The Waltons (1971–1981): Season 4, Episode 10 - The Loss - full transcript

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

JOHN-BOY: Sometimes life goes
on in peaceful cycles like the seasons,

a gradual blending of time and
events that we scarcely notice.

And just as we think
we may have learned

all there is to know about life,

fate conspires to show us
just how little we do know.

Such was the case one
especially beautiful day in early fall.

Our parents had
told us that Olivia Hill

had lost her husband
in an accident

and that she was coming to
spend a few weeks with us.

Never mind. I got it.



Excuse me, Ben. Excuse me.

What's the matter with
you? Your feet are in my way.

No, no, we're not
finished in here.

Mary Ellen, what am I
supposed to do here?

Stand and hold this?

John-Boy, John-Boy, what's
that word Mama said Olivia had?

A bereavement, honey.

Bereavement. What
does that mean?

Well, that's... that's when
somebody you love dies.

Is that the way I'd feel
if Mama or Daddy died?

Yeah, that's it.

It's like how Mama
would feel if Daddy died.

Like when someone
you're married to dies.

JOHN-BOY: Yeah. That's
usually what it means.



Must be the worst hurt of all.

Well, we just gotta try
to keep her cheered up,

if we can, you know.

Should we talk about it?

Well, maybe if we just act
normal like nothing's happened.

Well, you gotta act normal. You
just have to be considerate of her.

You know, try to figure
out what it is she wants.

I mean, she may
wanna talk about it,

but she may not
wanna talk about it.

And there's times when
she's gonna wanna be

alone and she's not
gonna wanna be with us

and you have to be sensitive
about it, you know, just...

You'll know what to do.

Just think before
you talk is all.

I think... I think we should
bake her a chocolate cake.

I think that's a
good idea. Yeah.

Hey, wait a minute... I'm coming
through, you're not gonna stop me.

Come on, Mary Ellen.

Make way here. All right.

Grandma, have you
ever had bereavement?

Yeah, long time ago.

But I've been... I've
been spared other losses.

This family has
been most fortunate.

Many aches of the
heart, but only once

that most terrible of all pains.

You know, you all talk as though
death were the end of everything.

Well it's not.

It just might very
well be the beginning.

How long do you reckon it
takes to get over a bereavement?

Depends on the person,
sometimes it takes years.

ELIZABETH: Poor Olivia.

You all better get up to John-Boy's
room and get it ready for her.

I'll help you all.

Good idea, let's go, come on.

JOHN-BOY: Good supper,
Mama. JASON: Yeah, it was.

Mama,

does it stop hurting
Olivia when she sleeps?

Yes, honey, it does.

Well, if you ask me,

it's too much to expect children
to understand a thing like this.

It's not right for them to have
to bear that young girl's grief.

Grief is a natural
part of life, Grandma.

The children will be all right.

It's Olivia we have
to worry about.

It was just about this
same time last year

when I picked him
up at the bus depot.

I'll never forget that
shivaree, I'll tell you that.

It's hard to believe he's gone.

He was hardly
much older than you.

I'm gonna start thinking
like Grandpa. Aim for 100.

Aunt Olivia, it's
so good to be here.

John-Boy, it's good to see you.

Same here.

(SIGHING)

I'd forgotten how
beautiful it is here.

(SNIFFING)

It even smells beautiful.

Grandma.

JASON: Hey, Olivia.

HILL: Jason. Welcome.

Hi. Hi.

Jason, you get
taller by the hour.

What's your mama
feeding you anyway?

Welcome home, Olivia.
Hello, Grandpa. Grandma.

Thank you. Thank
you all for having me.

ELIZABETH: Aunt Olivia!

Elizabeth. How big you've grown!

And what a beautiful cat.

Her name's Calico
and she's mine.

Hello, Calico!

All of you, it just feels
so good to be here.

Come on, we'd
better get you inside

so you can rest up till
supper. JOHN: We'll talk later.

We've got an order
of benches to fill.

