Quincy M.E. (1976–1983): Season 7, Episode 7 - Gentle Into That Good Night - full transcript
Quincy helps a cancer patient who is dying.
He died the moment of
impact. He didn't suffer at all.
My wife is just knifed to
death and you're sorry!
I deal with people who've
lost their loved ones
and I don't know how
to make them feel better.
I've been knifed and
drugged and radiated,
I'm dying.
I'm asking you to help Kay
Silver put her death in order.
If you wanna die, then lie
there by yourself and do it alone!
I want to come home.
I'm gonna see if I
can get you there.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
I'll walk you to the door.
No, Brian. Just a little longer.
Now come on,
I'll walk you to the door.
You wanna go to
the beach tomorrow?
Hey, what is it?
I get so scared, Brian.
I just don't think there's
gonna be enough time for us.
I know. But...
It'll all be okay, honest.
No, it's not okay!
Don't keep saying that!
I'll all be better soon.
I promise.
- How?
- It just will.
Trust me.
I have the first case up.
Is it the Foyt boy? I
wanna do that one first.
Brian Foyt, male Caucasian,
nineteen, auto accident.
He was alone,
apparently lost control
and went over a cliff in the
Santa Monica mountains.
Nineteen... Mother and
brother are waiting upstairs.
Look at the cranial trauma.
The whole frontal
region is crushed in.
- His death was instantaneous.
- Yeah. No hemorrhage.
There's a surgical incision of
the left flank that's just healed.
Sam, notice the hyperpigmentation
of the skin on the abdomen.
- The skin's
a lot darker there.
- Yeah.
He's had surgery and radiation
therapy for some kind of tumor.
It was a lot worse than that,
Quince. Take a look at the X-rays.
Look at all the lytic
lesions of the spine.
It looks like something
punched out the bone.
The bone was eaten
away by the tumor.
Yeah. Look how the
whole spine is collapsed.
This boy was dying of cancer.
Makes you wonder
about that accident.
Well, it wouldn't be the first
cancer victim to take his own life.
You okay, Quince?
Yeah. I'm just thinking about
his mother, waiting upstairs.
That's the hardest
part for me, Sam.
Having to talk to the families.
Brian left the house last
night to see his girlfriend.
He never came back.
The police notified
me this morning.
Mrs. Foyt,
did you know your
son was seriously ill?
Oh yes. He had a...
A malignant tumor. He's been in
and out of the hospital for about a year,
but he wasn't in pain
and he wanted to live as
normal a life as possible.
We had so little time as it was,
why did it have to end even sooner?
Mrs. Foyt,
is it possible your
son wanted it that way?
- You mean suicide?
- Yes.
Oh, no. Oh, no!
Absolutely not!
He even made us promise
to use his life insurance
money to send Mark to college.
He wouldn't do a thing...
I'm sorry. I'm babbling. I know.
- I'm sorry,
it's probably the strain.
- It's all right. I understand
I want you to know
that he died the
moment of impact.
He didn't suffer at all.
I'm glad.
He'd suffered enough as it was.
Dr. Quincy,
I don't understand
why you're here.
We have your autopsy
report, that's all we need.
I'm here, because Mrs. Foyt and
her attorney asked me to be here.
They'll be along in a minute.
From what you've told
me, I'm glad I am here.
That autopsy report is subject
to some misinterpretation.
What do you mean?
That report only certifies
that the cause of death,
that it was a skull fracture
with cerebral trauma.
It says nothing about the
manner or the mode of death.
Now, there's nothing in that
report that can make you assume
he committed suicide.
This report plus the police
investigation shows absolutely nothing
that would indicate
that it was an accident.
I'm sorry, Dr. Quincy,
Brian Foyt drove himself
off that mountain road.
If we called for a
coroner's inquest,
you'd have to prove that.
You know that don't you?
Dr. Quincy, as one of
the company lawyers,
I must tell you we feel pretty
certain we could do just that.
Especially based on the statement
we have from his girlfriend.
What statement?
The statement where she said
Brian Foyt was acting strangely,
on the night he died.
Several times he said, "Things
would be getting better soon,"
but when she asked
him why, he didn't answer.
That's hardly conclusive.
I can't see why you guys
won't make a settlement.
I have news for you, Dr. Quincy.
Contrary to popular opinion,
insurance companies are not run by
greedy scavengers who hoard money
and try to cheat people
out of what's coming to them.
It's only your opinion that
this is not a legitimate claim!
And it's only your
opinion that it is!
If you want a coroner's
inquest, I'm tellin' you that's...
Is that what you want
a coroner's inquest?
Gentlemen, let's calm down
and deal with this rationally!
Yes.
Mrs. Foyt and her lawyer.
Send them in.
- Mrs. Foyt.
- Dr. Quincy.
Hello.
Mr. Rigoletti,
I'm Mrs. Foyt's
lawyer, Frank Davidson.
- Dave Romerhaus,
I'm with the firm.
- Hello, Dave.
And this is Dr. Pendleton.
He's a thanatologist.
He worked with Brian and his family
the last time Brian was in the hospital.
A thanatologist? What's that?
Ah, it's from the Greek word,
"Thanatos", the god of death.
I'm a psychiatrist and I
work with the terminally ill.
Like Brian Foyt.
Now this tape
is privileged information,
but it's subject to subpoena in
the event of a trial or an inquest.
In the interest
of avoiding that,
I'm going to play a little
section of it, off the record.
I think you'll find
it very informative.
And I know this time
I'm on my way out.
The pain is starting again.
I've had it with
all the treatments.
I'm just gonna let
it take it's course.
That's okay, isn't
it, Dr. Pendleton?
Certainly, if that's
what you want.
Well I think it's real close.
That it won't take long.
Maybe I'm wrong,
but it feels that way.
I think
you're the one who knows
best about that, Brian.
You're closer to those
feelings than any doctor.
But you've helped me
with those feelings, Doctor.
I mean, there's a lot inside
me I didn't know was there
until I started talking to you.
Now, I feel okay about it all.
And if I can die
with Mom and Mark
and Amy...
All of us holding hands...
I could go out real
peaceful like that.
I wouldn't be scared at all.
I have several other tapes, all
of which reflect this same attitude.
Brian Foyt did
not commit suicide.
I think, a psychological
autopsy would establish that
and it could be
used as evidence.
Gentlemen,
you're on pretty flimsy ground.
I'd suggest you pay the claim.
I tell you, this
guy was terrific.
The insurance company
did a complete turnaround.
And they'll pay
Mrs. Foyt's claim
with double indemnity
because of the insurance.
Hey, that's great.
This doctor must have been
something. What was his name again?
Pendleton. George
Pendleton I got his card.
He was something, Sam. I
mean, he was a real professional.
He knew what he was talking about,
and he had the tapes to back it up.
You never doubted for a
moment that he was right.
- Quincy...
- Yeah?
Mr. Rasmussen is
here. In the viewing room.
Okay. I'll be right up.
Rasmussen? Yeah.
He's the husband
of the young woman that was
found at the construction site.
Anything new on that case?
No.
- Hey, that's rough.
- Apparently,
he was out of town.
The police just tracked him down.
He's not fully aware of the facts yet.
Oh, boy.
- I'll talk to him if you like.
- No. I did the autopsy,
I'll talk to him.
But I'm not looking
forward to it.
Yes, that's her.
