
Please, don't make
any more trouble.
Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.
Mmm-hmm. I've read
this proposal before.
I considered it, and
found it to be not feasible.
What part did you
find not feasible?
The whole idea.
You're asking us to take on staff
members who have been forced to retire
and because of
their age, rightfully so.
What do you mean "rightfully
so". They're still productive.
Let me explain.
This center is
going to be the most
up-to-date facility of
its kind in the nation.
It's gonna be outfitted with
the most modern equipment.
Medical, educational,
recreational, whatever.
And it's going to have the
finest staff we can assemble.
Now, it's as simple as that.
But you've got something
like 50 positions.
You can hire 25
young professionals
and still have room to bring
that many seniors on board.
No, you're missing the point.
This facility's for
children, not older people.
Now, our private funding and the
matching federal grant's quite specific.
You don't have to
help the old people.
The old people are
going to help you.
Both the children
and the old people
have so much to gain
from their interaction.
I run a small version of
the program at our center...
Oh, you gotta come
down and see it.
They work little
miracles down there.
I'm sure they do.
But these people
led rich, useful lives,
and they want to share
those experiences.
And they've got some qualities
a lot of your young professionals
don't have, like real patience.
Look, you can't expect me
to jeopardize the successful
completion of a four-year project
by hiring people that could
be too feeble to do a job.
The people we're talking
about are not feeble.
Sure, they have suffered just
like the children they want to help.
Look, the need is there.
They've got so much to
offer as an untapped resource.
You should see what
happens when an abused child
and an abused
parent come together.
The nurturing goes both ways.
Why don't you
come down and look?
Well, let me clear
up this logjam.
Maybe in a few weeks, all right.
But you are staffing this center
in less than two
weeks. Am I right?
Right.
You are free tomorrow
afternoon. How about 2:00?
You got me.
That's great. You won't
regret it, Mr. Walters.
Talk about pushy.
Mom, are you all right?
Just a little dizzy, that's all.
You take your medicine today?
I'm all out.
But Timothy promised to fill
the prescription on his way home.
How'd it go?
I need a drink. Oh, come on.
You look like you
already had too much.
Yeah, well, I'm gonna
have a little too much more.
How do you like that?
Timothy, dear, did
you get the medicine?
We lost our financing
on all those cabins.
How could they do that? I
thought it was all arranged.
The bankers. You
know what they want?
They want me to prove 100%
enrollment or else that's it for us.
They're really
stupid. I told them.
I said, "Look, we run a different
kind of business altogether."
You know what I mean?
Tim, did you bring my medicine?
What?
Did you get my
medicine refilled?
Ma, I had it written down... I had
it written on a note and everything.
But the doctor said I had
to have it three times a day
or it wouldn't help.
I know what the doctor said,
but I've got a few
things on my mind.
I mean, you're sitting there
listening to this, aren't you?
So the Senior Vice President,
you know what the end line is?
"I'm sorry", that's it.
The drugstore, is it
closed? Is there still time?
Is there still time?
You want me to go get in the
car, go down to the drugstore,
get your lousy medicine.
What, are you crazy?
Come on, Tim, she's not
gonna be able to sleep tonight.
That's my fault? Of course,
I'll take the responsibility.
I have the responsibility
for this lousy family anyway.
What do you think, I don't
have anything else on my mind
but you lousy
people around here.
I mean, I'm getting
sick and tired
of your badgering
and your wining.
I need some space.
Give me some space
and go to your room.
Tim, come on now, it's
almost time for dinner.
And you, you shut up.
Where're you going?
Where are you going?
To the drugstore. Oh,
you're going to the drugstore.
Are you gonna walk?
If I have to.
It's five miles away, Ma.
I need the medicine.
You're trying to make
me feel guilty, right?
You're trying to
make me feel guilty.
You take and take and take,
but it's not gonna work anymore.
It's over.
Get your hands off that knob.
Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!
And go to your room.
He helps them make their
own instruments in the shop.
I must say you've
shattered a few myths for me,
about the elderly.
Look at it this way.
You hire 25 young people,
you got maybe a hundred years
of experience between them.
But you hire 25 old people,
you've got like a thousand years
of experience to
pass on to the kids.
Ah, your daughter's
a wonderful girl.
I'm sure she's wonderful here.
You should see her at home.
She never listens.
She's always fussing.
Theresa, your shoe's untied.
You know I've taught
you to tie your shoes.
I'm sorry, Mom.
At that age, they're not much
different than we ancients.
Our memory span is very short.
My other daughter
always listens.
Even when she was her age.
Well, children
develop differently.
Maybe you're expecting
too much of Theresa.
What's your name? Susan.
Susan, I know this
from being a mother.
We're always maddest at the
daughter who's most like us.
Mrs. Ogelesby, would
you be interested
in doing a little babysitting
maybe for a few days?
Susan and I have been promising
ourselves a trip
for a long time.
We never seem to
be able to make it.
I'm too old to take
on another house.
And I don't do windows.
No, no. No housework at all.
We'd just like you
to watch the girls.
Well, let me think about it.
Come on, let's go.