Let's go. Come on, folks.

John-Boy. Yes, honey?

She doesn't seem to
hurt too much to me.

Well, I know.

What will we say at supper?

I just know one of the
children will say the wrong thing.

It's hard to know
what's the right thing.

You know, she seems a lot
perkier than I thought she'd be.

She's trying to be brave.

I just hope the children
watch what they say.

You know, that's the problem
with a big brood like this.

Maybe being with a big brood is
just what Olivia needs right now.

I thought she
looked awfully pale.

But beautiful.

She's just a few
years older than I am.

Mary Ellen, being
widowed so young is rare.

And it's not in
the least romantic.

These potatoes need mashing.

Did your mother really
get married in that dress?

In 1914.

Mother would be so happy if
she knew I was going to wear it.

The only thing that makes me
sad is that she'll never meet Bob.

Do you remember her?

I remember being
on a train with her,

coming here to
Walton's Mountain.

I must've been about four.

And your mother met
us at the Rockfish station.

Oh, I'm so glad I
could be here with her.

With all of you for my wedding.

Well, I sure hope Bob likes us.

Well, of course he will.

And you're gonna be
just crazy about him.

Did I show you his picture?

About a million times.

Oh, I'm sorry to be
so boring about him.

But he's just so wonderful, I can't
talk about anyone, or anything else.

OLIVIA: Mary
Ellen, the potatoes.

JASON: It tastes
like... BEN: Yeah.

We'd be pleased if
you'd say grace, Olivia.

Thank you, Lord, for the
comfort of a loving family

and the strength they
give me to bear my loss.

Amen. ALL: Amen.

Potatoes? JASON: You go first.

After you, Olivia.

After you, it'll be all gone.

What do you mean?
I don't eat that much.

Peas, please. I made a rhyme!

Very good, Elizabeth.

Pass the potatoes, pass the
meat, everybody pitch in and eat.

(ALL LAUGHING)

Everybody's in
high spirits tonight.

I forgot how much
fun a big family can be.

GRANDPA: Fun! It's more like
feeding the monkeys at a zoo!

You think you're gonna be able
to stand us for three whole weeks?

Oh, you may never get rid of me.

Bob wanted a big
family. All boys.

He talked about making
special kites for them

and taking them all down
to the park to fly them.

Well, girls can fly kites, too.

That's how Bob and I met.

Did I ever tell you that story?

No, no. Uh-uh.

Well, every Saturday I'd see
him in the park with all his kites.

He had a regular
collection of them.

Anyway, he was so good-looking,

and I was just
dying to meet him.

So I figured, I just had
to go get myself a kite

and get out there
in the park and fly it.

Well, I got it up in the air
somehow, but then the wind switched

and it went right into
his kite, his favorite.

Well, he was so mad!

And he came storming
up to me and he said,

"You've just ruined
my Japanese Dragon."

He was so special.

There'll never be
anybody like him.

If only I'd gone with him
on his walk that night.

It was so dark.

That's why he
didn't see the car.

I keep thinking that
maybe if I'd been with him,

I would have seen it.

(HILL SOBBING)

What about all those kites?
I mean, all those good ones?

Maybe... maybe tomorrow we could go
out in the woods and pick some violets,

like the way we did
for your wedding.

I'm sorry. I shouldn't be burdening
all of you with my troubles.

Please excuse me.

Did we do something wrong?

Don't take it to heart, honey.

I was trying to make her smile.

Well, your heart was in the right place,
Elizabeth, so don't take on about it.

Well, in a way it's good
that she's letting out the grief.

Come on, eat up before
everything gets cold. Come on.

Grief is something like
the seasons of the year,

only, all jumbled
together in a heap.

Right now, she's going
through her wintry spell.

There isn't much
we can do to help.

She's got to go back in the
memories of her mind about him

until... until she's at peace.

Until then, we've got to brace
ourselves for these stormy spells.

Why, she won't know herself when
she's likely to have one of them.

