Touched by an Angel (1994–2003): Season 9, Episode 4 - The Word - full transcript

What are you gonna
do now, Charlee?

No, that's not it.

She has severe
obsessive-compulsive disorder,

deep-seated anxieties,
and the compulsive behavior,

or ritual, like ordering
and reordering

the chess pieces, helps
to ease that anxiety.

That's an awful
lot to handle at 17.

It's going to complicate
this assignment, you know.

Mm-hmm.

♪♪

Hey, hey, hey, hey.



Special Ed students
are so weird.

"Resource students."

That's what we're
supposed to call 'em.

Hey, Mr. Clark.

Leaving?

Yes.

Don't worry about
it. They all quit.

It's a grab bag in
there, angel girl.

Learning disabilities,
A.D.D., autism.

And some of 'em
are just plain mean.

But... they're all
God's children,

and they all need to be reached.

I think Gloria would be very
helpful in this assignment.

All right.



- I'm ready.
- Good.

But we're going to need
help from somebody else.

♪ When you walk ♪

♪ Down the road ♪

♪ Heavy burden ♪

♪ Heavy load ♪

♪ I will rise ♪

♪ And I will walk with you ♪

♪ I'll walk with you ♪

♪ Till the sun
don't even shine ♪

♪ Walk with you ♪

♪ Every time, I tell you ♪

♪ I'll walk with you ♪

♪ Walk with you ♪

♪ Believe me, I'll
walk with you. ♪

F-2 to F-4.

Good morning.

I'm your new teacher.

I hear you have an
interesting new assignment.

Then white counters.

Stop it!

Kobe, um, can you tell me
what the assignment is, please?

Yeah, yeah.

Our assignment is to sit
in this messed-up room

and don't contaminate
the "normal" kids.

Would you stop
blowing chalk dust

and just answer my
question, please?

We're supposed to
write a fairytale or a fable,

something, with
a moral at the end,

like, "Slow and
steady wins the race."

We got the slow down.

Now we're working on the steady.

- Yeah.
- Thank you, Kobe.

Kyle, Steven, would
you put those away?

You can play with
them after class.

Charlee...

you can play with
this later, okay?

A-And... the correct
move is... knight...

to 0-6.

Yeah, Kobe. Close your mouth.

So, I'm looking forward
to getting to know all of you

in the time that
we have together.

Which'll be for,
like, three days.

That's about how long
the others ever last.

Well... we'll do the best we can

and see what we can accomplish.

All right, so I...

see that you've
already written an outline

and those have been approved
and given back to you, so...

now it's time to start
writing your story.

But, um...

Charlee, it looks like you
never turned your outline in.

Yeah. Um... I'm
still working on it.

Yeah, but the-the
paper is due on Friday,

so... you're a bit behind.

I need to clean my hands.

She doesn't even
have an idea yet.

Yes, I do. Okay? I do.

I keep telling the teachers
that I don't write at school.

I can't. I write a home.

At home I got a big,
long story for you, Kobe.

Well, that's wonderful.

Um, maybe you could bring it in.

No... No, I-I
can't bring it here.

It'll get dirty.

Well, perhaps I could
come to your house

and take a look at it.

No, no, no, you can't do that.

Charlee... look at me.

You need to finish
this assignment

to finish this class,

and you need to finish
this class to graduate.

Now, I really want
to help you do that.

Have you written anything?

Yes.

Yes, I've written, okay?

I don't know why
nobody believes me.

Just call my
dad. He'll tell you.

I would like to speak
with your father.

Can you tell me how
to get a hold of him?

The parent list is
inside the top drawer.

Thank you.

- Rolando!
- Yeah?

- Telephone!
- All right.

Yo!

Hello, Mr. Wells.

My name is Monica.

I'm Charlee's new
English teacher.

- I'm in the middle of a job here.
- I'm sorry.

It's just that I'm very
concerned about Charlee,

and I want to help her graduate.

M-Me, too. So, what do you got?