What happened?
We're not sure.
She was found at
a construction site.
She had no purse, no identification.
It may have been robbery.
There was no evidence
of sexual assault.
Robbed.
You mean somebody
killed her for her purse?
For a couple of bucks?
Well, we're not sure of that.
How did it happen?
She was stabbed.
I'm sorry.
You're sorry!
Well, that's really
helpful, Doctor.
Your being sorry makes
it a whole lot better!
My wife is just knifed to
death and you're sorry!
I'm gonna sleep a
whole lot better tonight.
Why don't you stay here for
a while? Until you calm down.
Look, don't you tell
me to calm down.
I just lost the most important
thing in the world to me!
So don't you tell
me to calm down.
And don't you tell
me you're sorry!
Just leave me alone.
Dr. Pendleton,
this is Dr. Quincy, from
the Coroner's Office.
May I buy you dinner, sir?
I need your help.
Something wrong with the food?
Oh, no. I'm just not
hungry, that's all.
There's no refunds
here, you know.
Oh, Danny, this is Dr. Pendleton.
Danny owns the place.
- Hello.
- He's a psychiatrist.
A psychiatrist? He's
finally seeking help, is he?
No. He's a thanatologist.
He deals with death.
The terminal cases.
A thanatologist and a coroner...
A marriage made
in heaven, no doubt.
Oh, the steak is very good.
Ah, why are you off your feed?
Well, you've made me
aware of an inadequacy in me
and I wanted to talk
to you professionally.
I guess maybe I should've
made an appointment, huh?
No, this is fine.
Well, as you know,
I deal with people who've
lost their loved ones,
usually, in a sudden
or violent way.
Every day I'm with these people
when they have to identify a child,
or a parent, or a wife...
It's the hardest thing
they'll ever have to do
and I don't know how
to make them feel better.
For instance, there
was a young man today,
his wife was brutally murdered.
I said the wrong thing.
- How do you know?
- By the way he acted.
I told him I was sorry,
he got even more upset.
And he was right, what
an inadequate thing to say.
"I'm sorry." How does it help
anybody to say, I'm sorry?
It might have made
him feel better.
No, it didn't. It
made him feel worse!
I doubt it.
You see, the man
probably felt terrible,
devastated.
Anything you would have said
would have had the same effect.
Just give him the
privilege of his feelings.
Let him feel bad,
let him shout at you and accuse,
let him cry,
let him rant and grieve.
The human spirit needs that,
it needs to mourn, it needs
to let that pain come out.
Don't... Don't try to make
it all better for him at once.
Probably won't work anyhow,
I tell you what, why don't you
make some rounds with me,
work with me, meet
some of my patients.
It might help you with
your own situations.
Well, that's very nice of you
but I don't want to intrude.
It is not intrusion.
It's education.
Of a kind I happen to
feel very strongly about.
You see, most people these days
feel very awkward
dealing with death.
It hasn't always been this way,
our attitudes about death and dying
were very different.
For instance, I
grew up on a farm,
a very long time ago.
But the life we lived was very different
from the one we lead today, in the city.
We had animals.
We saw them being
born, we saw them die.
When my grandfather died, the
family gathered in the bedroom,
just sitting, talking,
sometimes just holding
his hand, being quiet.
We knew he was dying
and we were sad to lose him
but it wasn't strange, it
wasn't frightening and unusual.
It was part of the
natural flow of life.
It became a thing
that we shared,
that made the family
grow even closer together.
Today, all those
feelings are gone.
People are alienated and
isolated from their very families.
Let alone the rest of mankind.
They're, they're sheltered
from death and dying.
We hustle them off to
hospitals and institutions
where they die, not in the
company of their loved ones,
but in the company of doctors
and nurses they don't even know.
Death is becoming
more and more fearful.
The one experience that
each human being has to have
is unknown
and frightening
and usually very, very lonely.
So, yes, I do want
you to come with me.
I especially want you
to meet Kay Silver.
She's a remarkable woman.
She's in her thirties, she's
got a husband and one child.
She has advanced ovarian cancer.
She's been in and out of this
place three or four years now.
But, at this point, it looks like
she has less than a month to live.
Dr. Pendleton! Thank
God you're here!
You've got to talk to Kay!
- About what?
- She's being stubborn. Obstinate.
You've got to make
her listen to reason!
What is it, Steve?
I just had a long
talk with Dr. Hurado.
He's willing to try a new drug
therapy on Kay, inside her abdomen.
I don't understand it exactly, but
he said it might achieve remission.
But Kay won't do it!
Please convince her
to do it, Dr. Pendleton.
Make her see the light.
Let's have a talk. Come on.
Hi, sweetie.
I, uh, brought Dr. Pendleton in
here to try to talk some sense into you.
- Hi, Dr. P.
- Hi.
Oh, I'd like you to
meet my colleague,
Kay, Steve, Dr. Quincy.
How do you do?
Now, are there any objections
to Dr. Quincy being here?
Nah. What's one more doctor?
No offense, Dr. Quincy,
I see a lot of you guys.
I understand.
Now,
what's this Steve is telling me?
I told you.
There's a new type of
chemotherapy for Kay.
It could cause a remission.
Sweetie, you've got to try it!
Doesn't she, Dr. Pendleton?
How do you feel about it, Kay?
I've had three
operations in two years
and every time they took
some part of me away.
And now, there are no
more operations that will help.
I had chemotherapy.
It was awful.
I threw up every single time
that those drugs hit the system.
Sometimes it was so fast I threw up
on the guy who was administering them.
And I lost my hair
so I have had to go
for the exotic look.
I had radiation therapy,
that's more nausea,
more weakness.
How I feel about it?
I've had it.
I've been knifed and
drugged and radiated,
my body's been invaded by cancer
and then violated by any
procedure they could figure out
to give me a little time.
Nothing worked.
I'm dying.
And how I feel about it is
I don't want to try
one more thing.
You can't quit
like that, you can't!
What about me, what
about Jenny? What about us?
Steve, I'll tell you what.
Why don't we let it
rest for a little while.
I'll... I'll see Dr. Hurado
and then I'll come back
and we'll all talk about
it together. Okay?
- Yeah. Okay.
- Good.
Dr. Quincy, what
are you staring at?
Oh, I'm sorry.
I was just thinking what a
beautiful young woman you are.
Now that's what I like to hear.
You can keep your
drugs and your radiation,
give me flattery!
The best treatment of all.
Bye-bye.
Nice meeting you.
- That's a vibrant girl.
- She's a courageous woman.
So, you'll see the doctor
about the new protocol?
Well... Yes, I will see him.
But...
You see,
there's no new protocol or anything
else that will help Kay at this time.
She's terminal and
it's just a matter of time.
But her husband
feels a responsibility.
He feels like if he was a real
man, he'd somehow save his wife.
He's adamant and
he's determined.
So I was trying to keep them from
getting into an unnecessary confrontation,
without having the
time to think about it.
What'll you do now?
Well, I'll talk to Dr. Hurado.
I'll talk to Steve
and I'll talk to Kay.
We'll try to work it out.
Look, I have some things to do.
Would you like to join me on
early morning rounds tomorrow,
- before you go to work?
- I sure would.
I'll see you right
here at seven o'clock.
Seven sharp. Thanks, Doctor.
- Excuse me, are you Dr. Quincy?
- Yes, I am.