Yeah, Zeb's right. There's not
much we can do to ease her pain

except just give her all the loving
and understanding that we can.

I think we ought
to put her to work.

Get her mind of her troubles.

Maybe I should let
Calico sleep with her.

(CHUCKLING)

I think that's a
great idea, Elizabeth.

Why don't you talk to
her about it tomorrow?

Mary Ellen, when you
finish, will you get dessert?

I'm gonna fix a tray for Olivia.

Okay, Mama.

I don't know what happens.

I don't mean to lose
control of myself like that.

I just don't seem
to be able to stop it.

I know it's hard to believe
just now, but the pain will pass.

Time does ease the
ache and the emptiness.

Out there, the world
goes on. It's fall.

Everything's dead or dying.

Everything's going
to sleep for a while.

The only difference is, they'll all
wake up when the spring comes.

(SNIFFLING)

Olivia, I don't know
what I'd do if I lost John,

but I know I'd look for
some help in the Bible.

Can I lend you mine to
read if... if you want to?

Thank you. Yes.

The moonlight's lovely tonight.

Would you like to take a walk?

I know all the wonderful
things that are still there.

The sunsets, the dawns...

But don't you see?

Those things don't make me feel
better, they make me feel worse.

Every time I see a lovely day,

I think that Bob isn't
here to share it with me.

Every time I see a sunset,

I think of all the ones
we shared together.

Oh, please.

I really think I'd like
to be alone for a while.

GRANDPA: This ought
to be able to handle

any Tackle-Buster
fish in the pond.

I wish there was something
we could really do for her.

We are doing
everything we can, Livie.

Well, I'm still worried about the
children. Especially the little ones.

Such a heavy
load to put on them.

They're stronger than you
give them credit for, Grandma.

They'll grow from
this and learn.

I sure hope you're right.

I just feel so
useless around her.

She's up there all alone
crying her eyes out.

Well, I told you
ladies the problem.

Not gonna do any good up
there, wallowing in her grief.

We work from dawn
to dark around here.

The thing is to put her to work.

Get her mind off herself.

Like that time, Pa, I busted
my wrist seven, eight years old?

Remember you took me up to
chop lumber up in the woods?

That pine splintered
and broke this wrist?

GRANDPA: Oh,
yes, I always did worry

and fear I got you up in
the tall timber too early.

I was crying and carrying on. I wouldn't
let him touch me. It'd really hurt.

He made me look at a... at a
sparrow hawk up there soaring.

Kept my mind off myself, before
I knew it, he had the wrist fixed.

I recall. I recall.
You stopped crying.

You always were a
brave one, all right.

That's what you
got to do with Olivia.

Get her mind off
herself. Put her to work.

A good cry is exactly
what she needs.

You never told me
about your wrist.

Oh, yeah, I was
just a little tyke.

Look, you can still see
the mark, right there.

Oh, poor little boy.

(CHUCKLING)

Listen, I can't untangle
this. Would you mind?

One of your children did it.

Yeah, try your eyes on that.

JOHN-BOY: Happily, I have not suffered
the loss of a loved one at first hand.

Seth Turner's death
deeply affected me,

but at least Seth lived to the
fullest those days he had remaining,

and he left a recorder to
Jason as a memento of his life.

Bob Hill seems to
have bequeathed little

except the memory of kites flying
and a widow who cannot come to terms

with what must be a
bewildering number of emotions

struggling for
order in her mind.

(SHOVELING)

Olivia, morning!

Good morning.

Can I see you for a minute?

How about giving me a hand?

I need to get these benches
over to Rockfish depot.

And I have to have someone
hold this glue tight while I screw it in.

You think you can handle that?

I can handle it.

Real tight now, it's important.

There you go.

You all right? Yeah.

You should handle the
screwdriver and I'd hold it.

No, no, no, I can hold it.

Okay.

I got a real good way of
keeping hair out of your eyes.

Some of this glue.