Well, she says that she's
been working on a story at home.

Yeah, so?

So she doesn't seem comfortable

about bringing that
story into school,

and I was wondering if
you might be able to...

Monica, if you'd
been around her,

you'd know she's
been doing her work.

- All right?
- So you'll have
the story...

Well, your father's
very confident

that you'll bring the story in,

and so am I.

Do you speak Spanish?

Armenian?

I feel sick.

Oh, feel sick over there.

Um, her son, Yuri
Ivanov, he forgot his lunch.

He's in the ninth grade.

Thank you.

Now, how can I help you?

I am here for the
Charlee Wells evaluation.

She's right over there.

It's all that?

Well, that's 12
years of bureaucracy.

Every year they
add 50 more pages

and a new plan for therapy.

What do we got, Charlee?

Um... nothing really.

Just, uh, electric bill, um,

something for
refinancing the house.

Nothing much, really.

I heard from your teacher today.

You writing that story?

Hm?

I'm working on it, Dad.

Good. Get it in, 'cause
you got to graduate.

Charlee, did you
bring your story today?

Charlee, are you okay?

I c... I can't even
brea... breathe.

Go see the nurse.

- Go on. She'll help you.
- Okay.

I c... can't breathe.

That must be an
awful way to feel.

Let me turn on this

clean air machine and get
these particles out right away.

No. No, that's not gonna work.

- It's just an air purifier.
- Says it clears

99% of the impurities.

It's the one percent
that's the problem, okay?

Please, just call my Dad, okay?

I have to... go home.

- Just relax, baby.
- I can't!

Please, just call my
Dad, okay? I'm gonna die.

You're not going to die.

All right, I will call him if
it'll make you feel any better.

Kobe, you've done a
great job with the opening.

Now I think you just need
to start working on a...

You Monica?

Yes, I am.

I'm Rolando Wells.
I'm picking up Charlee

at the nurse's office, but I
want a word with you first.

Of course.

All right, everyone,
use your story outline

and add two new details

to your hero, and
I'll be back shortly.

The nurse is this way.

I know where the nurse is.

Charlee was complaining
that she couldn't breathe.

But you don't believe her.

I think she was very upset.

If she said she couldn't
breathe, she couldn't breathe.

What she feels is real.
She's not one of those kids

that fakes things just to
get out of the... her work.

I believe that Charlee very
much wants to succeed,

but I believe that she
needs to be challenged

in order to do that.

She succeeds every day,
and considering the fact

that this school changes
teachers every few weeks,

it's amazing that
she succeeds at all.

Maybe it's the school
that needs to work harder.

I want to help, Mr. Wells.

You're just like the last
one and the one before that

and the one before that one!

Here today, gone tomorrow.

I know how frustrating
this must be for you.

She always turns
her work in, Monica.

You should check your records!

Then why won't
she turn it in now?

Daddy, I got to get out of here.

What's the matter?

Dust. There's
all this dust here.

They never clean
this place, do they?

No.

Come on, baby, let's go.

I-I'll need you to sign
this release, Mr. Wells.

Okay, okay.

- I forgot my glasses. I...
- It acknowledges

that you're taking Charlee home.

Okay. Well, where do you
want me to sign? Right here?

Uh, no, that's the date.

Sign where it says "parent."

Parent?

Right here.

Right... you know, I'm...

I'm always forgetting
those glasses.

Mm.

Okay?

Let's go.

Did you get that, angel girl?

Yes.

Charlee's father can't read.

If Rolando can't read,
how could he have possibly

sorted through all this
and advocated for her?

He's a very clever man, and
he's learned how to compensate.

Also, he knows his
daughter really well. But...

I don't think he
knows about the letter.

Two of you, huh?

Last year they
sent one part-timer.

Well, we want to support
Charlee as best we can.

May we come in?

Yeah.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Oh, I see where Charlee
gets her love of chess.

I'll tell you what, I'll play
you right now for five dollars,

and I betcha I take your
Lincoln in about ten minutes.