Dr. Pendleton asked you to
see him in room 323, South Wing.
323, South Wing. Thank you.
Dr. Quincy, how are you?
Oh, my. What happened?
It's a very sad story.
In my impetuous youth, I
fancied myself an athlete.
I played football on a
team of Neanderthals.
I'm still paying for it.
It happens once a year or so.
Last night, I stooped over to
pick up a pencil and here I am.
Anything I can do for you?
Yes, there is.
- You remember Kay Silver?
- Yes, I do.
I want you to take my place.
Oh, no. No way. There's
no way I can do that.
She's better off
waiting for you.
Quincy, I may be in this thing
for two weeks, maybe longer.
Kay Silver may not
have that much time.
Yeah, but I may say the
wrong thing, do the wrong thing.
I'd make it worse for her!
I'll help you. I'll
tell you what to do.
You'll make tapes. We'll
go over them together.
You wanted to learn,
this is on-the-job training.
Yeah, but maybe at her expense.
Doctor, now you're insulting me.
That family needs help.
Do you think. I would ask
you if I didn't think you could?
Well, it seems like
such an awesome task.
It is an awesome task.
I'm asking you to help Kay
Silver put her death in order.
Kay?
Hey, Dr. Quincy.
Dr. Pendleton told me he
called you on the phone.
Explained his predicament.
He sure did, the poor guy.
He said he's sure he's grown an
inch since they put him in traction.
I wanted to make sure you
didn't mind my taking his place.
Anybody that calls me
beautiful can hang around all day.
Good. Do you mind
if I tape the session?
Okay by me.
To tell you the truth,
I don't know
exactly what to say.
Yeah, I know. Me neither.
But it's not your fault.
Sometimes Dr. P
and I just sit here.
And sometimes it seems like
everything comes pouring out of me.
That's the way it is.
You seem fairly comfortable now.
Yeah, I am.
I'm not in much pain.
I'm missing my
Jenny, my little girl.
But I'll talk to
her after school.
She's the one I
worry about the most.
Why her?
Growing up is hard to do.
Even if you have
everything going for you.
I don't want her to do
it without a mommy.
That's another thing that
Steve and I argue about.
You wanna talk more about that?
Well, let me tell you
how it is with me, Dr. Quincy.
See, I am going to die.
I accept that.
But I wanna make sure
to, uh...
Put my life in order first.
You know what I mean?
Maybe I mean to
put my death in order.
What do you think would do that?
Well, see, when
I was a little girl,
my father died.
He was a big man, strong man,
and he used to pick me up
and swing me up over his head.
I felt just as safe...
Just as safe as if I
was in my own bed.
And then he got sick
and it was like a big tree
dropping down in a forest.
He had pneumonia.
And he got sicker and weaker
but he kept saying,
"I'll be home soon."
As long as I was
a good little girl
and did everything
my Mommy told me.
Said my prayers,
"Brush your teeth and clean
your room and I'll come home."
And then he died.
And I figured,
my fault.
For years I carried that guilt.
That I had let him down,
that if I could have
done something,
he'd still be alive.
It was terrible.
So you see,
Dr. Quincy, I don't want
that to happen to my family.
I want them to remember
me with love, with joy.
When you die, it will be
awfully difficult for them.
Of course it will.
I don't mean to say that
they should be glad I'm gone,
I just want them to
be able to let it go.
Go on.
Be happy.
And I want Steve
to get married again.
Have a wife.
Let Jenny have a mommy.
I want them to have continuity.
I don't want it to be all just
pain and sorrow and loss.
Like it was for me.
Do you understand
what I'm saying?
Yes, I do.
Now I know where
your beauty comes from.
Deep down inside.
Oh, I like your
style, Dr. Quincy.
How much tape you got?
Are you kidding,
I came prepared.
To get married
again. Have a wife.
Let Jenny have a mommy. I
want them to have some continuity.
So that it isn't all
pain and sorrow
and loss.
Like it was for me.
Do you understand
what I'm saying?
Yes, I do.
Now I know where
your beauty comes from.
Deep down inside.
Oh, I like your
style, Dr. Quincy.
What do you think?
Not bad, not bad.
Your instincts are good,
just as I knew they would be.
You not only listen,
you reflect her feelings.
- That's important.
- Well,
she makes it pretty easy.
Kay Silver is a
wonderfully open person.
She has a lot of feelings
and she shares them easily.
But don't be beguiled by that.
What do you mean?
I mean, she's so sunny
and so courageous
that it's easy for you to forget that
she's facing some real problems.
You mean that she's
getting weaker and sicker?
No, I'm talking about
problems with her family.
But she seems to have that worked
out. She's decided what she wants.
But she's in conflict
with her husband.
You remember, she said,
"That's another thing
Steve and I fight about?"
You see, Kay Silver has pretty clear
thoughts about how she wants to die.
But her husband is fighting her.
That could be trouble.
Sweetie, it's me.
Hi.
- Are you hurting?
- Yeah. A little bit.
When's the last time
you had your shot?
Oh, a couple of hours ago.
I'm okay.
Did you, uh...
Did you talk to Dr. Hurado?
Yeah, I did.
This afternoon.
And?
I heard him out, Steve.
I listened to the whole thing,
I didn't make an automatic no.
I promise that I
didn't. I can't do it.
I can't go through it anymore.
No. No. No. No. Please.
Kay, listen, we'll call him,
we'll talk to him together,
- I know we can convince you.
- Why can't you leave it alone?
Because I love you!
And because I want you to get
better and be with me and Jenny again!
Oh, Steve,
don't you see?
If I go through this,
it'll give me what?
Six weeks, eight weeks, maybe.
He can't even promise me that.
And then I'll be
right back here,
going through this
part all over again.
And I can't do it, I can't.
You're being selfish.
What about us?
What about Jenny?
She needs a mommy, she
deserves you as much as possible.
Yes,
Jenny needs a
mommy, a new mommy.
- Don't talk like that!
- A healthy one.
- I don't want to hear it!
- And you deserve
a healthy wife.
Just shut up!
I'm not listening!
I don't want to
get married again
and now
you're being a quitter!
You won't fight! Damn you!
You won't!
Damn it!
How's Jen doing?
How do you think she's doing?
She misses her mommy.
Couldn't she come here?
You know she can't do that.
She's too young, they
won't let her on the floor.
You'd think they
could bend the rule.
Oh, honey...
I wanna come home!
For what?
To die?
No, that's not fair.
If you wanna die, then lie
there by yourself and do it alone!
Hi, Jenny.
Oh, I'm so glad you're home!
I've really been missing you!
I'm feeling pretty
good, sweetheart.
Daddy was just here.
Yeah, he should be home soon.
Is Granny still with you?
A swing?
Daddy put a new...
That's wonderful.
Oh, I wish I could see you, too.
Yeah. My lap misses you.
No, you're not. No you're
not either too big for my lap!
Even if you squash my lap,
you're always gonna fit, okay?
I want to hold you
in the rocking chair.
You can't tell me
you're too big for that!
I know, honey.
No I'm not... I'm not sure
about that, but soon I hope.
Yeah, me too.
I love you, Jen.
Kiss Granny for me.
Love ya. Bye.
Good morning, Kay.
You mind if I record
this session, too?
There's no point in
your being here, Doctor.
I don't need you.
Did something happen yesterday?
Yes.