Bye, dear.
Let me know when you're ready.
I'll watch the young ones.
Thank you.
If I didn't know better,
I'd say you staged all
of that for my benefit.
Mr. Walters, you can come
down here any day of the week,
and see exactly the same
kind of thing going on.
Why do you think we've been
fighting so hard for this program?
Excuse me.
I'd be a lair if I didn't
tell you I'm impressed.
Then you'll keep the
jobs open for the seniors?
I'll talk to the board members.
Beyond that, I can't
promise anything.
Quincy, it's for you.
Excuse me. Hello?
I'll be right there.
Is something wrong?
What you predicted. An
explosion in the Morgan house.
You tell my mother for me.
Tell her to stay out
of my damn way.
What do you want?
Your mother called. She
asked me to pick her up.
I'll be right with
you, Dr. Quincy.
Ma, what are you doin'?
I'm leaving here.
What do you mean, leaving?
Look, where are you going?
With Dr. Quincy.
He knows a place where they
could use a good slow cook.
Now wait a minute. Look, I
apologize. I didn't mean it.
Believe me. Claire? Claire?
Would y... Would ya
tell her I didn't mean it.
Yes, you did.
If I hadn't stopped you,
you would have hurt her
the same way you
hurt your father.
That's not true.
Tell... Tell him
that's not true.
I mean, what's goin'
on around here?
I rebellion. You
keep out of this.
Mama, please. Listen to me.
I didn't mean it.
Believe me, I'm... I'm
under incredible pressure.
Everybody's under pressure
one way or the other.
They don't use it as
an excuse to strike out
and hurt their families.
How many times do
you think I lost my temper
when you were growing up?
How many times
did your father want
to shake some
discipline into you?
But we didn't give
into those feelings
because we're not
animals, we're not beasts.
You gave us food
and a place to stay
and you tried to
buy our dignity.
That's why Pop killed himself.
We are strangers, Timmy.
We've lived in the same house
for a long time and we're strangers.
The next move's yours.
I'm ready, Dr. Quincy.
♪ Happy birthday to you
♪ Happy birthday to you
♪ Happy birthday to Edna
♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪
Did you hear from Walters?
Oh, yes. Pretty good news.
He won't take all 25, but he
promised to take eight or ten.
So it's a start.
Well, it's nice to know
you can enjoy your victory.
Oh, excuse me.
Congratulations.
Want to join the party?
No, thanks. I'll wait
for my aunt outside.
How about you? You
wanna join the fun?
I'll try.
I'll really try.
waiting for him at home.
Something he was more
frightened of than death.
They prescribe a lethal
overdose to an 81-year-old man.
Parent abuse is
very real, Quincy.
Your son, has he
ever struck you?
I... I must be
getting along now.
She's my responsibility.
I'll take good care of her.
The way you took
care of your father?
Stay away from us.
Please, don't make
any more trouble.
Let's say we told
him the truth...
He'll just turn it around.
If you're right, she
could be in danger.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
I'm glad you're still awake.
Dr. Nelson just gave
me the good news.
If everything's all clear on
the tests tomorrow morning,
you'll be going home
tomorrow afternoon.
Now, don't tell me you're
going to miss the food,
because I eat it, too.
The Doctor's already
called your son and his wife.
They can't wait to
have you home again.
How long has it been?
Eight days? Ten days?
The Doctor has made them
promise to keep a closer eye on you.
Why an 80-year-old man would be
painting a ceiling,
I'll never know.
Do me a favor, Mr. Morgan, at
least stay off of rickety old ladders.
And try to get some sleep.
Tomorrow's a big day.
This is what they were
treating him for at the hospital.
A simple fracture
of the humerus.
Yeah, the placement's
fine. Wonder what killed him?
Mark's already started
the tox on the blood.
He should know something
by the time we're done here.
Let's see what we
can find, huh? Right.
Anything on the tox yet?
Just getting the results
on the Barb Screen.
What's it look like?
It looks like his heart was
pumping pure secobarbital.
Wow. That's enough barbiturate
to bring down a man half his age.
The chart this hospital sent
over shows a safe daily dosage.
Well, somehow, he got
hold of an unsafe dosage.
Well, I guess the pain
got to be too much.
Well, I don't think the physical
suffering was that severe this time.
"This time"?
Yeah, this fracture of the humerus
couldn't have caused that kind of pain.
That could've.
Fracture of the eleventh rib.
I didn't come across
that in the hospital record.
Of course, he could have
gone to a different hospital.
What kind of hospital would let
something like that go by, Sam?
There was no
attempt at treatment.
Look, the bone tissue
is completely unfused.
It formed what they
call a pseudarthrosis.
A false joint in the rib
that acts like a little hinge.
It must have been excruciating.
How long ago do you
figure he got this injury?
Well, with this calcification
here, I'd say 11, 12 months.
You want me to check
with the hospital again?
Yeah, do that, will ya? I
want to talk to the family.
Maybe a doctor
treated him at home.
You thinking of neglect, Quince?
I don't know, Sam.
But somebody's got
some explaining to do.
Yeah, thanks for calling Alex.
