The X-Files (1993–…): Season 2, Episode 11 - Excelsis Dei - full transcript

Hall trying to stay away from him.
Come on, man. Come on.
Come on, now. Put him down.
Put him down!
- Oh! - Hey, man. Watch it!
- Come on, Upshaw! Let's go! - You're a moron, Tiernan.
You're both morons. And who's watching the floor?
- What's his name, the skink. - Guess who died this afternoon.
- Mrs Richardson. - Face plant in a bowl of puddin'.
- I don't suppose you changed her room. - Oh, no. We left that for you.
Oh!
Now Hall's against the ropes!
OK. Party's over, gents.
Why'd you do that?
- Cos rules are rules, Stan. - Ach!
And I'm the queen bitch around here.
- Gung said we can watch the fight. - Yeah? Do I look like Gung to you?
No. You got a better figure.
You wanna keep that hand, Hal, you better let go.
How about a little sponge bath?
How about I take care of these wanderin' hands of yours?
Come here.
- You like strappin' me down, don't you? - Oh, yeah. I really get off on it.
Hey, Gung. No TV after nine o'clock. Do you understand?
- Dr Grago said they're getting better... - Oh, right!
That's because they don't pinch his butt every time he walks into the room.
Argh!
Oh!
No!
Somebody help me!
Somebody, please! Please!
Help me! Please, help me! Please!
Good morning.
Whatever tape you found in that VCR, it isn't mine.
Good, because I put it back with all those others that aren't yours.
Well, this definitely isn't mine.
No. This is Michelle Charters.
She's a nurse at a convalescent home in Worcester, Massachusetts.
- What happened to her? - According to Miss Charters, she was raped.
The abrasions would be consistent with her claims, as would be the medical report...
..which cites the kind of injury associated with sexual trauma.
- Where'd you get this? Violent Crimes? - No, the woman made the video herself.
No one will believe her story.
Why not?
Because she claims to have been raped by an invisible entity, a spirit being.
I have X-Files that document similar cases.
I know. I've been going through them.
None of them have ever been substantiated.
- Not surprisingly. - Given the emotional violence of rape,...
..the face of the attacker is often erased from memory.
That he could be perceived as invisible is a logical leap from there.
- Yes, but this case is different. - Why?
She has filed a lawsuit against the government.
She seems to be certain who the spirit being is.
Mr Arden.
- Hal Arden. - And you know him...?
He's been a patient where I work for about five years.
The facts of your case seem to contravene those of other cases we have.
Right. You mean, the other "woman raped by invisible man" cases?
How do you know it was him who attacked you?
He made advances toward me.
And he said things, rude things.
When you bathe somebody every day,...
..you get to know more about them than you really need to.
An old man smells a certain way...
..and he feels a certain way.
- I know this is hard for you. - No, this is the easy part.
"Hard" is not getting leave or workman's comp,...
..and having to go back to work with this... guy.
To continue our investigation, we're gonna need some evidence, physical or...
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I've heard it.
Unless you have hair or semen or fibres or whatever, you guys can't build a case.
That's right.
Look, I didn't make this up, OK?
I was attacked.
And I'm not a shrinking violet who would repress the memory of a rapist‘s face.
If I could positively ID him or give you something to incriminate the man, I would.
You gotta be kidding me!
What do I think about her claims? Huh!
I should be in the Guinness Record Book.
I'm 74 years old. I've got plumbing older than this building.
Hm?
And it don't work much better either.
Thank you for sharing. Are you aware you're named in a lawsuit against the government?
- I am? - Did you ever threaten Miss Charters?
- What? - Did you ever threaten Miss Charters?
Threaten? It was harmless, for cryin' out loud.
Ever since this sex-harassment fad, men can't say what's on their minds.
- She says you made advances. - Hm?
Advances?
If I told you you were a pretty woman and I would like to show you some affection,...
..would you be offended?
Oh, I didn't mean to step on your toes there.
Sir, there seems to be some confusion here.
Yeah. I thought nurse what's her name said she was rogered by a ghost.