You wanna talk about it?
No.
Nobody's gonna let me
do what I wanna do anyway.
So why bother?
Just leave me alone.
Of course, if that's
what you want.
Isn't there something I can do?
Okay, Doctor, I'll
tell you what you do.
You cure me.
You make the tumors
inside me go away
and I can go home to my
husband and my daughter.
You tell me I can
drink champagne
and make crayon
drawings with Jenny
and make love to my husband.
Tell me I'm not going
to die, Dr. Quincy!
And if you can't do that,
there's absolutely no way
you can make me feel better.
And if you can't do that,
what good are you?
Get out!
Can't you hear me? Get out!
I'm sorry.
And if you can't do
that, what good are you?
Just get out.
Can't you hear me? Get out!
That's it.
And I don't know
what I did wrong.
Dr. Quincy, the magician.
Still thinks there's magic,
Dr. Quincy, give yourself a
break. And Kay Silver, too.
Who do you think you are, God?
If you were, you could do
what she wants, cure her.
Since you're only mortal,
stick with doing human things.
Like what?
Like talking. Listening. Caring.
And making mistakes.
That's human, too.
Yeah, but what can I do for her?
I can't believe the difference.
Yesterday she was so terrific, so strong,
she was ready to face anything.
And today, she was despondent and
angry and all I did was make it worse.
Put yourself in her place.
She's dying.
And she's trying to do it
the best way that she knows
but her husband is fighting her.
Be flexible.
You know, there are very
few people in this world
that go out in a state
of psychoanalytic grace.
- Help her.
- How?
How?
Doctor, I don't even
know where to begin.
Begin by listening.
Listen to that tape again.
See what you can
hear between the lines.
I believe the dying
tell us what they want.
You have to hear it.
Okay.
Just get out!
Can't you hear me? Get out!
You know you're going to drive
yourself crazy with this thing, Quince.
I know there's
something here, Sam.
Some clue as to what
happened, what she wants.
I'm not hearing it.
You cure me. You make
the tumors inside me go away.
So I can go home to my
husband and my daughter.
- That's it!
- What's it?
I just didn't hear it before.
I gotta go see Mrs. Silver.
I don't know how long I'll be.
Kay?
Oh, Nurse, do you know
where Mrs. Silver is?
She went to chemotherapy.
Oh, there she is now.
Kay...
Why are you going through this?
Is it what you want to do?
I have to.
Because you wanna go home?
That's it, isn't it?
You wanna be with
Steve and Jenny?
Come on, Mrs. Silver. Come on.
I'm gonna see if I
can get you there.
Do you love daddy's swing?
It's terrific!
Steve?
Dr. Quincy, come on back.
♪ Oh, how I love
To go up in the air
♪ Up in the air, Up in the air ♪
- No, do it some more.
- A little later.
Dr. Quincy, this is
my daughter, Jenny.
- Honey, this is Dr. Quincy.
- How do you do, Jenny.
Hi.
This is my new swing.
My daddy put it up.
Oh, that's terrific.
Listen, honey, why
don't you run in the
house and give Grammy
some help with dinner.
Okay?
- Can I swing after dinner?
- Sure you can.
Thanks for letting
me come, Steve.
No problem, Doctor.
You said it was important.
It's Kay.
She started the
new drug therapy.
And none too soon. I think
she'll have a real chance at it.
A chance of what?
A few more months of
sickness and nausea?
Just forget it, Doctor.
I've heard all of this before.
She wants to come home, Steve.
She wants to come
home to you and Jenny.
No!
She's not gonna come home to
die! She's gonna stay there and fight!
Doesn't she have
anything to say about it?
What kind of a husband
would I be if I just let her die?
Steve, you can't let her die any
more than you can make her live.
It's not up to you or Dr. Hurado
or Dr. Pendleton anymore.
Can't I make you see that?
Her life is not in your
hands but her death is.
And you've got to face it. You've
got to stop running away from it.
You've got to stop
hoping it'll go away.
Well, that's pretty easy for
you to say, isn't it, Dr. Quincy!
You're not going through this!
Well maybe if you were in my
boat, you'd see it a different way!
I was in your boat, Steve.
I was married, a long time ago,
to a beautiful, vital, loving woman.
Just like yours.
And she developed a brain tumor.
And I saw her get
sicker and weaker.
I saw her die before my eyes.
And you can imagine
how I felt. I was a doctor.
I had spent all those years
studying medicine and illnesses
and I couldn't help the one
person that I loved most in the world!
And then I realized,
I was wasting our precious
time on stupid, foolish anger.
And in the end, we
spent all our time together.
And when she died, I was
with her, holding her hand.
So, Steve,
I think I know what
you're going through.
You know, there isn't a
day that goes by, even now,
that I don't think of her.
And when I do,
I think of her with a
smile, and a full heart.
And I'm grateful for the
time we had together.
Those last days were
so peaceful and calm.
Bittersweet, yes,
but I was touched with a
beauty that is still with me.
Steve,
let her come home.
Where are you taking her?
- For an IV.
- No.
No more drugs.
No more treatments.
We're going now, Kay.
Please, Mr. Silver,
you can't do this.
Yes, I can.
The doctor told me I could check
Kay out of here any time I choose.
And I choose now.
Come on.
No. You're being silly.
Close your eyes.
All right, I'm closing my eyes.
- Are you peeking?
- No.
Are you sure?
Oh, yes.
Wait a minute. Right here.
Oh.
Look at this.
The air smells so good.
No antiseptic.
- You know something?
- Hmmm.
I think you're beautiful.
Right off the fashion pages.
I really mean it.
I think you're the most
beautiful person I've ever seen.
Oh, Steve.
You have always
made me feel beautiful.
And that's what matters.
Steven.
Steve?
What is it?
What is it?
It's...
It's...
Oh, God.
What do you mean, what is it?
Kay, I love you so much.
And you're going away!
Steve, please come here.
No. No.
I can't.
I can't.
I'm not that strong!
I don't know how you do it.
You figured it out.
Steve... Don't.
And I, uh...
I don't think I can
live without you.
You know that?
And you know something else?
I'm mad at you.
Oh, I'm so mad
at you, I'm furious.
Because you're going away.
I'm angry because you're going away
and you're gonna leave me here alone.
Come be with me.
Come be with me.
I know.
I know.
I've had all those
feelings, too.
I guess I just...
I had them a little sooner.
Steven.
I know.
And I love you.
I love you so much.
The Lord is my
shepherd, I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures,
he leadeth me
beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name's sake.
Yeah, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil,
for thou art with me.
Thy rod and thy
staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies,
thou annointest
my head with oil,
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever.
For as much as it hath pleased
Almighty God in His great mercy
to take unto himself the soul
of our dear sister here departed,
we therefore commit
her body to the ground.
Earth to earth, ashes
to ashes, dust to dust,
in certain and sure hope
of the resurrection
to eternal life.
Amen.
Thank you for
everything, Dr. Pendleton.
Dr. Quincy, thank you.
We were together till the end.
Jenny and I will always
have that time to remember.
So you'll keep seeing
Steve and Jenny?
Yes, as long as they need me.
It's hard to accept someone's
dying before their time.
Before their time?
I don't know what
that means anymore.
People die too soon or too late,
either way, we're never ready.
The only thing we know for
sure is that old jump-rope rhyme.