Well, we're doing
as well as we can.
Well, surprisingly enough
she's holding up good.
Tomorrow noon at the
West Beach Chapel.
Okay, thanks for calling.
See you tomorrow. Bye-bye.
The hospital... It's the
whole hospital system.
They stick you for
200 bucks every day
and not even a private room.
Then they prescribe a lethal
overdose to an 81-year-old man.
What do you expect me to think?
That overdose
was not prescribed.
Look, I know how
difficult this is for you.
But everything points to your
husband having taken his own life.
Now, the more all
of you can tell me,
the more reliable my
conclusions will be.
Okay. What do you want to know?
I understand it was an accident
that put your father
into the hospital.
Yeah, he fell off
a ladder in there.
He was up on the
ladder painting the ceiling.
Can you believe an 81-year-old
man trying to paint the ceiling?
Then he fell off.
He put his arm out to stop
his fall and he broke his arm.
You were here at the time?
I was upstairs. I heard a yell,
and I got here just in
time to watch him fall
and I was standing here, there
was nothing I could do about it.
We all tried to get him to stop,
you know, but he was
stubborn. He didn't want to quit.
He was a house painter
until he retired 10 years ago.
You see what I think
he was tryin' to do was...
He was tryin' to show us that
he could still function as a man.
And... And do his
work, you know, like that.
Were there many other incidents
like that, falling
off the ladder?
Well, he was accident-prone.
You know, he'd trip
and fall over himself.
God rest him.
I guess that's how
he broke his rib?
The hospital never
said anything about a rib.
It was an old injury.
How old? About a year.
Oh, he never... he
never said anything to me.
Mama, did he did he ever mention
anything to you
about a broken rib?
No.
Well, he probably... he probably
didn't even know he had it.
Oh, he knew it.
It must have given
him considerable pain.
Well, if he never
talked about it,
how were we supposed
to know about it?
I know what you're
doing, Dr. Quincy.
I know what you're doing.
You're trying to say that I didn't
care enough about my father
to take good care of him.
Well, you're wrong. I
cared about my papa.
I cared about him until
God took him from us.
I don't think the
Doctor was accusing us.
Okay, Claire, that's it. I
think that's enough questions.
Questions aren't
gonna bring him back.
Now, will you please excuse us?
I'm sorry. I'm sorry
if I've upset you.
Thanks, Mom.
I don't see what harm there would
have been if you'd have told him.
Don't even talk like that.
Well, after all, it
was an accident.
You didn't mean
to hurt your father.
Now, you don't think that
he'd believe that, do you?
But you could explain to him
that it wasn't like that at all.
That there wasn't...
I don't want to
explain anything.
Just the hint...
Just the hint that I had
anything to do with the accident,
and we might as well forget
about our summer camp.
Do you know that he
could make me look
like I was some
kind of a monster.
Mama, our...
Mama, our business
is not doing well.
A jolt like this coming down
on us would wipe out our family.
The body is ready
for re-autopsy, Quince.
Let me see those
x-rays again, Sam.
Okay.
Good grief.
Why are you always one step
forward and two steps behind, Quincy?
What'd I do now?
Well, I guess what you've
done adds up to nothing.
Nothing, nothing, nothing.
Haven't we already
autopsied this body?
Yes, we have.
Simple barbiturate overdose.
That's right.
Any reason to
question the findings?
No, no, not at all.
Except the injury
I want a look at
was sustained
prior to his death.
Oh, terrific. Maybe I should
read your job description to you.
It says ascertaining
the cause of death.
Not picking apart every injury and
illness in a person's medical history.
Unless the injury has
a bearing on the death.
Well, does it?
That's what I want to find out.
You're... You're being very
thorough. That's what I've always said.
Yes, you always have said that.
Well, and I'm very happy you're
beginning to see things my way.
Thank you, Sam.
- It doesn't fit.
- What doesn't?
Morgan's son claimed
that the arm was broken
when the old man tried to cushion
the impact of the fall from the ladder.
Let me have the
scalpel, will ya?
Bones do get brittle with age.
Yep. And an impact like that
certainly could have
caused the humerus to snap.
So what's the problem?
Come here. I'll show
you the problem.
See, there are two bruises here.
One caused by the break
and the second just above it.
Only they didn't
happen at the same time.
The break was the first blow.
Blow?
Blow. That's right.
Take a look at the elbow.
No injury at all to the joint.
And there would have been damage
if the impact had been
transmitted up the arm.
Both injuries are caused
by direct, blunt force trauma.
Then it wasn't accidental.
Unless he fell off the ladder
twice in exactly the same way
and broke the
humerus on the first fall.
So you think the
injuries were inflicted?
What else is there to think?
Well, who would have
done that? His son?
Why else would he lie to me?
When was he scheduled to
go home from the hospital?
The morning they found him.
He decided to kill
himself instead.
Maybe something was
waiting for him at home.
Something he was more
frightened of than death.
Early lunch?
No, I'm late for an appointment.
Personal? Business.
I'm gonna see Sharon
Ross about the Morgan case.
How is she involved? She's not.