I may have one foot in the grave, but I can't fly down hallways spreading amore.
Apparently not.
If... that's what it's like...
If that's what it's like in heaven,...
..Lord, take me now!
- What do you think, Mulder? - About his plumbing?
- About his story. - I think this is gonna be a waste of time,...
..like all the other X-Files on entity rape.
Unsubstantiated phenomena.
But in a substantiated crime.
Hey, pay attention or you'll take another bath with your clothes on.
At five and a half bucks an hour, I don't give a rat's ass either way.
Ten years ago, Excelsis was a leading facility in care of the elderly.
Then funding was out. We were all but shut down.
- Only a few wings are operational now. - Is there a medical staff?
Not on site. Dr Grago visits three times a week.
Residents are very well looked after, though.
We have a high standard of health treatment.
- What kind of treatment? - We specialise in the care...
..of the degenerative diseases: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's.
- We met with a patient today. - We prefer "resident", actually.
We met a resident who has Alzheimer's, but he actually seemed quite spry and alert.
You're speaking of Hal Arden, the man accused of assaulting Michelle Charters.
- Was he receiving special treatment? - You'd have to speak to Dr Grago.
Hal has been here almost eight years now.
We're all quite fond of him.
We were extremely dismayed over this whole business with the lawsuit.
Are you saying you don't believe Nurse Charters' allegations of rape?
There's something I'd like to show you.
- What did you tell 'em? - I didn't tell 'em anything.
- Why are they still here? - I don't know, Stan.
- Now, you gotta be more careful. - I am careful.
You're gonna ruin it for all of us.
If they find out, it all goes for nothin'.
I didn't tell 'em anything.
I'm not going to die in this godforsaken hole! Do you hear me?
Oh, back off, Stan.
Where did you get that?
I know where he keeps 'em.
Give me one, Stan. Huh?
I want another one, too.
You can't handle another one.
Oh, yeah? Maybe I'll just rat you out, then, huh?
How would you like that?
This is Michelle Charters'?
There are three separate insurance claims...
..for accidents on the job.
In April, she requested leave with full pay due to job-related emotional stress.
The request was summarily rejected. There's more.
- I'd like to review it myself. - Certainly.
Mrs Dawson, did you see Michelle after the incident and her injuries?
I wasn't here that night, but I did see her the following day.
- Then you know how badly she was hurt. - Yes.
Do you think she staged the attack?
We need help. Mr Arden's choking to death!
See? See what happened?
I told you you couldn't handle any more!
Call 911!
Hal? Can you speak?
He's in ventricular fibrillation.
I need 75mg of lidocaine and one amp of epinephrine.
- Stat. - Get a defibrillator! He's cyanotic.
- Come on, Hal, help me. - Come on, Hal.
- One, two, three, four. - The ambulance is on the way.
I'm losing him. What's taking so long?!
Still no pulse. Where's that crash cart?!
Hal Arden's been my patient since he came here eight years ago.
- This really is a setback. - A setback?
Hal was part of a group of patients I've been treating for 11 months.
- But Alzheimer's isn't treatable. - It's an experimental drug called Depranil...
..that increases acetylcholine in the brain.
I've read that the clinical benefits are marginal at best.
Well, yes.
But these patients show cognitive abilities well beyond anything that's been reported.
So he was actually getting better?
Before he started receiving the drug he could hardly complete a sentence.
Look... It's not much to get excited about, my work.
Most of these people are on the downhill slide.
If I can make them comfortable, maybe prolong a life, it's all they expect.
But to reverse an illness...
Would it be possible for us to see other patients in your test group?
- Sure, if you want to. - Yeah.
- Where'd you get that? - Aw, it was Hal's.
Since he's not here any more, why can't I have it?
Because you have enough. I give you enough. It's our secret.
Aw, come on, Gung. It's makin' me better.
Too much is very bad.
Very bad. No more for you.
I want you to stand behind Ben, Eddie, because Ben's taller.
And... Oh, Gloria, would you come on over here?
That man there, that's Leo Kreutzer. During the Depression he was a WPA artist.