JASON: Uh, we'll help
you with that, Daddy.

Olivia, let me
hold that for you.

Jason, why don't
you take this glue

and start working
on the other end?

You said we were
gonna do these tomorrow.

I wanna get them done today,
and Olivia has volunteered to help.

Well, I'll do that, You
don't have to work when...

JOHN: Ben, now,
we're doing just fine.

You're supposed to
be here to, uh, rest.

Excuse me.

Ben, what did you have
to open your mouth for?

Now you've got her
in her bad mood again.

Ben didn't mean any harm.

Anything you say or do
around with her around is wrong.

No, no, Ben, someone's got...

Well, he tried. I'm
gonna take a break.

JOHN-BOY: Olivia's presence
has caused me to make

a monstrous
discovery about myself.

There is a part of me that
stands aside from any experience

and coldly and
dispassionately observes.

I suppose it is
the writer in me.

Somehow, this discovery is
both delightful and terrifying.

Hey! Look what you just did.

You got that close
with cutting off my toe.

Well, I didn't see you.

I've got the glooms.

I'm just plain mad.

Cousin Olivia got you down, too?

I think she's a pill.

All she does is
cry all the time.

It's like she's got a faucet
right behind her eyeballs.

Reckon she'll ever let up?

She might.

She might not.

Hi. Hey.

Here. Thanks.

I feel funny. Sad, kind of.

It's Olivia.

I've been trying to think
of something to say to her

at the suppertime.

Bet you there isn't anything.

Mmm-hmm.

Well, Mama says it's
our job to cheer her up.

Beats me what to say.

You know, I think we
should make her something.

Like what?

Well, something to
remind her of Bob.

What are you bandits doing?

Thinking.

Don't let your Mama
catch you thinking,

she'll find something
for you to do.

Hey, I think I just thought
a thought. Come on.

(CHILDREN LAUGHING)

Sounds like the young ones are
having themselves a good time.

Music to my ear, Pa, a little
laughter coming from their way.

Yeah.

(LAUGHS)

See?

Put in on.

(GIBBERING)

Uh, hi, John-Boy.

Hey. Don't look.

I wouldn't dream of looking unless
it happened to be something for me.

Well, it's not for you.

Well, in that case, you
better hurry up and finish

because you got
lots of chores to do.

(WHISTLING)

Uh... Bye. Out.

(ALL CHUCKLING)

Are you sure... Almost
blew it for us that time.

It wasn't my fault,
she wasn't looking.

Well, I'm glad to see that
the children are feeling better.

They'll find their way.

Sooner or later, the
young ones got to learn

that losing a loved one is
just a natural part of living.

This experience with young
Olivia will make us all appreciate

having one another
around while we are here.

You know, I was talking
to your grandma last night.

You know, due to our ages, it's...
it's only natural to expect that one...

It's not natural to
expect anything, Pa.

It's natural to expect that one or
another of us will go before the other.

And that way, the ones left
behind will have a pretty rough time.

Whatever happened to
your grand plan to live to 100?

I'm still counting
on it, John-Boy.

But you got to look
facts in the face.

You know, dying is
just a part of living.

And what a
wondrous thing life is.

GRANDPA: Here's
that young Livie,

scarcely as old as one
of my own granddaughters

suffering this loss
years before her time,

while your grandma and I have
had all our long life together.

(MEOWING)

That cat is so fat,
she can't hardly walk.

Elizabeth's been
feeding her too much.

Yeah.

That's why we got so
many mice in the barn.

You know, cats shouldn't be fed.

In my day, we used to let them fend
for themselves right out in the barn.

We never had any mice around.
Or rats, either, for that matter.

Pa, you gonna help
with this load or what?

Here we go.

Could be she's
overweight, Daddy.

(MEOWING) Could
be she's full of kittens.

But she's old.

She's not that old.

She's only 14 or 15.

She'll be 13 next month.

How did you figure that?

Grandpa looked at her teeth.