But she does run a
care center for the elderly
and I need an expert's opinion.
You mean you haven't reached
a conclusion on the Morgan case?
I've signed the
death certificate.
And the "Cause of death"?
Suicide by barbiturate overdose.
Well, then the case is closed.
Almost. Almost?
There's still one
blank to fill. Why?
A lot of these operators
are slicker than pomade.
So, if someone asks you to
withdraw a large amount of money,
it doesn't matter
what they're promising
or who they claim to be,
or how short a
time they need it,
you can always figure
it to be a bunko scheme.
Mr. Garber's an ex-cop.
He teaches this class
in crime-prevention.
And this is Mr. Brown.
He's beautiful with children.
The whole thing is goin' slow.
Don't try to rush it.
Nice and easy and slow.
Nobody ever climbed up
Mount Everest by running up it.
Has lots of time.
And we have
classes in nutrition,
senior's legal rights,
self defense, gardening.
Oh, and we have a skills bank,
where they can trade off services.
That's terrific.
We even serve a hot lunch.
You've done so much with
this place since I last was here.
And most of this is run
by the seniors themselves.
I just stand back and give
them room to do what they want.
And pay the bills.
Oh, I can afford it.
My rich friends are
afraid to call me.
I'm always putting
the bite on them.
I mean, it really is not
that expensive to run.
And if I could just get out
legislators to realize that,
we might be able to get them to
open a whole string of activity centers
for the aged
throughout the country.
Places where they can come
together and make a contribution
to themselves, to society,
while they're still alive.
Where'd the kids come from?
Oh, that is a whole new program
that I am really excited about.
We've been bringing
together children
who have been victims
of abuse with old people.
It seems to be working.
It's great. Oh, I wish I could
convince the County of that.
They are about to open a big
new facility for abused children
and I've been trying to
get them to hire seniors
for half their staff, but
they won't listen to me.
If you want to get it
done Sharon, it'll get done.
Is that confidence,
or blind optimism?
Or are you calling me pushy?
A little touch of each.
You sounded a little
cryptic on the telephone.
No, I'm just confused.
I just did an autopsy
on an 80-year-old man.
He took an overdose of Seconal.
And you can't believe
someone who made it that far
would choose to end it all.
That's part of it.
You are naive, Quincy.
Look around you, on park
benches, in tenements, in alleys.
There's nothing easy about
growing old in our society.
Healthy, productive
people are put out
to pasture long before their
enthusiasm for life declines.
What's this man's story?
Well, he and his wife were living
with his son and daughter-in-law.
Well, that can be stressful.
Another main function
for a place like this
is to get the parent out
of the house for awhile.
Even one someone's
intentions are the best,
the situation can
become dangerous.
You mean, like
child abuse cases?
Exactly. Why?
Well, because the
roles are reversed.
The child becomes the parent,
and you add financial
hardships, crowded conditions...
The circumstances are ripe.
Ripe for what? You name it.
For one thing,
the child can begin
to hate the weakness
in his parents.
They're reminders of
what is waiting for him.
Well, the man
supposedly fell off a ladder,
but there was no fall
and there was no ladder.
You suspect his son?
Yeah. But I have no proof.
Did you say that he left a wife?
Yeah.
If you're right, she
could be in danger.
Even more so now
the husband is gone.
If you could have
seen this man...
He was so vulnerable, I just can't
believe anybody would hurt him.
Would you believe a
74-year-old woman being forced
to crawl on her hands
and knees by her daughter,
and made to eat scraps of
food off the floor like a dog?
And what about the man
who was tied to a chair
in the basement by his own son
and when the old man complained,
the son beat him
into unconsciousness.
There are even instances
where several family members
all gang up on the
same old person.
Parent abuse is
very real, Quincy.
I see more cases
of it every day.
You see that man over there?
That's Mr. Coogan.
He lives with his daughter and
son-in-law in three small rooms.
Oh, Mr. Coogan!
How you feeling today?
Much better.
Why do you keep chasin'
this thing around the flagpole?
My father killed himself.
He's dead, he's gone. It's over.
Not really. He
did leave a widow.
My mother, she's my responsibility.
I'll take good care of her.
The way you took
care of your father?
He had no complaints.
He had a roof over his head.
He had good food
to eat. I saw to that.
He paid a high price for it.
Hello.
Yeah, hi, Mr. Daniels.
How you doin'?
Well, I had to increase
the camp rates.
Well, you know as well as I do
how the interest rates
on bank loans go, right?
Well, we're puttin'
eight new cabins up.
I know that's no concern of...
Look, don't...
don't talk like that.
Look, maybe you're right.
Why don't we talk about it.
I mean, you're like family. I think
we can make an arrangement.
Yeah.
Yes.
Okay.
Damn!
That's quite a temper
you have there.
Well, that's not any
concern of yours.
I mean, I just lost two
more kids in the camp.
A tantrum isn't going
to solve anything.
Look, Dr. Quincy, I
have enough problems
without you breathing
down my neck.
What are you? Dear
Abby or somethin'?
Why don't you tell me what
you want and then just get out.