What?
"Doctor, Doctor, will I die?"
"Yes, my child,
"and so will I."
impact. He didn't suffer at all.
My wife is just knifed to
death and you're sorry!
I deal with people who've
lost their loved ones
and I don't know how
to make them feel better.
I've been knifed and
drugged and radiated,
I'm dying.
I'm asking you to help Kay
Silver put her death in order.
If you wanna die, then lie
there by yourself and do it alone!
I want to come home.
I'm gonna see if I
can get you there.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
I'll walk you to the door.
No, Brian. Just a little longer.
Now come on,
I'll walk you to the door.
You wanna go to
the beach tomorrow?
Hey, what is it?
I get so scared, Brian.
I just don't think there's
gonna be enough time for us.
I know. But...
It'll all be okay, honest.
No, it's not okay!
Don't keep saying that!
I'll all be better soon.
I promise.
- How?
- It just will.
Trust me.
I have the first case up.
Is it the Foyt boy? I
wanna do that one first.
Brian Foyt, male Caucasian,
nineteen, auto accident.
He was alone,
apparently lost control
and went over a cliff in the
Santa Monica mountains.
Nineteen... Mother and
brother are waiting upstairs.
Look at the cranial trauma.
The whole frontal
region is crushed in.
- His death was instantaneous.
- Yeah. No hemorrhage.
There's a surgical incision of
the left flank that's just healed.
Sam, notice the hyperpigmentation
of the skin on the abdomen.
- The skin's
a lot darker there.
- Yeah.
He's had surgery and radiation
therapy for some kind of tumor.
It was a lot worse than that,
Quince. Take a look at the X-rays.
Look at all the lytic
lesions of the spine.
It looks like something
punched out the bone.
The bone was eaten
away by the tumor.
Yeah. Look how the
whole spine is collapsed.
This boy was dying of cancer.
Makes you wonder
about that accident.
Well, it wouldn't be the first
cancer victim to take his own life.
You okay, Quince?
Yeah. I'm just thinking about
his mother, waiting upstairs.
That's the hardest
part for me, Sam.
Having to talk to the families.
Brian left the house last
night to see his girlfriend.
He never came back.
The police notified
me this morning.
Mrs. Foyt,
did you know your
son was seriously ill?
Oh yes. He had a...
A malignant tumor. He's been in
and out of the hospital for about a year,
but he wasn't in pain
and he wanted to live as
normal a life as possible.
We had so little time as it was,
why did it have to end even sooner?
Mrs. Foyt,
is it possible your
son wanted it that way?
- You mean suicide?
- Yes.
Oh, no. Oh, no!
Absolutely not!
He even made us promise
to use his life insurance
money to send Mark to college.
He wouldn't do a thing...
I'm sorry. I'm babbling. I know.
- I'm sorry,
it's probably the strain.
- It's all right. I understand
I want you to know
that he died the
moment of impact.
He didn't suffer at all.
I'm glad.
He'd suffered enough as it was.
Dr. Quincy,
I don't understand
why you're here.
We have your autopsy
report, that's all we need.
I'm here, because Mrs. Foyt and
her attorney asked me to be here.
They'll be along in a minute.
From what you've told
me, I'm glad I am here.
That autopsy report is subject
to some misinterpretation.
What do you mean?
That report only certifies
that the cause of death,
that it was a skull fracture
with cerebral trauma.
It says nothing about the
manner or the mode of death.
Now, there's nothing in that
report that can make you assume
he committed suicide.
This report plus the police
investigation shows absolutely nothing
that would indicate
that it was an accident.
I'm sorry, Dr. Quincy,
Brian Foyt drove himself
off that mountain road.
If we called for a
coroner's inquest,
you'd have to prove that.
You know that don't you?
Dr. Quincy, as one of
the company lawyers,
I must tell you we feel pretty
certain we could do just that.
Especially based on the statement
we have from his girlfriend.
What statement?
The statement where she said
Brian Foyt was acting strangely,
on the night he died.
Several times he said, "Things
would be getting better soon,"
but when she asked
him why, he didn't answer.
That's hardly conclusive.
I can't see why you guys
won't make a settlement.
I have news for you, Dr. Quincy.
Contrary to popular opinion,
insurance companies are not run by
greedy scavengers who hoard money
and try to cheat people
out of what's coming to them.
It's only your opinion that
this is not a legitimate claim!
And it's only your
opinion that it is!
If you want a coroner's
inquest, I'm tellin' you that's...
Is that what you want
a coroner's inquest?
Gentlemen, let's calm down
and deal with this rationally!
Yes.
Mrs. Foyt and her lawyer.
Send them in.
- Mrs. Foyt.
- Dr. Quincy.
Hello.
Mr. Rigoletti,
I'm Mrs. Foyt's
lawyer, Frank Davidson.
- Dave Romerhaus,
I'm with the firm.
- Hello, Dave.
And this is Dr. Pendleton.
He's a thanatologist.
He worked with Brian and his family
the last time Brian was in the hospital.
A thanatologist? What's that?
Ah, it's from the Greek word,
"Thanatos", the god of death.
I'm a psychiatrist and I
work with the terminally ill.
Like Brian Foyt.
Now this tape
is privileged information,
but it's subject to subpoena in
the event of a trial or an inquest.
In the interest
of avoiding that,
I'm going to play a little
section of it, off the record.
I think you'll find
it very informative.
And I know this time
I'm on my way out.
The pain is starting again.
I've had it with
all the treatments.
I'm just gonna let
it take it's course.
That's okay, isn't
it, Dr. Pendleton?
Certainly, if that's
what you want.
Well I think it's real close.
That it won't take long.
Maybe I'm wrong,
but it feels that way.
I think
you're the one who knows
best about that, Brian.
You're closer to those
feelings than any doctor.
But you've helped me
with those feelings, Doctor.
I mean, there's a lot inside
me I didn't know was there
until I started talking to you.
Now, I feel okay about it all.
And if I can die
with Mom and Mark
and Amy...
All of us holding hands...
I could go out real
peaceful like that.
I wouldn't be scared at all.
I have several other tapes, all
of which reflect this same attitude.
Brian Foyt did
not commit suicide.
I think, a psychological
autopsy would establish that
and it could be
used as evidence.
Gentlemen,
you're on pretty flimsy ground.
I'd suggest you pay the claim.
I tell you, this
guy was terrific.
The insurance company
did a complete turnaround.
And they'll pay
Mrs. Foyt's claim
with double indemnity
because of the insurance.
Hey, that's great.
This doctor must have been
something. What was his name again?
Pendleton. George
Pendleton I got his card.
He was something, Sam. I
mean, he was a real professional.
He knew what he was talking about,
and he had the tapes to back it up.
You never doubted for a
moment that he was right.
- Quincy...
- Yeah?
Mr. Rasmussen is
here. In the viewing room.
Okay. I'll be right up.
Rasmussen? Yeah.
He's the husband
of the young woman that was
found at the construction site.
Anything new on that case?
No.
- Hey, that's rough.
- Apparently,
he was out of town.
The police just tracked him down.
He's not fully aware of the facts yet.
Oh, boy.
- I'll talk to him if you like.
- No. I did the autopsy,
I'll talk to him.
But I'm not looking
forward to it.
Yes, that's her.
What happened?
We're not sure.
She was found at
a construction site.
She had no purse, no identification.