That's for horses.
It's hard to say, honey.

She was full-grown when she
come to us. It's only guesswork.

Mama, why is she
breathing like that?

I don't know.
I'll tell you what,

Dr. Culler's coming out to check
Chance's hoof in a day or two.

We'll have him
look at Calico, too.

Mama, if she has kittens,
can we keep them?

Elizabeth, we've got enough
mouths to feed already.

What if she has a baby rabbit?

All they eat is grass.

Cats have kittens, and
rabbits have rabbits.

Is he telling the truth
or is he pulling my leg?

I think all you can expect from
Calico are kittens, Elizabeth.

Besides, we don't even
know if she's having any.

Calico, kittens are all right,

but just try for one
baby rabbit, too.

I thought you
might like a chance

to get away from the
family for a little while.

They can certainly be a handful
when you're not used to them.

I mean, I'm used to them, but
sometimes they're too much for me.

Oh, I don't mind them, really.

I suppose it's good for me to be
around a lot of people right now.

Yeah.

This is a favorite
place of mine.

This is where Bob and
I first went off together

when he arrived for the wedding.

It's as pretty now
as it was then.

It hasn't changed.

Ponds are like that.

You know, spring-fed, the
new water's always coming in.

I don't know how to say this,

but sometimes when I'm alone,

I get to feeling mad.

Mad at what?

Oh, I don't know.

Mad at fate. Mad at the world.

But mostly... Mostly mad at Bob.

Sometimes I could
just scream at him.

I take his picture out of the dresser
drawer and... and I look at him,

and I want to yell at him.

I... I wanna tell him that he
shouldn't have left me alone like this,

that he shouldn't
have gone off and died.

I know I loved him,
but at those times, I...

I really think I hate him.

Well, I don't really
know what you mean. I...

(CLEARING THROAT)

I mean, he couldn't
really help it, could he?

I guess it doesn't
help you knowing that.

Well, maybe you
should talk about it.

Maybe you should, uh, try to
remember the good things about him.

What do you remember about him?

Well, I remember
the scent of his hair,

kind of like wind
through a pine tree.

And the way he would brush it off
his face whenever he got nervous.

And he was always so neat.

Yeah, I'll never
forget that first day

when I picked him
up at the bus depot.

He could hardly wait
to get here to see you.

I remember the
minute we got home,

the two of you just disappeared.

This is just about the most
beautiful place in the world.

Come sit down.

I feel as if I haven't
seen you in years.

You could kiss me now
and nobody would ever know.

He sure was nervous
the day of the wedding.

Well, I guess most
bridegrooms are.

I reckon maybe my favorite
picture of you two together

was up on the mountain.

Remember? That night you
all had just gotten married,

and he'd been
through the shivaree

and then the family and a bunch of
neighbors came up to sing to you?

Bob was a mighty surprised man.

Well, I guess at first he didn't
realize exactly why we were there.

Thought maybe we was gonna
shivaree him all over again.

ALL: ♪ Let me hear you whisper

♪ That you love me too.

♪ Keep the love-light burning

♪ In your eyes so blue.

♪ Let me call you "Sweetheart"

♪ I'm in love with you ♪

(SCREAMING)

(GASPING)

Olivia!

Are you all right? I'm sorry.

Look, I'm sorry. What did I say?

(LAUGHING) I'm really
sorry. No, I'm really...

Are you all...

What are we gonna say
to your family? I don't know.

You could tell them we
decided to take a swim.

Mad?

Yeah.

I guess I'd be mad
if your father died.

It's hard to believe
I'd be mad at him.

So until you live through it,

I guess you never know
what you'd really do.

Do you think she'll
ever get married again?

Of course she
will. It'll take time.

Yeah.

Hi. Hi yourself.

Is it okay if I take
a little wood here?

Appears that's
what you're doing.

Well, they're just scraps. Okay?

All right. Thanks.

Uh, Jim-Bob, what are you up to?

Well, we're making
something for Olivia.