- Quite a good one, too, I'm told. - Hello, Mabel. Don't you look lovely!
- Is he receiving the same treatment as Hal? - Yes.
When he came to us he couldn't draw a circle. Now... Well, you can see for yourself.
You'll have to excuse me. I'm behind on rounds.
Can I get a copy of Hal's autopsy results?
- Of course. - Thank you.
May I sit down, Leo?
Leo, we're with the FBI. We have some questions that we'd like to ask you.
Leo's a brilliant artist, you know.
Oh, don't be so modest, Leo.
President Kennedy has one of his paintings in the White House.
Dr Grago tells us that you haven't worked in years, that the medicine...
It ain't the medication.
What is it, then?
OK, Rembrandt, dinner time. Dorothy, legs up and straight ahead.
- You don't want a flat tyre. - Wait! Leo's not finished.
Leo can finish with you later.
- No, no... He still has to draw the rest. - He'll do it later, honey.
Come on, Leo. Don't make me embarrass you in front of your friends.
Come on, Scully. Let's get out of here.
To find a treatment and cure for Alzheimer's,
do you realise how important that would be?
If it'd keep anybody out of a place like that, yes.
- I wouldn't say those people were cured. - Any progress at all...
I hope somebody's making progress cos we have a big goose egg.
- Checking out of room 206 and 210, please. - Certainly, sir.
What if there's a connection?
Between the rape case and the Alzheimer's?
When they're not drawing pictures, they're sex offenders?
Dr Grago's drug therapy produces acetylcholine.
Too much cholinergic activity can cause a psychotic state similar to schizophrenia.
You think Michelle Charters was raped by a 74-year-old schizophrenic?
- It's possible. - An invisible 74-year-old schizophrenic?
Maybe it's not the medication. Maybe it's the place itself.
Are you saying it's haunted? You've been working with me for too long.
I'm talking about an environmental reason behind what's happening.
The disinfectant couldn't mask that smell. Who knows what's behind the walls?
Some fungal contaminants have been known to cause delusions,
dementia, violence.
- Why hasn't it affected the other residents? - Maybe it has.
You're looking too hard for something that's not there.
I think Michelle Charters concocted this story to get out of a job she hates.
Her lip required 13 stitches. The blow to her head caused a subdural haematoma.
That's quite a concoction. I want to talk to a few more of the patients.
We can catch the same flight out tomorrow night.
This is gourmet fare. Be a good girl and open wide.
- No, no, no. Please don't. - Come on.
- Come on, open up, honey. Come on! - No, please don't. I don't want...
OK, that's fine, Dorothy. Starve to death. See if I care.
Why aren't you eating your food, Leo? What's the matter?
It's Dorothy. She needs more.
We both do.
What you have is enough.
It's not working for us, not like it works for the others.
- We need more. - No!
No. Eat your food, please.
I'll come back and pick up your tray.
It's OK, Dorothy.
Don't worry.
I think Stan has some more hidden away somewhere.
It'll be all right.
- Why are you being so stubborn? - I'm not. I like it here.
A year ago you were begging to live with us.
Well, things change.
Look, Dad, I am sorry about what happened to Mr Arlen.
- Arden. His name was Arden. - I finished your packing, Mr Phillips.
I'm gonna make sure you didn't forget anything.
OK. Don't worry. Just pull your car up front. I'll make sure he gets down OK.
- Thank you. - He's gonna be just fine.
- Can I help you? - We'd like a word with Mr Phillips.
- I'm his daughter. What is this about? - We're with the FBI.
We have a few questions concerning his medical treatment.
He's in there packing. I'm about to take him home.
Is there anything I can help you with?
It's sad. My two girls won't even visit their grandfather.
They're too afraid to come here.
It's hard for anyone, including the residents.
That's why we decided that
whatever time he's got left, we want him to spend it with us.
- How many years has he been here? - Almost three.
We didn't have a choice. Jack and I both work.
The doctor said that he needed 24-hour nursing assistance.
He doesn't seem to need much assistance now.
Has his improvement been that pronounced?