It may have been robbery.
There was no evidence
of sexual assault.
Robbed.
You mean somebody
killed her for her purse?
For a couple of bucks?
Well, we're not sure of that.
How did it happen?
She was stabbed.
I'm sorry.
You're sorry!
Well, that's really
helpful, Doctor.
Your being sorry makes
it a whole lot better!
My wife is just knifed to
death and you're sorry!
I'm gonna sleep a
whole lot better tonight.
Why don't you stay here for
a while? Until you calm down.
Look, don't you tell
me to calm down.
I just lost the most important
thing in the world to me!
So don't you tell
me to calm down.
And don't you tell
me you're sorry!
Just leave me alone.
Dr. Pendleton,
this is Dr. Quincy, from
the Coroner's Office.
May I buy you dinner, sir?
I need your help.
Something wrong with the food?
Oh, no. I'm just not
hungry, that's all.
There's no refunds
here, you know.
Oh, Danny, this is Dr. Pendleton.
Danny owns the place.
- Hello.
- He's a psychiatrist.
A psychiatrist? He's
finally seeking help, is he?
No. He's a thanatologist.
He deals with death.
The terminal cases.
A thanatologist and a coroner...
A marriage made
in heaven, no doubt.
Oh, the steak is very good.
Ah, why are you off your feed?
Well, you've made me
aware of an inadequacy in me
and I wanted to talk
to you professionally.
I guess maybe I should've
made an appointment, huh?
No, this is fine.
Well, as you know,
I deal with people who've
lost their loved ones,
usually, in a sudden
or violent way.
Every day I'm with these people
when they have to identify a child,
or a parent, or a wife...
It's the hardest thing
they'll ever have to do
and I don't know how
to make them feel better.
For instance, there
was a young man today,
his wife was brutally murdered.
I said the wrong thing.
- How do you know?
- By the way he acted.
I told him I was sorry,
he got even more upset.
And he was right, what
an inadequate thing to say.
"I'm sorry." How does it help
anybody to say, I'm sorry?
It might have made
him feel better.
No, it didn't. It
made him feel worse!
I doubt it.
You see, the man
probably felt terrible,
devastated.
Anything you would have said
would have had the same effect.
Just give him the
privilege of his feelings.
Let him feel bad,
let him shout at you and accuse,
let him cry,
let him rant and grieve.
The human spirit needs that,
it needs to mourn, it needs
to let that pain come out.
Don't... Don't try to make
it all better for him at once.
Probably won't work anyhow,
I tell you what, why don't you
make some rounds with me,
work with me, meet
some of my patients.
It might help you with
your own situations.
Well, that's very nice of you
but I don't want to intrude.
It is not intrusion.
It's education.
Of a kind I happen to
feel very strongly about.
You see, most people these days
feel very awkward
dealing with death.
It hasn't always been this way,
our attitudes about death and dying
were very different.
For instance, I
grew up on a farm,
a very long time ago.
But the life we lived was very different
from the one we lead today, in the city.
We had animals.
We saw them being
born, we saw them die.
When my grandfather died, the
family gathered in the bedroom,
just sitting, talking,
sometimes just holding
his hand, being quiet.
We knew he was dying
and we were sad to lose him
but it wasn't strange, it
wasn't frightening and unusual.
It was part of the
natural flow of life.
It became a thing
that we shared,
that made the family
grow even closer together.
Today, all those
feelings are gone.
People are alienated and
isolated from their very families.
Let alone the rest of mankind.
They're, they're sheltered
from death and dying.
We hustle them off to
hospitals and institutions
where they die, not in the
company of their loved ones,
but in the company of doctors
and nurses they don't even know.
Death is becoming
more and more fearful.
The one experience that
each human being has to have
is unknown
and frightening
and usually very, very lonely.
So, yes, I do want
you to come with me.
I especially want you
to meet Kay Silver.
She's a remarkable woman.
She's in her thirties, she's
got a husband and one child.
She has advanced ovarian cancer.
She's been in and out of this
place three or four years now.
But, at this point, it looks like
she has less than a month to live.
Dr. Pendleton! Thank
God you're here!
You've got to talk to Kay!
- About what?
- She's being stubborn. Obstinate.
You've got to make
her listen to reason!
What is it, Steve?
I just had a long
talk with Dr. Hurado.
He's willing to try a new drug
therapy on Kay, inside her abdomen.
I don't understand it exactly, but
he said it might achieve remission.
But Kay won't do it!
Please convince her
to do it, Dr. Pendleton.
Make her see the light.
Let's have a talk. Come on.
Hi, sweetie.
I, uh, brought Dr. Pendleton in
here to try to talk some sense into you.
- Hi, Dr. P.
- Hi.
Oh, I'd like you to
meet my colleague,
Kay, Steve, Dr. Quincy.
How do you do?
Now, are there any objections
to Dr. Quincy being here?
Nah. What's one more doctor?
No offense, Dr. Quincy,
I see a lot of you guys.
I understand.
Now,
what's this Steve is telling me?
I told you.
There's a new type of
chemotherapy for Kay.
It could cause a remission.
Sweetie, you've got to try it!
Doesn't she, Dr. Pendleton?
How do you feel about it, Kay?
I've had three
operations in two years
and every time they took
some part of me away.
And now, there are no
more operations that will help.
I had chemotherapy.
It was awful.
I threw up every single time
that those drugs hit the system.
Sometimes it was so fast I threw up
on the guy who was administering them.
And I lost my hair
so I have had to go
for the exotic look.
I had radiation therapy,
that's more nausea,
more weakness.
How I feel about it?
I've had it.
I've been knifed and
drugged and radiated,
my body's been invaded by cancer
and then violated by any
procedure they could figure out
to give me a little time.
Nothing worked.
I'm dying.
And how I feel about it is
I don't want to try
one more thing.
You can't quit
like that, you can't!
What about me, what
about Jenny? What about us?
Steve, I'll tell you what.
Why don't we let it
rest for a little while.
I'll... I'll see Dr. Hurado
and then I'll come back
and we'll all talk about
it together. Okay?
- Yeah. Okay.
- Good.
Dr. Quincy, what
are you staring at?
Oh, I'm sorry.
I was just thinking what a
beautiful young woman you are.
Now that's what I like to hear.
You can keep your
drugs and your radiation,
give me flattery!
The best treatment of all.
Bye-bye.
Nice meeting you.
- That's a vibrant girl.
- She's a courageous woman.
So, you'll see the doctor
about the new protocol?
Well... Yes, I will see him.
But...
You see,
there's no new protocol or anything
else that will help Kay at this time.
She's terminal and
it's just a matter of time.
But her husband
feels a responsibility.
He feels like if he was a real
man, he'd somehow save his wife.
He's adamant and
he's determined.
So I was trying to keep them from
getting into an unnecessary confrontation,
without having the
time to think about it.
What'll you do now?
Well, I'll talk to Dr. Hurado.
I'll talk to Steve
and I'll talk to Kay.
We'll try to work it out.
Look, I have some things to do.
Would you like to join me on
early morning rounds tomorrow,
- before you go to work?
- I sure would.
I'll see you right
here at seven o'clock.
Seven sharp. Thanks, Doctor.
- Excuse me, are you Dr. Quincy?
- Yes, I am.
Dr. Pendleton asked you to
see him in room 323, South Wing.