Jason, what are they up to?

Oh, they're making
some kind of surprise.

I asked them if they
wanted any help,

but they wanna do it
all themselves. Hmm.

Looks like they've taken Olivia's
problems right in stride, the children.

It seems like. Jason,
you wanna eat now?

JASON: Just a minute, Mama,
I wanna finish this one piece.

She's not favoring it
much anymore, Doc.

Yeah, this ought
to take care of it.

Hoof's gonna
heal just fine, John.

You stay away from
the barbed wire now.

I wonder if you'd take a minute

and take a look at an
old cat we got here, Doc.

I think she's a
little bit pregnant.

No such thing as
being a little pregnant.

She either is or she isn't.

Well, I'll tell you, I
think she's out here

in her favorite
spot taking the sun.

Here you are, Doc.

(MEOWING)

Let me see.

Yeah, she's pregnant, all right.

Could deliver any day now.

Think she'll be all right, Doc?

Well, I haven't had
much experience

with a cat this
age having kittens.

She could have
a rough time of it.

I think you ought to make
her a bed in the house.

There's a good chance she'll
use it when the time comes,

it ought to be warm and quiet.

Yeah, we'll do
that for you, Doc.

You know, I think this is one of
the prettiest fall days I ever saw.

It's a little hard to be
working with the fish

all jumping down
at Drucilla's Pond.

Now, don't tempt me, Zeb.

I got to get over
to the Johnson's.

Anybody ever tell you you're
too old for this sort of thing?

I want John to see how
beautiful these cookies are, Olivia.

Once the children get to them,

there won't be
anything left to see.

Aren't they beautiful, Grandma?

They won't even notice.
They'll just gobble them down.

That will be the pleasure,
seeing them eaten.

I won't be making
them just for myself.

When I think of all the favorite
things I used to fix for Bob.

(OVEN CLATTERING)

Olivia, I worry about you
going back to that apartment.

Have you thought about moving in with
another girl for a while, a nice roommate?

Aunt Olivia, I'm too
old for a roommate.

I've grown past that.

I have to get used
to being alone.

Maybe you could get a job in
Charlottesville or some town nearby.

That way, you could come
home for the weekends.

I'd feel better knowing
you were near.

I could get spoiled.

Spoiled? Wore
out is more like it.

(CHILDREN CHATTERING) Big
families are just a lot of hard work.

And loud.

Boy, look at them cookies.

I sure hope you made
a whole bunch, Olivia,

'cause I could eat
them in one gulp.

He probably could.

Honestly, Jason, I
wish you'd grow up.

Mama, if he gets to them first,

there won't be any
left for anyone else.

You children stop your
squabbling, go wash up for dinner.

Jason.

You can't say that this family
isn't blessed with a good appetite.

JIM-BOB: Yeah.
JOHN-BOY: That's for sure.

Well, I don't know that
I'd call that a blessing.

Well, you ought to
be grateful, Esther,

that someone here appreciates
your fine cooking. That's right.

I'm gonna have another helping
of these string beans right here, Ma.

Last crop of the season.

They sure are good and tender.

Oh, wait till you see
them cookies Olivia made.

I'm glad I saved
some room, Livie.

What room? You're getting fat!

I'm still a fine figure
of a man, Esther.

It's due to your cooking,
however, that my chest has slipped.

All right, no
whispering at the table.

Finish your supper.

Mama, Ike Godsey got in
that new shipment of cloth.

And I was thinking we could
go down tomorrow maybe

and pick out the
material for my new dress.

I was planning on putting up
some green tomato relish tomorrow.

Well, I'll go with
you, Mary Ellen.

That is, if you don't
need me for the canning.

No, Olivia, I think
that's a great idea.

Thanks, Olivia.

Uh, Mama, may I be excused?

Yes, Elizabeth.

She only half-finished her meal.

May I be excused,
Mama? Excuse me.

Now, wait. Hold it,
hold it. Thank you.