I know your father
didn't fall off any ladder.
I also have a good hunch
how his rib was broken last year
and I want you to know
if anything like that
happens to your mother
I'm comin' after
you with the police.
I don't know what
you're talkin' about.
Try parent abuse.
Parent abuse?
What, are you accusing
me of hitting my father?
Get out of here.
I don't have enough
evidence to accuse you.
Just enough to warn ya.
Lovely afternoon.
I'm Dr. Quincy. Remember me?
Of course I remember you.
I'm old, but I'm not senile.
Your daughter-in-law told
me I could find you here.
Yes.
Arnold loved to feed the ducks.
He had names for a lot of them.
That's Ernie, I
think, the local bully.
What time is It, Dr. Quincy?
Almost 3:00.
Time for my medicine.
Three times every day or the
whole machinery breaks down.
Funny.
I never realized how
big these benches are,
till you sit in one alone.
I just talked with your son.
Oh?
He's very high strung.
Well, he's under
a lot of pressure
lately with his
business and all.
These are hectic times.
It wasn't like that in my day
when Arnold and
I were starting out.
You know, those really
were the good ol' days.
The summer camp
was my husband's idea.
He was always such a dreamer.
I was the cook.
I wish you could have
known him, Dr. Quincy.
If a child couldn't
afford the tuition,
why, Arnold, he
covered it himself.
He called it his
"scholarship program".
He worked as a house
painter in the winter
just to keep the camp going.
With Timmy it's just a business.
A business he hates.
Has he ever struck you?
What?
Your son, has he
ever struck you?
No. What kind of
a question is that?
Well, you know, he
had struck your husband.
I think on more
than one occasion.
No. He never hit him.
I... I must be
getting along now.
Dr. Quincy...
Would you care to walk with me?
Sure.
Dr. Quincy, my husband
was a wonderful man.
But he became... Well,
cantankerous with age.
At times... And the Lord
forgive me for saying so,
he... he became
a downright pest.
Sometimes he got
on Timmy's nerves.
Now, Tim is not a bad
person. He's a good provider.
Please, don't make trouble.
If you put any more
pressure on him,
it'll only make things worse.
Not only for me, but for Claire.
She's a wonderful girl.
I won't make
trouble. I promise you.
We never should have
moved in here with them,
but we had nowhere to go.
Do you help at the camp?
No.
Tim says we're just in the way.
That Arnold, keeps
giving away scholarships.
And I was too slow.
I know a place that could
use your cooking talents
and you can be as
slow as you want to.
Where is that?
A place where they don't
punish you for getting old.
I have to go now.
Thank you.
Of course she can cook.
In fact our chef is 83 and he
needs all the help he can get.
Do you think she'll come?
I don't know. I hope so.
Her son is living on
the edge of his nerves.
Did you tell her
that? Not really.
It would have been so
presumptuous of me.
I mean, evidently,
he hasn't touched her.
Not yet. But, you
see, he didn't have to.
He took everything
out on his father.
But she's such a
sweet, wonderful woman.
What I am going to show you now
will remove your
naivete forever.
I would have opened it for ya.
I forget.
Home of the Prentiss
Sisters, both of 'em past 90,
living in conditions that
are pretty disgraceful.
It must have been a
nice house at one time.
It's even worse on the inside.
Don't they qualify for Welfare?
Well, that's the amazing part.
Apparently, they have or
they had a lot of real estate.
I did some snooping
and I found out their
nephew is the one
who is supposed to
be taking care of them
and is actually
robbing them blind.
He's been handling
all their affairs
since his father
died six years ago.
Well, can't they do
anything about it?
Apparently, it's
all perfectly legal.
They've signed over
right after right to him.
We don't get very
many visitors anymore.
We'd like to do more for them.
Well, Eloise...
Dr. Quincy, I believe.
Quigley.
I'm sorry. We were hoping that
we could do something for you.
Oh, goodness, no.
Roger does everything
for us. Doesn't he, Muriel?
Expect cat food. He's
always forgetting cat food.
Oh, yeah.
You didn't bring any
cat food, did you?
No, but we could.
Do you have enough
food here for yourselves?
There go the lights again.
We've got to remind
Roger again, Muriel.
Edna, you were going
to tell me about the food.
Roger comes by.
When he can.
We understand you
own some property?
Yes, we do.
But it doesn't bring
us much income.
The real estate business
has been bad, bad all over.
Do you like cats, Doctor?
Oh, I love 'em.
There's not an
animal I don't love.
When is the last time that
you two had a real meal?
There's Roger. We told you so.
What's going on?
How'd they get in?
I let 'em in.
I thought I told you about
bringing strangers into the house.
Well, that's that nice lady from the
Center with her friend, Dr. Quincy.
Did you remember
the cat food, dear?
I want them outta here.
We just wanted to see if
we could be of any help.
We don't need any help.
What's more, we
don't want any help.
Not from you. Not from any one.
We're not looking for charity.
Roger, please.
Now, if you two aren't
happy with this arrangement,
if this is what I get
in return for all I do,
I won't come around anymore.
You can wait for a
handout from strangers.