I thought I was bringing him here to die.
They told me he'd only get worse - the physical deterioration, the dementia.
- And now it's like he's a different person. - Do you have any idea why?
It has something to do with Dr Grago's treatment. Dad won't talk to me about it.
He's just too angry.
He was so angry when I brought him here.
Now he's angry that I wanna take him home.
I don't know that he's ever gonna forgive me.
I'd like to say I'm gonna miss you, Stan. But the truth is, you are a royal pain in the butt.
Hey! Where you goin'?
Don't make me chase you, old man.
Hey!
What are you, a track star all of a sudden?
OK, stop messin' around, Stan. Crawl back in that window right now!
You crawl back in there!
Don't think I'm comin' over there to get you.
I'd just as soon let you fall and break your neck!
Do you hear me, Stan? Do you hear me?
Help me! Somebody help me, please!
I'm gonna fall!
Help!
Help me!
Give me your hand.
- Come on. Come on! - I can't...
- Grab it! - I can't!
Argh!
Oh, my God!
They paged me. I got a message - an orderly fell out a fourth-floor window?
Apparently. Either that or he was pushed.
- Was Stan involved? - We're trying to find out.
Stan was with him just prior to the accident.
You're not suggesting he could've done it?
There's been two deaths in 24 hours. Stan's been present before both.
No, no. That's impossible. He has a degenerative hip disease.
- No way could he get to the fourth floor. - What about an elevator?
- They haven't worked for years. - Maybe he was helped.
Helped? By whom?
I don't know.
The postmortem on Hal Arden. Did you get it yet?
- No, but they promised they'll fax it today. - Can we see if it's come in?
Sure. What do you expect to find?
I'm not sure exactly.
Why are they questioning him?
It's routine procedure.
Are they gonna want to keep him here?
You'll have to ask Dr Grago.
- Oh, God! If my mother was alive... - How can I handle this by myself?
I don't know. I have other things to deal with right now.
- Well, so do I. I'd just like some help. - Excuse me.
- Are you the only one on? - Yes. Upshaw never showed up for work.
Nobody's ever listening to me!
I said something was going on! I told you it had to do with Mr Arden and Mr Phillips.
Forget it.
Can you please explain to me what's going on around here?
Shoo! Shoo!
Go away! Go, go away!
Leave me alone!
Go back! Don't come any closer!
Go back in your room, Dorothy. I'll send an orderly in to see you.
- No, no, they're in there. - Who?
All of them.
- There's nobody in your room, Dorothy. - Here they come! You'll see.
All right, now. You be nice. I don't want any more of your dirty tricks!
- Is she gonna be all right? - Mm.
No! No, no, no! I don't... I don't wanna go back in there.
No! No, I don't...
It's senile dementia. This is just an episode.
You leave her be. Don't you touch her!
Now, shoo! Go away! Go away! Don't you get any ideas, mister!
Excuse me.
Now don't you follow her!
- This is it. - Is the toxicology there?
Yes.
- This shouldn't be here. - What's that?
Ibotenic acid. How did that get in his blood?
What's ibotenic acid?
- I think it's a kind of poison. - Mulder...
Scully, look at this. Hal Arden had ibotenic acid in his blood. Somebody poisoned him.
Well, not necessarily. This is only a trace amount.
But small amounts can cause hallucinations,
which is what a patient is having right now.
But where did they get it?
Excuse me. You've gotta come quickly.
Oh, my God!
- This is fantastic. - What's going on here?
Leo?
It's incredible.
You've got an Asian orderly working here. What's his name?
- Uh... Gung, I think. - Do you know where he is?
Somewhere down in the basement.
Upshaw.
You must believe me. I didn't kill him.
- But it's your mushroom crop, isn't it? - Yes.
- Who else would have buried him there? - Why were you growing them?
For medicinal purposes.
Were you feeding them to the residents?
Yes. But only in small amounts.
Why?
Because it makes them feel better.
- It makes them feel better or it kills them? - No.
Exactly what kind of mushrooms are they?
It's from my prefecture in my country. They've been used for centuries.