Well, I'm not one for wagering.

That's how I used
to make my living.

Carry the set to the park,
take on all kinds of comers.

I can see where Charlee
gets her visual strength.

You know, there are...

some other areas, though...

I'm sick of these things.

People always
poking at my daughter,

trying to tell me
what's wrong with her.

Mr. Wells...

Charlee has a good chance
of graduating from high school.

It would be a tremendous
achievement for her.

It's a lot harder for her
than it is for the other kids,

but she can do it.

She needs to know
that she can do it.

- She will.
- Not if she refuses to do the work.

We've covered
this ground before.

She said that she's
been writing at home.

Have you seen any of it?

She works all the time.

I don't stand over
her shoulder watching.

Well, it would help
her a great deal

if you could work
with her on her writing,

but in order to do that,
you have to learn to read.

I could help you.

What are you talking about?

You never learned
to read, did you?

- You got a lot of nerve, lady.
- Mr. Wells, you're not alone.

Millions of people, adults,

have faced illiteracy
and they conquer it.

It's not easy to hear the truth.

- The truth is, I do just fine.
- Yes, but wouldn't it be better

if you could read
her report card,

or later on, that you
could read her diploma?

I've accomplished
a lot in my life.

Yes, sir, you have,

but what if you could
read a newspaper?

I got a TV.

Okay, then you open a book
and you discover Treasure Island

- or David Copperfield.
- ♪ could see the movie.

Then how do you... how
do you pay your taxes?

- How do you pay a parking ticket?
- I know numbers.

- I use them all the time at work.
- Okay, Mr. Wells.

This is for you.

When you're ready.

I can see you're thinking
about me all the time.

That's just great.

I'll see you folks later.

Charlee, can you come here?

Try this new view.

Sometimes a change of scenery

can be a great
inspiration to us.

It's nice, isn't it?

- Yeah.
- Nice for me.

Get her out of my
kitchen. I'm cookin'.

Kobe, close your
mouth, open your mind,

keep writing your story.

Don't let him get to you.

He just acts tough
'cause he knows he's not.

Ah... that's the sort
of careful observation

that makes a very good writer.

Can you tell me something
of the characters in your fable?

How would you describe them?

I don't know.

Who's the hero of your story?

Okay. Um... I
guess the king, right?

And is there a queen?

No.

No, no. She... she
left a long... time ago.

Um, she was... Off
on her own adventure.

No.

No, she-she just left.

She left a baby.

Oh, they had a baby?

Yeah, um, a girl.

And, well...

she wakes up one morning, and...

the queen's gone.

She doesn't really
know why, um...

but one day a...

a letter comes in the mail.

A letter? What did it say?

Well, it's not really
addressed to the girl.

It's... it's for the king.

Um...

You see, the-the
girl, she's just a pawn,

and, um, the pawn's pinned.

Do you even know what that is?

You tell me.

Okay. Um, the
pawn is threatened.

Okay, she's threatened,
like... like, let's say, a bishop.

Okay? And...

she can't really move,
because if she does,

then... the king's
at check, right?

She can't move, can't leave,

can't do anything.

She's just stuck.

You know, stuck right
where she is, and...

well, that's called
being pinned.

That's called a metaphor.

Or... you know, if it's...

if it's F-5, then...

the bishop can trap,
you know, by-by moving...

moving... to, to be
s... I can't brea...

I can't breathe
right now. I c...

I'm not getting any
air. I can't breathe.

Please, I'm not... I
can't... I'm not getting

any air, I can't...
I can't breathe!

I can't breathe right now!

One step at a time, baby.

The air is good here, isn't it?

I don't know. I can't tell.

I can't breathe. I can't sleep.

I can never sleep.
I... can't do anything.

And you keep wondering,
"Why is this happening to me?"

Don't you, baby?

You see the other
children in the hall,

and they're smiling and
laughing, but in your mind,

it's like a train full of
worries running through.

Yeah.

You know, when I...
walk out of that class,

every time I can
hear those kids.