323, South Wing. Thank you.
Dr. Quincy, how are you?
Oh, my. What happened?
It's a very sad story.
In my impetuous youth, I
fancied myself an athlete.
I played football on a
team of Neanderthals.
I'm still paying for it.
It happens once a year or so.
Last night, I stooped over to
pick up a pencil and here I am.
Anything I can do for you?
Yes, there is.
- You remember Kay Silver?
- Yes, I do.
I want you to take my place.
Oh, no. No way. There's
no way I can do that.
She's better off
waiting for you.
Quincy, I may be in this thing
for two weeks, maybe longer.
Kay Silver may not
have that much time.
Yeah, but I may say the
wrong thing, do the wrong thing.
I'd make it worse for her!
I'll help you. I'll
tell you what to do.
You'll make tapes. We'll
go over them together.
You wanted to learn,
this is on-the-job training.
Yeah, but maybe at her expense.
Doctor, now you're insulting me.
That family needs help.
Do you think. I would ask
you if I didn't think you could?
Well, it seems like
such an awesome task.
It is an awesome task.
I'm asking you to help Kay
Silver put her death in order.
Kay?
Hey, Dr. Quincy.
Dr. Pendleton told me he
called you on the phone.
Explained his predicament.
He sure did, the poor guy.
He said he's sure he's grown an
inch since they put him in traction.
I wanted to make sure you
didn't mind my taking his place.
Anybody that calls me
beautiful can hang around all day.
Good. Do you mind
if I tape the session?
Okay by me.
To tell you the truth,
I don't know
exactly what to say.
Yeah, I know. Me neither.
But it's not your fault.
Sometimes Dr. P
and I just sit here.
And sometimes it seems like
everything comes pouring out of me.
That's the way it is.
You seem fairly comfortable now.
Yeah, I am.
I'm not in much pain.
I'm missing my
Jenny, my little girl.
But I'll talk to
her after school.
She's the one I
worry about the most.
Why her?
Growing up is hard to do.
Even if you have
everything going for you.
I don't want her to do
it without a mommy.
That's another thing that
Steve and I argue about.
You wanna talk more about that?
Well, let me tell you
how it is with me, Dr. Quincy.
See, I am going to die.
I accept that.
But I wanna make sure
to, uh...
Put my life in order first.
You know what I mean?
Maybe I mean to
put my death in order.
What do you think would do that?
Well, see, when
I was a little girl,
my father died.
He was a big man, strong man,
and he used to pick me up
and swing me up over his head.
I felt just as safe...
Just as safe as if I
was in my own bed.
And then he got sick
and it was like a big tree
dropping down in a forest.
He had pneumonia.
And he got sicker and weaker
but he kept saying,
"I'll be home soon."
As long as I was
a good little girl
and did everything
my Mommy told me.
Said my prayers,
"Brush your teeth and clean
your room and I'll come home."
And then he died.
And I figured,
my fault.
For years I carried that guilt.
That I had let him down,
that if I could have
done something,
he'd still be alive.
It was terrible.
So you see,
Dr. Quincy, I don't want
that to happen to my family.
I want them to remember
me with love, with joy.
When you die, it will be
awfully difficult for them.
Of course it will.
I don't mean to say that
they should be glad I'm gone,
I just want them to
be able to let it go.
Go on.
Be happy.
And I want Steve
to get married again.
Have a wife.
Let Jenny have a mommy.
I want them to have continuity.
I don't want it to be all just
pain and sorrow and loss.
Like it was for me.
Do you understand
what I'm saying?
Yes, I do.
Now I know where
your beauty comes from.
Deep down inside.
Oh, I like your
style, Dr. Quincy.
How much tape you got?
Are you kidding,
I came prepared.
To get married
again. Have a wife.
Let Jenny have a mommy. I
want them to have some continuity.
So that it isn't all
pain and sorrow
and loss.
Like it was for me.
Do you understand
what I'm saying?
Yes, I do.
Now I know where
your beauty comes from.
Deep down inside.
Oh, I like your
style, Dr. Quincy.
What do you think?
Not bad, not bad.
Your instincts are good,
just as I knew they would be.
You not only listen,
you reflect her feelings.
- That's important.
- Well,
she makes it pretty easy.
Kay Silver is a
wonderfully open person.
She has a lot of feelings
and she shares them easily.
But don't be beguiled by that.
What do you mean?
I mean, she's so sunny
and so courageous
that it's easy for you to forget that
she's facing some real problems.
You mean that she's
getting weaker and sicker?
No, I'm talking about
problems with her family.
But she seems to have that worked
out. She's decided what she wants.
But she's in conflict
with her husband.
You remember, she said,
"That's another thing
Steve and I fight about?"
You see, Kay Silver has pretty clear
thoughts about how she wants to die.
But her husband is fighting her.
That could be trouble.
Sweetie, it's me.
Hi.
- Are you hurting?
- Yeah. A little bit.
When's the last time
you had your shot?
Oh, a couple of hours ago.
I'm okay.
Did you, uh...
Did you talk to Dr. Hurado?
Yeah, I did.
This afternoon.
And?
I heard him out, Steve.
I listened to the whole thing,
I didn't make an automatic no.
I promise that I
didn't. I can't do it.
I can't go through it anymore.
No. No. No. No. Please.
Kay, listen, we'll call him,
we'll talk to him together,
- I know we can convince you.
- Why can't you leave it alone?
Because I love you!
And because I want you to get
better and be with me and Jenny again!
Oh, Steve,
don't you see?
If I go through this,
it'll give me what?
Six weeks, eight weeks, maybe.
He can't even promise me that.
And then I'll be
right back here,
going through this
part all over again.
And I can't do it, I can't.
You're being selfish.
What about us?
What about Jenny?
She needs a mommy, she
deserves you as much as possible.
Yes,
Jenny needs a
mommy, a new mommy.
- Don't talk like that!
- A healthy one.
- I don't want to hear it!
- And you deserve
a healthy wife.
Just shut up!
I'm not listening!
I don't want to
get married again
and now
you're being a quitter!
You won't fight! Damn you!
You won't!
Damn it!
How's Jen doing?
How do you think she's doing?
She misses her mommy.
Couldn't she come here?
You know she can't do that.
She's too young, they
won't let her on the floor.
You'd think they
could bend the rule.
Oh, honey...
I wanna come home!
For what?
To die?
No, that's not fair.
If you wanna die, then lie
there by yourself and do it alone!
Hi, Jenny.
Oh, I'm so glad you're home!
I've really been missing you!
I'm feeling pretty
good, sweetheart.
Daddy was just here.
Yeah, he should be home soon.
Is Granny still with you?
A swing?
Daddy put a new...
That's wonderful.
Oh, I wish I could see you, too.
Yeah. My lap misses you.
No, you're not. No you're
not either too big for my lap!
Even if you squash my lap,
you're always gonna fit, okay?
I want to hold you
in the rocking chair.
You can't tell me
you're too big for that!
I know, honey.
No I'm not... I'm not sure
about that, but soon I hope.
Yeah, me too.
I love you, Jen.
Kiss Granny for me.
Love ya. Bye.
Good morning, Kay.
You mind if I record
this session, too?
There's no point in
your being here, Doctor.
I don't need you.
Did something happen yesterday?
Yes.
You wanna talk about it?
No.
Nobody's gonna let me
do what I wanna do anyway.