For what purpose?
In my country our customs are different.
You're not in your country now.
You're hired here to care for these people under our guidelines.
Where I come from, many generations live under one roof.
As children, our grandparents live with us. We feel a duty to take care of them.
It isn't like that in this country.
We respect our old people as we respect our ancestors.
We don't send them away to die, like Stan and Hal.
- These people get excellent medical care. - But they're not treated with respect.
Hal's family never came to visit him once.
And the orderlies treat the residents worse than dogs.
No one is mistreated here.
- You are not here to see. - All right! Gung, who killed the orderly?
Who buried him in that room?
Something has gone very wrong.
The mushrooms we take to speak with the dead,
to see our ancestors in the spirit world.
But the spirit in this place is very angry...
..and the souls that died here continue to suffer.
And now they have been awakened.
Are you saying that a spirit killed this man Upshaw?
Yes.
They've taken revenge for their mistreatment.
How are the mushrooms taken?
Dried, mixed with many herbs, made into powder.
We should make sure nobody else takes them.
You check on the other patients. Gung, come with me. Let's go.
Come in, please.
Someone's taken them all.
- I think you're right. - About?
What's been happening here is a result of the medication,
but not the doctor's medication.
Mushrooms aren't medication. They're good on burgers but they don't raise the dead.
Shamans have been using them for centuries
to gain entrance to the spirit world.
You've been reading too much Carlos Castaneda.
All right. Ask any anthropologist, then.
I know. A shaman gets intoxicated,
he has dreams or hallucinations and interprets them.
I don't think it's any more magical than that.
I don't know how else to explain what's happening here.
Well, I think these mushrooms are a poison to the system,...
..and that's what killed Hal Arden.
And raped Michelle Charters and killed those two orderlies?
Something's been unleashed.
I don't know how to explain it, but it has something to do with those pills.
Daddy?
Daddy, what are you taking?
What are you putting in your mouth?
Go away! You go away! Go away!
Go away! You leave me! Leave us alone! Go on!
Oh! Run. Run while you can.
Go on, run! Run...
Go away! Go away! You leave us alone!
- Dorothy, I need you! - Leave Leo alone.
- Please! - Leave him alone. Leo!
Leave him alone...
You leave him. You leave him!
Oh... Oh, no! Stop!
Stop them!
Please! Argh! Help!
Help me! Please!
Argh!
Mulder? What's going on?
Mulder?
Mulder?!
Scully! Turn off the water main!
Turn off the water main!
They're trapped and it's filling with water!
- What? - Where's the main water shut-off?
I don't know.
Gung will know.
Keep trying the door.
You've gotta get up.
Come on, you've gotta get up.
Come on.
It's stuck.
See if you can find something to force it with.
I can't open the drains.
Please! Please, my father needs help.
My father took something. I'm afraid he's dying.
You stay with him. I'll get help.
Dr Grago!
- Dr Grago... - Sealed tight.
- Do you have any atropine in your kit here? - I might. Yes, I think so.
Stan Phillips has gone into convulsions. I think he might have poisoned himself.
Just hang on.
They're gone.
They're gone!
They're all gone.
You OK, Mulder?
Yeah, fine.
In response to the unexplained incidents at the Excelsis Dei home,...
..the Massachusetts Dept of Public Health
has assumed all administrative authority there.
They detected trace amounts of ibotenic acid
in more than half the residents tested...
..though these levels have dissipated rapidly.
Dr John Grago has been replaced
and his trial use of the drug Depranil has been suspended.
For his part in manufacturing and distributing an illicit substance,...
..Gung Bituen was remanded to the Immigration and Naturalization Service...
..and is awaiting repatriation to Malaysia.
There are reportedly no efforts being made to study the mushrooms.
The government settled Michelle Charters' lawsuit out of court...
..though no clear blame has been placed.
Witnesses were unreliable due to dramatic relapses...
..and a general reversal in their progress with Alzheimer’s disease.
I'm gonna go now, Daddy.
I'll see you again soon.
Maybe next week.
I made this!