"Oh, special needs...
She must be stupid."

I'm not stupid.

I'm not.

I know you're not stupid.

But I think I need
better medication.

But a psychiatrist has
already prescribed medication.

Some guy from County Services,
but... but if my dad calls him

then I can get
better medication,

and if I have better medicine
then I'll feel better, and...

and that's it, that's it, I'll
just have my dad call him.

Well, now, right medication
can make a world of difference,

but medication alone
is not the answer.

There is no magic pill to
solve all your problems.

You don't know how
much I wish there was.

Oh...

I'm picking up a prescription
for Charlee Wells.

We're trying out a
new medication here.

Jolley's Pharmacy.
This is Chris.

Just-just sign right there.

- Over here?
- Yeah.

Okay, I'm gonna leave it here.

I can't do this. Daddy, I c...

Okay, baby, this new
medicine's gonna help.

It's all dirty. Daddy,
everything's dirty.

- It's gonna calm you right down.
- I can't even breathe.

Baby, can you read these?

How many are you
supposed to take?

Daddy, everything's dirty!

- Why is it nothing's clean?! I can't...
- Four.

Take four of these.

Here you go. Come on. Come on.

Calm down. Just take
four... of these pills.

All right, calm down.

Baby... better get to bed.

Charlee? Charlee?

Charlee?

Charlee!

Oh, my God.

Charlee!

Hello, Charlee.

- Mr. Wells.
- What are you doing here?

We missed Charlee at school.

We like to keep
track of our children.

- How you doing, baby?
- Better.

Good. You're gonna be
up and around in no time.

We brought you some
flowers, and some magazines,

and a composition book,
just in case you felt like

writing down some of those
ideas you had for your story.

I thought they
were so wonderful.

That's the problem
right there...

All the pressure you
people put on her.

That's what
triggers these things.

Mr. Wells, you don't seem to...

Excuse me? Charlee Wells?

That's her. I'm her father.

Who are you?

I'm Gloria, from LA.
County Social Services.

Social Services?

Did you call them?

Hospitals are required to report

all overdoses involving minors.

Overdoses? She doesn't do drugs.

The diagnosis is an overdose.

I spoke with the prescribing
psychiatrist this morning.

Charlee started a new
medication, correct?

Yeah, it just... it
didn't agree with her.

And she began the course
of Zanamine last night?

I guess that's
what they call it.

- And how many pills did she take?
- The box, the label,

it said four pills.

I think it reads: one tablet

every four hours.

♪♪

Morning, everyone.

Can you take your
seats quickly, please?

We have a lot to
get through today.

Hey, teach, where's
Obsessive-Charlee Disorder?

Charlee's sick, Kobe.

Like always.

She's in the county hospital.

The hospital?

- What happened?
- Everybody,

take your seats quickly.

She's going to be fine.

Kobe? Kobe!

Everyone, just stay back.

He's having another one.

Kobe?

How are you feeling?

Great.

Just great.

There's no class
in here for a while,

so you can stay and
rest if you need to.

I don't need no rest.

Um... I'm fine.

It happens all the time.

Doesn't make it any easier.

Hey, everybody in
here's got something.

I'm epileptic.

Charlee's got OCD.
Gordo's just plain stupid.

Stuff happens in life;

you just got to
learn to live with it.

You get up off the floor
and you keep on cruising.

You do that very well.

I wish you could
teach that to Charlee.

Do I get extra credit for it?

I'm okay, you know, Dad.

God help me. I
nearly killed you.

Not on purpose.

You misread the
directions, Dad; it happens.

I didn't read them at all.

I think you know that.

- Yeah.
- Thought I could

take care of
things without that.

You did.

- Daddy, you do.
- No, I don't.

I blew it, big-time.

I don't deserve
to be your father.

Shh! Don't say that.

Please, Daddy, I'd
be lost without you.

That makes two of us.

I just...

get so worried
when you get upset.

Your mama, she
always knew what to say,

but I just freeze.