How would that be worse
than they're getting now?
Who asked you?
They just dropped
over unexpected-like.
And they're leaving.
But, Edna...
Please... don't.
Come on, Sharon.
And don't come around
anymore or I'll call the police.
That's a thought.
I mean it.
Don't let them in again.
We won't do it again.
We won't, Roger.
Edna?
I promise.
Ah-ah, not yet.
Not until we get
business out of the way.
More papers to sign?
I need your signature.
Shouldn't we read them first?
It's the same thing you've
been signing for months.
I've explained it
a hundred times.
We can keep the house?
They can't take it from us?
That's right. Now, sign.
You promised to send
somebody to take care of the lights.
If I said I'll
do it, I'll do it.
Please sign.
When are we gonna
see you again, Roger?
When you see me.
He forgot the cat food.
Kitty. Come on, come on.
Kitty. Kitty.
Where is he? Come on.
You're my kitty, aren't you?
Kitty...
Poor woman. I can't believe it.
I was just talking to her.
She was more concerned with
her cat's welfare than her own.
Well, the police report says
she fell down the basement steps.
I guess at that age, any
fall can be the last one.
Hmm. She didn't reach that
age by being clumsy, Sam.
Well, she might easily
have stumbled in the dark.
There was no light
in the basement?
No light anywhere.
The police say the
main fuse had blown.
They were having trouble with the
lights when Sharon and I were there.
Their nephew was
supposed to take care of it.
There's no doubt about
the cause of death.
Massive cranial fractures.
There are numerous
contusions and
abrasions and a
secondary trauma.
Quince, what's this rash
on the backs of her hands?
Hmm? I could guess,
but we'll know for
sure when we go inside.
The liver shows
signs of brown atrophy.
Serious atrophy of
the remaining body fat.
Excuse me, Sam.
The tongue is glossy
and scarlet in color.
There's a general
wasting of the skin.
Sam, look how
sticky the tissues are.
That's some marked dehydration.
It's really incredible.
That explains the rash on the
hands you were wondering about.
And her mental state,
that I thought was senility.
This is a case of Pellagra.
That fall only finished a job
that was started a long time ago.
What kind of diet was she on?
A poor one.
The way her body
was feeding on itself,
she would have been dead
in a matter of months anyway
of malnutrition.
Maybe nobody's home.
Maybe she's afraid to answer.
Edna! Are you there?
It's just us, Sharon and Quincy.
Hello, Edna. We were
in the neighborhood.
We thought you might
be low on supplies.
No, I'm fine.
We'd like very
much to talk to you.
No, Roger says I'm
not to let anyone in.
The Doctor said Muriel was not
getting the nourishment she needed.
You've got to get some
decent food in you.
We didn't know what you liked,
so we got a little
bit of everything.
Fresh vegetables and
fruit juice and milk...
Wouldn't you like us to come
in and fix you something?
No.
Well, at least let us
put it away for you.
No, please, go away.
If Roger sees you
here, he won't come back
and I won't have anybody.
Now, listen, I
can't leave like this.
There's gotta be something
we can do to help her.
We don't have the
power to intervene.
But I know someone who does.
Come on, let's go.
People assume from
the name on the door
that I've got a white horse
and a suit of armor in the closet.
But, Mr. Schaefer, we're not
looking for any easy answers,
we're just looking for answers.
Well, from everything
you've told me,
a pretty good case could
be made against the nephew.
We could probably
intervene on her behalf.
Well, that's terrific. Well,
that's just what we want.
Of course we'd have to
have her full cooperation.
But that's just it.
She's too intimidated by the
nephew to say a word against him.
She was so scared she
wouldn't even let us in the house.
Then we've got problems.
You mean you can't help the
abused unless they cooperate?
Now, hold on. I never said that.
I can investigate.
Then if it's justified,
I can even establish
a conservatorship for the woman.
So that someone's legally
responsible for her care
and for the care of her assets.
So what's the problem?
The problem is that the court would
have to declare her incompetent
in order to turn things
over to a conservator.
Wait a minute.
There's a tiger
behind every door.
Are you talking about putting
her away, institutionalizing her?
Well, not necessarily. I
just want you to understand
that this is a last resort.
It means stripping
away some of her rights.
Oh, this is crazy.
Her nephew is ripping her off.
He's practically
starving her to death.
You're the only agency with the
teeth enough to do something about it,
and you can't help her unless
you strip away her rights.
I mean, she can't win, can she?
Easy Mr. Tactful, easy.
Who would the conservator
be in a case like this?
The nephew is the only living
relative as far as we know.
Well, this office itself
could be the conservator.
Or a really creative judge could
make the nephew
himself the conservator.
What? Are you kidding?
That's like putting the wolf
in charge of the henhouse.
I don't understand.
What is the difference between
that situation and what exists now?
There's one big difference.
The conservator is completely
answerable to the court.
Every dime that's spent,
every meal that's provided,
every visit to the doctor, it's all
under the supervision of the courts.
Then there is no way he could
continue the rip-offs or the neglect.
Not unless he
wants to risk jail.