Children of this day and
age, they just have it too easy.

When I was little, I
wouldn't have dared

get up from the table
without permission.

They did ask for
permission, Grandma.

They sure didn't wait to get it.

I guess you're right, Ma.

Surprise!

Is it for me? Yeah.

Well, it's not my
birthday. Please open it.

ELIZABETH: Come on,
hurry. BEN: Come on.

JIM-BOB: We remembered
about you and Bob's kite.

ELIZABETH: We thought
it'd help remind you of that day.

Oh, you've... you've all been
so kind and... and thoughtful.

I, uh, I wish there was some
way that I... I could thank you

for me and for Bob.

Elizabeth. It's all
right, sweetheart.

It's all right.

We thought she'd like it.

It was a nice kite.

We thought we can go up to
John-Boy's meadow and fly it with her.

OLIVIA: Your thoughts were kind
and loving, and that's all that matters.

It's just that sometimes being
reminded of something out of the past

still hurts a little.
Come on, smile.

Elizabeth, you can
do better than that.

That's better.

(HILL CRYING)

Oh, Mary Ellen,

I feel terrible
about the children.

It just caught me off my guard.

Well, they were
just trying to help.

They just didn't realize
it wasn't the right way.

It hurts here.

It feels like something's
tearing away at me.

I think I'm free of it,

and then it just
comes right back again.

Well, maybe you'll
just have to wait

for a whole lot
of time to go by.

What's happening
downstairs, Mama?

Elizabeth's cat is
having her kittens,

and I'm afraid the poor
thing is not doing too well.

Mary Ellen, you go on
downstairs and see if you can help.

I'll stay with Olivia.

GRANDMA: Thank you, child.

All right.

Mmm-hmm. She's real quiet.

Oh, Grandma, do something.

Honey, it's up to Calico.

It's in her nature to know
what to do. Just wait.

JOHN: Looks real weak.

GRANDPA: Come on. GRANDMA: John.

Look, why don't you children
sort of come over around to here?

You know, it's not easy for
her. She's having a hard time.

Make it easier...
GRANDMA: Come on.

Standing around looking at her.

Come on, good
girl. You can do it.

Come on, give me the
towel. Sorry, Grandma.

Daddy, she'll be
all right, won't she?

She's trying, honey.

(CALICO YOWLING)
Wet those, please.

Here, come here,
dear. Sit up here.

Yeah. All right.

Here you go, Grandma.

Good girl.

(SIGHING)

Good girl. Come on.

GRANDMA: Here we go.

Here comes the first one.

GRANDPA: You can
do it. Go ahed, old girl.

JOHN-BOY: Here
she goes. There it is.

JASON: Is it a boy or a girl?

I can't tell you. I'll
tell you later, Jason.

Now you can see the
miracle of newborn life.

Yuck.

JOHN: She'll be all
right. She's doing okay.

She's in... Look, Daddy.

I... I think she's
gonna do it again.

Yeah, they've been
known to do that.

Here, Grandma, you
better take the first one.

GRANDPA: You're doing
just fine. Keep trying, old girl.

Come on, sweetheart. Come on.

Here it is again. She did!

BEN: Oh, so cute.

Oh, yeah.

You're doing fine, old girl.

Oh, I wish I was
as sure as you, Zeb.

She's having trouble. I'm afraid
this one isn't going to be too easy.

GRANDMA: Better
get the scissors.

JOHN-BOY: She doesn't look good.

She's finished the cleanings.

Oh, Lord. Okay, come on.

You better take... take
the next one, Grandma.

Yeah.

(YOWLING)

You'll be all right, Calico.

You'll be all right.

We'd better save
the kitten, Grandma.

Calico!

Come on, get the scissors.

Erin!

Daddy, what's the matter?

Come on, hurry up.
Just too old, honey.

ELIZABETH: Calico!

Too old. She was just
too old. Don't die, Calico.

Calico!

Try to clean the kitten
off. Thank you. Calico!