I don't remember it like that.

I remember her always
yelling about how dirty I was

and cleaning me
all the time, and...

and checking the oven
over and over and over again.

She was always so afraid
of leaving that thing on.

She was terrified of leaving
the gas on and hurting you.

She checked those
valves every five minutes.

She had it, too, didn't she?

OCD.

She had problems.

She was young.

Young when she had
you, young when she left.

Lots of things she lacked...

but she understood you.

She always knew what to
say when you were worried.

Then Why'd she leave?

I guess she had enough of me.

You mean she had enough of me.

No, no, not you.

Not you.

Daddy, um...

a letter came
for us in the mail,

and I put it in my
top drawer at home,

and it's from her.

And I can read it to
you, if you want me to.

Well... I'm gonna go
get a cup of coffee, okay?

I'll be right back.

That's what I love
about hospitals.

The free show.

Kobe!

What are you doing here?

I brought you something.

Yeah?

I drew it myself.

Wow.

Thank you.

So, what's going on in school?

Everything's cool.

I had one of my patented
Kobe shakes today,

and, uh, Monica
got all freaked out.

I thought it was no
big thing, you know?

That, uh, you were the one
that needs some serious help.

Yeah, right.

Kobe...

what do... what
do you think about,

you know, when you're
having one of those things?

Nothing.

I don't even know it's
happening until it's over.

It's like traveling
at the speed of light.

You get back before
you hardly even left.

So, does it hurt?

Just my pride.

And that only hurts...

if you stay on the floor.

I got to get back to school.

You know, they're
lost without me.

Yeah. Yeah, you should go.

- Yeah, bye.
- Bye.

When I started out as
an angel, I saw everything

in black and white,
and it gets a lot harder

when you start to see the gray.

Well, well,

our little angel is
learning something.

But the protocol for
intervening on a client's behalf

in a custodial way
is... is very clear.

It... it is in black and white.

In terms of Charlee?

Yes. And the regulations say...

that Charlee must be
placed in foster care

pending further investigation.

- Oh, no.
- I know. I feel awful.

But the rule is clear.

Her current situation places
her in a dangerous environment.

She's not always responsible
for her own actions,

and she's clearly under the
care of someone incapable

of handling her
medication properly.

Well, you saw what happened.

Yeah.

But how can we make progress

with a father and a daughter

if they're separated?

Well, there'll be a hearing,

and-and they'll
listen to both sides.

But I... I had no choice.

It's in the book.

I had to send in a
recommendation.

You've already sent it in?

She told you there
was no choice.

Then I need to go and
see Rolando right away

and explain to him
that it's temporary

and that there
will be a hearing.

Is it possible that he
got the report that fast?

Oh, in cases like
this, they hand-deliver.

You did what you
had to do, baby,

even though it was hard.

And what we have to
do now is trust the Father

and pray that it was
the right thing to do.

Daddy! They said I
could go home later today.

- Great.
- Oh, I finished my story.

- You want to hear it?
- Sure, baby. But first,

a messenger came to the house
with this from Social Services.

Said it was important.

Guess I don't have to
say I, uh, lost my glasses.

- Oh, no.
- What?

"incapable of
administering medication."

Dad, this says they're
gonna take me away from you.

- What are we gonna do?
- I don't know.

I'll offer to speak to the
board on their behalf.

I'll explain that it's
not as cut-and-dried

as it may appear on the surface.

- Do you think that'll help?
- I think it's a great idea.

And I'm sure that
Rolando and Charlee

will appreciate all the
assistance you can give them.

Where'd they go?

Dad, where are we going?

We'll try my sister's
house in Detroit.

We can stay there
until we can figure out

what we're gonna do next.

What does that sign say?

"National forest."

Good. W-We'll
take the back roads.

Dad, there's no water here.

What if my hands get dirty?
How am I gonna clean them?

Don't worry about it.

It's impossible for me
not to worry about it.

Okay, okay.

Then worry about it.

We better stop for some gas.