And he would be forced
to take good care of
her or lose everything.
Exactly.
Why didn't he say so before?
Listen, you may not
have a suit of armor,
but you certainly rescue
the damsel in distress.
Thank you so much.
Thank you very much.
You know what? You oughta
learn to talk more like people.
See, that bureaucracy stuff
you say we don't understand
because I didn't like you at
first, but you're a very nice guy.
Thank you.
I've got yours black. Thanks.
Oh, you should've
seen Roger's face
when I told him he'd be
answerable to a judge.
I mean, we really
stuck it to him.
I guess so.
You guess so. You know, you're
a very difficult person to please.
We have only
won half the battle.
Keeping her alive
physically is one thing.
Keeping her alive on the
inside is a whole other matter.
I know what you're saying,
but you gotta tally up the
victories as you go along.
What about the
defeats? Do they count?
What defeats?
The County called this
morning with a definite answer
on my proposal to hire seniors
for their child abuse center.
It was a polite no.
They can't do that.
All you have to do is get 'em down
here and see the program work.
Easier said than done.
Oh, excuse me, sir.
Are you looking for someone?
Excuse me. Are you Sharon Ross?
Yes, I am.
I'm Peter Harper. This
is my daughter Theresa.
Hello, Theresa.
What can I do for you?
I understand you could keep
Theresa here for a couple of days.
My wife...
Look, I'm afraid for
Theresa while I'm working.
I'll pick her up as
soon as I get off.
Mrs. Oglesby. Yes, Sharon.
Could you come here
for a second please.
Yes, of course.
This is Mr. Harper. Hello.
Hi. And this is Theresa.
Hi, darling.
Could you show Theresa some of
those toys you've been working on?
Of course. Come along, darling.
Theresa, go with the nice lady.
Oh, what happened to your dolly?
Got no mouth.
Oh, no wonder she can't smile.
What do you say we
give her a new mouth?
We'll sew it on right here.
Will it hurt her?
No, of course not, darling.
Come on, I'll show
you how to do it.
Let's see, you sit right here.
Don't worry, Mr. Harper.
We'll take good care of Theresa
until your wife is ready.
Thank you, Ms. Ross.
You don't know how
much this means.
What's the name of the guy
who turned down your program?
Walters.
Dr. Quincy.
Mrs. Morgan, what
are you doing here?
Your office told me
where I could find you.
Well, what is it?
My husband told me
you went to see him.
He thinks his mother told
you things she shouldn't have
and I'm afraid for her.
But, it's not
true. I'll tell him.
No, please. That's
why I came here.
To tell you to
stay away from us.
Please, don't make
any more trouble.
Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.
Mmm-hmm. I've read
this proposal before.
I considered it, and
found it to be not feasible.
What part did you
find not feasible?
The whole idea.
You're asking us to take on staff
members who have been forced to retire
and because of
their age, rightfully so.
What do you mean "rightfully
so". They're still productive.
Let me explain.
This center is
going to be the most
up-to-date facility of
its kind in the nation.
It's gonna be outfitted with
the most modern equipment.
Medical, educational,
recreational, whatever.
And it's going to have the
finest staff we can assemble.
Now, it's as simple as that.
But you've got something
like 50 positions.
You can hire 25
young professionals
and still have room to bring
that many seniors on board.
No, you're missing the point.
This facility's for
children, not older people.
Now, our private funding and the
matching federal grant's quite specific.
You don't have to
help the old people.
The old people are
going to help you.
Both the children
and the old people
have so much to gain
from their interaction.
I run a small version of
the program at our center...
Oh, you gotta come
down and see it.
They work little
miracles down there.
I'm sure they do.
But these people
led rich, useful lives,
and they want to share
those experiences.
And they've got some qualities
a lot of your young professionals
don't have, like real patience.
Look, you can't expect me
to jeopardize the successful
completion of a four-year project
by hiring people that could
be too feeble to do a job.
The people we're talking
about are not feeble.
Sure, they have suffered just
like the children they want to help.
Look, the need is there.
They've got so much to
offer as an untapped resource.
You should see what
happens when an abused child
and an abused
parent come together.
The nurturing goes both ways.
Why don't you
come down and look?
Well, let me clear
up this logjam.
Maybe in a few weeks, all right.
But you are staffing this center
in less than two
weeks. Am I right?
Right.
You are free tomorrow
afternoon. How about 2:00?
You got me.
That's great. You won't
regret it, Mr. Walters.
Talk about pushy.
Mom, are you all right?
Just a little dizzy, that's all.
You take your medicine today?
I'm all out.
But Timothy promised to fill
the prescription on his way home.
How'd it go?
I need a drink. Oh, come on.
You look like you
already had too much.
Yeah, well, I'm gonna
have a little too much more.
How do you like that?
Timothy, dear, did
you get the medicine?
We lost our financing
on all those cabins.
How could they do that? I
thought it was all arranged.
The bankers. You
know what they want?
They want me to prove 100%
enrollment or else that's it for us.
They're really
stupid. I told them.
I said, "Look, we run a different
kind of business altogether."
You know what I mean?