Try to clean the kitten...
Wait a minute, I've got it.

(SHUSHING) Oh, Calico,
please don't die, Calico!

Clean it off.

Is she all right?

GRANDMA: Erin.

ELIZABETH: Calico.

It won't do any good to
cry about it, Elizabeth.

ERIN: They're so
cute. And so helpless.

Oh, Calico, please
don't die, Calico.

Grandma marched me right
across that bridge, and talked to me...

ELIZABETH: (CRYING) Calico!

That's Elizabeth.
Something's wrong.

Go on, Olivia,
I'll be all right.

I'll be back. You
try to rest a while.

It's gonna be touch and
go without their mama.

It's gonna be a long night.

JOHN-BOY: There's
gonna be a lot of long nights.

Come here, sweetheart. Oh, baby.

There, there.

Mama, why did
Calico have to die?

Oh, I don't know, sweetheart.

I guess it was just her time.

Well, they won't live
long without food.

BEN: What are we gonna do?

(MEOWING)

Hey, Daddy, don't you
think we ought to try to save...

Do you have an eyedropper?

We were gonna...
Grandma. Eyedropper?

Oh, there's one upstairs in the
medicine cabinet. I'll go get it.

Would you heat me up some milk?
Just lukewarm, and hurry, please.

I'll take care of it.

Can we do anything, Olivia?

ERIN: You think they'll live?

I don't know.
They've got a chance.

But it means constant
care, around the clock.

But we can all help, can't we?

Just tell us what to do.

Well, you can get me a hot water
bottle and some flannel wrapping.

Sure, I'll get it.

Their gonna need the heat
they get from their mother's body.

Olivia, thank you.

Thank me if it works.

Here's the eye dropper.

(MEOWING)

Just lukewarm.
Here, you hold this.

See, they're born
with a sucking instinct.

If I put it in its
mouth, it would choke.

But when I put it on its
upper lip, it knows to suck it in.

HILL: Come on.

There.

Okay. Now I start
with the first one again.

Newborn kittens nurse almost
constantly for the first 24 hours,

so it means getting milk
into them over and over again.

Honey, where would
you learn cat doctoring?

Oh, I've raised a lot of cats.

Are... are they going to live?

I'm pretty sure
they will, Elizabeth,

if they get the care they
need these first hours.

All right, everybody,
let's go to bed.

If you're gonna help feed these
kittens, you gotta get some sleep.

MARY ELLEN: Yeah, let's go
upstairs and make a schedule. Okay.

Poor Calico.

Is it the way you hurt?

Yes.

Does it stop hurting sometime?

Yes, Elizabeth, it will.

(MEOWING)

Oh, Zeb, you're gonna give
yourself a hernia. They're too heavy.

Oh, when will you stop
treating me like an old man?

Cousin Olivia!

What's this? Is this for me?

(MEOWING)

She's the only
girl in the bunch.

I figure you could
call her Calico II.

Oh, thank you,
Elizabeth. Thank you.

Thank you.

I'll write to you
and I'll tell you

how Calico II is
getting along. Olivia.

Come on, we're gonna miss
that bus if we don't leave right now.

We're late. Come
on, we've gotta go.

ALL: Bye-bye.

Goodbye.

Goodbye. Come on,
children, we gotta go.

She's gonna be
late. Bye-bye, Olivia.

JOHN: Let's go. Let her go.

MARY ELLEN:
Don't forget to write.

JOHN-BOY: Our family
learned a lot that fall.

About life, about loss,
but mostly about loving,

thanks to Olivia, and to Calico.

ELIZABETH: Daddy?

JOHN: Yes, Elizabeth?

When I get married,
do I have to leave here?

You'll probably want to, honey.

No, I won't. I'd be too lonely.

Can't I stay here?

If you still want to
when you're married,

maybe we can work something out.

Good night, Mama.
Good night, Daddy.

JOHN: Good night, Elizabeth.
OLIVIA: Good night, Elizabeth.