I'll buy some water.

- Then what?
- We'|| keep driving.

Look, what if Aunt
Rita won't help us?

- She will.
- What if she won't?

Charlee! If she won't,
then we'll keep driving

until I find some
place safe for us.

- Home is safe.
- We can't go home.

If we go home,
the Social Services

is gonna pick you up, right?

Isn't that what the
letter said? Didn't it?

Yeah. I guess.

Dad, look out!

Oh, my God.

I-I didn't see it.

Monica, what are you
doing? Are you crazy?

I'm here to stop you
from running away.

Like hell you will.

Nobody's gonna take my
daughter away from me.

I don't care what the law says.
I don't care what any rule says.

Do you care what God says?

God?

You mean like God
up in Heaven God?

I mean God right
here, right now,

Who has been waiting for you
and Who sent me here to tell you so.

You're crazy.

No.

I'm an angel, Rolando.

Dad, what's going on?

- Charlee, get back in the car!
- No!

I am an angel.

Believe it.

What? An angel?

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

- My God...
- Don't be afraid, Charlee.

How did you do that?

You're in God's care.

There's no safer place to be.

I've been sent here to deliver
a message to you, Rolando.

It's a very special message.

It can only be read, and...

God wants you to read it.

You're playing with me.

This is a joke.

No. It's a miracle.

Is this what God wants?

To humiliate me in
front of my daughter?

Oh, no.

God wants to share
a miracle with you

in front of your daughter.

These are her words.

This is her story.

Look.

Oh, my God.

My God.

What does it say?

Read it.

"Once upon a time...
"there was a king...

"who lived in a
chessboard kingdom.

"He was big and
strong... "and proud,

"and loved by everyone,

"but especially by a little
pawn named Charlee.

"Charlee moved forward,
one step at a time.

"She didn’t jump like a knight

"or swoop like a bishop.

"She was slow,

"but she knew that if she
stayed right next to the king,

they could make it together."

Thank You for this miracle.

Thank You for the
miracle named Charlee.

God loves you both so much,

and He's given you this chance
to see what you're missing.

You can learn

to read, Rolando,
if you want to.

You just have to
set your pride aside

and sit down and
start one letter at time.

|'|| try.

Will you teach me?

Charlee could do that.

She may feel like a
very small pawn, but...

she has the heart of a queen.

And you're so smart,
Charlee. You are.

You're smart enough to
graduate from high school,

and you're smart
enough to go to college.

Wouldn't that be something, huh?

It won't always be easy...

but you could do
just about anything

if you set your mind to it.

Something like... a
wonderful teacher.

I'd be your first student.

Hm?

What if they take me away?

They're not gonna take you away.

There will be a hearing,
questions will be asked

and statements
will be made, but...

God... will speak to the hearts

of those who will judge you,

and they will see in you

what God already sees in you:

a man... who has
learned how to read

because he loved his daughter
more than his own pride...

a man who would do
anything for his little girl.

Anything.

"In the beginning was
the Word," Rolando.

Now it's time for you to begin.

Okay, Dad, let's get started.

So the right thing to do
was the hardest thing to do.

It usually is.

And it gets easier
with practice,

like riding a bike.

Or learning to read.

Dad, are you ready?

As I'll ever be.

Okay.

Okay, so I thought
that we would start

with something that
I really want to read.

Okay.

Is this okay?

Okay.

Okay... you see that letter?

- Mm-hmm.
- That's a "D."

- "D."
- It says: "Dear Rolando and Charlee.

- "D" for "dear."
- Yes.

I got that guy. Good, go on.

Okay.

"Hello, it's me, Roxanne.

"I don't know how to start.

"Rolando, how are you?

"Charlee, how's my little baby?

"Not so little anymore, I guess.

"Rolando, I've been
taking a new medicine,

"and I'm feeling so much better.

"I'm writing you now
"because I'm hoping...

"you can forgive me.

"I'm hoping that...
we can talk."

Don't be afraid.

This is the time.