Tim, did you bring my medicine?
What?
Did you get my
medicine refilled?
Ma, I had it written down... I had
it written on a note and everything.
But the doctor said I had
to have it three times a day
or it wouldn't help.
I know what the doctor said,
but I've got a few
things on my mind.
I mean, you're sitting there
listening to this, aren't you?
So the Senior Vice President,
you know what the end line is?
"I'm sorry", that's it.
The drugstore, is it
closed? Is there still time?
Is there still time?
You want me to go get in the
car, go down to the drugstore,
get your lousy medicine.
What, are you crazy?
Come on, Tim, she's not
gonna be able to sleep tonight.
That's my fault? Of course,
I'll take the responsibility.
I have the responsibility
for this lousy family anyway.
What do you think, I don't
have anything else on my mind
but you lousy
people around here.
I mean, I'm getting
sick and tired
of your badgering
and your wining.
I need some space.
Give me some space
and go to your room.
Tim, come on now, it's
almost time for dinner.
And you, you shut up.
Where're you going?
Where are you going?
To the drugstore. Oh,
you're going to the drugstore.
Are you gonna walk?
If I have to.
It's five miles away, Ma.
I need the medicine.
You're trying to make
me feel guilty, right?
You're trying to
make me feel guilty.
You take and take and take,
but it's not gonna work anymore.
It's over.
Get your hands off that knob.
Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!
And go to your room.
He helps them make their
own instruments in the shop.
I must say you've
shattered a few myths for me,
about the elderly.
Look at it this way.
You hire 25 young people,
you got maybe a hundred years
of experience between them.
But you hire 25 old people,
you've got like a thousand years
of experience to
pass on to the kids.
Ah, your daughter's
a wonderful girl.
I'm sure she's wonderful here.
You should see her at home.
She never listens.
She's always fussing.
Theresa, your shoe's untied.
You know I've taught
you to tie your shoes.
I'm sorry, Mom.
At that age, they're not much
different than we ancients.
Our memory span is very short.
My other daughter
always listens.
Even when she was her age.
Well, children
develop differently.
Maybe you're expecting
too much of Theresa.
What's your name? Susan.
Susan, I know this
from being a mother.
We're always maddest at the
daughter who's most like us.
Mrs. Ogelesby, would
you be interested
in doing a little babysitting
maybe for a few days?
Susan and I have been promising
ourselves a trip
for a long time.
We never seem to
be able to make it.
I'm too old to take
on another house.
And I don't do windows.
No, no. No housework at all.
We'd just like you
to watch the girls.
Well, let me think about it.
Come on, let's go.
Bye, dear.
Let me know when you're ready.
I'll watch the young ones.
Thank you.
If I didn't know better,
I'd say you staged all
of that for my benefit.
Mr. Walters, you can come
down here any day of the week,
and see exactly the same
kind of thing going on.
Why do you think we've been
fighting so hard for this program?
Excuse me.
I'd be a lair if I didn't
tell you I'm impressed.
Then you'll keep the
jobs open for the seniors?
I'll talk to the board members.
Beyond that, I can't
promise anything.
Quincy, it's for you.
Excuse me. Hello?
I'll be right there.
Is something wrong?
What you predicted. An
explosion in the Morgan house.
You tell my mother for me.
Tell her to stay out
of my damn way.
What do you want?
Your mother called. She
asked me to pick her up.
I'll be right with
you, Dr. Quincy.
Ma, what are you doin'?
I'm leaving here.
What do you mean, leaving?
Look, where are you going?
With Dr. Quincy.
He knows a place where they
could use a good slow cook.
Now wait a minute. Look, I
apologize. I didn't mean it.
Believe me. Claire? Claire?
Would y... Would ya
tell her I didn't mean it.
Yes, you did.
If I hadn't stopped you,
you would have hurt her
the same way you
hurt your father.
That's not true.
Tell... Tell him
that's not true.
I mean, what's goin'
on around here?
I rebellion. You
keep out of this.
Mama, please. Listen to me.
I didn't mean it.
Believe me, I'm... I'm
under incredible pressure.
Everybody's under pressure
one way or the other.
They don't use it as
an excuse to strike out
and hurt their families.
How many times do
you think I lost my temper
when you were growing up?
How many times
did your father want
to shake some
discipline into you?
But we didn't give
into those feelings
because we're not
animals, we're not beasts.
You gave us food
and a place to stay
and you tried to
buy our dignity.
That's why Pop killed himself.
We are strangers, Timmy.
We've lived in the same house
for a long time and we're strangers.
The next move's yours.
I'm ready, Dr. Quincy.
♪ Happy birthday to you
♪ Happy birthday to you
♪ Happy birthday to Edna
♪ Happy Birthday to you ♪
Did you hear from Walters?
Oh, yes. Pretty good news.
He won't take all 25, but he
promised to take eight or ten.
So it's a start.
Well, it's nice to know
you can enjoy your victory.
Oh, excuse me.
Congratulations.
Want to join the party?
No, thanks. I'll wait
for my aunt outside.
How about you? You
wanna join the fun?
I'll try.
I'll really try.