So why bother?
Just leave me alone.
Of course, if that's
what you want.
Isn't there something I can do?
Okay, Doctor, I'll
tell you what you do.
You cure me.
You make the tumors
inside me go away
and I can go home to my
husband and my daughter.
You tell me I can
drink champagne
and make crayon
drawings with Jenny
and make love to my husband.
Tell me I'm not going
to die, Dr. Quincy!
And if you can't do that,
there's absolutely no way
you can make me feel better.
And if you can't do that,
what good are you?
Get out!
Can't you hear me? Get out!
I'm sorry.
And if you can't do
that, what good are you?
Just get out.
Can't you hear me? Get out!
That's it.
And I don't know
what I did wrong.
Dr. Quincy, the magician.
Still thinks there's magic,
Dr. Quincy, give yourself a
break. And Kay Silver, too.
Who do you think you are, God?
If you were, you could do
what she wants, cure her.
Since you're only mortal,
stick with doing human things.
Like what?
Like talking. Listening. Caring.
And making mistakes.
That's human, too.
Yeah, but what can I do for her?
I can't believe the difference.
Yesterday she was so terrific, so strong,
she was ready to face anything.
And today, she was despondent and
angry and all I did was make it worse.
Put yourself in her place.
She's dying.
And she's trying to do it
the best way that she knows
but her husband is fighting her.
Be flexible.
You know, there are very
few people in this world
that go out in a state
of psychoanalytic grace.
- Help her.
- How?
How?
Doctor, I don't even
know where to begin.
Begin by listening.
Listen to that tape again.
See what you can
hear between the lines.
I believe the dying
tell us what they want.
You have to hear it.
Okay.
Just get out!
Can't you hear me? Get out!
You know you're going to drive
yourself crazy with this thing, Quince.
I know there's
something here, Sam.
Some clue as to what
happened, what she wants.
I'm not hearing it.
You cure me. You make
the tumors inside me go away.
So I can go home to my
husband and my daughter.
- That's it!
- What's it?
I just didn't hear it before.
I gotta go see Mrs. Silver.
I don't know how long I'll be.
Kay?
Oh, Nurse, do you know
where Mrs. Silver is?
She went to chemotherapy.
Oh, there she is now.
Kay...
Why are you going through this?
Is it what you want to do?
I have to.
Because you wanna go home?
That's it, isn't it?
You wanna be with
Steve and Jenny?
Come on, Mrs. Silver. Come on.
I'm gonna see if I
can get you there.
Do you love daddy's swing?
It's terrific!
Steve?
Dr. Quincy, come on back.
♪ Oh, how I love
To go up in the air
♪ Up in the air, Up in the air ♪
- No, do it some more.
- A little later.
Dr. Quincy, this is
my daughter, Jenny.
- Honey, this is Dr. Quincy.
- How do you do, Jenny.
Hi.
This is my new swing.
My daddy put it up.
Oh, that's terrific.
Listen, honey, why
don't you run in the
house and give Grammy
some help with dinner.
Okay?
- Can I swing after dinner?
- Sure you can.
Thanks for letting
me come, Steve.
No problem, Doctor.
You said it was important.
It's Kay.
She started the
new drug therapy.
And none too soon. I think
she'll have a real chance at it.
A chance of what?
A few more months of
sickness and nausea?
Just forget it, Doctor.
I've heard all of this before.
She wants to come home, Steve.
She wants to come
home to you and Jenny.
No!
She's not gonna come home to
die! She's gonna stay there and fight!
Doesn't she have
anything to say about it?
What kind of a husband
would I be if I just let her die?
Steve, you can't let her die any
more than you can make her live.
It's not up to you or Dr. Hurado
or Dr. Pendleton anymore.
Can't I make you see that?
Her life is not in your
hands but her death is.
And you've got to face it. You've
got to stop running away from it.
You've got to stop
hoping it'll go away.
Well, that's pretty easy for
you to say, isn't it, Dr. Quincy!
You're not going through this!
Well maybe if you were in my
boat, you'd see it a different way!
I was in your boat, Steve.
I was married, a long time ago,
to a beautiful, vital, loving woman.
Just like yours.
And she developed a brain tumor.
And I saw her get
sicker and weaker.
I saw her die before my eyes.
And you can imagine
how I felt. I was a doctor.
I had spent all those years
studying medicine and illnesses
and I couldn't help the one
person that I loved most in the world!
And then I realized,
I was wasting our precious
time on stupid, foolish anger.
And in the end, we
spent all our time together.
And when she died, I was
with her, holding her hand.
So, Steve,
I think I know what
you're going through.
You know, there isn't a
day that goes by, even now,
that I don't think of her.
And when I do,
I think of her with a
smile, and a full heart.
And I'm grateful for the
time we had together.
Those last days were
so peaceful and calm.
Bittersweet, yes,
but I was touched with a
beauty that is still with me.
Steve,
let her come home.
Where are you taking her?
- For an IV.
- No.
No more drugs.
No more treatments.
We're going now, Kay.
Please, Mr. Silver,
you can't do this.
Yes, I can.
The doctor told me I could check
Kay out of here any time I choose.
And I choose now.
Come on.
No. You're being silly.
Close your eyes.
All right, I'm closing my eyes.
- Are you peeking?
- No.
Are you sure?
Oh, yes.
Wait a minute. Right here.
Oh.
Look at this.
The air smells so good.
No antiseptic.
- You know something?
- Hmmm.
I think you're beautiful.
Right off the fashion pages.
I really mean it.
I think you're the most
beautiful person I've ever seen.
Oh, Steve.
You have always
made me feel beautiful.
And that's what matters.
Steven.
Steve?
What is it?
What is it?
It's...
It's...
Oh, God.
What do you mean, what is it?
Kay, I love you so much.
And you're going away!
Steve, please come here.
No. No.
I can't.
I can't.
I'm not that strong!
I don't know how you do it.
You figured it out.
Steve... Don't.
And I, uh...
I don't think I can
live without you.
You know that?
And you know something else?
I'm mad at you.
Oh, I'm so mad
at you, I'm furious.
Because you're going away.
I'm angry because you're going away
and you're gonna leave me here alone.
Come be with me.
Come be with me.
I know.
I know.
I've had all those
feelings, too.
I guess I just...
I had them a little sooner.
Steven.
I know.
And I love you.
I love you so much.
The Lord is my
shepherd, I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures,
he leadeth me
beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his name's sake.
Yeah, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil,
for thou art with me.
Thy rod and thy
staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies,
thou annointest
my head with oil,
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever.
For as much as it hath pleased
Almighty God in His great mercy
to take unto himself the soul
of our dear sister here departed,
we therefore commit
her body to the ground.
Earth to earth, ashes
to ashes, dust to dust,
in certain and sure hope
of the resurrection
to eternal life.
Amen.
Thank you for
everything, Dr. Pendleton.
Dr. Quincy, thank you.
We were together till the end.
Jenny and I will always
have that time to remember.
So you'll keep seeing
Steve and Jenny?
Yes, as long as they need me.
It's hard to accept someone's
dying before their time.
Before their time?
I don't know what
that means anymore.
People die too soon or too late,
either way, we're never ready.
The only thing we know for
sure is that old jump-rope rhyme.
What?
"Doctor, Doctor, will I die?"
"Yes, my child,
"and so will I."